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wardenred'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
He’s gone, Alex. It’s time to accept that. Even if you were right, whatever survived in hell wouldn’t be the Darlington you know.
Well, this was a trip! I confess I didn't fall in love with this installment as much as I did with the first book, but this was still incredibly engrossing and entertaining. I loved getting to know the familiar characters more and seeing their relationships redefined. All the storylines held a lot of tension. The dark academia vibe was thick as ever. So much lore about the societies and the dark, death-soaked magic. And so many demonic puzzles to solve and dangerous libraries to survive! In other words, all the thrills.
I think the storyline I particularly enjoyed was the one where Alex had to work through that one big part of her past—I really don't want to start talking about it in more detail, because I will just start spewing spoilers. But then there was all the magic, too, and assembling the crew to go into actual hell, and lots of characters from the first book getting to be more front and center. I loved Alex's friendships with Dawes and Mercy, and getting to know Turner better.
What I didn't fully love was how all of this was pulled together. The "making plans and assembling the party to go into hell" part dragged on for entirely too long, and then things started moving a bit too fast and, more importantly, unevenly. It was like the intermediary resolutions and plot points were coming at entirely the wrong places. The juggling of multiple timelines and gradual reveals didn't work nearly as effectively as it did in The Ninth House. I was also not a fan of certain aspects of Darlington's storyline, but that's something I can chalk up to taste. The book's weird composition, though, objectively detracted from my enjoyment, even though it's SO full of things I enjoy.
Graphic: Death and Violence
Moderate: Cursing, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, and Police brutality
Minor: Drug abuse, Rape, and Vomit
caitlin_plotsandpints's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Violence, Blood, Death of parent, and Murder
Moderate: Rape, Sexual content, and Vomit
Minor: Slavery
mollyelyn's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Cursing, Death, Drug use, Gore, Mental illness, Sexual content, Violence, Blood, Vomit, and Murder
hannahcstocks'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
5.0
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Confinement, Death, Violence, Blood, Cannibalism, Stalking, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Slavery, Forced institutionalization, Vomit, Death of parent, and Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Drug abuse, Drug use, Mental illness, Misogyny, Sexual assault, Torture, Toxic relationship, Suicide attempt, Abandonment, and Alcohol
alwaysellana'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? Yes
3.5
Graphic: Sexual violence, Vomit, and Murder
Moderate: Rape, Self harm, Sexual violence, Suicide, and Torture
Minor: Addiction, Body horror, Death, Misogyny, and Death of parent
mmmkay's review against another edition
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Sexual violence
Moderate: Violence
Minor: Vomit
marinasjd's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Moderate: Addiction, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Confinement, Death, Drug use, Gore, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Slavery, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail
eyvina's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Murder
Moderate: Addiction, Racism, and Vomit
Minor: Suicide attempt
christinereads1823'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? Yes
4.5
However. There are a number of new plot threads that seemed unnecessary at times, and I am honestly not sure how they will be tied up in a probable-but-not-yet-confirmed Book 3... or if they even can be. There is also more gore;
I enjoyed the theoretical aspects; the themes of good, evil, and what you have to do to survive; and the found family and forging of relationships. Who wouldn't go to hell and back for their friends and loved ones?
Graphic: Animal death, Child abuse, Death, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gore, Physical abuse, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Grief, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Addiction, Body horror, Cursing, Drug use, Gun violence, Suicide attempt, and Alcohol
theespressoedition's review against another edition
4.5
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Death, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Blood, and Murder
Moderate: Cursing, Gore, Rape, Toxic relationship, Violence, Vomit, Toxic friendship, and Injury/Injury detail