Reviews tagging 'Sexual content'

A Desolation Called Peace by Arkady Martine

38 reviews

emilyeclipse's review

adventurous dark emotional lighthearted mysterious 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content

fraxisle's review against another edition

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? No

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: War, Murder, Death, Grief, Sexual content, Violence, Xenophobia, and Blood

Moderate: Vomit, Gun violence, Stalking, Medical content, Injury/Injury detail, and Genocide

indeedithappens's review

adventurous challenging emotional hopeful mysterious reflective 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? Yes

4.75

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Medical trauma, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Abandonment, Body horror, Emotional abuse, Confinement, Alcohol, Classism, Death of parent, Blood, Cursing, Injury/Injury detail, Colonisation, Death, Deportation, Pandemic/Epidemic, Genocide, Gun violence, Medical content, Self harm, Stalking, Violence, Vomit, Gore, Grief, Murder, Sexual content, War, and Xenophobia

glorfindel13's review

adventurous challenging 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? No

4.5

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Content Warnings

Minor: Sexual content

atalea's review

adventurous challenging mysterious medium-paced

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

2.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Genocide, Vomit, Xenophobia, Sexual content, and War

mattp3's review

adventurous 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? It's complicated

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content

Minor: Genocide

ineffablebob's review

adventurous emotional tense 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

4.75

A Desolation Called Peace is a direct sequel to A Memory Called Empire, and picks up right where it left off. Like the first book, the bulk of this one takes place over a few hectic days which prove to be pivotal to the Teixcalaanli empire, with Mahit Dzmare and Three Seagrass right in the middle of it. Unlike its predecessor, this novel doesn't relegate non-human aliens to the background...they're front and center, as a deadly threat and the target of desperate attempts to establish communication.

I enjoyed this one just as much as the first, for similar reasons. Great characterization, lots of political maneuverings, events moving forward at a fast pace to keep the reader anxious to get to the next chapter. The Teixcalaanli empire remains remarkably similar to ancient Rome politically, complete with too-popular generals sent out to fight dangerous wars before they can get other ideas. A couple of new point-of-view characters added some variety this time around, but there's still plenty of the two main protagonists. There's a bit more sexual content this time around that I could have done without, but it's only a pretty minor component with everything else that's going on.

Thinking back across these two books, it struck me how little of the plot is particularly innovative, and yet still Martine writes them into compelling stories. The story of an empire undergoing political power struggles, military vs bureaucratic power, a succession crisis, an external threat that seems completely inscrutable...all these are themes throughout history, and nothing that happens here is new (except for the space opera trappings). But those themes are what make great stories with suspense and intrigue, and Martine has used that to put together another great read.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Sexual content

pvbobrien's review against another edition

adventurous challenging 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, War, and Xenophobia

Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Genocide, Gore, Colonisation, Sexual content, and Vomit

Minor: Medical content and Medical trauma

eleanora's review against another edition

adventurous challenging slow-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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Colonisation, Xenophobia, Death, War, and Violence

Moderate: Cursing, Fire/Fire injury, Vomit, Sexual content, Injury/Injury detail, Genocide, and Medical content

eudaemonics's review

adventurous emotional funny 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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Xenophobia, Sexual content, War, and Colonisation

Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Genocide, and Vomit