Reviews tagging 'Sexual violence'

The Grief of Stones by Katherine Addison

10 reviews

pvbobrien's review

emotional 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Murder, and Violence

Moderate: Sexual violence, Suicide, Child abuse, and Grief

Minor: Miscarriage, Pedophilia, Homophobia, and Pregnancy

marenjk's review

adventurous dark emotional sad slow-paced

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

4.5

This is exactly the kind of thing I love. Thara Celehar does not fail to be a compelling narrator, perhaps he is even more engaging in The Grief of Stones than he was for The Witness for the Dead.
I liked the first book a lot, and I loved this one even more. A lot of that had to do with me being "broken in" to the setting of the story; I'll admit that the titles and the linguistics of naming conventions had me scrambling through The Goblin Emperor and halfway through The Witness for the Dead. Nevertheless, the story and the heart of the characters shine through. 
The mystery of this installment was one I found very compelling, and I think had a larger influence on the shape of the story than the mystery of Shiveän's murder had on The Witness for the Dead. I adore the new characters we've been introduced to, and I look forward to what adventures lie in store for them.
Thara Celehar is a good man riddled guilt who wonders why any one would love him, and it for that reason and many others he has a resolute fan in me.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death and Grief

Moderate: Sexual violence, Child abuse, Suicide, Domestic abuse, Kidnapping, Physical abuse, Homophobia, Panic attacks/disorders, Pregnancy, Torture, Misogyny, and Trafficking

Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Injury/Injury detail, Ableism, Outing, Suicidal thoughts, Pedophilia, and Rape

jupitermond's review against another edition

emotional mysterious sad 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide, Death, Murder, and Child abuse

Minor: Sexual violence, Sexual assault, and Miscarriage

kal517's review against another edition

emotional 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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Child abuse, and Murder

Moderate: Sexual violence, Suicide, and Sexual assault

Minor: Homophobia

achingallover's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective tense 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Miscarriage, Child abuse, Pregnancy, Sexual violence, Death, Grief, Child death, Murder, Pedophilia, and Suicide

aehc's review

adventurous reflective tense medium-paced

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

4.5

I anticipate it will take exactly six books for Thara Celehar to emotionally heal and accept that he has inherent worth as a human (or elf) being, but I'm excited to read every one of them. As always, the world of the Ethuveraz is rich and compelling, and Addison does none of the exposition dumping common in fantasy, trusting her readers to work things out from context. The world opens a bit more in every book, and they all reward close attention and re-reads. Celehar is wonderful as our flawed but deeply good protagonist; his profound awkwardness is matched only by his deep commitment to justice and to his calling.

I'm fascinated by how Celehar's loss of his connection to the dead will drive forward his character development. Tomasaran is a great addition to the cast; her presence shakes up the status quo and lets us see different parts of the world that Celehar, as a man and a lifelong prelate, doesn't have access to. I'm excited to get to know her further in the next book and see how her and Celehar's student/mentor relationship evolves as she becomes the official Witness.

And of course, the slow burn romance of all time, Iäna Pel-Thenhior. The opera and the arts scene in Amalo is such an interesting contrast to Celehar's usual haunts, and I loved how Celehar continues to be drawn in while realizing he's playing with fire. But Iäna is so fiercely trying, and I have faith that these  two crazy kids (read: middle aged men) can make it work.
 

The mysteries in this book were a little less compelling than in The Witness for the Dead, but the rich character work and the worldbuilding provide more than enough to sink your teeth into. I'm so excited for the third book, and I hope Addison continues to find compelling stories to tell in this world. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Sexual violence, Child abuse, and Suicide

thewitchwhoisabook's review

adventurous dark emotional mysterious reflective sad medium-paced

• 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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Toxic relationship, Sexual violence, Rape, Violence, Suicide, Slavery, Murder, Grief, and Child abuse

taffy's review

dark mysterious sad medium-paced

4.0

I am once again asking for someone to give Thara Celehar a hug

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death and Suicide

Moderate: Child abuse and Sexual violence

aardwyrm's review

adventurous dark emotional mysterious tense slow-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? It's complicated

4.0

I like the odd pacing of these stories and the lack of a traditional act structure, which gives the world a lived in, immediate feel and walks the reader through the mysteries in the same sense of disorientation and wonder as the main character. The worldbuilding is richly made and sparsely explained, just the way I like it, with a lot of good conlang work (that I'm afraid is mostly wasted on me). That said, I think book one was more effective, but nothing is less surprising than a bit of a book two slump. The new characters and slow simmering plot threads promise good to come. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Pedophilia, Suicide, Classism, Sexual violence, Grief, Violence, Death, Sexism, Child abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Miscarriage, Murder, Confinement, Rape, and Trafficking

bethanycrowepowell's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• 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

Moderate: Child abuse, Physical abuse, Murder, and Death

Minor: Pedophilia, Sexual violence, Suicide, Trafficking, Racism, and Homophobia

This book tangles with the way that the vulnerable are exploited in a place without safeguards in place, including teen girls. This is handled carefully, with all MCs showing horror about it, and no descriptions. It is also treated with the kind of sadness and nuance of complicity that marks a mature engagement with this kind of subject matter.