Reviews tagging 'Gun violence'

House of Flame and Shadow by Sarah J. Maas

89 reviews

bog223's review against another edition

adventurous medium-paced

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

3.0

There were parts that I really liked but at several points in the plot it felt like the reasoning from the author was “because I said so” and I think that they was so much happening with so many characters that there wasn’t any real character development or for me any emotional connection to the characters. And Bryce and Ithan shared once brain cell for a lot of the book. I really think that Lydia carried the book 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Gun violence, Child death, and Torture

sierrabowers's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful inspiring reflective 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

This was the best in the Crescent City series! I highly recommend to those who have already read ACOTAR. This book truly made everything come together and so much makes more sense. It ties up loose ends but also makes room for some new storylines. Was different than I thought it would be but also somehow better? 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Misogyny, Murder, Vomit, Cursing, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Grief, Fire/Fire injury, Rape, Torture, Body horror, Sexism, Slavery, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Confinement, Genocide, Gun violence, Drug use, Gore, Sexual content, War, Abandonment, Animal death, Classism, Death, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Forced institutionalization, and Injury/Injury detail

kayceeisbookish's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense slow-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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Injury/Injury detail, Suicidal thoughts, Cursing, Fire/Fire injury, Suicide, Torture, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Suicide attempt, Child death, Colonisation, Gun violence, Kidnapping, Misogyny, Pregnancy, Sexual assault, Violence, Blood, Death of parent, Child abuse, War, Death, Gaslighting, and Sexual violence

jessicarenz's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional funny hopeful inspiring mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

4.5

All of the cut scenes and POV switches were annoying (seriously, going from an action-packed scene with one character to a dull by comparison single paragraph of another scene about a different character, then to yet another character’s completely different scene was not fun). But the third Crescent City book wasn’t bad like I’ve heard some people say; it was a pretty good ending for the characters and overall story while leaving room for spinoffs or additional books down the line. And of course I loved the ACOTAR tie ins. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cursing, Blood, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Sexual content, Torture, and Violence

Moderate: Genocide, Gore, Physical abuse, Slavery, War, Excrement, and Fire/Fire injury

Minor: Kidnapping, Sexual assault, Gun violence, Classism, Domestic abuse, Grief, Excrement, and Confinement

liss_reads's review against another edition

adventurous medium-paced

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

1.0

Don’t bother. SJM is really just collecting her check. 

The manuscript was clearly rushed out the door by the publisher - occasionally lacking appropriate punctuation or even finishing a sentence in one case. Could have used more revision. How could ALL of the events that took place in this way too long book have happened over the course of one week??

Bryce is a the antithesis of the character she was built out to be in the first two books, and the mimicked those she claimed to rally against. The other characters are fighting for air time somehow in such a long book. Lidia is best supporting actress. 

Two extra irritating things: 
- the entire book is written like a tv show- short scenes with constant location changes - but there are no visual indicators. Not even a chapter change to swap locations and characters. Just a double line break between paragraphs and we’re jumping one world to another. 
- the most irksome sentences in these books are “it was all he could do” WHAT WAS ALL HE COULD DO?? 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Body horror, Gore, War, and Torture

Moderate: Blood, Death, Gun violence, Misogyny, and Colonisation

jennipea382's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful inspiring mysterious reflective sad tense slow-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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: War, Body horror, Slavery, Blood, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Torture, and Violence

Moderate: Misogyny, Classism, Child death, Physical abuse, and Grief

psydneigh's review against another edition

adventurous mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

The battle was too easy for me. Wish we had been in Bryce’s head a little more in Part 1 because I still dont get why she did some things. 
There are 5 bonus chapters (you can find them all on Reddit)

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Blood, Death of parent, Gun violence, Sexual violence, Torture, War, and Confinement

elledanie's review against another edition

adventurous 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? It's complicated

5.0

✨🪽🩶🦌👨‍🎤🖤

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Torture

Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, War, Slavery, Sexism, Murder, Violence, Sexual content, Gore, and Fire/Fire injury

Minor: Gun violence, Pregnancy, Cursing, Death, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Blood, Death of parent, and Confinement

sam_gartley91's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful 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? No

3.75

Loved it! And really anything SJM does. But it was really whiplashy with multiple pov in the same chapter. And that Bryce seemed to be doing some of the work off page at times so she knew things the audience didn’t. She did that last book too and it wasn’t my fav. It wasn’t like that the audience was learning with her. It bugged me a bit. The fantasy meets sci-fi was interesting and I don’t think I’ve seen that before. There are still some characters that I would love to learn more about. Like what is fury?!! So I’m curious where if anywhere SjM is going next with this series world. The cross over wasn’t exactly what I expected good at times and a little let down at others. I really just wanted them all to be friends!! Which maybe in the future they will/could get there. But overall SjM did seem to tie everything up in a bow. Now it’s for the world to reset itself up. Overall loved it but wish it was difffernt at times.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Death of parent, Grief, Torture, Violence, Blood, Body horror, Cannibalism, Death, Gun violence, Classism, and War

Moderate: Police brutality, Cursing, Misogyny, Slavery, Kidnapping, and Toxic relationship

Minor: Excrement and Abandonment

embelle's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional medium-paced

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

4.5

Going to need several days to process all that is House of Flame and Shadow. With the sheer amount of content that’s covered, it honestly felt like reading 3 books in one. Was it my favorite Sarah J Maas book ever? No. But were there parts that I really enjoyed and did I still speed through this book at the edge of my seat while losing my cool!? Undoubtedly yes! Sarah J Maas’s world building abilities are next level, and this now has me sooooo excited for ALL her future books (if you know, you know!) 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual content, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Colonisation, Kidnapping, Classism, Death, Blood, Body horror, Fire/Fire injury, Gore, Murder, Gun violence, and War