Reviews tagging 'Death'

Malice by John Gwynne

30 reviews

kat1105's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child abuse, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Torture, Violence, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Alcohol, War, and Injury/Injury detail

ocean_the_reader's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional mysterious tense slow-paced

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

5.0

Upon reread this is definitely mostly set up for the rest of the series. I can't believe everything that's been foreshadowed. 
I felt a lot of things while reading and I just love these characters so much. I can't wait to get to the rest of the series. Especially since I don't remember what happens next.

It took a while for me to actually get invested in this one. But when I did, I didn't want to put it down. I'm very intrigued to see what everyone's roles end up being.

And I definitely don't trust those Vin Thalun people. They're up to something that seems will benefit only them and will cause a lot of damage.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Death, Gore, Violence, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, and Alcohol

t_scottreviews's review against another edition

dark tense medium-paced

4.0

4 Stars
CAWPILE = 7.07

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Death, Gore, Violence, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, War, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Vomit

darkefyres's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional sad tense 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? No

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Death, Gore, Violence, Blood, Death of parent, Murder, Alcohol, and War

Moderate: Animal cruelty, Child abuse, Child death, and Domestic abuse

Minor: Physical abuse, Torture, Grief, and Injury/Injury detail

kerttuli's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional tense slow-paced

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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Death, Gore, Violence, and Blood

Moderate: Alcoholism, Bullying, Child abuse, Kidnapping, War, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Child death, Physical abuse, and Kidnapping

jaedia's review against another edition

adventurous emotional hopeful tense medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Bullying, and Violence

Moderate: Death, Sexism, Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Toxic friendship, War, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Alcoholism, Animal death, Child abuse, Confinement, Genocide, Self harm, Terminal illness, Torture, Medical trauma, and Fire/Fire injury

bookwisp's review against another edition

adventurous medium-paced

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

3.0

This is a difficult review to write. On the one hand, this was a so-so read, despite Corban's coming-of-age story (I'm a sucker for those types of arcs). On the other, I've been left with the distinct sense that this first book in the quartet is very much intended to introduce the reader to the chessboard and for both sides to make their opening moves. I don't think it's supposed to have knocked my socks off, if that makes sense.

There are a lot of names and places to keep track of. I was extremely glad of the Kindle search and X-ray functions which helped me to keep track of characters and alliances. Even so, it was a bit of a struggle. Also, I do have some gripes about the overall lack of female characters (and some about the handling of the female characters we did get), but as I believe Cywen might play a bigger role in the second book, I'll (mostly) hold my peace on this one.

If I'm honest, I was mostly reading for Corban's POV. And yet?? I did get through all ~640 pages, so Gwynne's done something right. Overall, I can't say I was blown away, but there's something about the pacing and the plotting that has left me wanting to read on. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death and Violence

Moderate: Bullying

dogearedbooks's review against another edition

adventurous dark hopeful tense medium-paced

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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Death, and Murder

Moderate: Bullying

kylieqrada's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious medium-paced

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

5.0

Beautifully Bookish Bethany described this on her channel as a good vs. evil story where both champions think they're fighting for good and it made me pick it up IMMEDIATELY. I am so so glad that I did. The multiple POVs are perfectly calibrated so that I'm always enjoying whatever perspective I'm in, while simultaneously dying to get back to where we left each plot thread. My personal fave character so far is definitely Corban, who reminds me of a way less annoying and problematic Kip from the Lightbringer series. I also love how John Gwynne is able to craft his travel and battle scenes so that I can actually picture it and not get totally lost and just skim read, which happens in epic fantasy more than I'd like to admit. Add in strong, dynamic female characters, epic world-building, and a body diverse cast, and I am LIVING. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Ableism, Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Bullying, Child death, Death, Gore, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Kidnapping, Grief, Medical trauma, Death of parent, and Murder

seanml's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.5

 600-something pages of pure fantasy goodness. I'll spare you the details so you can experience them all yourself.

Highlights: Jumping back and forth between multiple narrators in differing and exciting situations means you keep reading until you just can't anymore. GIANTS!

Passes the Bechdel test?: Yes!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Death, Violence, Blood, Death of parent, and Murder

Moderate: Animal cruelty, Gore, Physical abuse, and Torture

Minor: Alcoholism, Misogyny, and Sexism