Reviews tagging 'Gore'

The Familiar by Leigh Bardugo

21 reviews

jazhandz's review

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated

3.75

From a pure craft standpoint, Leigh Bardugo’s writing is at a peak in this book. It’s sensory and rich and compelling. The character work is lovely. Where this book falls flat for me is the relationships - and not only the central relationship, but the entirety of the relationships, romantic and platonic and familial and antagonistic. None of them will stick with me in a meaningful way. Which is a shame! I think if this book had stronger relationships it would be an easy favorite. As it is, it was fine.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Religious bigotry, Antisemitism, Confinement, Torture, and Body horror

Moderate: Fire/Fire injury, Sexism, Injury/Injury detail, Gore, and Infertility

Minor: Sexual content, Pregnancy, Vomit, Infidelity, Animal cruelty, and Death of parent

becalexa's review against another edition

4.0

very solid 4 stars! the beginning was a little slow but once it got going i was quite interested. not the most intricate plot ms bardugo has ever written but it certainly had Vibes which i personally think was the point of this story. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Infertility, Mental illness, Religious bigotry, Injury/Injury detail, Torture, and Gore

laurenzazzles's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gore, Antisemitism, Confinement, Blood, Death, Misogyny, Sexual content, Grief, Body horror, and Emotional abuse

ljp817's review against another edition

dark emotional 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Torture, Violence, Xenophobia, Physical abuse, and Religious bigotry

Moderate: Fire/Fire injury, Gore, Blood, Death, and Death of parent

Minor: War, Excrement, and Vomit

quiet_reader's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious tense medium-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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Physical abuse, Murder, Violence, Religious bigotry, Toxic relationship, Blood, Classism, Gore, Sexism, Antisemitism, and Torture

Moderate: Confinement, Bullying, Alcohol, Emotional abuse, Sexual content, Genocide, Death of parent, and Fire/Fire injury

Minor: Colonisation, Ableism, Mental illness, Islamophobia, Animal cruelty, and Animal death

sxndaze's review

adventurous dark emotional hopeful mysterious sad tense slow-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

4.25

A thousand stories. A thousand 
meanings. But in the end, it belongs to no one, except the woman who holds it in her hand.

a little slow in the beginning, but it’s an addicting read. the amount of names and characters that are thrown at you can be overwhelming at times too, but that’s the nature of fantasy i think. luzia is a wonderful character and her drive and ambition is something you can’t help but root for. santángel is dark and broody and everything i love in a character and the two of them together are chefs kiss. 

the plot is intriguing and the magic system is fascinating. the development of the side characters is wonderful too and i enjoyed my time with them. it’s definitely something i want to revisit again in the future.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gore, Antisemitism, Blood, Death, Physical abuse, Religious bigotry, Torture, Violence, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Infertility, Sexual assault, Infidelity, Confinement, Suicidal thoughts, and Sexual content

Minor: Alcohol

soniajoy98's review

adventurous dark emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring 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? It's complicated

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cursing, Classism, Religious bigotry, Murder, Antisemitism, Abandonment, Blood, Fire/Fire injury, Genocide, Misogyny, Death of parent, and Sexism

Moderate: Mental illness, Torture, Gore, Islamophobia, Emotional abuse, Forced institutionalization, Physical abuse, Sexual harassment, Violence, Sexual assault, Sexual content, and Suicidal thoughts

Minor: Alcohol, Sexual violence, Grief, Biphobia, Ableism, Confinement, Infidelity, Lesbophobia, Infertility, and War

sweetoof's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.5

beautiful prose and atmosphere paired with interesting characters and a rich history. different from grishaverse but also similar in ways.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cursing and Blood

Moderate: Animal cruelty, Gore, and Animal death

Minor: Misogyny and Vomit

mikaelawithak's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Body horror, Fire/Fire injury, Antisemitism, Religious bigotry, Death, Confinement, Xenophobia, Violence, Gore, Torture, Suicidal thoughts, and Slavery

booksdogsandcoffee's review against another edition

dark emotional informative tense medium-paced

4.0

Not the book I expected from Bardugo but the one I didn't know I needed. 

This is a book about magic, ancestry, breaking your chains, and changing your fate. It is so different from everything else she has written and I loved it! 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gore, Blood, Racism, and Xenophobia