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pinakamataas's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
This was a gripping piece that can make you question anyone’s sanity, it deals with truly dark subject matter, so I would not lightheartedly suggest it to anyone, but to those who were deeply disappointed by Addie LaRue, and maybe because it hinted at darkness it definitely didn’t deliver, this will in spades. But it’s unfair to make this review mentioning both books, because this clearly stands on its own.
I’m not sure if I’ll pick up the next instalments of the Patternmaster (soon or if ever), because it gave me something (or took something from me) that I will need a while to recover.
Doro is and will be one of the most disturbing characters who must kill, and yet kills for pleasure as well. Throughout the book he goes through so much character (I can’t say development) change, that it’s admirable (in spite of everything), and here if he says he loves someone, as a reader you understand that love is nothing romantic and while it’s disturbing and with very little humanity, it is not a lie.
Anyanwu Is the character that teased me with the potential 5⭐️ rating, and in the end while I didn’t hate the place she ended up in the book, approximately 5% before the final reveal of the ending I exclaimed to myself “She WON” and while she didn’t lose the battle with Doro, she definitely didn’t win it either, and it was a huge disappointment to me. Some people might not have that reaction.
Anyanwu sometimes feels like an even more interesting character than Doro while she goes through a lot less character development, her development was more along the lines of the power over her abilities and coming into her own power, but otherwise she is a strong willed character, that I admired a lot of the time.
Anyanwu and Doro play this very separate black and white, yin/yang, good and evil dual POV, and during the course of the book the roles soften, and this feels like the beginning of Doro’s future journey where he has embraced a lot more greyness. And in a way, he ended the book a little less dark than he began it.
Graphic: Incest, Suicide, Medical trauma, Slavery, and Emotional abuse
thenextbookdilemma's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Child death, and Incest
Moderate: Suicide attempt, Suicide, Racial slurs, Adult/minor relationship, and Slavery
Minor: Pedophilia, Cannibalism, Infertility, Pregnancy, and Sexual violence
therainbowshelf's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Suicide attempt, Religious bigotry, Racial slurs, Murder, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, Suicide, Abandonment, Sexual content, Slavery, Violence, Blood, Pregnancy, Misogyny, Emotional abuse, Confinement, Colonisation, Toxic relationship, Suicidal thoughts, Racism, Medical content, Incest, Rape, Grief, Child death, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Mental illness
peachani's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Graphic: Murder, Violence, Pedophilia, Pregnancy, Child death, and Child abuse
Moderate: Slavery, Mental illness, Death, Racism, Incest, Injury/Injury detail, Grief, Gore, and Sexual assault
Minor: Animal death, Abortion, Infertility, Sexual content, Blood, Infidelity, Kidnapping, Confinement, Suicidal thoughts, Ableism, Alcoholism, Body horror, and Racial slurs
antimonium's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Graphic: Child death, Suicidal thoughts, Slavery, Emotional abuse, Violence, Murder, Pregnancy, Infidelity, Infertility, Incest, and Racism
yomireads's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
But God was I uncomfortable the entirety of this novel. I'm positive the discomfort is intentional, the fear, rage, and overall frustration simmering just below boiling from the start is intentional, but the obstinate refusal of the clearly villainous Doro to have any sort of real character growth for literal centuries made me want to chuck this book into an ocean.
The incest was obscene. Eugenics at its finest (most disturbing). And the strange pervasive nature of misogyny in characters who can shift their sex at will wildly frustrating.
Graphic: Colonisation, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Cannibalism, Incest, Misogyny, Murder, Pregnancy, Racism, Sexism, Sexual content, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, and Toxic relationship
rlgreen91's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
So...a month or so later, what thoughts continue to elbow their way to the front when I think of this book? For one, I really liked how Butler depicted Doro and Anyanwu as these nigh immortal, long-lived beings, especially in moments of boredom, without the depiction itself being boring and repetitive. It's hard to put my finger on it, but something about the characterization of Doro and Anyanwu seems more "lively" than your typical characterization of a god, or vampire, or person who accidentally becomes immortal, or what have you. And again, this perception exists, even in moments where Doro or Anyanwu are reflecting on the boredom and fatigue that accompanies living for so long. It's fascinating because it's so skillful.
The other thought that continues to come to the forefront of my mind is my appreciation for Anyanwu as a lead character whose skills and personality focus on healing and nurturing. This is partly due to a personal preference for shifting away from achievement as domination and competition to collaboration and care. But I also appreciate that, for all Doro could not see or imagine it, Anyanwu's efforts to heal, nurture, and care for the people around her was a choice. After all, it wasn't like Anyanwu wasn't capable of killing anyone or inflicting pain; we see her do just that a number of times in the book. There's no reason why Anyanwu couldn't have been more ruthless, more dangerous, more deadly, especially in societies that would assume she was powerless by default. But Anyanwu chose to do what she could to care, nurture, and heal the people around her and that is no small thing.
Overall, I really enjoyed Wild Seed, but I say that about everything I ready by Butler, so not that surprising. :) Looking forward to getting to Mind of My Mind soon-ish. 5 stars.
Graphic: Blood, Death, and Murder
Moderate: Mental illness, Incest, Suicide, Body horror, Colonisation, and Slavery
mille_knudsen's review against another edition
3.0
Graphic: Incest
megwilli's review against another edition
4.0
Graphic: Sexual assault, Rape, Sexual content, Slavery, and Incest
Moderate: Toxic relationship and Gaslighting
gardner0214's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Both this book and Lilith's Brood troubled me in the same way. One of Butler's themes in both works are power dynamics and the role they play in sexual relationships. In both Dawn (the first of the Lilith's Brood series) and Wild Seed the main protagonist is a woman who is essentially forced to sleep with and breed with whomever her captors (who physically and ethically repulse these women) send their way. This abuse continuously happens to these women despite how physically and mentally strong the characters are, they are both essentially reduced to serve the same function of cattle and breeding stock.
I am not saying that these aren't interesting themes, I believe they are worth the effort to diving into, especially given the way Butler expertly weaves gender and race dynamics into these Sci-Fi worlds within the novels. However, this kind of relationship and downright abuse is so constant in the books and it begins to wear me down about 3/4s of the way through the books. It makes me feel broken and I just want to scream for these women.
I guess what I am saying is my main critique is, for books that have the potential to cover so much fantastic, sci-fi ground, they dwell far to much on sexual abuse over and over again.
Graphic: Slavery and Sexual violence
Moderate: Incest