Reviews tagging 'Gore'

The Wolf and the Woodsman by Ava Reid

185 reviews

owl_eerie's review against another edition

dark mysterious medium-paced

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

2.25

It was so gory, and for why?

Plot was fine. Didn't feel the romance part of it, and Evike was very bland for me.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Gore and Religious bigotry

yikesav's review against another edition

adventurous emotional informative inspiring reflective 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? Yes

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Gore, Genocide, Blood, Violence, Death, Self harm, Colonisation, Religious bigotry, Classism, Racism, Injury/Injury detail, and Body horror

Moderate: Sexual content

jessereadsthings's review against another edition

dark tense fast-paced

3.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Gore and Religious bigotry

Moderate: Antisemitism, Bullying, Xenophobia, and Child abuse

Minor: Animal death

abby_can_read's review against another edition

adventurous dark slow-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

3.0

📱
I enjoyed reading this book. This is kinda what I picture as enemies-to-lovers: enemies to reluctant allies to lovers. The plot was amazing and I adored the characters. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Gore, and Religious bigotry

Moderate: Antisemitism, Death of parent, and Animal death

kellimalea's review against another edition

adventurous dark 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

4.5

I think this is a great fantasy novel for someone who is interested in an adventurous story, but doesn't want to commit to a big series. I definitely think the story could have been fleshed out into multiple books, but it doesn't suffer from lack of content. The development of relationships between people would probably make more sense if it had been stretched out over multiple books, but I think it all still works well. I love that this story draws from Hungarian and Jewish folklore/history, as these aren't common sources for most American literature. I thought the world building was phenomenal. I would recommend this book, with the caveat that it is a dark and heavy read, so may not be everybody's cup of tea.

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Blood, Torture, Violence, and Gore

Minor: Colonisation, Animal death, Xenophobia, Cultural appropriation, Antisemitism, Genocide, Racism, Classism, Death, and Sexual assault

kingcrookback's review against another edition

adventurous dark 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

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Antisemitism, Gore, Religious bigotry, and Violence

Moderate: Animal death, Sexual content, Bullying, Death of parent, and Child abuse

moonchild_cos's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious 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

4.75

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Self harm, Animal death, Death, Gore, Violence, Injury/Injury detail, Blood, Murder, Religious bigotry, and Xenophobia

Moderate: Vomit, Antisemitism, Grief, Animal cruelty, Death of parent, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Bullying, War, and Abandonment

Minor: Torture, Child abuse, Confinement, and Fire/Fire injury

c_dmckinney's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring sad 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

4.75

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Animal death, Bullying, Colonisation, Death of parent, Confinement, Grief, Hate crime, Misogyny, Murder, Antisemitism, Child abuse, Classism, Death, Violence, Genocide, Gore, Religious bigotry, Torture, Blood, Racism, and Emotional abuse

Moderate: Sexual content, Infertility, and Sexual assault

stardust_heidi's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

3.75

I have no idea how to rate this book. I listened to the audiobook. Saskia Maarleveld did an amazing job, as per usual. But the story itself... It was fine? I think part of it was what usually happens when I listen to fantasy on audiobook (for the first time) -- I miss a lot as I go about my day. And I'm fairly slumpy right now. But at the same time, it lacked something that made me look forward to listen to it every day. I think the story was solid enough for me to keep going, for sure, but not enough to love it. It was very gruesome and dark, so beware. The romance was not particularly moving, but I like how they connected by the end. The mythology and lore parts of the story are pulled from is interesting. 

I liked it okay but definitely won't reread it. I'm hoping Ava Reid's other books are better. 😬

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Blood, Body horror, Injury/Injury detail, Toxic friendship, Violence, Emotional abuse, and Gore

iftheshoef1tz's review against another edition

I wanted, so bad, to like this book. The premise is super interesting, and though it’s in first person present, it’s not bad. It’s gory and dark, and the brutality of this world is not left to the imagination.

However.

Instead of letting the relationship between Evike and Gaspar develop more naturally, Reid just beats you with the “he’s actually good” way to early in the book. There is good, believable animosity between them to start, and while I think the bargain between them

to not tell Evike the truth until the end

is just a lazy way of being like “no just keep reading, i promise i’ll explain it,” it at least makes sense and forces them into proximity. (Only one tree root nest! Only one tree root nest!) I would have preferred all these “hints” about Gaspar’s goodness have been withheld or not so easily seen by Evike and instead have the thaw begin when

they talk about their respective dead moms.

It was just too much too early on, and so much of Evike’s narration was spent trying to convince me to feel strongly about this pairing instead of just…letting me feel what I feel.

It also felt very “here is a tale about legends in our world! Sounds fake!” And then they live/experience the folklore, and then there is a moral. Too much monster of the week schtick, too many similes.

Tropes:
Folklore-inspired
Will-they-won’t-they (obviously they will)
Not like other girls
Not like other princes

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Gore