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Reviews tagging 'Violence'
Une Fenêtre sur les ténèbres by Benjamin Peylet, Rachel Gillig
355 reviews
jls6283's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
The magic system in this book is so unique and creative as is the style of writing. I literally didn’t know some of the types of trees referenced and had to look them up. 😅 Some of the “revelations” were a little predictable (like Nightmare being the Shepherd King, Ravyn & Emory being infected, and Ravyn eventually figuring out her secret by using the nightmare card) , but it’s a really cool read and I’m looking forward to the conclusion in book two!
“Be wary. Be clever. Be good.”
“Be wary. Be clever. Be good.”
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Blood, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Sexual content
Minor: Child death, Death, Death of parent, and Fire/Fire injury
hailstorm3812's review against another edition
dark
hopeful
mysterious
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? It's complicated
3.75
I liked this but I kept thinking it was a different book than it was, which is on me but it kept throwing me off. I was running off in different directions thinking it was a monster romance and that the king was trans, while it kept fairly faithful to the typical tale. I loved the magic system though, I think it was clever and understandable and hearkens back to traditional fairy tales. I also liked the characters a lot, I'm really excited to see more of Ione. I do have issues with describing the main character as clever, since she makes the worst decisions ever always, which is fun as a character but you can't call it clever. Rayvn blocking magic is so obvious a solution and they leave it for the next book most likely but they lay heavy handed clues, but no character brings it up. Also the rhyme scheme kept altering which bothered me. It felt kind of YA and had a lot of classic romance turns of phrase, but overall I love girls being monsters and will probably check out the next one.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Sexual content, and Police brutality
Minor: Confinement, Death of parent, and Fire/Fire injury
solarel's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I love a protagonist who is actually terrified of their magic. This book felt kinda slow paced at first but I think that’s because it was planned as a duology. It needs the next one. But it did feel like a satisfying ending. And a really well done cliffhanger, too
Content Warnings
Graphic: Infidelity, Terminal illness, Violence, Blood, Police brutality, Murder, and Gaslighting
Moderate: Sexual content
Minor: Self harm and Death of parent
thebookaddict's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
funny
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
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
3.75
Ik vond dit boek goed. De rijmpjes in het verhaal zijn erg poeïtisch, maar dit haalde mij soms uit het verhaal. Ze zijn wel belangrijk voor het verhaal!
Ik vond Elspeth erg interessant en leuk. Ze heeft een sterke persoonlijkheid,maar ik vond dat ze de nachtmerrie wel snel om hulp vroeg, terwijl ze wist wat de consequenties waren . Ravyn is ook zo leuk, hij heeft persoonlijkheid en beschermd Elspeth op een goede manier. Ik vond Ravyn een goede keuze als love interest al had ik Elm ook niet zo erg gevonden🤭.
Het verhaal loopt goed. De spanning zit er goed in en er gebeurd precies genoeg. De vertaling is ook goed gedaan. De zinnen lopen vloeiend en het is allemaal een logisch samenhangend verhaal. Het magie systeem is simpel en wordt ook simpel uitgelegt. Je krijgt niet ineens on 1x alle informatie, maar dit wordt goed verdeeld over het boek. Ik vond het ook erg goed dat de nachtmerrie niet in 1x zijn geheimen prijs gaf. Dit gaf nog een extra laag mysterie.
Ik had alleen iets meer verwacht. Dit boek wordt enorm opgehypt en ik ging ook met die verwachtingen het verhaal in. Het verhaal is goed, maar niet spectaculair. De gebeurtenissen voelde soms wat afgeflakt aan. Ik ben wel geïntegreerd en ik ga dan ook zeker deel 2 lezen! Dit is namelijk een perfect voorbeeld van een goed neergezette "gotische" fantasy
Ik vond Elspeth erg interessant en leuk. Ze heeft een sterke persoonlijkheid,
Het verhaal loopt goed. De spanning zit er goed in en er gebeurd precies genoeg. De vertaling is ook goed gedaan. De zinnen lopen vloeiend en het is allemaal een logisch samenhangend verhaal. Het magie systeem is simpel en wordt ook simpel uitgelegt. Je krijgt niet ineens on 1x alle informatie, maar dit wordt goed verdeeld over het boek. Ik vond het ook erg goed dat de nachtmerrie niet in 1x zijn geheimen prijs gaf. Dit gaf nog een extra laag mysterie.
Ik had alleen iets meer verwacht. Dit boek wordt enorm opgehypt en ik ging ook met die verwachtingen het verhaal in. Het verhaal is goed, maar niet spectaculair. De gebeurtenissen voelde soms wat afgeflakt aan. Ik ben wel geïntegreerd en ik ga dan ook zeker deel 2 lezen! Dit is namelijk een perfect voorbeeld van een goed neergezette "gotische" fantasy
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Cursing, Death, Hate crime, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Slavery, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail
mcbeck92's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
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? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Terminal illness, Violence, Blood, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Vomit and Abandonment
mari1532's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
I have been hearing about this book everywhere and was finally able to get the audiobook through my library after several weeks of having it on hold with Libby. Overall, I was not gripped by this story until the third act and then I was absolutely invested. For the first two-thirds, I was more just going with the flow learning who all the characters were and the world-building facts that Gilling was integrating into the story.
