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fl_riography's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
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? Yes
3.5
appletree05's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- 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? Yes
5.0
A very vivid take on the effects of war on soldiers, written in second person, which might not be everyone’s cup of tea, but works surprising well.
Would read it again if I ever want to feel sad again.
Would read it again if I ever want to feel sad again.
overlap's review
was meaning to finish this for a book club and then the depression got ahold of me :(
bkishmdstgal's review against another edition
The 2nd person POV killed this book for me. It seemed like a great premise and I was really excited, but a fantasy book is already confusing at first with all the jargon, plus the switching POVs felt clunky, and the 2nd person pov was abysmal.
victoriabooksaga's review against another edition
4.0
This is one of those books that lingers. It reaches in your soul and makes you examine life from new angles--angles you didn't know you needed to add to your life. This book is gritty and violent and horrifying and beautiful and heartbreaking. It is so many things tied with a ribbon you keep close to your heart.
The book features second person point of views throughout and multiple PoVs that are a little difficult to navigate at the beginning (but that you wouldn't miss for the world by the end of the book). It has a whole main cast of LBGTQ+ characters, including someone who is nonbinary that will quickly become your favorite character.
This is a story about loss, about death, about trauma, about societally acceptable child soldiers who are used and discarded apathetically for their magic, who are used as tools to further an end and then promptly discarded.
This is a story that looks at the mess and chaos of what it means to be a soldier, what it means to be a veteran, and rolls up its figurative sleeves to show you the heart of it. This is a story that doesn't shy away from what's inside, that doesn't shy away from what that level of trauma does to a person, a child, a people.
This story has been strong Remember the Alamo and Magnificent Seven vibes. This book is definitely NOT a book for children, and I would even go so far as to say it's not for teenagers either. I feel like it takes a lot of life to get through this book to the other side, and if you haven't dealt with your own trauma, this story is not for you. If you haven't had trauma inducing experiences yourself, and especially if you are a teenager who hasn't had trauma inducing experiences, this book is not for you. It will leave you scarred and broken while offering a small ray of hope at the end.
Content Warning:
F/F explicit s*x
GRAPHIC violence
Child abuse
Child soldiers
Slow painful death with each use of magic
Death
Heart wrenching loss
Alcoholic, alcohol to ease mental anguish
Themes:
What it means to have a home.
Love after loss
Second chances
Trauma healing
Fighting in spite of trauma and pain
Opening up to love and hope again
Boromir call back scene
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced reader copy of this book.
The book features second person point of views throughout and multiple PoVs that are a little difficult to navigate at the beginning (but that you wouldn't miss for the world by the end of the book). It has a whole main cast of LBGTQ+ characters, including someone who is nonbinary that will quickly become your favorite character.
This is a story about loss, about death, about trauma, about societally acceptable child soldiers who are used and discarded apathetically for their magic, who are used as tools to further an end and then promptly discarded.
This is a story that looks at the mess and chaos of what it means to be a soldier, what it means to be a veteran, and rolls up its figurative sleeves to show you the heart of it. This is a story that doesn't shy away from what's inside, that doesn't shy away from what that level of trauma does to a person, a child, a people.
This story has been strong Remember the Alamo and Magnificent Seven vibes. This book is definitely NOT a book for children, and I would even go so far as to say it's not for teenagers either. I feel like it takes a lot of life to get through this book to the other side, and if you haven't dealt with your own trauma, this story is not for you. If you haven't had trauma inducing experiences yourself, and especially if you are a teenager who hasn't had trauma inducing experiences, this book is not for you. It will leave you scarred and broken while offering a small ray of hope at the end.
Content Warning:
F/F explicit s*x
GRAPHIC violence
Child abuse
Child soldiers
Slow painful death with each use of magic
Death
Heart wrenching loss
Alcoholic, alcohol to ease mental anguish
Themes:
What it means to have a home.
Love after loss
Second chances
Trauma healing
Fighting in spite of trauma and pain
Opening up to love and hope again
Boromir call back scene
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced reader copy of this book.
courtofsmutandstuff's review
4.0
The only thing I didn't like about this book was the 2nd person point of view - I loved that we had POV chapters from all of the 7, but I didn't like the "you pick up your weapon" rather than stick with 1st or 3rd person POV.
With that being said, it definitely is a retelling of Seven Samurai and The Magnificent Seven - which isn't a deal breaker! But it follows a lot of those same plot points, while adapted for the Kindling world. I would have liked a character list (which all the 7 are clearly characterized and fully developed, at the beginning - maybe more so because I did the audiobook - it took me a minute to remember and sort out each character's details from the others; I also would've liked a Kindling class list cause I'm interested in taxonomies and I enjoy those types of things in fantasy books.
But this book has found family in abundance, and I loved seeing 6 girls and 1 non-binary character make up the team. Adrian the villain is a bit one note for me, but I also don't think it diminished the book. The action sequences are good, and the final battle with the raiders is probably the last 20% of the book.
Overall, if you're looking for a female led retelling of Seven Samurai/The Magnificent Seven about child soldiers who become Found Family, you'll like this.
With that being said, it definitely is a retelling of Seven Samurai and The Magnificent Seven - which isn't a deal breaker! But it follows a lot of those same plot points, while adapted for the Kindling world. I would have liked a character list (which all the 7 are clearly characterized and fully developed, at the beginning - maybe more so because I did the audiobook - it took me a minute to remember and sort out each character's details from the others; I also would've liked a Kindling class list cause I'm interested in taxonomies and I enjoy those types of things in fantasy books.
But this book has found family in abundance, and I loved seeing 6 girls and 1 non-binary character make up the team. Adrian the villain is a bit one note for me, but I also don't think it diminished the book. The action sequences are good, and the final battle with the raiders is probably the last 20% of the book.
Overall, if you're looking for a female led retelling of Seven Samurai/The Magnificent Seven about child soldiers who become Found Family, you'll like this.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Child death, Death, War, and Injury/Injury detail
alexfallgren's review
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
alexsanch25's review
emotional
sad
tense
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
nematome's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
inspiring
reflective
sad
slow-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
4.75