Reviews tagging 'Lesbophobia'

The Gilded Ones by Namina Forna

4 reviews

tinyjude's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional lighthearted fast-paced

• Strong character development? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.0

I am always ready for some book that stands for kicking the patriarchy in the ass. It follows many of the clichés typical of the ya fantasy genres but it is still very enjoyable (and is more diverse than the most known ya fantasy/sci-fi books). 

In addition, never had I imagined that I would enjoy again a straight main couple, but they were very cute and I loved how devoted he was to her. She deserves to be happy and not suffer any longer. 

Also, Ixa's sole existence adds points to the book. I LOVE TINY, AFORABLE AND FEROCIOUS CREATURES THAT ACCOMPANY THE PROTAGONIST AHHHHHHH

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Misogyny, Death, War, Violence, Stalking, and Sexual violence

Moderate: Murder, Racism, Adult/minor relationship, Gaslighting, Grief, Sexism, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Pedophilia, and Rape

Minor: Homophobia and Lesbophobia

bookcaptivated's review against another edition

dark 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Blood, Torture, Body horror, Fire/Fire injury, Misogyny, Murder, Religious bigotry, Death, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, War, Abandonment, Confinement, Genocide, Sexism, and Violence

Moderate: Slavery and Vomit

Minor: Death of parent, Lesbophobia, and Sexual assault

zluke'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? It's complicated

4.5

The plot was engaging throughout and the characters were explored well. The main character has a lot of growth throughout the book. There were a lot of questions and mysteries throughout the book which are steadily answered and mostly tied up by the end. Some things I found a little confusing but overall a great read. 

It was a lot more explicit in sexism/misogyny and violance than I expected going in. There is graphic torture quite early on and this continues through the book. I felt it was important to the story though and the book explores the emotional impacts of this on the characters well. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Torture, Blood, Misogyny, Sexism, Violence, and Death

Moderate: Religious bigotry, Sexual violence, Child abuse, Sexual assault, Rape, and Vomit

Minor: Lesbophobia, Body shaming, Confinement, Homophobia, and Pregnancy

kiwi_33's review against another edition

adventurous 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

4.0

This book was enjoyable for numerous reasons: a powerful female protagonist, a cast of interesting and nuanced female characters, male characters that aren’t only portrayed as antagonists but also as allies, a good dose of mystery, beautifully crafted world building…

But it does have a couple of shortcomings, however small. I do feel more pages could have been spared for the world-building. As an avid enthusiast of envisioning an entirely new world created by a passionate writer, I feel there should have been more there.

The reveal with White Hands also felt somewhat out of character. It was surprising, which I suppose is a good thing, but I feel there should have been more hints as to her true intentions. It just felt completely out of place when it happened. I felt that she could maybe be part of an entire third faction (against the emperor, but also against the alaki and deathshreiks), that could possibly prove to be an ally, or another enemy. What actually ends up happening seems less interesting to me? Like, it could make for additional interesting conflict to also have a women’s faction be opposed to the alaki. It would also add depth to the story. As a reflection of how societies around the world treats women, cases of women fighting against women’s rights instead of supporting them have been seen countless times. I hope that aspect of societies will be explored in the next couple of books.

The ending to the book also felt pretty rushed. The pace suddenly increased, which could convey a sense of urgency, but it only felt like the book was missing the maybe 50 extra pages it might have needed to feel more complete. I am really looking forward to the next instalment though, and was happy to find out it’s being released later this year.

The cover art and coloured borders were stunning on this one, which played a large part in me buying it and discovering an interesting, thought-provoking story. I’m looking forward to adding the next one to my collection.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Body shaming, Body horror, Misogyny, Sexism, and Gaslighting

Minor: Bullying and Lesbophobia