Reviews tagging 'Sexual violence'

Crooked Kingdom by Leigh Bardugo

138 reviews

deerlybeloved's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional inspiring mysterious tense slow-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

If I could rate it any higher, I would.

Crooked Kingdom is a phenomenal sequel to Six of Crows, leaving the reader antsy and waiting, on the edge of their seat with every new twist and turn. Every revealed detail, paid off foreshadowing, character interaction, and planned event leaves you in a new bout of stunned silence as you listen, tense and wanting to know more.

Each character is unique, and fleshed out, meaning every chapter (each written from a different perspective) leaves you excited to learn more about that individual, and has its own personal bit of characterized flair that makes you excited to turn the page and learn who the next point-of-view is fore-- Matthias, Inej, Wylan? You just have to find out, sleep be damned.

So much weaves together to form a plot where just as one issue is resolved, you remember that ah, that's right, three chapters earlier that other plot point was introduced, and all of a sudden it's coming back-- You can't believe you forgot, but how could you not when the fate of the world was being handled first?!

The end will break your heart, as much as it heals it, giving you as many tears as it does grins as you flip through the ending chapters and realize just how much has been lost...and how much is being rebuilt.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Slavery, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, Gun violence, Confinement, Chronic illness, Torture, Religious bigotry, Drug abuse, Death, Panic attacks/disorders, Kidnapping, Trafficking, Drug use, Xenophobia, Violence, Sexual assault, Pedophilia, Grief, Blood, Addiction, and Child abuse

Moderate: Sexism, Religious bigotry, Racism, Trafficking, Sexual violence, Murder, Hate crime, War, Xenophobia, Violence, Pregnancy, Mental illness, Injury/Injury detail, Rape, Pedophilia, Police brutality, Physical abuse, Misogyny, Ableism, and Forced institutionalization

Inej, one of the main characters, has a backstory HEAVILY rooted in discussion of pedophilia, child trafficking, sex trafficking, slavery, sexual slavery, rape, sexual abuse, kidnapping, and so much more. While handled with beautiful tact and insight, the depictions of flashbacks and Inej's feelings of these things can comfort survivors of similar things as much as it destroys us. Go with caution. As well, religious bigotry, ableism, trauma, emotional neglect, horrid things happening to children, war, racial fetishization, and so much more is dealt with in tactful ways, but ever presently used as reminders that the world is as imperfect and dark as it is beautiful.

maya_venkatesh36's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional sad 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

One of my favorites

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Injury/Injury detail, Violence, Racism, Sexual violence, and Death

rory1387's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious

• 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

5.0

I KNEW MATTHIAS WAS GONNA DIE AND THEN HE GOT SHOT AND I WAS LIKE OKAY WHY DID EVERYONE CRY AND THEN HE DIED IN NINA’S ARMS AND THEN “WE WERE ALL SUPPOSED TO MAKE IT” AHHFHWBDJEIEJ

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Death, and Murder

Moderate: Sexual violence

Minor: Gun violence, War, Torture, and Vomit

mallorypen's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional sad tense 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

4.5

MATTHIAS DIED?!? Screw this book. Screw the whole damn thing!!!

But really, what a fantastic end to this duology! I connected with every character, I was surprised but not confused by every twist, and the ending was the right mix of triumphant and heartbreaking all in one. Inej’s visit to Pekka Rollins in the end was just *chef’s kiss* and I love the slow and steady progression of Kaz and Inej’s relationship being built through mutual understanding of their respective traumas and their trust for one another.

Jesper and Wylan? Amazing. I was laughing at the kiss scene where Jesper messed up, but their ending - Jesper being Wylan’s trusted reader and confidante, Wylan bolstering Jesper’s exploration of the part of himself he’s kept hidden … lovely all around.

Nina’s transformation after using parem was so interesting - it would have been so easy for her to be the outlier who magically wasn’t affected by the long term effects of the drug, but her powers twisting (and Kaz finding a new way to use them) made more sense and was wholly satisfying.

The assassin who thought she was a queen felt a little one dimensional to me. And

Matthias’ death is unforgivable, even though it made good literary sense that not everyone would survive, and even understanding you were wrong in the face of a bigger truth and a precious love is not enough to protect you from ignorance and hate. Still. I’m mad about it.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Violence, Death, Body horror, and Torture

Minor: Sexual violence

solaris_zip's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny inspiring mysterious tense slow-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

4.75

Although I absolutely love and adore the crows and six of crows, crooked kingdom is a bit slower than soc and at some parts a bit “complicated “. There are a lot of big words used, which is Leigh writing style and can be found in all of her books, in some parts it makes the book hard and almost boring to read. I feel that in both books I always struggled (doesn’t matter how many times I re read the books) to fully comprehend what the plan is. Although, I cannot recommend this book enough. Aside from the writing style which can be a bit difficult to get into, once the story picks up you enter in such a complex and layered world. You crave for more and more. Love the friendship between Nina and Inej, but in general the whole dynamic of the six crows with one and other is to die for. Yes, even Kaz, who pretends he doesn’t care but he would sacrifice himself for his crew. Reading this duology will always bring me back home. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Violence, and War

Moderate: Drug use

Minor: Mental illness, Slavery, Sexual violence, and Injury/Injury detail

frumpkin_'s review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious sad tense 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: Injury/Injury detail, Gore, Death, and Blood

Moderate: Torture, Panic attacks/disorders, and Grief

Minor: Sexual violence, Slavery, and Pregnancy

evenfall_'s review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional tense fast-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence

Moderate: Gore

Minor: Sexual violence and Child abuse

siglerbooknook's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional inspiring mysterious tense 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Kidnapping, Drug use, Death, Classism, Injury/Injury detail, Child abuse, Addiction, Emotional abuse, and Eating disorder

Moderate: Rape, Trafficking, Slavery, Sexual violence, Panic attacks/disorders, and Sexual assault

Minor: Pregnancy, Pedophilia, Forced institutionalization, Mental illness, and Medical content

bookswithian's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious sad 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: Violence, Sexual violence, Rape, Gore, Death, Emotional abuse, Child death, Drug use, Slavery, Murder, Torture, Ableism, Physical abuse, Blood, and Sexual assault

tanisha_112's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional funny mysterious sad 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Medical content, Blood, Gun violence, Murder, Death, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Violence, Kidnapping, and Trafficking

Moderate: Sexual violence and Sexual assault

Minor: Cursing