Reviews with content warning for Drug abuse - Gleam

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Reviews tagging 'Drug abuse'

Gleam by Raven Kennedy

88 reviews

beckyyreadss's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious 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

5.0

Thank you, Michael Joseph Penguin Publishing, for sending this book in exchange for an honest review.

This book is still based on Auren. King Midas made her the woman she is today. The thing about being confined is that she believes it’s to keep the bad out, until Auren realizes it’s keeping her in. She is in a strange kingdom surrounded by liars, with no allies but she is refusing to sit idly by and let herself wither. There is something that is lingering from the pit of her repression. Something dark and something angry. But the last thing she expected was for her anger to call out to him – King Ravinger. He is sinister and powerful and a bit seductive. She has learned her lesson trusting manipulative kings, so why does Auren’s chest constrict every time he is near? She needs to tread carefully, or she is at risk of losing more than just her freedom. Regret and revenge war inside of Auren and she needs to figure out a plan fast before she gets tangled up in the schemes of kings and queens. Auren is refusing to go back into a cage again. No, this time, she will be setting the trap. Auren is hoping her heart comes out unscathed.

I loved this book, there wasn’t a lot of plot or storyline, but the character development had me in a choke, as this book went on, I went from feeling sorry for Auren and hoping she would be safe, to hoping she would kick some King’s ass. I loved her character development and I hope she learns to live with her power. I loved the banter between her and Slade and how they went from being disappointed in each other and ashamed to fighting for each other and literally threatening each other. I loved how Slade knew she had hit her limit and knew she was going to lash out. I’m really glad that Auren was the one to kill Rip and that he literally melted him away, he deserves the worst for what he did to Auren and Digby. I wanted to throw the book across the room in the last 20% I was on the verge of tears with what Rip did to Auren. I’m really glad he won’t be in the next book, because I was getting sick of him. I loved that we got to found out who Fake Rot was and I want to know more about him please.

This book managed to slowly suck me into this world and series, I struggled with the first book, enjoyed the second one and screamed and cried at this book. I cannot wait for the fourth book in this series.

First five star of 2023 and I didn’t expect it to be this book but I'm glad it is.

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katvou's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional mysterious sad 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? It's complicated

4.25

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lindsfranfrat's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional 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? No

4.0

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toriibrooke33's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging emotional tense 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

How you can you not love a story where the woman comes into her own and realizes how strong and powerful she truly is? While also falling in love with the enemy that melts her gold harden heart and makes her realize her true worth.. and there’s still 3 more books to go! Ugh I love Auren

Quotes:
-I’m hiding in a place where there is no hope of staying hidden.
-He broke something inside of me far more than just my heart. He broke my will. My drive. My voice. He broke down my very spirit, and I let him.
-Perhaps love is the price of my power
-He may wear the crown, but I was the one who made it gold. 👑
-“But I’ll be the villain for you. Not to you.”

Tropes: fairytale retelling, enemies to lovers, lovers to enemies, betrayal, found family
🌶️🌶️🌶️ (at 60%, 2 scenes)

Trigger warnings: drug use, physical abuse, “torture”, gaslighting, death

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haunting_bluejay's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional hopeful inspiring reflective 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? Yes

5.0

Holy shit. So initially I found Gild and Glint kinda meh, i enjoyed Glint more that Gild though, but felt those two could have been one book. But holy shit did I love Gleam. Watching Auren both literally and metaphorically break out of her cage was stunning. And the manipulation and abuse from Midas was way too accurate, speaking from experience. Im so excited for my copy of Glow to arrive now.

Content Warnings

rozanne_visagie's review against another edition

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dark emotional mysterious tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

5.0

This book was full of twists and turns! So far Gleam is my favourite book in the series.
After an ending like this, I have to dive to into the next book immediately.

Thank you Penguin Random House SA for gifting me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Content Warnings

malisac16's review against another edition

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dark emotional 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? No

5.0

Content Warnings

forgottencupoftea's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional 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

5.0

The first two books are great, this third book is incredible! I'm now officially fully obsessed with this series and I will feel personally attacked if things end up going some type of way I don't like.

Gleam gives you all the great things that had been hinted at and scattered in Gild and Glint: great characters, a strong plot, an intricate political intrigue, slow burn romance, more plot twists/revelations and a journey towards self discovery.

Auren has slowly become one of my favourite heroines. She is a strong woman with warring/complex emotions, I've loved being able to experience firsthand (through her narration) the change in her thoughts, mindset. There's something incredible to the way she starts accepting herself and I'm weirdly proud of the fact that she starts embracing her true self.

I, obviously, loved Slade. He is such a good (actually! for real!) morally grey character and love interest. What a man! (fae?!) I wish we knew more about him, I hope we end up getting some of his background because there is so much potential when it comes to his psychology/history.

The romance between the two of them was to die for! The banter, the angst, the slow burn, the chemistry, the encouragement...honestly, I could have died. If you were waiting on the romance, wait no more, dinner is served!

There were also so many heart-wrenching, harrowing, tear-jerking moments. The last 20% or so of the book were an emotional rollercoaster. I finished the book late at night and I was a sobbing mess (if you know, you know).

I will end this by saying that there were a bunch of POVs I could not find myself interested in? Mainly Malina's? I do feel quite bad about it to be honest as I'm very aware that she's in the position she's in because, as a woman, she was essentially "put" there but good grief she's pretty shit herself?

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rad_blackthorn's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful mysterious tense 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? It's complicated

4.75

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shannon_magee's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional slow-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

2.0

Up until about 80% this book was reading as the best of the series so far (despite an aggressive amount of analogies in the writing that made it a struggle to read. You could tell they wanted to be lyrical and meaningful, perfect for a blurb or social media quote, but there were just too many of them and they were too extended, clunking up the narrative. The pace also seemed highly confused, which wound up contributing to a clunky narrative). Unfortunately, at around 84%, this book became a dumping ground for trauma porn. Extensive trauma porn, in an already unabashedly trauma-tastic series. And the payoff is never satisfying enough to make going through the gleefully awful events in this book worth it. Every time I read a book in this series, I’m excited by the potential of the premise and the characters, and every time the writing is overdone and the dramatics so heightened it just leaves be hollow and disappointed. I truly don’t understand why the romantasy community is so happy with this series.

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