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vivivi'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
5.0
AND THERE ARE SEQUELS NOW!! 😍
Maia is such a cinnamon roll. He's so sweet. I love how he's a half goblin but he still became a good emperor. There are quite a lot of nods to interesting topics in the story that I didn't recognize / see during my first read, but I appreciate them very much. I love the worldbuilding, especially the societal portion of it.
The political intrigue is excellent. We see him grow into his role. I guess this is considered a cozy fantasy. There's a murder mystery, but rather than the typical storyline where the emperor commands an investigator to look into it and you follow the case and find clues, you're looking in from the outside from the emperor's POV. Love it!
Graphic: Abandonment, Emotional abuse, and Child abuse
Moderate: Death of parent and Violence
Minor: Racism
katie_thompson'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
5.0
Graphic: Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Death, Grief, Murder, Racial slurs, Toxic relationship, Abandonment, Bullying, Child abuse, Racism, and War
Moderate: Physical abuse, Confinement, and Cursing
Minor: Abortion
glittergoblin13'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
5.0
This is not a story of grand battles or action and I found that extremely refreshing. Maia is not brash, loud, or aggressive. He is soft, thoughtful, uncertain, and lonely, trying desperately not to lose himself entirely in learning to become emperor. I love that about him because it feels extremely fitting for someone who survived abandonment and physical and emotional abuse. Maia isn't angry, even: he wants to be kind because he doesn't want anyone to feel the way he's felt. I am a sucker for that kind of narrative. <3
My only complaint is tiny, in the grand scheme of things: the naming conventions in this novel are annoying. Not annoying enough to take anything off the rating, but enough that I have to mention it. I ended up ignoring the conventions altogether and just pronouncing everything the way I thought they might be. It didn't matter too much, after all.
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Racial slurs, Child abuse, Abandonment, Sexual harassment, Racism, Death of parent, Grief, and Misogyny
achingallover'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: Child abuse, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Suicide, Death of parent, Sexual harassment, Abandonment, and Grief
walkie_check's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Death of parent, and Suicide
Moderate: Kidnapping, Abandonment, Child abuse, Bullying, Racism, Classism, and Death of parent
Minor: Child abuse, Confinement, Emotional abuse, Grief, Kidnapping, Miscarriage, Injury/Injury detail, Racism, Abandonment, Bullying, Suicidal thoughts, Misogyny, Chronic illness, Forced institutionalization, Homophobia, Classism, Physical abuse, Religious bigotry, Colonisation, and Death
alexalily's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Graphic: Physical abuse, Abandonment, Death of parent, and Emotional abuse
Moderate: Racism, Sexism, Suicide, Xenophobia, Confinement, Grief, Kidnapping, Misogyny, Murder, Bullying, Child abuse, and Death
Minor: Terminal illness, Alcohol, Blood, and Homophobia
thereadinghammock'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
3.0
The book is super slow in the first half and only really picks up after chapter 18, but even then, that level of set up isn't for everyone. It's a slog and while Maia and the folks he's close with are good characters, it did still feel like a struggle to make it to the end of this one.
Graphic: Bullying, Emotional abuse, Abandonment, Child abuse, Racism, Xenophobia, and Death of parent
Moderate: Car accident and Grief
Minor: Infertility, Racial slurs, Physical abuse, Misogyny, and Miscarriage
starlit_pathways'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? It's complicated
5.0
Graphic: Abandonment, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Grief, Child abuse, Xenophobia, and Physical abuse
Moderate: Confinement, Kidnapping, Terminal illness, War, and Classism
Minor: Torture and Suicide
huldakaren'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
5.0
Moderate: Abandonment, Death of parent, and Domestic abuse
Minor: Death, Alcohol, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Miscarriage, Murder, and Sexism
ellanarose's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Moderate: Abandonment, Blood, Child abuse, Death, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Suicide, and Violence
Minor: Bullying, Confinement, Infertility, Miscarriage, and Misogyny