Reviews tagging 'Child abuse'

The Iron Flower by Laurie Forest

6 reviews

ka_ke's review

adventurous dark 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

If the Black Witch was good, the Iron Flower is incredible. Elloren grows into the strong woman we want her to become and the world building is so well written it becomes your new home. Laurie Forest is definitely one of my auto-buy authors from now on. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Fire/Fire injury, Misogyny, Religious bigotry, Xenophobia, Drug abuse, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail, Animal cruelty, Blood, Bullying, Classism, Colonisation, Death, Racial slurs, and Racism

Moderate: Fire/Fire injury, Violence, Homophobia, Child abuse, Injury/Injury detail, and Sexual content

Minor: Trafficking and War

braiths_book_thoughts's review

adventurous dark emotional 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? Yes

5.0

'"Learn all you can, Elloren, about everything you can. You will find that, when you're as powerless as we are, it helps to be clever."'

This book! I could not put it down. I was so enthralled by the story! 

We left book one with a massive power shift in the world and not one for the better.

Oooooooohhh boy, did we see the consequences of that in this book. New mage ruling after mage ruling after mage ruling. Each one is worse than the last and brings more danger to Elloren's friends and family.

My heart was in my throat and I was genuinely worried for these characters. It was so awful watching how the world that was already hating on the characters turn even more dark. Watching the hate crimes to casually and cruelling committed against other races was horrifying, it was painful to watch Elloren forced to see the truth of her race's cruelty. 

My only gripe with this book, was that half way through it, the thought, "in these dark times and band of powerful friends....what is the point of Elloren?"

Elloren, as we know is powerless and she stubbornly stays that way. At no point does she make any effort to better herself in way where she could be useful when the band of misfits are thrown into danger. She laments after every situation how weak and powerless she is, but does nothing to help herself. 

I know it is because her culture has groomed her into being small and powerless, but you think she would at least toy with the idea of learning to protect herself. 

The romance in this book is far more pronounced than in book one. In fact I would say that half the book was Elloren thinking about her love interests. Where it did get annoying, it didn't stop me from wanting to know what happens next.


I am so excited to read book 3.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Sexual assault, Drug abuse, and Child abuse

mypatronusisajedi's review

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Grief, Fire/Fire injury, Violence, Torture, Slavery, Sexual harassment, Religious bigotry, Racism, Racial slurs, Physical abuse, Murder, Misogyny, Kidnapping, Hate crime, Emotional abuse, Drug use, Drug abuse, Domestic abuse, Death of parent, Child death, Child abuse, Bullying, Blood, Animal death, Animal cruelty, and Addiction

minbyrnes's review against another edition

adventurous emotional sad tense medium-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

5.0

I had a lot of fun reading/listening to this.

I was wondering if anyone of importance was going to die. I really don’t mind if main or important side characters don’t die in stories like this; I don’t care that it’s not realistic. The deaths were sad but the genocide hit me hard. That part was very difficult to read.

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Content Warnings

Minor: Drug abuse, Child abuse, Slavery, and Genocide

siobhanisreading's review

dark emotional sad

4.0

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Content Warnings

Minor: Sexual assault, Violence, Trafficking, Torture, Sexual violence, Slavery, Rape, Racism, Pedophilia, Homophobia, Genocide, Forced institutionalization, Colonisation, and Child abuse

rini's review against another edition

adventurous emotional hopeful mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Confinement, Drug abuse, Drug use, Fire/Fire injury, Forced institutionalization, Genocide, Grief, Death, Trafficking, Violence, and Xenophobia

Moderate: Alcohol, Blood, Child abuse, Torture, and War

Minor: Death of parent, Homophobia, Murder, Rape, Religious bigotry, and Sexual violence