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sophiesmallhands's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Graphic: Blood, Murder, Death, and Violence
Moderate: Torture, Sexism, Xenophobia, Injury/Injury detail, Religious bigotry, Gore, and Misogyny
Minor: Sexual violence, Grief, War, Physical abuse, Alcohol, and Cursing
anxietee9's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
Graphic: Self harm, War, Gore, Blood, Fire/Fire injury, Death, Body horror, and Violence
Moderate: Alcohol and Religious bigotry
yourfavavery's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
In the meantime, if you like the indigenous-based world building here, I have suggestions! Read Mexican Gothic for a gothic horror set in Mexico, or read Gods of Jade and Shadow for another fantasy novel. Or read The Only Good Indians for a great horror novel set in the US!
Graphic: Violence, War, Xenophobia, Torture, Sexual content, and Religious bigotry
puttingwingsonwords'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
Graphic: Blood, Body horror, Murder, Death, Alcohol, Violence, and Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Confinement, War, Xenophobia, Animal death, Gore, and Grief
Minor: Sexual content, Sexism, and Religious bigotry
sohva's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Fire/Fire injury, Violence, Blood, Cursing, Death, and Gore
Moderate: Death of parent, Racism, War, Confinement, Murder, Alcohol, Deportation, Misogyny, Religious bigotry, Torture, and Xenophobia
ruthlessreads's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Graphic: Violence, Gore, Animal death, Body horror, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Religious bigotry, and War
lolajh's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Xiala develops a bond with Iktan in this book, which is such a powerful duo that I adore and greatly enhances both these characters. Their relationship developing from mistrust and suspicion to a true friendship as allies was beautifully done. Xiala also opened up to xir about her past as a Teek, where Xiala’s flashbacks of her past murders were finally explained as well as the trauma she faces because of it.
Iktan’s character absolutely blossoms in this book. Xe also opens up to Xiala about xir history as the priest of Knives, as well as xir past relationship and feelings towards Naranpa. Whilst there are no pov chapters from xir perspective, Xiala’s chapters where Iktan is present were able to show so much more about Iktan than Naranpa’s chapters in the previous book, showing the difference between Xiala’s and Naranpa’s connections with Iktan. I was able to fall even more in love with xir more once able to see xir character away from the other priests and on xir own. Xir cursing, authority, motives, dominance, humour, sarcasm, cockiness, confidence, strength, power, xir care for Naranpa were all just so perfect.
“I know xe is charming and funny and—”
“Attractive.” A voice came from outside the tent flap. “Don’t forget shockingly attractive.”
“We are all prisoners here, Xiala. You, Ziha, even myself. Prisoners to fate, that unreasonable bitch.”
“If I wanted them dead, they’d be dead in seconds. Assassin, remember?”
“I was in a rage when Nara went missing. I blamed myself. Eche tried to claim that Nara had killed the tsiyo at her door and run, and while I am a fool, I am not an idiot. I tore the tower apart, sent dedicants out to search for her, and nothing. I couldn’t prove it, but I knew what they had done. When the time came for the Convergence ceremony, I sent one of my tsiyos in my stead. It was a thing I did often when I didn’t have the patience for their pomp and bloviating, and I was in no mood to stand shoulder to shoulder with those who had killed my friend.”
“Xe was tall and sinewy, with a prominent nose in an angular face. Xir black hair had recently been shorn but since had grown in as a soft fuzz. Xe rubbed a hand over it now, as if annoyed at its length.”
“Iktan pulled off xir shirt, knotted it up, and dipped it in the water. Xe continued xir ablutions, wiping across xir underarms. Xiala turned to give the priest privacy when xe began to unselfconsciously strip off xir pants. She heard the splash of water and the soft rub of cloth against skin. The scent of yucca and lavender soap filled her nose. She caught sight of Iktan’s backside as xe padded over to a trunk in the corner and threw it open. It was piled with fabrics, and xe plucked various articles of clothing from inside, holding them up for size. Once satisfied, xe dragged on a pair of white pants and a plain white shirt that looked very much like the lesser cousin to Ziha’s finer ensemble.”
“I’m no woman,” xe said, “but I’m no man, either. It is a gender most common to my clan, but I have heard there are others.”
Then there’s fucking NARANPA. Can I just say I’ve loved her since day one when everyone was shitting on her, and she really proved her worth in this book. She grows confidence in herself,
“She wasn’t sure when it happened. The healing power she had called to aid Denaochi morphed into something else. And in the cauldron of her anger, that something became heat, became fire, and flames roared from her palms Her back slammed into the ground but she did not let go. She clamped her hands to the sides of Pasko’s face, willing the fire to consume him. At first, his skin only smoldered, tendrils of smoke intertwined with his curling black hair. Then heat built as if from inside, and his skin began to bubble like water on the boil. His cheeks collapsed, then his forehead, and his eyes popped and sank.”
“See, Brother, Naranpa thought. Zataya, Sedaysa, your foolish older sister. You were well loved after all.”
“Naranpa could not hide her sharp inhale. This was the most beautiful woman she had ever seen, and for a moment she forgot her words.”
And SERAPIO??? This man had a full on corruption arc where his character turns extremely morally grey but where I am still able to love him so much. Dude has a whole scene of building a castle around him from nothing full Elsa-style, so what’s there not to fucking love? And he is still so pure deep down, his yearning and care for Xiala, the scene where he summons a crow for some random kid, then when he breaks down and asks Maaka to tell him stories to calm down because that’s what Xiala always did, like dude that shit is beautiful.
“The desire to take to the sky and fly to her was so strong he had to force his breath to steady. It was as if he were made only of need, a thousand shards of desire in the shape of a man, and he would give whatever he must to reach her.”
“Hands reached for him to hold him up, but all he felt was the panic of being touched by people he could not see.”
“Look at me, Odo Sedoh!” “No, look at me, Crow God!” I’m blind! he wanted to shout. Can’t you see that I’m blind?”
There are also a lot of other interesting characters such as Zataya, where the shadow world that Serapio connects with is delved into further, as well as pov chapters from Okoa and Balem’s perspective, but they didn’t interest me as much as other characters. Overall, Roanhorse’s writing is absolutely impeccable—chapter 20 in particular was written perfectly, and I was able to so easily picture everything going on. Most perfect fucking book ever.
Graphic: Blood, Body horror, Rape, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Religious bigotry, Adult/minor relationship, Genocide, Gore, Grief, Self harm, Pedophilia, Sexual assault, Violence, War, Child abuse, Death, Murder, Panic attacks/disorders, Torture, Xenophobia, Injury/Injury detail, and Mental illness
Moderate: Schizophrenia/Psychosis and Transphobia