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rafacolog's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Violence and Blood
stormeno's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Blood, Violence, and Gore
nat_kiverse's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Kidnapping, Injury/Injury detail, Torture, Physical abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Emotional abuse, Death, Blood, and Violence
asahome's review against another edition
2.0
The king punishes the prince for researching dangerous things by sending him into danger. There is a woman who can turn people into puppets.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Murder, Physical abuse, Suicide, Violence, and War
trintrin's review
adventurous
dark
tense
fast-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
4.0
Maxim gets his own prequel huh. Wonder if this could redeem him.
The art is kinda confusing especially during fight sequences, but seeing the magic come to life makes up for it. The parallels between King Nokil and Prince Maxim in the past, and King Maxim and Kell in the future is very cool. Like "closing the doors between the worlds is a decision, not an act of selfishness", "you fight like a royal" etc (iirc. It’s been a hot minute since I read the book) While the story cannot certainly stand on its own, it seems like a cool addition to the Shades of Magic universe and I'm excited to see where this goes cuz I love revisiting this world :D
I don't know if this is a plot-hole or a gap in my memory but (light spoilers)Maxim seems to speak in English, or rather, High Royal the entire time. To the soldiers, pirates, the king, his advisors, everyone alike. But how do the regular Arnesians understand him if he's not speaking in Arnesian? Wasn't he too arrogant to address the crowd in the common tongue or something in ADSOM? (again, I don’t have the book on me rn but I definitely something like this happening)
The art is kinda confusing especially during fight sequences, but seeing the magic come to life makes up for it. The parallels between King Nokil and Prince Maxim in the past, and King Maxim and Kell in the future is very cool.
I don't know if this is a plot-hole or a gap in my memory but (light spoilers)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Death, and Violence
laurynreadsbooks's review against another edition
adventurous
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence and Blood
rhhapsodos's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Blood, and Murder
howlinglibraries's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
I've been missing the Shades series and characters lately, so I thought it was high time that I read the graphic novel series following Maxim in his younger days. This was incredibly fast-paced and fascinating! I love prequels and getting to go back into the past to learn more about a world I've already spent so much time falling in love with, and The Steel Prince has a wonderful coupling of both old and new details and characters. While this first volume didn't explicitly spoil the main trilogy, I would definitely recommend waiting until after finishing A Conjuring of Light before picking up this graphic novel series.
My only complaint was that I thought the art style was a little dark and muddled during the big fight scenes, so it sometimes was difficult to follow along with exactly what was happening, but I think that could easily be a "me" issue more than a problem with the book.
✨ Representation: the members of the Maresh family are Black; multiple BIPOC side characters; one on-page sapphic side character
My only complaint was that I thought the art style was a little dark and muddled during the big fight scenes, so it sometimes was difficult to follow along with exactly what was happening, but I think that could easily be a "me" issue more than a problem with the book.
✨ Representation: the members of the Maresh family are Black; multiple BIPOC side characters; one on-page sapphic side character
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death and Violence
charlottereadsthings's review
adventurous
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.0
V.E.Schwab moves to a new format to expand on the Shades Of Magic universe and does it with delight.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore, Violence, and Blood