Reviews tagging 'Body horror'

The Kingdom of Copper by S.A. Chakraborty

9 reviews

_forestofpages's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny inspiring mysterious reflective 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

Despite this sequel having far less action than the first book, I loved it even more. I was enthralled by the continuation of the insane final chapters of book 1 and then the time jump in book 2. The author leaned heavily on the themes she touched on in book 1 and went hard on the politics and war. In my opinion, this was handled so well and was always engaging to read.

There was never a time where I felt like the author was trying to tell me how to feel and instead had these incredibly complex characters and morals and different wills and beliefs all mixed up, and it was realistic and frustrating and compelling at every turn. I was frequently yelling at the pages, these characters who I like so much. 

The last 200 pages took me for a ride and had me constantly tense and worried for everyone. I had no idea what would happen. Exhilarating and wild ending. I cannot wait to pick up the third and final book.

Nahri finally did what I wanted and made her own choices! She seems much more matured and cautious. I also grew to love several other characters I didn't like or just didnt understand in the first book. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death and War

Moderate: Fire/Fire injury, Xenophobia, Racism, Child death, Blood, and Racial slurs

Minor: Slavery and Body horror

brynalexa's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional tense fast-paced

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

5.0

I was consistently shocked through the  entire book. The story never goes where you’re expecting it to. Somehow a cast of treacherous characters making terrible decisions works. Brilliant. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Fire/Fire injury, Genocide, Religious bigotry, Self harm, Sexism, Racial slurs, Xenophobia, Emotional abuse, Confinement, Death, Gore, Kidnapping, Murder, Panic attacks/disorders, Police brutality, Pregnancy, Rape, Toxic relationship, Violence, Classism, Racism, Sexual violence, Abandonment, Alcoholism, Bullying, Child death, Mass/school shootings, Misogyny, Stalking, Body horror, Cursing, Death of parent, Grief, Gun violence, Hate crime, Infidelity, Medical content, Addiction, Alcohol, Blood, Child abuse, Mental illness, Medical trauma, Sexual assault, Suicide, War, Miscarriage, Slavery, and Torture

tinybluepixel's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious 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: Blood, Body horror, Gore, Grief, Torture, War, Medical content, Medical trauma, Violence, Genocide, Injury/Injury detail, Death, Murder, and Slavery

Moderate: Alcohol, Alcoholism, Fire/Fire injury, Body horror, Child abuse, Classism, Religious bigotry, Addiction, Child death, Death of parent, and Slavery

Minor: Rape, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, and Terminal illness

dealingwithdragons's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional tense fast-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: Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, Slavery, Body horror, Animal death, Xenophobia, Medical content, Hate crime, Death, Confinement, Blood, Gun violence, War, Violence, and Fire/Fire injury

Moderate: Alcoholism, Alcohol, and Death of parent

While Chakraborty's characters are djinn from fantasy tribes, the tribes they are from correspond to real world ethnic groups. The narrative is clearly against racism and xenophobia, but the depictions could potentially be triggering.

pvbobrien's review against another edition

adventurous 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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Blood, Death, Body horror, and Police brutality

Moderate: Genocide, Chronic illness, Torture, Alcohol, Slavery, Violence, Fire/Fire injury, and Gore

claudiamacpherson's review against another edition

adventurous 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? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Alcohol, Alcoholism, Blood, Body horror, Child death, Classism, Colonisation, Cursing, Death, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Genocide, Grief, Gore, Hate crime, Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Medical trauma, Murder, Religious bigotry, Toxic relationship, Trafficking, Violence, War, and Xenophobia

Minor: Gun violence, Police brutality, Self harm, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, and Torture

eeeeva's review against another edition

adventurous emotional inspiring 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, Death, Gore, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Religious bigotry, and Violence

Moderate: Child death and Cursing

Minor: Gun violence

redthistle's review against another edition

adventurous challenging 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

5.0

This book is a wild ride from start to finish and if you enjoyed City of Brass I think you will absolutely love it's sequel.
I have finished the entire series and I believe that this book was my favorite of the trilogy. 

I loved the development of all of the characters throughout this book. Every character has both lovable traits and flaws. The development of the world, its politics and social justice issues in particular, are incredibly interesting and complex. The magic of the world is engrossing and continues to be a delight. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Blood, Body horror, Death of parent, Violence, and Murder

Moderate: Islamophobia, Medical content, and Racial slurs

hanarama's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious 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

4.75

The Good: 

• Expanded world building
• Tense political intrigue 
• Good use of dramatic irony 
• Character motivations expanded and explored more closely 
• Intense final act. 

The Bad:

• Some character's decisions feel contrived/convenient 

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• Complicate characters
• Opposing POVs 
• Political intrigue 
• Looming threats 

A massive improvement over City of Brass. I really fell in love with this book and I was lukewarm on CoB, which felt very slow and many characters felt unsympathetic. 

Chakraborty has fixed many of these issues with KoC. She takes greater care to make all of her characters feel more sympathetic in this book, while keeping their moral complexities in tact. And she again delivers an absolute gut punch of an ending. 

KoC takes place five years after the events of CoB. Even as Ali is exiled, Daevabad seems intent on drawing him back into its political machinations. Nahri has taken her place as Banu Nahida and struggles against the yoke of King Ghassan's rule.  With a once-in-a-century celebration looming and an unseen enemy plotting revenge on the city, the characters' lives weave together as everyone angles to achieve their own goals. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Blood, Body horror, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gore, Gun violence, Mass/school shootings, Medical content, and Police brutality