You need to sign in or sign up before continuing.
Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.79 AVERAGE
3.79 AVERAGE
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
hopeful
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
dark
emotional
medium-paced
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
I did enjoy this book but not as much as I’d hoped to. I liked the characters well enough, but felt the world they resided in was not fleshed out enough. The first half of the book dragged a little, but picked up in the second half.
Wow! For a debut novel, I was floored by how much this left an impression on me! I was pleasantly surprised by how much I really enjoyed this one. This is a very character driven book but by far the strongest, most compelling part of the novel. It follows two slumdogs, Lythlet and Desil, two childhood best friends who are in debt and take part in conquessing, a blood sport where contestants are required to kill monsters to make cash. Think Squid Game but contestants battle different monsters each round instead of playing childhood games.
Lythlet is a FMC that I easily liked and rooted for from start to finish as a character, schemer, daughter and friend. The book establishes early on Lythlet’s desperation as a slumdog. She has a vicious and abusive loan shark, her parents are also unregistered and equally in debt and she only has one friend, Desil. To pay off her debts, Lythlet resorts to thievery, but even as a thief, you see her humanity seep through, refusing to steal from an old man. I also like that she isn’t a pushover and stands up to herself when necessary. But what I enjoyed the most was how big brained Lythlet is. She’s a FMC with both brawns and brains, able to wield a spear when fighting monsters in the arena and using her quick intuition and perception skills to devise ways to slain them. I liked witnessing her gradual corruption the greedier she became with money and the way each battle began to push the limits to her morality. It is very similar to Squid Game where you ask yourself whether losing your humanity is worth the coin. There was one particular match that really got me.
Desil was also someone I really loved and adored. He is so sweet, it was super easy to get attached to both of them. Desil is her moral compass and their friendship CARRIED the entire novel. Both don’t want to see each other get hurt and you feel the care they have for each other early on. Even though their friendship is platonic, it is still so much more convincing than some other book couples I’ve read. I also really enjoyed the different monster matches. Each monster was super unique. I genuinely had no idea how they would vanquish each one and it was very interesting seeing the conflicts that arose between both of them the more they competed in the matches. Though I did think they were resolved too quickly.
Another big highlight for me was the relationship Lythlet had with the match master, Master Dothilos. I found it just as strong as her relationship with Desil. I wasn’t expecting so much depth from him and found him to be a very multifaceted character with many layers. I had a strong love-hate relationship with the match master. He’s cynical and manipulative, but genuinely grows to care for Lythlet because of their similar upbringing and wants the best for her. I really enjoyed the dynamic they had with each other and by the end, I wasn’t sure if I could truly hate him.
While I found the final match predictable, I was NOT expecting the big plot twist that came after that. It really took me by surprise and I loved how realistic the ending was and the lessons Lythlet takes away with her by the end of the novel. There’s a lot of thought-provoking messages that I carried away with me.
My biggest critiques with this novel was the worldbuilding and side plot. It did feel difficult to picture the world and a lot of the lore felt glossed over and undeveloped. Some chapters did drag a bit – especially with the political side plot that I didn’t really care for. It was only when the conquessing continued that I found myself invested in the story again. Other than that, I think this was a strong debut from Roanne Lau and I would love to read more of her future works.
Huge thank you to NetGalley and DAW for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Lythlet is a FMC that I easily liked and rooted for from start to finish as a character, schemer, daughter and friend. The book establishes early on Lythlet’s desperation as a slumdog. She has a vicious and abusive loan shark, her parents are also unregistered and equally in debt and she only has one friend, Desil. To pay off her debts, Lythlet resorts to thievery, but even as a thief, you see her humanity seep through, refusing to steal from an old man. I also like that she isn’t a pushover and stands up to herself when necessary. But what I enjoyed the most was how big brained Lythlet is. She’s a FMC with both brawns and brains, able to wield a spear when fighting monsters in the arena and using her quick intuition and perception skills to devise ways to slain them. I liked witnessing her gradual corruption the greedier she became with money and the way each battle began to push the limits to her morality. It is very similar to Squid Game where you ask yourself whether losing your humanity is worth the coin. There was one particular match that really got me.
