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A review by silver_valkyrie_reads
The Dire King by William Ritter
emotional
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
I'm glad I finished the series, but it didn't finish as strong as it started for me. Generally I enjoyed the story and the characters. There were a few great lines and moments, but also quite a number that frustrated me or irritated me, mostly in terms of worldview. I realized just how badly it was going for me when I DIDN'T bawl my way through the last couple of chapters despite emotional events...
There is a trans character, which is interesting in light of the authors (accidentally, I guess) conflicting messages about whether it's good to follow all of your natural inclinations or not... There's also I bit I read as a broad hint that 'tyranny' is just an excuse for not liking laws necessary to bring us together, which I found frustrating in it's lack of context--I agree the used that way in some cases, but I'm afraid young readers might just absorb it in a way that makes them suspicious of everyone calling out unjust laws, which also exist and need to be called out. All of which to say, I wouldn't personally recommend this series for younger readers, but teens who are ready to think through all of the subtle issues could enjoy it.
There is a trans character, which is interesting in light of the authors (accidentally, I guess) conflicting messages about whether it's good to follow all of your natural inclinations or not... There's also I bit I read as a broad hint that 'tyranny' is just an excuse for not liking laws necessary to bring us together, which I found frustrating in it's lack of context--I agree the used that way in some cases, but I'm afraid young readers might just absorb it in a way that makes them suspicious of everyone calling out unjust laws, which also exist and need to be called out. All of which to say, I wouldn't personally recommend this series for younger readers, but teens who are ready to think through all of the subtle issues could enjoy it.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death