Reviews tagging 'Excrement'

Slewfoot: A Tale of Bewitchery by Brom

13 reviews

gudrqa's review against another edition

dark slow-paced

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

3.0

First part of the book was enjoyable and I'd rate it 4.5 even but then it started dragging out quickly. Not a lot of magic for a tale of bewitchery.

The problems for me started when it became a torture porn. The whole second part of the book felt like a kink. The constant mentions of hair and torture. A lot of it was repeated all the time. I either wish it wasn't so graphic/maybe less victims OR that it was more inventive.

 

I might've enjoyed it more if I didn't pick up an audiobook version. I didn't like the voices the lector was making.
I couldn't really care for the characters except one

the pastor's wife

. A lot of plot points didn't feel impactful enough. The main character never felt at risk really after the first two plot points

the beginning with the goat and then her husband's death. After that the first encounter with the Father happened and immediately we knew she would be safe with him.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Genocide, Violence, Animal death, Injury/Injury detail, Ableism, Animal cruelty, Blood, Body horror, Colonisation, Cursing, Death, Excrement, Gore, Misogyny, Murder, Physical abuse, Police brutality, Racial slurs, Religious bigotry, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide attempt

Moderate: Child death

mishup_3's review against another edition

adventurous dark tense medium-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Torture, Sexism, Sexual violence, and Religious bigotry

Moderate: Blood, Excrement, Misogyny, and Animal death

solarel's review against another edition

challenging dark sad tense medium-paced

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

3.0

People suck. 

I’m conflicted a bit. While I enjoyed the main two characters, Abitha and Samson, I found the plot as a whole to be very… typical? 

Samson’s story was by far the most interesting plot line. I enjoyed watching him struggle to find who he really is. Is he the monster or the savior? Abitha however, her story felt not just predictable but inevitable. The last third of the book is pure torture porn, and she did not grow as a character. She is merely an instrument of a vengeance arc. 

I saw a lot of reviewers say this story was very white. And I think I see what they mean. I don’t know what the author’s religious background is, but this read as a very Christian framed story. People said this was a horror novel. I didn’t find it scary, only sad. People were the villain. Puritan culture was the villain. And yet it still felt like it was still validating their beliefs in the end with what was supposed to be the “horror”. 

I don’t know if that makes sense, but “pagan” aspects were not rooted in lore beyond that of Christianity. I guess that’s what made it feel like more of a fantasy masquerade of a pagan story of blurred good and evil. 

Stars for ambiance and entertainment only. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Bullying, Confinement, Death, Abandonment, Suicide attempt, Torture, Xenophobia, Racism, Sexual content, Body horror, Colonisation, Cursing, Emotional abuse, Gore, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Misogyny, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Grief, Gun violence, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Religious bigotry, Sexual harassment, Violence, Ableism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Cultural appropriation, Domestic abuse, Excrement, Fire/Fire injury, and Gaslighting

skylar44's review against another edition

dark tense medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Excrement, Blood, Animal death, Body horror, Child death, Animal cruelty, Death, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Physical abuse, and Torture

sizzlesteaks's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional inspiring mysterious sad tense medium-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Forced institutionalization, Animal death, Gore, Gun violence, Animal cruelty, Excrement, Murder, Bullying, Emotional abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Physical abuse, Kidnapping, Misogyny, Police brutality, Violence, Death of parent, Gaslighting, Religious bigotry, Sexism, Death, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Suicidal thoughts, and Torture

probablytoolate's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Religious bigotry, Sexual content, Stalking, Torture, Violence, Emotional abuse, Blood, Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, Murder, Body horror, Gore, Physical abuse, Sexism, Confinement, Death, Excrement, Fire/Fire injury, Animal death, and Bullying

priscillarobock's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense 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? It's complicated

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Physical abuse, Violence, Blood, Death, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Murder, Excrement, Grief, Animal death, Bullying, Torture, and Injury/Injury detail

judassilver's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious tense slow-paced

