Reviews tagging 'Blood'

The Witch Collector by Charissa Weaks

22 reviews

bangiebangs's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

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

5.0

5* from me. Was this a read I couldn't put down? No. Was it super spicy? Also no (but some süice and worth it!). 
But it was WONDERFUL. 

The FMC doesn't speak and uses sign language - and it's done wonderfully! I so enjoyed seeing this represented in a book, and for a main character as well! Sad that it is so uncommon, but I think it works really, really well here.

The MMC is adorable. Kind of a "is he the bad guy" to "nope he is not", mysterious man, kind (but also setting boundaries), he falls first (he admits it first, at least) but gives her the space to make informed decisions (Informed, I say!). There is discussion of birth control. There is a second love interest and the FMC is torn about them - and there is open discussion of past loves. And understanding that our (romantic) histories affect us in later relationships.
As somebody who really hates the miscommunication trope, the level of communication in this one is like a balm. 

Pacing was good as well, and the tension at the end of book 1 is so high, honestly, I'm a little anxious to read on right away - I know it will end well (I hope), but when I say there are tense moments, there really are. I don't often feel so much emotion reading a book, but especially in a year where I've read 130+ fantasy romance novels this one STANDS OUT. That alone is saying a lot. 

So, I've already started reading the next book (though taking it slow), and if you like intricate world-building, a grown up FMC with some experience, a kind and pretty damn hot MMC who respects her... then this one is for you!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gore, Grief, Child death, Death, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual content, War, Physical abuse, Violence, Blood, and Death of parent

Moderate: Stalking, Ableism, and Kidnapping

20sidedbi's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional hopeful mysterious slow-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? It's complicated

4.5

Super cool to have a power MC who uses sign language to speak and spellcast!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Violence, Blood, Injury/Injury detail, War, Death, and Fire/Fire injury

Moderate: Sexual content and Sexual harassment

marsh_mall0w's review against another edition

adventurous 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? No

3.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Blood, Death of parent, Violence, and War

Moderate: Child death, Grief, and Sexual content

Minor: Fire/Fire injury and Animal death

folkofthebook's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny mysterious tense medium-paced

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

3.75

while it was cool and interesting to have an FMC who communicates with sign language, that's the only thing that really makes this book stand out from other fantasy romances. there was a good amount of info dumping esp about the gods' lore so i was a bit confused and don't think i really felt the full impact of the implications and outcomes of if bad guys won in this. i think there's good chemistry between the MCs, but while there's a bit of conflict in the beginning the relationship goes 0 to 100 real quick by the end. the fact that the MMC

is yet another hundreds year old mythical dude while the FMC is only 20something (well at least she's 24 in this and not 19)

kind of makes my eyes roll at this point. though we get his full backstory, i didn't really get a great understanding of who MMC is right now. he's the witch collector but like ... what else? does he only do that and just chill around the kingdom otherwise? 

i hear good things about the next 2 books so i'm debating continuing.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Blood, Injury/Injury detail, Violence, Sexual content, Death, and Death of parent

Moderate: Animal death

Minor: War and Vomit

jen_sten'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? No

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content, Violence, Blood, Death, Murder, Confinement, and Death of parent

wrensreadingroom's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful inspiring mysterious sad tense slow-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Death of parent, Deportation, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Ableism, Addiction, Animal death, Blood, Body horror, Child death, Confinement, Colonisation, Cursing, Death, Self harm, Dysphoria, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Genocide, Gore, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Medical content, Murder, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Torture, Vomit, and War

shannnne_reads_words's review against another edition

adventurous sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

3.25

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Death, Death of parent, Sexual content, Blood, Injury/Injury detail, Violence, War, and Fire/Fire injury

Minor: Animal death, Child death, and Grief

booksthatburn's review against another edition

In retrospect I should’ve realized a book whose blurb mentions three authors I don’t like reading (as a positive comparison) was not going to be a book I would probably enjoy. 

I like the main character (Raina). I appreciate the way a story-specific version of sign language is used for her to communicate and others to communicate with her, and I like that the book has a list of author supplied contact warnings available at a link. That’s basically where the stuff that I like ends, and most of those ultimately aren’t about the actual story. 

I have enjoyed other books where two people that are from groups that hate each other for various reasons end up in a romance. I often do like those... when the two individuals involved haven’t already hated each other specifically in this context. But I’m having trouble relating to this story where part of the main premise is that Raina specifically hates the Witch Collector, and then has to travel with him, and the book seems to be heading towards a romantic/sexual relationship between them. I am not in favor of this trajectory, and the rate at which she is softening to him does not, to me, line up with what he’s actually doing. Ultimately, it’s just not a story that I care to read and so I'm stopping.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: War, Injury/Injury detail, Fire/Fire injury, Violence, Death of parent, Death, and Blood

Moderate: Kidnapping, Grief, and Alcohol

Minor: Self harm, Animal death, and Pregnancy

n33v's review

adventurous hopeful mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.5

How the sign language was conveyed as not the defining characteristic of Raina, but as a beautiful aspect of her was amazing! The diversity didn’t feel forced and is incorporated really well into the book. 

Alexus is a dark, sexy, mysterious enigma and is definitely swoon worthy. 

It’s a great book with a great plot! 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Violence, Sexual content, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Death, Death of parent, Gore, and Blood

molls's review

adventurous dark emotional mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No

3.25

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Death, Kidnapping, War, and Violence

Minor: Blood, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, and Grief