Reviews tagging 'Sexual violence'

Nettle & Bone by T. Kingfisher

27 reviews

theirgracegrace's review

adventurous funny tense medium-paced

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

4.25

As a longtime fan of T. Kingfisher's work, Nettle & Bone was a natural choice to read and a very good decision. Kingfisher weaves together fairy tale tropes and folklore to make a world full of fairy godmothers, goblins, and the restless dead. The tale is told with Kingfisher's trademark snark and humour from the perspective of Marra, a young princess whose older sister has become the abused wife of a wicked king. Her task is to kill the king and free her sister, and along the way finds a witch, a dog made of bones, her own fairy godmother, a demonic chicken and a foreign man whose freedom is bought from the Fair Folk with a tooth. The twists and turns of this book are as hard to predict as the mausoleum of the Northern Kingdom, and well worth the ride. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Toxic relationship, Violence, Abandonment, Alcoholism, Blood, Cannibalism, Classism, Misogyny, Alcohol, Pregnancy, Animal cruelty, Physical abuse, Domestic abuse, Murder, Confinement, Death, Sexual violence, Body horror, Slavery, Child death, Animal death, Grief, Infertility, and Miscarriage

Moderate: Torture

Minor: Abortion, Suicidal thoughts, Death of parent, Gore, War, Cursing, and Excrement

There is one particular scene where the main character's teeth are made to dance in her mouth and one of them is removed. It is very reminiscent of the "imagining my teeth falling out" dream but can be quite disturbing. There is also a character in the city which has a "curse-child", which is described like a marionette or puppet that chokes and harms her.

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

---

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

toadie's review against another edition

adventurous dark medium-paced

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

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Sexual violence and Domestic abuse

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!

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Miscarriage, Sexism, and Pregnancy

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

tm400's review against another edition

adventurous dark medium-paced

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

4.0

really liked this! it was a pretty typical epic story of a ragtag group of people (and animals) on a big journey for a common goal. i loved the end goal of their trip and how it all unraveled. it was a little darker than i expected but in a positive way! i wish we had a little more happen between marra and fenris but it was a great story. giving this 4/5 stars! 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Pregnancy, Sexual violence, and Injury/Injury detail

rhia_reads's review against another edition

adventurous dark funny medium-paced

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

5.0

This book is amazing. More people need to be talking about this book! A great little standalone and quick read.
Had me giggling quite a few times! 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Violence, Miscarriage, and Pregnancy

Moderate: Physical abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Confinement, Injury/Injury detail, and Miscarriage

Minor: Suicide attempt, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Vomit, and Sexual violence

bethfern04's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful 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? Yes

4.75

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Murder, Miscarriage, Sexual violence, Physical abuse, Grief, and Pregnancy

prosenheim's review against another edition

adventurous hopeful medium-paced

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

3.5

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual violence and Domestic abuse

Moderate: Death and Misogyny

Minor: Abortion, Cannibalism, Child death, Miscarriage, and Pregnancy

gloomi_sundai's review

dark emotional mysterious sad medium-paced

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

3.25

This book was okay, like it was just okay? I think it made for an interesting story, the whole saving my sister from her abuser plot, that was really the highlight of the story. The found family aspect I was a bit less excited about, especially when

the MC and the guy get together at the end it was like... okay...

I dont remember much from the book so I think thats telling

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse and Sexual violence

rainbowpizzastars's review against another edition

dark fast-paced

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

2.75

Pacing of the story is uneven, and the flashback split storytelling at the beginning seemed odd.  Certain things also aren’t explained, that while perhaps not directly relevant to the story, left me wanting an explanation (trying to avoid spoilers here).  Interesting story concept though and

I love Bonedog

.  I think because the story is so character-driven that it got more enjoyable once there were more characters and their personalities. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse and Pregnancy

Moderate: Misogyny and Sexual violence

Minor: Animal death