Reviews tagging 'Sexism'

Bloodmarked by Tracy Deonn

40 reviews

samellecooke's review against another edition

adventurous challenging 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

A great continuation of the Legendborn Cycle series. While I felt both books were longer than they maybe needed to be, I did enjoy reading it. We see Bree start to take charge of her story which is amazing to see while she is battling so much: supernatural forces and creatures, grief from her mom's and friends' deaths, and pressure to fill shoes she had zero idea she would ever have to fill. Tracy Deonn continues to do an excellent job of exploring themes of racism, sexism, and slavery and bringing the dark, ugly truths to light. Her ability to write this into fantasy is what kept me reading in the first book when I wanted to stop. 

I held back giving this book a 5 because of some of the relationships in this book. I am thoroughly confused by the love triangle we have going on between Bree, Nick, and Sel. In general, love triangles aren't for me so that's just a personal preference, but I felt like the lack of communication between Bree and Sel caused by this strenuous relationship held the story back for me a lot.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism and Sexism

Moderate: Violence and Death

danysgirl's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional funny hopeful mysterious sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• 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: War, Murder, Sexism, Rape, Racism, Misogyny, Violence, Cursing, Drug abuse, Slavery, Kidnapping, Colonisation, Death of parent, Gaslighting, Grief, Blood, and Hate crime

ashtonfinnie's review against another edition

adventurous challenging 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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Misogyny, Sexism, Murder, Grief, Gaslighting, Racism, Slavery, and Kidnapping

simpleexplorations's review against another edition

adventurous emotional funny hopeful 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? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Sexism, Violence, Injury/Injury detail, Rape, Death of parent, Medical content, Medical trauma, Racism, and Slavery

savvyrosereads's review against another edition

adventurous emotional inspiring reflective 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? No

4.0

Rating: 4/5 stars

This is the sequel to Legendborn and the second book in the series of the same name.

Selwyn Kane is EVERYTHING and honestly the primary reason I enjoyed this book as much as I did. Overall, I’d say this one suffered from a bit of a sophomore slump—I wasn’t as connected to or engaged with the plot, and I was a bit frustrated with some of the characters’ decisions and with the ending overall.

But SEL. When I latch on to a fictional character I never let them go, and Sel is absolutely mine now. I urgently need more books in this series specifically because I urgently need more of him.

Overall, even with some mild criticisms, I do enjoy this series and think the world and magic system here is so interesting! I highly recommend these books for anyone who enjoys older-YA fantasy, and particularly fantasy with diverse rep and Arthurian inspiration!

Recommended to anyone, but especially if you like: Arthurian legend; Welsh terms of endearment (IYKYK); Black Girl Magic (literally)

CW: Blood/injury/violence; grief; racism and sexism; discussions of slavery

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Blood, Confinement, Death, Racism, Sexism, Kidnapping, Misogyny, and Violence

Moderate: Grief and Slavery

Minor: Rape and Sexual assault

vaguely_pink'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? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

I was pretty meh about Legendborn but HOOOOOOO BOY this was so good I’m foaming at the mouth for book 3

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism and Violence

Moderate: Fire/Fire injury, Misogyny, Murder, Sexism, Colonisation, Cursing, Death, Infidelity, War, Death of parent, Grief, and Slavery

Minor: Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Car accident, Abandonment, Medical content, Alcohol, Blood, Confinement, Rape, and Vomit

arielcg's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional inspiring mysterious reflective tense slow-paced

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

3.0

I have a whole review of this in my notes app. Refer to that please and thank you.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Death of parent, Grief, and Sexism

allichuckran's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional inspiring 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

Minor: Confinement, Death of parent, Grief, Racism, Rape, Blood, Colonisation, Sexism, Violence, and War

hailstorm3812's review against another edition

adventurous dark funny hopeful 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? Yes

5.0

AHHHHHHHH. There are drugs in these books, one of those books where you look down and have read 100 pages and didn't notice. I think this book did a good job building on the themes and relationships of the first one while expanding into new territory. I really liked the dynamics of the quartet we have for most of the book. Also can I say how much I love Alice. I'm so glad she's in this book more.

Also are we going poly ending?? I may be delusional but I think we could...

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence

Moderate: Hate crime, Death of parent, War, Injury/Injury detail, Death, Colonisation, Grief, Blood, Murder, and Genocide

Minor: Rape, Sexual assault, Sexism, Religious bigotry, Car accident, and Torture

gabriella_'s review against another edition

dark emotional funny inspiring 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? It's complicated

5.0

This book has almost everything. Structures of oppression, intergenerational trauma, grief, romance, war, friendship conflicts, learned bigotry & privilege, and governmental conspiracy. It scratches any itch you have from Harry Potter, Maximum Ride, and The Hunger Games all rolled into one. Shit, it even satisfies the Warriors cat series fans too. It does all this will surpassing all of these series. Wish I had this when I was a younger, more voracious reader.

Tracy Deonn one-ups herself in this sequel book. This book further expands on characterizing her central cast while also giving other (more background) characters a chance in the limelight. She developed a core ensemble cast that feels compelling and stand-alone. This book made me cry, especially when

Bree talks with her mother

- Bloodmarked is raw and real. Bree is one of my favorite series protagonists I’ve ever read. She feels so real. I love reading about a protagonist who is strong, really strong, and in more than just a physical (or even girlboss) way. She has grit and emotional stamina and she’s navigating through systems rigged against her. 

More random things I love about this book that didn’t seem to have a place for me to write them in this review: 

• The rest of the cast - especially Selwyn - tugs at my heartstrings. 
• Tracy Deonn’s dream sequences are an amazing exploration of themes that are relevant later in the book and offer a refreshing way to engage with old magic.
• The descriptive settings!! 
• The use of LANGUAGE. Ugh. CARIAD!
• The men in this book have a “written by a woman” charm. Well, the men that matter do, at least.

I love the way this author lays the groundwork for future plot twists - she has a gift for finding a way to keep the reader on their toes without insulting their intelligence AND while still making the twists believable. Some you can see coming - but that’s a credit to her foreshadowing. 

I just want to keep gushing about this book because honestly it left me soooo hungry for the next book in this series!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Toxic relationship, Violence, Death of parent, Genocide, Injury/Injury detail, Gaslighting, Gore, Medical content, Misogyny, Murder, Slavery, Blood, Body horror, Death, Abandonment, Fire/Fire injury, Forced institutionalization, Medical trauma, Grief, Physical abuse, Stalking, War, Panic attacks/disorders, Mental illness, Racism, Sexism, Toxic friendship, Child death, Classism, Cultural appropriation, and Torture