Reviews tagging 'War'

Seven Devils by L.R. Lam, Elizabeth May

11 reviews

alex_conners's review

adventurous hopeful 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

I was riding along at a solid 3.5 for most of this book. The last 100 pages had me bump it up. I really did not think Eris was going to be captured and that Sher was going to be compromised. We spend most of the book thinking Damocles somewhat incompetent, or at least obvious in his plans. I wasn't expecting the long con from him in terms of catching the rebels. I desperately want to know how a leader of the resistance was compromised so well no one noticed for a period of months at least.

I'm so invested I'll be reading the sequel immediately.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Xenophobia and Classism

Moderate: War

Minor: Transphobia, Torture, Colonisation, and Genocide

katndrsn's review against another edition

adventurous fast-paced

• 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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Body horror, War, Injury/Injury detail, Violence, Gun violence, Forced institutionalization, and Pandemic/Epidemic

Minor: Chronic illness and Genocide

gxbi's review

adventurous challenging 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? It's complicated

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Colonisation, Death, Emotional abuse, Genocide, War, Xenophobia, Grief, Pandemic/Epidemic, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Slavery, Gore, and Torture

Moderate: Child abuse, Vomit, Blood, and Medical trauma

_teoeo's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious slow-paced

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

3.75

That was...a ride. The idea was really good but the execution was just okay ig. The characters and plot had great potential but the pacing was kinda off. The middle part was so slow and for most of the time I didn't know where the plot was heading. That made it difficult to be totally invested in the happenings. Also, the romance was too rushed

I mean, talking once and boom they're in love? Meh

 
Two of the big plottwists at the end were kind of obvious if you paid attention (to the story and the cover *cough*) so they didn't surprised me. 

But overall I thought it is a good book and if you enjoy queer science fiction this isn't a bad pick.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Classism, Emotional abuse, Drug abuse, Physical abuse, Death, Kidnapping, Gaslighting, Gun violence, Child abuse, Slavery, Blood, Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail, Colonisation, Mass/school shootings, Torture, Violence, Medical content, Panic attacks/disorders, War, Xenophobia, Murder, and Terminal illness

Minor: Incest

theuncannydani's review against another edition

adventurous dark hopeful tense fast-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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Xenophobia, Colonisation, Genocide, and War

Moderate: Classism, Suicidal thoughts, Blood, Child death, Death, and Confinement

Minor: Panic attacks/disorders, Medical trauma, Cursing, Slavery, Medical content, Child abuse, Sexual violence, Injury/Injury detail, Gore, Alcohol, Emotional abuse, Death of parent, Torture, and Gun violence

nickoliver's review against another edition

adventurous emotional tense slow-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Colonisation, Murder, Death, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Grief, Gun violence, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Violence, and War

Moderate: Death of parent

Minor: Torture

relin's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional 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? Yes

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Classism, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Violence, Blood, Colonisation, Gore, Death, Child death, Death of parent, War, Child abuse, and Abandonment

Moderate: Slavery, Genocide, Stalking, Outing, Grief, Medical content, Religious bigotry, Eating disorder, Suicidal thoughts, Chronic illness, Confinement, Domestic abuse, Torture, Alcohol, Xenophobia, Injury/Injury detail, Racism, Panic attacks/disorders, Misogyny, Murder, Physical abuse, and Cursing

Minor: Transphobia, Kidnapping, and Addiction

allisonwonderlandreads's review

adventurous dark emotional funny hopeful 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

4.0

Seven Devils features an undercover team of women seeking to bring down an empire and maybe go to a ball while they're at it. There's a great heist moment as well as battling in space, commandeering imperial ships, and investigating secrets be they hidden on backwater planets or in imperial palaces. This was a smooth, cinematic reading experience with snappy action scenes and the vivid, unfamiliar locales that make space operas so enticing.

All our leading ladies have their voices heard in this adventure. The POVs are distinctive and well-developed, providing insight into how each found the resistance and what wrongs the empire did to bring them to this risky endeavor. There's one pleasant sapphic romance just starting to blossom, but the majority is focused on the found family bonds that form among the crew. Each connection point is poignant and delivered convincingly. I also want to shout out the ace representation in Ariadne, hacker extraordinaire, genius, and absolute ray of sunshine. There's also a badass trans woman who I think we'll see more of in the sequel.

In terms of world-building, I think fans of the genre will find it light and approachable. The book makes use of science fiction standbys like AI and mental conditioning/brainwashing to add some further moral questions to the struggle against a massive, dominating imperial power. I look forward to seeing how the plot develops in the sequel, and I am excited to get to know the two late additions to the team much better. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Colonisation, Death, Death of parent, Genocide, Grief, Murder, Physical abuse, Xenophobia, Violence, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Abandonment, Blood, Panic attacks/disorders, Rape, Sexual harassment, Slavery, War, and Transphobia

breadwitchery's review

adventurous 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? It's complicated

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Gun violence, Violence, Blood, Suicide, and Emotional abuse

Moderate: Child abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, War, Torture, Mental illness, Medical trauma, Injury/Injury detail, Confinement, Death of parent, and Child death

Minor: Cursing, Alcohol, Addiction, Sexual content, Rape, and Genocide

lycanhood's review against another edition

adventurous dark 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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Death, Genocide, Gore, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Panic attacks/disorders, Violence, and War

Moderate: Colonisation, Cursing, Grief, Torture, and Xenophobia