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Reviews tagging 'Pedophilia'
The Language of Thorns: Midnight Tales and Dangerous Magic by Leigh Bardugo
17 reviews
bookishfads's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
reflective
sad
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
4.25
You read this book and come across a sentence that pricks you like a thorn and has you staring at the wound. Beautiful writing.
I enjoyed this book so much I actually read it as slowly as possible so I can properly savor it. Some would say that's the intended way of reading. Leigh Bardugo has a modern approach to fairy tales - in a good way, although they sometimes come across as almost cringe-inducingly feminist (and I say this as a woman). However, a few "gatekeep-girlboss" moments here and there don't take away from the depth of her characters, the twists of her plot and the poetry in her prose - all in a very limited format of a fairy tale.
I loved the moments of female rage, something that is hardly noted in traditional stories. Fairy tales sometimes romanticize very... questionable behaviors and it's nice to see some typical tropes subverted and exploration of healthy vs toxic relationships. That being said, I do sometimes get weary of writers trying to "fix" folktales and overthinking and misunderstanding them (Cinderella being the best example). I had fun with this book, so I'd say Leigh Bardugo did it well. She goes for a more Andersen approach, where the story isn't like an oral folktale, but longer, more elaborate, with deeper characterization.
Bardugo may sometimes get into too much detail, with names of places and whatnot - this is probably to keep us in the Grishaverse, though we're not there, but in their stories. I understand why she and her publisher may have wanted this, but I think it limits the book quite a bit and the cameo of that one character isn't worth it. I guess it's cool to have a fictional world's anthology, but it hardly expands upon anything. So for my fellow Grishaverse fans who aren't too into fairy tales - just look up what happens. For people who love fairy tales but haven't seen/read anything about the Grishaverse - you may be confused at times, but I believe in you. For those who are into both - just read it already!
I understand people who gave it five stars, but certain moments took it down for me, plus the cameo and grisha-bait.
Me being shallow: the cover and the art are just gorgeous! The two-color palette made for a more clever result. I love the idea of the slowly forming margin, so each new page reveals more of the story, like a cheeky little spoiler right before you read it. The final illustration always a delight. I would love to see more books that go for the thorn/rose aesthetic and if they do, this book will be the bar they have to reach. I remembered how this was the first book of LB that captured my attention when I was at a bookstore: "the Six of Crows woman wrote fairy tales!"
Spoiler below for the cameo criticism
I also don't think that the Darkling, a man who spends the main trilogy haunted by the loneliness of his own immortality would have the "you can come if you want" attitude to his SISTER. You're telling me he wouldn't try to make her see his way? Show up when everyone leaves her and use his manipulative ways? Use the bell that can control her? The entire cameo, as fun as it was, felt cheap and didn't make much sense. Why do the Fjerdans tell the story involving the Darkling? Why is it so detailed? Did he write it himself? It would have been much more fun to see him as a recurring character in various Ravkan legends (and it would make way more sense) or have a few told by him. Make the fans work for the lore, don't spoon feed us that it's our beloved/behated villain.
I enjoyed this book so much I actually read it as slowly as possible so I can properly savor it. Some would say that's the intended way of reading. Leigh Bardugo has a modern approach to fairy tales - in a good way, although they sometimes come across as almost cringe-inducingly feminist (and I say this as a woman). However, a few "gatekeep-girlboss" moments here and there don't take away from the depth of her characters, the twists of her plot and the poetry in her prose - all in a very limited format of a fairy tale.
I loved the moments of female rage, something that is hardly noted in traditional stories. Fairy tales sometimes romanticize very... questionable behaviors and it's nice to see some typical tropes subverted and exploration of healthy vs toxic relationships. That being said, I do sometimes get weary of writers trying to "fix" folktales and overthinking and misunderstanding them (Cinderella being the best example). I had fun with this book, so I'd say Leigh Bardugo did it well. She goes for a more Andersen approach, where the story isn't like an oral folktale, but longer, more elaborate, with deeper characterization.
Bardugo may sometimes get into too much detail, with names of places and whatnot - this is probably to keep us in the Grishaverse, though we're not there, but in their stories. I understand why she and her publisher may have wanted this, but I think it limits the book quite a bit and the cameo of that one character isn't worth it. I guess it's cool to have a fictional world's anthology, but it hardly expands upon anything. So for my fellow Grishaverse fans who aren't too into fairy tales - just look up what happens. For people who love fairy tales but haven't seen/read anything about the Grishaverse - you may be confused at times, but I believe in you. For those who are into both - just read it already!
