Reviews tagging 'Grief'

The Tusks of Extinction by Ray Nayler

5 reviews

ezwolf's review

dark emotional hopeful fast-paced

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

4.0

If I had a nickel for every time I read a book about a scientist who studied an animal so passionately that when given the chance, they transported their consciousness into said animal in the name of science and extinction, I’d have two nickels, which isn’t a lot but it’s weird it’s happened twice. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Gun violence, Death of parent, Grief, Violence, Body horror, Medical trauma, Animal cruelty, and Death

Minor: Vomit and Colonisation

skbat's review against another edition

challenging dark sad fast-paced

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

5.0

Intense, layered explorations of human greed, memory, and resurrection. Made me feel feelings I didn't want to feel. 5 stars and I kinda hate it.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Animal death, Death, Murder, Violence, Gore, and Grief

Moderate: Child death, Grief, Gun violence, and Alcoholism

kirtreads's review

dark emotional mysterious reflective fast-paced

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

4.75

Ray Nayler has a really unique gift of taking a fascinating science fiction premise, one that sucks you in immediately, and  then posing such heavy concepts that really make you think. This book is not a fun romp through brain melding science. This is a book about the brutal impacts that the ivory trade continues to have, and the future that awaits us if we don’t take action soon. This book examines human greed, selfishness, and what drives people to extremes. It examines the human condition of empathy and guilt all while set on a backdrop of some very kick ass science fiction.

Ray is one of my favourite authors but he is really not for everyone. This one is heavy handed on the environmental themes but also captures so many deeply human moments it’s worth the western guilt. 

My only critiques are, and this may be an audiobook problem, was it was hard to distinguish between characters and what time period they were in. The start was a little hard to pick up on because I was not sure if it was the human or the mammoth narrating. 

That being said, it’s a great read and really packs a lot into a quick read. I really recommend it and the audiobook narrators were great!  

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief, Gun violence, Animal death, Blood, Murder, Animal cruelty, and Gore

Moderate: Classism and Injury/Injury detail

pvbobrien's review against another edition

reflective medium-paced

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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Gore, and Murder

Moderate: Blood, Violence, Excrement, Gun violence, and Grief

devynreadsnovels's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional informative reflective medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Blood, Confinement, Death, Gore, Murder, Animal cruelty, Violence, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, and War