Reviews tagging 'Gun violence'

House of Flame and Shadow by Sarah J. Maas

89 reviews

toweroftheunread's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful mysterious reflective tense fast-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

3.5

I loved CC1&2, and this felt a bit off. There were lots and LOTS of POVS that kept skipping around. I like that it followed the timeline and you were able to see what everyone was doing simultaneously. 

I felt like Ithan’s plot had so many flaws in it. I understand it is to give him a decent amount of character development, but I felt like it could be done without the excessive self-deprecation and serious damage to other characters that ended up not amounting to much. 

I also felt like there were really good plot resolutions, but we jumped there. There was so much build up for the ONE plot in CC1, and I liked that. This had like a million plot lines that just resolved too quickly for me. It felt rushed and tidied up too quickly for me. There were a lot of emotional parts to the story, but honestly, I wasn’t drawn in like 1 & 2. I definitely cried in the first two, and I swear I’m not a monster, but I didn’t feel attached enough to shed one here. 

I feel like this book could have been really good if we teased it out and added details to the separate POVs and plot lines. The books could have even been shorter, but more detailed in the plot holes. 

It kind of felt like the marvel movies where the first ones were SO good and the quick resolutions left this book feeling almost cheesy. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gun violence, Torture, Death, War, Child death, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, Violence, Kidnapping, Physical abuse, Cursing, Fire/Fire injury, and Blood

travistyaverted's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring medium-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content

Moderate: Murder, Violence, Death, Gun violence, War, Toxic relationship, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Child death

jcruppert's review

adventurous challenging dark medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gun violence, Classism, Blood, Fire/Fire injury, Torture, Violence, Murder, War, Death, and Death of parent

naomi_'s review

adventurous challenging dark emotional 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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Forced institutionalization, Sexism, Rape, Physical abuse, Murder, Kidnapping, Gun violence, Emotional abuse, Violence, Blood, Death, Vomit, Grief, War, Xenophobia, Torture, Slavery, Sexual content, and Confinement

martharosen's review

adventurous slow-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

2.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Torture, and Violence

Moderate: Gun violence, Slavery, Death, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Blood, Addiction, Murder, War, and Physical abuse

Minor: Classism

sneha_sarcar's review

adventurous dark emotional funny hopeful tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• 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: Abandonment, Genocide, Bullying, Death of parent, Drug abuse, Addiction, Classism, Confinement, Death, Fire/Fire injury, Physical abuse, War, Child abuse, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, Rape, Sexual content, Blood, Body horror, Child death, Cursing, Violence, Domestic abuse, Torture, and Slavery

nesta98's review

adventurous dark emotional funny hopeful tense medium-paced

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

4.0

This was pretty much exactly what I thought it was going to be. There were a few surprises and plenty of good bit buried in a lot of detail like the previous two books.

Sarah did tease us with the crossover and I was hoping for so much more content but I understand why she wrote what she wrote.

Best bit had to be all of Lidia’s plot.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Confinement, Rape, Violence, Domestic abuse, Torture, Gun violence, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, War, Emotional abuse, and Forced institutionalization

_readobituaries'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? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

I originally rated this 4 stars... but on second thought, I've changed my mind. 3 stars is the best I can give it... Which is sad considering I am someone who LOVES the ACOTAR/CC/TOG universes.... 

1st we will address the cross over.... It was nothing but fan service.

90% of it was either storytelling (tell- not show) and Bryce being "all powerful" and Bryce being a selfish cunt toward the ACOTAR characters. I wish we had seen more of these characters because I truly feel this was the bare minimum... I was expecting far more.

2nd.... Bryce was a cunt during this.

