Reviews tagging 'Confinement'

The Brides of High Hill by Nghi Vo

8 reviews

woolerys's review

dark mysterious fast-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? No

4.0

Another gem from Nghi Vo. This one is a little scarier/creepier than the others in the series! Things turned over so fast that I was not keeping up, as a reader—but I believe that’s the intent, as our beloved cleric does not really keep up, either.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Murder, and Mental illness

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship and Body horror

A note about the adult/minor relationship CW:

It's actually not, but Chih (and thus the reader) is under the delusion for at least half the book—plenty of time to feel disturbed by the situation.

clarabooksit's review against another edition

dark mysterious 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gaslighting and Blood

Moderate: Mental illness, Violence, Murder, Confinement, and Death

Minor: Gore

bookbrig's review

mysterious medium-paced

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

5.0

Listen, I've owned this book for a week and read it twice already. It might not be my favorite in the series, but it's definitely one that had me thinking about it non-stop after I finished. Much like the first book, it's twisty and lovely with fascinating characters and stakes that feel realistic. Do recommend!

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Confinement

Minor: Domestic abuse

jalexpulliamkepler's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense fast-paced

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

4.75

I will be thinking about this one for a long time! It would be perfect if the climax wasn’t a tad rushed.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Physical abuse, Death, Confinement, Chronic illness, Blood, Alcohol, and Violence

Moderate: Child abuse

Minor: Sexual assault

ceruleanseas's review

adventurous dark mysterious sad tense fast-paced

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

4.5

Cleric Chih is on a new adventure, this time accompanying a young woman and her family as they travel to her betrothed's estate. When they get there, something seems not-quite-right, but Chih can't quite figure out what. The lord's son is mad, none of the servants will meet their eyes, and there are rumors swirling about the fates of the lord's previous wives. Determined to protect their new friend, Chih starts exploring, but there are more secrets than even they expect. 

This book definitely leans more towards gothic/horror than the rest of the series, and Vo does such an excellent job at worldbuilding that I didn't mind at all. There are twists at the end, some that were obvious and others that were less so, but it's really about the journey, not the destination, right? 

Thanks to Tor Publishing Group for the advanced reader's copy.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Violence, Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail, Toxic friendship, Confinement, and Murder

Moderate: Blood, Misogyny, and Domestic abuse

Minor: Sexual violence and Grief

yourbookishbff's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious tense fast-paced

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

5.0

I LOVED this installment in the Singing Hills cycle. Each novella brings us a new spin on the story-within-a-story framework, and each explores a new corner within that framework - grief and memory (Mammoths at the Gate), history's storytellers and shapers (When the Tigers Came Down the Mountain), history's celebrated and forgotten (Into the Riverlands), the power of the forgotten to bend and break empires (The Empress of Salt and Fortune), and now, with the Brides of High Hill, the illusion - and temptation - of control. This story is an expertly woven tale that almost feels like a fever dream, as it leans more into horror than previous installments. Highly recommend the entire cycle, but this one now ranks among my favorites.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Mental illness, Confinement, Violence, and Death

Moderate: Blood, Death of parent, and Drug use

mar's review against another edition

adventurous mysterious tense fast-paced

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

5.0

HOLY SHIT

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Blood, Confinement, Death, Gore, Mental illness, and Murder

Minor: Physical abuse, Body horror, and Drug abuse

uranaishi's review

adventurous dark hopeful mysterious tense slow-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Murder, Physical abuse, Toxic friendship, Kidnapping, Classism, Death, Domestic abuse, Mental illness, Misogyny, and Drug abuse

Minor: Alcohol, Blood, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Violence, Animal death, Gaslighting, Rape, Child abuse, Confinement, Death of parent, and Emotional abuse