Reviews with content warning for Dysphoria - The Bruising of Qilwa

UHM WOW WOW WOW. I didn't know exactly what to expect in this book, but this blew me away.

I thought this was going to be a complex and compelling fantasy, and while this book is that, it's also so much more?? This book explored nuanced topics of immigration, being oppressed and being the oppressor, gender fluidity, and family. It's engrossing and heartfelt and just so damn good.

I loved that Persian culture is so present here, and the queernormative world in here is just pleasant to read about.

ALSO the author is such a good writer 😭 How they managed to make the biggest plot twist both so obvious and yet so surprising at the same time is beyond me 😭 I really thought I knew what the plot twist was, but I was actually so wrong and it's so good.

Glad to have read this for Pride Month 🥺

Content Warnings

madzie's review

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dark 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

3.75

The amazing magic system and cool, in-depth writing about healing and the body really makes this book come to life. Unfortunately, while the worldbuilding was good, I wanted a better understanding of it. I enjoyed how it wasn't shoved down the reader's throat at the expense of the story, but I still felt like I wanted more context. At times, it even left me feeling a little lost and confused. The characters were solid, very dynamic, and had great and engaging relationships with each other, and I loved the unashamed queerness! However, I wanted to know more about the characters to feel a connection to them (perhaps a fallout of the length). Additionally, the writing is excellent and straightforward while still being descriptive and capturing the reader's imagination.

The plot was structured pretty basically but used effectively, and the shortness of the book seemed to be used more to its advantage than other short books I've read. The ending was very predictable, but the "villain's" motivation was interesting, so I wasn't too upset for guessing what was happening early. The themes are so pertinent to our time and explore disease, class, and poverty very well. While Jamina makes an inquisitive look into how humans have treated, taken over, and killed one another for generations, I feel like the book could have benefited from more exploration into how horrifying, unquestionably wrong, and detrimental genocide, prejudice, forced assimilation, and loss of culture are.

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caseythereader's review

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dark 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? No

4.25

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perditorian's review

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adventurous dark mysterious fast-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

4.0

Content Warnings

idun_aurora's review

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challenging dark emotional hopeful 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

5.0

A short but impactful read! I do enjoy a fantasy mystery. Great setting, great characters, just beautiful and emotional. The depiction of sibling relationships is touching and genuine, so much so I could almost hear my own baby sisters whining about eggplant in the food at times.

Content Warnings

ofbooksandechos's review against another edition

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emotional mysterious reflective medium-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

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