Reviews tagging 'Gore'

The Fifth Season by N.K. Jemisin

81 reviews

lilifane's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious sad tense 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

5.0

Woah, that was intense. It took me a while to get into it first and get used to the writing. Just because the world building is so rich and dense and there is a lot you need to understand. But there are no info dumps, you basically have to learn along the way. It didn’t help that I only discovered the appendix when I was almost done with the book. 🙈 But it was fascinating from the very beginning and definitely worth it. I flew through the second half and couldn’t put it down. The characters are not the most likeable at first but I fell for them, hard. I went through hell and back and more hell with them and they’re basically family now. This is also probably the most diverse fantasy book I‘ve read so far. So many different ethnicities, body forms, hair structures, age groups, sexual orientations and even trans representation. So many different relationship types that are explored. And it‘s also written by a black woman. I‘m a fan! 

The story, uff, it‘s a lot. It’s brutal, disturbing, full of gore, death and physical as well as emotional abuse of children and adults. But it‘s basically about the end of the world, so… I would recommend to check the trigger warnings. On the other hand it deals with important topics like discrimination, oppression, slavery, destruction of the environment. It‘s a depressing story that feels too real. I could write a lot more and still not be able to fully express what this book has done to me. It wrecked me and gave me hope and broke my heart and devastated me. Can‘t wait to read the rest of the trilogy… 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gore, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Physical abuse, Racism, Slavery, Torture, and Violence

Minor: Cannibalism and Pregnancy

dovewrites's review

challenging dark mysterious sad 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

Rocked my whole entire universe. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Child abuse, Child death, and Gore

Moderate: Forced institutionalization and Sexual content

If you’re suffering with climate anxiety maybe steer away until you think you can handle some very intense parallels.

isotope_s's review

adventurous dark mysterious 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

4.0

It’s a fantasy/sci-fi but with enough elements of mystery that it keeps you guessing. 

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Child death, Racism, Racial slurs, and Gore

smiley_ari's review

adventurous challenging dark tense medium-paced

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

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Rape, and Slavery

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Panic attacks/disorders, and Sexual assault

Minor: Pregnancy

bcrowes11's review

adventurous dark emotional sad 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

4.5

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Sexual content, and Gore

Moderate: Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, and Sexual violence

nicolewhopickedthisbook's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense slow-paced

5.0

TW/CW: Child Abuse, mutilation, and Death (including lobotomizing), classism, prejudice, discrimination

This epic fantasy is guaranteed one of the greatest fantasies of our time. The mythology and world-building is so original and fantastical magical while all the while creating thought provoking parallels with our society that we live in today. The plot twists are mind blowing and that ending leaves your hungry for book two! 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Murder, Violence, Torture, and Gore

There is a scene where Syenite and Alabaster find a boy strung up and lobotomized and used for his power

kbusemeyer's review

dark emotional mysterious reflective sad slow-paced

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

4.25

This book started out slow and I didn’t think I was going to get into it at first, but I ended up really enjoying it.

Maybe I’m just slow, but it took me quite a while to figure out

that it was just the POVs of all the different stages of Damaya/Syenite/Essun’s life, and I really didn’t get it until Damaya tells Schaffa her rogga name.

Jemisin did a very good job of weaving the story together and building up the lore. There were parts I found hard to follow or pick up about what was actually meant, but overall the concepts that were implied were well done in being horrifying without having to give detail.

Alabaster was a great character and I enjoyed reading about his abilities and his interactions with Syenite and seeing her change. Meov and Allia were some of my favorite parts to read. 

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Gore and Sexual content

Minor: Rape and Sexual assault

laguerrelewis's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful inspiring 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

5.0

I first got introduced to N.K. Jemisin through her work on Green Lantern Far Sector, and I thought “Wow! It’s incredible the breadth of themes and worldbuilding and larger concepts she’s included so efficiently!” Everything I loved about that and more was put into this book. I can EASILY see why this won a Hugo, and I can’t wait to read the sequels!

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Blood, Child death, Colonisation, Death, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Gore, Grief, Genocide, Kidnapping, Pedophilia, Pregnancy, Racism, Violence, Trafficking, Slavery, Sexual content, and Sexism

Minor: Rape, Suicide attempt, and War

queenie_ofthe_void's review

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad 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

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Minor: Child death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Grief, Murder, and Racism

halcyonkathryn's review

adventurous challenging mysterious medium-paced

• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Child death, Death, Confinement, and Child abuse

Minor: Cannibalism, Transphobia, Gore, and Fire/Fire injury