Reviews tagging 'Slavery'

The Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtue by Mackenzi Lee

98 reviews

marieos's review against another edition

adventurous funny hopeful inspiring mysterious fast-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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Chronic illness, Blood, Death of parent, and Alcohol

Moderate: Gore, Gun violence, Sexual content, Slavery, and Forced institutionalization

Minor: Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide attempt

solitaire_and_checkers's review

adventurous emotional funny informative lighthearted 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? It's complicated

5.0

It's a good book if you want to get somewhere a historically accurate queer couple from the 70's (I think that's when the story takes place). The amount of character development from Monty is a lot and it all is reasonable. Monty's relationship with Felicity was quite impressive. And I can't end this review without mentioning the beauty of Monty and Percy. They go together like Peanut Butter and Jelly. 5 Stars🌟

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Alcoholism, Biphobia, Cursing, Homophobia, Racism, Toxic relationship, and Alcohol

Moderate: Racial slurs and Sexual content

Minor: Sexism, Slavery, Violence, Vomit, Medical content, and Injury/Injury detail

catacosmick's review

adventurous emotional 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

3.0

A cutesy but kinda flat YA adventure novel. I was enjoying it up until the Robles got involved and then it just…well, deteriorated

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Child abuse, Homophobia, and Racism

Moderate: Ableism and Suicidal thoughts

Minor: Slavery, Forced institutionalization, and Medical content

sahla's review

adventurous challenging emotional funny hopeful lighthearted mysterious relaxing 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

this book is the best thing that's happened to me since my discovery of ao3, and that's saying something. it made me so happy. i've laughed a lot and gotten my heart broken at times, too, only to mend it right back. i've fallen irrevocably in love with monty, and despite his very many flaws, i wouldn't have him any other way. he is a delightful character to see the world through, with high levels of self-loathing masked behind a great show of narcissism. he is, however, very much self-absorbed, and by the end, begins to realise this and makes an effort to change, to show love and empathy to those around him. 

i'm honest to god head over heels for every character: monty, percy, felicity, scipio, and even ebrahim, the very minor character and a part of the worst pirate crew in the history of piracy. percy and monty's relationship is written so beautifully, equal parts gut-wrenching pining and light-hearted banter. 

Can’t seal up a conversation with a casual Oh, by the way, could you perhaps not touch me the way you always have because each time it puts fresh splinters in my heart? Particularly when what I’d really like to say is Oh, by the way, could you please keep touching me, and perhaps do it all the time, and while we’re at it, would you like to take off all your clothes and climb in bed? They’re both weighted alike.

and i love, love the p.o.c representation, the fact that the author could have very easily taken the "oh, it's 18th century england" route to simply not have any non-white characters yet chose not to, and in fact wrote them well, doing justice to the struggle of racialised people of this era without making the entire personality be their race and racial trauma. 

and i am so happy to find out that there's a sequel, and i can't wait to dive right back into this world, this time through the eyes of felicity "men are such babies" montague.

(also, this book concludes my 2024 reading challenge of reading 24 books, and im glad this was the book i decided to end my year with.)

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Homophobia, Racism, and Xenophobia

Moderate: Misogyny

Minor: Slavery

nklimczak's review against another edition

adventurous funny 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Homophobia, Physical abuse, Racism, and Sexism

Moderate: Alcoholism, Chronic illness, Violence, Medical content, and Alcohol

Minor: Ableism, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Forced institutionalization, and Classism

remark18's review against another edition

adventurous funny hopeful 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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Ableism, Alcoholism, Chronic illness, Domestic abuse, Hate crime, Racism, and Sexism

Minor: Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Forced institutionalization, Vomit, Police brutality, and Injury/Injury detail

cecilielaugesen's review against another edition

adventurous challenging funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted 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

3.75

I like the broad representation in this book, and I like the way it’s written - it’s funny in a beautiful kind of way.
Other than that I found this book very underwhelming and a bit disappointing.
Mainly because the main character, Monty, is useless and very annoying. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Kidnapping, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Forced institutionalization, Medical content, Medical trauma, Fire/Fire injury, and Gaslighting

Minor: Ableism, Biphobia, Confinement, Mental illness, Slavery, Violence, Blood, Acephobia/Arophobia, and Colonisation

theaceofpages's review against another edition

adventurous lighthearted 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

3.75

I'll admit that I don't read a massive amount of historical fiction. But I've heard about this one a few times so I thought I'd give it a try. I ended up enjoying it more than I thought I would! Monty is sent for a tour across Europe (under the watch of a chauffer of course!) after he is expelled from Eaton. While he is delighted to be joined by his long time friend (and more recent love interest) Percy (a black son of a duke who is heading off to Holland afterwards), he is less happy that his sister Felicity is being sent along before she goes to finishing school (although she would really rather be a doctor). They manage to lose their chauffer after being attacked by highwaymen and go on their own adventure, chasing the secrets hidden by an artifact Monty stole in France.  The plot felt a bit convoluted at times but overall I enjoyed the journey 

Diverse historical fiction is rare. At least in mainstream spaces. It was delightful to see some broader representation than is common. This one tackles race, sexuality, sexism and the way disorders like epilepsy were treated. I absolutely loved Felicity and her spirit. While there are definitely similarities between her and Monty, she has a compassion he lacks. Monty however... Yeah. He was a bit of a self centred jerk. I do appreciate that he started to mature towards the end and look beyond his own feelings and desires. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Homophobia, Misogyny, and Racism

Moderate: Biphobia, Child abuse, Confinement, Physical abuse, Violence, Forced institutionalization, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Gun violence and Slavery

kmoz's review against another edition

adventurous emotional funny hopeful 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

This book had absolutely no right to be so cute. Also I wanted to strangle Monty for about half the book, that boy makes terrible choices. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Chronic illness, Homophobia, and Sexism

Minor: Gun violence, Slavery, and Blood

katie0528's review against another edition

adventurous funny lighthearted fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

A fun adventure following Monty, the rakeish bisexual son of a lord, his younger sister Felicity, who wishes to become a physician, and Percy, Monty's Black best friend who he is desperately in love with. The trio set out on a Grand Tour of Europe but it doesn't take Monty to make an enemy of one of the most powerful men in France who chases them across the continent. There are touches of magic in this novel which I didn't expect at first.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Biphobia, Homophobia, Racism, and Classism

Moderate: Child abuse, Chronic illness, Racial slurs, Violence, and Forced institutionalization

Minor: Ableism, Gun violence, Physical abuse, Self harm, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Medical content, and Colonisation