Reviews tagging 'Gore'

The Final Strife by Saara El-Arifi

40 reviews

arguhlincozzi's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional 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

I loved this book! A map was at the heart of the story (a geographer's fav), critical discussions about justice and how to achieve it, plus more twists and turns than I anticipated! So excited for book two!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Genocide, Gore, Blood, Death of parent, and Abandonment

avisreadsandreads's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gore, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Death of parent, Murder, Colonisation, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Body shaming and Fatphobia

caseythereader's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional tense slow-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Addiction, Child abuse, Child death, Cursing, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gore, Gun violence, Slavery, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Police brutality, Medical content, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Abandonment, Colonisation, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

Moderate: Sexual content

cg1256's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional 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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Drug use, Gore, and Murder

Moderate: Hate crime, Racial slurs, and Slavery

Minor: Kidnapping and Death of parent

starsincline's review against another edition

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Drug abuse, Drug use, and Torture

Moderate: Child abuse, Confinement, Genocide, Gore, Racism, Slavery, Xenophobia, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, Colonisation, and Classism

dreyy's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional sad tense slow-paced

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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Child death, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Blood, Death of parent, Abandonment, and Colonisation

Moderate: Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gore, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Self harm, Sexual content, Slavery, Violence, Xenophobia, Police brutality, Kidnapping, Suicide attempt, and Fire/Fire injury

bookcaptivated's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective 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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gore, Torture, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

Moderate: Ableism, Body shaming, Slavery, Alcohol, and Colonisation

Minor: Medical content and Stalking

_james_'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? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Bullying, Confinement, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gore, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Blood, Grief, Gaslighting, Alcohol, Colonisation, and Classism

Moderate: Child death, Confinement, Hate crime, Suicidal thoughts, Medical trauma, and Death of parent

Minor: Cursing, Excrement, Kidnapping, Religious bigotry, and Toxic friendship

booksalacarte's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense slow-paced

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

3.5

The Final Strife- 3.5⭐️ 3🌶️

Red is the blood of the elite, of magic, of control.

Blue is the blood of the poor, of workers, of the resistance.

Clear is the blood of the slaves, of the crushed, of the invisible.

Sylah dreams of days growing up in the resistance, being told she would spark a revolution that would free the empire from the red-blooded ruling classes’ tyranny. That spark was extinguished the day she watched her family murdered before her eyes.

Anoor has been told she’s nothing, no one, a disappointment, by the only person who matters: her mother, the most powerful ruler in the empire. But when Sylah and Anoor meet, a fire burns between them that could consume the kingdom—and their hearts.

Hassa moves through the world unseen by upper classes, so she knows what it means to be invisible. But invisibility has its uses: It can hide the most dangerous of secrets, secrets that can reignite a revolution. And when she joins forces with Sylah and Anoor, together these grains of sand will become a storm.

As the empire begins a set of trials of combat and skill designed to find its new leaders, the stage is set for blood to flow, power to shift, and cities to burn

✨My Opinion✨

Slow burn

Sapphic

Missed legacy

Classism

Revolution

Slow paced

Switched at birth

Grumpy sunshine

Rivals to lovers

It was a good read, but not mind blowing. I am happy with continuing the series, but not desperate for the next book.

The backstory and world building was expansive and very thorough. I was amazed by how in depth everything went. It was really well done. The magic system was unique in its introduction. I’m looking forward to reading more about it.

It was slow going for the first half of the book. The plot finally getting traction didn’t make up for the lulls, in my opinion. 

I was a little put out with things being mentioned multiple times before being physically described, case in point; Erus. I didn’t even realize it was a giant sand lizard until it was being ridden when Sylah delivering the dresses… I thought it was like a camel or donkey. I still don’t have a clear mental picture of what it looks like, or how it pulls a carriage! 

The main characters could have been flushed out a little more. Sylah was very hard to like. Really hard. Most of the book is her dealing with addiction and grief. Her personality beyond that was pretty petulant. Anoor was childish as well, but I would have enjoyed a more solid arc into her maturity. I often forgot that I was reading new adult rather than young adult, until the in the story spice happened.

Disability rep, but only because of mass mutilation as infants. Brutal, but I guess I understand how it plays into the plot. Hassa was a great character that wasn’t explored more until the second half of the book, and even then seemingly as a throwaway addition. Her story line was more compelling than the main one, by far!

I wish that the trials would have been more prevalent in the story telling. They felt really important in leading up to them, then glossed over when we finally got to them. It would have been great character building to see them more thoroughly through Anoor’s eyes.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Confinement, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Genocide, Gore, Hate crime, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Slavery, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Excrement, Grief, Murder, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, and Colonisation

madscientistcat's review

The writing style is less showing and more telling and that combined with the very dark world full of torture and slavery makes this not really my cup of tea.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gore, Racism, Slavery, and Torture