Reviews tagging 'Sexual violence'

Kingsbane by Claire Legrand

5 reviews

kathrynleereads's review

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adventurous dark emotional mysterious tense slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

For both Rielle and Eliana, the events of Kingsbane pick up right where they left off at the end of Furyborn. 

Rielle is traveling the continent, attempting to demonstrate to neighboring countries, as well as to her own people, that she is indeed the Sun Queen.

Eliana is settled in Astavar learning about her abilities and their limits as the Red Crown prepares to fight the Empire. 

• 

As with many sequels, I found that, at times, Kingsbane seemed to drag, but was overall well worth the read.

Legrand once again killed the worldbuilding in this book, constantly sprinkling in details that slowly became clear pages later. 

The world she built is so complex and ever-growing that I can’t help but marvel at the sheer size and genius of it.

•

Eliana - There was absolutely a lot more growth for Eliana in Furyborn, but she still made some pretty significant strides in Kingsbane. 

From letting people in to accepting her powers, to even just allowing herself the much-needed relief of a good cry, she’s come far. 

We’ll see how well that growth holds up in the third book. After that ending, I have a feeling a protective wall is going to be put into place around her emotions, and, honestly, who can blame her?!



Rielle - Rielle also has some pretty significant character development, but it was far from growth. 

I usually love a good “watch them become the villain” story, but Rielle’s was hard to swallow at some points. Not because it was badly written, but because a good chunk of it is her own fault. 

Not to say she’s being treated fairly or that she wasn’t dealt a bad hand, but she is constantly doing the opposite of what everyone who cares about her is trying to do. 

Usually, this type of villain origin story comes with a support system that is toxic or non-existent. 

For Rielle, however, this is not at all the case. 

Audric, Ludivine, Tal, Evyline, Atheria. 

They are all there for her, encouraging her, understanding her mistakes, and excusing her missteps, but she just keeps adding to those piles and blaming them for her mistakes. 


Corien - What a terrible guy. He really feels no compassion, just a sick need for power that goes beyond even revenge or vengeance. 

Every time he shows up on the page I want to scream at Rielle to run, to not listen, to resist. Pretty much all the things Ludivine does yell at her. 

But, alas, listen she does not. 


Audric - While Audric does grow as a character in Kingsbane, I still find him a rather cookie-cutter character. Not necessarily in a bad way. 

Everything he does is just a little too predictable for me. 

For example, turning on Rielle at the end, even if it was just in the heat of the moment, was something that even Corien saw coming (but also orchestrated).



Ludivine - I honestly don’t trust my own thoughts on Ludivine anymore. 

Her motivations for helping Rielle might have started corrupt, but
I believe she truly loves both Rielle and Audric. 

I’m not sure where that leaves her in my mind. 


Simon - The true star of this book. I’m not even sure how I feel. Or where to start. 

Without giving too much away, I think my opinion of Simon cannot fully form until the third book. Until then there is too much guesswork.


Remy - Remy frustrated me a bit during Kingsbane, especially when he decides to shun Eliana because of what happened with Rozen. 

While this isn’t fair at all, I keep having to remind myself that he’s a child dealing with things no child should deal with, so overreactions and misguided blame are understandable. 

Besides, he is incredibly intelligent and empathetic for someone his age.

Harkan - From what I hear, this may be an unpopular opinion, but I’m not a fan of Harkan. 

He obviously cares very deeply for Eliana, but he doesn’t trust her to make her own decisions and honestly believes that the safest place for her is with him. 

That being said, I did shed a good many tears for him at the end of the book.

Navi - My favorite badass in this series. I’m sad that I didn’t get more Navi in the second half of Kingsbane. She is such a stabilizing force for Eliana and would have provided her so much comfort while at the Willows.


Zhara - Zhara is so pure in her love for Eliana, and I have to appreciate a (pretty much) eternal being who doesn’t gatekeep information. Every time Eliana had a question or wanted to know something, Zhara provided the information without hesitation.


Atheria - Every book needs a great fictional pet, and Atheria doesn’t disappoint. She makes it very clear when she doesn’t approve of Rielle’s actions, but is also there to support and defend her when needed.


Tal - While Tal on his own is tolerable, I find his relationship with Rielle very odd. The teacher/student sexual tension makes me uncomfortable, especially as Rielle views him as a sort of secondary father figure. 


Evyline - Still very much a side character, but definitely one of my favorites. We don’t know much about her, but every time she shows up on the page I smile. 

•

Time Travel

As a general rule, I tend to avoid books/movies/shows that involve time travel. It’s so hard to keep up with the different rules and effects, as they change with each story. 

Obviously, time travel has been a part of this story from the very beginning, so I’m a little surprised that I didn’t see more of it coming.

Once it was suggested, the idea of Eliana traveling back in time to talk to Rielle seemed so obvious. 

Clearly, that conversation didn’t go as planned, but in theory, it couldn’t have changed much as Rielle wrote it off (at least up to this point) as a vision sent by Corien to drive her mad. 

Jessamyn’s new timeline, therefore, threw me for a bit of a loop. 

I found it plausible that she might not have gone down the same path and therefore been with them at the Willows, but for her to be in the same city but fighting for the Empire instead of against it seemed like a stretch.

