Reviews tagging 'Trafficking'

A Broken Blade by Melissa Blair

17 reviews

sasclostchild's review against another edition

dark sad tense

• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.25

So the first third of the book was very depressing, focusing on our protagonist living the American dream: doing a shitty job they don't like to barely live and to drown their sorrows in alcohol, all while harming a lot of people.

She then turns her life around by quitting alcohol (good for her) and siding with a rebellious group to eat the rich.

This is all accompanied by a very icky straight romance which is not icky because it's straight (although that is a sad part because i was hoping for a sapphic romance but that only exists in a short flashback) but because the dude forces himself on her all the time and the only chemistry they have is some weird interaction between their types of magic that acts as an aphrodisiac making them horny for each other.

She still somehow falls in horny because idk if you can call drug addled make outs love

Then the book also fails to close its main arc during the book but fuck I'm not buying the second book. 
Still 2.25, because the unfinished story got kinda interesting in the second half

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual violence, Sexual harassment, Physical abuse, Trafficking, Alcoholism, Racism, Murder, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, and Slavery

Moderate: Genocide, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Drug abuse, Suicidal thoughts, and Toxic relationship

crinkledmochi's review

adventurous dark emotional reflective tense medium-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

3.75

I enjoyed this book and will definitely read the next one to see what happens but some of the twists and turns were kinda obvious and the characters could’ve been a little more fleshed out 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief, Suicide attempt, Gore, Blood, Violence, Suicidal thoughts, Alcoholism, Self harm, Panic attacks/disorders, Colonisation, Death, Drug use, Hate crime, Injury/Injury detail, Xenophobia, Trafficking, Torture, Genocide, Addiction, Vomit, War, and Sexual content

stormbringer52'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

2.5

My thoughts toward this book are complicated.

The beginning is incredibly heavy. It felt like the author was relying too much on exposition, using it to try and cram how bad the world is down our throats rather than actually showing us. It made living in this world seem almost cartoonishly horrible with

descriptions of dead and starving people lining the streets

. This method undercut the characterization of both the protagonist, Keera, and the major antagonist, King Aemon.

With Keera, the author was simultaneously making sure we knew that she was a badass but also beating us over the head with the fact that her life as the King’s Blade has been horrific. Like with the world, this was mostly told to us. Keera's internal monologue switches back and forth between arrogant bravado and utter despair in a way that feels disjointed and unconvincing.

I also found it unrealistic that she had been the King's best assassin for 30 years but had been a raging alcoholic for 20 of those years, but that is neither here nor there.

Keera's exposition gives us a clear picture of who King Aemon is, showcasing the terrible things he has done and how he feels no remorse over them. This sets him up as a good antagonist. However, in the narrative itself, he is presented simply as a monarch who is stressed about the existence of a rebellious force within his kingdom. We do not actually see him perform any horrendous acts.

However, as the book progresses, the presentation of events becomes more balanced. We leave behind Keera's downtrodden monologue and are actually brought into the present, watching events unfold. We actually meet characters who are impacted by events, and Keera starts to show the effects of her life rather than just tell them to us. The actual plot of the book is revealed, and it is intriguing and compelling. It became interesting. Keera improved as a character for me when she was part of an ensemble cast and had to interact with others.

Now, it is a romantasy book. The romance subplot actually develops somewhat naturally, but it is completely tarnished by inappropriate moments of sexual tension that detract from otherwise serious scenes. The relationship between the leads starts from a point of mutual mistrust, and they gradually get closer as assumptions are broken down. There is a steady progression of the relationship that would otherwise be compelling. However, the constant horniness present

even during their first fight scene

is a major disappointment. Rather than adding anything to these moments, it was a complete disruption that undermined what should have been a tense scene. At one point, I wanted to throw my book across the room.

The book has potential. The plot is interesting, and the cast is diverse and complex. However, the heavy exposition at the beginning and the inappropriate sexual tension completely tarnish it for me. I can't help but leave reading the book with a sour taste in my mouth.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Self harm, Alcoholism, Genocide, Death, and Slavery

Moderate: Trafficking, Murder, Sexual harassment, Suicidal thoughts, and Classism

Minor: Physical abuse and War

Contains the bury your gays trope. Depictions of famine and corpses.

_alyssar_'s review

adventurous challenging dark hopeful mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Bullying, Physical abuse, Blood, Kidnapping, Murder, Self harm, Classism, Grief, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Child abuse, and Violence

Minor: Drug use, Suicide attempt, Trafficking, Gore, Torture, Domestic abuse, Forced institutionalization, Vomit, Body horror, Fire/Fire injury, Sexual content, Death of parent, and Slavery

rachelfayreads's review

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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Genocide, Alcoholism, Death, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, and Colonisation

Moderate: Trafficking, Addiction, Torture, Sexual harassment, Physical abuse, and Kidnapping

readbynany's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny sad 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? It's complicated

5.0

This the kind of book that white straight people would complain about on booktok 😭😭. The writing and story was impeccable and captivating, only thing I had trouble following was fight or action scenes. 
The fmc is bi and the mmc is a moc! 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Slavery, Trafficking, Self harm, Alcohol, Colonisation, Suicidal thoughts, and Violence

Minor: Fire/Fire injury

ljp817's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Self harm, Alcoholism, Physical abuse, and Suicidal thoughts

Moderate: Sexual content, Murder, and Torture

Minor: Trafficking and Sexual harassment

tanadeet's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful mysterious 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

A surprisingly enjoyable story which needs more love. A story about Fae and humans, saving a kingdom, slow burn romance, found family and a strong FMC, fighting for survival, for love and her people ⚔️

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Alcoholism, Addiction, Violence, and Self harm

Moderate: Injury/Injury detail and Death

Minor: Sexual content, Trafficking, Torture, and Suicidal thoughts

kit_kat006's review against another edition

adventurous dark 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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Addiction, Blood, and Alcoholism

Moderate: Trafficking

maregred's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious tense slow-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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Colonisation, Murder, Alcoholism, and Racism

Moderate: Death, Sexual harassment, Violence, and Self harm

Minor: Vomit, Injury/Injury detail, Fire/Fire injury, and Trafficking