Reviews tagging 'Torture'

Les enclaves dorées by Naomi Novik

70 reviews

amphipodgirl's review against another edition

adventurous dark 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? Yes

5.0

This is a wonderful, fitting end to the series, full of reveals that make you want to go back and reread the previous volumes to see where/whether the groundwork was laid. I've started re-listening to volume 1 and I am certain that Novik had this all planned out meticulously from the get-go. There was one half-chapter in here that I found irritatingly wandery and vague, but I loved everything else about it. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Body horror, Torture, Physical abuse, and Injury/Injury detail

A secondary character is threatened with severe crushing, of a sort that would not be survivable without magic. She is rescued, but not until she has suffered severe injury. This is done with the knowledge and consent of people who should have a duty of care towards her. Also, we find out where maw-mouths come from and it is absolutely gruesome.

chamaeleontis's review against another edition

adventurous challenging 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

4.75

I loved this book. It was a great way to end the series. But I was a little disappointed by the ending (rushed and has a trope I don’t like), or it would have been 5 stars.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Death, Torture, Violence, War, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Pregnancy, Body horror, Child abuse, Medical content, Blood, Drug use, Gore, Classism, Confinement, Grief, and Sexual content

Moderate: Acephobia/Arophobia

emmahe's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious tense fast-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

3.75

Too rushed for the third book of such an incredible trilogy. Would have been better split into two books. Expanding the world and lore so rapidly meant things were lost and confusing. Could have been just as impactful splitting and expanding on history, background, character, etc. 

It’s still a great series but I think this was a worse ending than the first two books deserved. That being said, it’s still far better than a lot of stories I’ve read. I hope i’m in the minority and Id still recommend people read it. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death and Child death

Moderate: Grief, Child abuse, Violence, War, Torture, Murder, and Death of parent

schnaucl's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional hopeful fast-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

4.75

Naomi Novak absolutely nailed the ending. 

I loved the reveal about how the larger Enclaves (and portals) were formed and the discussion about how easy it is to do horrible things if you just refuse to really look at what you're doing.  And how terribly realistic it was that people will continue to do the horrible thing because it takes less effort, especially if you can distance yourself from it in some way.  We're not creating more maw-mouths, we're just selling the know how to other people  and binding them to silence as part of the price.

I also loved the twist on Deepthi's prophecy, and the glimpse into how much it cost her.

It was also really nice to see El's classmates showing up for her.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Gore, Torture, Death, and Grief

Minor: Death of parent, Sexual content, Child death, and Violence

ttumbletree's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional funny tense 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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Mental illness, Death, Sexual content, Torture, and Violence

relin's review against another edition

adventurous emotional hopeful sad medium-paced

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

5.0

A satisfying ending to the books prior. Getting to see all of the characters you love and care about figure out the final parts of what to do next is incredibly rewarding. This book is a lot of how even if you are the most powerful, the ties and work of the community are what really makes things possible. Would happily reread. Even though it made me cry.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Sexual content, Gore, Abandonment, Torture, and Grief

Moderate: Violence, Drug use, Panic attacks/disorders, and Murder

Minor: Drug abuse, Slavery, Child death, Gaslighting, Colonisation, Cultural appropriation, Confinement, Classism, Pregnancy, and Trafficking

readwithria's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional hopeful 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

5.0

The Golden Enclaves is a story of aggressive kindness, and being unwilling to take the first wrong step. It perfectly ties up the lessons of The Scholomance and brings with it a feeling of healing and purpose.

I don’t want to go into too much detail about this book, seeing as it’s the third book in a trilogy, but I will say that I love the characters and the story so much. All of the breadcrumbs from the first two books are perfectly placed to set up the plot of the third book, and the conclusion is satisfying without feeling too unnaturally perfect. There is still work to be done, and El will be doing it for a long time. The relationships that she build throughout her years in the Scholomance will support her, and she has finally gotten good at a king for and accepting help.

The Golden Enclaves shows us a world that was built on capitalism being rebuilt, one foundation stone at a time. It offers a new world where the survival of the many isn’t predicated on the sacrifice of the few. It broke my heart and rebuilt it. 5 stars.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Torture, Grief, Confinement, and Classism

Moderate: Injury/Injury detail and Violence

Minor: Death and Child death

dogs_cats_books's review against another edition

• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Torture, and Death

aelis_'s review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional funny

• 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Torture and Death

Moderate: War

bitteralbatross's review against another edition

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death and Torture