Reviews tagging 'Murder'

The Shadow of Perseus by Claire Heywood

31 reviews

librarian_aj's review

challenging dark emotional reflective medium-paced

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

3.5

Runs you through the wringer emotionally, unsatisfying ending, gorgeous world building/depictions of ancient cultures.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence

Moderate: Murder

Minor: Self harm

alanacterry's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional tense slow-paced

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

3.5

Alternative title: “Man Child Makes His Misery Everyone’s Problem”

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Misogyny, Rape, Sexual assault, Violence, Blood, Grief, Murder, Pregnancy, and Abandonment

Moderate: Physical abuse and Kidnapping

Minor: Animal death, Cursing, and Slavery

deedotbee's review against another edition

challenging dark sad tense fast-paced

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

2.5

I can’t wait to never hear of Perseus again. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Rape, Sexual violence, Grief, and Murder

standardchaos's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional sad tense fast-paced

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

3.5

I really enjoyed Heywood's take on the story of Perseus. I didn't mind that it didn't have any magic or god interference, I thought it was still plenty interesting. Perseus in this is an annoying little man child who never really grows up and I wanted to dnf so many times just because he was so unlikable!

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Gore, Rape, Sexual assault, Kidnapping, and Murder

abi_lowe's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark mysterious reflective sad medium-paced

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

4.25

A powerful retelling of the inner thoughts and choices women face, that is still poignant today. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Death, Rape, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, Violence, Kidnapping, Murder, and Abandonment

clovetra's review against another edition

adventurous reflective tense medium-paced

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

3.0

honestly i dont really know what to say about this. this is the most average book ive read. somehow disinterested and curious about the book.
perseus was insufferable for the entire book, which was difficult as he's lowkey the main character. yeah thats the goal of this book but idk i wanted to deck him more than i loved the main characters.
danae was... fine. her beginning was super interesting, and then her story teetered out. andromeda was also interesting to begin with, but by the end she lost all her characterisation. that was probably intentional but it does make for a super boring story when i hate one main character & dont care about the other.
i really liked medusa's story. it was the shortest yet the best. im still confused about if in this retelling if she actually had snakes for hair? or she just liked snakes? i know about the gorgon bit but... idk. she was the best but she still wasnt great, as yet again she just felt like a plot device.
idk this book was fine. i dont think it achieved the feat of being a "feminist retelling" of perseus, as all the female characters just existed to drive the story. yes theres probably a deeper commentary about how perseus objectifies women and this is expressed in their significance within the book but.. i dont care if a book has a deeper meaning if i dont find the book interesting its complexity literally means nothing to me.
like i said, this feels like an average book. this is like a movie you'd go and see because your voucher expires tomorrow & this is all that has seats left, yknow?

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Misogyny, Rape, Violence, and Murder

Moderate: Confinement, Kidnapping, Religious bigotry, and Pregnancy

Minor: Bullying, Child death, and Death of parent

psychnp's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

The author manages to somehow stay true to the traditions of Greek mythology, most of the most popular telling of Perseus, while offering a fresh perspective in this retelling 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, and Murder

Moderate: Confinement, Infertility, Misogyny, Rape, Suicidal thoughts, Grief, and Gaslighting

pippling's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional sad tense 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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Death, Domestic abuse, Gore, Rape, Sexism, Sexual violence, Violence, Kidnapping, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, and Abandonment

I loved this retelling of the myth of Perseus told from the perspective of three women, his mother Danae, his wife Andromeda, and his victim, Medusa. This is a Greek myth brought to life by realism and without the intervention of gods or monsters. The story is medium-fast paced, and full of emotion and beautiful scene-setting. For a fairly short novel it’s full of heart, if often heartbreaking!

beetdirt's review against another edition

dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

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

2.0

i mean it was interesting and well written but it was appalling seeing this man violently enact his mommy issues the whole book and then be forgiven with very little effort on his part. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Sexism, Sexual violence, Murder, and Abandonment

dazzy's review against another edition

emotional tense medium-paced

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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Death, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, and Injury/Injury detail