Reviews tagging 'Gore'

The Fifth Season by N.K. Jemisin

81 reviews

seemz's review against another edition

adventurous dark 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: Gore, Forced institutionalization, Racism, Rape, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Torture, Xenophobia, Injury/Injury detail, Child death, Sexual content, Violence, and Grief

Moderate: Fire/Fire injury, Bullying, Murder, and Pedophilia

Minor: Alcohol, Transphobia, and Vomit

neni's review

adventurous dark emotional mysterious 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

4.25

 I had high expections for this book since everyone and their mothers seem to reccomend it highly. 

I must say, I knew it had dark themes, but I wasn’t prepared for just how dark and how pervasive the whole thing was. I think that’s what took down the enjoyment factor a bit for me, I get that life is hard in this universe, but I kinda hate when authors make us care for the main characters and then put them through nothing but pain and suffering for the whole book. I mean, can’t they be at least a little bit happy? lmao I totally recognize that’s a personal taste thing and not exactly a fault with the book. Maybe if I had read it at a different time in my life I would have felt another way, but I couldn’t help but get a little bit depressed everytime I read a new chapter. 

Other than that though, this book was pretty much impeccable. 

The writing style was beautiful and engaging, and somehow managed to create an incredibly emotional environment and deliver powerful feelings without being super flowery or descriptive, which I found impressive. It was to the point, but impactful? Quite unique from what I’ve been reading and a weirdly appropriate choice in a book thats about stone wielders. 

On that note, I think the greatest strength of the book is definitely the worldbuilding. The magic system (if it can even be described as magic, some cool natural phenomenon turned technology out of a sci-fi novel would be just as accurate to describe it) is superb in its complexity and originality. All of the rules and the way their powers work around them are fascinating to read about. 

The way the author organized the plot and the pacing was stellar as well. She did that super satisfying thing that authors do where the book starts with a bunch of different threads and timelines that seem disconnected but that get progressively closer to each other and it all comes to a head as this “everything is connected” climax. Pretty cool 

The character’s as well were nicely fleshed out. But again, thinking about them makes me sad lol 

Overall, a great read for fantasy and sci-fi fans alike. Was a tiny bit too sad and depressing for me to find extremely enjoyable, but still I don’t regret reading it. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Gore, Kidnapping, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Torture, Blood, Child abuse, Rape, Toxic relationship, Violence, Animal death, Murder, Slavery, and Suicidal thoughts

Moderate: Ableism, Fire/Fire injury, Blood, Vomit, and Xenophobia

shieldbearer's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious reflective sad 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

A masterpiece of worldbuilding and character study. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Blood, Slavery, Child death, Grief, Violence, Gore, Child abuse, Sexual content, Injury/Injury detail, Torture, Murder, Emotional abuse, and Xenophobia

Moderate: Pedophilia, Medical content, Body horror, Classism, Kidnapping, Pregnancy, and Rape

Minor: Cannibalism, Confinement, Sexual violence, and Transphobia

atalea's review

adventurous dark emotional mysterious medium-paced

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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content

Moderate: Child death, Gore, Classism, Pregnancy, and Body horror

Minor: Cannibalism and Animal death

cozyteareads's review against another edition

adventurous dark reflective 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? It's complicated

5.0

I saw this book recommended a few places and I finally got around to reading it. I had a bit of trouble getting into it at first, but once I finally did, I sped through it. The twists and reveals are super interesting and incredible. I can’t wait to read the next one.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Cursing, Grief, and Child death

Moderate: Death, Body horror, and Gore

Minor: Cannibalism, Vomit, and Transphobia

vigil's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

• 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? It's complicated

5.0

what was that???!!??

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Content Warnings

Graphic: War, Torture, Slavery, Physical abuse, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, Gore, Grief, Genocide, Cursing, Alcohol, Body horror, Violence, Sexual content, Sexual assault, Racism, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Death, Child death, Blood, and Cannibalism

gwendolynaudrey_reads's review

adventurous dark 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

4.75

SOOOO close to a 5 star, but it took too long to get my attention in the beginning and kinda dragged until I was suddenly hooked. I love the atmosphere and the world and I think this might be a 5 star series overall. We shall see. Highly recommend and can’t wait to read the second. There is a decent twist that you could sort of see coming but is still fascinating to say the least.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Slavery, Grief, Child death, Torture, Sexual content, Gore, and Child abuse

Minor: Pedophilia

steveatwaywords's review

adventurous dark inspiring 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

Jemisin offers not only a fresh take on the genre fantasy formula; not only potent statements on diversity, tolerance, and captivity; not only environmental arguments backgrounded in historical and political theory--I was drawn in particular to her narrative voice, the sardonic attitude of distanced wisdom and casual tone. She relates the tale echoing the judgment of readers along the way, placing therefore the gravity of the storytelling not upon anything "epic" but upon the choices of her characters, the relationships they negotiate, and the understanding of an entire planet as a character in the drama. Moving straight on to the second volume....

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content and Violence

Moderate: Gore

spookiieej's review against another edition

adventurous challenging mysterious tense fast-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

3.0

The book was very hard to get into, so it took me a while to get through it. I love the concept, but I kept struggling to read. I also didn't really understand what was happening in some parts and it was hard to keep switching perspectives.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Confinement, Death, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual content, and Violence

rebeccajost's review against another edition

challenging 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? It's complicated

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Body horror, Bullying, Child abuse, Colonisation, Death, Emotional abuse, Forced institutionalization, Gore, Genocide, Medical trauma, Sexual content, Slavery, Suicide attempt, Torture, Violence, War, Xenophobia, Racism, and Racial slurs

Moderate: Pedophilia and Rape

Minor: Pregnancy and Vomit