Reviews tagging 'Sexual content'

First, Become Ashes by K.M. Szpara

23 reviews

tabbiecat's review

dark hopeful fast-paced

• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

1.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Toxic relationship, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual violence, Emotional abuse, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Slavery, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Drug use, and Torture

spaceoperatics's review

adventurous dark emotional hopeful reflective fast-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

4.0

A very fun take on magic, family, and clashing perspectives. Take the content warnings seriously.

The ending comes on too suddenly and too cleanly, otherwise it might be a 5-star.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual violence, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual content, Injury/Injury detail, and Self harm

blacksphinx's review

adventurous dark emotional medium-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

2.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Torture, Injury/Injury detail, Rape, Self harm, Blood, Emotional abuse, Sexual violence, Fire/Fire injury, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, and Sexual content

Moderate: Gun violence, Confinement, and Toxic relationship

Minor: Medical content and Police brutality

six9's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious medium-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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Rape, Sexual content, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, and Pedophilia

bethmalena's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful 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? It's complicated

3.5

This book constantly challenged my expectations, especially around the theme of magic. I loved how queer it was, and that it honoured the different ways people heal from [religious] trauma. I felt uncomfortable with the level of detail around some of that trauma, particularly the sexual trauma - it felt like torture porn in places, and distracted from the overall message. Honestly I could have used more dialogue and less sex in general. But I think it’s still a book that will stick with me.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Violence, Sexual violence, Torture, Toxic relationship, Adult/minor relationship, Blood, Gun violence, and Physical abuse

alsoapples's review

adventurous challenging emotional tense fast-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: Adult/minor relationship, Blood, Child abuse, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, and Trafficking

Moderate: Gaslighting, Incest, Religious bigotry, Self harm, Violence, Torture, and Toxic relationship

cfell's review

adventurous challenging dark tense medium-paced

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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Sexual violence, Torture, Violence, Child abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Gore, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Physical abuse, Self harm, Rape, Sexual assault, and Sexual content

spacebetweenpages's review

dark emotional sad slow-paced

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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Self harm, Sexual content, Torture, Injury/Injury detail, Physical abuse, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Rape, and Sexual assault

meredith_peruzzi's review

fast-paced

5.0

 K.M. Szpara knocks it out of the park again (so to speak). This book feels entirely different from Docile, it's less power exchange and more power tsunami. Although religion and spirituality are central to the narrative, it doesn't feel particularly "woo" - it feels more like fantasy novel magic than pagan magic. (That may just be me, I'm not very woo myself.) To my surprise, it's a novel of hope - for the first two-thirds I was expecting one outcome, and then that focus was abandoned in favor of stubborn hope in the face of adversity.

The book has trigger warnings for SM, sex, abuse, and rape - it is worth noting that all of these are depicted in a predominantly negative light. I don't think Szpara is saying BDSM is a bad thing - nor did he with Docile, both felt like he has a solid grasp of healthy consent and power exchange - but it should be noted that the SM is equated with abuse and rape in this book, and only in some scenes is the sex depicted positively.

If you enjoyed Docile, do pick this up. It's a very different book but Szpara is a phenomenal writer and this was an excellent read. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Rape and Sexual content

thoughtsfromtheafro's review against another edition

dark tense fast-paced

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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content and Rape