Desil was also someone I really loved and adored. He is so sweet, it was super easy to get attached to both of them. Desil is her moral compass and their friendship CARRIED the entire novel. Both don’t want to see each other get hurt and you feel the care they have for each other early on. Even though their friendship is platonic, it is still so much more convincing than some other book couples I’ve read. I also really enjoyed the different monster matches. Each monster was super unique. I genuinely had no idea how they would vanquish each one and it was very interesting seeing the conflicts that arose between both of them the more they competed in the matches. Though I did think they were resolved too quickly.
Another big highlight for me was the relationship Lythlet had with the match master, Master Dothilos. I found it just as strong as her relationship with Desil. I wasn’t expecting so much depth from him and found him to be a very multifaceted character with many layers. I had a strong love-hate relationship with the match master. He’s cynical and manipulative, but genuinely grows to care for Lythlet because of their similar upbringing and wants the best for her. I really enjoyed the dynamic they had with each other and by the end, I wasn’t sure if I could truly hate him.
While I found the final match predictable, I was NOT expecting the big plot twist that came after that. It really took me by surprise and I loved how realistic the ending was and the lessons Lythlet takes away with her by the end of the novel. There’s a lot of thought-provoking messages that I carried away with me.
My biggest critiques with this novel was the worldbuilding and side plot. It did feel difficult to picture the world and a lot of the lore felt glossed over and undeveloped. Some chapters did drag a bit – especially with the political side plot that I didn’t really care for. It was only when the conquessing continued that I found myself invested in the story again. Other than that, I think this was a strong debut from Roanne Lau and I would love to read more of her future works.
Huge thank you to NetGalley and DAW for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.
OH my gosh I absolutely devoured this novel. An incredible read which once again reminded me of why I love political fantasy, plus a focus on platonic relationships and NO ROMANCE (well, I thought there was the tiniest little hint of a possible romance which I really wished hadn't been added). The characters, layers of plot, action scenes, etc. were simply fantastic and I genuinely could not stop reading - the creativity of when writing about the magical creatures/sun-cursed beasts was perhaps one of my favourite aspects of the book. I have to applaud the author for the characters of Master Dothilos and Desil, who were both so well written. Also, I loved the humour, which was subtle and appropriately timed, plus the side characters were enjoyable to read about.
More so than The Witcher (which I've never seen) or Squid Games (which I have), I would have compared this book to She Who Became The Sun for the overall vibe (quote: "Hope in times of happiness isn't hope - it's expectation."), and also because both protagonists were ambitious, relying heavily on wits and street smarts to succeed.
If I had one gripe about this book it would be that a lot was crammed in and it could've been a duology instead. Anyways a stunning debut and I was definitely the target audience.
Thank you to NetGalley and Solaris for providing a copy of this book for review. All opinions are my own.
More so than The Witcher (which I've never seen) or Squid Games (which I have), I would have compared this book to She Who Became The Sun for the overall vibe (quote: "Hope in times of happiness isn't hope - it's expectation."), and also because both protagonists were ambitious, relying heavily on wits and street smarts to succeed.
If I had one gripe about this book it would be that a lot was crammed in and it could've been a duology instead. Anyways a stunning debut and I was definitely the target audience.
Thank you to NetGalley and Solaris for providing a copy of this book for review. All opinions are my own.
Like most of the population of Southern Setgad, Lythlet is very poor and, with her friend Desil, she has to figure out a way to pay a debt that her meager salary cannot cover. Things only worsen when she has to leave her job as a bookkeeper after her employer turns violent - like many others before him.
Then, Lythlet finds a handbill promising a quick way to gain riches: conquessoring, a bloodsport which involves battling sun-cursed beasts and betting spectators. With Desil's prior experience as a brawler and Lythlet's skills with spears, they are convinced this could be the way to free themselves of the debt and make their dreams of a better life a reality.
As they successfully win their battles, Lythlet finds herself entangled in the political intrigues of Setgad and Desil finds himself at odds with the religious vows of peace he made after quitting brawling.
This book left me with really mixed feelings.
