Reviews tagging 'Suicidal thoughts'

A Broken Blade by Melissa Blair

51 reviews

jocogr's review against another edition

adventurous dark tense fast-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction and Alcoholism

Moderate: Colonisation, Injury/Injury detail, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Physical abuse, Classism, Death, Racism, and Violence

sasclostchild's review against another edition

dark sad tense

• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.25

So the first third of the book was very depressing, focusing on our protagonist living the American dream: doing a shitty job they don't like to barely live and to drown their sorrows in alcohol, all while harming a lot of people.

She then turns her life around by quitting alcohol (good for her) and siding with a rebellious group to eat the rich.

This is all accompanied by a very icky straight romance which is not icky because it's straight (although that is a sad part because i was hoping for a sapphic romance but that only exists in a short flashback) but because the dude forces himself on her all the time and the only chemistry they have is some weird interaction between their types of magic that acts as an aphrodisiac making them horny for each other.

She still somehow falls in horny because idk if you can call drug addled make outs love

Then the book also fails to close its main arc during the book but fuck I'm not buying the second book. 
Still 2.25, because the unfinished story got kinda interesting in the second half

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual violence, Sexual harassment, Physical abuse, Trafficking, Alcoholism, Racism, Murder, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, and Slavery

Moderate: Genocide, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Drug abuse, Suicidal thoughts, and Toxic relationship

crinkledmochi's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional reflective 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? Yes

3.75

I enjoyed this book and will definitely read the next one to see what happens but some of the twists and turns were kinda obvious and the characters could’ve been a little more fleshed out 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief, Suicide attempt, Gore, Blood, Violence, Suicidal thoughts, Alcoholism, Self harm, Panic attacks/disorders, Colonisation, Death, Drug use, Hate crime, Injury/Injury detail, Xenophobia, Trafficking, Torture, Genocide, Addiction, Vomit, War, and Sexual content

stormbringer52's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional medium-paced

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

2.5

My thoughts toward this book are complicated.

The beginning is incredibly heavy. It felt like the author was relying too much on exposition, using it to try and cram how bad the world is down our throats rather than actually showing us. It made living in this world seem almost cartoonishly horrible with

descriptions of dead and starving people lining the streets

. This method undercut the characterization of both the protagonist, Keera, and the major antagonist, King Aemon.

With Keera, the author was simultaneously making sure we knew that she was a badass but also beating us over the head with the fact that her life as the King’s Blade has been horrific. Like with the world, this was mostly told to us. Keera's internal monologue switches back and forth between arrogant bravado and utter despair in a way that feels disjointed and unconvincing.

I also found it unrealistic that she had been the King's best assassin for 30 years but had been a raging alcoholic for 20 of those years, but that is neither here nor there.

Keera's exposition gives us a clear picture of who King Aemon is, showcasing the terrible things he has done and how he feels no remorse over them. This sets him up as a good antagonist. However, in the narrative itself, he is presented simply as a monarch who is stressed about the existence of a rebellious force within his kingdom. We do not actually see him perform any horrendous acts.

However, as the book progresses, the presentation of events becomes more balanced. We leave behind Keera's downtrodden monologue and are actually brought into the present, watching events unfold. We actually meet characters who are impacted by events, and Keera starts to show the effects of her life rather than just tell them to us. The actual plot of the book is revealed, and it is intriguing and compelling. It became interesting. Keera improved as a character for me when she was part of an ensemble cast and had to interact with others.

Now, it is a romantasy book. The romance subplot actually develops somewhat naturally, but it is completely tarnished by inappropriate moments of sexual tension that detract from otherwise serious scenes. The relationship between the leads starts from a point of mutual mistrust, and they gradually get closer as assumptions are broken down. There is a steady progression of the relationship that would otherwise be compelling. However, the constant horniness present

even during their first fight scene

is a major disappointment. Rather than adding anything to these moments, it was a complete disruption that undermined what should have been a tense scene. At one point, I wanted to throw my book across the room.

The book has potential. The plot is interesting, and the cast is diverse and complex. However, the heavy exposition at the beginning and the inappropriate sexual tension completely tarnish it for me. I can't help but leave reading the book with a sour taste in my mouth.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Self harm, Alcoholism, Genocide, Death, and Slavery

Moderate: Trafficking, Murder, Sexual harassment, Suicidal thoughts, and Classism

Minor: Physical abuse and War

Contains the bury your gays trope. Depictions of famine and corpses.

taynation's review against another edition

adventurous inspiring 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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Suicidal thoughts, Alcoholism, and Violence

Moderate: War and Drug abuse

Minor: Death, Death of parent, Child death, and Child abuse

bergha1998's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional reflective 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

3.75

I was not expecting this book to be so unique, I thought it would just be a Romantasy. But it’s so much more dialogues about racism, addiction, slavery. Very well done and interesting. I’m excited to read the second book. 

Fantasy, Enemies to Lovers, Character Development, 2 🔥

“And still he found beauty in the darkness of it, in my light and my shadows.”

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Blood, Genocide, Kidnapping, Physical abuse, Child abuse, Alcohol, Classism, Grief, Racism, Torture, Violence, Xenophobia, Colonisation, Cursing, Death, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Suicidal thoughts, Misogyny, Addiction, Bullying, Injury/Injury detail, and Murder

Moderate: Sexual content and Sexual assault

rachelfayreads's review against another edition

adventurous dark 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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Genocide, Alcoholism, Death, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, and Colonisation

Moderate: Trafficking, Addiction, Torture, Sexual harassment, Physical abuse, and Kidnapping

reed_harmon's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Mental illness, and Violence

Moderate: Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, and Self harm

Minor: Genocide and Physical abuse

whitedaylilies's review

adventurous dark emotional fast-paced

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcohol, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, and Addiction

Moderate: Sexual content

cryosphinx's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional 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

 I did go into this not knowing much about it other than it was a debut from a First Nation author. When I started this, I wasn't sure if it was going to grab me. It took about around 100 pages for things to really start flowing but once it did, I started to really, REALLY enjoy this. The foreshadow was a bit too 'hey, look at this twist that's coming' so it was predictable. Keera is definitely the highlight of this book, being a bad ass but flawed FMC who has multiple struggles to work through and the back and forth with Riven is a delight. And there are parts that are so heart wrenching that i had to sit the book down and process it (Looking at you Ch. 25).

I can see why some people may not like this since it's a fairly trope heavy book. The author thanks BookTok and it does gear it towards that type of 'tell me the tropes' writing. My biggest complaint was about half way through the book I was over being reminded that Halfings had their ears altered. Very repetitive reminder to the readers to see it mentioned over and over. While there was a lot more political intrigue than I anticipated which I love as a trope, I feel like the colonialism could have been a bigger aspect. I hope the next books continue to talk about it but bring in more to the forefront.

But when I hit the 75% mark I immediately ordered the next one and pre-ordered 3 so I clearly enjoyed it. Give me tropey fantasy and I will devour it.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Violence, Self harm, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, and War

Moderate: Alcohol and Colonisation

Minor: Suicidal thoughts and Torture