Reviews tagging 'Grief'

Nettle & Bone by T. Kingfisher

79 reviews

uranaishi's review

adventurous dark emotional funny hopeful inspiring mysterious reflective fast-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? No

4.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Animal death, Emotional abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Child abuse, Child death, Murder, Grief, Misogyny, Injury/Injury detail, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Sexism, and Toxic relationship

Minor: Abandonment, Animal cruelty, Cannibalism, Abortion, Blood, Slavery, Violence, Confinement, Dementia, Infertility, Miscarriage, Death of parent, Infidelity, Suicide attempt, Suicidal thoughts, Medical content, Mental illness, Sexual content, Torture, and War

micaelamariem's review

adventurous dark emotional reflective medium-paced

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

4.0

I really enjoyed this book! The best thing was the worldbuilding and I wish I had more of it. The characters would drop hints of it with referencing fairy tales and histories I had no knowledge of and really wish they could have expanded on! I also loved the themes of a constant power struggle, the horror of politics and being a woman, how everything may seem impossible, etc. the magic was both terrifying and fun as were the characters! I do wish the romance went a little deeper. I feel unsatisfied with that, but perhaps that says more about me as a person. I also was frustrated with how much waiting and repetition there went into some of the chapters although the adventures made up for it. Overall, I’d recommend, especially to those who like short dark fantasies!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Grief, Physical abuse, Animal death, Child death, Death, Murder, Classism, Domestic abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Miscarriage, Pregnancy, and Violence

scifi_rat's review against another edition

adventurous dark tense medium-paced

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

3.0

Plot: 4★
Prose: 4★
Pace: 3.5★
Concept/Execution: 4★/3★
Characters: 3.5★
Worldbuilding: 3★
Ending: 3★

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Domestic abuse, Gore, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, Murder, Physical abuse, Animal death, Pregnancy, Sexism, Medical content, Miscarriage, Death, and Violence

Minor: Torture, Blood, Body horror, Cannibalism, Child death, Confinement, Infidelity, and Animal cruelty

laurenelisewrites's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted mysterious reflective relaxing fast-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

I am madly in love with this story. I need a movie adaptation ASAP. 

A few of the million things I love about this book? The magic system - soft and mysterious and whimsical. The faerie tale influences - familiar tropes and characters with a new twist. Fantasy and light horror intertwined to create a world so unique and dense and perfect. THE CHARACTERS. Marra makes me feel so seen. I relate to her internal struggles and feelings and humor so deeply! The found family, each peculiar member, has made a home in my heart forever. The writing - which has taught me so much about what truly makes a story moving and immersive. How you don't need three pages  of setting description to immerse a reader. 

My favorite quote: "It was hard to be frightened of the unknown when the unknown kept chickens."

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Pregnancy, Miscarriage, Injury/Injury detail, and Child death

Moderate: Violence, Body horror, Domestic abuse, Death, and Physical abuse

Minor: Grief

sinoclock's review against another edition

adventurous dark funny hopeful lighthearted fast-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? Yes

5.0

I loved this book. I nearly devoured it on one sitting. I found the main character really relatable with her anxious internal monolo ue and some of the moments were surprisingly very funny. Just loved this book. It was perfect being short and sweet but I still wish I had more to read! 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Pregnancy, Toxic relationship, Murder, and Domestic abuse

Moderate: Physical abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Miscarriage, and Child death

Minor: Grief, Sexual assault, Torture, and Confinement

jiska_bloem's review against another edition

adventurous dark funny 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

5.0

Loved this book, especially the found family she collected along the way. I would indeed consider this book cozy adjacent. It gave me a warm feeling, the stakes weren't high, but it did contain some dark elements. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Domestic abuse, Child death, Pregnancy, Physical abuse, Animal death, and Death

Minor: Grief, Miscarriage, Injury/Injury detail, and Slavery

cozycaro's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious 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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Miscarriage, Pregnancy, Domestic abuse, Death, Grief, Misogyny, and Murder

Minor: Torture

erebus53's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional funny inspiring mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

4.75

This is a book that has been on my radar for a while and I only just got around to it. I had expected a YA feel and was pleasantly impressed that it maintained that while also not over romanticising things. I would probably say it's as good as Hunger Games if not so epic.  As  a note, the narration is particularly well done, well enunciated and performed.

Big pluses for me include hardly any combat. There is conflict, and problem solving, and awkward conversation, but less cut-and-thrust. We have a fairytale vibe, of 3 impossible quests to start the mission, princesses being all betrothed about the place, a grandmother sage, fairy godmothers, and a demon-possessed chicken (utterly relatable).  The star of the show is definitely Bonedog, an undead construct wired together of animated bone, inhabited by a simple pup who barely notices that he doesn't actually have anything left down there to lick.

When Marra realises that her sister is being physically abused by a cruel prince intent on putting an heir in her, she musters up the fortitude to leave the safety of her knitting in the convent, and quests together a party of friends intent on a bit of regicide. The whole story is woven with wry dialogue, wit and fae uncertainty.

Some of the things like the fairy market have some very visceral and unsettling moments. This creates a lot of the sense of immersion and tension that would normally be sword battles and boss fights in a more militant fantasy story. It sticks with me longer though. An encounter with a super-creepy haunted puppet, becomes a lesson about consent.

The male love interest is depicted as noble and honourable eye-candy. Unlike most YA novels this brewing romance is not a fluffy little thing. Coming from a place of mutual respect, probable mortal peril, and traumatic experiences, Marra and Fenris develop a relationship over the course of the book, and they take their sweet time coming to a point of mutual comfort with the idea.
Reminds me of that joke about being an adult; realising that the most "Grown Up drink" you can have is not coffee or booze, but water. (I notice that the old woman recognises Fenris as being a wolfish name, but otherwise it is not mentioned.) 

Well worth a read if you are into fantasy stuff with strong female characters. Bits of this vibe with me along the lines of Neil Gaiman, Jim Henson, Studio Ghibli and the like. Glad I finally found myself a copy!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Misogyny, Murder, Body horror, Toxic relationship, Medical content, Child death, Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Violence, Pregnancy, Death, Grief, and Blood

Minor: Sexual violence

tallulahlucy's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• 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: Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Miscarriage, Pregnancy, and Misogyny

Moderate: Gore, Sexism, Sexual assault, Child death, Grief, Murder, Suicidal thoughts, Cannibalism, Classism, Physical abuse, Animal death, Rape, Death, and Emotional abuse

Minor: Child abuse and Violence

katvou's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious 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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Child death, Death of parent, and Death

Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Pregnancy, Domestic abuse, Grief, Miscarriage, Murder, and Body horror

Minor: Blood, Gore, Kidnapping, Toxic relationship, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Medical content, Torture, Physical abuse, War, Cannibalism, and Violence