Reviews tagging 'Gore'

The Sword of Kaigen by M.L. Wang

54 reviews

ichinoot's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious reflective 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? Yes

5.0

Beautifully written story about the tragedies and reality of war, in a world so different from our own, but still so grounded and human. An incredibly emotional story mixed with an amazing power system and very well written action, you will most definitely not want to put this book down. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Dysphoria, Domestic abuse, Mental illness, Kidnapping, Injury/Injury detail, Rape, Murder, Gore, Suicide, Death, War, Physical abuse, Miscarriage, Genocide, Sexual assault, Self harm, Medical trauma, Violence, Sexual violence, Misogyny, and Infertility

zeldazonks's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective 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

An incredible book, I cried 3 times reading this. I have to admit that it ever so slightly lost me towards the end, I also would be so up for this to be a series so I'm gutted that I won't get more. The writing was beautiful, the journey we go on with the characters is so good (especially Mamoru) and the lore/world building was just amazing. I spent 75% of this book convinced it would be a 5* read but I do have a few gripes:

1) for some reason the very specific way that Misaki's extra curricular activities (trying to avoid spoilers) are written felt really incongruous with everything else and were kind of cringe to me. The superhero vibes were just jarring. 

2) I on the whole didn't mind the redemption arc of the husband, I spent a lot of the book waiting for it to happen because otherwise he would have been so cartoonishly villainous, but I think Misaki was very quick to forgive a specific incident involving Mamoru. 

3) I don't know if it's because it was meant to be a series and then plans changed, but there's so much set up for plot lines for future books and so the end kind of lagged for me compared to how incredible the first 2/3 of the book were. 

Having said that, the first 2/3 were so good, that I still loved it. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Xenophobia, Suicide, Suicidal thoughts, Child death, Injury/Injury detail, War, Gore, Death, Torture, Grief, Violence, Rape, Pregnancy, and Miscarriage

Moderate: Child abuse and Sexism

Minor: Homophobia

sitare's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad 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? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Colonisation, Death, Gore, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Child death, Mental illness, and Blood

Moderate: Rape

ghostyreadsy's review

adventurous dark emotional inspiring 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, War, and Suicide

Moderate: Classism, Death, Xenophobia, Racism, Sexism, and Child death

Minor: Child abuse, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, and Gore

anazap's review against another edition

challenging emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Sexual violence, War, Suicide, Gore, and Child death

j_schley's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional sad 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? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexism, Mental illness, Child death, Violence, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Toxic relationship, Physical abuse, War, Injury/Injury detail, Grief, Death, and Child abuse

Moderate: Sexual violence, Rape, Suicide, Emotional abuse, Sexual assault, Gore, and Domestic abuse

Minor: Pregnancy

kschauer18's review

adventurous dark emotional reflective 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? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Grief, Gore, Death, War, and Violence

Moderate: Miscarriage, Physical abuse, Sexism, Domestic abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Emotional abuse, Infertility, Rape, Child abuse, and Suicide

Minor: Miscarriage

lornaelspeth91's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, War, Blood, Death, and Gore

Moderate: Suicide and Child death

Minor: Miscarriage, Rape, and Child abuse

mqabbadbest's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful sad tense medium-paced

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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Misogyny, Domestic abuse, Death, Child abuse, Child death, Emotional abuse, Self harm, Death of parent, Rape, Torture, Gore, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, and Suicide

parasihir's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional 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? Yes

5.0

Probably the first book in 2024 that makes me spill tears with extra enormous effort to not let out a scream. It hurts me real bad. Everything flows perfectly. Even at the first chapter, I actually had a great time savoring the world-building, the terms, the magic with painstaking effort to go back and forth from the book to the glossary. Yes, I open it on another tab, but it was still a little bit of effort because I wanted to understand everything. It made me that interested and immersed in the story.

Since the very moment I read the way Mamoru jumped to go to his school, I know I love that boy.

And my biggest devastation comes from the way he stayed true to his name. To protect. Nyama to you, the Protector. Nyama to you, Son, Brother, Friend. Nyama to you, Soldier. You did your part. I love you so much.

And I absolutely head over heels for Misaki. My MOTHER.

The way everything unfolds leaves me with hunger. I need more. I need it. So I just read, read, read and then suddenly (not so sudden), everything that was once broken becomes better. Not the best. But better. Life, I suppose, does go that way. A little better than yesterday.

The Sword of Kaigen has every elements you can ask for in a fantasy book. A good world-building, a wonderful magic system (it is actually not that complicated once you take notes of it), a amazing characterization of all characters, a admirable relationship (of all kind, I mean it), a real plot, and the best ending you can ask for. It has been a long time since I actually finish a fantasy book with a new whole concept like this. A new world, though M.L. Wang seems to write it based on East Asian culture. Hard to grasp at first, but perfect when you get to understand it.

If you want a real good book to read to keep you focused in turning the pages as it hooks you in the story, The Sword of Kaigen is the best choice. Trust me. And also,  may you will find this book as gorgeous as I find it, if you decide to pick it up, of course. Love you!

Nyama to you, my fellow reader. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Sexism, War, Death of parent, Physical abuse, Cursing, Grief, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Blood, Child abuse, Suicide, Misogyny, Pregnancy, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Miscarriage, Racism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Murder, Rape, and Violence

Moderate: Kidnapping