Reviews tagging 'Medical content'

The Wicked King by Holly Black

13 reviews

2blueshoes's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional funny mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.0

After a first book so mind bogglingly horrifying, I surprised myself by truly enjoying this sequel. The Cruel Prince felt like a sort of nightmarish junior high, where love isn’t real, everyone is miserable, and no one wins. The Wicked King felt a bit like high school, with characters finding their footing, and forging real relationships - and of course the stakes are much higher. 

Yes, the FMC is still deeply un relatable to me, and her choices made me want to pull my hair out in frustration. 

Yes, all of the characters continue to operate so far beyond morally grey areas they are all difficult to root for. 

And yet, somehow in the midst of the ever-more-complicated political schemes and endless list of confusing character names… I found myself loving this story. The plot twists were plentiful and intelligently written (I guessed exactly one). There was such steep character development that the FMC and MMC became entirely different people. There was relationship angst, but it was elegant rather than despicable. There was exactly one spicy scene and it was fade to black. The MMC’s tail wasn’t mentioned, praise be. 

 If you don’t care much for back story or world building, read a synopsis of book one and jump to book two. It will absolutely have you on the edge of your seat - or in my case - yelling “OMG” loudly in the car. 

I will immediately read book three. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Violence, and Murder

Moderate: Confinement, Forced institutionalization, Gaslighting, Toxic relationship, Injury/Injury detail, Abandonment, Kidnapping, and Torture

Minor: Bullying, Gore, Pregnancy, Trafficking, Vomit, War, Death of parent, Medical content, Slavery, and Suicide

bookmark3brodi's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark funny mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic relationship, Emotional abuse, Forced institutionalization, Abandonment, Child abuse, Drug use, Medical trauma, Adult/minor relationship, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Murder, Classism, Death, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Medical content, Toxic friendship, Violence, War, and Drug abuse

aysha_blake's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcohol, Blood, Classism, Death, Drug use, Alcoholism, War, Death of parent, Medical content, Murder, Torture, Violence, Confinement, Gore, Grief, and Injury/Injury detail

lleer's review against another edition

emotional lighthearted mysterious reflective 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

OMG. I was not expecting to like this book THIS MUCH! I wasn't even going to give it at 4 starts but it really exceeded my expectations especially the ENDING! 
I could not put the book down in the last 80 pages, and the last page before chapter 29 MADE ME SPEECHLESS!! Omg this book was so so good definitely better than the first one.
Why didn't I buy the third book already!! 
Also yes I agree with some reviews, I really don't like Taryn either. 

"Marry me," he says, "become the Queen of Elfhame"

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder and Medical content

Moderate: Sexual content

theintrovertsbooks's review against another edition

adventurous dark tense medium-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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content, Murder, Kidnapping, Injury/Injury detail, Alcohol, Violence, Toxic relationship, Medical content, Drug abuse, Death, Confinement, Gore, and Blood

Moderate: Emotional abuse, Death of parent, War, Physical abuse, Infidelity, Animal death, and Slavery

Minor: Infertility, Incest, Grief, Child abuse, and Bullying

culzean's review against another edition

adventurous mysterious tense medium-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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Torture, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Violence, War, Kidnapping, Classism, Vomit, Death of parent, Gore, Slavery, Toxic relationship, Medical content, Sexual content, Toxic friendship, and Death

becca_w_'s review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content, Bullying, Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, Physical abuse, Alcoholism, Animal death, Blood, Gore, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Death, Child abuse, Drug use, Gaslighting, Murder, Toxic relationship, Violence, Alcohol, Body horror, Grief, Medical content, and Vomit

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Confinement, Emotional abuse, Colonisation, Fire/Fire injury, War, Kidnapping, Toxic relationship, Medical trauma, Misogyny, and Toxic friendship

b0ygenius's review

adventurous emotional tense fast-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

WHAT THE FUCK

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcohol, Alcoholism, Blood, Injury/Injury detail, Confinement, Medical content, Medical trauma, Misogyny, Torture, Violence, Abandonment, Child abuse, Death, Murder, Sexual content, Emotional abuse, and Kidnapping

zoeelora's review against another edition

dark fast-paced

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

3.25

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Alcoholism, Blood, Bullying, Child abuse, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, Vomit, Medical content, Murder, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Violence, and War

katvou's review against another edition

adventurous 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? It's complicated

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder and Death

Moderate: Blood and Kidnapping

Minor: Addiction, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Toxic relationship, Alcohol, Death of parent, Drug abuse, and Vomit