Reviews tagging 'Abandonment'

A Strange and Stubborn Endurance by Foz Meadows

11 reviews

phiagrace97's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious 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

3.25

This book seemed slightly lifeless and forced. I did enjoy aspects of the romance and was intrigued by the mystery, but the resolution felt flat and lazy. Additionally, I really don’t know why we had to start off with a rape scene and suicide attempt. It just all felt like it was too big of stakes and simultaneously like there were no stakes at all. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide attempt, Violence, Vomit, Rape, Toxic relationship, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual harassment, Sexual assault, Murder, Gaslighting, and Abandonment

sorayah11's review

emotional mysterious sad tense slow-paced

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Animal death, Death, Death of parent, Murder, Sexual assault, and Sexual content

Moderate: Physical abuse, Stalking, Gore, Panic attacks/disorders, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Abandonment, Suicide attempt, Homophobia, Blood, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Transphobia, War, and Classism

hazelgirl21's review against another edition

adventurous emotional 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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content, Rape, Death, and Violence

Minor: Abandonment

purplepenning's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional hopeful mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Homophobia, Violence, Rape, Death of parent, Sexual violence, Blood, and Murder

Moderate: Sexism, Abandonment, Gaslighting, Body horror, Sexual content, Injury/Injury detail, Suicide attempt, Classism, Animal death, Grief, Panic attacks/disorders, Ableism, Alcohol, Animal cruelty, Fire/Fire injury, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Misogyny, Outing, Self harm, Vomit, and Xenophobia

Though it's a well-handled journey of healing, a main point of view character experiences significant trauma early in and deals with trauma recovery for much of the book.

kayleypew's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious 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

2.5

I thought the pacing was so bizarre - let’s have four paragraphs describing the clothing he’s wearing and one paragraph describing a major plot point - and often would break pace to explain something to the audience during important dialogues, so when you real the reply you have to read back to the question again. 

The intro was so painfully wordy and over descriptive of nothing happening I almost frogged it, but truly had to reread sections multiple times to stay focused long enough to put meaning to the words. Thankfully the wordiness subdues and becomes more readable. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Self harm, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Mental illness, Abandonment, Rape, Sexual assault, Murder, Violence, and Homophobia

sydapel's review against another edition

emotional 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

I need everyone to read this series, like yesterday. Absolutely gorgeous writing, tender love story set against a mysterious and brutal game of court politics. Velasin and Cae fit so well together, but Meadows allows them to find each other rather than rush their relationship, creating a delightful slow burn that feels earned. I also absolutely adore this world and how magic, gender identity and lines of succession are handled within it. Annnnddd the next one comes out this year!! 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Homophobia, Sexual assault, Animal death, Sexual violence, and Murder

Moderate: Abandonment, Kidnapping, and Toxic relationship

jessiereads98's review against another edition

adventurous emotional mysterious fast-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

2.75

This book has potential it just doesn’t live up to. I really enjoyed the romance between the two main characters as well as the characters themselves. Velasin’s journey of acceptance and healing is also well handled and realistic. However, I went into this book expecting politics to play a much bigger role than they did. This book is more of a mystery than a political fantasy. I was disappointed that magic didn’t play a bigger role throughout the book as well. There were also times where the prose and dialogue felt clunky, awkward, and out of place. The occasional lecture-like dialogue from Velasin just seemed out of place with the style of the rest of the dialogue and came across as the author spoon feeding us her point. I found myself getting bored in parts and think this could’ve been shorter. There was a lot of mentions of the moons and religion which didn’t really go anywhere, along with mentions of Velasin’s siblings which served little to no point. I wish we had heard more about Riya and Laecia or other present side characters which would’ve been more relevant to the story. I personally also found the ending disappointing. Unsure if I will pick up the sequel to continue with the characters and romance and see if the promise of politics develops more. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Murder, Rape, Suicide attempt, Blood, Death, and Suicidal thoughts

Moderate: Violence, Panic attacks/disorders, Homophobia, Injury/Injury detail, and Confinement

Minor: Ableism, Alcoholism, Death of parent, Grief, Misogyny, Sexual content, Transphobia, Abandonment, Alcohol, Cursing, Fire/Fire injury, Medical content, Miscarriage, Sexism, Toxic relationship, and Vomit

shutupaboutbooks's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional 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

4.75

“But in the pale dawn light, with grief behind and grief ahead, I found I relished the danger”. I loved this book so much. The plot twist shocked me. I loved the feeling as being just as lost as the characters on their journey to solve the mystery! 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide attempt, Violence, Rape, Self harm, Homophobia, and Suicidal thoughts

Moderate: Animal death, Blood, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Abandonment, and Death

Minor: Sexual content and Sexism

bookcaptivated's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional 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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Sexual assault, Murder, Animal death, Gore, Sexual content, Homophobia, Blood, Violence, Death, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, and Suicidal thoughts

Moderate: Vomit, Confinement, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, and Outing

Minor: Abandonment, Medical content, Transphobia, Ableism, Infidelity, and Self harm

jessie_h's review

adventurous dark emotional hopeful mysterious medium-paced

5.0

I loved it! That’s the review. Go read it now.

This book, y’all. My heart is full. It made me laugh. It made me cry. It even made me gasp out loud. And it was beautifully and delightfully queer. It is hands down one of my top three favorite books of 2022 and as of right now it IS my favorite of the year. 

Someone please tell me there’s going to be a sequel or companion novel or something because I need more! More of this world and more of these characters! 

That being said there are some heavy topics in this book and the TW/CWs should be paid attention to. I will say that these topics were treated with the kindness and respect they deserved without sugarcoating them. I can only applaud Foz Meadows for her treatment of them.

TW/CW: sexual assault/rape (on page), suicidal thoughts, attempted suicide/self harm, homophobia, PTSD/trauma, violence, injury/injury detail, blood, murder, animal death (horse).*

*There are probably more but these are the major ones that I remember.

ARC provided by the publisher via Netgalley.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Homophobia, Murder, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, and Violence

Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Toxic relationship, Abandonment, Animal death, Death, and Grief

Minor: Death of parent, Infidelity, Mental illness, and Panic attacks/disorders