Reviews tagging 'Religious bigotry'

The Gilded Ones by Namina Forna

115 reviews

lala2love's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional inspiring 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? It's complicated

4.0

I really loved the tough yet important message in the book about how women are treated in religious communities. I would give if a 5, but it did have a lot of moments of telling and not showing. However, I know it is a YA book so I can't be too critical of that. The book isn't for the faint of heart since it can be quite dark at times, but that's the point. However, the wholesome relationships help balance it out. Wonderful book, I can't recommend it enough!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gore, Misogyny, Sexism, Torture, Blood, and Religious bigotry

Minor: Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, and Death of parent

rocksicle's review against another edition

adventurous inspiring 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Death, Sexism, Blood, Religious bigotry, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Violence, Death of parent, and War

Minor: Sexual assault, Sexual violence, and Sexual harassment

librarianlayla's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional inspiring sad tense 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? It's complicated

5.0

Emotionally driven and filled with action. I could not put this book down. 

Beautifully written, haunting and at times difficult to read - but so essential. I cannot wait for the sequel. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Body horror, Bullying, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Hate crime, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Vomit, Grief, Religious bigotry, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, and War

fanboyriot's review against another edition

dark slow-paced

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

2.0

Honestly, I didn’t really like this book at all.  I just couldn’t seem to get into it with the characters falling flat and the stiff dialogue; the only reason I didn’t DNF is because it was an audiobook and I figured I made it half way already.

While I liked the idea of this book, fighting against a world were there was unnecessary hatred; there were just so many moments that made no sense with how the belief system worked.  Not to mention how did all the Northerns, Southerners, Easterners, and Westerners all agree all girls who bleed gold were demons but girls who bleed red were valued??  You’re telling me not one person out of all the different ideologies each group had that they didn’t noticed an issue with their system??

I don’t know if it’s because I don’t care for first person point of view or just how the book was written but I didn’t get attached to any of the characters either which is really disappointing.  However, the world building was easy to understand for a fantasy book.  It was simple and to the point.

My biggest questions though is how did no one bleed before they were sixteen?!  Women were not allowed to do “strenuous” work because they could NOT bleed before they turned sixteen years old?!

You’re telling me:

• No one lost their baby teeth until sixteen then?
• No one tripped and skinned their knee as a kid?
• No one had any medical issues until then?
• No one had bodily functions like periods until the minute of their sixteen birthday?
• That there weren’t any accidents in their everyday life that happened UNTIL they turned sixteen?

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Misogyny, Racism, Sexism, Violence, Blood, Medical trauma, War, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Animal death, Child death, Cursing, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gore, Pedophilia, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Torture, Vomit, Grief, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, and Abandonment

ls92699's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional hopeful mysterious 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Misogyny, Violence, Religious bigotry, and War

Moderate: Rape

The religious bigotry is with the made up religion in the novel not something specific in the real world.

natalie1227's review against another edition

adventurous hopeful inspiring 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? It's complicated

4.5

I loved this book the world building could use a little work but I loved it! The characters were interesting. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Religious bigotry, and War

_alyssar_'s review against another edition

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

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Hate crime, Homophobia, Physical abuse, Racism, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Terminal illness, Torture, Violence, Blood, Grief, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

kbairbooks's review against another edition

This is a book that is intensely triggering for me and even if I wasn’t having a rough time it would still be hard. I am making the executive decision to accommodate myself and my needs and DNF this book. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Misogyny, Torture, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Religious bigotry, Murder, Gaslighting, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail

rustylasagna's review against another edition

adventurous emotional inspiring fast-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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Sexism, Torture, and Religious bigotry

Moderate: Child abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, and Trafficking

yulecogs's review against another edition

2.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Body horror, Body shaming, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Kidnapping, Grief, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Cultural appropriation, Abandonment, Sexual harassment, War, and Injury/Injury detail