She hates the fae for how they treat humans- but she was willing to treat all fae like crap (including the fae of the acotar world) because shes got daddy issues? The way she freed the dagglan- just for Nesta to have to clean up her mess and then Bryce has the ADAUCITY to get upset she wasn't able to do more? GIRL- GET FUCKING REAL. Then she straight up STOLE from the ACOTAR characters. Just to come back and gaslight her "mate" and try to manipulate him out of his valid feelings. Her "I didn't know if I'd ever get to come back home, or if I'd ever see my family and friends again, I didn't know if I'd get to see my mate again!" pissed me off so bad. He didn't know if he was ever going to get to go back home. He didn't know if he'd ever see his family or friends again. He didnt know if he'd ever see his mate again. He also had already been through this once, lost everyone important to him,  was enslaved for a fuckton of time, finally got his freedom and is being dragged back into the same thing- in which he was then tortured and had to watch his friends be tortured! HER OBJECTIVELY HAD IT WORSE THAN YOU DID IN THE ACOTAR WORLD!!!! SO SHUT THE FUCK UP AND LEAVE HIM ALONE. "its like you dont wanna be here"- NONE OF THEM DO!!!!!! none of them WANT to be there, fighting people, risking their lives and loved ones. ---Then you have her taking over 2 royal courts and disbanding everyone else. Like, they can't have power to dictate- but you can? She also wasn't any better than the fae. She was prepared to treat the fae like shit and righteous in it. Bryce lost me in this..

The way she seemed to be oh so special over everyone? Yea, no. She gave "pick me".

Lidia was AMAZING in this. Honestly, carried the entire story. I

never seen her having kids coming- which is both good and bad. Her having them in a magical ceremony kinda came out of nowhere and her having children/a past life wasn't really hinted to that I remember... So while it was an awesome reveal- I feel like she could have hinted at it to add a bit more impact and make us think back and go "HOW DID I NOT KNOW?!" but truthfully, I'd bet this was something she came up with on the spot while writing& that would explain why it wasn't foreshadowed at all.

Ruhn was weird tho... Like a wet sock... There but not useful for much.

Ithan and Therion were..... there... Therion made every stupid decision he could and Ithan swiftly followed in his footsteps.

I was PISSED when Therion jumped onto the pod. Like you selfish fucker. Have you not caused enough problems and burned enough bridges for one day?! Then for Ithan to constantly be on about that fucking Fendyr heir- who's purpose I still don't understand other than being cannon fodder. Also, Don't get me started on the antidote. SO MUCH time was spent on that freaking antidote and all the vials FOR NOTHING. Also, the Perry thing?

Overall, I loved the book and the characters. Just.... disappointed. This book had SO MUCH potential. and honestly, I don't see why she'd write a fourth book.. She's defeated the big bad- why create so many lose, mediocre plot lines to leave unraveled for a 4th book when she could have easily just tied everything up nicely and finished book 3. It's like she's milking it because there really is no reason to keep the story going....

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Kidnapping, Violence, Genocide, Murder, War, Classism, Confinement, Hate crime, Torture, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Grief, Police brutality, Slavery, Toxic relationship, Racism, and Gun violence

yarisbooksandbevs's review against another edition

adventurous emotional tense fast-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

4.5

This book was so good. So much is happening but there’s a good mix between lore and action. Some of the characters make questionable decisions that have me screaming but it was a beautiful emotional rollercoaster. Occasionally the POV jumps were happening a bit too quickly and it felt like whiplash but it was nice to see what was happening in the different places all at once. I absolutely love Bryce and Hunt but Lidia stole the show for me. Her character development is absolutely amazing. This was a great read and still left more to be said.

It was nice to see that after the Asteri were defeated. It wasn’t just going back to normal and everything is okay. They are still facing challenges.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Sexual content, Death, Death of parent, Colonisation, Injury/Injury detail, Body horror, War, Murder, Torture, Cursing, Gun violence, Slavery, Violence, Fire/Fire injury, and Grief

Moderate: Drug abuse, Drug use, Kidnapping, and Police brutality

Minor: Alcohol, Child death, and Suicidal thoughts

winterwoodbooks's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional funny hopeful inspiring 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

This book had me ugly crying so hard I couldn't read anymore.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Slavery, Vomit, Child abuse, Gaslighting, Fatphobia, Violence, Cannibalism, Genocide, Medical trauma, Sexual content, Death of parent, Alcoholism, Blood, Classism, Murder, Police brutality, Self harm, Sexual assault, Child death, Dysphoria, Medical content, Death, Gun violence, Hate crime, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Toxic relationship, Injury/Injury detail, Rape, Sexism, Body horror, Body shaming, Domestic abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Misogyny, Abandonment, Alcohol, Cursing, Gore, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Excrement, Torture, Kidnapping, Suicidal thoughts, and War