Reviews tagging 'Emotional abuse'

Fathomfolk by Eliza Chan

4 reviews

widowrites's review against another edition

adventurous emotional mysterious slow-paced

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

4.0

I struggled to get into this book at first. The world building is glorious, and I did enjoy reading about the characters and getting to know them. But it seemed to take so long for anything to truly happen that brought me into the story. At the halfway mark, though, I was sucked in and finished the book in record time.

I’m hesitant to continue the series. I’m worried the other books will have the same initial slow pace. But mostly, and spoilers ahead, I’m worried about Firth and how he’s portrayed in later books. He’s a manipulative, disgusting person. But there are times when I’m not sure if the author intends for him to seem that way. If he continues to be a main character and his flaws aren’t addressed, and corrected, then he needs to be a villain. I’ll have to think on whether I want to take that chance and continue the series.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Classism, Emotional abuse, Forced institutionalization, Gaslighting, and Hate crime

Minor: Kidnapping and Cultural appropriation

yourbookishbff's review against another edition

adventurous emotional mysterious reflective tense slow-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

4.0

This is a promising debut - deeply character-driven, with multiple rotating POVs and an intricately-built pan-Asian/post-apocalyptic/semi-drowned world. I loved how many sea creatures exist among the Fathomfolk - kelpies, sea dragons, sirens, mermaids, and more - and how Chan is blending mythological inspiration and fairy tales (East Asian dragon lore meets The Little Mermaid makes for a great premise). 
I'm still grappling with a few of our characters, though, and their roles as the series progresses. Mira, in particular, half-folk and a border agent for the city, attempting to affect change from within, has me unsure of Chan's intention for the story and thoughts on resistance to violent systems. I'm interested to see where the series goes from here, as I really enjoyed the expansion of the world at the end, the potential directions the sequel can take, and the many possibilities that lie ahead for all of our characters. I am grateful to have multiple POVs, and probably enjoyed our sea witch's story the most. These are all flawed characters, grappling with their own insecurities and ambition as they question their loyalties to each other, and fantasy readers who particularly enjoy character work will appreciate this series start. 
Thank you to Netgalley and Orbit for an advanced reader's copy!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Emotional abuse, Classism, Hate crime, Toxic relationship, Murder, Death, and Xenophobia

Moderate: Abandonment, Chronic illness, Violence, Police brutality, Trafficking, and Kidnapping

Minor: Drug abuse, Addiction, and Drug use

devynreadsnovels's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark mysterious reflective slow-paced

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

2.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Alcohol, Blood, Body horror, Colonisation, Murder, Police brutality, Drug use, Drug abuse, Physical abuse, Violence, Animal death, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Racism, Death, Addiction, Animal cruelty, Bullying, Classism, Slavery, and Toxic relationship

nickel_books's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional tense medium-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? It's complicated

4.5

East Asian mythology + racism + classism + climate crisis + political intrigue all in one marvelous debut. A cast of characters caught between status quo and revolution, Chan creates an exciting world centered in Tiankawi - a semi-flooded city. Fathomfolk forces us to grapple with our role in many social issues most prominent being xenophobia and refugee resettlement.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gaslighting, Grief, Hate crime, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Police brutality, Racism, Toxic relationship, Cursing, Deportation, Fire/Fire injury, Chronic illness, Classism, Racial slurs, Trafficking, Death, Emotional abuse, Drug use, and Violence