I understand people who gave it five stars, but certain moments took it down for me, plus the cameo and grisha-bait.
Me being shallow: the cover and the art are just gorgeous! The two-color palette made for a more clever result. I love the idea of the slowly forming margin, so each new page reveals more of the story, like a cheeky little spoiler right before you read it. The final illustration always a delight. I would love to see more books that go for the thorn/rose aesthetic and if they do, this book will be the bar they have to reach. I remembered how this was the first book of LB that captured my attention when I was at a bookstore: "the Six of Crows woman wrote fairy tales!"
Spoiler below for the cameo criticism
Content Warnings
Minor: Self harm, Domestic abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Pedophilia, Suicidal thoughts, Cannibalism, Death of parent, Toxic relationship, Emotional abuse, and Gaslighting
Since these are fairy tales written in a very brief style, nothing goes into too much detail, although the writing is so emotional and impactful, sometimes these brief mentions can be upsetting enough on their own, so bear that in mind.albyalbyalby's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Leigh Bardugo never disappoints with the Grishaverse, and the delightful and subversive takes on classic fairytales she gives in this book are underrated by her fans. The stunning descriptions give wonderful visuals that any reader will enjoy. Not to mention the beautiful illustrations throughout. Overall, highly recommend!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Murder, Cannibalism, Violence, Death, Body horror, and Gore
Moderate: Sexual assault, Confinement, Child abuse, Incest, Child death, Blood, and Animal death
Minor: Pedophilia, War, Toxic relationship, Bullying, and Xenophobia
micksland's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence and Murder
Minor: Pedophilia
5 stars! Leigh Bardugo’s arc as a writer has been amazing. Each series has shown a marked improvement in writing quality and character development, and this collection is the crowning jewel of her “Grisha” novels. Each of these short stories and novellas is a dark fairy tale, drawing from classical tales such as “Beauty and the Beast” and “The Little Mermaid”. Bardugo uses the original meaning of fairy tales rather than the Disneyfied modern conception; each story is dark, scary, and uncomfortable in the best way. This collection is a great entry point into the overall universe, sharing a geographical location but no major plot points with the other books.meredith_still_likes_dragons's review against another edition
It's a collection of short stories so I just took a break
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence and Cannibalism
Moderate: Sexual assault
Minor: Pedophilia
It's like Grimms fairytales but for a novel series. One of the stories is about a bad man who gets tricked and he's a child predator so it surprised merory18's review against another edition
challenging
dark
inspiring
mysterious
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
A masterfully crafted collection of dark yet inspiring cautionary tales. There's no unreality trigger warning, but if there was one it would certainly apply for The Soldier Prince (heavy themes of grooming in that one, too.)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual assault, Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Blood, Xenophobia, Body horror, Cannibalism, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Incest, Mental illness, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexism, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Toxic friendship, Kidnapping, Drug abuse, and Animal cruelty
Minor: Child death, Alcohol, Homophobia, and War
icy_queen's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
medium-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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Murder, Death, Blood, and Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Sexual assault, Child abuse, and Death of parent
Minor: Alcoholism, Pregnancy, Pedophilia, War, Bullying, Classism, Adult/minor relationship, Cannibalism, and Child death
estheralmeida55's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual assault, Cannibalism, and Pedophilia
Moderate: Kidnapping and Pedophilia
magdie's review against another edition
dark
emotional
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
relaxing
sad
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? It's complicated
5.0
THE ILLUSTRATIONS PROGRESS ALONGSIDE THE STORY!!!! But in all honesty, I just loved it! I practically inhaled it in one afternoon after struggling to get through few pages of 3 different books the previous weeks. The genre just hit right ig. It's very whimsical but dark (it can get REALLY dark) and you can easily see the inspiration in popular fairytales, but it's not a retelling per se. They felt just right, enough fairytaleness, poetics and morals yet quite realistic characters. I also loved the tidbit easter eggs and references to other grishaverse books.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Toxic relationship, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, Infidelity, Fire/Fire injury, Emotional abuse, Death of parent, Classism, Bullying, and Abandonment
Minor: Incest, War, Trafficking, Miscarriage, and Pedophilia
infjkiki's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- 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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Animal cruelty, Pedophilia, Cannibalism, Murder, Violence, and Gore
Moderate: Child abuse, Sexual assault, and Blood
poisonenvy's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
5.0
This is my second anthology of my year of "read one short story a day."
