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madscientistcat's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- 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? No
4.75
Horrific, aching, haunting combination of dark academia and gothic fantasy romance that questions the meaning of morality and blasphemy in an institution of oppression where all that matters is survival.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Body horror, Cursing, Death, Gore, Gun violence, Homophobia, Physical abuse, Suicide, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Religious bigotry, Medical trauma, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Drug use, Sexual content, Vomit, and Alcohol
Minor: Panic attacks/disorders
ashkowalskaa's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
marlovve's review against another edition
Not really in the right headspace for it, so me and my buddy reader will pick it up another time.
ashlislibrary's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gore, Homophobia, Religious bigotry, and Murder
fakeshouta's review against another edition
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
apathyinc's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
At one point the protagonist is described as having "solipsistic self-absorption," and i feel that pretty accurately sums up not only the character but also the themes and writing style.
"Solipsistic" and "self-absorbed" are synonyms. The noun is not further modified by this adjective; it's repetitious. But it sounds awfully erudite, doesn't it? Purple prose via the filter of dark academia.
Meanwhile the themes of the book are just as repetitious, and about as heavy-handed. The melodrama and the navel-gazing were overwhelming and unrelenting. I'm aware of the long-standing thematic connection between queerness and monstrosity in literature, the vilified other, but this effort doesn't actually make that connection in the text but instead relies on the audience's knowledge of the theme to insert it where it was not.
This may be because the protagonist feels a bit like a self-insert. What would i be feeling were i inserted into this world as i am? But this is not how character works. How should our protagonist be feeling given his in-universe, lived history? He has knowledge and experience that are used for trauma responses but not informed trauma responses given the circumstances.
Why would someone who spent their first 14 years of life exposed to the dangers he's again facing be wracked with guilt about not being a good man over [e.g., assisting a failed soo-uh-side]? Perhaps it could be understood as the accumulated stress and trauma causing a mental or emotional break except that from the very beginning we have nothing but mental and emotional breaks from this character. It's unending and thus has no build-up > release > resolution for the reader.
We finally did get some character development out of him at the very end, thankfully, but it should've been developing more clearly throughout the narrative.
The character interactions were bizarre to me. The protagonist and his love interest share a conversation in which they decide they don't know if they like each other because they haven't exchanged personal histories. It feels so high school: you don't need to know someone's favorite color and most traumatic memories to know if you like them; you need to learn their character. And we get plenty of insight into both characters, and indications that the protagonist has a decent read on his love interest's character. But then he is perpetually surprised, shaken by fears that the love interest is not really the man the protagonist thought he was - when the love interest acts completely in character. Like i said, it's bizarre.
Lastly, the logic behind the antagonist's machinations is... well, absent. "We're cannon fodder" - then why waste you on a hazing ritual? Give you weapons and throw you out there to get cannon fodder'd. "This was a culling of the city" - then why make it an open call to pull in people from outside the city (who could be working for you or also convenient cannon fodder)?
The idea of a corrupt institution hoarding knowledge and keeping secrets is cliche for a reason, but it makes no sense for martial knowledge to be hoarded until young adulthood. Where is the JROTC? Why aren't teenagers being trained? If they need more Hunters, this is a terrible way to get them, and if they just need cannon fodder, it's a waste of resources. Completely inexplicable strategy.
Overall this story ran on vibes. I'm sure it speaks to personal experience and internal struggles for many, and sometimes that's all a book needs to do. That's fine. But on its own it just doesn't hold up for me.
"Solipsistic" and "self-absorbed" are synonyms. The noun is not further modified by this adjective; it's repetitious. But it sounds awfully erudite, doesn't it? Purple prose via the filter of dark academia.
Meanwhile the themes of the book are just as repetitious, and about as heavy-handed. The melodrama and the navel-gazing were overwhelming and unrelenting. I'm aware of the long-standing thematic connection between queerness and monstrosity in literature, the vilified other, but this effort doesn't actually make that connection in the text but instead relies on the audience's knowledge of the theme to insert it where it was not.
This may be because the protagonist feels a bit like a self-insert. What would i be feeling were i inserted into this world as i am? But this is not how character works. How should our protagonist be feeling given his in-universe, lived history? He has knowledge and experience that are used for trauma responses but not informed trauma responses given the circumstances.
Why would someone who spent their first 14 years of life exposed to the dangers he's again facing be wracked with guilt about not being a good man over [e.g., assisting a failed soo-uh-side]? Perhaps it could be understood as the accumulated stress and trauma causing a mental or emotional break except that from the very beginning we have nothing but mental and emotional breaks from this character. It's unending and thus has no build-up > release > resolution for the reader.
We finally did get some character development out of him at the very end, thankfully, but it should've been developing more clearly throughout the narrative.
The character interactions were bizarre to me. The protagonist and his love interest share a conversation in which they decide they don't know if they like each other because they haven't exchanged personal histories. It feels so high school: you don't need to know someone's favorite color and most traumatic memories to know if you like them; you need to learn their character. And we get plenty of insight into both characters, and indications that the protagonist has a decent read on his love interest's character. But then he is perpetually surprised, shaken by fears that the love interest is not really the man the protagonist thought he was - when the love interest acts completely in character. Like i said, it's bizarre.
Lastly, the logic behind the antagonist's machinations is... well, absent. "We're cannon fodder" - then why waste you on a hazing ritual? Give you weapons and throw you out there to get cannon fodder'd. "This was a culling of the city" - then why make it an open call to pull in people from outside the city (who could be working for you or also convenient cannon fodder)?
The idea of a corrupt institution hoarding knowledge and keeping secrets is cliche for a reason, but it makes no sense for martial knowledge to be hoarded until young adulthood. Where is the JROTC? Why aren't teenagers being trained? If they need more Hunters, this is a terrible way to get them, and if they just need cannon fodder, it's a waste of resources. Completely inexplicable strategy.
Overall this story ran on vibes. I'm sure it speaks to personal experience and internal struggles for many, and sometimes that's all a book needs to do. That's fine. But on its own it just doesn't hold up for me.
hyperfixatedsoybean's review against another edition
dark
emotional
tense
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? It's complicated
4.75
hasuwu's review against another edition
dark
emotional
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0