Reviews tagging 'Animal cruelty'

The Emperor's Babe by Bernardine Evaristo

6 reviews

luciuh's review against another edition

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

Very fun good book but the vibes r def 3.5 stars for me immediately after finishing it. I really really enjoyed the writing style and the characterization of the individuals presented throughout the book. It’s immensely entertaining to read the hypocrisy of Zuelika and come to understand her as a person through the different fragments of life that play out for us throughout the novel. This is my second novel from Evaristo and i’ve found she’s immensely skilled at creating believable, flawed, and interesting characters. The Emperor’s Babe raises a lot of questions about  patriarchy and the way it affects how relationships form, both historically and now in the contemporary world. It also creates discussion surrounding morality, empathy, and the impact of environment on how people grow and develop. Really enjoyed this novel.

edit: i think it’s mildly transphobic through one of the side characters 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Gore, Pedophilia, Sexual content, and Slavery

jennikreads's review against another edition

dark reflective sad fast-paced

3.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Sexual content, and Murder

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Confinement, Rape, and Toxic friendship

bookedbymadeline's review against another edition

relaxing medium-paced

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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Infidelity, and Sexual content

Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Confinement, Slavery, and Violence

Minor: Rape

questingnotcoasting's review against another edition

challenging emotional fast-paced

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

3.0

This sounded really interesting but I've always been wary of novels in verse because I'm not a poetry person. However I listened to the audiobook and really enjoyed it. The setting of Londinium in AD 211 felt so vivid and I loved Evaristo's inclusion of both Latin and cockney rhyming slang. It's funny and the characters are interesting, even if I didn't feel that attached to them. Thanks to the rhythm of the narration I found it much easier to understand what was happening than I think I would've if I'd read the physical version.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child death, Death, and Pedophilia

lucymayjackson's review against another edition

emotional reflective medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child abuse, Death, Sexual content, and Slavery

hardcoverhearts's review against another edition

adventurous funny informative lighthearted medium-paced

• 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: Adult/minor relationship, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Confinement, Death, Gore, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Torture, Violence, Blood, and Vomit

This book takes place in London when Romans occupied it and it was called Londinium. There is a brutal and horrific coliseum scene of death for sport in all sorts of forms. It’s powerful and effective in how it impacts the narrator. But rough to read.