Reviews tagging 'Kidnapping'

Kingdom of Ash by Sarah J. Maas

56 reviews

dalek_caan's review against another edition

dark emotional tense fast-paced

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

5.0

Wow. What an ending. This is a series I would happily start over from book one having just put down the final book. I cried several times. Great writing.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gore, Abandonment, Gaslighting, Violence, Self harm, Animal death, Torture, Grief, Death, Fire/Fire injury, Blood, Suicidal thoughts, Confinement, War, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Suicide, and Suicide attempt

Moderate: Sexual content, Pregnancy, and Sexual violence

chapters_and_pages's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring 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

Oh my goodness, what a phenomenal ending to such an incredible series! I put off reading this book for years because it was so long (980 pages…) but I’m so glad I’ve finally read it!

I won’t be going into the plot of this book, being that it’s the last in a long series but I absolutely loved the storyline and the ending. My favourite thing about this series is without a doubt the characters! The fact that Maas can create all of these incredible characters and make them all so unique and well written is astonishing, to be honest. Sometimes it can feel like an author introduces too many characters and they all start to feel very basic and similar but that’s never the case with Sarah J. Maas. 

Aelin continues to be one of, if not my favourite book characters of all time. Honestly, I don’t understand how anyone couldn’t adore her!

Overall this series was outstanding and I’m glad I’ve finally completed the series!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gore, Violence, Pregnancy, Confinement, Fire/Fire injury, Death, Torture, Blood, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, and War

marissaumble's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful 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? It's complicated

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, War, Body horror, Death, Death of parent, Grief, Kidnapping, and Torture

noetical's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful inspiring mysterious reflective 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? No

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Confinement, Violence, Injury/Injury detail, Pregnancy, Murder, Torture, Blood, Gore, Sexual content, Death, Death of parent, Kidnapping, and War

huddle_dragon's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional sad medium-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Emotional abuse, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Kidnapping, Murder, Physical abuse, Confinement, Animal death, Blood, Death, Gore, and War

ruthannejoy's review against another edition

adventurous dark sad tense medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Confinement, War, Violence, and Torture

Moderate: Emotional abuse, Genocide, Grief, Pregnancy, Slavery, Mental illness, Animal death, Fire/Fire injury, Blood, Death, Death of parent, Gore, and Kidnapping

Minor: Suicidal thoughts

infjkiki'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: Animal death, Death of parent, Forced institutionalization, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Blood, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Death, Fire/Fire injury, Sexual content, Slavery, Pregnancy, Suicidal thoughts, War, Confinement, Kidnapping, Panic attacks/disorders, Violence, Excrement, Grief, Physical abuse, Torture, Body horror, Gore, and Self harm

Moderate: Rape and Sexual assault

jesserae17's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional tense medium-paced

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

4.75

This was a great conclusion to a wonderfully epic series. My only complaint is the battle scenes started drag a bit towards the end. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: War, Blood, Torture, Sexual content, Violence, and Gore

Moderate: Death, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Grief, Murder, Gaslighting, Physical abuse, Confinement, Death of parent, and Cursing

Minor: Suicide attempt, Animal death, Panic attacks/disorders, Misogyny, and Confinement

ashleynp24's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring 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

5.0

This was the perfect ending to the 8 book series. All of the plot lines finally converging, the battles, it was all done so well. Highly recommend doing the tandem before this. It felt like it trickled into this perfectly. 

I spent so much of the end crying, but the worst deaths for me were the thirteen. Their sacrifice had me sobbing for an hour. The character growth for all of the characters was such a fun thing to read.

I’m truly sad the series is over but the happy ending was worth it. One of the best books I’ve read in a long time.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Grief, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual content, Torture, Fire/Fire injury, War, Violence, Murder, Kidnapping, and Death

amanda_reads13's review against another edition

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

4.5

I feel like this is a pretty satisfying ending, but I do still have many questions. For a book that was almost 1000 pages, I felt the pacing was pretty decent, though it could have been shorter. I found some parts to be very repetitive, especially the battle scenes.

Pretty much every time they are close to being beaten, somehow another group of allies show up at the perfect moment to save them. Every Time. It makes it a little less exciting to read.

Aelin:
I haven't been a huge Aelin fan throughout this series. Just when I was starting to like her, she has to make probably the dumbest choice -

trying to bargain to save Elena. ARE YOU KIDDING ME?! She spends this whole series trying to defeat Erawan, only to get to the moment when she finally can and decides that saving Elena's soul is more important? THIS MAKES NO SENSE. The whole point of sacrificing herself is to save her people, now she decides to leave them to try to defeat Erawan on their own? Thousands of people could have been saved.

I am so glad that she was able to find her strength and escape from Maeve without having to be rescued by Rowan. How she has the will to live after enduring all of that torture is beyond me.

Lysandra and Aedion:
Lysandra is badass and probably my favourite character. She had one of the best redemption stories in the series. She is such a powerful and strong character. I really liked Aedion until

he turned on Lysandra. How is she responsible for Aelin's choices?! He treated her with such malice and distain, when she did nothing wrong. He chooses to further abuse a woman who has been through so much trauma and abuse, rather than show compassion and understanding. I don't feel like he fully redeemed himself enough for Lysandra to take him back. I kind of wish that she had ended up without him at the end.

Chaol and Yrene: 
I feel like the whole "Chaol and Yrene" are tethered thing fell by the wayside. You would think that with as much power she was expelling, Chaol would be basically paralyzed the whole time, yet it seemed like he was hardly effected. I really want to know what comes next for Yrene, she is obviously incredibly powerful. 

Lorcan and Elide:
Honestly, this relationship didn't make a lot of sense to me. I don't think that their relationship had the impact that it was meant to. I think that some sort of familial relationship (maybe instead of Aedion?) would have helped her heal. 

The witches: 
I love the witches! They are my favourite group in this book. These women are so badass. I think that Manon and the Thirteen have one of the best arcs in this series.

It absolutely crushed me when the Thirteen sacrificed themselves.

Dorian: 
I love how Dorian has come into his power. He is incredibly powerful and determined to help protect and save his people, even if that means sacrificing himself. Thought the book, his power continues to grow and change

(He can shift!). I like that he has a resolution when it comes to his father. That said, I think it was a bit of a cop out for his father to be "nameless".

I think his relationship with Manon makes a lot of sense. Both are still healing and have a lot of work ahead of them. Having them jump into a relationship wouldn't make sense with what they both need to do in the future. I like that it was left a bit open ended. 

Gavriel and Fenrys:
I adored these two!

I am devastated that Gavriel didn't get the chance to get to know and form a relationship with his son. Sacrificing his life to protect him was an honorable final act befitting The Lion.

Fenrys suffers horribly under Maeve.

She forces him to endure watching Aelin being tortured and kills his twin in front of him. He experiences so much pain, yet somehow manages to push through it to break the blood oath to Maeve to help save Aelin. It makes sense that he would want the blood oath from Aelin, given how loyal he already is to her. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Pregnancy, Grief, Sexual content, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, War, Animal death, Confinement, Death, and Kidnapping