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Reviews tagging 'Emotional abuse'
La Malédiction de la rose by Cécile Tasson, Seanan McGuire
4 reviews
ricksilva's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-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
4.0
October "Toby" Daye, half-faerie and former PI, just wants to leave the hidden magical side of San Fransisco behind her. She lost everything in a job gone wrong. She failed her liege, and lost her family and fourteen years of her life.
But of course she gets pulled back into it all. Magically cursed into solving one more murder, she quickly discovers that she may be the next target of the killers, and is forced to question her old friends and allies, even as she renews her connections to the faerie realms.
October is a great throwback to the hardboiled detective icons of Mickey Spillane, with a bit of not-always-reliable magic, and a troubled past that she's in more than one form of denial about.
The worldbuilding is great, from the workings of magic to the fantasy version of San Fransisco layered on top of and in between what is visible to human eyes.
Plotwise the book does a nice job of planting all sorts of seeds, referencing past adventures and dropping hints of future intrigues, all while spinning an action-filled mystery with a solid share of tragedy, and the occasional glimmer of hope and wonder.
The one weakness of the story is the lack of agency of the protagonist, and this may to some extent have been intentionally thematically, but it still results in a story that is almost entirely reactive. Things happen to Toby, and the plot spirals out of her control, and then more things happen to her. And so on.
I'm hoping that this sets up a more proactive version of Toby as the series moves forward. Because there is a lot to like with these characters and this world.
But of course she gets pulled back into it all. Magically cursed into solving one more murder, she quickly discovers that she may be the next target of the killers, and is forced to question her old friends and allies, even as she renews her connections to the faerie realms.
October is a great throwback to the hardboiled detective icons of Mickey Spillane, with a bit of not-always-reliable magic, and a troubled past that she's in more than one form of denial about.
The worldbuilding is great, from the workings of magic to the fantasy version of San Fransisco layered on top of and in between what is visible to human eyes.
Plotwise the book does a nice job of planting all sorts of seeds, referencing past adventures and dropping hints of future intrigues, all while spinning an action-filled mystery with a solid share of tragedy, and the occasional glimmer of hope and wonder.
The one weakness of the story is the lack of agency of the protagonist, and this may to some extent have been intentionally thematically, but it still results in a story that is almost entirely reactive. Things happen to Toby, and the plot spirals out of her control, and then more things happen to her. And so on.
I'm hoping that this sets up a more proactive version of Toby as the series moves forward. Because there is a lot to like with these characters and this world.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Gaslighting, Emotional abuse, Child death, Blood, Physical abuse, and Injury/Injury detail
maryellen's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
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? It's complicated
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Gun violence, Murder, Adult/minor relationship, Blood, Death, Emotional abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Physical abuse, Torture, Toxic relationship, and Violence
foreverinastory's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
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? Yes
4.0
I had fun with this one. I always love fae stories.
Rep: white female MC with PTSD, Asian coded female side character, various other fae race side characters.
CWs: Blood, confinement (in a pond as a fish), death, grief, gun violence, injury/injury detail, kidnapping/attempted kidnapping, medical content, murder, racism (within the fae there is discrimination and prejudice towards changelings and half fae), toxic relationship, violence, emotional abuse. Moderate: Ableism, child death, gore, sexual content. Brief: Dementia.
Rep: white female MC with PTSD, Asian coded female side character, various other fae race side characters.
CWs: Blood, confinement (in a pond as a fish), death, grief, gun violence, injury/injury detail, kidnapping/attempted kidnapping, medical content, murder, racism (within the fae there is discrimination and prejudice towards changelings and half fae), toxic relationship, violence, emotional abuse. Moderate: Ableism, child death, gore, sexual content. Brief: Dementia.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Confinement, Death, Grief, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Medical content, Murder, Racism, Toxic relationship, Violence, and Emotional abuse
Moderate: Ableism, Gore, Sexual content, and Child death
Minor: Dementia
laurajones's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Emotional abuse, Murder, Toxic relationship, and Violence
Moderate: Gun violence and Physical abuse
Minor: Dementia
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