Reviews tagging 'Religious bigotry'

The Merciless Ones by Namina Forna

13 reviews

magnoliaash's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.5

Just as good as the first. Lots of character development which is great. Loved all the twists and turns. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Torture, Body horror, Violence, and War

Moderate: Sexism and Vomit

Minor: Sexual violence and Religious bigotry

maxine_december's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious fast-paced

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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Religious bigotry, Body horror, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Gore, and Sexism

graceful_nate's review against another edition

adventurous challenging 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? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Cursing, Death, Grief, War, Blood, Body horror, Fire/Fire injury, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, and Religious bigotry

marena02's review

adventurous dark emotional hopeful reflective 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? Yes

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Slavery, War, Abandonment, Genocide, Grief, Blood, Body horror, Death, Homophobia, Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, Religious bigotry, Mental illness, Transphobia, Violence, Sexual assault, Sexism, and Torture

kickitupanotch7's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark 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? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence and Death of parent

Moderate: Gaslighting, Child death, Religious bigotry, and Transphobia

katsmedialibrary's review against another edition

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: War, Sexism, Religious bigotry, Violence, and Misogyny

Moderate: Homophobia and Fire/Fire injury

Minor: Transphobia

librarybookscene's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark mysterious reflective tense fast-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Religious bigotry, Death, Panic attacks/disorders, Emotional abuse, Gore, Violence, War, and Sexism

Moderate: Abandonment and Blood

Minor: Body shaming, Gore, Death of parent, and Body horror

canascorner's review

adventurous dark emotional tense fast-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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Death, Blood, War, Sexism, and Religious bigotry

Moderate: Dysphoria, Emotional abuse, and Transphobia

lucy_shanners's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark mysterious tense

• 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: Death, Death of parent, Gaslighting, Panic attacks/disorders, Torture, Body horror, Gore, Misogyny, Religious bigotry, Sexism, War, Blood, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Rape

Minor: Pregnancy and Transphobia

kianareads's review against another edition

adventurous dark 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? It's complicated

4.25

"When gods dance, humanity trembles." 

 

Many moments in this made me feel like I was reading a psychological thriller. Deka, previously so sure in her understanding of herself, her world, and her goddesses is made to question everything. Even her own memories. 

 

The first book focused in on how misogyny impacted and harmed its main target: women. The journey was about Deka and the other alaki finding their power as women, learning to love themselves, and to fight for their freedom. THE MERCILESS ONES expanded on this theme making it clear that, as Fannie Lou Hamer once said, “nobody’s free until everybody’s free”. 

 

I am grateful for the way Forna highlighted how misogyny negatively impacts (to varying degrees) everyone not just women. And this sequel doesn’t stop at misogyny. It addresses homophobia, transphobia, generational trauma, grief, found family, religious genocide, and the need to move beyond seeing the world through restrictive binaries. 

 

Simply cannot wait for the third book (even more than I was anxiously waiting for the second!) 🔥 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Death, Misogyny, and Torture

Moderate: Religious bigotry, Violence, War, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexism, and Transphobia

Minor: Xenophobia, Death of parent, and Sexual assault