Reviews tagging 'Blood'

The Gilded Ones by Namina Forna

293 reviews

dr_steph's review against another edition

adventurous dark reflective fast-paced

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

3.0

I think the overall plot of this novel was interesting and there were some really great concepts. But unfortunately lots of things felt underdeveloped and rushed (especially towards the very end). The main character experiences a fundamental belief system change, and yet this change happens in a very choppy and sudden way rather than gradually building. There was lots of telling instead of showing, and in my opinion this manuscript needed further editing and development. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Religious bigotry, Death, and Gore

Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, War, Physical abuse, Blood, Confinement, Murder, Torture, and Misogyny

Minor: Racism, Pregnancy, Sexual assault, and Vomit

osbormad's review against another edition

adventurous hopeful inspiring tense fast-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood

annniina98's review against another edition

3.0

I was left wanting more. There were so many time skips, that you really didn't see Deka's character arc, nor the relationships building. They learned things and became friends, but it wasn't shown as it was happening. It was just told that it had happened. That left me at an arms length from everything that happened in the book. I liked it, it just had potential to be better, with like 100 pages more of the book.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Torture, Physical abuse, Murder, Blood, Religious bigotry, Child death, Gore, and Sexism

Moderate: Body horror, Racism, Pedophilia, Kidnapping, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Rape, and Trafficking

Minor: Death of parent

jachnax's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional inspiring 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

5.0

This book is so powerful, lush and thought out. I loved every page, every sentence and i will immediatly pick up the sequel.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Colonisation, Death, Confinement, Deportation, Genocide, Violence, Misogyny, Torture, War, Blood, Murder, Sexism, Injury/Injury detail, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Gore, and Grief

Moderate: Child abuse, Racism, Bullying, Sexual violence, and Body horror

Minor: Animal cruelty, Xenophobia, Self harm, and Rape

heremireadz's review against another edition

adventurous dark 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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Misogyny, Blood, Murder, Sexism, Torture, and Death of parent

ctara2123's review

adventurous dark emotional fast-paced

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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Religious bigotry, Death, War, Violence, Torture, Sexism, Murder, Misogyny, and Blood

Moderate: Racism, Cursing, Fire/Fire injury, and Death of parent

Minor: Sexual violence, Rape, Sexual assault, and Bullying

katskratchh's review against another edition

adventurous challenging 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

4.5

The pacing was a little all over the place in parts which I think caused for a little rushing through important and impactful moments in the latter half of the book, but that’s truly my only complaint because the rest of the book was so incredibly good, and gave you very much sisterhood/girl power energy.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Torture, Death, and Death of parent

Moderate: Animal death, Sexism, Death of parent, Blood, Bullying, Misogyny, Abandonment, Murder, Grief, Animal cruelty, Violence, Torture, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Rape, Sexual violence, Vomit, and Sexual assault

kiwij96's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark reflective tense medium-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

Very YA-style writing at times, bordering on juvenile, but this book deals with some heavy themes which needed more mature writing. Definitely check the trigger warnings for this story because it deals with rape, torture, femicide, murder and gore. Generally good worldbuilding and differentiation between different cultures in this world. However, there was an unnecessary romance included and it felt massively out of place. Alao, there are only so many times you can read about girls getting dismembered and tortured.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Torture, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Rape, Sexism, Violence, Murder, Blood, Body horror, Death, Misogyny, and Sexual assault

Moderate: Death of parent

Minor: Child death, Pedophilia, Bullying, and Pregnancy

decie's review against another edition

adventurous mysterious 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? No

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, War, Abandonment, Animal death, Body horror, Violence, Sexism, Child abuse, Misogyny, Blood, Child death, Death, Gore, Physical abuse, and Confinement

Moderate: Racism, Death of parent, and Religious bigotry

Minor: Rape

nelldiaz's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious sad 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

4.5

Fantastic book

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Religious bigotry, Torture, Body horror, Child death, Blood, Death, Violence, Misogyny, War, Child abuse, and Gore

Moderate: Death of parent, Grief, Rape, Sexism, and Fire/Fire injury

Minor: Vomit