The first thing I have to say about this book is that it's gorgeous. Just breathtaking. The art really brings the stories to life, and it definitely netted this book an extra star or two. It's really very stunning.
This is a collection of myths and fables from various locations in the Grishaverse: Zemini, Kerch, Fjerdan, and, unsurprisingly, Ravkan, which has the most stories. I'm a little disappointed that no stories from the Shu made it into this collection.
Most of the stories are inspired by myths from our own world, either a mix of multiple stories, or just a retelling of others. I had a lot of fun each morning figuring out where the inspirations for each tale came from. So, without further ado, my reviews.
Ayama and the Thorn Wood This was a fun tale, and a mash-up of Greek mythology, Cinderella, and Beauty and the Beast. It shouldn't work, but it did, and it ended in a far more satisfying manner than I had originally anticipated. The stories that Ayama tells are far more authentic than the ones that she heard, and I can appreciate that, would have appreciated it even as a child.
The Too-Clever Fox I've been looking forward to reading this tale pretty much since Nikolai was first introduced in <I>Shadow and Bone</i>, and I finally snuck it in ahead of time while I was reading <i>Rule of Wolves</i>. While I saw the ending happening fairly early on, I still <i>loved</i> this story a lot, and it really is a tale that suites Nikolai.
The Witch of Duva I actually didn't see the ending coming, and that was a pleasant surprise. This was a retelling of <i>Hansel and Gretel</i>, and it was fun, if not darker than the rest of the stories in the collection.
Little Knife I loved the ending to this story.I'm all about sapphic water nymphs. But other than that, I didn't love it as much as the other stories. I still enjoyed it, but it seemed a little route. The final illustration for this story though is probably my favourite out of the whole collection.
Soldier Prince To me, this seemed like a mash-up of The Nutcracker and Pinocchio, but looking at the author's note at the end of the story, I see that the Velveteen Rabbit was the inspiration for this one. It was very well told, with a theme along the lines of "you can't become real without first wishing for something." To be human is to want and to dream, it's true, and the story tells that excellently.
When Water Sang Fire I think this is the longest story in the collection, but I haven't actually confirmed that, so don't quote me on that. I was nearly late for work though, because it was longer than I expected, haha.
But it was really good. It's emotive, and the ending was really well done? I'll confess that I didn't see where the story was going, but once we got there, I was quietly stoked.
The first thing I have to say about this book is that it's gorgeous. Just breathtaking. The art really brings the stories to life, and it definitely netted this book an extra star or two. It's really very stunning.
This is a collection of myths and fables from various locations in the Grishaverse: Zemini, Kerch, Fjerdan, and, unsurprisingly, Ravkan, which has the most stories. I'm a little disappointed that no stories from the Shu made it into this collection.
Most of the stories are inspired by myths from our own world, either a mix of multiple stories, or just a retelling of others. I had a lot of fun each morning figuring out where the inspirations for each tale came from. So, without further ado, my reviews.
Ayama and the Thorn Wood This was a fun tale, and a mash-up of Greek mythology, Cinderella, and Beauty and the Beast. It shouldn't work, but it did, and it ended in a far more satisfying manner than I had originally anticipated. The stories that Ayama tells are far more authentic than the ones that she heard, and I can appreciate that, would have appreciated it even as a child.
The Too-Clever Fox I've been looking forward to reading this tale pretty much since Nikolai was first introduced in <I>Shadow and Bone</i>, and I finally snuck it in ahead of time while I was reading <i>Rule of Wolves</i>. While I saw the ending happening fairly early on, I still <i>loved</i> this story a lot, and it really is a tale that suites Nikolai.
The Witch of Duva I actually didn't see the ending coming, and that was a pleasant surprise. This was a retelling of <i>Hansel and Gretel</i>, and it was fun, if not darker than the rest of the stories in the collection.
Little Knife I loved the ending to this story.
Soldier Prince To me, this seemed like a mash-up of The Nutcracker and Pinocchio, but looking at the author's note at the end of the story, I see that the Velveteen Rabbit was the inspiration for this one. It was very well told, with a theme along the lines of "you can't become real without first wishing for something." To be human is to want and to dream, it's true, and the story tells that excellently.
When Water Sang Fire I think this is the longest story in the collection, but I haven't actually confirmed that, so don't quote me on that. I was nearly late for work though, because it was longer than I expected, haha.
But it was really good. It's emotive, and the ending was really well done? I'll confess that I didn't see where the story was going, but once we got there, I was quietly stoked.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Incest, Cannibalism, Animal cruelty, and Pedophilia
Moderate: Child abuse