On one hand, I really enjoyed the worldbuilding and the political awareness woven throughout. A lot of Setgad's social structures mirror that of our real world and it was nice to have the characters being aware of and calling out the injustices and violence brought on by capitalism. Through Desil, we also have an interesting exploration of his relationship to religion in a context that often has him acting against the principles he believes in.
On the other hand, though I was really interested in these aspects of the book, I felt like they really fell short of my expectations.
The worldbuilding is very dense and yet never really developed. I spent a lot of time trying to really understand it and in the end, it wasn't as relevant as I'd thought it would be. Same thing with the religious system. The political aspect, though I appreciate its' being explicitly acknowledged by the characters, sometimes felt a little too on the nose.
This might be the aspect I'm most torn about because I really appreciate the way this book approaches those topics. In a world where fiction, and especially fantasy as a genre, is often mistakenly thought to be for entertainment or escapism only, this book is a reminder of how fiction is also a way to bring awareness about real social topics and can lead to reflection about them. I just feel like it would've been more impactful if some things had been less spelled out and left to the reader to reflect upon.
The plot itself, while it is fairly eventful, drags a lot in the middle which also impacted my interest in the book. There was a bit too much running in circles in between the battles and Dothilos's "lessons" for a while, and the dialogues being long-winded added to the impression of unnecessary slow-ness. The characters, while interesting, often felt flat, not because they are flat per se but I think they were just "drowned" by the complexity and heaviness of all the other aspects of the book.
In the end, I feel like this book still has its' audience, it is just unfortunately not me (though with a bit more editing I would've liked it more, much more). With that being said, I still feel like it is a debut that shows great ability to build interesting, complex intrigues, worlds and characters. I'll be looking forward to what the author comes up with next.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the e-ARC.
Then, Lythlet finds a handbill promising a quick way to gain riches: conquessoring, a bloodsport which involves battling sun-cursed beasts and betting spectators. With Desil's prior experience as a brawler and Lythlet's skills with spears, they are convinced this could be the way to free themselves of the debt and make their dreams of a better life a reality.
As they successfully win their battles, Lythlet finds herself entangled in the political intrigues of Setgad and Desil finds himself at odds with the religious vows of peace he made after quitting brawling.
This book left me with really mixed feelings.
On one hand, I really enjoyed the worldbuilding and the political awareness woven throughout. A lot of Setgad's social structures mirror that of our real world and it was nice to have the characters being aware of and calling out the injustices and violence brought on by capitalism. Through Desil, we also have an interesting exploration of his relationship to religion in a context that often has him acting against the principles he believes in.
On the other hand, though I was really interested in these aspects of the book, I felt like they really fell short of my expectations.
The worldbuilding is very dense and yet never really developed. I spent a lot of time trying to really understand it and in the end, it wasn't as relevant as I'd thought it would be. Same thing with the religious system. The political aspect, though I appreciate its' being explicitly acknowledged by the characters, sometimes felt a little too on the nose.
This might be the aspect I'm most torn about because I really appreciate the way this book approaches those topics. In a world where fiction, and especially fantasy as a genre, is often mistakenly thought to be for entertainment or escapism only, this book is a reminder of how fiction is also a way to bring awareness about real social topics and can lead to reflection about them. I just feel like it would've been more impactful if some things had been less spelled out and left to the reader to reflect upon.
The plot itself, while it is fairly eventful, drags a lot in the middle which also impacted my interest in the book. There was a bit too much running in circles in between the battles and Dothilos's "lessons" for a while, and the dialogues being long-winded added to the impression of unnecessary slow-ness. The characters, while interesting, often felt flat, not because they are flat per se but I think they were just "drowned" by the complexity and heaviness of all the other aspects of the book.
In the end, I feel like this book still has its' audience, it is just unfortunately not me (though with a bit more editing I would've liked it more, much more). With that being said, I still feel like it is a debut that shows great ability to build interesting, complex intrigues, worlds and characters. I'll be looking forward to what the author comes up with next.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the e-ARC.
adventurous
dark
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
medium-paced
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
adventurous
emotional
funny
inspiring
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes