Reviews tagging 'Death of parent'

Queen of the Conquered by Kacen Callender

14 reviews

daja's review against another edition

i cannot stand the main character and her perspective. Am I supposed to feel bad for her that she was born free and doesn't have to be a slave? Am I supposed to feel bad that she is complicit in the brutal acts against the islanders, her own people? Am I supposed to feel bad that she doesn't feel deserving of love and forces her own slave to be intimate with her? I HATE her. And she's consistently having a pity party about her life and I'm just so done. I'm not even going to make myself push through this.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Death of parent, Classism, Rape, Toxic relationship, Slavery, Child death, Colonisation, Violence, Grief, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, and Racism

leereads93's review against another edition

This is the most depressing book I have ever read. If you like reading torturous things happen to people then this is the book for you. I get what this is trying to do, but a book advertised as "they will know her vengeance" implied that the mc will have vengeance? Instead she just goes around feeling bad that everyone hates her and while I felt empathy for that, I also hated her. I just couldn't do it. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Rape, Child abuse, Death, Death of parent, Slavery, Child death, and Racism

megan_martha_reads's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark fast-paced

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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Genocide, Racism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, War, Child abuse, Colonisation, Fire/Fire injury, Rape, Blood, Death, Murder, Hate crime, Sexism, Slavery, Violence, Gore, Physical abuse, Classism, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Injury/Injury detail, and Torture

meluhnie's review against another edition

dark slow-paced

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

1.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Violence, War, Torture, Child death, Slavery, Religious bigotry, Injury/Injury detail, Grief, Genocide, Murder, Death, Death of parent, Colonisation, and Blood

library_of_alexandra_'s review against another edition

dark emotional sad tense slow-paced

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

3.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Slavery, Murder, Xenophobia, and Racism

Moderate: Child abuse, Death, Classism, Colonisation, Fire/Fire injury, Child death, and Death of parent

Minor: Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, Terminal illness, Gaslighting, Emotional abuse, and Sexism

kingsteph's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence and Slavery

Moderate: Rape, Fire/Fire injury, Racism, Torture, Child abuse, Death of parent, and Child death

neighborhoodbeanreads's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense

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

4.75

This book was definitely a challenging read. It makes you question the effect privilege has across communities and shows a character that you aren't sure you want to root for. It challenges the MC’s own motivations (are they in the her best interests, or everyone’s?) and how readers perceive the MC. It highlights the brutality of colonization, slavery, and genocide. It toes the line of unreliable narrator (their perception of their reality may not necessarily be real) and makes reader questioning what is and isn’t reality.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Genocide, Racial slurs, Racism, Torture, Death, Death of parent, Colonisation, Confinement, Domestic abuse, Murder, Rape, Slavery, War, Blood, and Child death

aseel_reads's review against another edition

dark mysterious slow-paced

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

3.75

this was an interesting read - read it for book club. I'm still trying to figure out my thoughts but I'll try to dot point this review, just so I have something coherent for our bookclub. 

- the theme of colonisation and slavery was very in the forefront of the story. I've read plenty of fantasy stories that use them as part of their overall plot/message but in this book it was literally the whole premise of the book, which means you feel just as uncomfortable as if reading the colour purple or something by octavia butler. 
- I thought the setting/world was really well done. it was Carribbean inspired and I found it quite refreshing to read. 
- I am interested in the main character. she's very complex and I can't tell if I care for her or if I dislike her. I understand her motives very well but I'm not sure if it's enough to care for her. 
- I didn't really pick up the plot twist but I did like it and thought it was done okay (bits were a bit confusing and didn't make that much sense). 
- her Kraft was interesting but I think the way it was used to further the narrative was at times confusing. heaps of time she found out something but it wasn't written clearly that she was using her Kraft. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Colonisation and Slavery

Moderate: Blood, Child death, Death, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Violence, Physical abuse, and Torture

catastrophic's review

dark mysterious tense slow-paced

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

3.5

Excellent setting and magic system, it was a terrifying insight into slavery in the Caribbean while still being a fantasy setting. But mostly showing not telling, and the plot was very slow and plot twist poorly executed 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Colonisation, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Genocide, Grief, Hate crime, Infidelity, Murder, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racism, Slavery, and Violence

therainbowshelf's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious sad tense slow-paced

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

3.0

This wasn't the right book for me, but it's not a bad book. It has strong writing and a solid, interesting world. I thought the characters were well portrayed, especially Sigourney who isn't loveable but she's a compelling character. There was a lot of political intrigue and murder in this book, which isn't usually my thing, and there were a few things I didn't feel worked well but wouldn't have detracted from my enjoyment if I'd liked the book more. 

📘The Gist 📘: Sigourney Rose is driven by ambition and a need for revenge. She's the only islander with any political power among the Invaders who inslaved her people. She's driven to compete to become the king's next successor, but she has to stay alive to do that. 

📒Representation📒: BIPOC mc, strong woman mc, maybe m-spec mc

💕 For readers looking for 💕: Politicl intrigue, an intense look at racism and power dynamics, powerful female characters, interesting magic dynamics, ghosts? mystery and surprising endings! 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Gore, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Misogyny, Murder, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Suicide, Toxic relationship, and Violence