Reviews tagging 'Torture'

Enemies of the State by Tal Bauer

5 reviews

roksyreads's review against another edition

adventurous emotional mysterious 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

Is this even remotely realistic? Highly doubt it. Note, however, that I am an Australian. As much as I try to keep up with world politics, my specialty lies in history (specifically post-war Europe and, further back, the Roman Republic)—any assessments I might make of the US socio-political climate are vague at best. Also, this is fiction. I'm happy to suspend a moderate amount of disbelief for a good story, especially when that story is thrilling, action packed, and emotional. 

I was really invested in the characters from the start and the story drew me in deep. The action is well written, and even though I ultimately worked out who the secret bad guy was before the reveal, there was enough tension and suspense to keep it interesting in the lead up. The romance is a tantalising slow burn that is deeply emotional, with the forbidden aspect upping the stakes, and the dynamic between all the characters—especially Ethan and his friends/fellow agents—made for plenty of moments where I was either laughing or having to deal with vicarious embarrassment. 

Overall, I got the same vibes from Bauer's writing as I do from Jonathan Maberry's action/thriller Joe Ledger/Rogue Team International series. In my books, that's a huge compliment: Maberry is hands down my favourite writer, with Joe Ledger being a much loved character.  

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Sexual content, Gun violence, Grief, Torture, Car accident, Death, and Violence

Moderate: Outing, Homophobia, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Suicidal thoughts and Religious bigotry

hex_meghead's review against another edition

adventurous emotional tense medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Outing, Kidnapping, Biphobia, Homophobia, Sexual content, Violence, and Torture

Moderate: Gun violence, Car accident, War, and Injury/Injury detail

albon's review against another edition

medium-paced

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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Xenophobia, Torture, and Kidnapping

20sidedbi's review against another edition

adventurous emotional hopeful mysterious tense fast-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Blood, Genocide, Grief, Violence, Death, Sexual content, Kidnapping, Gun violence, War, Mass/school shootings, Torture, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Outing and Homophobia

pawtory's review against another edition

emotional mysterious tense slow-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

4.0

This book will had me going "nooooooooooooooooo!" from secondhand embarrassment with some frequency. It's not terribly deep (maybe over the top? But understandable with the subject matter) compared to other stuff I've read from Tal but it's fun and sexy. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Homophobia, Xenophobia, Gun violence, and Violence

Moderate: Racial slurs, Sexual content, Injury/Injury detail, Grief, Murder, and Mental illness

Minor: Torture, Suicidal thoughts, and Medical trauma