Take a photo of a barcode or cover
A review by ghostlypeach_
Diamond City by Astrid Cole
adventurous
challenging
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
tense
fast-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
3.5
Firstly a massive massive thank you to the author for providing me with a copy of this and for letting me be in your ARC team đ This genre isnât my usual go to but it was such a brilliant way to be introduced to this world of books.
This book surprised me in so many ways. Given the synopsis, I was ready for a lighthearted, banter fuelled love triangle in a dystopian futuristic world. And we got that. And so. Much. More.
The world and lore is so cool and the characters all have so much depth. Sage is powerful, stands up for what she believes in and doesnât buckle even for a man she loves.
Sage is an insanely powerful and strong independent woman, going against a lot of misogyny and horrible men who treat her as nothing more than a sex toy for the Warlord especially after their relationship grows. On numerous occasions, Sage fights back (both verbally and physically) and is very open about her sexual history to the point where it feels quite refreshing. There are also times when the Warlord wants to do more with Sage sexually, and she doesnât buckle as she doesnât always feel comfortable to go further which again was great to see. Especially as the Warlord doesnât pressure her into anything more. Itâs something you rarely see (that conversation where itâs a healthy relationship and the female doesnât want to go further and the male respects that) so I really love the author for showcasing this.
The standout for me was Samson, who is a side character we meet early on and see through the story. He was so well written and so much fun that every time he was on the page I found myself laughing. The ending involving Samson was a surprise so Iâm really excited to see where his story takes him.
The Warlord as a character was super interesting, with a lot more depth than I initially thought he would have. He deals with addiction and recovery and fights against the stereotypes you believe a powerful warlord to have. In terms of being a romantic interest, I felt like he was a little flat for me? He was very open about his sexuality and his sexual history (again, I love that the author spoke about what is probably considered a taboo topic so openly) but I feel like as a romantic partner for Sage he didnât offer much? He got her to open up a little but I wasnât super convinced by their relationship - I.e, he finds her hot, she finds him hot, close proximity means they get together. Though I am intrigued to see if heâs interested in her for her or if the rumours from the other characters are true and that he just wants her because she is a prize to be won.
The story did take a bit of time to get me hooked but once it got me, I powered through the rest of the story. There were a few bits of the lore that had me a little confused too and their explanations took a little while to happen so I felt a bit lost at times but the book was so fun that I ended up not being fussed and just went with the flow
The world and lore is so cool and the characters all have so much depth. Sage is powerful, stands up for what she believes in and doesnât buckle even for a man she loves.
Sage is an insanely powerful and strong independent woman, going against a lot of misogyny and horrible men who treat her as nothing more than a sex toy for the Warlord especially after their relationship grows. On numerous occasions, Sage fights back (both verbally and physically) and is very open about her sexual history to the point where it feels quite refreshing. There are also times when the Warlord wants to do more with Sage sexually, and she doesnât buckle as she doesnât always feel comfortable to go further which again was great to see. Especially as the Warlord doesnât pressure her into anything more. Itâs something you rarely see (that conversation where itâs a healthy relationship and the female doesnât want to go further and the male respects that) so I really love the author for showcasing this.
The standout for me was Samson, who is a side character we meet early on and see through the story. He was so well written and so much fun that every time he was on the page I found myself laughing. The ending involving Samson was a surprise so Iâm really excited to see where his story takes him.
The Warlord as a character was super interesting, with a lot more depth than I initially thought he would have. He deals with addiction and recovery and fights against the stereotypes you believe a powerful warlord to have. In terms of being a romantic interest, I felt like he was a little flat for me? He was very open about his sexuality and his sexual history (again, I love that the author spoke about what is probably considered a taboo topic so openly) but I feel like as a romantic partner for Sage he didnât offer much? He got her to open up a little but I wasnât super convinced by their relationship - I.e, he finds her hot, she finds him hot, close proximity means they get together. Though I am intrigued to see if heâs interested in her for her or if the rumours from the other characters are true and that he just wants her because she is a prize to be won.
The story did take a bit of time to get me hooked but once it got me, I powered through the rest of the story. There were a few bits of the lore that had me a little confused too and their explanations took a little while to happen so I felt a bit lost at times but the book was so fun that I ended up not being fussed and just went with the flow
Overall, book 1 is a brilliant introduction to the world of enhanced humans and hybrids fighting against the system with fun dialogue and a world that opens up the deeper you go. Iâm so excited to see where the series goes