Reviews tagging 'Sexual content'

The Familiar by Leigh Bardugo

47 reviews

blacksphinx's review against another edition

emotional inspiring tense medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Torture, Antisemitism, Death, Religious bigotry, Grief, Classism, Injury/Injury detail, and Misogyny

Moderate: Vomit, Mental illness, Hate crime, Fire/Fire injury, Emotional abuse, Confinement, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Infertility, and Death of parent

Minor: Gore, War, Dementia, and Islamophobia

zolifetimebookaddict's review against another edition

adventurous dark tense medium-paced

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

4.25

All though a slow starter this really gathers pace as the book moves on. More world building in the middle of the book would have been amazing! I enjoyed it.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Cursing, and Body horror

Minor: Genocide, Cursing, Sexual content, Adult/minor relationship, Murder, Religious bigotry, Confinement, Death of parent, and Death

turtles555's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional informative 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? It's complicated

4.75

The individual stories of the very unique journeys the leads embark on brings brilliantly to life the disturbing presence of patriarchal societies. Top notch. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Colonisation, Death, Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, Gaslighting, Hate crime, Religious bigotry, Sexual content, Sexism, Violence, Antisemitism, Body shaming, Bullying, Racism, Confinement, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Murder, Grief, Classism, Child abuse, and Police brutality

zozibelle's review against another edition

dark emotional 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? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Antisemitism and Religious bigotry

Moderate: Sexual content and Torture

Minor: Infertility

natalieba's review against another edition

adventurous emotional mysterious tense 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? It's complicated

4.0

This was my first book by Leigh Bardugo, and I could certainly see picking up another by her. This is historical fantasy with ties to real historical events and figures along with fable, myth, and mysticism woven in. I found the two main characters interesting and complex and their love story believable and compelling. The side characters did seem a bit flat (or perhaps rushed/not as well-developed), but that didn't bother me all that much. I enjoyed this reading experience so much and found myself reaching for this book even when I only had a small sliver of time free - it was great! I don't read a lot of fantasy and felt this had just enough magic to fit into the genre but not so much that the world-building needs to be overly complex or drawn out (which is what oftentimes causes me to struggle with fantasy). Overall, I would recommend this book to those interested in this time period (the Spanish Inquisition) or who enjoy light fantasy with smart women at the center. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Antisemitism

Minor: Confinement, Blood, Torture, and Sexual content

taryn_g's review against another edition

challenging dark reflective 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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Religious bigotry, and Torture

Moderate: Racism, Injury/Injury detail, Physical abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Confinement, and Violence

Minor: Death of parent, Sexual content, War, and Infertility

ewalkergrace's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious tense 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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Antisemitism, Torture, and Religious bigotry

Moderate: Death, Violence, and Sexual content

Minor: Vomit and Sexual assault

lucyford's review against another edition

adventurous dark informative sad tense medium-paced

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

4.0

This was the first historical fantasy book I’ve read, and I loved the setting so much! The magic was so well thought and it was interesting to see how it was perceived by people at the time. The plot was also very exciting.

The only thing is that I really didn’t like the ending. Like I know they were “together” in the end or whatever, but not in the way I would’ve liked.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Blood, Hate crime, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Religious bigotry, Death, Murder, Violence, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Torture, Injury/Injury detail, Gore, and Antisemitism

Moderate: Classism, Confinement, Sexual content, Deportation, Police brutality, Infertility, and Emotional abuse

dripdrop's review against another edition

adventurous hopeful mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Religious bigotry

Moderate: Sexual content, Abandonment, and Violence

Minor: Death of parent

trying_ceratops's review against another edition

adventurous hopeful mysterious 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

This is a good mix of historical fiction and magic and romance. None of these really overpower the others and the story is able to move along well. 

I was afraid this character would be another meek yet powerful character from Bardugo like Shadow and Bone (which I did not enjoy) but the character has great, believable, growth and doesn’t disappoint. The romance feels like it grows realistically and isn't superficial. I’d give it a .5 🌶️ for spice. It’s there but not overly explicit and only a small part of the book. 

The era of it made sense and I felt like I was back then, but not so much that it’s the sole part that drives the story.

The magic system is lovely and I enjoyed the language aspect of it. 

I’d suggest this for people who like magic set in the real world but the real world is historical. Who want romance but with a story that is about more than that. And who like characters who choose their own fates. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Religious bigotry and Antisemitism

Moderate: Colonisation

Minor: Infertility, Sexual content, Gore, and Classism