Reviews tagging 'Grief'

The Gilded Ones by Namina Forna

82 reviews

fanboyriot's review against another edition

dark slow-paced

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

2.0

Honestly, I didn’t really like this book at all.  I just couldn’t seem to get into it with the characters falling flat and the stiff dialogue; the only reason I didn’t DNF is because it was an audiobook and I figured I made it half way already.

While I liked the idea of this book, fighting against a world were there was unnecessary hatred; there were just so many moments that made no sense with how the belief system worked.  Not to mention how did all the Northerns, Southerners, Easterners, and Westerners all agree all girls who bleed gold were demons but girls who bleed red were valued??  You’re telling me not one person out of all the different ideologies each group had that they didn’t noticed an issue with their system??

I don’t know if it’s because I don’t care for first person point of view or just how the book was written but I didn’t get attached to any of the characters either which is really disappointing.  However, the world building was easy to understand for a fantasy book.  It was simple and to the point.

My biggest questions though is how did no one bleed before they were sixteen?!  Women were not allowed to do “strenuous” work because they could NOT bleed before they turned sixteen years old?!

You’re telling me:

• No one lost their baby teeth until sixteen then?
• No one tripped and skinned their knee as a kid?
• No one had any medical issues until then?
• No one had bodily functions like periods until the minute of their sixteen birthday?
• That there weren’t any accidents in their everyday life that happened UNTIL they turned sixteen?

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Misogyny, Racism, Sexism, Violence, Blood, Medical trauma, War, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Animal death, Child death, Cursing, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gore, Pedophilia, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Torture, Vomit, Grief, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, and Abandonment

sammymilfort's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional hopeful 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Child death, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gore, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Torture, Violence, Blood, Grief, Sexual harassment, Colonisation, War, and Injury/Injury detail

_alyssar_'s review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful inspiring mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Hate crime, Homophobia, Physical abuse, Racism, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Terminal illness, Torture, Violence, Blood, Grief, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

yulecogs's review against another edition

2.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Body horror, Body shaming, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Kidnapping, Grief, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Cultural appropriation, Abandonment, Sexual harassment, War, and Injury/Injury detail

litbrett's review against another edition

adventurous hopeful mysterious 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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Rape, Sexual violence, Torture, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, War, and Injury/Injury detail

escapismforlife's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful informative mysterious sad tense medium-paced

Were do I even start with this one other than to say I'm immediately picking up The Merciless Ones. I'm so glad I owned both of in this series because this was a strong first book.

I 'm on a empowerment high.  With this book being the third in a row that has a powerful casts of strong females. 

Deka as a main character is beyond amazing, she is the type of character who is near perfection. Not to mention the rest of the near immortal young women who descended from Goddesses in this world. 

Otera the kingdom setting of this book  does not make these girls lives easy at all. They are labeled impure and murdered because of who they were born from. It says lot about the fear men have and the control they have to put on females from a young age, in particular with beliefs in this book. But alas the unity found in these warriors forced to fight in a place that despises them is pure excellence. 

 It almost broke me in more way throgout the time jumps and youth years of these girls lifes. In particular Becalis . 

The ends twist and conclusion made all of it worth it because a win in a ANY society that wants to silence the real powerful is always.

 Can't wait to read all the chaos that's bound to follow in The Merciless Ones.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Mental illness, Sexual assault, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Grief, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail

kyannarichard's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful mysterious reflective medium-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

4.75

It took me a bit to really gravitate to the book. But it was so good from the beginning. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Body shaming, Child abuse, Cursing, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Misogyny, Rape, Grief, Cannibalism, Death of parent, Abandonment, and Classism

captainoliimar's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense 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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gore, Hate crime, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Racism, Self harm, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Police brutality, Medical content, Kidnapping, Grief, Religious bigotry, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Murder, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

Minor: Eating disorder, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Pregnancy, and Toxic friendship

auri_underthing's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark 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

4.0

Solid read, kept me entertained the whole time. Although for some reason I found the ending a bit unsatisfactory. Still, I enjoyed it. I love Ixa. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Body horror, Bullying, Death, Emotional abuse, Violence, Grief, Death of parent, and War

Minor: Sexual violence and Torture

tinyjude's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional lighthearted fast-paced

• Strong character development? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.0

I am always ready for some book that stands for kicking the patriarchy in the ass. It follows many of the clichés typical of the ya fantasy genres but it is still very enjoyable (and is more diverse than the most known ya fantasy/sci-fi books). 

In addition, never had I imagined that I would enjoy again a straight main couple, but they were very cute and I loved how devoted he was to her. She deserves to be happy and not suffer any longer. 

Also, Ixa's sole existence adds points to the book. I LOVE TINY, AFORABLE AND FEROCIOUS CREATURES THAT ACCOMPANY THE PROTAGONIST AHHHHHHH

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Misogyny, Sexual violence, Violence, Blood, Stalking, and War

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Emotional abuse, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Grief, Murder, Gaslighting, and Sexual harassment

Minor: Homophobia and Lesbophobia