Reviews tagging 'Slavery'

Ruin by John Gwynne

7 reviews

xta_07's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional 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? It's complicated

3.5

Epic endings and secrets revealed, another fine entry into the John Gwynne catalog.

While I really enjoyed certain plot points, this books pace was extremely slow. But, when this book shines it really shines. All the battles are epic, and I really enjoyed the deepening of Maquin and Fidele's relationship. Speaking of Maquin, can that character just catch a break, please?!

I will return to this series to finish, however, I feel the need to take a break.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: War, Violence, and Torture

Moderate: Slavery

Minor: Grief

surdiablo'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

3.0

🤔 Don't have a lot to say this time. I still have my gripes about this series ( yes I know, I have complained plenty about it already! 😂 ), but this was better than Valour. Noticeable issues include spelling/grammar errors here and there, repetitive traveling that can get boring,

villains who survive fatal blows while good guys die one by one ( well, some villains did die around the end but it took long enough.. )

, etc. but eh. I was way more engaged this time and it left me feeling hollow somewhat, which is a good sign. There were twists I didn't anticipate, and some of the emotional moments were written better than before, regardless of the aforementioned complaints. The ending left me with an urge to read the next book soon, and I can't say the issues seriously detracted my enjoyment this time, while the high points were much more impactful so I'm hopeful about the next book.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Gore, and War

Moderate: Slavery

Minor: Rape

ripxw's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional sad medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Gore, Torture, War, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, and Violence

Moderate: Animal death, Grief, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, and Slavery

Minor: Domestic abuse, Rape, and Misogyny

jaedia's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious tense slow-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? It's complicated

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Animal death, Blood, Cannibalism, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Murder, Slavery, Torture, Violence, and War

Moderate: Rape, Sexism, Genocide, Excrement, Toxic friendship, Vomit, Grief, Kidnapping, and Medical content

kylieqrada's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional 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

5.0

Just a masterpiece. I knew sh!t was about to go down because third book in a series, plot cues were popping, number of pages was steadily increasing throughout the installments, but LORD, I loved this book. I can't say much because #spoilers, but I love how we get so many different perspectives, many of them "villains." It gives the story so much texture and nuance and I am LIVING. John Gwynne did the damn thing and, in typical fantasy fashion, my heart may not survive this series. Now for a brief romance interlude and I'll be back for book four. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Blood, Body horror, Murder, and Violence

Moderate: Cannibalism, Child death, Death, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Gore, Grief, Medical content, Medical trauma, Sexual assault, Slavery, and Torture

Minor: Rape

seanml's review

adventurous dark emotional funny mysterious sad tense 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? Yes

4.75

What in Elyon’s name have I just READ? I was reading the last quarter of this and then glanced over to the still unread sequel Wrath on my shelf, and thought there’s another book after this? I am consistently impressed with Gwynne’s ability to have me pumping my fist in the air for

Veradis

one minute and then putting my head in my hands for

Corban

the next. 9.5/10.

Highlights: Cywen, Veradis, Alcyon, Fidele, Tukul, Corban, Farrel, Trigg, Laith, Coralen, Wulf, Camlin, Halion, Edana, Balur – the list can go on and on. And also, the amount of different narratives means we have many differing antagonists, so we can enjoy the conflicted villain, the anti-villain, and the classic evil-doer all in the same narrative.

Oh and one more thing: F#^%

Lykos,

all my homies HATE

Lykos.

He has easily joined the echelons of Ambrose from Name of the Wind and Harold in the Stand as an antagonist that makes me seethe with rage.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Murder, Animal death, Death, Gore, Grief, Physical abuse, Torture, and Violence

Moderate: Vomit, Body horror, Child death, Confinement, Death of parent, and Slavery

Minor: Cannibalism, Excrement, Infidelity, and Rape

jashanac's review

adventurous emotional hopeful tense slow-paced

• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.75

So this took me like a solid month to read. Partially because the pacing is a bit slow in the first half or so for sure, but also partially because I'm the worst and was reading 4 other books at the same time for a few weeks. OOPS

I have my favorite characters and I swear to god if anything happens to them... !!! 

John Gwynne writes such EPIC action and battle scenes, in my opinion! I struggle to care about those scenes in MANY books, because they often feel tedious. But he manages to make those scenes really come alive for me. There were so many EPIC moments toward the end! 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gore and Violence

Moderate: Slavery and Animal death

Minor: Sexual violence