Reviews tagging 'Cannibalism'

This Is How You Lose the Time War by Max Gladstone, Amal El-Mohtar

5 reviews

monstrouscosmos's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional 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? It's complicated

5.0

Characters: 10/10
Relationships: 10/10
Atmosphere/Setting: 9.5/10
Writing Style: 9/10
Plot/Intrigue: 9.5/10
Internal Logic: 10/10
Entertainment: 10/10
Overall: 68/70, 5*

I love epistolary novels, quantum time travel plots, and messy star crossed sapphic romances, so I figured from the get that I'd be really into this. and I was! I especially loved the ways the characters spoke with one another across timelines, and gave context for themselves as individuals, within their respective collective experiences, and within their shared relationship over time(s). the writing about writing was also really fun! there are definitely moments that delve into disturbing themes and events, but for the most part I found the tone stayed hopeful in belief for better circumstances. 

it's definitely something I need to relisten to (I feel like I missed a lot in my first run thru due to the narrative bouncing around quite a lot), but I'm so excited to revisit it! 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Death, Medical trauma, Torture, Abandonment, Colonisation, Animal death, Child abuse, Blood, Cannibalism, Confinement, Fire/Fire injury, Genocide, Injury/Injury detail, Gore, Grief, Gun violence, Violence, Medical content, Self harm, Suicide, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, War, and Xenophobia

Moderate: Gaslighting, Mental illness, Toxic relationship, Animal cruelty, Fire/Fire injury, and Stalking

Minor: Religious bigotry, Sexual content, and Cursing

Graphic: spiders

dannothedino's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful mysterious reflective sad tense fast-paced

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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Suicidal thoughts, Grief, Mental illness, Blood, Forced institutionalization, Suicide attempt, Violence, Cursing, Death, Injury/Injury detail, and War

Moderate: Vomit, Murder, Animal cruelty, Medical content, Animal death, Body horror, Panic attacks/disorders, and Torture

Minor: Abandonment and Cannibalism

banscout's review

adventurous challenging 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? It's complicated

5.0

i said midway through reading this that i wanted to inhale the words and grasp desperately to each syllable as if it were the last breath i ever took, but honestly, after finishing the book i now know that i want for more than that. i want to tear apart my heart and embed each word onto each and every artery. this is a masterpiece, well and truly. i have never read such a thrilling piece that has had me in ruins because good god, that writing is not even phenomenal, it is a word not even fathomed to language yet. this is a gift to the writers told that to write, you must meet tradition. fuck tradition. write with the flowers in mind, and love with your words entwined.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: War, Body horror, Violence, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Abandonment, Suicide attempt, Gore, Cannibalism, Torture, Animal cruelty, and Panic attacks/disorders

Minor: Medical content and Grief

athryn's review

adventurous emotional hopeful mysterious medium-paced

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

3.0

This was pretty good, but for some reason I kind of bounced off of it. I didn't quite feel as connected to it as I expected, and I didn't feel that invested in the characters for some reason.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Body horror, Confinement, Cannibalism, and Death

k_aro's review

hopeful mysterious fast-paced

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

4.5

I really enjoyed this book! Honestly, aside from the whole time-travelling shtick (which, I mean, it's called This Is How You Lose The Time War), I wasn't very aware of what the book was about. I think the way the book throws you in media res without really explaining what's going on is quite nice.

I'm also a big fan of epistolary novels, I loved The Guersney Literary Potato Peel Pie Society, so this was right up my alley.

And that ending! I had had a feeling it would have a circular ending (it's really the only time travel shenanigan that involves back and forth that works), and it works so nicely. There's another media, it's on the tip of my tongue but for the life of me I cannot remember it, that when I finished the book I was reminded of. Maybe Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood? But I don't really think that involves too much cyclicality, so I cannot remember it.

I do think Red kissing Blue to give her the antidote was a little weirdchamp... but then I'm assuming Red and Blue were once children. Maybe that's wrong.

I also think that the lack of complete closure works, though it's obviously a little sad to not see their 'happily-ever-after.'

Ultimately, it didn't blow my mind, but it was a really good book, and I'd recommend it.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: War, Violence, and Death

Moderate: Fire/Fire injury and Blood

Minor: Cannibalism and Torture