Reviews tagging 'War'

A Touch of Chaos by Scarlett St. Clair

54 reviews

alysonramey's review against another edition

adventurous dark funny tense fast-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? It's complicated

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Genocide, Murder, Emotional abuse, Kidnapping, Physical abuse, Rape, Torture, Sexual content, Death, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Blood, Confinement, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicide, and War

arrowkat's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional 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? No

3.0

I found Part I to be very slow, but it picked up in Part II. This book seemed significantly darker to me than previous books in the series. The ending also felt very abrupt, especially considering this is the last installment.

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Sexual assault, Death, and Suicide

Minor: War and Violence

amycourts's review

fast-paced

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, War, Suicide, Torture, Cursing, Gaslighting, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, and Sexual harassment

TW Sexual violence, rape These books are truly awful, the plot holes are enormous, how things get from this to that are forever all over the place. But the others were mostly the “leave me alone with my trash.” The sexual violence in this was other level and disturbingly so. And from the jump. She does not write it well — meaning, sometimes it’s written as though the person being assaulted enjoys it — and rape is extremely graphic. Take care. Not sure this was worth it.

mmontemurro's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional tense medium-paced

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

4.75

This final book captivated me immediately. The previous book leaves us with Hades trapped in the maze that Theseus has created. He is unable to escape with his magic being stunted using the chain device created using a relic. The Titans were being released as well from Tartarus. We jump right in and Persephone is working with the others to prevent too much damage to the underworld. Some titans are able to escape, including Cronos, the God of Time. Persephone is able to close Tartarus with her magic and prevent anyone else from escaping. Persephone finds out that her mother is in Elysium, unable to cope with the crimes she has committed. Her guilt was insurmountable. Hades is ordered by Theseus to work on the prison he is entrapped in, by hand with no magic, and constantly without stopping. Zeus strips Apollo, Hermes, and Aphrodite of their powers for standing against him in battle. Zeus orders them to also retrieve Persephone in chains. Theseus eats Hera's golden apple to gain invincibility, but he will lose his immortality as a cost. The group is able to locate Hades eventually in the maze, and need to come up with a plan to retrieve him.  In the maze, their magic will not be available and they will be unable to teleport out. Because Ariadne knows about the maze from Theseus, she decides to go with Persephone. The maze is able to show you visions which will make you want to stay - offer what you want the most. Hecate also gives them a cat (actually a eudaimon, a guiding spirit) to take into the maze. Because Theseus will almost certainly watch them in the maze, the others have a plan to retrieve Phaedra and her child from the hospital. Hades is saved from the maze in a gripping mission where Persephone and Ariadne are almost lost to the maze's tricks and monsters. Harmonia is not healing, and Persephone decides to go to Ares' island with Hermes (who is owed a favour) and get his golden fleece. Hades is nearly killed by Ares and the golden fleece saves him. Harmonia is also saved. Hera seduces Zeus and he licks a potion from her body to put him to sleep. Theseus is now in possession of Zeus' lightning bolt and Hades' Helm of Darkness. Dionysus has to go back and bury the ophiotaurus on Thrinacia, and rescue Medusa from pirates. Apollo is killed by Theseus with Zeus' lightning bolt, and he is reunited with his lover in the underworld. Cronos grants a favour to Theseus and kills Hera. Dionysus' tunnels are flooded, and Ariadne and Phaedra are kidnapped by Theseus. Ariadne is bound in restraints in her room by Theseus, and she is raped by him. Phaedra commits suicide. Cronos tortures Persephone with the nightmare of losing Hades, and Prometheus helps to stop him. Zeus is killed by Hecate and Theseus is no longer able to use the bolt. Ariadne is raped beside her sister's corpse, under threat of the killing of his son. Hades notes that the ophiotaurus has not returned to the sky. The prophecy has not been fulfilled. The group suggests that Hades can fulfill the prophecy by losing a game to Theseus, instead of the entire war. Theseus does defeat Hades at dominos, and thus fulfills the prophecy. Hades also doses Theseus' drink with another golden apple of Hera's, which causes Theseus to die (you cannot eat an apple twice). Still having to defeat Cronos, Hecate takes a bad hit, and Persephone is able to harness Cronos' power and use it against him. She transforms him into a magnificient tree. Hades crowns Persephone as his Queen, and the many dead are welcomed into the underworld.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Torture, Sexual violence, Sexual content, Rape, Violence, Sexual assault, War, Vomit, Kidnapping, and Gore

I really enjoyed this book, and honestly gave it the best rating out of all of the books in the series. The only thing I would have liked is to have closure on a few relationships that are featured throughout the series. Dionysus and Ariadne likely live happily ever after, but it is unclear. Thanatos and Lexa - they kissed in Elysium, and they both likely fell in love, but it was never resolved. Maybe there will be some kind of spin-off? Additionally, Haephestus and Aphrodite seemed to have been reconnecting as a couple, especially in the final book. I wonder how their relationship will fare after the war? Some things that developed throughout the series were never resolved, and these are just a few of the items I was disappointed about!

literaryjada's review

adventurous dark emotional funny mysterious sad 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

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Suicide, Animal death, Rape, Death of parent, Blood, Cursing, Gore, Sexual content, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Murder, Physical abuse, Torture, and War

thethirtiethofjanuary's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional 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

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Suicide, Rape, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual violence, Gaslighting, Grief, Sexual assault, Blood, Domestic abuse, War, and Vomit

Moderate: Kidnapping, Pregnancy, and Infidelity

hannahjones27's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful 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

Well guys… I did it. I finished the series. And I’m crying 😭 I cannot begin to tell you how much I love this series and how much it means to me. Hades will forever and always be my first book boyfriend 😂

But in all seriousness, this story was great. Honestly a perfect final installment of Hades and Persephone’s story. I loved all of the split POVs (except Thesus’. I would’ve rather thrown up than read those). The characters were great, the plot twists were great. I really did not know what was going to happen in the story and I am still kind of shocked by how it went. 

I really can’t wait to see what Scarlett will do with Aphrodite and Hephaestus. I just hope she lets Hades in those books a little 😉

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Death, Emotional abuse, Kidnapping, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Suicide, Sexual content, and War

duckymcduckerson's review against another edition

funny

3.75

Not bad, its way funnier 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Suicide, War, Sexual violence, Sexual harassment, Pregnancy, and Sexual assault

maryrosem's review against another edition

adventurous dark tense fast-paced

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

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder

Moderate: War, Rape, and Violence

feelingstabby's review against another edition

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

5.0

Scarlett brought this series full circle perfectly. I so badly never wanted this series to end since it has become a comfort series for me but she gave this series the ending it deserves. Hades and Persephone and all the characters will always have a special place in my heart. This series has helped me so much with my own healing and brought my love for reading back. I don't want to say too much because I don't want to give anything away but it was the perfect ending

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Blood, Sexual content, Violence, Gore, Murder, Physical abuse, Sexual violence, Torture, Death, Grief, Rape, Sexual assault, Suicide, War, Emotional abuse, Injury/Injury detail, and Kidnapping