Reviews tagging 'Body horror'

Nettle & Bone by T. Kingfisher

78 reviews

siasprout's review against another edition

adventurous dark hopeful medium-paced

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

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Domestic abuse, Body horror, and Miscarriage

Minor: Cannibalism

bittennailbooks's review

adventurous dark emotional funny fast-paced

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

4.5

What do you get when you cross a princess turned nun, a disgraced knight, a resistant fairy godmother, a necromancing lady holding a demon-filled chicken, and a bone dog? 

Well, you'd have a whole lot of fun.

Nettle & Bone was my first delve into the world of Kingfisher and I am never coming out. This dark fairytale re-telling has you rooting for the bad guys and cheering on murder. The characters were super engaging and funny as were all the side thoughts.  A lesson in dark meets camp brought to you by T. Kingfisher. Would recommend to anyone who wants something less on the cozy fantasy side with a wagon full of charm.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Cannibalism, Body horror, and Death

Moderate: Infertility, Medical content, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Sexism, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Torture, and Injury/Injury detail

surelyinthefountain's review against another edition

adventurous dark lighthearted fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix

3.0

I found this book very uneven. Some parts were exactly my speed, but I think the gaps between set pieces are too noticeable. I think there's this part maybe 2/3 of the way through where it hits its stride, but the ending itself (the ending after the ending) feels rushed. Like, hey, we didn't get an obligatory "the het pairing knocks boots" scene yet. And, hey, let's remove all stakes by

not having the dog be permanently killed off.

It isn't that I want the bad thing in my ending. I'm just a little like...why did you even bait us in the first place? Come now.
It's my own problem, I know. I've grown to despise more and more with time the type of story that has few narrative compunctions with horrible, unspeakably grim things happen to people -- but oh no! A CUTE ANIMAL? GETTING HURT? Well that's just unacceptable. (Yes that is unacceptable, and yes it's harmless, and yes it's not meant this way -- but I just can't quite divorce this trope in my brain from that type of specifically white person logic that builds gorgeous humane societies with full AC and heating for shelter pets while human rentals don't even have window AC units and those without homes are lucky to find even a shaded sidewalk square to park their bodies.)
I think I might be done with T. Kingfisher books btw. Sometimes, something should just 100% be your sort of thing, but it's just not vibing with you the way you feel like it should. And man, considering how common my complaint is for her books that I wish they'd go full creepy and drop the romance, I think her stuff may just not be the right formula for me.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Injury/Injury detail, and Pregnancy

Moderate: Animal death, Body horror, Death, Miscarriage, and Misogyny

kettijane55's review against another edition

adventurous dark funny lighthearted mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes

5.0

THIS BOOK IS ASTONISHING AND I LOVED EVERY SECOND AAAAAAA 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Trafficking, Suicidal thoughts, Body horror, Sexual violence, Infertility, and Domestic abuse

Moderate: Cannibalism, Child abuse, and Confinement

genny's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional funny 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? No

4.75

This is the first of T. Kingfisher's books that I've tried, and I adored the writing style! Very classically "fairy tale"-esque, the beginning especially so. There's such a somber feel to the whole book and yet the punches of humor work well. You can kind of predict what will happen as it's a standard quest story, but the characters we meet along the way are so unique (and mostly loveable, save for ones like the curse-child...shudders), they make the journey worth it. There's a ton of creative ideas at play here without bogging down the plot!

I will say though that Marra doesn't come across as a 30-year-old (this is coming from someone nearing that age). Something about her manner kept making me think of her as a teenager. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Murder, and Body horror

Moderate: Child death, Animal death, Domestic abuse, Toxic relationship, Violence, Miscarriage, Pregnancy, and Physical abuse

Minor: Cannibalism, Confinement, Abortion, and Slavery

lisa_m's review

adventurous dark funny inspiring mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Loveable characters? Yes

3.75

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Miscarriage, Domestic abuse, and Pregnancy

Moderate: Animal death, Classism, Domestic abuse, Grief, Kidnapping, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Murder, Physical abuse, Violence, Abortion, Body horror, Cannibalism, Pregnancy, Slavery, and War

30something_reads's review

adventurous dark mysterious 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

5 ⭐

This book is such a little gem! 

A dark and twisty fairytale filled with dry humor and a sprinkle of romance that scratched an itch I didn't know I had. 

A third-born princess sets out on an impossible quest to kill the evil prince and save her sister. Along the way she gathers a dog of bone, an old woman who can speak with the dead, a knight entrapped by the fair folk, and a peculiar fairy godmother. Together, they set off on this "fool's errand in which they will probably die."

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Miscarriage, Domestic abuse, Death, Blood, Body horror, Violence, Torture, Pregnancy, Physical abuse, and Murder

Minor: Child death, Animal death, and Miscarriage

darkefyres's review against another edition

adventurous dark hopeful tense 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? No

4.5

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Confinement, Grief, and Medical content

Moderate: Body horror, Physical abuse, Animal death, Child death, Miscarriage, and Murder

Minor: Slavery

anni_swanilda's review against another edition

adventurous funny lighthearted slow-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

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Misogyny, Pregnancy, Violence, Death, and Body horror

Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Physical abuse, Child death, Confinement, and Domestic abuse

Minor: Miscarriage, Murder, and Cannibalism

astropova's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional slow-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

4.25

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Pregnancy, and Physical abuse

Moderate: Child death, Murder, Toxic relationship, Sexual violence, Miscarriage, Body horror, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide attempt

Minor: Cannibalism, Death of parent, Confinement, and Dementia