Reviews tagging 'Sexual content'

Mad Ship by Robin Hobb

4 reviews

laraloops's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional 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

4.75

I really liked this book it's a good second book, building further on the themes and mysteries of the last book. There were revelations that were not super huge as they've been building even from the last trilogy (Assassin's Quest specifically) - the "parasites" the tangle was talking about about mid way through the book still caught me off guard. 

 For many people this was better than the first book - while I do like the action it had I felt like the way it climaxed felt more of a second book's climax, I didn't feel like it was as much of a climax as a preparation for the next book . That said I immediately got the third book and will keep reading it. 

As with any Robin Hobb book the characters felt realistic and changed in their own ways. Wintrow is slowly getting more used to the pirate life, Kennit is continually being a piece of shit that everyone keeps interpreting as having a heart of gold (I find he is a very realistic depiction of men in power/men who have been abused and who fall back into the cycle of abuse). I love all the women in the Vestrit family. Malta especially grew in a realistic way

though I do continually feel uncomfortable with the fact she is continually referenced as adult/grown for her age at 13/14. I'm hoping it gets better in the next book but I am continually side eyeing Reyn

. There was definitely more sexual violence in this book and those bits were harder to read through. I do not mind their inclusion though I feel like some parts could have been less descriptive - I feel like the way SA is included in Assassins Quest or even Ship of Magic did the job well enough without as much description. This is more of a product of the time and is more of a nitpick. 

I found Kennit's point of view to be fascinating.  The beginning had me actively wishing

he would survive and the line that he would not breathe again made me put down the book. Of course, ,by the end I was back to thinking maybe it would have been best if he stayed dead.

He is undoubtedly a terrible guy with terrible thoughts and you can very clearly see the moments that his internal monologue conflicts with what he is actually feeling. The plans he has with Etta and Wintrow directly conflict with his actual feelings and he doesn't recognize it - his conversation with Etta later on in the book is so good at showing his actual feelings though his inner narration tries to convince him otherwise. His full backstory is not revealed yet,  but his charm gives enough that you can guess what abuse he faced and it makes me worry for the next book. 

One improvement in this book is that there is no Regal - a man who is terrible and continues to be terrible and in power. I felt at times in Farseer that he was just a villain and not much more than that (though I felt his end was very interesting). The closest too him is Kyle

who by this time is squestered away and slightly worrying me with what he could be up to or convince people to do.

or Satrap. The Satrap is the most like Regal and I feel the consequences of his actions have impacts on himself unlike Regal throughout most of the three books. He indulges in his vices and there are real consequences to his land and the Bingtown traders. In other words I feel that the antagonists are some of the most realistic we have seen. 

I could continue on with this book, it may not be my favorite but it continually gives me things to think about. Unlike other fantasy books that I could not say much about other than to say they are good I feel this one has real weight to it that lends to literary analysis. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Slavery, Violence, and Rape

Moderate: Sexual content

maithaalfalasi's review against another edition

adventurous medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape and Sexual assault

Moderate: Sexual content

talonsontypewriters's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional tense 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? Yes

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Pedophilia, Drug use, Slavery, Trafficking, Fire/Fire injury, Confinement, Rape, Sexual assault, Violence, Death, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, Gore, Medical content, Misogyny, Sexism, Sexual violence, and Physical abuse

Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Kidnapping, Body horror, War, Abandonment, Grief, Sexual harassment, Sexual content, Animal death, Addiction, Drug abuse, and Alcohol

Minor: Vomit, Classism, Ableism, Excrement, Death of parent, Homophobia, Pregnancy, and Xenophobia

Sexual coercion, abuse of power; victim blaming/rape culture (challenged), complicity in assault and abuse. Descriptions of sexual abuse and rape in captivity as well as the aftermath thereof, but no graphic scene; attempted rape and discussion thereof in one scene. Withdrawal. Illness, epidemic. Earthquakes. Relationships between adult men and pre-teen/teenage girls, as well as allusions to relationships between adult women and teenage boys.

cnohero's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark medium-paced

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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence

Moderate: Sexual content

Minor: Rape and Sexual assault