Reviews tagging 'Grief'

The Grief of Stones by Katherine Addison

11 reviews

bergha1998'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? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

I enjoyed this one quite a lot more than the first of the series. The twists and turns of the multiple mysteries were intriguing, and I found this one far less depressing. I would love more romance, but I get why it is the way it is. 

Character development, World building

“It made me feel better, as if all problems were inherently solvable, as if no answer I chose would be wrong.”

“It was not, after all, so heavy that I could not carry it, and while it was unwise to hope the damage might miraculously be repaired, it was also unwise to forget that I had thought myself destroyed once before and been wrong.”

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual harassment, Injury/Injury detail, Emotional abuse, Violence, Death, Child abuse, Murder, Gaslighting, and Grief

Minor: Pedophilia

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

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

the_bees_books's review

adventurous challenging dark funny hopeful mysterious sad 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

3.75

The exciting sequel to The Witness for the Dead, featuring a cast of beloved and new characters, plus a whole host of brand new mysteries! 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gaslighting, Panic attacks/disorders, Emotional abuse, Child abuse, Death, Grief, and Child death

Moderate: Sexual harassment, Murder, Suicide, Racism, and Domestic abuse

Minor: War, Violence, and Alcohol

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

themockingbird's review against another edition

mysterious reflective 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

Moderate: Death and Grief

Minor: Suicide and Miscarriage

ehmannky's review

emotional medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

Truly think it was better than the first one of this series. I thought the mysteries were tighter, and I enjoyed seeing so many completely unrelated mysteries and uses of Thara's time. Also, I love that the book just focuses on his depression and the way that those around him refuse to let him shut them out and constantly show their desire to care for him. It's just all very good. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence and Grief

Moderate: Suicide and Suicide attempt

Minor: Homophobia

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

quirkykayleetam's review

emotional mysterious reflective 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

https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZTReNM9dy/?k=1

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Murder, Suicide, and Grief

Moderate: Abandonment, Bullying, Miscarriage, and Trafficking