Reviews tagging 'Physical abuse'

Crooked Kingdom by Leigh Bardugo

105 reviews

kingcrookback's review against another edition

adventurous dark 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

I...wasn't expecting this to make me cry the way it did. The character all still being teenagers is still a sticking point for me--although, props to Leigh Bardugo, she did turn that into a little tongue-in-cheek joke in the book. But Bardugo handles both plot and character tension so well and balances them with each other so evenly that I could hardly bear to put the book down sometimes. My only, relatively minor issue is that, as an Asian person, I found the handling of the Shu (particularly events

around Wylan wearing Kuwei's face

) characters uncomfortable. But overall, Bardugo really stuck the landing with this one.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Death, and Violence

Moderate: Addiction, Trafficking, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Physical abuse, Slavery, and Torture

Minor: Death of parent, Pregnancy, Rape, Sexual assault, and Xenophobia

nevermoregothic's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gun violence, Kidnapping, Physical abuse, Grief, Murder, Police brutality, Violence, Death, Slavery, Torture, Blood, Classism, and Confinement

Moderate: Trafficking and Addiction

Minor: Death of parent, Drug use, Forced institutionalization, Child abuse, and Child death

yliana's review against another edition

adventurous dark funny mysterious 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

i truly cannot express my love for this duology. ketterdam and the crows feel like home.
but also screw you, Leigh. why must you keep ripping my heart out and tearing it to shreds.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Murder, Physical abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Grief, Death, Torture, Panic attacks/disorders, and Blood

Moderate: Trafficking

Minor: Pregnancy

the_ash37's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful mysterious reflective 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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Child abuse, Cursing, Death, Sexual harassment, War, Gore, Murder, Physical abuse, Emotional abuse, Torture, Mental illness, Sexism, Violence, Gun violence, Kidnapping, and Abandonment

Minor: Addiction

chronicacademia's review against another edition

adventurous emotional hopeful sad fast-paced

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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Gore, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Murder, Physical abuse, Death, Forced institutionalization, and Torture

Moderate: Kidnapping, Child death, Body horror, Gun violence, Pregnancy, and Slavery

Minor: Ableism and Sexual assault

2_bec_loves_books_1's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional funny 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? It's complicated

5.0

The best plot twist I have read in a very long time - could not put it down. Will not disappoint

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Body shaming, Body horror, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Murder, Pedophilia, Racial slurs, Rape, Child death, Mental illness, Misogyny, Sexual violence, Religious bigotry, Trafficking, Violence, Hate crime, Grief, Death, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Slavery, Sexual harassment, Sexual content, Sexual assault, Physical abuse, Torture, War, and Sexism

Moderate: Torture

Minor: Alcohol

thebookaddict's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark hopeful inspiring mysterious relaxing 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

🇳🇱: Jeetje wat een boek.  Ik heb me geen moment verveelt! Het is een dik boek, maar het is het zeker waard. Het boek heeft een mooi afwisseling van spanning en gebeurtenissen. Ook krijg je een heel goed beeld van de karakters en de redenen van hun gedrag. Er zit emotionele boodschap achter elk character die mij persoonlijk echt aansprak. Er was niet echt Spice maar de romantiek tussen de personen is gwn echt perfect. De afwisseling tussen verschillende perspectieve is ook heel fijn

🇬🇧: jeez what a book. I haven't been bored at all! It is a big book but I had a hard time putting it down. You also get a good look into the history of the characters and you get why they behave the way they behave. Every character  has a emotional story behind them and that got to me! There is not really spice but the romance in this book is chef kisses! It is a slow burn romance but not annoying. I would totally recommend it. I love the different perspectives, that really made a difference 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Death of parent, Gun violence, Violence, Blood, Murder, Addiction, Cursing, Gore, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Physical abuse, Slavery, Torture, and War

Minor: Alcohol, Trafficking, Child abuse, Kidnapping, Pandemic/Epidemic, Rape, and Sexual assault

annapolly14's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious sad 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

4.25

leigh bardugo give nina and matthias one moment of peace challenge

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug use, Violence, Blood, Death, and Kidnapping

Moderate: Rape, Torture, Child abuse, Death, Grief, Mental illness, Murder, Sexual harassment, Death of parent, Physical abuse, Trafficking, Forced institutionalization, Gun violence, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Child death, Sexual assault, and Slavery

lilsbabeex's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious 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 such an amazing add on to Six of Crows and Shadow and Bone. It takes from the original pure heist thrill and extends it so much further, it’s no longer just about the money and glory but revenge and destruction with a great cast of characters. It’s an amazing end to the series with a perfect set up for another sequel. Very excited for more from Leah. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Physical abuse, and Ableism

Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Physical abuse, Slavery, Addiction, Violence, Emotional abuse, Forced institutionalization, Trafficking, and Death

leahfoko's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious 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

5.0

I love the crows and I loved this book. I knew I would because I liked the first one, and I really enjoy all the heists and seeing all the twists and turns and wondering how things are going to play out etc. This duology is so exciting and I am wondering at every step what is going to happen next. There’s just so much going on and figuring out Kaz’s schemes as they unfold is just so much fun. If you like a morally questionable crew carrying out heists and developing as friends along the way, you will like this series. I felt like this book wrapped everything up really well but also stood well on its own. And boy was watching Van Eck get his comeuppance at the end damn satisfying. 

I am really, really glad that I decided to read the sequel after reading the Shadow and Bone series. The Six of Crows was the first book that I ever read in the series, it was recommended to me by a friend and I really liked the first book. When I watched Season 1 of Shadow and Bone on Netflix, it made me want to read the original series as well, which I hadn’t been sure of at first because I had heard it wasn’t as good (Leigh Bardugo herself says there are things she wishes she had changed and such). While this duology can definitely stand on it’s own and by no means do you have to read the original series in order to enjoy this one, if you are at all considering reading the original trilogy then I suggest doing so before reading this duology but especially before reading this book. Some of the characters from the original series show up in this book and again, you don’t need to read the originals to enjoy the book, but I enjoyed it so much more knowing who those characters were beforehand. I was so much more invested when they appeared, so if you’re wanting to read the original series then definitely do so first. It’ll be worth it. 

Also DUDE THE STURMHOND CAMEO. I totally thought that he would show up somehow because I mean, he’s a privateer and Nina was a student during the civil war and was trained by Zoya and Genya. Like, of course he was going to be in it. And of course those two would be too. But yet I still absolutely shrieked when he showed up because I would die for Nikolai I love him so much. 10/10 cameo. It was so perfect and I adored his conversation with Kaz and Kaz seeing right through the disguise because of course he did. Perfect. Best part of the book.

I really liked this book, I thought it was super creative and thought out. I was so impressed with how the heists were planned out. If Kaz is a genius for scheming them, then Leigh Bardugo is a genius for creating Kaz and therefore also the schemes. Like damn girl you smart. The characters are flawed but extremely lovable and I thought they all got a really nice ending. Someday I want to read both the books in this duology again because the heists are so elaborate I think they would still be enjoyable to read a second time. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Kidnapping, Emotional abuse, Forced institutionalization, Gore, Gun violence, Classism, Death, Domestic abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Torture, Rape, Miscarriage, Murder, Sexual harassment, and Violence

There is so much violence, torture, abuse (described usually in past tense, these characters grew up in some really traumatic experiences). They are in a gang in a corrupt, medieval-ish city. So do with that what you will and be prepared. I put in all the content warnings as explicit just to be safe.