Reviews tagging 'Gore'

Furies of Calderon by Jim Butcher

7 reviews

midnightsharkist's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.75

Jim Butcher storytelling is excellent. However the way he writes romance and sexual tensions  does feel cliché and overdone at times. Still a very enjoyable read. 

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Content Warnings

Minor: Cannibalism, Rape, Death, and Gore

Mostly implied but it is part of the content.

iono's review against another edition

adventurous medium-paced

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

3.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cannibalism, Misogyny, Rape, Sexual violence, Slavery, Torture, Violence, and War

Moderate: Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, Physical abuse, Sexism, and Sexual content

Minor: Alcohol, Animal death, Blood, Death of parent, Gore, Medical content, Mental illness, Murder, and Infertility

crochetasdmamareads's review against another edition

adventurous emotional hopeful mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.25

Furies of Calderon is the first book in the Codex Alera series. It is wonderfully written and definitely keeps the readers attention. 

I love that the story is told from the different characters perspectives and every few chapters you get to jump to a different character. Yes there are some things that are predictable in the book but there are some MAJOR things that make you go “wait what!?!” 

Jim Butcher has a wonderful way of creating a world and truly giving you so many details without overwhelming you with the details. The main characters are lovable even the antagonists have some redeeming qualities. If you enjoy Larry Correia this would be a good book to try.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Injury/Injury detail, Physical abuse, Domestic abuse, Bullying, Gore, and Slavery

phantomgecko's review against another edition

adventurous dark medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.5

Interesting plot, likeable characters. Surprisingly dark tho. My library characterized this as young adult, so I was surprised by all the cannibalism, gore, rape.

There are other uncomfy elements as well. Didn't love the depiction of the Marat. They were characterized in the beginning as less than human beasts, which was okay until actually interacting with them. Like, wow my guy, these are human people, maybe don't continue describing them like literal animals.

Isana as a character was not very believable for me. Spinster stereotype. Sorry, I just don't believe a capable, emotionally stable adult woman would be jealous of a 14ish year old.

On the other hand, big fan of

Amara and Bernard's relationship. In real life, this age gap is yucky. I'm a sucker for it in fiction, tho.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death and Slavery

Moderate: Xenophobia, Sexual assault, Rape, Sexual violence, Ableism, Torture, Racism, War, Violence, Cannibalism, Misogyny, and Gore

katievallin's review against another edition

adventurous emotional funny hopeful inspiring mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Racism, Trafficking, Violence, Animal death, Blood, Body horror, Kidnapping, Child death, Domestic abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Gore, War, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Physical abuse, Slavery, and Torture

Moderate: Ableism, Rape, Body shaming, Bullying, Suicidal thoughts, Cannibalism, Infidelity, Sexual assault, Sexual content, and Toxic friendship

Minor: Death of parent, Alcohol, Infertility, and Vomit

wickedgrumpy's review against another edition

slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

1.5

I have so many issues with this book.

Where to start?  I think the whole 600+ pages covers roughly two days (maybe up to four or five, but definitely not even a whole week).  Yes, it's multiple POV, but I think part of the problem was that it was sooo long.  It seemed like half the time it was the person trying to guess and analyze what another person would do, then next chapter we get the other POV and they are doing the same thing.  Later in the book there were some better interactions with show don't tell, but it was pretty rough overall.  I considered DNF many times through the book and I think by the time I got to the 50% marker, was when I began to hate read it.  I'm talking about when you highlight and comment sarcastically about all the WTF moments and the convenient plot armor at just the right time.

There was no real consistency in the "magic system", like can all of the elemental furies (which I struggled to no read as furries the entire book) alter emotional states?  Like, the firecrafters, sure I can see the hotheaded type emotions making sense, but like watercrafters feel all emotions, and then an earthcrafter can also stoke the flames of passion?  It seemed like whatever was convenient at the time was what that person would be able to do with their fury.

While on the subject of passion - TW for gang rape.  Gross.  Why is rape such a common theme in fantasy?  It is desensitizing and that whole small plot line was dumb in the first place.

The romantic pairings were also very problematic for me.  So much cheating , and then Isana is like, maybe early 20s (referred to as a girl and young woman multiple times) and she is insta-infatuated with an older man who is in his 40s (but don't worry, he looks younger so it's fine when they make out multiple times through the book.  Blech.).  As for Aldrick and Odiana, they seem to oddly have the healthiest relationship?  In like a super creepy way since they are both obsessed with killing.

Will not be continuing with the series even though I've heard this is the worst book and it gets so much better.  No thank you.

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Content Warnings

Minor: Drug use, Fire/Fire injury, Gore, Infertility, Physical abuse, Torture, Misogyny, Violence, Blood, Bullying, Child abuse, Death, Rape, Stalking, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Murder, Animal death, Cannibalism, Medical trauma, Pedophilia, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Sexual content, Slavery, and War

romiress's review against another edition

adventurous tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.25

I loved this series when I first read it, but I'm a bit more iffy on parts of it now. The main 'romance' feels forced and frankly awful, and there are a lot of bits that make me squint. The battles, though - some of the best battle writing I've read in ages, and I LOVE the way the magic system is handled.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: War, Rape, Fire/Fire injury, Blood, Gore, Trafficking, Murder, Death, Animal death, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Xenophobia, Torture, Misogyny, Confinement, and Cannibalism

Moderate: Suicidal thoughts and Sexual content