Reviews tagging 'Death of parent'

Une Fenêtre sur les ténèbres by Benjamin Peylet, Rachel Gillig

160 reviews

cortanasreadingnook'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? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

It was my year to read The Shepherd King duology and I enjoyed every bit of it! This is a story of dark magic, revenge, and a terrifying illness brutal enough to kill. Rachel Gillig’s writing is incredible and absolutely captivating. It is very descriptive, and captures a dark atmosphere ridden with magic. She smoothly laid out the world-building and the folklore that controls this story. She tells an amazing tale of retribution, balanced with a beautiful, slowburn romance in the background (and more :D). Elspeth and Ravyn are amazing characters, and their chemistry was through the roof! The tidbits of affection that they shared in this novel was perfect. Lastly, for fans of found family, we also have a prickly brute and an ice princess roaming the pages (this is a sign telling you to read it). 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Emotional abuse, Violence, Death of parent, and Abandonment

Minor: Sexual assault

xyln's review against another edition

adventurous dark tense medium-paced

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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Toxic relationship, and Violence

Moderate: Physical abuse

Minor: Death of parent

icouldbemason's review against another edition

adventurous dark informative mysterious reflective 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? It's complicated

5.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Death, Blood, Grief, and Alcohol

Minor: Cursing, Death, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Violence, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail

ebyrne505's review against another edition

adventurous challenging 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? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Death of parent, Murder, and War

katharina90's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious medium-paced

• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No

3.0

Interesting premise and worldbuilding. Loved the dark misty magical forest vibes. Vengeful Spirit of the Woods? Salty magic? Yes, please! 

Everything else was a little underwhelming (plot, characters, writing) but it was an entertaining read.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence

Moderate: Death, Sexual content, Terminal illness, Murder, and Abandonment

Minor: Child death, Domestic abuse, and Death of parent

aleshag's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious medium-paced

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

3.5

I enjoyed this book, it was fun to read about another way magic can be incorporated — it isn’t always necessarily a wand, it can be many forms. I will say, most of the characters bugged me, I found it difficult to stay focused until the end. 

I did predict that the “Nightmare” in her head was the Shepard King, I was very happy to find that I was right. I wish we could’ve gotten more of Ravyn’s and Elspeth love story.. I was shipping them from the very beginning.

The book made me very attached to Ravyn and Elspeth, the end brought a few tears. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Violence

Minor: Child death, Blood, and Death of parent

embill's review against another edition

dark emotional funny mysterious sad tense

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

4.75

4.75⭐️ In this riddled story you will find nothing, and everything is as it seems. Haunted, infected, and feared, the beautiful Elspeth hides her cards close to her chest in case one looks too close and discovers her secret. The secret that she alone does not carry her secrets in her mind. As a child she got infested, and at the cusp of death, the Nightmare swooped in and saved her with its dark magic, but nothing comes without a price, especially magic. And now, as a young woman, Elspeth must face her Nightmare as she loses her mind to the monster and her heart to the man predicted she would meet on a long, lonely road. 

Don’t get me wrong; it was VERY predictable, but I liked the writing. It’s different from other romantasy books I have read in a way I can’t quite explain. I enjoyed it so much I actually bought the second book while I still had like seven chapters left because I knew I needed to know how this ends. I hope the second book will be less predictable; nevertheless, I expect it might be a bit more “entertaining” considering the ending.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Terminal illness, Blood, and Abandonment

Moderate: Child death, Cursing, Death, Violence, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail

rebecca_finch's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious tense medium-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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Misogyny, Violence, Vomit, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Confinement, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Grief, and Death of parent

josalinrose's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Gore, Violence, Blood, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Death of parent

aidamaria_reads's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.5

I’m sorry to say this book/duology is overhyped. Things that annoyed me greatly were, among others, Elspeth’s entire personality (is she dumb or is she in denial - I’m not sure which is worse), the mention of the love interest’s title and eye colour the entire time (we get it, readers aren’t stupid) and the not so great writing. If you shake this book, you can hear the clichés jingling against one another.

However, I did like the eerie, gothic vibe and the magic system, and I’m delulu enough to believe the comic relief character/trustworthy sidekick will get more of the spotlight in the second instalment. Manifesting a love interest for him, because I choose to believe he’d be less insufferable if/when he falls in love.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Sexual content, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Death of parent, and Injury/Injury detail