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micksland's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Winner: 2022 World Fantasy Award
Nominee: 2022 Locus Award for Best Fantasy Novel
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This is a very intriguing epic fantasy novel inspired by various cultures on the Indian subcontinent. It takes traditional fantasy novel tropes and reinterprets them outside the Eurocentric motifs that many modern fantasy novels use.
I loved the character development throughout the novel. The main characters are Malini, the disgraced sister of the Emperor, and her maid Priya, who is much more than she appears. The author did a great job at exploring the different ethnic backgrounds, class differences, and religious beliefs of these characters as they seek to overthrow the Emperor. I do wish that the emperor had some more character development, because he is presented as simply an evil religious fanatic who needs to be replaced. If he had more page time, I think the narrative would have been stronger. Nevertheless, a very fun read and I’ll pick up the sequel!
Graphic: War, Fire/Fire injury, and Murder
Moderate: Genocide and Colonisation
ienbdri's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
Graphic: Child death, Murder, Misogyny, Child abuse, Genocide, Grief, Death, Fire/Fire injury, Drug abuse, Drug use, Confinement, Body horror, and Addiction
Moderate: Pregnancy, Violence, and War
jodes003's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
Graphic: Confinement, Death, Genocide, Gore, Classism, Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, Sexism, Fire/Fire injury, Pandemic/Epidemic, Religious bigotry, Murder, Blood, and Forced institutionalization
Moderate: Pregnancy and Grief
Minor: Animal death
carochacord's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Abandonment
Moderate: War, Terminal illness, Pregnancy, Violence, Blood, Fire/Fire injury, Misogyny, and Murder
Minor: Alcohol and Vomit
lanna_aud's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
Graphic: Violence, Religious bigotry, Terminal illness, Murder, and Misogyny
Minor: Homophobia
cozyscones's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Confinement, Fire/Fire injury, Genocide, Body horror, Death, Violence, Murder, Drug use, and Misogyny
Moderate: Homophobia, Pregnancy, and War
o_mcg318's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
Moderate: Sexism, Death, Genocide, Classism, Homophobia, Murder, and Violence
readingwithkaitlyn's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Graphic: Classism, Confinement, Death, Genocide, Misogyny, Terminal illness, Violence, War, Blood, Drug use, Injury/Injury detail, Pregnancy, Racism, Xenophobia, Fire/Fire injury, Murder, and Sexism
Moderate: Colonisation, Body horror, Physical abuse, Kidnapping, Mental illness, Suicide, Torture, Alcohol, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Grief, Pandemic/Epidemic, and Suicidal thoughts
Minor: Child death, Death of parent, Homophobia, Lesbophobia, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis
Starvation, homelessness, brothels.kelseeraine's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Tasha Suri writes a story quite unlike any book I've ever read before. Her prose and the inventive use of multiple POVs truly create a multi-layered world the encaptures the reader. I can honestly say I've never read a book quite like it, in the absolute best of ways. The world building was so in-depth, so meticulously thought out, that I felt I completely understood the world Suri created. Reading this was like solving a puzzle without meaning to. Suri's writing guides the reader along a truly incredible path that allows the reader deepen their understanding of the world without having to consciously try to decipher it. This book is what I would consider the very best of the high fantasy genre.
Graphic: Classism, Colonisation, Hate crime, Confinement, and Religious bigotry
Moderate: Grief, Misogyny, and Pandemic/Epidemic
Minor: Lesbophobia, Murder, Homophobia, and Terminal illness
kshertz's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Moderate: Blood, Body horror, Violence, War, Abandonment, Death, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, and Murder