Reviews tagging 'War'

Bitterblue by Kristin Cashore

10 reviews

genevievefv's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark mysterious reflective sad 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

The world building of Kristin Cashore is truly incredible and that’s what bumped this up from 3.75 to 4 stars.  I liked the writing of Graceling better but I truly appreciate the explanation and exploration of Leck, Monsea and Bitterblue. It’s truly an epic story, if imperfect and hard to follow at some points. 

Also reading this for the first time at 26 but first knowing the series as a YA…. It is DARK

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence

Moderate: Sexual assault, Self harm, Rape, Torture, Child abuse, Blood, and Fire/Fire injury

Minor: War

qrschulte's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful 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

AHHHH! I didn’t want to put this down! I just NEEDED to know all the secrets! And there were some very lovable secondary characters added ❤️

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Animal cruelty, Body horror, Child abuse, Classism, Murder, Pedophilia, Self harm, Sexual violence, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Kidnapping, Medical content, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Death, Domestic abuse, Mental illness, Suicide, Torture, and Violence

Moderate: Alcoholism, Dysphoria, Blood, Child death, Animal death, Alcohol, Fire/Fire injury, and Gore

Minor: Pregnancy, Vomit, War, Death of parent, Panic attacks/disorders, and Suicidal thoughts

talonsontypewriters's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious 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: Classism, Emotional abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Grief, Violence, Death, and Murder

Moderate: Sexual assault, Torture, Body horror, Domestic abuse, Sexual violence, Animal cruelty, Police brutality, Kidnapping, Sexual harassment, Child abuse, Death of parent, Gaslighting, Gore, Medical content, Medical trauma, Suicide, and Fire/Fire injury

Minor: Pedophilia, Animal death, Rape, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Incest, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Child death, Self harm, Vomit, Xenophobia, Homophobia, and War

Human and animal experimentation. Strangulation/suffocation. Mind control, overriding/alteration of will (mostly discussed/aftermath). Abuse and sexual violence, including of children, are described frankly, but not extremely actively or graphically depicted on-page.

bencaroline's review against another edition

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide

Moderate: Gaslighting, Medical trauma, Murder, Violence, Abandonment, Sexual violence, Suicide, Torture, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Slavery, Animal cruelty, Domestic abuse, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Rape, War, Self harm, Sexual assault, Trafficking, and Death of parent

Minor: Alcohol and Vomit

g_c_geeks's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional 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

Ok so maybe there’s some issues with pacing but it did not bother me. I loved reading about all the political and social structures within the world, and loved spending time with these characters. 
It was a really good continuation of Graceling and Fire and built upon what happened years later. I really enjoyed it. 
I think about this world all the time and will have a place in my heart forever. 
Keep in mind though that you find out some very dark and disturbing confirmation of what Leck has done. 
I’m going to read Winterkeep (the fourth book in the series) for the first time and am very curious on what Cashore will continue to develop. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Murder, Torture, and Fire/Fire injury

Moderate: Child death, Medical trauma, Suicide, Self harm, Child abuse, Sexual assault, War, Mental illness, Gaslighting, Death of parent, Death, and Adult/minor relationship

kbusemeyer's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious tense slow-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 was slow to start for me, but I really enjoyed the last sections. Lots of tense moments and obviously love getting the Fire crossover and hearing about the Dells.

I think there was a lot happening in this book and sometimes it felt like everything was a twist.

I feel like Thiel’s and her other advisors betrayals didn’t surprise me but it was confusing why she continued to let them do so much. Also her feelings for Thiel were obviously complicated,  but at times it just felt confusing to understand why she cared so deeply about him. Also the Fox reveal, Bitterblue didn’t seem to have any suspicions until suddenly she did, but it didn’t seem like a gradual lead up to me. Finding out that Malden was from the Dells was interesting, seemed kind of like an unnecessary reveal but also I guess it does make sense.

Saf and Bitterblue as complicated as any other relationship in this book. I really enjoyed Giddon growing into a more developed character and seeing his relationship with Bitterblue evolve. I’m excited that there’s another book because I feel like there are still some loose ends I want to hear about.

Also thinking about it a little more, aside from Hava, there was really no reason that there had to be mention of r*pe in the book. It wasn’t necessary for Thiel and co. to have that as part of their history, I feel like having them cut children could have been enough.

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Content Warnings

Minor: Rape and War

cepbreed's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious 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

4.5

Shocking. I read this book with my mind spinning and mouth agape. I was intimidated by the length but now can understand the necessity of those pages. I do not want to say too much for the sake of anyone who dislikes spoilers, but the hours it takes to finish this book are well worth it. Cashore seemed to me like a mediocre author upon my introduction to the series but with each book I am further proved wrong. The complexity of this narrative is astounding. I came to really love Bitterblue and my love for other previously established characters grew more. I have to be honest and say that I really hold no love for Saf.

In fact I was waiting on Bitterblue and Giddon to fall in love, yes the age difference is one thing but I thought the way they connected was much more meaningful. Alas, I need to be satisfied with their camaraderie and that singular forehead kiss.

Leck can rot in hell.

 Song:

• Writer In the Dark - Lorde 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Medical content, Medical trauma, Rape, Self harm, Toxic relationship, Violence, Torture, Gaslighting, Infidelity, Kidnapping, Domestic abuse, Gore, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Animal cruelty, Death, Mental illness, Misogyny, Sexism, Sexual assault, Suicide attempt, Animal death, Blood, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Death of parent, Physical abuse, Body horror, Child abuse, Murder, Panic attacks/disorders, and Suicide

Moderate: Addiction, Alcohol, and Alcoholism

Minor: Confinement and War

oneeyedjess's review against another edition

challenging dark hopeful mysterious reflective sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• 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: Animal cruelty, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Gore, Grief, Murder, Rape, Self harm, Sexual violence, Suicide, War, Blood, Child abuse, Child death, Colonisation, Death, Domestic abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, and Violence

binca's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional inspiring mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Rape, Suicide, Torture, Mental illness, Violence, Sexual violence, Emotional abuse, and Physical abuse

Minor: War

elle_dee's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful mysterious slow-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

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Animal cruelty, Blood, Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Gore, Grief, Homophobia, Incest, Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Medical content, Medical trauma, Misogyny, Murder, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Torture, Violence, and War