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gilnean's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Graphic: Sexual assault, Incest, Blood, Toxic relationship, Kidnapping, Cursing, Rape, Gun violence, Gore, Misogyny, Animal death, Sexual violence, Murder, Sexual harassment, Car accident, Body horror, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, Sexism, Violence, Confinement, Death, and Child abuse
Moderate: Sexual content, Death of parent, Religious bigotry, Alcohol, and Medical content
Minor: Ableism, War, Suicidal thoughts, Alcoholism, Suicide, Drug use, Excrement, Drug abuse, and Addiction
sentientnoodle's review against another edition
Moderate: Sexual violence and Incest
targrhaegar's review against another edition
- 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
5.0
Harry is back, and this time he's working for Arturo, a super successful porn film producer. The weird thing is, he's convinced that he's cursed because every woman around him keeps dying in the most gruesome and random ways. So now, Harry's stuck hanging out on the set of Arturo's newest movie, pretending to be his assistant, but secretly he's trying to figure out who cursed Arturo and why they did it.
As the story unfolds, we meet some fascinating new characters who add intrigue to the mix. Along the way, we delve into Harry's past, discovering a shocking secret. We also got a glimpse into Murphy's family life which was captivating, providing valuable insight into her character and the reasons behind her demeanor.
Butcher's trademark humor and witty jokes are scattered throughout the book, and I found myself laughing out loud multiple times.
The book maintains an air of mystery and holds our attention with its engaging and mysterious plot. The desire to uncover the mastermind behind the curse kept me hooked.
Graphic: Gore
Moderate: Sexual violence
agnes_the_wyrm's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
4.0
Minor: Incest and Sexual violence
traa's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Graphic: Incest, Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, Rape, Gun violence, Murder, Physical abuse, Blood, Car accident, Death, Fire/Fire injury, Sexism, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, and Violence
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Gore, Grief, Kidnapping, Medical trauma, Mental illness, Stalking, Death of parent, Medical content, Slavery, Toxic relationship, and Sexual content
Minor: Suicide, War, and Self harm
clevermird's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Blood Rites sees Harry doing a favor for his sort-of ally Thomas Raith- he's supposed to go undercover on the set of an adult film and figure out who's been magically murdering the actresses. Those who know anything about Harry's personality will be able to tell that this is a quick route to hilarity - and danger. Meanwhile, an old enemy resurfaces, Harry hires a hitman on credit, and Murphy has a family reunion. Oh, yeah, and he has to dogsit while he's at it.
Much of my normal review topics will be glossed over here, as if you've gotten this far in the series, you know about a lot of the non-spoiler things I will say. The writing style is still fast-paced, with a snarky first person narrator and a lot of snappy dialogue. Harry is still the same mostly-lovable disaster of a wizard that he was in the last five books. If you're enjoying the series so far, there is no reason not to read this one as well.
There are several large reveals at various points, some of which cast a new light merely on the plot of this book, others on the series and some of the major characters as a whole. All were intriguing and while it may be a truism, I really did feel like I was on the edge of my seat for most of the story.
What stops me from giving the book five stars are two (both minor) factors. As is not uncommon for the series, the pacing can sometimes move from "fast and breezy" to "breakneck", leaving me wishing there was a bit more time to process the impact of some scenes before moving on to the next event and crisis. Additionally, there was one particular (smaller) twist that was rather poorly built up, even if I was happy with the results.
Overall, excellent read and some of the most fun with a book I've had in a while.
Graphic: Fire/Fire injury, Blood, Death, Emotional abuse, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Death of parent, Sexual violence, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexism, Gore, Incest, Suicidal thoughts, and Toxic relationship