Reviews tagging 'Sexual violence'

Raybearer by Jordan Ifueko

3 reviews

ashlikes's review against another edition

adventurous 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: Child abuse, Death, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Sexism, Toxic relationship, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Confinement, Domestic abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Abandonment, and Colonisation

Minor: Child death, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Vomit, Medical content, Kidnapping, Stalking, and Pregnancy

bookishbette's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious medium-paced

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

5.0

Genuinely one of the most interesting and imaginitive worlds I've ever come across. Truly a top tier story, and a guidepost for anyone who wants to write or read intersectional, original stories. The only issue I have with any of it is a relationship between a girl around 16/17 and a man about ten years older tha  her, but I absolutely could have misinterpreted their ages and it's barely covered in this anyway. Other than that, I absolutely adored it. I checked it out from my library to read, and you can bet it'll be on my shelf as soon as I get a chance. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Confinement, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Violence, and Fire/Fire injury

Moderate: Death

Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicide, Excrement, Vomit, and Pregnancy

gem114's review against another edition

adventurous 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? Yes

4.0

I've been sitting here with a blank review box for the longest trying to figure out what to say about this book.  It was good. Definitely good. There's a LOT to it.  Magic, love, telepathy, demons/underworld beasts, POLITICS, etc.

Tarisai is a young girl who was raised in an isolated home protected by magic.  She longs for her mother, The Lady, but rarely sees her.  When she's twelve, The Lady sends her to the capital to compete with other children for a place on the prince's council, a group of eleven individuals representing the realms of Aristar who will eventually rule the empire.  Her mother's goal for her, however, is not just to join the council--it's to kill the prince.  The novel follows Tarisai as she bonds with the other children, forming the family she's always wanted, and fights against her fate.

The world-building is thorough and the characters are well-balanced.  Their flaws give them depth/complexity without being irritating (a la Children of Blood and Bone--sorry, not sorry).  Some of the scenes of the children competing for and then learning their council roles made me think of Yeine in Jemisin's The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms.

I'll definitely be reading the sequel, Redemptor, when it is released in August.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Violence

Minor: Rape and Sexual violence