•

Sexual Tension

After reading Furyborn, I specifically highlighted the sexual positivity. In Kingsbane, however, it was more like sexual tension. 

This was mostly relevant in Rielle’s timeline. With her strange relationships with both Corien and Tal warring against her actual relationship with Audric, there was a constant tension that, in my opinion, wasn’t necessary. 

•

Parallel timelines

In Kingsbane, more than in Furyborn, I really saw the parallels Legrand orchestrated between Eliana and Rielle’s timelines. 

Beyond the mere excitement, these parallels gave me each time I found one, I am astounded by Legrand’s skill.

Working two POVs is a difficult task, let alone two POVs set over 1,000 years apart. The fact that Legrand was able to work these parallels in is a testament to what a fantastic writer she is.

•

After that ending, I could barely keep Lightbringer on my bookshelf long enough to write this review. 

Suffice it to say, I enjoyed Kingsbane a lot, and I’m looking forward to seeing what Legrand has in store for Eliana and Rielle in Lightbringer! 
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aoife_taylors_version2413's review

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adventurous challenging dark emotional sad tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • 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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aneverbird's review

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adventurous dark emotional mysterious 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? Yes

4.0

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laurenfro22's review against another edition

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adventurous dark tense medium-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? Yes

4.25

"I hope you'll remember that in the days to come-that many here love you, and would give up their silly, simple lives for you. You do not exist alone in this world. You are part of something immense and fragile and infinite. I hope you can respect that, even as mighty as you are." 

The second installment of the Empirium series plops the reader right back down into the action. In Kingsbane, Legrand continues the arc of the mysterious and diametrically opposed Queens said to rise to save humanity. A thousand years apart, we see Rielle's unravelling and Eliana's burgeoning skills. Kingsbane felt a little bit like a bridge book - building the world, characters, and context with a pause on the plot to prepare for book three. This definitely impacted my rating, as I felt that there are so many unanswered questions and plot points just piling up and swirling around in this world- very effective at creating tension, but occasionally made it difficult to stay connected to the characters and larger story. There were a lot of great points where we see excellent character development; secrets finally shared, major betrayals, painful losses, and a whole host of battles both blood and lust filled. It was a solid read, and I'm hoping the set up lets Legrand really spike Lightbringer. I have high hopes for book three and am still a little nervous to start!

I enjoyed the ongoing development of the reader's understanding of the political climates, and the religious-mythos-magic systems that reflect each other in interesting ways between the two timeframes to which we're privy. It is a grand world that Legrand is building and she is skillful in her prose, especially describing the Empirium and the characters' interactions with the world just a layer below 'our' own. I'll be interested to see how some of those hanging threads are tied up in Lightbringer.

A number of reviews commented on the sex scenes in Kingsbane eclipsing those of Furyborn. There were certainly many more, and while I can see the point raised (they're just thrown in there), my take is that Rielle is in a complicated situation and using the tools she had available to her to maintain her status and keep the other parties around her distracted. The only scene that came off unfortunate was roughly two-thirds in and felt very much out of line with Audric's characterization. But I suppose there is truly no escape from the patriarchy and toxic masculinity. Folks with a history of SA should tread carefully or avoid altogether. What I did appreciate though, was that sex is not treated as some 'fade-to-black' taboo. The characters feel and love and lust and act human; the queerness in some of the relationships and side characters was lovely to run into as well.

As I've pondered the book, the thought I keep returning to is the question of villainy. The premise of the book turns on the idea of two Queens rising - one that will be the death of humanity, the other the salvation. We spend  a lot of time in Rielle's head in her tug-of-war between the 'freedom' Corien hangs over her head and the stability that appears to exist in Audric, Ludvine. I'm waiting to see the other shoe drop, as I'm not completely convinced that she'll end up as the 'evil' side of the coin. What makes her the villain? The inborn aspects that tilt villainy in her favor, or weight of the expectations fate and its constant reminders place on her head? Between Rielle and Eliana, I know I'm going to be surprised. Legrand does a great job crafting characters that are complex, and often it's often painful to see them tripping down a path that you want to reach in and drag them out of.

Overall, I was far more impressed with the plot of book 1, but appreciated Kingsbane for what it is. The prose and flow are equally enjoyable, so I still flew through the book in a couple of days. I'll have to see how I feel about the series after I finish book 3. 
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stormywolf's review

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

3.0

 This was not the best time to read this through. Then again, I don't know if there's ever a good time to read a book like this, but definitely not when you're already feeling depressed. It's not uncommon for the 2nd book in a trilogy to be more depressing than the first, what with needing to set up for the more triumphant finale, but this one, I think, takes it to a new extreme. I mean, I don't even think Catching Fire (The Hunger Games) was this disheartening.

Read my full review at The Wolf's Den

Overall, I think Kingsbane was well written, though maybe a little slow in places, and a great character study in how love, and grief and fear can shape people. Both story and characters are detailed and complex, and every chapter knows just how to end to where you want to get back to their story as quick as possible. Of course, you end up feeling that way for both storylines, so you're stuck reading the book as written. If you were intrigued by the first book, you'll definitely want to continue their stories, but I might recommend waiting until the next book is out so you're not left in so much despair for so long... 
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