Reviews tagging 'Blood'

The Magician King by Lev Grossman

4 reviews

medini_l's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious 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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Sexual violence, and Rape

Moderate: Blood, Alcohol, Murder, Death, Injury/Injury detail, and Violence

Minor: Vomit

haleyrayreads's review against another edition

adventurous dark medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

I enjoyed this book slightly more than the first one. The plot definitely moved at a more steady pace than its predecessor and the focus was more on the plot than being forced to live in our main character’s head. I appreciate the swifter pace and the more plot driven aspect of the story rather than it being character driven. 

I still really don’t like the characters as a whole. They still tend to be on the selfish side and it makes it hard to care about their fates as a whole. The only characters I really felt anything for are Eliot and Julia, who, while being important, aren’t our main character. 

I’m surprised there was no trigger warning for sexual violence and I would have been very upset reading

Julia’s rape at the hands of the trickster god and the graphic depiction of violence in the scene

if I hadn’t had prior knowledge from my husband. 

All in all this is an entertaining read and I’m glad I didn’t let my feelings about the first book keep me from reading this one, even though this will likely not be high on the ‘reread’ list. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Blood, and Rape

Moderate: Sexual violence and Sexual assault

Minor: Homophobia

nytephoenyx's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

I really, really enjoyed this (as expected). It got its hooks into me because I finished this over a week ago and I am *still* angry about the ending. It's a great ending in a writing sense - I was so wrapped up in everything else the possibility didn't occur to me. But it's strong and dramatic and sets up *so many* questions for the next book and in that way, it's brilliant. I haven't seen much of the show, so the content is still new and exciting for me!

My biggest qualm is the way Julia's story was handled. There's an aspect to the general journey that I understand, but her critical moment was absolutely unnecessary and could have been handled without sexual violence.

Otherwise, this book had a great sense of urgency, a lot of appropriately frustrating moments that kept me engrossed as a ready, and the right balance of magic and not to be compelling without feeling impossible (in its setting).

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcohol, Blood, Death, Grief, Rape, and Sexual violence

Moderate: Forced institutionalization, Misogyny, and Violence

Minor: Classism and Terminal illness

lauralintunen's review against another edition

adventurous emotional medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape and Mental illness

Moderate: Blood, Death, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Suicide attempt and Vomit