Scan barcode
talonsontypewriters's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Graphic: Death, Blood, Violence, Xenophobia, Gore, Medical content, Body horror, Injury/Injury detail, Pandemic/Epidemic, and Child death
Moderate: Colonisation, Genocide, War, Self harm, and Dysphoria
Minor: Fire/Fire injury, Vomit, Animal death, and Death of parent
bisexualwentworth'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
The blood magic was fascinating and dark, and I feel like we receive just enough information about it for its role in the story to land the way its supposed to. The main character and the antagonist are both well-meaning, flawed people. The plot didn't go the way I expected, and it was much more compelling than what I was expecting!
And I loved reading the author's afterword at the end of the book. I generally try to judge books on their own merits, but I do think that authorial intent is relevant, and I always love a thoughtful reflection on why something was written. It made me appreciate the book even more.
The beginning was a bit rough. I didn't get into the book right away. But was I was engaged, I finished the rest of it in one day. I look forward to more from this author/this world!
Graphic: Medical trauma, Terminal illness, Death, Blood, Xenophobia, Racism, Child death, Gore, and Medical content
bea__reads's review against another edition
4.5
Graphic: Murder, Pandemic/Epidemic, Self harm, Blood, Violence, Injury/Injury detail, Death, Medical trauma, Body horror, and Medical content
Moderate: Colonisation, Fire/Fire injury, Genocide, and Xenophobia
Minor: Dysphoria, Child death, and Torture
rhi_'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? Yes
3.75
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Gore, Blood, Death, and Medical content
Moderate: Colonisation and Fire/Fire injury
toopunkrockforshul's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Body horror, Death, Hate crime, Xenophobia, Injury/Injury detail, Gore, and Blood
Moderate: Violence, Torture, and Vomit
Minor: Fire/Fire injury, Self harm, Racial slurs, Medical trauma, War, Police brutality, and Colonisation
gabe_escobedo's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
Moderate: Death, Blood, Colonisation, Pandemic/Epidemic, and Classism
shelvesofivy's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
Graphic: Medical content, Xenophobia, Death, and Blood
Moderate: Violence, Vomit, Pandemic/Epidemic, Grief, and Colonisation
bazer63's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.5
All in all a good book that could have used a couple dozen more pages to really flesh out the characters and world and make it great. Additonally, the author's thoughts at the end are worth considering and I'm open to the idea that someone of a different background could connect to the themes more than I did.
Graphic: Blood and Medical content
Moderate: Death, Racism, Xenophobia, Colonisation, Religious bigotry, and Bullying
Minor: Dysphoria and Physical abuse
gcrkl's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Blood, Pandemic/Epidemic, Medical trauma, Medical content, and Self harm
Moderate: Hate crime, Grief, Dysphoria, Colonisation, Death, Racism, Gore, and Religious bigotry
nessynoname's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
The concepts are all fantastic: a medical-fantasy story set in a queernormative Persian inspired world, with themes of immigration, xenophobia, conquest and class struggle. It is clear that the author writes from such a informed place as a person with a medical background and both Persian and queer identity. I just wish they would take more time with their exposition and character building.
I feel like I still don't have a very firm grasp on the history/geopolitics of this region because it is all delivered in very quick little spurts throughout the narrative. The characters too, feel... alright, but I don't know that I would really say that I really came to know any of them deeply.
I picked this book up for its asexual representation, and this is definitely an instance of the "it's not a big deal" kind of representation, where main character Firuz has a moment of internal narration noticing their brother acting flirty and sheepish to another character and Firuz ponders the contrast to their own disinterest to romance and sex, and that's all that's made of it. This is perfectly fine and an important form of representation, though I am personally currently hungry for some books of characters exploring their ace identities more at length. For those who are maybe not ace/aro but who prefer books with no romantic themes this will do nicely.
This is a good book, and worth the time, it just needed a bit more to be a great book.
Graphic: Medical content, Pandemic/Epidemic, Body horror, Blood, Child death, and Gore
Moderate: Xenophobia, Classism, Colonisation, Death, and Vomit
Minor: Racism and Injury/Injury detail