Reviews tagging 'Body horror'

Un Palais de flammes d'argent by Sarah J. Maas

61 reviews

prettynerdy3's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional reflective 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

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Addiction, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Blood, Death of parent, Physical abuse, Sexism, War, Torture, Body horror, Cursing, Death, Fire/Fire injury, Gore, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, Murder, Panic attacks/disorders, Self harm, Sexual assault, Suicide attempt, Violence, and Vomit

Moderate: Child abuse, Abandonment, Animal cruelty, Confinement, Emotional abuse, Rape, Torture, Ableism, Animal death, Blood, Fire/Fire injury, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Physical abuse, Self harm, and Sexual assault

paigeinabook's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional funny hopeful inspiring 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

3.75

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness, Torture, Violence, Child death, Confinement, Kidnapping, Body horror, Excrement, Hate crime, Addiction, Blood, Death, Alcohol, Cursing, Alcoholism, Dysphoria, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Body shaming, Gore, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Terminal illness, Forced institutionalization, and Pregnancy

lisagonzalez's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional hopeful inspiring sad fast-paced

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

4.75

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief, War, Gore, Blood, Body horror, Medical trauma, Alcohol, Murder, Death, Domestic abuse, Sexual content, Classism, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Racism, Rape, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Cursing, Kidnapping, Physical abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual assault, Panic attacks/disorders, Pregnancy, Sexism, Sexual violence, and Violence

apalershadeofwhite's review against another edition

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

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content

Moderate: Alcohol, Alcoholism, Cursing, Grief, Murder, Blood, Death, Violence, Body horror, Injury/Injury detail, Sexism, Kidnapping, Suicidal thoughts, Bullying, Misogyny, and Pregnancy

Minor: Rape, Excrement, Sexual assault, and Torture

culzean's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad tense 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

4.5

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Blood, Body horror, Bullying, Miscarriage, Murder, Panic attacks/disorders, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Abandonment, Alcohol, Child abuse, Death, Death of parent, Grief, Pregnancy, Suicidal thoughts, Mental illness, Sexual assault, War, Cursing, Gore, Kidnapping, Violence, Addiction, Body shaming, Misogyny, Medical trauma, Sexism, Sexual content, and Sexual harassment

downsophialane's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional hopeful sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

A Court of Silver Flames is outstanding, but it is not for the faint-hearted. My girl Nesta goes through it. There are parts of her journey to healing that are hard to read, and this novel is long, but it's absolutely worth it.
 
This summer is my reintroduction to speculative fiction after a long time away so I'm not fantasy expert; thus, I'll leave the critique of the fantasy worldbuilding to other reviewers. My expert area is romance though, and the development of Nesta and Cassien's relationship is something special. This book is notably sexier than previous SJM books, but I would argue that the explicit scenes here are doing what they need to, to serve the emotional arc (which is what sex scenes in romance novels are supposed to do). Cassian is also a god among men in the ranks of romance heroes. He is fully devoted to Nesta despite her tendency to lash out at him, but he doesn't veer into creepy "persistent" territory where harrassment is treated as romantic.

Truly, I would go to war for Nesta. She is what may be called an "unlikeable heroine", but that label feels reductive when the reason is so clear and deliberate... She isn't unlikeable, she has debilitating trauma and self-hatred. She is surrounded by people who are not able or willing to give her the grace of being depressed, compounded by her lashing out at anyone attempting to reach her. I felt the conflict between Nesta, Feyre and Rhysand was so well-done: no one is blameless but everyone's perspectives are understandable. 

SJM's unabashed appropriation of romancelandia chat, Nesta's friendly house that reads romance novels, and the Valkyries' training also affords some much need levity. This book is as much a celebration of female friendship as it is a soarching romance. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content, Suicide, Murder, Death, Blood, Mental illness, Death of parent, Violence, Suicidal thoughts, and Grief

Moderate: Miscarriage, Body horror, War, and Pregnancy

Minor: Child death, Alcoholism, and Alcohol

There are some outstanding visual moments in this book - her first time with the silver flames after her nightmare was memorable, and I won't forget the horrific description of the Kelpy in a while. I also squalked aloud when she was turned on by Cass and Az sparring and imagining a threesome... Thank you SJM, I need that levity in your PTSD book!

radimonkey's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional inspiring 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

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Grief, Violence, Abandonment, Confinement, Alcohol, Blood, Murder, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Death, Alcoholism, Body horror, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, and Sexual content

javafenn's review against another edition

adventurous dark tense medium-paced

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

3.0

The actual story was fantastic! Figuring out where everyone was headed in terms of tensions still being high 2 years after the war that nearly killed them all. I loved seeing Nesta grow and having Cassian being of more importance was nice. The will they won’t they was also so great to read. My only issue was the sex scenes. Don’t get me wrong, I am all for spicy scenes in books. Love them and they can add to the story. This book had way too many and I really got tired of reading about Nesta’s large, lucious breasts on her tiny, under nourished body, and her tight, soaking wet “center” plus the descriptions of Cassions monster member was repetitive and felt lazy. We get it, she has a very small and tight vagina and he has a massive cock. It felt like these scenes were written by a man and that’s precisely why I don’t read any fantasy or sci-fi written by men. It just didn’t feel sexy or creative. The book could have lost 400 pages if the sex scenes were cut down and made more creative. The actual adventure of the book was amazing so hopefully the next book is better. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcohol, Body horror, Bullying, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Murder, Sexual assault, Blood, Rape, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Gore, Grief, Pregnancy, Sexism, Sexual violence, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Violence, War, Physical abuse, Misogyny, Torture, and Toxic relationship

meghansarmiento97'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? Yes

4.5

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Forced institutionalization, Gaslighting, Gore, Medical trauma, Mental illness, Murder, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Confinement, Chronic illness, Cursing, Kidnapping, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual content, Stalking, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Violence, Abandonment, Addiction, Bullying, Grief, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Body horror, Self harm, Blood, Death, Emotional abuse, Sexism, Torture, Toxic friendship, Injury/Injury detail, and Rape

zafri's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring reflective relaxing 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

I adore Feyre; yet Nesta speaks to me in ways her sister’s character couldn’t begin to—enough for me not to mind the 3rd person omniscient. I think I preferred hearing of them, through them, rather than from them; all the thoughts of the Night Court members lived up to my expectations, yet still had me on an emotional rollercoaster. Throughout the series, I remembered exactly why I fell in love with slow-burn romances way back when—it only makes the scenes so much better. And by the time I got to this book, I craved the long journey of undiluted tension. To my surprise, Nesta and Cassian burned their way through that journey and left me reeling, desperate for more. SJM didn’t disappoint. I may have fallen in love with the Night Court back in ACOMAF, but they wholly own me now. Fiending for more. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Cursing, Death, Gore, Domestic abuse, Dysphoria, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Physical abuse, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Violence, Confinement, Mental illness, Murder, Rape, and Suicidal thoughts

Moderate: Eating disorder, Excrement, Misogyny, War, Blood, Confinement, Sexual harassment, Alcohol, Body horror, Classism, and Pregnancy

Minor: Racism, Slavery, Vomit, Xenophobia, Torture, and Toxic relationship