Scan barcode
anilourengo's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.0
Con 5 puntos de vista diferentes: Lin, la hija del emperador, Jovis, un contrabandista, Phalue, la hija de un gobernador, Ranami, novia de Phalue y Arena, "prisionera" en una isla, es un libro que se va desarrollando lentamente. En la primera mitad del libro vamos conociendo a cada personaje, su entorno y como funciona el mundo en el que se encuentran, donde ya pueden encontrarse algunas pistas de como los 5 personajes se van relacionando entre sí.
A los 3/4 del libro ya están presentes los distintos desafíos a los que se enfrentan 4 de los 5 personajes y como los enfrentan. Dejando el último 25% para que podamos hacernos una idea de cual es la nueva estructura del mundo y en el último capítulo presentando el problema al que se enfrentaran en el segundo libro de la trilogía.
En mi caso particular, la sinopsis del libro no tiene nada que ver con la historia que se desarrolla después, puede que sea una buena sinopsis para la trilogía pero no para la historia en sí, ya que presenta únicamente a Lin como protagonista, cuando para mi el conductor de la historia en este caso, es Jovis. Esta situación llevó a que me costara conectar con el libro y los distintos personajes desde un principio y no encontrar el conflicto que me imaginaba hasta el último capítulo.
En resumen, el 50% inicial del libro sería contexto, 25% central la trama en sí, y el 25% restante.. contexto para continuar la saga.
A los 3/4 del libro ya están presentes los distintos desafíos a los que se enfrentan 4 de los 5 personajes y como los enfrentan. Dejando el último 25% para que podamos hacernos una idea de cual es la nueva estructura del mundo y en el último capítulo presentando el problema al que se enfrentaran en el segundo libro de la trilogía.
En mi caso particular, la sinopsis del libro no tiene nada que ver con la historia que se desarrolla después, puede que sea una buena sinopsis para la trilogía pero no para la historia en sí, ya que presenta únicamente a Lin como protagonista, cuando para mi el conductor de la historia en este caso, es Jovis. Esta situación llevó a que me costara conectar con el libro y los distintos personajes desde un principio y no encontrar el conflicto que me imaginaba hasta el último capítulo.
En resumen, el 50% inicial del libro sería contexto, 25% central la trama en sí, y el 25% restante.. contexto para continuar la saga.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Blood, Body horror, and Death
Minor: Bullying and Violence
booksthatburn's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- 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
There's a pretty large cast of narrators, listening via audiobook helped enormously with keeping track of them since there are three audiobook narrators to handle all the perspectives. Those performances are great, making helping keep the characters distinct even when the same performed voiced multiple characters.
The plot has several threads, following each of the main characters. The blurb implies that Lin is the only main character, but Jovis plays an enormous role (meeting all but one of the other main characters at various points), and the romance between Phalue and Ranami felt complex and real. Lin is the daughter of the emperor, trying to get her father's approval by getting back memories she lost in a sickness several years ago. Jovis is a smuggler who is trying to find his wife who was kidnapped five years ago. He ends up rescuing children from having their shards taken. Phalue is the daughter of a governor on one of the islands, and Ranami is her girlfriend who keeps turning down Phalue's marriage proposals because Phalue doesn't seem to understand the enormity of her privilege in comparison to everyone on the island. There's a woman called Sand who is trying to escape her current situation, I don't want to spoil anything about her but she seems set up to do much more in the sequel.
Lin has spent years trying to get her father's approval, and is frustrated by his ableist insistence that she's not whole unless she can get back the memories she lost. Desperate to get him to pay attention to her as she is and not as she was, Lin starts copying his keys to get access to rooms that might hold knowledge of the magic he should be teaching her. She's in competition with her foster brother Bayan since he regained more of his memories and seems to continually be one step ahead of her in getting the emperor's attention.
The relationship between Phalue and Ranami briefly dips into some toxic territory as Phalue doesn't seem to understand or know how to take seriously Ranami's concerns. It definitely helps that both of them are narrators, so their perspectives are shown directly at various points.
Jovis ends up with an animal companion after he saves it from the water during a disaster early one. Mephi is pretty cool and not annoying, which is a relief because sometimes I end up detesting animal sidekicks.
The magic system is based on using bone taken from the empire's citizens as children. The shards can be used to power constructs, and once in use they slowly drain the life force of their original owner. The emperor uses an elaborate array of constructs to do all the imperial bureaucracy which could be done by people, but he doesn't trust anyone else to do it right. This setup means that the way the lower classes are exploited is more than just cruelty and resource hoarding by the rich, but that their very lives can be taken, slowly, by an emperor they'll never see, if he happens to pick their shard from a drawer and use it to fuel a construct. I love the way the magic system is inseparable from the political structure and brewing uprising.
The plot has several threads, following each of the main characters. The blurb implies that Lin is the only main character, but Jovis plays an enormous role (meeting all but one of the other main characters at various points), and the romance between Phalue and Ranami felt complex and real. Lin is the daughter of the emperor, trying to get her father's approval by getting back memories she lost in a sickness several years ago. Jovis is a smuggler who is trying to find his wife who was kidnapped five years ago. He ends up rescuing children from having their shards taken. Phalue is the daughter of a governor on one of the islands, and Ranami is her girlfriend who keeps turning down Phalue's marriage proposals because Phalue doesn't seem to understand the enormity of her privilege in comparison to everyone on the island. There's a woman called Sand who is trying to escape her current situation, I don't want to spoil anything about her but she seems set up to do much more in the sequel.
Lin has spent years trying to get her father's approval, and is frustrated by his ableist insistence that she's not whole unless she can get back the memories she lost. Desperate to get him to pay attention to her as she is and not as she was, Lin starts copying his keys to get access to rooms that might hold knowledge of the magic he should be teaching her. She's in competition with her foster brother Bayan since he regained more of his memories and seems to continually be one step ahead of her in getting the emperor's attention.
The relationship between Phalue and Ranami briefly dips into some toxic territory as Phalue doesn't seem to understand or know how to take seriously Ranami's concerns. It definitely helps that both of them are narrators, so their perspectives are shown directly at various points.
Jovis ends up with an animal companion after he saves it from the water during a disaster early one. Mephi is pretty cool and not annoying, which is a relief because sometimes I end up detesting animal sidekicks.
The magic system is based on using bone taken from the empire's citizens as children. The shards can be used to power constructs, and once in use they slowly drain the life force of their original owner. The emperor uses an elaborate array of constructs to do all the imperial bureaucracy which could be done by people, but he doesn't trust anyone else to do it right. This setup means that the way the lower classes are exploited is more than just cruelty and resource hoarding by the rich, but that their very lives can be taken, slowly, by an emperor they'll never see, if he happens to pick their shard from a drawer and use it to fuel a construct. I love the way the magic system is inseparable from the political structure and brewing uprising.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Classism, Grief, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Violence, Medical trauma, Murder, Child death, and Death
Moderate: Ableism, Racism, Bullying, Toxic relationship, Kidnapping, Confinement, Physical abuse, Injury/Injury detail, War, Animal cruelty, and Animal death
Minor: Death of parent, Drug use, and Vomit
anigoose's review
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
I really enjoyed listening to this book. The pace of the narrators was really excellent.
There was at least bear content for once!! Just, um, 🐻😳, maybe not the bear content bears want. Please refrain from sticking boneshards in us thank you, sheesh.
There was at least bear content for once!! Just, um, 🐻😳, maybe not the bear content bears want. Please refrain from sticking boneshards in us thank you, sheesh.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Body horror, Bullying, Child abuse, Death, Emotional abuse, and Violence
Minor: Toxic relationship
More...