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sadhbh2525'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
4.5
Graphic: Body horror, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexism, Sexual content, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Murder, Gaslighting, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Moderate: Ableism, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Gun violence, and Police brutality
Minor: Miscarriage, Sexual assault, Slavery, Trafficking, Abortion, and Pregnancy
eltheb00kw0rm04'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
Generally one of the best YA books I've ever read. Loved it so so so so so much!!!
Moderate: Confinement, Misogyny, Toxic relationship, Grief, and Pregnancy
lil_rumblebee'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
4.75
Graphic: Body horror, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gore, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Medical trauma, Murder, War, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Cursing, Slavery, Torture, Grief, Medical trauma, Abandonment, Colonisation, and Classism
Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Animal cruelty, Body shaming, Miscarriage, Sexual assault, Suicide, Xenophobia, Trafficking, Suicide attempt, Pregnancy, Lesbophobia, Fire/Fire injury, Outing, Alcohol, and Pandemic/Epidemic
ender24'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
4.5
Graphic: Body horror, Child death, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gore, Gun violence, Infertility, Infidelity, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexism, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Police brutality, Medical content, Kidnapping, Grief, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Murder, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Sexual harassment, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Moderate: Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Police brutality, and Abortion
Minor: Miscarriage and Pregnancy
madmantha's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Graphic: Body horror, Toxic relationship, Violence, and War
Moderate: Body shaming, Confinement, Death, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Misogyny, Suicide, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Alcohol, Colonisation, Classism, and Pandemic/Epidemic
Minor: Ableism, Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Biphobia, Body horror, Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Chronic illness, Confinement, Cursing, Deadnaming, Death, Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gore, Gun violence, Homophobia, Incest, Infertility, Infidelity, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racism, Blood, Police brutality, Medical content, Kidnapping, Grief, Medical trauma, Abortion, Death of parent, Murder, Lesbophobia, Fire/Fire injury, Cultural appropriation, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Alcohol, Colonisation, Injury/Injury detail, Classism, Deportation, and Pandemic/Epidemic
pj99's review against another edition
- 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? Yes
5.0
After months of laughing at people describing this book as polical (bro did you even read the first one), I do actually see why this one gets called that (it's still silly).
Graphic: Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Murder, and War
Moderate: Child abuse, Genocide, Sexual content, Medical content, Grief, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Domestic abuse, Gun violence, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Police brutality, Kidnapping, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, Alcohol, and Classism
For those concerned about the sexual tags, I shall contextualise with very minor spoilerscalamitydane's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Body shaming, Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Suicide, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Police brutality, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Murder, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Moderate: Rape and Trafficking
Minor: Ableism, Child death, Homophobia, and Alcohol
bookishmrsnelson's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Graphic: Death, Gore, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, and War
Moderate: Child abuse, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Miscarriage, Physical abuse, Medical content, Kidnapping, Grief, and Murder
Minor: Suicidal thoughts and Pregnancy
reflectiverambling_nalana's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
Writing this review hurts my heart. Not because that as a whole this book was disappointing. just the opposite in major ways. it expands the world and mythology. It opens up new areas of 'magic' if you will. Its exploration of how socialism works in practice versus paper and how dismantling capitalize doesn't mean a complete destruction of the behaviors that make it so very flawed at best and oppressive to many others is remarkable. there is incredibly deep thinking social, economical, and cultural thinking. it's a good reflection on how actions and intentions effect history in ways we can't anticipate. There are scenes of action that are rightfully sweeping. The depiction of the complexity of personality, in particular when someone is powered by their own anger, and how not even 'negative' emotions are necessarily white or black promoting good and bad actions and thought process is something there's a lot of room for.
What has me screaming with frustration and yanking down the review is that the relationship parts of this novel aren't just toxic. I am all for showing a journey through a toxic relationship and welcome it being one that carries problems from both parties. That type of storytelling would make the 'things to be admired' list. What I have a problem with is that while Zetian will have these reflections on how she knows she's reacting badly, or that the Emperor's actions aren't right, or extreme, or short sited she immediately shoves that down and acts completely contradictory in the next breath. this is a trait of being stuck in a destructive cycle, but the book NEVER addresses this or leads to a healing process.
There is a moment of sudden revelation where she acts drastically and stands her ground but it comes so close to the ending that it almost feels too late at that point. The 'romantasy' genre is full of 'bad boy' romances, 'enemies to lovers'. This is someone who acts absolutely abusively and controlling from day one. There is understanding in only that they both realize they are angry people and flawed. But the types of problems are not equal. It's really concerning for me as someone who's older to see for so much of this book seeing a lead character constantly manipulated knowing that this will have younger viewers.
the first book dealt with righteous anger and a relationship that was healing. It also managed to have a romance element that didn't take over the plot. That was even before the in depth world and fantastical elements that I adored. To see it go from there, to here, even if the reader isn't really led to 'cheer' for a relationship like this, to have so much focus and such a long book with this as what is preoccupying and entrancing our protagonist's life is really glamorizing it all the same.
It really hurts to have a book that has so many brilliant points to have such backwards character development. Even a new revelation about a previous existing character that comes to light that could have had some really interesting consequences really gets boiled down to make a villain of and outcast the character. Which is also somehow worse to Zetian because it's unexpected compared to the actions of the Emperor who gets a pass because "it's just like him to do that, I don't expect less."
I remain curious about how this series will conclude. I will probably pick it up on release. But it's hard not to admit that something is so wonderful and so deeply disappointing on one hand and the other.
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Misogyny, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Violence, Grief, Gaslighting, War, and Classism
embee007'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
If you're unaware of #PegAmendment & you're listening, or reading a first or second edition hardcover, check out Xiran's review or socials.
"Every oppressor, through their denial of humanity, sows the seed of their own destruction."
Did this book do anything that I anticipated? Not really. Did it address the issues from the end of book 1? Yes. Was I left satisfied? Mostly? (I found out about halfway thru that its a trilogy, not a duology like I thought.)
"It’s incredible, how someone could be gone from this world, literally whisked away from the mortal earth, yet leave so many pieces behind."
Adressing the giant antlers in the room: this is an extremely toxic relationship - like an intervention should be called, but he'd kill anyone that intervened, & they'd just work it out with hate sex on the bodies. I saw at least 2 reviews about the lack of disability rep in this book - which is the opposite of the truth. Zetian spends at least half the book in a wheelchair & still has chronic pain. Spoiler
"If being on our knees was natural to us, why would they have to put so much effort into holding us down?"
Representation: Bi MCs, sapphic side character relationship off-page, disabled MC, all Asian MCs, nonbinary side character
"I mourn the people we could have been if a different world had shaped us."
Graphic: Bullying, Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Sexual content, Slavery, Toxic relationship, Violence, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Gaslighting, and War
Moderate: Pregnancy