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3.88 AVERAGE
3.88 AVERAGE
adventurous
adventurous
dark
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I'll start off by saying the fact that there's a nonbinary character just IN there with no big deal made out of them is SO GOOD thank you for normalised nonbinary rep! I don't know any League lore outside of Arcane and definitely feel like I would have gotten more out of the story if I did, unfortunately. It felt like it dragged on a bit with lots of names and words that kind of went over my head. But anyway, it was fun to read some background lore!
slow-paced
adventurous
challenging
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
medium-paced
I expected much and man, this novel delivered more than that. I love the full extent of the exploration of Noxus and its politics, its dedication to war and glorious violence at the expense of everything else, its commentary on ambition, ruthlessness and honour. This also made me appreciate Ambessa so much more as a character (and Mel too)! Ah, Noxus, my favourite region; you'll never let me down.
But I really did kind of hate theretcon of Rell's backstory; since she was a character already connected to the Black Rose, and I knew she would make an appearance, I was expecting her and Ambessa to come into an alliance through that connection instead, but no. And it works to the detriment of Rell's character, whose arc was about criticising both the Black Rose and Noxus instead of taking revenge on them for only being tangentially involved with kidnapping from Ambessa, who is now her adoptive mother in this version of the story, for some reason. Shame too, since I really did like the potential parallels between Rell's mother giving up her daughter to the Black Rose for power (as per Rell's original lore) and Ambessa having to give up Mel to flee from the Black Rose instead. Missed potential moment, considering I really love Rell as a concept character who explores the abuse of Noxus and its outlook as destructive and inhumane, as compared to the Medardas, who (as seen here) clearly feel like they prosper from the same society.
This book doesn't expound on lore the way Ruination did, but I think that's the wrong metric to judge it by. It instead seeks to cut a path of its own to tell its own story, and I think a novel about Ambessa wouldn't settle for anything less.
But I really did kind of hate the
This book doesn't expound on lore the way Ruination did, but I think that's the wrong metric to judge it by. It instead seeks to cut a path of its own to tell its own story, and I think a novel about Ambessa wouldn't settle for anything less.
adventurous
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:
Yes
After watching Arcane, it’s good to get back into the world and see Ambessa and Rictus again. We see how she became the character she is at the beginning of Arcane. I think more detail could have been used for how relationships develop. I liked how it doesn’t seem like much time passes and then Ambessa asks somebody and it’s been like half a year, and it really shows how she just gets lost in focus while accomplishing a goal
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Cursing, Death, Violence, Blood, Murder, Alcohol, War, Injury/Injury detail
adventurous
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
adventurous
challenging
emotional
inspiring
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes