4.43 AVERAGE

dark hopeful mysterious reflective fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Plot
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes
adventurous dark emotional tense medium-paced
adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful mysterious reflective sad tense slow-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: Complicated
adventurous challenging dark slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: No

Content Warning(s): Cancer (implied), childbirth, child loss, child marriage, mass death, mind control, miscarriage (mention), pandemic, parental death, postnatal depression, pregnancy, reproductive coercion, violence, vomiting

Update (01/31/2023):

Just finished the book. Don't talk to me I need DAYS to emotionally recover ;A; (review to come!)
adventurous fast-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

This book singlehandedly pulled me out of a months-long reading slump, so thank you, Samantha Shannon. As much as I adore Priory, this book was an entirely different experience and I might like it better. I love how much deeper it goes into the history and foundation of this world, and I felt like every new discovery opened up new mysteries to uncover. I really enjoyed how knowledge of the plot of Priory helps one understand some of the clues and foreshadowings of this novel, and I kind of want to reread Priory just to fully appreciate it all. I really appreciate how even after these two 800-page novels there is clearly so much more to be explored in this world, and I hope the author continues to expand on this opportunity.
adventurous challenging dark emotional tense 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: Complicated

This was FANTASTIC 

If you are new to this series, I personally would recommend starting with Priory of the Orange Tree before this one, but they can be read on either order (I just think parts hit better when you've read Priory)

Genuinely loved reading this - such an epic story covering a dark time with so little hope, yet still showing the best of humanity. I loved our characters, I loved what we learned about this world and I cannot wait to read more on this 

Expand filter menu Content Warnings
adventurous challenging dark emotional tense 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: N/A
adventurous emotional lighthearted 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: No