Reviews tagging 'Confinement'

The Book of Life by Deborah Harkness

11 reviews

johannaplatt's review against another edition

adventurous emotional slow-paced

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

2.5

Hate read the final book in this trilogy as I am a completionist. I did genuinely enjoy the magic system, world building and supporting characters, but Diana and Matthew are just simply not likeable for me. Everyone loves or is in love with Diana, who can do no wrong and is all powerful once she comes into her magic. Matthew remains possessive (under the guise of blood rage) and misogynistic (but this is how vampire families work).

The miracle babies are born and then largely ignored/papped off to family members.

Despite this, I likely will read the follow up, as I am a sucker for a time jump and would like to see how characters have developed 7 years in the future.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, Sexual violence, Torture, Child death, Death, Pregnancy, Rape, Violence, and Confinement

gillian_aftanas's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: War, Pregnancy, Mental illness, Torture, Violence, Gore, Grief, Murder, Rape, Cursing, Death, Child abuse, Child death, Sexual violence, Vomit, Blood, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Medical content, Medical trauma, Sexual content, and Sexual assault

Moderate: Confinement and Alcohol

Minor: Animal death, Classism, Genocide, Homophobia, Antisemitism, Lesbophobia, Drug use, and Death of parent

heathenhousewife's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual violence, Injury/Injury detail, Torture, and Confinement

oksmithie's review against another edition

adventurous funny mysterious 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? It's complicated

4.0

This was a final book of a trilogy that did not disappoint. There were some things that seemed over the top and unnecessary, but all-in-all, I was not mad at where the story/characters ended up (as is often the case for me with trilogies). This will be a trilogy that I will re-read… all 1500+ pages. The audiobook is also well done (for all three installments). I used a combo of paper and audiobook to read this trilogy. It was the only way I could get through it and still have a life! Well worth the commitment! 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual violence, Religious bigotry, Murder, Misogyny, Confinement, Infertility, Child death, Miscarriage, Violence, Pregnancy, Injury/Injury detail, Torture, Rape, Kidnapping, and Death

There is one scene of kidnapping of a male character and his torture in particular that includes most of the graphic content.

It did not feel unnecessary or manipulative by the author (it was manipulative by the story’s villain).

joey_paige's review against another edition

adventurous emotional mysterious tense slow-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence and Torture

Moderate: Blood, Death, Death of parent, Infertility, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Medical content, Stalking, Confinement, Cursing, and Medical trauma

Minor: Murder and Rape

euphemiajo's review against another edition

adventurous dark tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Pregnancy, Blood, Confinement, and Miscarriage

Minor: Alcohol, Bullying, Murder, Physical abuse, Torture, Rape, Sexual violence, Child abuse, Child death, Deportation, Death, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Gore, Grief, Medical content, Miscarriage, Abandonment, and Chronic illness

maggies's review

adventurous dark emotional 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

A great end to the trilogy! The pace flagged a bit in the middle there, but overall, the story was just what I wanted it to be.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gore, Torture, and Blood

Moderate: Confinement, Pregnancy, Medical content, Grief, Death, Vomit, Rape, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, and Death of parent

artmajorese's review against another edition

adventurous medium-paced

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

3.75

I mostly picked this one up because I'm a completionist, I needed something to do on a 5-hour flight, and I had already powered through book 2. To my surprise, I enjoyed reading the book!  Expect a convoluted plot, which to me felt a little bit un-earned in its resolution. Most of the book is spent doing things OTHER than solving the central problem.  But if you can suspend your disbelief, you'll find some fun character development moments and (finally) the answer to "what's the deal with Ashmore 782?"

Heads up that the main subplot contains a lot of sexual violence, including incest and sexual violence against children.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Death, Domestic abuse, Gore, Physical abuse, Torture, Emotional abuse, Incest, and Confinement

Moderate: Child abuse, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, and Sexual violence

beaudoindani17's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious slow-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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Grief, Blood, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Murder, Torture, and Violence

Moderate: Stalking, Sexual violence, Rape, and Pregnancy

bdingz's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious tense slow-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

4.0

My favourite of the series.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Pregnancy and Blood

Moderate: Torture, Violence, and Confinement

Minor: Rape