Reviews tagging 'Slavery'

Band Sinister by KJ Charles

9 reviews

booksthatburn's review

emotional lighthearted reflective medium-paced

• 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

BAND SINISTER is a delightful and intimate story, where two men with bad blood between their families, end up closer than they could’ve imagined after Amanda breaks her leg and is forced to convalesce at Phillip’s estate, accompanied by her devoted brother, Guy. Phillip, for his part, is with his dearest friends since boyhood, who have shared every intimacy with one another. Including, to Guy’s astonishment, sexual intimacy among men, the idea of which is as alluring as Phillip himself.

I very much enjoyed the polyamorous tenor of the story. While the main romance is between Guy and Phillip, it’s within the context of Phillip’s longtime friendship, physical intimacy, and bonds deeper than romance with his two friends. The characters are vibrant and distinct, and the cozy setting of the manor house let the romance spend long stretches undisturbed by outside concerns (until near the end when unfortunate relations intrude once more). Amanda has written a novel which is inspired by the rumors about the hellfire club, but they turn out to be very lovely people. She and Guy have some consternation about how to handle the fact that she's written a book based on these people they have now come to know.

I like how cozy this feels, even the minor element of concealing the gothic novel's origins was less stressful than I normally find lying to be in relationships. I wish there were a sequel, but this feels very complete and I'm pleased with the ending.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content and Classism

Moderate: Medical trauma, Injury/Injury detail, and Medical content

Minor: Racism, Slavery, Religious bigotry, Infidelity, and Homophobia

jjjreads's review against another edition

emotional informative inspiring medium-paced

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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Abandonment, Bullying, Child abuse, Cursing, Death of parent, Homophobia, Injury/Injury detail, Medical trauma, Sexism, Sexual content, Religious bigotry, Alcohol, Classism, and Medical content

Minor: Biphobia, Antisemitism, Slavery, Violence, Transphobia, Hate crime, Homophobia, Racism, and Sexual harassment

pvbobrien's review against another edition

emotional funny lighthearted medium-paced

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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Medical content and Sexual content

Moderate: Homophobia

Minor: Slavery, Infidelity, Abandonment, Alcoholism, Death of parent, and Injury/Injury detail

henrismum's review

emotional hopeful inspiring lighthearted slow-paced

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

3.5

Not First in Series and Not First by Author (fourth by author)
Audiobook (All of my entries on The Story Graph are audiobooks.)
Why I added this book to my TBR pile: This has been on my TBR pile the longest of any of my books - since July. I probably added it after reading Ms. Charles' The Will Darling Adventures.
This was a sweet story with some steamy bits and a happy ending.
Will I read more of the series / author?     Probably Not     Maybe    Highly Likely This is not a series, but I will seek out other books by the author.
The narrator was Cornell Collins. He is lovely and it's been so long since I listened to him in The Will Darling Adventures that I was able to hear the characters as new.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content

Minor: Slavery, Infidelity, Sexism, and Classism

20sidedbi's review

challenging emotional funny hopeful lighthearted reflective slow-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content

Moderate: Homophobia, Medical content, Racism, and Antisemitism

Minor: Death of parent, Slavery, and Infidelity

unwise_samwise's review against another edition

emotional 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? No

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content, Medical content, and Medical trauma

Moderate: Racism, Homophobia, and Emotional abuse

Minor: Infidelity, Slavery, Alcoholism, and Blood

wrensandroses's review against another edition

emotional funny hopeful lighthearted medium-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Medical trauma, Misogyny, Religious bigotry, Sexism, and Sexual content

Moderate: Abandonment, Antisemitism, Child abuse, Colonisation, Death, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Racism, Slavery, Xenophobia, and Alcoholism

kharlan3's review

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content

Moderate: Homophobia, Racism, Emotional abuse, Abandonment, Medical content, Misogyny, Injury/Injury detail, Cursing, and Blood

Minor: Death of parent, Infidelity, Slavery, and Alcohol

Characters being controlled by relatives using money.

girlonbooks's review against another edition

funny hopeful lighthearted relaxing fast-paced

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

4.0

🌳🌳🌳🌳(four stars as rated in trees that are better climbed with someone you care about)

Amanda Frisby has written a book, and a most scandalous one, at that. Having signed her novel simply as, "by a lady" and based it not-so-loosely on rumors concerning her infamous neighbor, Sir Philip Rockwood, was a risk that could be the ruin of Amanda (again) if it ever came to light. A least, so says her well-meaning older brother, Guy. Amanda, for her part, finds being a published author all too exciting (not to mention lucrative). But when Amanda suffers a near-fatal accident while trespassing on the expansive property of Sir Rockwood, putting her at the mercy of his generosity as well as his good humor, Guy forms a sort of friendship with Phillip and his illustrious crew. This new alliance stirs something in Guy. Amanda's book, he decides, is a matter best dealt with another day. As is the storm of local opinion waiting for their new band of friends just beyond the grounds of the Rockwood estate...

"There’s nothing brave about hiding from one’s desires. It takes far more courage to know yourself."

It is a truth universally acknowledged that K.J. Charles absolutely slays at writing quality relationships and sex. The key to this all being that she nails the concept of consent. Every. Single. Time. Asking permission is sexy AF and don't let anyone ever tell you otherwise. Everything Charles' characters do to one another is done with trust and explicit assurances of pleasure. It's honestly incredible. It also completely tramples the notion that such things did not exist in the past. Because, believe it or not, there was consensual sex happening during the Regency Period. 🤯 I can not recommend Band Sinister to you highly enough if you want a story of love, friendship, growth and general human decency surrounding both monogamous and monogamous sex. I appreciated the respect with which Charles acknowledges the merits of both and the understanding with which they are met by the primary characters.

✨ Rep in this book: queer characters, Black supporting character, polyamory

✨ Content warnings for this book: homophobia, sexism, abandonment by a parent, infidelity, death of a parent, death of a sibling, life threatening injury, medical stuff, slavery, racism

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content and Homophobia

Moderate: Medical content and Death of parent

Minor: Slavery and Racism