Reviews tagging 'Racial slurs'

House of Earth and Blood by Sarah J. Maas

12 reviews

sweetordinary's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional informative inspiring mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Violence, War, Torture, Drug abuse, and Drug use

Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Emotional abuse, Grief, Gore, Suicidal thoughts, Panic attacks/disorders, Racism, Alcoholism, Racial slurs, Suicide attempt, and Murder

Minor: Addiction, Alcoholism, and Alcohol

nikkihill22's review against another edition

emotional medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

like most books by this author, it made for an entertaining read. I don't think SJM includes very much true depth to her stories, her world building leaves too much to be desired for that. It's like she mixes and mashes various mythologies without thinking about how they could or should intersect, and she has the same issue when it comes to technology being included in a magical world. There's a lot of potential for interesting world building but none that she follows through on.
Where she does shine though, is writing characters and their interpersonal relationships. I won't say that was perfect in these books either, although i do think it was a lot  better than the ACOTAR series. I didn't expect to be as emotionally involved as i was throughout the climax of the story. Which is maybe a knock against the overall quality of the book that i didn't even realize i cared until it was too late. 
The pacing of the book was a little slow for me, it's mainly following one macguffin to another and another and another in the hopes of finding a criminal. Although i do think SJM does a decent job of explaining all that when we finally learn what's really been going on, i think most of it she just wanted the story to go to certain settings or explore certain relationships and found a convenient explanation for why the criminal really led them to go those places after the fact.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Slavery, Injury/Injury detail, Suicidal thoughts, and Death

Moderate: Sexual harassment, Drug abuse, Drug use, and Sexual content

Minor: Racism and Racial slurs

SJM spent way too long making very sure that her readers know that Danika and Bryce were not in love with each other, while constantly making them the centers of each others' universes. She includes a little more/better representation in this book than she does in ACOTAR via Fury and Juniper being mates, and doesn't seem to include any outright homophobia culturally, but her own does still show. Even that relationship is barely touched upon, and she's just trying too hard to make sure her main characters are still guaranteed to be cis-het, and frankly it's just a little tiring. let Bryce and Danika be bi and in love, coward. She also does a little better about including people of various races/skin tone, but not enough that i could call this a racially diverse book. again, she takes a lot of mythologies and then doesn't seem to do much with them in creating a diverse-feeling world, which is disappointing to me.

spicycronereads's review against another edition

adventurous emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

I read the ACOTAR series in the Fall and really enjoyed it. I have been wanting to read more of her works but am not quite ready to commit to Throne of Glass. With the third book in this series releasing in early 2024, it seemed a better choice for now. 

I found the first book House of Earth and Blood to be enjoyable. Bryce the FMC is kind of a mess but which was kind of endearing - I mean, who among us has not had a secret resume file on our work computer? I appreciate that she is a bit older (has finished college) and is seggs positive. The development of her friendship and eventual romance with Hunt, the MMC, was sweet. There was a maturity to the progression of their relationship that was more recognizable than the insta-love, fated mates relationships in other books. 

The blending of magic, science, and technology were interesting. The plot twists were…ok? Some of them were predictable. There were so many characters that when something was revealed about someone, it generally was not someone you thought you “knew.” So the  twists kept the plot moving but didn’t feel really like a betrayal. There were other places where the plot was a little convoluted and didn’t seem to go anywhere or payoff after the buildup (ex: that character in the tank). 

As I was finishing the book I saw someone say to be sure to read ACOTAR before reading CC. So far I can’t figure out how they are connected. Maybe in book 2 it will become apparent (*fingers crossed for a Bryaxis sighting*)

Ruhn and the absent Danika are the only secondary characters with any kind of depth though others like Lehabah, June, and Declan add bits and pieces to the narrative.

The question of diverse representation is a hard one to answer. Bryce is repeatedly described as curvy. And she and other characters are described as having golden or tan skin. Race is a social construct so the racial categories of this fantasy world would not map onto race as we understand it. So there is a variety of skin tones but I don’t know that I would necessarily call it racial diversity. Hypaxia seems like the only definitely not-white character. 

The spice is a definite slow burn. There are a few moments of buildup where you think it is going to happen, only to have things delayed. 