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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Colonisation, Murder, Racism, Sexism, Animal death, Body horror, Cultural appropriation, Sexual violence, Body shaming, Confinement, Death, Excrement, Gore, Gun violence, Misogyny, Religious bigotry, Violence, Xenophobia, Animal cruelty, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Police brutality, Torture, and Blood

Moderate: Alcoholism and Child death

naereads's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny reflective sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Physical abuse, Animal death, Blood, Gun violence, Misogyny, Torture, Death, Medical trauma, Religious bigotry, Body horror, Fire/Fire injury, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Suicidal thoughts, and Violence

Moderate: Animal death, Cannibalism, Colonisation, Animal cruelty, Cultural appropriation, Excrement, Grief, and Injury/Injury detail

dragonaion's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious sad tense 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

3.5

I thought this book would be more of a historical fiction, taking place in a real world scenario with hints of local folklore, and while technically true, it was not as accurate as I was hoping for. I also was hoping this to be a "witch/witchcraft positive story", which was not the case, and was more of a Christian horror fantasy. The ending was disappointing, as it painted witchcraft and "magic" still aligning with devilry and other evil Christian concepts, and how redemption was still needed and sought for, despite how contrary that was made earlier in the book. It is, however, a gripping horror fantasy and once I set my own (many) disappointments aside, enjoyed the read. Also, you will want a physical copy for the artwork included, they're absolutely gorgeous!  
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Only two examples in the story are 100% accurate to the Native American/Indian folklore of the Pequot (which are referenced and are the local tribe the Puritan village takes place near)... 

the description of the Pukwudgies, their antagonizing behavior towards humans, and the portrayal of the Hobomok (although perhaps not the "widjigo" being another name)

... one is ~75% related with another being arguable...

the word for "net maker" in Algonquin is mamunappeht, but only relates to a spider and there is not a folk entity named so. The mention of an opossum-based creature can be argued, as they are a totem animal of the Pequot, however the portrayal is not a perfect match with the traditional folklore

... and the rest appear to be a mix from other cultures around the world, including the Druidic faith...

the stag and horned god, however even this is misinterpreted as he is not a creature of life and death

... Greek... 

the river Lethe

... and Japanese. 

Creek is best described as a youkai, the Ningyo

Looking for references of Slewfoot as well, what pops up as a primary example is this book. So considering the harshness of the very real Puritan mindset and the reality of the world they were living in, having almost every page be wild fantasy was disappointing.

The botany was at least a little more accurate, but not by much; the Pequot tribe were in the Connecticut area, where the pawpaw tree and mountain ash (rowan) can actually grow together.  The irony, however, is the pawpaw and rowan trees in folklore was used for protection against witches, so the folklore attached to the botany is also inaccurate. 

As a practicing Wiccan, I also find the examples of witcraft and "magic" (arguably not magick at all) to be biased with a Christian lense, such as the year the story takes place in 1666 (666, a little stereotypical), the snake being used as a symbol of the temptor and a sexual metaphor (while also being Mother Earth) and flying on a broom, to the point of being fantastic "flights" of pure fantasy.

In all, a good spooky read, but I would not put any stock on it being an accurate story. 

Edit: Review lowered from 4.0. I reviewed the artwork and realized the characters

Samson

and Slewfoot were two entities to start, and were combined into becoming the Devil, by his own words. Considering

Samson also declared himself as the horned god and a god of life and death in the same breath

, that is innacurate and is a choice the author made that is Christian-biased, not even out of ignorance. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Torture, Death, Gore, and Misogyny

Moderate: Animal death, Religious bigotry, Violence, Ableism, Bullying, Physical abuse, Vomit, Toxic friendship, and Animal cruelty

Minor: Sexual content, Stalking, Suicidal thoughts, Body horror, Cursing, Excrement, Fire/Fire injury, Mental illness, Self harm, Blood, and Genocide

This is a heavy Christian-based novel, discussing the norms of the Puritan lifestyle, which include a lot of moments that would displease a feminist reader. There is also gore, blood work in witchcraft, horror, and other darker themes.