Reviews tagging 'Emotional abuse'

Nettle & Bone by T. Kingfisher

46 reviews

skillyillian's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

First things first a very heavy trigger warning for domestic violence. It's not pictured on the page explicitly as it happens, but it's described by the victim as well as the FMC and other characters throughout the book.

That being said:

Honestly this is SO good. The language used is so descriptive and really fits the tone of the story. I loved having an FMC that wasn't barely legal, and her determination to do impossible things was incredible. The dust-wife was awesome but I think Agnes stole the show and I would have loved to have seen and learned more from her. Honestly, I think the story would've benefitted from more character backstory and development? But it's not like they were cardboard cutouts by any means, either.

The timeline, or at least the way it's presented in the story, was a little hard to follow for a minute? But once the past caught up to the story it made sense, so 🤷🏻‍♀️

I think my favorite part was the humor, honestly. It balanced things out and added levity in a way that I think prevented the whole story from being too heavy. It was witty and wry and the kind of jokes that fit perfectly for a group comprised of a dog made of bones, a cursed chick, a demon hen (no relation), and two traumatized young-ish people traveling with two powerful old women who are each other's opposites in every way.

Overall, this is a great story with some really interesting characters I think we could've learned about a bit more. I loved it so much though, and jumped right into another Kingfisher book (What Moves the Dead) which I'm also enjoying so far. I'm excited to keep reading more from this author :)

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Grief, Murder, Emotional abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Toxic relationship, and Violence

Moderate: Animal death

Minor: Cannibalism

alexiconic's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious slow-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? No

5.0

adventurous, fairytale-esque, mysterious, and decidedly dark and mysterious. its everything a fairy tale would be: magical, with odd creatures that go on a quest, in a kingdom far away. but it’s also an adult upgrade, with mature heroes who have their own worries and fears and who have to deal with them to reach their goals, with a dark start to the story and enough cruelty to make a realistic setting. 

reading this book was like escaping into a fairytale all over again. i deeply loved it. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Grief, Blood, Confinement, Death, Miscarriage, Sexism, Toxic relationship, Abortion, Emotional abuse, Kidnapping, Animal death, Child abuse, Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail, Physical abuse, and Violence

kimberlynann's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional funny hopeful inspiring reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Physical abuse, Animal death, Pregnancy, Body horror, Cannibalism, Domestic abuse, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Sexual assault, Violence, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Rape, Injury/Injury detail, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Murder, Sexual violence, Cannibalism, Toxic relationship, Dementia, Domestic abuse, and War

h_s_bloom's review

adventurous dark funny mysterious 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

4.5

Personal Rating Scale Metrics

• Characters: ✬✬✬✬✬
• Plot: ✬✬✬✬✬ 
• Pacing: ✬✬✬✬
• Writing Style: ✬✬✬✬✬ 
• Diversity: ✬✬✬

This was my first book of 2024 and it was such a great way to kick off the year!

Summary: Marra is the third daughter to a royal family within a comparatively small kingdom which controls a major harbor/trade route. When Marra's eldest sister, Damia, dies shortly after being married off to the prince in a powerful neighboring kingdom, the middle sister, Kania, is sent off to replace her thereby ensuring the safety of the smaller kingdom. Fearing the possibility of Kania failing to produce a male heir, Marra is sent to a nunnery for safe-keeping. Marra is content with life as a nun, busying herself with embroidery and other tasks perhaps not suited to a princess. Upon the birth of Kania's first child, a daughter, Marra learns the truth of Kania's predicament and vows to save her.

Marra is such a lovable and engaging character with such a fun voice and I appreciate that she is a bit older than your typical MC at 30 years old. She really is such a joy to follow along with throughout her adventures giving her honest and bemused commentary along the way. The author does a great job with balancing humor throughout the story despite the serious nature of Marra's quest (Spoiler :

Marra learns that the prince is subjecting Kania to psychological/physical/sexual abuse which only abates while Kania herself is pregnant. As such Kania endures several failed pregnancies which are taking their toll on her body. It is believed that the abuse will worsen once a male heir is produced and she is 'no longer needed'

). Marra is joined on her quest by a grumpy gravewitch and her demon-chicken familiar, a disgraced soldier previously kidnapped and enslaved by the fae, and her own fairy god mother who is not entirely who she presents herself to be.

This book is very much what it promises itself to be in that it is ripe with fairy tale vibes but in the brothers grimm kind of way. There are occasions in which the pacing just seems a little off in that some storylines read as side-quests for lack of a better term. There also it a bit of time-jumping in the beginning of the book which I don't really agree needed to be there. I think Kingfisher may have been trying to grab the readers with a dark and spooky intro where Marra is creating Bone Dog, but I honestly think I would have preferred this book be a bit more chronological. That being said, I was never bored! The writing style is incredibly atmospheric and engaging, I wanted to keep reading all the way up until the end!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Miscarriage, Sexism, and Pregnancy

Minor: Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Child death, Domestic abuse, and Emotional abuse

mrsfishreads's review

adventurous dark emotional 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? No

4.75

This book was a dark and brooding fairytale that starts with cannibalism and ends with demon possessed hens, loveable evil godmothers, a dog with three lives, and a princess who carries out a plot that changes a kingdom.  I'm not hooked on T. KINGFISHER!

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Suicide attempt, Domestic abuse, Death, Murder, and Violence

Minor: Death, Domestic abuse, Cannibalism, Grief, Emotional abuse, Infertility, Miscarriage, and Pregnancy

keishbby's review

adventurous dark emotional funny hopeful lighthearted mysterious medium-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Pregnancy, Child death, Physical abuse, Torture, Murder, and Domestic abuse

Minor: Child death, Death, Emotional abuse, Grief, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Cannibalism, Animal cruelty, and Body horror

concealed_journeys's review

adventurous dark medium-paced

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Misogyny, and Domestic abuse

turrean's review

adventurous dark funny 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

5.0

An absolute delight. The author’s wry humor shines through in a fantasy tale about the resilience and unseen valor of women. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Pregnancy, Physical abuse, Death, Murder, Child death, Miscarriage, and Violence

daylajane's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Miscarriage, Emotional abuse, Domestic abuse, and Physical abuse

helfire124's review against another edition

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

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• 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: Body horror, Cannibalism, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Grief, Infidelity, Animal death, Blood, Infertility, Injury/Injury detail, Miscarriage, Physical abuse, Sexual harassment, Toxic relationship, Violence, Forced institutionalization, War, Medical content, Misogyny, Murder, Pregnancy, Dementia, Domestic abuse, Gore, Suicidal thoughts, Death of parent, and Vomit