Reviews tagging 'War'

A Touch of Malice by Scarlett St. Clair

32 reviews

ninahuynh's review against another edition

adventurous emotional mysterious slow-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? Yes

4.5

3 things:

1. A few of the sex scenes are confusing, some of which I think could do without. As the amount of explicit scenes increase and how they arrive to it feel... sudden and might I say, cheap. I makes their relationship's foundation as sex. In some cases, it just feels out of place.
2. I like how Scarlett St. Clair illustrates the deep trauma that comes with boundaries violation and sexual assault. I like that it wasn't just glossed over or simplified; everyone deals with trauma and heals from trauma differently.
3. Who is Theo? Dunno if that's a typo in my ebook but could not find who Theo is. First scene with Theseus.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual violence, Kidnapping, Murder, Cursing, Body horror, Rape, Pandemic/Epidemic, Misogyny, Gore, Sexual content, Hate crime, Grief, Vomit, Stalking, Injury/Injury detail, Addiction, Death of parent, Abortion, Alcohol, Violence, Alcoholism, Blood, War, Fire/Fire injury, Torture, Sexual assault, and Death

Minor: Pregnancy, Abortion, Child death, Torture, Cannibalism, and Vomit

erkadahl's review

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? Yes

4.25

The third in the series, this was the best of the first 3 books, thus far. I was hooked and enjoyed the growing relationship between Hades and Persephone, and enjoyed seeing Persephone come into her own in this book. All the things that made the 2nd book in the series annoying about her personality seemed to mostly resolve and no longer be, allowing the story to be the focus and not Persephone’s insecurities. The cliff hanger at the end has me already downloading book 4!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Sexual content, War, and Death

rchulin1's review

challenging dark emotional funny 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? Yes

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Physical abuse, Rape, Vomit, Blood, Fire/Fire injury, War, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Grief, Misogyny, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Bullying, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Murder, Kidnapping, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Classism, Death, Dementia, Sexual violence, Torture, Violence, Cursing, Death of parent, Gore, and Panic attacks/disorders

cloverfallfarm'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? Yes

4.25

This book does a great job describing the nuances and details of a relationship developing into something that you WORK for. I have enjoyed the balance of the different genre features, there is plenty of plot and world development in balance with intimate moments. 

The twist at the end of the book is both a surprise and something that has been forshadowed in little crumbs previously in the novel(s). It fells a little awkward, but I think that's a reflection of the character's hubris.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault

Moderate: Vomit, War, and Toxic relationship

Minor: Suicide

scarlett_f's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional funny mysterious 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? It's complicated

2.0

Well, I read all three books, hoping the writing would improve. The story is constantly interrupted by whatever sex scene can be whipped up next. It seemed like the author used the Karma Sutra page by page to come up with something. I'm not opposed to sex and romance. It's just all of it was so repetitive, overdone, laughable. Roll-your-eyes boring after a short while. It forces you to start skimming. Literally, nothing got done within the storyline due to the constant sex scene interruptions and no exaggeration that it happened every other page. Very poor and disappointing, choppy writing.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cannibalism, Death, Death of parent, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, War, Confinement, Infertility, Sexual violence, Stalking, Torture, Violence, Kidnapping, Alcohol, Blood, Body horror, Child death, Medical trauma, Sexual content, Vomit, Murder, Rape, Grief, Misogyny, and Sexual assault

Disappointing writing.

emr2220's review against another edition

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual violence, Rape, Sexual assault, Violence, and Death

Moderate: War

bookishhl8275's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful reflective 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

4.5

The ending was extremely intense, I loved Persephone’s personal growth and even Hades and Persephone’s growth in their relationship and learning to trust eachother through many hardships.
I loved that we got to see the Olympian’s more as a whole in this book as wel.
Can’t wait for book 4! 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Vomit, Confinement, Rape, Death, War, Violence, Kidnapping, Injury/Injury detail, Gore, Grief, Abandonment, Torture, Physical abuse, Alcoholism, and Death of parent

wrensreadingroom's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense fast-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Body horror, Car accident, Child death, Sexual assault, Confinement, Grief, Animal death, Blood, Cursing, Death, Fire/Fire injury, Gun violence, Murder, Self harm, Sexism, Outing, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Violence, Vomit, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Stalking, Toxic friendship, War, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Gore, Infertility, Kidnapping, Medical content, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Torture, Abandonment, and Alcohol

beckyremillard's review against another edition

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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Death, War, Kidnapping, Sexual content, Violence, Injury/Injury detail, Torture, Murder, and Sexual assault

briiforte's review

adventurous dark funny 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? Yes

4.5

The third instalment did not disappoint. The aftermath of

Lexa’s dip in the River Lethe

makes for the most gut-wrenching beginning to what was a excellent book in the series. Hades and Persephone’s

marriage in the middle of the book had my heart full and happy.

I genuinely love the characters and found this to the most tense in the entire series. Far more plot driven than the first two.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content, Violence, Classism, Hate crime, Cursing, Adult/minor relationship, War, Stalking, Murder, Death, and Sexual assault