Reviews tagging 'Death'

Empire of Wild by Cherie Dimaline

30 reviews

kylieqrada's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny reflective 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

Cherie Dimaline’s writing is my absolute shit. So many quotable lines! I loved the incorporation of indigenous folklore and the connection between capitalism and religion. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Racism, and Sexual content

Moderate: Kidnapping, Car accident, and Death

Minor: Homophobia

rachaelwho's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful sad 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

5.0

A few places dragged, a few bits were too on the nose. Nothing worth dropping a star over, I liked this one very much and there were some very interesting and creative ideas and turns of phrase. Great wo ld-building, I appreciate that the reader is expected to know something about native people or look it up. The uncanny image of

the rougarou dancing away too fast for comprehension

really creeped me the fuck out and lingered. There were several well-set-up heartbreaks that I knew were leading somewhere and when I figured them out I consciously thought "oh, noooo" but was desperate to keep reading to see them fulfilled. Excellent narration by Michelle St John.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, and Sexual content

Moderate: Death and Grief

Minor: Fatphobia, Abortion, and Body horror

maryfranvs's review against another edition

dark mysterious sad tense medium-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

2.75

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Death, Violence, Addiction, Injury/Injury detail, Fire/Fire injury, Car accident, Murder, and Sexual content

Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Racism, Gore, and Racial slurs

zombiezami's review against another edition

dark sad tense medium-paced

4.5

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Body horror, Cursing, Car accident, Gaslighting, Grief, Fire/Fire injury, Animal death, Death, Sexual content, Death of parent, Kidnapping, Murder, and Violence

Moderate: Drug abuse, Fatphobia, Stalking, Colonisation, Mental illness, Racism, Religious bigotry, and Sexual violence

Minor: Abandonment, Alcohol, Drug use, Pedophilia, Incest, Infidelity, and Rape

crystalisreading's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious

• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

#23for23

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Cursing, Death, Grief, and Sexual content

Moderate: Alcohol and Blood

Minor: Racism, Racial slurs, and Homophobia

kenley11's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional informative mysterious sad tense fast-paced

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

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content, Death, Violence, Religious bigotry, Injury/Injury detail, and Grief

asainspace's review against another edition

adventurous emotional mysterious tense fast-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

3.5

An interesting exploration of Métis folklore, modern-day neocolonialism and family relationships that I enjoyed but I found could do with more depth. It’s an enjoyable and fast-paced book, introducing a bunch of interesting ideas that for me weren’t quite developed enough. I would have been happy if this book was longer, with more time for the plot to unfold and to go deeper into the characters, but I know a quick read is preferable for others! 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Death and Murder

Moderate: Sexual content

yaoipaddle's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious medium-paced

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

2.0

(Would have been 3 stars but the ending disappointed me enough to move it down to 2.)

I picked this book up because I saw Margaret Atwood recommend it, I'm interested in reading more books by indigenous authors, and I love werewolf adjacent creatures. (The one in this story is a rogarou.)

The setting and the scenes between Joan (main character) and her family are so well written and make me perfectly visualize everything. The small details in character interactions and the places they visit or live in make everything feel so alive and immersive.

One thing I had to get used to is that at least early on the author uses so many pronouns when we're still being introduced to the large cast of characters. I had to reread passages a few times to organize in my head who was doing what or saying what. I'm not sure if the writing got better about naming who did what or if I just got used to it as the book went on.

If you read this book please be aware of the large amount of sexual content most of which is quite graphic. The sheer amount of it in what is a mystery novel surprised me and tbh annoyed me. Everyone other than the kid characters are constantly talking about sex, thinking about sex, or having sex. To the point where I'm just waiting for it to be mentioned yet again in every chapter. Everyone is so freaking horny and most of it is so purposeless to me. Even if you like having sexual content in anything you read, the content in this book feels so out of place so often.

The pacing for most of the book was pretty good. The plot is interesting and gives just enough mystery to make you feel interested but not overwhelmed. And just when I thought the pacing was going too fast I realized that it was pretty well planned!

However by the last few chapters of the book it felt very rushed and everything was a bit to convenient just to wrap the story up.

(There is one scene where Joan travels somewhere, gets angry at something that tbh I felt was just to add conflict and not representative of how she has acted throughout the book, and then gets over it in a couple paragraphs and drives home. :/ Useless.) The last two chapters especially just felt annoying and almost like the author wanted to end on a cliffhanger instead of be content with the story she already finished.

I also felt let down and like some important characters were introduced too late with zero prep and just gone as soon as they came. (No pun intended considering all the sex in this book).

Overall an immersive setting and cast with a fun mystery to keep you on your toes. This all is dragged down by out of place sex and rushed pacing at the end.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content, Religious bigotry, Grief, Death, Misogyny, Death of parent, Infidelity, Colonisation, Animal death, and Alcohol

Moderate: Sexism, Fire/Fire injury, Racism, and Alcoholism

Minor: Trafficking, Stalking, Murder, Sexual violence, and Kidnapping

jourdanicus's review against another edition

dark mysterious medium-paced

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

5.0

Really good. I'm not well versed in werewolf stories but found I didn't need to be to enjoy this book. I found it the perfect balance of plot and character (maybe leaning more toward plot though). If anything I actually wish it had been longer... By the last few moments I was thinking "what, it's over already?! I want more!"

I enjoy Cherie Dimaline's work and will definitely be picking up more by her.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Fire/Fire injury

Moderate: Death, Sexual content, Violence, Blood, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, and Animal death

emsim's review against another edition

fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Religious bigotry, Violence, Fire/Fire injury, and Death

Moderate: Racism, Sexual harassment, Confinement, Kidnapping, Car accident, Colonisation, and Gaslighting