Reviews tagging 'Sexism'

The Oleander Sword by Tasha Suri

29 reviews

fairyollie's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional sad tense fast-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? Yes

5.0

oh, what a masterpiece. what a stunning, emotional, heart-wrenching addition to an already magnificent series.

this book has a stronger military fiction/theme going on, which I'm not the biggest fan of, but the storyline and pacing of the military theme was so well-done, natural, and necessary, that it did not bother me at all. I was in love, biting my nails, turning page after page waiting to find out what happened next - and then my heart broke. so well done, and I'm not sure how I'm going to survive until Lotus comes out in November!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gaslighting, Grief, Misogyny, Religious bigotry, Fire/Fire injury, Lesbophobia, Colonisation, Sexism, Xenophobia, War, and Death

Minor: Torture, Pregnancy, and Abandonment

caelfind's review against another edition

adventurous challenging 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Religious bigotry

Moderate: Violence, Fire/Fire injury, Death, Injury/Injury detail, War, and Sexism

leaflit's review against another edition

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

4.5

I liked this one better than the first one. I wasn’t sure I was going to keep going with the series after the first book but I’m glad I did and looking forward to the third.  Lots going on, faster pace and getting deeper into the lore. Ends with a lot of plot lines set up for an exciting sequel. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Physical abuse, Vomit, Xenophobia, Colonisation, Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, Death, Murder, War, Religious bigotry, Genocide, Violence, Body horror, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, and Sexism

Moderate: Sexual content, Animal death, Kidnapping, Torture, Drug use, Alcohol, Chronic illness, Gore, Terminal illness, Child abuse, Confinement, Blood, Pandemic/Epidemic, and Domestic abuse

sapphic_book_dragon's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional tense fast-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? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Fire/Fire injury and Body horror

Moderate: Addiction, Misogyny, Sexism, and Racism

brynalexa's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional sad tense fast-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? No

4.5

Much more adventurous than the first book. The ending was full of twists and heartbreak. Amazingly devastating. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Death, Violence, Murder, Confinement, Animal death, Pandemic/Epidemic, Suicide, Colonisation, Fire/Fire injury, and War

Minor: Torture, Toxic relationship, and Sexism

greymalkin's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional informative mysterious reflective sad tense fast-paced

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

4.75

What a gorgeous and fascinating world Tasha Suri has created!  I really enjoyed Jasmine Throne but I like Oleander Sword even more.  The writing is smoother and more assured, and the characters finally  have just enough power and momentum to start making really big choices.  

I enjoyed the evolution of Malini and Priya's relationship since it was always going to be complicated and messy and it's good that the book embraced that.  The only thing I didn't really like was the forced ending.  I completely get that they needed to set this up for the third book but it felt jarring and not very believable.  I wish it had been the other way around where Priya watches as the yaska puppet her body and kill Malini and the horror and grief hollows her out completely to let the yaska in.  And so Priya flees, not knowing that Malini actually lives due to the mothers keeping her alive (and of course they exact their own price from Malini- perhaps Malini's love or memories of Priya).  That would feel more in keeping with the emotional tenor of their relationship- where Malini keeps having to give away pieces of herself and Priya keeps having to bow to to a great power even as it sickens her, and this could be the "rock bottom".  Oh well.  It was still an excellent book!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: War, Death, Body horror, Murder, and Sexism

Moderate: Domestic abuse and Emotional abuse

leanne_miron'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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: War, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Death, and Violence

Moderate: Sexism, Xenophobia, Grief, and Torture

hailstorm3812's review against another edition

adventurous emotional 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

4.5

A great second book that doesn't fall into the second book sag a lot of series do. It builds on the first book with both plot and relationships while introducing new elements to carry us forward. I got really attached to Bhlumika in this book. She's just so tragic and I love her. Also the ending was phenomenal and I can't wait for the next one.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Body horror, War, Violence, Fire/Fire injury, and Religious bigotry

Minor: Sexism, Lesbophobia, and Torture

nightmarebees's review against another edition

adventurous challenging 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

4.25

the first 150ish pages felt slow, which could’ve been either me being bored with war politics or me desperate to have my lesbians back together. once they were back in the same space though? damn. the complexity of a relationship that cannot be separated from a history of colonization between the nations of the partners. the realization that your gods have never cared about you, and that realization only coming once it is too late to stop them from destroying the lives of their worshippers. bhumika is my mom now

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Body horror and War

Minor: Sexism

3arth2kaye's review against another edition

emotional 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? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cursing and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Sexual content

Minor: Sexism