Reviews with content warning for Incest - Wilde Saat

The concept was really weird. I found my own preconceived notions of what is socially acceptable coming into play. I was faced with my own biases and discomfort with engineering people to produce desirable characteristics like food produce. I appreciated how the characters developed and changed, I don't think I would have felt satisfied with the ending if they had not evolved in the way they had

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jazylicious2010's review against another edition

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challenging emotional medium-paced

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? It's complicated

4.0

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qmedna's review against another edition

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dark slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

1.0

This was not what I was expecting... It was so much worse than I thought. Just read some of these quotes, keep in mind I am cherry picking but this is also the main message throughout the book:

Now and then, Doro courted her in his own way. He arrived with a new body—sometimes an appealing one. He paid attention to her, treated her as something more than only a breeding animal. Then, courting done, he took her from Isaac’s bed to his own and kept her there until he was certain she was pregnant. Still, Isaac urged her to use these times to tie Doro to her and strengthen whatever influence she had with him. But Anyanwu never learned to forgive Doro’s unnecessary killings, his casual abuse when he was not courting her, his open contempt for any belief of hers that did not concur with his, the blows for which she could not retaliate and from which she could not flee, the acts she must perform for him no matter what her beliefs.

She sighed and stared down at her daughter’s still face. No, her children gave her pleasure. She loved them, but she also feared for them. Who knew what Doro might decide to do to them? What would he do to this one?

there is incestuous relations since Doro wants to create stronger children to possess. This was the changing point for me, just no

He (Thomas) blinked, looked at himself. “And I guess you’re used to better!”
“Of course I am! Let me help you and you will be better. You could not have been this way for your wife.”
“You’re not her!”
“No. She could not help you. I can.”

Note that our female protag isn't all good either. She, for some reason, also thinks she is doing something good for the man she's talking to even though it really isn't. 💀 Poor Thomas

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henlovesbooks's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated

4.5

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loristoudenmier's review against another edition

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challenging dark tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

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nexusgoblin's review against another edition

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challenging emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

As with the other books by Butler this has my mind racing, struggling to put together coherent thoughts and honestly makes me glad I no longer review in long form. What could I even say that would adequately describe exactly how I feel or what this book manages to do?

I love the deep dive into ways people try to fill the loneliness, what hard lines they set (if any), and where they begin to bend under the weight of eternity. What loneliness without empathy and compassion can lead a person to do, to believe. This of course is not the only theme, but it's the one that stood out to me the most as I turned the last page.

This is no easier a read than any of other Butler's novels, and so much of it had my stomach in knots. But I'm glad I finally got a copy and it's going to stick with me for a long time.

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tenderbench's review against another edition

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challenging dark tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.5

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