Reviews tagging 'Body horror'

The Stone Sky by N.K. Jemisin

49 reviews

readingelli's review against another edition

challenging dark tense medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Gore, Body horror, Death, Cannibalism, Violence, Death of parent, and Slavery

ailsaod's review

challenging dark emotional sad 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

4.0

 There was a bit of what I like to call third book overbuildup here - the mysteries of books one and two were very intriguing but in this book there wasn't quite enough time to unpack everything so you feel a bit overwhelmed. There is a lot of ground to cover - both in terms of narrative and distance and while the getting there was interesting the final destination was a bit eh. I was pretty sure going in that there wasn't going to be a happy ending given the tone of this trilogy but I am still here asking what am I supposed to do with this?? (I shall not go into any further detail because spoilers but I did not find it satisfying at all!)

I did however appreciate there being an in universe reason for the trilogy being in second person, now that was very cool! I also enjoyed how cool some of the settings visited in this book were and how they still stick in my mind all these months later.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Death of parent, Death, Murder, Grief, Terminal illness, and Body horror

emilymia's review

adventurous challenging dark

• 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? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence and War

Moderate: Suicidal thoughts and Body horror

leanne_miron's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional reflective 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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Genocide, Grief, and Death

Moderate: Murder, Abandonment, Body horror, Violence, and Xenophobia

Minor: Cannibalism

drips's review

challenging dark emotional 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? Yes

4.5

a few tiny plot holes nagged at me but overall it's a beautiful heart wrenching conclusion to the trilogy. what a pleasure to raze through a series in a week again (and so much food for thought to boot! i'll probably read these again one day, maybe in paperback)

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Violence, and Domestic abuse

Moderate: Murder, Mental illness, Grief, Gore, Genocide, Body horror, Blood, Child abuse, War, Suicide attempt, Slavery, Emotional abuse, Domestic abuse, Cannibalism, Terminal illness, Sexual violence, Pregnancy, Physical abuse, Animal death, and Colonisation

Minor: Cursing and Vomit

yourbookishbff's review

challenging dark emotional hopeful 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

5.0

After finishing The Stone Sky, the final installment in NJ Jemisin's Broken Earth trilogy, I MARVEL at how she pulled off these story arcs across three books. How she managed to examine slavery, motherhood, intergenerational trauma AND a climate crisis - without ANY of these layered allegories feeling incomplete or forced in any way - is genius. 

And while Jemisin deals in BIG global themes, she is also incredibly intimate. She gives such grace to each character that we are consistently pushed to reevaluate our sympathies and our own assumptions. I appreciate that while the fall-out for each character is complex, leaving each in morally grey spaces, the evil at the root of all this tragedy is very clear. Jemisin doesn't leave our interpretation to chance here - she (Hoa) will interject frequently, and we're reminded that for every single crime committed, other choices were always possible.

This series is HEAVY with lots of on-page trauma (please check content warnings!). But I highly recommend. I will be carrying these characters in my heart.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Slavery, Body horror, Racism, Torture, Murder, Abandonment, Death, Racial slurs, and Genocide

Moderate: Death of parent

Minor: Cannibalism

beccaand's review

adventurous dark emotional 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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Grief, Body horror, Death, Genocide, and Death of parent

Moderate: Injury/Injury detail and Slavery

Minor: Sexual content and Cannibalism

wren_rainbow's review

4.0

Such a bittersweet feeling upon completing this trilogy. I completed it still quite not understanding the world and inner workings. A lot of questions left unanswered. < I don’t blame Nassun for her choices and understand why she was making them >. My heart aches for them all but hope that it works out in the end. <Also wish I could see a snippet of Essun and Alabaster’s reunion as well as what her and Hoa end of doing>

I will definitely reread this trilogy in a few years. It will be interesting to read this with a whole new perspective 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Genocide, Death, Body horror, Grief, War, Xenophobia, and Violence

Moderate: Cannibalism, Slavery, Gore, Confinement, and Physical abuse

cerilouisereads's review

adventurous challenging emotional mysterious 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Death, Abandonment, and Death of parent

Moderate: Forced institutionalization, Genocide, and Gaslighting

thehmkane's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Body horror

Minor: Child abuse, Abandonment, Adult/minor relationship, and Sexual assault