Reviews tagging 'Suicide'

Spear by Nicola Griffith

6 reviews

blacksphinx's review against another edition

reflective slow-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

2.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Sexual content, Death, Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail, and Suicide

Moderate: Dementia, Emotional abuse, Infertility, Animal death, and Mental illness

Minor: Xenophobia, Homophobia, Rape, and War

bluedilly's review

adventurous emotional funny mysterious medium-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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Murder, Death, Death of parent, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Animal death, Emotional abuse, Alcohol, Suicide, Infertility, and Violence

Minor: Sexual content, War, Kidnapping, Sexual assault, Torture, Animal cruelty, Classism, Grief, Mental illness, and Rape

shannnne_reads_words's review against another edition

adventurous fast-paced

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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail, Suicide, Blood, and Death

Minor: Infertility, Animal death, and Sexual content

miss_vonnegut's review

adventurous emotional medium-paced

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

5.0

This is such a beautiful, queer, inclusive retelling of Arthurian legend. Books about women coming into their strength and power are always high up on my to-read list, and always deeply enjoyed. I also love the ease with which sapphic romance happens in this book, without any qualms or uncertainty, full of life, love, and lust. If you like Arthurian legend, powerful women, and sapphic romance, this is a book for you.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Death of parent, and Death

Moderate: Suicide

Minor: Sexual assault

More info about the suicide:

It's not about wanting death, it's about someone trying to protect something.

octopus_farmer's review

adventurous 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? It's complicated

3.5

It was definitely for younger readers in some ways but I enjoyed it. I liked the fairy take aspect and how many things were tied together throughout. Had a wild moment where I thought

Merlin raped Elen

but luckily I was wrong! The audiobook made it hard to realize who was talking at points.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Death, and Violence

Moderate: Suicide

there’s a heavy parallel between the mind reading and sex, which parallels all sorts of abuse when Merlin does it to Elen and Nimue

booksthatburn's review against another edition

mysterious reflective 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

5.0

SPEAR is a wonderfully queer addition to Arthuriana, the protagonist filled with a hunger for belonging and a willingness to put in the work to achieve the rightness she can feel in her bones. 

I'm delighted by the characters I could recognize, they feel full and vibrant even when they are not the focus. The pacing is unhurried, allowing quiet moments to take up precisely the space they are due, only occasionally breaking into action and danger. It has grief and joy, each having space in their turn. The author narrated the audiobook and did an amazing job. The words flow easily and her performance enhanced the already excellent story. 

Having reached the end I'm contented by the time I spent with this book, and I'll happily spend time again. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death and Violence

Moderate: Grief, Blood, Animal death, Death of parent, Sexual content, Injury/Injury detail, and Suicide

Minor: Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Ableism, and Cannibalism