Scan barcode
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
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
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
kimapede's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
Graphic: Child death, Medical trauma, Self harm, Blood, Injury/Injury detail, and Medical content
Moderate: Child abuse, Genocide, Confinement, Medical content, Fire/Fire injury, Bullying, Death, Pandemic/Epidemic, Racism, and Vomit
larbster90's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Graphic: Blood, Child death, Death, Medical content, Medical trauma, and Pandemic/Epidemic
Moderate: Dysphoria, Gore, Hate crime, Injury/Injury detail, Racial slurs, Torture, Violence, and Xenophobia
Minor: Colonisation, Death of parent, Religious bigotry, Racism, and Terminal illness
chughes5's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Graphic: Blood, Child abuse, Colonisation, Pandemic/Epidemic, Grief, Bullying, Dysphoria, Genocide, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Medical trauma, Murder, Body horror, Racism, and War
riverleafing's review
- 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
3.75
Graphic: Medical trauma, Pandemic/Epidemic, Death, Blood, Injury/Injury detail, and Medical content
kelseak96's review
- 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
4.5
Graphic: Gore, Blood, Injury/Injury detail, and Medical trauma
gardens_and_dragons's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
I did like the magic system, which was based on blood magic. I also enjoyed the way that pronouns and transitioning was normalized in their world, as well as asexuality, in a queernormative society. The second half of the book picks up on the actual plot and finding out more about the mysterious Illness plaguing the city.
There are definitely some things that could have been helped by an editor. It felt like a lot of the action happens off screen and between sections/chapters in the beginning part of the book. For example: We are constantly being told how Firuz knows a character but not shown their relationship developing on the page first. We skip over them practicing at the clinic on the early days, earning money and moving their family away from the slums, etc.
Also, the explanation of the complex sociopolitical history of this world came in very late into the story, so some world building felt rushed or missing until hindsight.
Graphic: Medical content and Medical trauma
Moderate: Religious bigotry and Xenophobia