I am a bit confused by two things throughout the story. First, Ione's whole subplot confused me. How did Ione and Elspeth grow up so close and then diverge so quickly on their paths? Elspeth was a well-constructed character and throughout her motivations were clear, but I have no idea why Ione was making the choices that she was. The game that all the characters play toward the climax of the book did make things slightly clearer, but overall she did not feel fully fleshed out. I hope that she gets a bigger subplot in the next book.
The second thing that was confusing for me throughout the book and it is possible that I just did not understand this in the text is how many cards there are in total. There are rarer cards that are much harder to find, but some of the cards are quite ubiquitous. The cards seemed to be important for displays of power, but I'm not sure if two different decks are being constructed by the two factions or if one group is ahead in the number of cards that they have.
I really enjoyed the romance subplot of the book. The dynamics between the characters were fun to watch develop throughout the book.
The ending of this book was absolutely shocking and gripping! I have no idea how Gillig is going to resolve all the loose ends in the next book, but I cannot wait to find out.
Highly recommend. It starts a bit slow but the plot is worth the wait.
I am a bit confused by two things throughout the story. First, Ione's whole subplot confused me. How did Ione and Elspeth grow up so close and then diverge so quickly on their paths? Elspeth was a well-constructed character and throughout her motivations were clear, but I have no idea why Ione was making the choices that she was. The game that all the characters play toward the climax of the book did make things slightly clearer, but overall she did not feel fully fleshed out. I hope that she gets a bigger subplot in the next book.
The second thing that was confusing for me throughout the book and it is possible that I just did not understand this in the text is how many cards there are in total. There are rarer cards that are much harder to find, but some of the cards are quite ubiquitous. The cards seemed to be important for displays of power, but I'm not sure if two different decks are being constructed by the two factions or if one group is ahead in the number of cards that they have.
I really enjoyed the romance subplot of the book. The dynamics between the characters were fun to watch develop throughout the book.
The ending of this book was absolutely shocking and gripping! I have no idea how Gillig is going to resolve all the loose ends in the next book, but I cannot wait to find out.
Highly recommend. It starts a bit slow but the plot is worth the wait.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Chronic illness, Death, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Moderate: Child death
Minor: Sexual content and Toxic relationship
draconicmama's review against another edition
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Hello darkness, my old friend.
I am so mad that I've let this sit on my TBR pile for so long. Impeccable writing, fascinating world building, and very intriguing characters lead us beautifully along a well done plot. While the plot itself is somewhat predictable, I very much enjoyed witnessing how the characters came to the conclusions I saw for them and I cannot wait to see how this all comes together in book 2! I expect there will be more surprises there then there were in book 1.
Also, I am obsessed with the poetic speech of Nightmare. Absolutely loved that aspect of his character. Definitely upped the creepy factor.
I am so mad that I've let this sit on my TBR pile for so long. Impeccable writing, fascinating world building, and very intriguing characters lead us beautifully along a well done plot. While the plot itself is somewhat predictable, I very much enjoyed witnessing how the characters came to the conclusions I saw for them and I cannot wait to see how this all comes together in book 2! I expect there will be more surprises there then there were in book 1.
Also, I am obsessed with the poetic speech of Nightmare. Absolutely loved that aspect of his character. Definitely upped the creepy factor.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Cursing, Drug abuse, Violence, Gaslighting, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Child death, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Blood, Police brutality, Death of parent, Murder, and Alcohol
kbecker610's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore, Violence, and Blood
debhawkins's review against another edition
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
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Sexual assault, Violence, and Blood
alaina_reads_and_wanders's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
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
4.5
I finally got around to reading this book and it was definitely worth the hype! The magic system is unique, but understandable. The story creates its own lore and builds off of it beautifully. The characters are flawed, but lovable. And the plot moves at the perfect pace for me -- it doesn't drag, but also doesn't skim over interesting character-building moments.
I'm on book two now. So far in the series there haven't been any plot twists that I haven't seen coming and there have been a few moments in which I haven't fully believed the characters' decisions, based on their characterization (primarily the King and Prince Hauth), but honestly, I don't really care. I am bought in enough to the main characters, the magical world, and the primary plot arc to just enjoy the story as it unfolds!
As someone who prioritizes storytelling over prose, this was exactly what I needed. It was the perfect cozy, gothic fantasy for a cold winter weekend and I am officially addicted to the series!
I'm on book two now. So far in the series there haven't been any plot twists that I haven't seen coming and there have been a few moments in which I haven't fully believed the characters' decisions, based on their characterization (primarily the King and Prince Hauth), but honestly, I don't really care. I am bought in enough to the main characters, the magical world, and the primary plot arc to just enjoy the story as it unfolds!
As someone who prioritizes storytelling over prose, this was exactly what I needed. It was the perfect cozy, gothic fantasy for a cold winter weekend and I am officially addicted to the series!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Physical abuse, Violence, and Blood
Minor: Child abuse