Reviews tagging 'Gore'

The Gilded Ones by Namina Forna

165 reviews

nomackenzie's review

dark mysterious reflective 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

4.25

Enjoyable ready that has me wanting to move right onto the sequel! The friendships are so well developed - I kinda wish the romance element had the same level of development, though. I also felt something was missing from Deka's character. She just needed a little more bite or humour or something to make her more lovable - the side characters definitely outshone her.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders, Abandonment, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Violence, and Torture

Moderate: Vomit and Rape

dannoboy's review against another edition

dark mysterious 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? No

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Child abuse, Death, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexism, Sexual violence, Blood, Trafficking, Torture, Violence, Gore, Rape, Murder, and War

Moderate: Sexual assault, Slavery, Vomit, and Pedophilia

taepioca's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional 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

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Gore, Torture, Physical abuse, Body horror, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Misogyny, and Violence

natsbooknook's review

adventurous challenging dark mysterious medium-paced

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

4.25

The Gilded ones was an excellent piece of YA; the concept was unique - I didn't feel like I was reading the same story as something else, just with different names. The underlying themes and feminist undertones were so on point.

---

Content Warnings

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

Moderate: Child abuse, Pedophilia, Rape, and Sexual assault

kathyreadsalot's review against another edition

adventurous dark inspiring slow-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? No

3.75

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual violence, War, Murder, Sexism, Violence, Blood, Death, Death of parent, Genocide, Rape, Religious bigotry, Confinement, Gore, Grief, Cursing, Torture, and Vomit

leonormsousa's review against another edition

adventurous inspiring mysterious fast-paced

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

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Blood, Genocide, Grief, Racism, Rape, Religious bigotry, Terminal illness, Violence, War, Hate crime, Misogyny, Murder, Physical abuse, Child abuse, Death, Death of parent, Gaslighting, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Sexism, Sexual assault, Slavery, Torture, Trafficking, and Vomit

lala2love's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional inspiring 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

4.0

I really loved the tough yet important message in the book about how women are treated in religious communities. I would give if a 5, but it did have a lot of moments of telling and not showing. However, I know it is a YA book so I can't be too critical of that. The book isn't for the faint of heart since it can be quite dark at times, but that's the point. However, the wholesome relationships help balance it out. Wonderful book, I can't recommend it enough!

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Torture, Misogyny, Sexism, Blood, Religious bigotry, and Gore

Minor: Sexual violence, Pedophilia, Sexual assault, Rape, and Death of parent

christalbotheindl's review against another edition

adventurous dark 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

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Torture, War, Abandonment, Blood, Confinement, Body horror, Misogyny, Bullying, Emotional abuse, Grief, Violence, Physical abuse, Death, Genocide, Gore, and Child death

Moderate: Death of parent, Rape, Sexual assault, Terminal illness, Pedophilia, and Fire/Fire injury

librarianlayla's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional inspiring 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

5.0

Emotionally driven and filled with action. I could not put this book down. 

Beautifully written, haunting and at times difficult to read - but so essential. I cannot wait for the sequel. 

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Blood, Gore, Misogyny, Religious bigotry, Confinement, Physical abuse, Violence, Death, Gaslighting, Torture, Vomit, War, Xenophobia, Body horror, Bullying, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Hate crime, and Slavery

fanboyriot's review against another edition

dark slow-paced

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

2.0

Honestly, I didn’t really like this book at all.  I just couldn’t seem to get into it with the characters falling flat and the stiff dialogue; the only reason I didn’t DNF is because it was an audiobook and I figured I made it half way already.

While I liked the idea of this book, fighting against a world were there was unnecessary hatred; there were just so many moments that made no sense with how the belief system worked.  Not to mention how did all the Northerns, Southerners, Easterners, and Westerners all agree all girls who bleed gold were demons but girls who bleed red were valued??  You’re telling me not one person out of all the different ideologies each group had that they didn’t noticed an issue with their system??

I don’t know if it’s because I don’t care for first person point of view or just how the book was written but I didn’t get attached to any of the characters either which is really disappointing.  However, the world building was easy to understand for a fantasy book.  It was simple and to the point.

My biggest questions though is how did no one bleed before they were sixteen?!  Women were not allowed to do “strenuous” work because they could NOT bleed before they turned sixteen years old?!

You’re telling me:

• No one lost their baby teeth until sixteen then?
• No one tripped and skinned their knee as a kid?
• No one had any medical issues until then?
• No one had bodily functions like periods until the minute of their sixteen birthday?
• That there weren’t any accidents in their everyday life that happened UNTIL they turned sixteen?

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Misogyny, Injury/Injury detail, Medical trauma, Blood, War, Sexism, Death, Racism, and Violence

Moderate: Gore, Torture, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Abandonment, Pedophilia, Self harm, Grief, Animal death, Cursing, Religious bigotry, Emotional abuse, Death of parent, Genocide, Child death, and Vomit