Reviews tagging 'Death of parent'

A Broken Blade by Melissa Blair

5 reviews

taynation's review

adventurous inspiring 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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Suicidal thoughts, Alcoholism, and Violence

Moderate: War and Drug abuse

Minor: Death, Death of parent, Child death, and Child abuse

_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

daysireads's review

I was so excited to get this book! Which makes it even worse that I am almost half way through and am feeling so disappointed. I may return to it, but my initial feelings are holding me back from spending more time on it. 

The world we are thrown into seems vicious and terrible, but it lacks a bite.  Keera is very juvenile for someone who is supposedly a highly competent soldier/leader. TBH I am squinting to see the qualities that would enable her to hold such an important position in her kingdom. Hint: I still can’t see them. It’s unfortunate, but for the role she holds and from what we’re told about her character, she doesn’t seem to be very fleshed out.  And even though the book is exclusively from her POV, I hesitate to say I know anything of substance about her. 

It feels like this book is an amalgamation of several other popular books which wouldn’t be so bad if it executed those tropes and themes well. Ultimately, I think you either love it or you just walk away feeling meh about it. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Classism, Genocide, Blood, Addiction, Alcoholism, Death, Self harm, and Slavery

Minor: Death of parent, Misogyny, and Torture

jilljemmett's review

5.0

Keera is the King’s Blade, his favourite assassin. When a mysterious figure known as the Shadow starts attacking near the capital, the King sends Keera out to find him. She travels to the lands of the Fae to find out more about the Shadow. Keera is shocked when she meets the Shadow, and he isn’t the enemy she thought he was. The Shadow makes Keera question her position as the Blade and who her real enemy could be. 

This book definitely lived up to the hype. It was fast-paced and action packed. This story was based on the way Indigenous people were/are treated in North America. The King in this book took the lands from the Fae and Elves who lived there. Halflings, those who were half mortal, half elf, were deemed as lesser. The King would take custody of and train Halflings as his own soldiers. This story showed how horrible a leader like the King really is, and it’s disturbing that it’s a mirror image to what happened in the real world here. 

A Broken Blade is a fantastic fantasy! I can’t wait to read the sequel!

Thank you Union Square and Co and Manda Group for sending me a copy!

Content warnings: self harm, alcoholism, murder, physical abuse, parental death

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Self harm, Alcoholism, Murder, Physical abuse, and Death of parent

caitlin033's review against another edition

adventurous dark 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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Alcoholism, Murder, and Suicidal thoughts

Moderate: Kidnapping, Sexual assault, Sexual content, and Colonisation

Minor: Death of parent and Torture