Reviews tagging 'Adult/minor relationship'

The Bird King by G. Willow Wilson

5 reviews

hannahpings's review against another edition

adventurous emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious reflective sad 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

a little miracle of a book. wilson does something with pacing and expectation here that i can't even begin to articulate, but is so beautifully representative of the larger point of the bird king i can't help but marvel at it. like hassan's maps, short passages contain entire odysseys in themselves, while long ones are easily (and quickly!) traversable. its ending is deceptively simple and beautiful and heartbreaking with a single, final image that feels like it's going to be burned in my head forever. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Colonisation, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Slavery, Torture, Violence, War, Religious bigotry, Homophobia, Sexual assault, Animal cruelty, Body horror, and Physical abuse

Moderate: Islamophobia, Sexual content, Blood, and Grief

Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Alcohol, and Medical content

chrispybacon's review against another edition

adventurous emotional tense medium-paced

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

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Death, Gore, Homophobia, Toxic friendship, Colonisation, Cursing, Misogyny, Body horror, Torture, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Physical abuse, Religious bigotry, and Violence

Moderate: Abandonment, Sexual assault, Rape, Sexual content, Slavery, and Adult/minor relationship

Never knew what exactly the plot was until it happened but I was along for the ride. Somd things seem nonsensical to me. The ending was underwhelming. Beautiful writing style.

sargasso_c's review

adventurous challenging emotional reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.5

THE BIRD KING by G. Willow Wilson is a unique novel that combines religion and exploration of self. Set at the fall of the Ottoman empire, THE BIRD KING touches upon many different characters, centering around Hassan and Fatima (or Fa as only her beloved call her). One is a man who can make maps to imaginary places, the other a favored concubine to the sultan - born and raised owned. The two share a fierce friendship that is tested time and again as they strive to outrun the sun setting on the kingdom of Alhambra. 
 
While this book didn't speak to me constantly, there were definite tones throughout that resonated. Fa is an angry woman looking for a way to make that anger useful. She is all too relatable, even as a woman birn over half a century ago. The representation in the book is varied and appreciated. I've never seen the Ottoman empire from this perspective before, and look forward to what other stories Wilson has to tell. 

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Homophobia

Minor: Adult/minor relationship and Death of parent

thenexthing's review

adventurous dark hopeful tense medium-paced

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

4.5

team! family! home! (families of choice having a very bad time but

getting a mostly-hopeful ending

is my jam )

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Religious bigotry, and Death

Moderate: Antisemitism, Islamophobia, Homophobia, Trafficking, Slavery, and Adult/minor relationship

Minor: Animal death

when the main character is a concubine born into slavery, their bff is a magic-user/divine seer and the plot is driven by the Spanish Inquisition, people are not going to have a great time

yavin_iv's review against another edition

adventurous fast-paced

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

3.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Slavery, Religious bigotry, and Violence

Moderate: Sexual assault, Gore, Misogyny, Trafficking, and Torture

Minor: Adult/minor relationship and Antisemitism