A review by fierygecko
The Sun and Its Shade by Piper C.J.

adventurous emotional tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.75

Despite the fact that this instalment of the series has more spelling errors than the first book, I liked it a lot more. There's lots of one-on-one character dialogue that is interesting or funny (but rarely both, to be honest), which helped carry the fact that I'm still not sure exactly what the politics of this plot are. The main cast of characters is honestly great, and I was rooting for them to not die in combat consistently. However, Nox's abilities as a
succubus
seem so stereotypical, and are used as an excuse for some icky behaviour both by characters and the author. Amaris' abilities as
basically Jesus
are interesting but incredibly on the nose, and I can't ignore other readers' "white saviour" critiques. I feel like if these characters were surrounded by a more immersive world and less confusing grammar, I would appreciate their place in the plot a lot more. But the mythology of this world is lifted directly from the real world in a way so obvious it doesn't feel authentic. Lastly, I think it speaks volumes that I don't trust the author enough to make up for what happens at the very end of the book. While this book was entertaining, I won't be reading the next one in the near future simply because I'm not very invested in the overarching story.
Expand filter menu Content Warnings