Reviews tagging 'Body horror'

Before They Are Hanged by Joe Abercrombie

10 reviews

djthedj's review against another edition

adventurous dark funny 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? It's complicated

4.25

My mans, my mans, my mans Abercrombie. Andrew asked me if this book had any heroes and I would say each POV character is a hero in there own right. Just not a good person… I admire Abe as a writer but as I read him more, I do begin to see his pitfalls as a writer. That which he used to so strongly characterize his POVs can come across repetitive if you read this quickly. Hearing Glokta lick his gums every time he shows up made me quirk a lip. But no matter because I enjoy every character. I’m invested in their story and I am very very excited to have everything come together. If he sticks the landing with the conclusion, it’ll be a 5 book for sure.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Gore, Vomit, War, Torture, Violence, Chronic illness, and Body horror

pitsny's review against another edition

adventurous dark tense fast-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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Death, Gore, and Violence

nerdkitten's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional sad tense fast-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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Torture, War, Body horror, Classism, Murder, Religious bigotry, Violence, Animal death, Cannibalism, Blood, Colonisation, Death, Cursing, Injury/Injury detail, Racism, Sexual content, Fire/Fire injury, and Gore

Moderate: Confinement, Xenophobia, Alcohol, Grief, Medical content, Vomit, Panic attacks/disorders, and Sexual assault

Minor: Abandonment, Body shaming, Slavery, Ableism, Rape, Sexism, Cultural appropriation, Excrement, Alcoholism, Trafficking, Child death, Misogyny, and Self harm

singalana's review against another edition

adventurous dark tense slow-paced

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

4.5

Before they are hanged is deliciously dark fantasy with gritty characters. The book picks up pretty much where The blade itself ended, and follows mainly three plotlines: the fate of Dagoska, the journey to the Edge of the World and the war between the Union and the Northmen.

The cast of characters is vast, but the characters are interesting and feel real with all their faults. Reading these books, it definitely feels as though the characters are influencing the plot as much as the plot is influencing them. The story arc is complex, and you can’t just pick up a book in the middle of the series and hope to understand what is happening. This book ends up the same as The Blade Itself: the story is by no means finished. Therefore if you like books in a series to have clear endings, then you are not going to like this.

I liked this book very much, and the narrator in the audiobook was excellent. My only complaints are that this book could have been trimmed a bit, it felt like it was going on for ever (even though it avoided being boring). And the second complaint was that the sex scenes were a little bit awkward to listen to in the audiobook. Other than that, I enjoyed this very much and I can’t wait to see what happens in the final book of the trilogy. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Death, Gore, Torture, Violence, War, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Sexual assault, Animal death, Chronic illness, Sexual content, and Cursing

Minor: Medical content, Slavery, Alcohol, Body horror, Cannibalism, Colonisation, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Trafficking, and Vomit

blueb's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional funny 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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Blood, and Body horror

Moderate: Blood, Colonisation, Panic attacks/disorders, Genocide, Grief, Murder, and Racism

Minor: Rape

strawberrypinch's review against another edition

adventurous dark funny 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Vomit, Violence, Torture, Gore, War, and Death

Moderate: Blood, Cannibalism, Confinement, Fire/Fire injury, Body horror, Colonisation, Trafficking, Murder, Cursing, and Xenophobia

Minor: Slavery, Body shaming, Racism, Alcoholism, Infidelity, Rape, Suicide, and Alcohol

jb567's review against another edition

adventurous dark medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, Mass/school shootings, Trafficking, Chronic illness, Gore, Grief, Violence, War, Body shaming, Bullying, Cannibalism, Child death, Classism, Colonisation, Death, Toxic friendship, Blood, Body horror, Cursing, Deportation, Emotional abuse, Medical trauma, Police brutality, Rape, Self harm, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Domestic abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Gun violence, Hate crime, Kidnapping, Misogyny, Murder, Physical abuse, Sexism, Sexual assault, Slavery, Sexual harassment, Suicide, Torture, and Xenophobia

whichwitcher's review against another edition

adventurous dark funny tense fast-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? Yes

4.0

 I'm rooting for the torturer?

We get top-tier character work again from Abercrombie. His writing is punchy and humorous, and, at times, it can be profound.

We got a little in the way of plot in book two, but I'd have preferred more. It felt like if The Blade Itself introduced us to individual characters and storylines, then Before They Are Hanged introduced us to how they interact as part of a group. I'm still itching to flesh out the central thread - and I'm dying to see how characters' storylines converge, if at all.

Please do be aware of the following trigger warnings prior to reading: Ableism, Alcoholism,  Amputation, Animal murder, Assault, Attempted rape, Blood, Cannibalism, Death, Decapitation, Emesis (vomiting), Famine, Genocide, Gore, Misogyny, Murder, Racism, Sexually explicit scene, Skeletons, Slavery, Torture, War 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Body horror, Blood, Cannibalism, Death, Gore, Misogyny, Murder, Torture, and War

Moderate: Genocide, Sexism, Animal death, Rape, Sexual violence, and Slavery

Minor: Alcohol

coulro's review against another edition

dark emotional funny 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: Excrement, Genocide, Grief, Animal death, Sexual content, Body horror, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Violence, Vomit, Classism, Cursing, Murder, Self harm, Torture, Blood, Cannibalism, Racial slurs, Rape, Sexual assault, and War

jaskovivich's review against another edition

adventurous dark medium-paced

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

5.0

In this second installment of the First Law, Superior Glokta tries to defend a city while surrounded by enemies and traitors, the Union makes war on the North, and Bayaz and his band of unlikely allies continue his search for an ancient weapon to save mankind from The Eaters. 

This is Another amazing installment in the first law it throws us right into the thick of things at the beginning, with war starting in the north, a conspiracy in the south, and a journey to the edge of the world. this book balances intrigue and warfare perfectly with all the character development that seems to be Joe Abercrombie’s trademark. all the plots are finally coming together and interweaving into a blanket of “Holy Fuck” continuing with the brutality displayed in The Blade Itself Joe Abercrombie Gives us another easy Must-Read for fans of Grimdark Fantasy with Before They Are Hanged. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Slavery, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Torture, Violence, Cursing, Injury/Injury detail, Gore, Mental illness, Grief, Body horror, Murder, and Sexual content

Moderate: Cannibalism

Minor: Alcohol and Drug use