Scan barcode
lennie_reads's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
I wasn't quite sure what to expect from this book but I was hooked immediately. I loved our morally ambiguous MC Kiva & her journey as she does what she can to survive in a brutal prison whilst also trying to treat patients with no judgement.
And after Jaren arrives, with the help of Naari & Tipp, they all start to break down Kiva's carefully constructed walls.
When the Rebel Queen is captured & taken to the prison - it is decided that she will have to complete 4 trials, each featuring a different element, & if she survives, she will be free. However, the Rebel Queen is on death's door when she arrives & in no state to complete anything, so Kiva volunteers to take her place under the understanding that if she completes the trials, both her & the Queen will be freed.
The trials get increasingly harder & Kiva's reliance on others becomes heavier, making her realise she isn't as much of an island as she would like to believe.
I loved the dark gritty surroundings of the prison & I feel that Noni paints a very vivid & realistic image of Zalindov prison, as well as the types of people who would be in there, innocent & guilty alike. Noni also portrays the brutality of the prisons guards & the cold calculating Warden especially well.
I loved the history of the royals, the magic systems & how that fed into the story. I was also fascinated by the descriptions of medicines & how Kiva has taught herself healing through trial & error following her father's death in the prison.
Some of the twists I saw coming but some of them left me absolutely gobsmacked. I need the sequel ASAP.
And I love Kiva, Jaren, Naari & Tipp so much!
CW: mentions of sexual assault, drug use, self harm, death
And after Jaren arrives, with the help of Naari & Tipp, they all start to break down Kiva's carefully constructed walls.
When the Rebel Queen is captured & taken to the prison - it is decided that she will have to complete 4 trials, each featuring a different element, & if she survives, she will be free. However, the Rebel Queen is on death's door when she arrives & in no state to complete anything, so Kiva volunteers to take her place under the understanding that if she completes the trials, both her & the Queen will be freed.
The trials get increasingly harder & Kiva's reliance on others becomes heavier, making her realise she isn't as much of an island as she would like to believe.
I loved the dark gritty surroundings of the prison & I feel that Noni paints a very vivid & realistic image of Zalindov prison, as well as the types of people who would be in there, innocent & guilty alike. Noni also portrays the brutality of the prisons guards & the cold calculating Warden especially well.
I loved the history of the royals, the magic systems & how that fed into the story. I was also fascinated by the descriptions of medicines & how Kiva has taught herself healing through trial & error following her father's death in the prison.
Some of the twists I saw coming but some of them left me absolutely gobsmacked. I need the sequel ASAP.
And I love Kiva, Jaren, Naari & Tipp so much!
CW: mentions of sexual assault, drug use, self harm, death
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Animal cruelty, Blood, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Death of parent, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Medical content, Murder, Physical abuse, and Rape
Mentions of Self Harming Character with prosthetic arm
More...