Reviews tagging 'Homophobia'

Dark Night Golden Dawn by Allison Carr Waechter

5 reviews

anka_al's review

adventurous challenging emotional hopeful inspiring 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? Yes

5.0

I love the world building, the writing style, the characters. This book felt deeply personal to me. I especially love the little sci-fi touch in the world building. I also love the seemless integration of technology. It doesn't feel alien or misplaced. As this is the book is the first in a series I still have some questions but it doesn't feel like plot holes. The characters are multifaceted, well thought out and rounded.

I also love how the lgbtqia reps are woven into the story. I especially love Larkin and the maters. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Mental illness, and Self harm

Moderate: Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Domestic abuse, and Drug abuse

Minor: Classism, Alcoholism, Lesbophobia, Biphobia, Fatphobia, and Homophobia

mads_reads_books's review

slow-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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gaslighting, Domestic abuse, Fatphobia, Stalking, Suicidal thoughts, Lesbophobia, Self harm, Colonisation, Physical abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Emotional abuse, Body shaming, Toxic relationship, Torture, Sexual harassment, Animal cruelty, Murder, Kidnapping, and Homophobia

Moderate: Domestic abuse, Fatphobia, Sexual assault, Suicide attempt, Body shaming, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, Lesbophobia, Stalking, Torture, Colonisation, and Animal cruelty

Minor: Fatphobia, Gaslighting, Hate crime, Addiction, Injury/Injury detail, Medical trauma, Misogyny, Suicide attempt, Animal cruelty, Bullying, Death, Kidnapping, Lesbophobia, Murder, Outing, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Classism, Drug use, Rape, Self harm, Toxic relationship, Vomit, Body shaming, Homophobia, Police brutality, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Slavery, Stalking, Suicide, Torture, Toxic friendship, Violence, Abandonment, Domestic abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Genocide, Gore, Infidelity, Colonisation, Emotional abuse, Grief, and Suicidal thoughts

unsuccessfulbookclub's review

challenging emotional 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

3.75

The pacing in this bad boy is ALL over the place and it really feels like a romance author deciding to write fantasy vs the other way around. I wanted a lot more emphasis on the plot, magic system and politics, because there is some EPIC stuff going on here but instead we live in Harlow’s head for 80% of the book and the girl has some things she has to WORK ON, ok? And that is fair but it makes the book a little boring until the last 15%, which I have to say I absolutely loved. Will I be reading book two? Yes.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Violence, Murder, War, Suicidal thoughts, Animal cruelty, Domestic abuse, and Homophobia

Moderate: Vomit and Biphobia

finnickdeservedbetter's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful 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

Tropes/Themes:

second chance, friends to enemies to lovers, enemies to allies to friends, healing from abuse, ancient war, oppressive rulers, rare powers

Rep:

bi (1+ character (fmc)), lesbian (2+ characters), gay (2 characters), non-binary (2 characters), wlw (5 characters), nblm (2 characters), aro-ace (1 character)

+ are due to the main character's parents who are wlw but it's never specified if they're bi, lesbian, pan, etc.

Written review to come

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content and Violence

Moderate: Toxic relationship, Bullying, Suicide attempt, Animal cruelty, Body shaming, Confinement, Domestic abuse, and Emotional abuse

Minor: Sexual violence, Torture, Child abuse, Infidelity, Homophobia, Kidnapping, Sexual assault, Alcoholism, Drug abuse, Fatphobia, and Fire/Fire injury

steffandbooks's review

adventurous challenging 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

One of my favorites reads this year, for sure!
I have been searching for a good adult fantasy romance for so long, I was already telling myself that the stuff I am looking for apparently only exists in FBAA and ACOTAR/Cresent City. I don't need constant spice, but one or two really good scenes I do appreciate and I got this here.

However, the romance is solely a sub plot here, so if you're looking to read a smutty book, this is not the one for you. The actual plot however, dang... it feels like this is a mix of Bridgerton, Cresent City and A Discovery of Witches. And I love all of these, so, naturally, I devoured this book. Never seen any of the plot twists coming and it was so interesting to see how the immortals and the magic in this world is displayed.

And, obviously, I got a new book boyfriend. Finn McKay. Boy, don't get me started. Him and the FMC were childhood friends to lovers to enemies to lovers again. Do I need to say more? Okay, if the second chance romance didn't convince you... HE KNEELS IN FRONT OF HER, in order not to scare her away and let her know that he is not mad at her but the situation in general. He falls first, or should I say, he never fell out of love with her? And he has FANGS (no, he's not a vampire)!

The FMC struggled with a really toxic relationship in the past and has many issues to work through throughout the whole book and her healing process takes a lot of time. Do check trigger warnings because there are some heavy topics being discussed. The author even has content warning in her book herself.

And lastly, what I really liked here as well was the LGBTQ+ content. It felt so natural in this books, FMC is bi, her best friend is bi and reminds me so much of Cinna (The Hunger Games), the FMCs parents are both mothers and the youngest sister is asexual. All of this felt just natural, flawless mentioned within the story without delving into too much detail because in this world, this is all natural. of course, there was the occasional mentioning of homophobia, but it's not a main part of a book. It's hard to explain, I guess, but I just liked it the way it was written, because it didn't feel forced.

I read this on my KU, but, naturally, I am going to order my print copy for this now and also pre-order the second one in this series.

5/5 stars
2/5 spice rating

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Sexual content, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Drug use, Alcohol, Body shaming, Bullying, Fatphobia, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, and Homophobia

Minor: Vomit, Blood, Lesbophobia, Infidelity, Torture, and Violence