Reviews tagging 'Animal death'

Dark Rise by C.S. Pacat

37 reviews

k8buysrum's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional 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

4.5

The story was so good, it just took a little while to get it going. There’s quite the lull of world building information in the early to middle section that was a little dull. But the main characters are great. The unfolding of information and plot is great. I leave the first book all twisted up inside for how things may go in the second. I’m looking forward to reading it!

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Genocide, Body horror, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Death of parent

Minor: Abandonment, Confinement, Toxic relationship, Classism, and Animal death

evbyrd's review against another edition

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Death, Animal death, Child death, and Blood

thymeslyp's review against another edition

dark emotional sad slow-paced

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

2.5

This is a knock off of The Dark is Rising by Susan Cooper. It’s well written but a pretty blatant copy and what it adds isn’t very interesting imo.

there is a twist at the end but if I tell you there is a twist then you’ll easily guess what the twist is

at the end of the day a really good last hour of an audiobook doesn’t make up for the lead up being fairly boring.

I don’t like books where 3/4 of the characters are just there to die

 

Mild vent- I picked up this acclaimed TikTok book only to find out it's just a clone of one of my favorite books that won a newbery. 

This book: dark rise, main character: and English boy named Will (17) who is on the run from some scary other world baddies "the dark". He finds the "light" who are called stewards and learns magic from the old steward while hanging out in a pocket out side of time. All very Arthurian legend coded. 

The award winning book from 1973- titled 'The Dark is Rising'. Main character a boy name Will (12). Creepy things begin happening to him and on his 12th but he finds out he is a member of a group of spiritual beings called the old ones who exist outside of time. He learns magic from the eldest old one (will is the youngest and last to be born) who happens to be Merlin if you know Arthurian legends. The only ones are the "circle of light" that stand against the darkness. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death

offthecarousel_'s review

dark mysterious reflective fast-paced

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

3.75

Hmm.... this book left me pretty conflicted. I liked the characters, the plot seemed teased throughout the book so things seemed to come along mostly naturally, though a couple things felt a little choatic. Once again, I've stumbled into a book that's probably too dark for me, but I want to trust the author that there will be comfort at some point later in the trilogy (I've read something of theirs before). Based on reviews of the second book though it seems like I'll be waiting for book 3 for that lol. I've tipped it to 4 because I realize I think parts of this book just aren't aimed with me as the audience in mind.

One thing that seemed strange to me were that the events of the book seem cyclical. The main characters would sneak out of the sanctuary to do something dangerous and then go back in. Then they'd sneak out again to do something and go back in. Then, wouldn't you know it, the book ends with a character sneaking out once again. It just felt repetitive when those are the big moments in the book.

The other thing that frustrates me is when a character is one of the main POVs of the book but a good chunk of their thought process is hidden from us because of plot twist reasons. I felt like for Violet's POV, we got a lot of internal thoughts and feelings, but Will's POV was more distant with lots of his thoughts and feelings hidden from the reader. Will's full thoughts are only revealed after he's made a decision or done some action. When that happens I'm very tempted to say, "Just don't have things from his POV then," but... I feel that it's done deliberately so the reader's feelings echo Violet's in the end. It's frustrating for me, and not a stylistic choice I'm a fan of, but it's done fairly well.

That said, I do enjoy a lot of the dialogue between characters and the way their friendships and trust developed. I'm semi-interested in reading the rest of the trilogy.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Genocide, Torture, Death, and Death of parent

Moderate: Toxic relationship and Animal death

Minor: Adult/minor relationship

Major Character Death is definitely applicable here.

smartie_5748's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense fast-paced

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

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood and Death

Moderate: Slavery, Violence, Torture, Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail, and Murder

Minor: Animal death and War

nillech's review

adventurous dark emotional 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

4.75

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence

Moderate: Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Racism, Kidnapping, and Torture

Minor: Animal death and Blood

shadowspinner's review against another edition

adventurous dark tense medium-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? Yes

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, War, and Blood

Moderate: Animal death and Violence

Minor: Gun violence

cait's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark 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

---

Content Warnings

Minor: Animal death, Confinement, Grief, Infidelity, Murder, Abandonment, Death, Blood, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Child abuse, Child death, Classism, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Physical abuse, Racism, Gaslighting, Gore, Violence, Vomit, and War

viivacious's review against another edition

medium-paced

• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.0

A bit slow at the start, but I was fully in it once the set ups were done and the story could get going. The characters were likeable so it hits when something happens to them. There were some things I did not see coming, I liked the surprise.

---

Content Warnings

Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Death, Racial slurs, and Rape

spooderman's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

3.75

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: War, Torture, Panic attacks/disorders, Injury/Injury detail, Grief, Death, Classism, Murder, Emotional abuse, Blood, Violence, Physical abuse, Kidnapping, Gaslighting, Death of parent, Confinement, and Adult/minor relationship

Moderate: Pedophilia, Xenophobia, Racism, Trafficking, Animal death, Animal cruelty, Toxic friendship, and Toxic relationship

Minor: Sexism, Infidelity, Incest, Homophobia, Suicidal thoughts, Stalking, Sexual assault, Self harm, Slavery, Outing, Child death, Child abuse, and Abandonment