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piperclover's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
I have no idea how I feel. I went into this expecting something light hearted and fast paced and I got a kick in the stomach instead. This was absolutely not what I expected and it was so unbearably heavy at certain points that I thought about DNFing it multiple times but I enjoyed it a lot too.
From 28% to about 45% or maybe even 50% of the book my heart was in my throat. I really like the discussion about progress and change, addiction and healing after grief, living but also letting go. I saw the big plot twist at the end coming but I'm not mad at it because the reasoning was different than what I expected and I like how it tied together a bunch of themes throughout the book. I am going to listen to the second book because there's quite a few world building pieces that haven't been answered yet and I feel like they need to be in order to round out the story. I like the pacing of this and I never felt bored. I think all the characters in this book are a wonderful example of the "right idea, wrong execution" mostly done in a way where you don't feel exasperated by the characters and instead empathize with where they're coming from.
I am really mad about the ending though which I think is dragging my star rating really far down. I despise that Odessa started having character growth through the last 1/3rd of the book and then it was just forgotten by the end of the book. Her last decision at the end of the book wipes away any character growth she's had and makes me so frustrated.
I also really really dislike that Odessa and Meredy started something. I just find it gross and uncomfortable and if the author wanted her to find solace in another person it should have been anybody other than Evander's sister. But I actually wish the author hadn't made her like anyone else or want a relationship with anyone else because it feels like the author decided Odessa has to have a lover in order to be a good mc or for this book to be worth it. It feels cheap to me. It feels like we went through all of that grief and sorrow and at the end we're just supposed to champion this new relationship with someone we don't really know and is just a replacement for Evander .
From 28% to about 45% or maybe even 50% of the book my heart was in my throat. I really like the discussion about progress and change, addiction and healing after grief, living but also letting go. I saw the big plot twist at the end coming but I'm not mad at it because the reasoning was different than what I expected and I like how it tied together a bunch of themes throughout the book. I am going to listen to the second book because there's quite a few world building pieces that haven't been answered yet and I feel like they need to be in order to round out the story. I like the pacing of this and I never felt bored. I think all the characters in this book are a wonderful example of the "right idea, wrong execution" mostly done in a way where you don't feel exasperated by the characters and instead empathize with where they're coming from.
I am really mad about the ending though which I think is dragging my star rating really far down. I despise that Odessa started having character growth through the last 1/3rd of the book and then it was just forgotten by the end of the book. Her last decision at the end of the book wipes away any character growth she's had and makes me so frustrated.
I also really really dislike
Content Warnings
Graphic: Fire/Fire injury, Violence, War, Blood, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Torture, and Suicide attempt
Minor: Alcoholism and Confinement
There's these creatures that were once people but once they turned into these evil creatures they now eat people. I don't know if that counts as cannibalism so I won't tag for it but it's there and it's pretty gruesome.readandfindout's review
adventurous
dark
medium-paced
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
1.75
Style/writing: 2 stars
Themes: 2.5 stars
Characters: 1 star
Plot: 1.5 stars
Worldbuilding: 2 stars
Themes: 2.5 stars
Characters: 1 star
Plot: 1.5 stars
Worldbuilding: 2 stars
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Violence, Murder, Death, and Grief
frantically's review against another edition
challenging
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
1.5
I don't know what the author was trying to achieve with this but I don't think it was creating the most sympathetic villain I've ever read about.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Violence, Addiction, Animal cruelty, Grief, and Drug abuse
Moderate: Confinement
Minor: Death of parent
foreverinastory's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
4.5/5
I'm so glad I reread this!! Loved it so much.
Rep: Bisexual female MC, male love interest, sapphic female love interest (lesbian coded), gay male side character, achillean male side character, BIPOC side characters.
CWs: Addiction, blood, death, death of partner, drug abuse, fire/fire injury, grief, injury/injury detail, medical content, murder, suicidal thoughts, violence. Moderate: alcohol consumption, body horror, confinement, cursing, gore, forced withdrawal from drugs.
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3.5/5
I'm still like super conflicted about this book. I did enjoy it, but I am having a hard time rating that enjoyment. This was an enjoyable book, I liked the world and the characters. However, the narrator really sucked at male voices and they sounded so weird. But I loved her voice for everyone else.
I liked Odessa for most part, except when she drowned her grief in calming tonics. And she was like I'm fine, I'm fine as she has constant delusions. Yeah okay girl. I loved that the supporting cast had some extra diversity as well. I really loved Simeon. Valoria was such an amazing character and friend to Odessa--which she probably didn't deserve but that's because Valoria is precious. I loved how she was an inventor and how she wanted to explore magic for science.
The plot was a bit predictable after about 50%, but I still enjoyed the story. I think the characters and world-building made up for it. I'm really curious as to what the sequel could be about since this wrapped up pretty nicely.
I'm so glad I reread this!! Loved it so much.
Rep: Bisexual female MC, male love interest, sapphic female love interest (lesbian coded), gay male side character, achillean male side character, BIPOC side characters.
CWs: Addiction, blood, death, death of partner, drug abuse, fire/fire injury, grief, injury/injury detail, medical content, murder, suicidal thoughts, violence. Moderate: alcohol consumption, body horror, confinement, cursing, gore, forced withdrawal from drugs.
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3.5/5
I'm still like super conflicted about this book. I did enjoy it, but I am having a hard time rating that enjoyment. This was an enjoyable book, I liked the world and the characters. However, the narrator really sucked at male voices and they sounded so weird. But I loved her voice for everyone else.
I liked Odessa for most part, except when she drowned her grief in calming tonics. And she was like I'm fine, I'm fine as she has constant delusions. Yeah okay girl. I loved that the supporting cast had some extra diversity as well. I really loved Simeon. Valoria was such an amazing character and friend to Odessa--which she probably didn't deserve but that's because Valoria is precious. I loved how she was an inventor and how she wanted to explore magic for science.
The plot was a bit predictable after about 50%, but I still enjoyed the story. I think the characters and world-building made up for it. I'm really curious as to what the sequel could be about since this wrapped up pretty nicely.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Blood, Death, Drug abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Murder, Suicidal thoughts, and Violence
Moderate: Alcohol, Body horror, Confinement, Cursing, Gore, and Forced institutionalization
wirt's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
The little unchanging world of Karthia was far more enchanting than I anticipated, and as I approached the last pages toward the tides of change, I found I had grown quite fond of this land of necromancers, Shades, and the bits and pieces of other magics we were given insight to along the way.
Odessa's character development along the way was certainly rough, as she transitioned from Sparrow back to Odessa again, realizing her true self as she trudged along in a world darker than she could reasonably come to terms with.She struggles with death in a very real way, and addiction follows her for several chapters on. The harrowing process of her recovery is honest and raw, and I appreciate the author for that.
I'm quite sure I'll be picking up book two to see where Odessa, Meredy, and oh so importantly Lysander's adventures take them.
Odessa's character development along the way was certainly rough, as she transitioned from Sparrow back to Odessa again, realizing her true self as she trudged along in a world darker than she could reasonably come to terms with.
I'm quite sure I'll be picking up book two to see where Odessa, Meredy, and oh so importantly Lysander's adventures take them.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Death, and Violence
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