Reviews tagging 'War'

A Thousand Ships by Natalie Haynes

176 reviews

kmaffett's review against another edition

adventurous emotional inspiring fast-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? N/A

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Violence, War, Murder, Rape, Death, and Fire/Fire injury

dustforthedancers's review against another edition

emotional reflective 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? It's complicated

3.75

Slow to get going, but it warmed on me.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Rape, Violence, Murder, Slavery, and War

hodgeonlucy's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional sad fast-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual violence, War, Violence, Sexual assault, Animal death, Slavery, Grief, Child death, Rape, and Murder

aharrison_33's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad slow-paced

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

4.25

This made me want to reread the Greek tragedies and epics. Which is a testament to the compelling hand with which Natalie writes.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder and War

Moderate: Child death and Rape

adanisan's review against another edition

fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character

4.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Murder, Rape, and War

ursa_arlo's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

Positives. I couldn't put down this book. How could I when this retelling was so fresh, so compellingly written? I love when retellings bring something new to the table and this novel for that both in style (by alternating between POV's until they had each reached their conclusion or by alternating the form in which the story was told, such as through the letters of Penelope) and perspective. The prose had a brutal beauty to it and did not sugarcoat the effects of war. 

This book, in a sense, is not what you might expect from a feministic retelling; these women are critical and jealous of each other, are absorbed with centering the loss of men in their lives. They have very little agency simply because they are an opressed group in a society where they are very rarely seen as more than property. But, with the little agency that they have, they do everything they can to survive- or die when that is the more tolerable option. They are not more dishonourable -not more honourable either- than the men  who the stories usually focus on. They are resilient, they will survive, and so will their stories. 

Negatives. This book is very bleak, war always is, which may or may not be a negative aspect depending on who you are asking. There are very few moments of hope to be found, especially near the end, which can make it a tough read. 

Quote. When a war was ended, men lost their lives. But the women lost everything else. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Ableism, Child death, Slavery, War, Genocide, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual violence, Grief, Misogyny, Murder, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, and Rape

Moderate: Infidelity

martha_is_reading's review

dark reflective sad medium-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief, Child death, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, War, and Death

Moderate: Physical abuse and Trafficking

Minor: Pregnancy, Rape, Slavery, and Sexual violence

raviolioli's review against another edition

emotional inspiring medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: War, Rape, and Genocide

cait_mccarron's review against another edition

dark emotional informative sad medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: War, Child death, Slavery, Sexual assault, Grief, Death, Murder, and Violence

henneyce's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional sad 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? No

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: War

Moderate: Child death and Rape