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luis_vieira's review
- 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
5.0
Graphic: Confinement, Death, Murder, Violence, Domestic abuse, Gore, Police brutality, Racial slurs, Blood, Body horror, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, Torture, Cursing, and Physical abuse
Moderate: Slavery, Colonisation, Toxic relationship, Classism, Xenophobia, Confinement, Grief, Racism, and Toxic friendship
Minor: Abandonment, Cannibalism, Kidnapping, Vomit, War, Dysphoria, Alcohol, Rape, and Sexual content
nerdkitten's review
- 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
5.0
Graphic: Blood, Cursing, Death, Misogyny, Body horror, Injury/Injury detail, Classism, Violence, Fire/Fire injury, Gore, Animal death, Alcohol, Torture, Physical abuse, Murder, Sexism, Alcoholism, and Domestic abuse
Moderate: Ableism, Confinement, Deportation, Medical content, Panic attacks/disorders, Racism, Slavery, Trafficking, Vomit, Xenophobia, Excrement, Fatphobia, War, and Body shaming
Minor: Slavery, Sexual content, Adult/minor relationship, Death of parent, Cannibalism, Child death, Rape, Sexual assault, Colonisation, Grief, Police brutality, Child abuse, and Genocide
ratat0sk42's review
- 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
5.0
It has smooth and easy to read prose, and lots of style with a surprisingly funny edge to its narration. Every single character has depth and motivations that make you unsure if they're the good guy or the bad guy at any given moment.
One thing some people may take issue with us that the book doesn't really have much of a plot in the traditional sense, not much actually happens but I found the characters tso engrossing I didn't mind at all.
Another thing of note is that the book is part of the First Law trilogy, which is less three stories that fit together than one big story cut into thirds, as such it doesn't really end, it just flows into the next book. If you read this book, you're in for the long haul. it's a damn good though.
Graphic: Ableism, Death, Chronic illness, Violence, War, Torture, Suicidal thoughts, Slavery, Physical abuse, Murder, Kidnapping, Emotional abuse, Toxic relationship, Injury/Injury detail, and Gore
Moderate: Child abuse, Sexual content, Colonisation, Body horror, Blood, Xenophobia, Trafficking, and Cannibalism
Minor: Death of parent, Alcoholism, and Grief
singalana's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Graphic: Chronic illness, Injury/Injury detail, Gore, Death, Physical abuse, Torture, and Violence
Moderate: Medical trauma, Xenophobia, Vomit, Dementia, Kidnapping, and War
Minor: Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, Excrement, Animal death, and Toxic relationship
marthadude's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Graphic: Alcohol, War, Violence, Torture, Slavery, Sexism, Racism, Murder, Misogyny, Injury/Injury detail, Gore, Death, Blood, Cursing, and Xenophobia
Moderate: Ableism, Vomit, Physical abuse, Excrement, Fatphobia, Animal death, Cannibalism, and Domestic abuse
Minor: Sexual content
triforception's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
Logen begins the story quite boring and stock, but as we learn more about him and see him interact with the wider world and other characters, he gains a lot more of his own shape. Luthar never really won me over, but I began to accept him quite a lot more when it became clear that the author wasn’t necessarily on his side either. Glotka is flat out amazing, an extremely well-realized character, the best of the bunch. A faster pace would certainly have been nice, as well as an earlier introduction to some of the later narrators
If you’re willing to read this book for what it is, an extended introduction and establishment of characters for the main story, I think you can have a wonderful time with The Blade Itself. There’s a lot beneath the surface of an otherwise normal low-fantasy story that hints at complex characters ripe for the developing, a truly dark and somewhat horrific mythology and magic system, and some very fulfilling intrigue in the next books.
Graphic: Violence, Torture, Death, Child death, Ableism, Domestic abuse, Sexism, and Slavery
Moderate: Sexual content and Sexual assault
apiecalypsejen's review
- 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
Graphic: Trafficking, Misogyny, Injury/Injury detail, Blood, Animal death, Alcohol, Addiction, Racism, Murder, Mental illness, Medical trauma, Medical content, Drug abuse, Cursing, Confinement, War, Violence, Kidnapping, Gore, Genocide, Alcoholism, Torture, Slavery, Sexual content, Self harm, Physical abuse, Excrement, Drug use, Death, Sexual violence, Vomit, Body horror, and Abandonment
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Toxic friendship, Colonisation, Xenophobia, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Bullying
Minor: Rape