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fionamatilda'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: Body horror, Gore, Blood, Child death, Murder, and Violence
Moderate: Addiction, Drug use, Trafficking, Torture, and Panic attacks/disorders
Minor: Sexual assault, Ableism, Religious bigotry, and War
david_slack110507'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
One of the main enticements of this book for me was the characters and I'm glad to say that the characters, at least our main group of 6, all were incredibly well-written and developed. I think their connections as a group as well as intergroup connections with one another were so well done. I loved them all - Kaz, Inej, Jesper, Wylan, Nina, and Matthias - and I found that I was never once bored when it shifted to either one of their perspectives which I'm really glad this book did as everyone had a unique character background which explained why they were doing what they were doing as well as having unique perspectives on the heist that lay ahead of them.
Speaking of the heist, I found that the heist as the plot was actually really strong, and it helped move the book along at a brisk but nice pace allowing for moments to breathe before the next one arrived. I found the pre-planning and the constant shift in plan when something unaccounted for happened or when something wrong took place was extremely enjoyable and it was really good to see these characters constantly face change during their heist on the Ice Court and adapt the best that they could.
I also really liked seeing the world beyond Ravka and the Grisha's perspective as that was something that, now looking back on it, was missing from the Shadow and Bone books so it was interesting to see what the Fjerdans/Fjerda thinks of Grisha and vice versa as well as seeing the story set in a place of less elegance and extravagance than Ravka with East Stave and the 'Barrel'. It also built upon Grisha magic with the introduction of Jurda Parem, a drug that allows Grisha to do unimaginable things that break the previous limits of their power; I do wish we had gotten to see more of it but I also think that what we saw did demonstrate well enough why it was so dangerous to the world and why it was imperative that this not fall into the wrong hands.
Overall, I really enjoyed reading this even if it did take me a lot longer than I wanted to but I found it to be a huge step up from the Shadow and Bone books and the next book is rated even better so I can't even imagine how good of a treat that'll be which I'm hoping to get around to relatively soon as I try and finish up the other books I have on the go. I'm interested in seeing whether or not the next book, Crooked Kingdom, will resolve the cliffhanger off screen (or off the page in this instance, with explanations in the form of exposition spread throughout to explain it) or whether it will start the book and wrap it up relatively quickly to then go onto the actual plot of that book but I guess only time will tell.
Graphic: Blood, Slavery, Kidnapping, Death, Violence, Trafficking, Grief, and Murder
Moderate: Drug abuse, Child death, Confinement, Sexual assault, Torture, Animal death, Animal cruelty, Chronic illness, Hate crime, Panic attacks/disorders, Religious bigotry, Sexual violence, Xenophobia, Ableism, Cursing, Drug use, Genocide, Injury/Injury detail, Racism, Abandonment, Addiction, and Rape
Minor: Classism, Medical content, Emotional abuse, Abandonment, Sexual content, and Alcohol
c_l_ara'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: Injury/Injury detail, Blood, Murder, Violence, Death, and Gun violence
Moderate: Torture, Trafficking, Racism, Rape, Abandonment, Classism, Confinement, Religious bigotry, Xenophobia, Drug use, Addiction, Grief, Kidnapping, and Child death
Minor: Ableism, Genocide, and War
aidareads's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Graphic: Drug use, Violence, War, Slavery, Death, Blood, and Religious bigotry
axel_p'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
4.0
Minor: Genocide, Gun violence, Racism, Trafficking, Drug abuse, Pedophilia, Police brutality, Rape, Violence, War, Xenophobia, Death, Mental illness, Misogyny, Torture, Vomit, Sexism, Abandonment, Ableism, Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Blood, Child abuse, Child death, Classism, Confinement, Slavery, Alcohol, Body horror, Body shaming, Grief, Hate crime, Racial slurs, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Drug use, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Physical abuse, Medical content, and Murder
what_karla_reads'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
4.0
Graphic: Xenophobia, Injury/Injury detail, Violence, Gun violence, and Grief
Moderate: War
Minor: Torture, Religious bigotry, Slavery, Sexual harassment, Sexism, and Confinement
samvimes89'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
Graphic: Classism, Addiction, Violence, Religious bigotry, Genocide, Murder, Trafficking, Gun violence, and Slavery
morgancrummy's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Blood, Violence, Child death, Death of parent, Trafficking, Genocide, Classism, Death, Drug use, Gore, Hate crime, Murder, Religious bigotry, Sexual assault, and Slavery
gillian_aftanas'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
4.75
Graphic: Blood, Religious bigotry, Genocide, Gun violence, Addiction, Medical content, Murder, Panic attacks/disorders, Body horror, Drug abuse, Drug use, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Confinement, Violence, Grief, Sexual harassment, Gore, Trafficking, Slavery, Ableism, Fire/Fire injury, and Classism
Minor: Excrement, Death of parent, Animal death, and War
nevermoregothic'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
5.0
Graphic: Trafficking, Slavery, Death, Xenophobia, Violence, Drug use, Drug abuse, Confinement, and Addiction
Moderate: Ableism, Religious bigotry, Classism, and Kidnapping
Minor: Torture and Pedophilia