Reviews tagging 'Dysphoria'

The Bruising of Qilwa by Naseem Jamnia

42 reviews

talonsontypewriters's review against another edition

dark emotional 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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Blood, Violence, Xenophobia, Gore, Medical content, Body horror, Injury/Injury detail, Pandemic/Epidemic, and Child death

Moderate: Colonisation, Genocide, War, Self harm, and Dysphoria

Minor: Fire/Fire injury, Vomit, Animal death, and Death of parent

bea__reads's review against another edition

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Pandemic/Epidemic, Self harm, Blood, Violence, Injury/Injury detail, Death, Medical trauma, Body horror, and Medical content

Moderate: Colonisation, Fire/Fire injury, Genocide, and Xenophobia

Minor: Dysphoria, Child death, and Torture

pobi's review

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense 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

5.0

The world building was AMAZING and I was charmed by every character. Just a wonderful reading experience entirely.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Torture, Vomit, and Xenophobia

Moderate: Dysphoria

Minor: Racial slurs

bazer63's review

mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

3.5

The central mystery was engaging and I enjoyed the references to real medicine and old medical theories in a fantasy setting, but the magic system felt a bit un fleshed out for how much focus it got, and the characters needed a few more moments of characterisation to better explore their dynamics. The worldbuilding more broadly was fun and I liked the attention paid to the textiles to set the scene.

The finale was weird thematically and the fact the finale's conflict drew attention to the historical conflict between the two ethnic groups could have been better forshadowed as for the most of the book the protagonist is part of an oppressed class and right at the end it's brought up that the protagonist's ethnic group used to oppress the Qilwa, which should have been tied more into the story if it was such an important part of the finale.

All in all a good book that could have used a couple dozen more pages to really flesh out the characters and world and make it great. Additonally, the author's thoughts at the end are worth considering and I'm open to the idea that someone of a different background could connect to the themes more than I did.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood and Medical content

Moderate: Death, Racism, Xenophobia, Colonisation, Religious bigotry, and Bullying

Minor: Dysphoria and Physical abuse

gcrkl's review

adventurous inspiring mysterious medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Pandemic/Epidemic, Medical trauma, Medical content, and Self harm

Moderate: Hate crime, Grief, Dysphoria, Colonisation, Death, Racism, Gore, and Religious bigotry

quinnyquinnquinn's review

adventurous mysterious medium-paced

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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Death, and Medical content

Moderate: Violence, Dysphoria, and Xenophobia

Minor: Fire/Fire injury and Vomit

eni_iilorak's review against another edition

dark hopeful mysterious reflective medium-paced

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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Death, Dysphoria, Medical content, Racism, and Pandemic/Epidemic

Moderate: Animal death, Child death, Classism, Colonisation, Genocide, Injury/Injury detail, and Bullying

Minor: Hate crime, Fire/Fire injury, and Police brutality

larbster90's review

adventurous hopeful sad fast-paced

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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Child death, Death, Medical content, Medical trauma, and Pandemic/Epidemic

Moderate: Dysphoria, Gore, Hate crime, Injury/Injury detail, Racial slurs, Torture, Violence, and Xenophobia

Minor: Colonisation, Death of parent, Religious bigotry, Racism, and Terminal illness

chughes5's review

dark medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• 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: Blood, Child abuse, Colonisation, Pandemic/Epidemic, Grief, Bullying, Dysphoria, Genocide, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Medical trauma, Murder, Body horror, Racism, and War

kaistephan's review

mysterious reflective

• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror

Moderate: Genocide, Violence, Racism, and Dysphoria