Reviews tagging 'Torture'

The Final Strife by Saara El-Arifi

56 reviews

cozyscones's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional 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: Ableism, Addiction, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Drug use, Gore, Self harm, Sexual content, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Blood, Police brutality, Alcohol, Colonisation, and Classism

Moderate: Body shaming, Fatphobia, and Torture

Minor: Excrement and Vomit

nettleviolet's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark hopeful medium-paced

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

3.25

I wanted to love this book. It had all the elements to make something truly amazing: themes of climate disruption, colonialism, racism, a queer love story, trials to compete in, written by an amazing Black woman. Unfortunately, the story-telling really fell short for me. 

There were a lot of good things about this book: the magic system was really interesting, the depiction of addiction was very true to life and the ways that the main character turned to addiction to cope with the immense stress of the intensely oppressed life she is facing feels very real. I really liked the mythology and the mystery that was explored about it. 

However, the main premise of the book, that the "chosen one" has missed her opportunity and now must train a princess in her place, feels very unbelievable and left the plot feeling very predictable. It also came with very strange pacing  -- we spend chapters building up to trials, mostly in training sessions, and then the trials themselves, the "big thing", take one chapter alone, and are often over in a couple of pages. And I found the outcome of the trials completely unrealistic, within the world. 

Lastly, there are three main characters: Sylah, Anoor and Hassa, and we learn very little about Hassa whose storyline and character definitely felt the most interesting. Her story, and the story of her people, is the thing that will keep me reading this series. I'm hoping that, with the trials over, the series will continue to build on the world mythos and politics more, which is definitely very enticing. 

Overall, this is not a bad book. It just had SO much potential and I feel it didn't live up to much of it. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Drug abuse, Drug use, Slavery, Torture, Police brutality, and Alcohol

Moderate: Self harm, Violence, Xenophobia, and Murder

Minor: Rape

zed_dog's review against another edition

adventurous dark slow-paced

• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

3.25

The concept and worldbuilding in this book are engrossing, but I found the plot and character development dragged. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Confinement, Racism, and Torture

Moderate: Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Sexual content, Slavery, Police brutality, and Classism

displacedcactus's review

I really wanted to like this book, but if I'm going to commit to 600+ pages (and possibly two more equally large books to wrap up the trilogy), I need to be really wowed. The first 60 pages were just a real slog and I had a hard time getting into the main character's quest for drugs and drug money.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Addiction, Drug abuse, Drug use, Slavery, Torture, and Violence

There's a public execution by torture, and an entire class of people is subject to having their tongues and hands amputated when they are children.

solenekeleroux's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional 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: Addiction, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Torture, Violence, Blood, Murder, Colonisation, and Classism

Moderate: Body shaming, Child abuse, Physical abuse, Racism, Police brutality, Grief, and Alcohol

gurofl's review against another edition

adventurous 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? It's complicated

3.75

I liked it in the start, but after a while I lost a bit of interest. There's little development of the plot in the middle. 
I liked the character Anoor, the start of the relationship between the two main characters, the quest, and that the society is very diverse (both when it comes to identity and sexuality). And I would be interested to find out what happens next with the empire and the politics if I hadn't been so annoyed with the characters feeling like they're teenagers when they are 20-22. 
It feels like this borders between adult and young adult fantasy. What I didn't like: the characters are a bit flat, things become very melodramatic at times, and the characters' mood swings a lot very fast. 
The ending was quite interesting, but the juvenile feel of things is putting me off continuing with this series. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Torture and Colonisation

Moderate: Drug use and Classism

Minor: Ableism, Addiction, Body horror, Confinement, Fatphobia, Genocide, Racism, Police brutality, and Kidnapping

likeanecho's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional inspiring 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? Yes

Bello bello 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Drug use, Slavery, Blood, Colonisation, and Classism

Moderate: Child abuse, Confinement, Racism, Torture, Police brutality, and Alcohol

Minor: Child death, Fatphobia, Sexual content, Vomit, Suicide attempt, and Injury/Injury detail

_autumnreads_'s review against another edition

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror and Torture

azrah786's review against another edition

4.5

 **I was provided with an ARC through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review**

CW: violence, blood, gore, injury, self harm, torture, confinement, suicidal ideation, death, child death, death of parent, murder, addiction, drug use, slavery, classism, racism, child abuse, ableism, fatphobia/body shaming, grief
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The Final Strife is an absolutely magnificent first instalment in an all new epic fantasy trilogy all about rebellion and survival.

We’re introduced to an empire governed by a blood based class system where the people are kept just as in check by the deadly Tidewind that ravages the land by night. Those with red blood, Embers are of the ruling class with magic in their blood and the Aktibar, a set of trials which appoints the next set of Wardens to rule the empire is soon approaching.
Sylah, an Ember stolen from her family as a child by a Duster(those of the working class with blue blood) rebel group was raised with the sole purpose to infiltrate these trials and overthrow those in charge, that is until the rebellion was crushed leaving Sylah the only surviving child from the group. However, Sylah’s hope is reignited when an opportunity to see her mission through falls into her hands through Anoor, the daughter of one of the ruling Wardens of the empire.

Now this is a chunky read but El-Arifi’s narration has a compelling rhythm to it that is just as masterful as that of the Griots (storytellers) within her book.
The worldbuilding has roots in Arabian and Ghanian lore and is so vividly immersive and complex, with each turn of the page, each twist of the story feeding us more of the culture, politics, history and secrets of this world.

It is slow going and the time jumps did throw me off at times – also when the point of view switched up within the chapters but this may be more down to the layout of the digital arc - but I just couldn’t put the book and when I had to I couldn’t get these characters out of my mind. There’s an equally frustrating and fascinating quality to each of the main players in this tale and their development and relationships with one another was so well written.

I can’t wait to read more!
Final Rating - 4.5/5 Stars 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Addiction, Body shaming, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Drug use, Fatphobia, Gore, Racism, Self harm, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Blood, Grief, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

luckylulureads's review against another edition

adventurous challenging hopeful slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• 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: Addiction, Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Drug abuse, Gore, Torture, Blood, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Ableism, Body shaming, Fatphobia, Gore, Sexual content, Suicide attempt, Colonisation, and Classism