Reviews tagging 'Blood'

The Diamond Eye by Kate Quinn

40 reviews

author2223's review against another edition

dark emotional inspiring sad medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Blood, War, and Gun violence

Moderate: Medical content, Adult/minor relationship, and Misogyny

just_jess02's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

Mila’s story is fierce, bold, heartbreaking, infuriating, encouraging, fascinating, and freeing. It is so much packed into a thrilling page-turner. I imagine it would be even more poignant if I were reading it myself rather than listening.

The narration was crisp and stiff- something I didn’t like at first but once I saw how well it fit the story, it was one of the many aspects that gripped me. The dualities of each character created depth and complexity that had me wondering where many moments would lead. Each relationship and interaction was important and necessary. Is it odd to appreciate the efficiency of a novel?

I enjoyed the exploration of what happens behind the facade of strong, courageous, women who cannot show weakness or softness to the public eye. It is so nice to read a book about a female protagonist that is truly through the female experience and challenges the expectations of the ‘male gaze’ while still incorporating the struggles it causes. Mila is unapologetically brash because she has to be and understanding the inside of her mind during those moments made my heart ache and my conscious confused. 

 This is so well written, well narrated, and just very engaging overall. It is one you want to sit with and think about but also don’t want to put it down to do so. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Death, Alcohol, War, Murder, Emotional abuse, Grief, Sexual harassment, Sexism, Misogyny, Injury/Injury detail, and Gun violence

Moderate: Sexual content, Medical content, Abandonment, Blood, and Stalking

Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Torture, and Suicidal thoughts

humblebookdragon's review

adventurous dark emotional informative mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

3.0

Word of advice, don't read Lyudmila Pavlichenko's memoir "Lady Death" before this, or you will know 90% of this book. No twists and turns here except for the last 10%, which is pure fiction. As scenes were building up, I was like "oh, is this where she XYZs?" and so forth. Kind of actually felt like I was reading Lady Death again at certain points. 

Its not a bad read, and I do believe my prior knowledge and reading made enjoyment complicated, but I do prefer The Rose Code. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Violence, Murder, Gun violence, War, and Medical content

Moderate: Blood, Gaslighting, and Misogyny

daralexandria's review

dark mysterious tense fast-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief, Blood, Gun violence, and War

Minor: Alcohol

cameronmh's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative reflective medium-paced

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

4.5

Really beautiful book— easier to digest than her autobiography, but very faithful. Highly recommend the author’s note to anyone who might normally skip it!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Death, Violence, Sexism, Alcohol, Adult/minor relationship, Grief, Medical content, Blood, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Gun violence

Moderate: Sexual content and Racism

Minor: Pedophilia and Sexual harassment

sarahflanders's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional inspiring sad 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? No

4.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Alcohol, Alcoholism, Blood, Death, Gun violence, Adult/minor relationship, Medical content, Murder, Physical abuse, Stalking, Torture, War, Cursing, Death of parent, Gore, Grief, Misogyny, Pregnancy, and Suicidal thoughts

sandysmith's review

adventurous dark emotional funny informative inspiring sad medium-paced

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

4.25

It is an intriguing story based on a female sniper Mila Pavlichenko on the front line in WW2 fighting against the germans for the Soviets. She is Ukrainian, so it is interesting to read about her commitment and her Russian beliefs. Hard to read in the current political climate. Whilst she is written as a cold killer, her love for her son and her historian background shines through. Her first husband is horrid, seducing her and getting her pregnant at 15. Her love interests in war make good reading. I loved her official and unofficial memoirs. Told from a dual timeline war and later in her trip to America and friendship with Eleanor Roosevelt, it makes a smashing historical read. Fab stuff.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Death, Medical trauma, War, Gun violence, and Murder

nataliebootlah's review against another edition

challenging dark hopeful informative inspiring 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

Who doesn’t love a heroine based on a true story? Lyudmila Pavlichenko, or “Lady Death”, was a Russian sniper credited with an official count of 309 kills during WWII. 

I love how Quinn writes historical women, especially since you can tell how much research goes into each story. And this novel was no different. Mila is a single mother, marksman, and history student when war comes to Russia. Soon, life as she knew it is gone and she’s fighting against Nazis on the front lines. 

Saskia Maarleveld brought Mila’s strength and resilience to life in the audiobook. What a treat.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief, Death, Blood, Domestic abuse, Misogyny, War, and Violence

ka_ke's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional informative medium-paced

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

3.0

My thoughts and feelings regarding the Diamond Eye are difficult to explain. 

On the one hand, I chose one hell of a time to pick it up seeing as Russia has cruelly invaded Ukraine and they have been at war for 1.5 years at this point. Therefore, I find myself unable to sympathize with Lady Death and the Russian people as they struggled through Nazi invasion. 

On the other hand, the Diamond Eye is an excellent lesson in the theory of intersectionality and my understanding/belief in it. 

Lyudmila is a Russian woman, a student majoring in history, a single mother whose husband abandoned their family. She is then forced to become an infamous sniper for the Russian army.

So while I can support a woman doing what she feels is right and proper to protect herself and her country, I am torn by my disgust at the present day uncalled-for actions of Russia against the citizens of Ukraine. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cursing, Gore, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Medical trauma, Misogyny, Body horror, Classism, Blood, Death, Grief, Violence, War, and Gaslighting

Moderate: Mass/school shootings, Murder, Sexual content, Abandonment, Alcohol, Adult/minor relationship, Toxic relationship, Genocide, Injury/Injury detail, Bullying, Forced institutionalization, Suicidal thoughts, and Sexual harassment

izura's review

adventurous dark informative sad medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief, Misogyny, Sexism, Blood, War, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Medical trauma

Minor: Pedophilia and Rape