Reviews tagging 'Torture'

From Blood and Ash by Jennifer L. Armentrout

97 reviews

vettechmama3's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

3.5

I got into this book very quickly. I was excited to dive into another fantasy series and intrigued from the get go. Our MFC Poppy is a Maiden set to ascend and is a secret baddie with weapons. Our MMC Hawke was, meh. At first I liked him so much. I thought him and Poppy had great chemistry, and I loved their banter. But then he started to give creepy vibes and also had a hard time with understanding consent. It also took a long time to learn what ascending even was at all and that this was also basically a vampire/werewolf book. I definitely was imagining things wrong the entire time because of little and slow context. I did enjoy the book as a whole, though, and I'm curious enough to keep going with the series. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Sexual content, Physical abuse, Death, Religious bigotry, Gore, and Blood

Moderate: Grief, Body shaming, Confinement, Death of parent, Torture, and Child death

Minor: Abandonment

vermontsnowboarder's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional medium-paced

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

1.0

I've described this book to people before as pocket trash. You know it's terrible.

The writing isn't great. In terms of the plot, there are a lot of plotholes—things that don't really make sense, and once you start to pull at one, the entire thing unravels and doesn't make any sense. Armentrout needs a better editor. There are A LOT of unnecessary moments and words. The FMC has so many inner monologues that it's exhausting and pointless. Her views and random thoughts do not add to the story; they take away from it by bogging the reader down. 

The worldbuilding is lackluster. It's supposed to be grand and sweeping and yet, it's flat and blase. It's not just that things are waiting to be revealed; it's that there is a lack of description and connection to the world in which this story is set.

Another thing that really bothers me is the blatant racism. The FMC's "best friend" is a black woman named, I kid you not, Tawny. Are you ready for her role? She is the FMC's lady's maid. The MCC's best friend is a black man who can shift into a werewolf (wolven) named Kieran (which means black, in case you didn't know), who is bound to the MCC. So basically, both of them are servants. The main characters and those in power are all white. 

Want a book with loads of sexual assault? This book has it in spades. The MCC hides his identity and uses his false one to get close to the FMC, proceeds to seduce her, take her virginity, and then gaslight her by telling her that it was "real". He knew full well that she never ever would have gone near him if she had known who he really was. After he takes her virginity, he continues invading her space and touching her despite her telling him no several times. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Rape, Sexual violence, Sexual harassment, Sexual content, and Racism

Moderate: Child death, Blood, Torture, Kidnapping, Gaslighting, Confinement, Violence, Physical abuse, Death of parent, and Emotional abuse

Minor: Child abuse and Alcohol

taobooks's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious tense 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? It's complicated

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body shaming, Confinement, Death, Blood, Sexual content, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Grief, and Gore

Moderate: Violence and Torture

Minor: Sexual harassment, Rape, Sexual violence, Religious bigotry, and Sexual assault

jennipea382's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny mysterious sad tense slow-paced

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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief, Physical abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Death, Gore, Gaslighting, Torture, Blood, and Violence

Moderate: Death of parent, Misogyny, Murder, Confinement, Child death, Emotional abuse, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, and War

booksoversecondbreakfast's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional tense medium-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Confinement, Kidnapping, Xenophobia, Sexual content, Body horror, Death, Violence, Blood, Death of parent, War, Emotional abuse, Genocide, and Trafficking

Moderate: Child death, Child abuse, Torture, and Abandonment

ciara_donohue's review against another edition

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death and Violence

Moderate: Child death, Torture, Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail, Blood, and Gaslighting

mari_books's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional tense fast-paced

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

4.0

So many mixed feelings…I feel like the author went overboard with world building and there are so many confusing moving pieces and lore evolving. There were parts I was so lost - and never got an answer to what something was. Even though it makes no sense, this book is hard to put down. I enjoyed the spicy and conflicting scenes. However, Poppy’s internal monologue was kind of grating at times especially towards the end of the book when things pick up heavily. And our male main character has a lot of shockingly creepy lines…lacking polished editing but still an addictive read.  This almost feels twilight x GOT with random other new stuff thrown in. I am interested in what comes next. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Kidnapping, Murder, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexism, Torture, War, and Sexual assault

bree_h_reads's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious medium-paced

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

0.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Grief, Kidnapping, Religious bigotry, Sexism, Sexual violence, Death, Cursing, Confinement, Death of parent, Violence, Blood, Misogyny, Rape, and Sexual content

Moderate: Gore, Emotional abuse, Torture, Body horror, Confinement, Physical abuse, and Murder

Minor: Child death, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, and Pedophilia

cdoubet's review

dark emotional mysterious 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Child death, Body shaming, Child abuse, Confinement, Gore, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Torture, Violence, Death of parent, Genocide, Bullying, Gaslighting, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Body horror, Emotional abuse, Murder, Religious bigotry, Sexism, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Panic attacks/disorders, Alcohol, Blood, Classism, Cursing, Physical abuse, Addiction, Death, Mental illness, and Misogyny

Moderate: Kidnapping, Domestic abuse, and Medical content

Minor: Toxic relationship, Animal cruelty, Pregnancy, and Fire/Fire injury

ephemeral_remi's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional funny reflective sad medium-paced

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

4.0

"we go home to marry»

🥹🥹🥹🥹 I’m sorry? 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Grief, Kidnapping, Gore, Emotional abuse, Death, Blood, Infidelity, Abandonment, Violence, War, Torture, Religious bigotry, and Physical abuse

Minor: Sexual content