Reviews tagging 'Animal death'

Blood Over Bright Haven by M.L. Wang

203 reviews

luhtahuitti's review against another edition

5.0

dark emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad 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: Complicated

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♾️⭐️
Best read this year! 

I’m heartbroken. 😭 And also in love with the cruesome ending (sorry and thank you Sciona). I hope Thomil, Carra and the Kwen make it.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Racism, Sexual assault, Violence, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Murder

Moderate: Child death, Genocide, Gore, Racial slurs, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Police brutality, Suicide attempt

Minor: Animal death, Gun violence, Infertility, Miscarriage, Cannibalism, Abandonment

unicornofthesea's review against another edition

5.0

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Bullying, Child abuse, Death, Genocide, Gore, Mental illness, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Suicide, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Grief, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Murder, Cultural appropriation, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Sexual harassment, Colonisation, Injury/Injury detail, Classism, Pandemic/Epidemic

acn168's review against another edition

5.0

dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring 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

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This book had such a tasty ending, and left me on the edge of my seat!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Body horror, Death, Genocide, Gun violence, Hate crime, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Racism, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Blood, Religious bigotry, Suicide attempt, Murder

Moderate: Cursing, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicide, Vomit, Police brutality, Car accident, Cultural appropriation, Gaslighting, Sexual harassment, Colonisation, Classism

Minor: Mental illness, Medical content, Medical trauma, Alcohol, War

official_saraid's review against another edition

2.5

challenging dark medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: No

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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I felt like there was too much explanation and not enough plot. It just did not grip me at all and most of the characters felt kind of flat. The writing style simply wasn’t for me. Also comparing it to FMA was bold and Defintely makes me harder on it personally.

The romance aspect gave me the ick. It felt like a power imbalance and unnecessary.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Body horror, Bullying, Death, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gore, Misogyny, Racism, Sexism, Sexual assault, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Vomit, Grief, Religious bigotry, Suicide attempt, Cultural appropriation, Gaslighting, Sexual harassment, Colonisation, Classism

bron01's review against another edition

5.0

challenging dark emotional sad fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Child death, Death, Genocide, Hate crime, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Violence, Blood, Police brutality, Religious bigotry, Suicide attempt, Murder, Sexual harassment, Classism

Moderate: Animal death, Infertility, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Panic attacks/disorders, Forced institutionalization, Abandonment, Colonisation, Deportation

toastyghosty13's review against another edition

3.75

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful mysterious sad tense slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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This book was tragic. I cried at the end. Sciona and Thomil's experiences probably draw inspiration from the injustices and prejudices that many experience in our world today, which made this even more heartbreaking of a tale. This was a great standalone read but it was much sadder than I expected it to be. I think the ending was very fitting and, although it was sad, it would have been a farce if it had ended any other way, not doing true justice to the morality of the characters. I am intrigued enough to see a spinoff novella just to see

what happens now after Thomil, Carra, and other Kwen have left Tiran and gone to the mountains. Will they find other tribes and link up with them in Kwen? Will the figurative deathstar of practicing siphoning magic be rebuilt now that the city has been partially destroyed and offered a restart? Will the remaining mages and citizens in Tiran use this as an opportunity to find new ways of powering magic and blue collar work, and change their treatment of the Kwen that remain? Maybe the Kwen will even take over and forge a new city filled with opportunity.

I will definitely read other books by this author, and am looking forward to eventually reading The Sword of Kaigen!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Death, Gore, Misogyny, Sexism, Sexual assault, Blood, Police brutality, Gaslighting, Colonisation, Classism

Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt

bezarue's review against another edition

5.0

adventurous challenging dark emotional tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Plot

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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Ugh I feel sick. This book, man. The best fantasy says something about the world we live in (and this said so much, so poignantly, the examination of how you can be oppressed under one system and oppressor in another, plus the magic system was just sick as hell), but I didn't expect it to say something about me specifically. What's an autistic ambitious Capricorn to do, bruh? This book felt like it took me by all my innards, grabbed my chin, forced me to look into the eyes of God and then cast me back to dirt.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Murder

Moderate: Body horror, Bullying, Genocide, Gore, Hate crime, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Grief, Religious bigotry

Minor: Animal death, Child death, Confinement, Gun violence, Infertility, Mental illness, Self harm, Blood, Vomit, Cannibalism, Death of parent, Cultural appropriation, Injury/Injury detail

cathyross's review against another edition

4.5

dark emotional hopeful inspiring medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Complicated

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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I laughed, I cried, I feel inspiree. an enjoyable fantasy reflecting the world we live in with a concise, intersectional commentary, and ending on a hopeful note. just beautiful. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Bullying, Death, Genocide, Gore, Racism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Violence, Blood, Police brutality, Religious bigotry, Suicide attempt, Cultural appropriation, Abandonment, Colonisation, Injury/Injury detail, Classism

dr_dumpling's review against another edition

5.0

challenging dark emotional sad medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Complicated

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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Blood Over Bright Haven is a brilliant, incisive portrayal of how patriarchy, colonialism, and religion are all intricately intertwined. It's the darkest of dark academia with a plot twist that will leave you reeling, and Sciona and Thomil are such well-crafted protagonists—they aren't both lovable, but they grow, and they're realistic. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gore, Misogyny, Racism, Sexism, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Religious bigotry, Murder, Colonisation

Moderate: Animal death, Rape, Sexual assault, Vomit

jackiepreston's review against another edition

3.75

challenging dark slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: No

Diverse cast of characters: Complicated

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Misogyny, Racism, Sexism, Xenophobia, Blood, Colonisation, Classism

Moderate: Animal death, Police brutality

Minor: Suicide, Cannibalism, Death of parent