Reviews tagging 'Violence'

The Jasad Heir by Sara Hashem

44 reviews

abt804's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional mysterious tense medium-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

4.5

This book had a VERY slow start for me. The world building included terms without much context so I found myself struggling to understand, I eventually would give up or figure it out with a context clue 100 pages later. Once I got over that hurdle it was SO ENJOYABLE. The world that was built was different than many of the fantasy books I’ve read and I enjoyed the Egyptian lore and culture threaded throughout. The last third of this book FLIES by and leaves you on a bit of a cliffhanger. This is the slowest of slow burns and I cannot wait for book 2. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence and Death of parent

Moderate: Pedophilia and War

bookswithbethx's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional sad tense medium-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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gore, Incest, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Vomit, Kidnapping, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Sexual harassment, Colonisation, War, and Injury/Injury detail

kbairbooks's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful mysterious sad tense slow-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

A huge thank you to the author, and publisher, for giving me an arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.

If you love N. Caceres and Chelsea Abdullah then you will LOVE Sara Hashem. This book was dark, cruel, and angry. But it was also a beautiful discovery that love is worthwhile, an incredible tale of friendship, and the most delicious slow burn I’ve come across in a while. The authors voice was so strong, the descriptions were so rich, and the world was so fleshed out. And Arin? UGH. YES. Everything about his, please and thank you. And that ending? PHEW!! I blew through it like my eyes were on fire and finishing the book was the fire extinguisher. SO GOOD. I can’t wait for book two!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gore, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

martine3's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Blood, and War

Moderate: Racism and Vomit

Finally something worth reading and engaging for me and real enemies to lovers (I hope). The only minor complaint is that the tournament is so often used in fantasy (and very similar to a mix between the Hunger Games and the Goblet of Fire) that it felt repetitive even though it was actually engaging. But I hope there won't be a focus on politics and specifically on other kingdoms later on because I am interested mainly in the main characters. I also hope for once that surprise pregnancy or a babylogue won't be employed (I don't dare dream for a heroine who is childfree or doesn't mention and occupy herself with children but I am fed up with Maas' natalist propaganda).

n0elle's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious sad tense 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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gore, Physical abuse, Torture, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Kidnapping, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Gaslighting, Abandonment, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Pedophilia, and Sexual assault

dragoninwinterfell's review against another edition

adventurous 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

4.0

The Jasad Heir is a solid debut novel and first installment of a series. Though it has a slow start with too much info dumping, once the story gets going and the characters are firmly introduced, the book is engaging. 

The protagonist, Sylvia, is a morally grey heroine with a tragic past filled with loss and abuse. Having lost her family and status as a princess during a war, she lives as a commoner, hiding her identity as well as her restrained magic. I really loved the complexity of Sylvia's character and following her through each difficult choice and harsh revelation from her past. She felt very real. 

While I'm not usually a fan of enemies to lovers romances, the dynamic between Sylvia and Arin is the best example I've seen of the trope. They are natural enemies as he is the son of the man who overthrew her family and the way their relationship progresses is authentic.

I'm really looking forward to the next installment of this series.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Child abuse, Physical abuse, Racism, Violence, Police brutality, and Death of parent

Minor: Pedophilia, Rape, and War

soniajoy98's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional inspiring mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• 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, Body horror, Child abuse, Cursing, Death, Genocide, Gore, Physical abuse, Torture, Violence, Blood, Grief, Murder, Cultural appropriation, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

Moderate: Confinement, Drug use, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicidal thoughts, Xenophobia, Police brutality, Medical content, Kidnapping, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, and Fire/Fire injury

Minor: Child death, Incest, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, and War

ellierumoo's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional funny 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 absolutely devoured this book. I thought the plot was compelling, the characters were inescapably loveable, and I felt a stomach lurching sadness as I flipped closer and closer to the end of the page count. I anxiously awaited this book release, and I already can't wait for the next one!

I think you'd like this book if you like:

Zuko (ATLA), Mr. Darcy (Pride and Prejudice), The Hunger Games, Enemies to Lovers Tropes, ACOMAF, Iron Widow, and complex morally grey characters

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Genocide, Gore, Physical abuse, Violence, War, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Body horror, Death, and Grief

Minor: Confinement, Pedophilia, and Sexual assault

Minor horror elements, and war themes present throughout. No torture or SA on page, but lots of pain and violence.

bittersweetcritiques's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful mysterious 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

“It wasn’t a choice based on practicality..."

To have loved and loathed a character in such equal measure and to have been constantly unsure of where innocence ended and betrayal began, I have found myself completely consumed by The Jasad Heir. A story so well spun it will take ages to unravel all the various plot threads.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Violence, Death of parent, and War

maaikereadsbooks_'s review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.25

Many thanks to Little, Brown Books and Sara Hashem for the advanced copy of The Jasad Heir via NetGalley, in return for my honest and unbiased review. Quick note: I don’t recap plots in my reviews, as it’s easy enough to read the book’s synopsis and blurbs, I purely focus on my feelings & opinions of how the books makes me feel. 

A solid fantasy series beginning! 

Although slow to start, and perhaps following a slightly predictable format, Sara Hashem uses excellent world-building techniques to create an intriguing society with mysterious factions hiding in spooky forests, questionable spectres hiding in the protagonist’s mind, holding entire conversations, and power-hungry politicians stepping on the lower classes to get what they want (where have we seen that before?!). 

I did get lost at times with all the new words, deities, etc in the five languages featured in the books, it didn’t hamper the reading process. 

I am a character reader and there was plenty of character-building and development in this book, but not at the detriment of the development and pacing of the plot. 

It took a while to really get into the book, but once I did, I was hooked, and I found that, the more engaging the book became, the more the pace picked up. The pace varied from slow in the beginning to fast in the end, so I’ll even the overall pacing in my ratings to ‘medium’. 

There is a romantic element but it’s very slow burn and suitable for younger teens as the spice only goes up to kissing with no mention of anything beyond this. 

Overall I recommend this book, especially to those who enjoy a fantasy series with explained magic systems. 

Tropes: enemies/friends to lovers, forbidden love, forced proximity, lover(s) in denial, orphan, peril, secret royal 

Spice: 1/5 

Trigger warnings: Blood/Gore, Death, Death of a family member, Genocide, Grief, Poisoning, Violence, Weapons 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief

Moderate: Death, Violence, Blood, and Death of parent

Minor: Genocide