Reviews tagging 'Death'

Winter’s Orbit by Everina Maxwell

72 reviews

puttingwingsonwords's review against another edition

adventurous hopeful mysterious 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

In this sci-fi novel we’ve got political intrigue, a suspicious death, a hastily arranged political marriage, a queer romance and looming intergalactic conflict all wrapped up into one amazing story. I was afraid I wouldn’t finish it before the end of the year, but I went through it very quickly.

I loved the two main characters so much and I just wanted to keep reading to know they’d be okay. The world building is immersive; I’m always impressed when authors are able to draw the reader into a completely new world without a lot of exposition, just by references and natural scene dressing. We only see a little bit of this universe in the first book so I’m eager to learn more in the next one!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse and Emotional abuse

Moderate: Xenophobia, Colonisation, Confinement, Death, Murder, Physical abuse, and Violence

Minor: Alcohol, Sexual content, and Sexual violence

kirkspockreads's review against another edition

adventurous emotional 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? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, and Domestic abuse

Moderate: Violence, Torture, Kidnapping, Murder, Mental illness, Confinement, and Death

Minor: Cursing, Sexual violence, Medical content, Medical trauma, and Grief

tinyjude's review against another edition

adventurous emotional medium-paced

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

4.75

Setting, characters, world-building and the intrinsics between them were very interesting and well-developed. Despite what it may look like, it was easy to follow and engaging. I think it was well paced both in terms of political intrigue and personal relationships among the characters. I also appreciated Kiem and Jainan's relationship so much as they were mature, understanding and brilliant together. Also props for the representation of domestic abuse, gaslighting and trauma.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Xenophobia, and Death

Moderate: Murder, Car accident, Gaslighting, Domestic abuse, Toxic relationship, Sexual content, Police brutality, Physical abuse, Violence, Torture, and Sexual assault

maevemil's review against another edition

slow-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? No

1.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Death, Domestic abuse, Xenophobia, Mental illness, Emotional abuse, and Torture

lh_reads's review against another edition

adventurous 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? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Medical trauma, Medical content, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, and Violence

staysunny's review against another edition

adventurous emotional funny hopeful inspiring medium-paced

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

5.0

absolutely amazing. heart wrenching and laugh inducing and just an adventure 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Torture, and Emotional abuse

Moderate: Death

theatrealpaca's review against another edition

adventurous emotional hopeful 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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Toxic relationship, Death, Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Kidnapping, Injury/Injury detail, Grief, Gaslighting, Blood, Colonisation, and Cursing

Minor: Alcohol, War, Death, and Murder

wilybooklover's review against another edition

adventurous emotional hopeful mysterious medium-paced

5.0

This is a tough one to categorise. Ostensibly, it’s sci-fi romance, but it’s a lot heavier on the actual sci-fi than most sci-fi romance is. Or maybe space opera, but it’s a lot heavier on the romance than most space opera. In my opinion, it’s pretty equally space opera/romance/suspense (all three of which are interwoven), but whatever it is I loved it. 

The book starts off with our two heroes, Kiem and Jainan, marrying for political alliance reasons. Now, this is how you do a miscommunication trope. It makes sense that Kiem and Jainan would have trouble communicating properly. Not only are they complete strangers, with very different styles of communication, they’re from entirely different cultures and Jainan has been kept isolated and deliberately in the dark about a lot of things. They’re both so considerate of the other that they overthink and misinterpret and get in their own heads about it. It’s kind of endearing, actually, and the slow unfolding of their thoughts and feelings to each other was such a delight to read. They really complemented each other well, despite being charming-extrovert/anxious-introvert opposites. 

Besides the romance, which was lovely and gentle and soft, the worldbuilding and plot were complex and interesting. Kiem and Jainan get dragged into a murder conspiracy upon which the fate of the Empire hinges, and it soon becomes apparent that their lives are also at stake. On top of that, you have a potential rebellion brewing back on Jainan’s home world. It’s a lot, and I do think there was maybe a little too much going on at times (or, perhaps, not paced correctly). But I very much enjoyed this story of political intrigue. Once facet of the worldbuilding that I really enjoyed was the queernorm world. It was so refreshing to see queer people of all kinds just existing without being a statement or facing hardship because of it. The secondary characters were all fleshed out and interesting as well, although I did think that one of the antagonists was a bit obvious

(it’s always suspicious when someone is a bit too friendly and helpful).

 

Ultimately I think this was a well-balanced story of romance and space politics, and would recommend this to people who enjoy both of those things. There are some heavy topics in this, so do check content warnings first.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Car accident, Confinement, Gaslighting, Panic attacks/disorders, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Colonisation, Death, Murder, Physical abuse, Torture, Kidnapping, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Xenophobia, and Violence

Minor: Alcoholism

purrson's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional hopeful mysterious 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

4.75

Adventure with a slowly building romance, full of political intrigue 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Toxic relationship, Physical abuse, and Domestic abuse

Moderate: Colonisation and Death

Minor: Kidnapping

caseythereader's review against another edition

adventurous emotional funny mysterious tense slow-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

4.5

 - WINTER'S ORBIT is a beautiful, rich fantasy romance filled with longing and intrigue and only-one-bed.
- I adored both our sweet blockhead main characters, who were both trying to do what they thought was best for the other one without, you know, actually asking what might be best.
- The universe Maxwell has built here is so detailed and the central mystery kept me guessing. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cursing, Gun violence, Death, Blood, Confinement, Domestic abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Medical content, Murder, and Violence

Moderate: Sexual content