So, overall, likable characters, a cool magic system, with a sometimes convoluted plot, and a slow burn. I enjoyed it and will definitely read book 2 in anticipation of the release of book 3 next month! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/🌶️🌶️

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content, Violence, Gore, and Slavery

Moderate: Drug abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Drug use, Racism, War, Suicide attempt, and Racial slurs

Minor: Gun violence

ladydeathnesta's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring mysterious reflective sad tense fast-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

5.0

I feel like I’m cheating on Silver Flames because I don’t know if I like this one better.

I love them equally.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body shaming, Fatphobia, Forced institutionalization, Mental illness, Religious bigotry, Domestic abuse, Genocide, Kidnapping, Racial slurs, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Confinement, Stalking, Car accident, Classism, Infidelity, Misogyny, Toxic friendship, Dysphoria, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Violence, Toxic relationship, Vomit, War, Body horror, Murder, Racism, Sexism, Slavery, Child abuse, Child death, Drug abuse, Colonisation, Death, Death of parent, Gore, Gun violence, Hate crime, Medical content, Suicidal thoughts, Xenophobia, Panic attacks/disorders, Torture, Abandonment, Animal cruelty, Bullying, Cursing, Grief, Sexual violence, Addiction, Alcohol, Dementia, Ableism, Animal death, Deportation, Drug use, Medical trauma, Rape, Blood, Injury/Injury detail, Pandemic/Epidemic, Police brutality, Self harm, Suicide, and Trafficking

sarahyjackson's review against another edition

adventurous emotional tense fast-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

5.0

Light it up, Bryce! My favorite Maas heroine. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Racial slurs, Blood, Violence, Classism, Abandonment, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, and Death

cady_sass's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny mysterious sad tense 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

4.5

4.5 ⭐️ rounded up 
To think I almost DNFed this after 50 pages!!! Which is why I deduct half a star. The first few chapters are really hard to read, they’re nonsensical, lazy world building and make almost zero sense to the point where I felt compelled to put it down. Some friends convinced me it was worth the push so I started over and pushed through part 1, at which point I absolutely *devoured* the rest of the book. I didn’t guess any of the twists, I fell in love with all the characters, my heart broke and pieced itself back together and broke over and over again. Loved this. ACOTAR who? 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Alcohol, Racial slurs, Medical content, Vomit, Slavery, Alcoholism, Bullying, Death of parent, Drug abuse, Drug use, Sexual harassment, Torture, War, Blood, Classism, Genocide, Gore, Grief, Hate crime, Misogyny, Murder, Panic attacks/disorders, Racism, Body horror, Child abuse, Sexual content, Sexism, Addiction, Animal cruelty, Cannibalism, Cursing, Death, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Violence, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide attempt

icy_queen's review against another edition

adventurous emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

Highly recommend it if Urban High Fantasy with Fae and other mystical creatures suits your taste. It is an emotion rollercoaster with many plot twists and subplots (also a little bit of romance and a tiny bit of spice) in an interesting world setting with amazing, lovable & hateable characters. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Grief, Gore, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Blood, and Death

Moderate: Alcohol, Suicide attempt, Suicidal thoughts, Cursing, Slavery, War, Classism, Vomit, Sexual content, and Drug use

Minor: Sexism, Racism, and Racial slurs

ka_ke's review against another edition

adventurous emotional medium-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

I was nervous to start HoEaB when I got it but now it may be a new favourite. I even appreciated the lack of explicit smut, but I do hope there is some in HoSaB. I related to Bryce on an unnatural level, I understood her pain, her grief and her struggle to keep fighting. Thank god I have HoSaB to start now! 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Classism, Drug use, Drug abuse, Gaslighting, Mental illness, Violence, Animal cruelty, Body horror, Blood, Death, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual content, Bullying, Colonisation, Cursing, Murder, Racial slurs, and Racism

Moderate: Religious bigotry, Medical content, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Addiction, Panic attacks/disorders, and Slavery

Minor: Torture, War, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, and Vomit

tiana_king's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Spectacular

I was really worried SJM wasn’t gonna be able to pull off low fantasy as well as she does high fantasy but I am so glad to be wrong. I cried, I gagged, I cried happy tears, and I cried some more. This was a wild ride with lots of tissues and I can’t recommend it enough, I loved it with my whole shattered heart.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Classism, Slavery, Addiction, Death, Drug abuse, Medical trauma, Grief, Racism, Racial slurs, Alcohol, Gore, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Emotional abuse, Suicidal thoughts, War, Gun violence, and Torture

dragonqueen's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Murder, and Violence

Moderate: Racism and Racial slurs

Minor: Abandonment and Physical abuse