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angievansprang's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Graphic: Death, Homophobia, War, and Xenophobia
Moderate: Lesbophobia, Violence, Sexism, Alcohol, Racism, and Murder
Minor: Injury/Injury detail, Animal death, Blood, and Death of parent
thesunthesunthesunthesun's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
My partner thrust this book in my hands yesterday with the request to read "just chapter one, and then let me know what you think :)". I finished it in 2 days (mostly because general life got in the way). I'm still reeling. This book is etched into my brain now.
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Medical trauma, Homophobia, Hate crime, Emotional abuse, Violence, Suicidal thoughts, Biphobia, War, Torture, Blood, Drug use, Trafficking, Cultural appropriation, Death, Death of parent, Murder, Colonisation, Lesbophobia, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Cannibalism, Child abuse, Animal cruelty, Child death, and Animal death
emath98's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Pages 369-399 1 star
I AM SO ANGRY AT SETH DICKINSON. This book started out with a super interesting premise, a main character I was rooting for, political intrigue, lesbianism, and anti-colonial struggle. I couldn't put it down. I even enjoyed Seth's typical use of intense military/economic strategy (did NOT like in Exordia, DNFed that one). But I cannot in good faith support the ending of this book. I don't think I'll read the rest of the series.
1: I am soooo tired of the kill your gays trope. It's not interesting or unique or compelling to the plot. Stop making your queer characters suffer for being queer!!!
2: The ending of the book, and what I've read about the other 2 books in the series so far, really buy in to the "I can change the system from the inside" idea that has never worked. (The master's tools will never dismantle the master's house, anyone?) I know part of the point is to have Baru as a morally dubious character, sacrificing her humanity in an attempt to save her people, but I don't buy it as an effective tactic. It feels so weird and icky that the "genius savant" who is apparently constantly able to trick and outsmart everyone, lands on sacrificing millions of innocent lives and the revolutionary hopes of other oppressed peoples for her own selfish gains as her brilliant tactic. I don't think her family would be proud of her. I am not proud of her. Maybe I should've seen it coming from the title...
In conclusion, could've been something really powerful and anti-colonial, but fell so flat to me in the end. Currently pretending that the final ~30 pages of the book do not exist.
Graphic: Homophobia, Violence, Lesbophobia, War, Xenophobia, Racism, Genocide, and Colonisation
Minor: Pandemic/Epidemic
scurvotron's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Graphic: Lesbophobia and Colonisation
becky_hofer's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Lesbophobia, Torture, Sexism, Racism, War, Misogyny, Death of parent, Homophobia, Colonisation, Murder, and Violence
mes0pelagic_fan's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
I saw someone say that the twist of this book is
Also I didn't think I'd ever read a book where
I don't think I'm gonna recover from this one tbh
Graphic: Colonisation, Homophobia, and Lesbophobia
Moderate: Gore, Excrement, and Violence
sersi's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Moderate: Homophobia, Torture, Lesbophobia, Injury/Injury detail, Colonisation, and Murder
honeypunk's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.5
'Since a time before Baru could remember how to remember the market had filled the Iriad docks, the most noisy and joyous thing in the world.'
It made the experience much more difficult, and this combined with learning new fantasy terms and jargon spun me out.
However, I was really intrigued by the premise of the story, watching a character go through her country being colonised and her grapple for power. I began to enjoy the book, but halfway through this fell flat again.
I found my interest lost with the intracacies of war. The war felt like the protagonist, and Baru the side character who is watching it all come together. I am told about battles or political alliances falling apart , lists of Duke names I have no personality to match to, so I don't feel like I'm experiencing it.
Unfortunately even when
Graphic: Lesbophobia, Homophobia, and Torture
hailstorm3812's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Classism, Homophobia, Lesbophobia, War, Colonisation, and Xenophobia
Moderate: Police brutality, Religious bigotry, Genocide, Murder, Death of parent, Sexual harassment, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, and Sexism
Minor: Toxic friendship, Suicidal thoughts, and Vomit
andrew_corduroy's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Graphic: Death, Lesbophobia, Injury/Injury detail, Blood, Homophobia, Colonisation, Animal death, and Murder
Moderate: Excrement, Fire/Fire injury, War, and Violence
Minor: Pandemic/Epidemic, Confinement, Drug use, Grief, and Outing