Reviews tagging 'Xenophobia'

Winter's Orbit by Everina Maxwell

37 reviews

lunarexorcist's review

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 was so obviously written by someone who grew up on AO3. That has so much potential to be an embarrassing mess for everyone involved. But it works, and I want to read more of it yesterday. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Physical abuse, Domestic abuse, Gaslighting, Medical trauma, Car accident, Xenophobia, and Emotional abuse

Moderate: Gun violence and Rape

stinkologist's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted mysterious reflective 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

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Gaslighting, Colonisation, Domestic abuse, Death, Violence, Toxic relationship, Sexual content, Emotional abuse, and Physical abuse

Minor: War, Kidnapping, Xenophobia, and Violence

gardens_and_dragons's review

adventurous funny tense 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

5.0

I read this in a day because it is simply too good to put down once you start reading. It tells a very intense political tale, wrapped up with interplanetary war, and a great romance. It also covers some really hard hitting topics with past abusive relationships, insecurity, and we use the miscommunication can really affect mental health. The world building was so perfect. It really felt like there was this huge, interplanetary empire just beyond the scope of the story that added this very realistic element to all of the politics surrounding the plot.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Xenophobia, Kidnapping, and Colonisation

Moderate: War and Domestic abuse

unwise_samwise's review

adventurous emotional mysterious 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

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Violence, Domestic abuse, and Xenophobia

Minor: Torture, Sexual violence, and War

netflixismyroommate's review against another edition

adventurous challenging hopeful mysterious tense slow-paced

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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Torture, Toxic relationship, and Domestic abuse

Moderate: Sexual content, Sexual assault, Xenophobia, and Death

Minor: War and Death of parent

cryptidstar's review against another edition

adventurous 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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse

Moderate: Xenophobia

Minor: War

puttingwingsonwords's review against another edition

adventurous hopeful 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

In this sci-fi novel we’ve got political intrigue, a suspicious death, a hastily arranged political marriage, a queer romance and looming intergalactic conflict all wrapped up into one amazing story. I was afraid I wouldn’t finish it before the end of the year, but I went through it very quickly.

I loved the two main characters so much and I just wanted to keep reading to know they’d be okay. The world building is immersive; I’m always impressed when authors are able to draw the reader into a completely new world without a lot of exposition, just by references and natural scene dressing. We only see a little bit of this universe in the first book so I’m eager to learn more in the next one!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse and Emotional abuse

Moderate: Xenophobia, Colonisation, Confinement, Death, Murder, Physical abuse, and Violence

Minor: Alcohol, Sexual content, and Sexual violence

tinyjude's review

adventurous emotional medium-paced

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

4.75

Setting, characters, world-building and the intrinsics between them were very interesting and well-developed. Despite what it may look like, it was easy to follow and engaging. I think it was well paced both in terms of political intrigue and personal relationships among the characters. I also appreciated Kiem and Jainan's relationship so much as they were mature, understanding and brilliant together. Also props for the representation of domestic abuse, gaslighting and trauma.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Xenophobia, and Death

Moderate: Murder, Car accident, Gaslighting, Domestic abuse, Toxic relationship, Sexual content, Police brutality, Physical abuse, Violence, Torture, and Sexual assault

maevemil's review

slow-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? No

1.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Death, Domestic abuse, Xenophobia, Mental illness, Emotional abuse, and Torture

wilybooklover's review against another edition

adventurous emotional hopeful mysterious medium-paced

5.0

This is a tough one to categorise. Ostensibly, it’s sci-fi romance, but it’s a lot heavier on the actual sci-fi than most sci-fi romance is. Or maybe space opera, but it’s a lot heavier on the romance than most space opera. In my opinion, it’s pretty equally space opera/romance/suspense (all three of which are interwoven), but whatever it is I loved it. 

The book starts off with our two heroes, Kiem and Jainan, marrying for political alliance reasons. Now, this is how you do a miscommunication trope. It makes sense that Kiem and Jainan would have trouble communicating properly. Not only are they complete strangers, with very different styles of communication, they’re from entirely different cultures and Jainan has been kept isolated and deliberately in the dark about a lot of things. They’re both so considerate of the other that they overthink and misinterpret and get in their own heads about it. It’s kind of endearing, actually, and the slow unfolding of their thoughts and feelings to each other was such a delight to read. They really complemented each other well, despite being charming-extrovert/anxious-introvert opposites. 

Besides the romance, which was lovely and gentle and soft, the worldbuilding and plot were complex and interesting. Kiem and Jainan get dragged into a murder conspiracy upon which the fate of the Empire hinges, and it soon becomes apparent that their lives are also at stake. On top of that, you have a potential rebellion brewing back on Jainan’s home world. It’s a lot, and I do think there was maybe a little too much going on at times (or, perhaps, not paced correctly). But I very much enjoyed this story of political intrigue. Once facet of the worldbuilding that I really enjoyed was the queernorm world. It was so refreshing to see queer people of all kinds just existing without being a statement or facing hardship because of it. The secondary characters were all fleshed out and interesting as well, although I did think that one of the antagonists was a bit obvious

(it’s always suspicious when someone is a bit too friendly and helpful).

 

Ultimately I think this was a well-balanced story of romance and space politics, and would recommend this to people who enjoy both of those things. There are some heavy topics in this, so do check content warnings first.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Car accident, Confinement, Gaslighting, Panic attacks/disorders, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Colonisation, Death, Murder, Physical abuse, Torture, Kidnapping, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Xenophobia, and Violence

Minor: Alcoholism