Reviews tagging 'Misogyny'

Shadow of Night (Movie Tie-In) by Deborah Harkness

13 reviews

mads_reads_books's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious sad tense slow-paced

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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Infertility, Colonisation, Religious bigotry, Toxic friendship, Gaslighting, Pregnancy, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Sexual violence, Stalking, Child abuse, Ableism, Confinement, Forced institutionalization, Gore, Grief, Miscarriage, Classism, Violence, Death of parent, and Hate crime

Moderate: Misogyny and Miscarriage

emoxxecologist's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

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

3.5

So much of this book is set in the past, in Elizabethan England. The historical aspects of it were intriguing to me for multiple reasons. We get to see the roles of different types of women and their parts of running a household. There were a lot of little details the author threw in about life back then, which tells me she did her research. One such thing is how you used to have to get to the palace by boat. The city of London and its surroundings are so ancient, but it used to look so different that parts of it would be unrecognizable now to someone that lived back then. 

The writing was superb, but I hated how Matthew was such a dick most of the time. And it was like Diana just took it. That was what made me lower my rating from 4.75 stars to 3.5. It’s hard for me to imagine a modern woman, and a feminist at that, putting up with that man’s BS. Outside of needing her magic lessons, I’m surprised she didn’t kick him to the curb on more than one occasion.

Especially after that first miscarriage- he was acting like a total twat, getting lost in his own shit and coming home high on drugs, without even considering her feelings.

He could seriously be really selfish sometimes, but I guess that’s entitled men in Elizabethan England? Women were basically property and second class citizens. But I guess in some ways it’s a good thing that they worked through their differences so that he could make the kind of character development we all wanted to see. So I guess overall, I didn’t like some of the plot points that it took to get there, but I can’t change it. 

I did like how there was kind of back and forth between Matthew and Diana in the past and the rest of the family in the present, so there wasn’t a ton for the readers to catch up on when they got back. It was cool how the family tracked down the painted miniatures and other little trinkets from their time in the past. This was also a smart way to introduce Phoebe into the story, since she was an employee at the auction house.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Miscarriage and Pregnancy

Moderate: Alcoholism, Pregnancy, Misogyny, and Violence

Minor: Drug abuse

osprey503's review against another edition

I might pick this up again later since I know people who love it, but I am having trouble getting past the historical misogyny. Diana seems to loss all agency in this new setting, and being separated from all of her friends and family makes her relationship with Matthew feel even more toxic. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Misogyny and Sexual content

gillian_aftanas's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content, Death, Grief, Violence, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic friendship, Misogyny, Murder, Blood, Mental illness, Gore, Miscarriage, Pregnancy, Sexism, Torture, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Classism, Religious bigotry, Colonisation, Suicide attempt, Sexual harassment, and Death of parent

Minor: Drug use, Forced institutionalization, Antisemitism, Sexual assault, Vomit, Confinement, Child abuse, Child death, Addiction, Alcohol, Animal death, Drug abuse, and Rape

amy_reading_23's review against another edition

adventurous emotional funny mysterious medium-paced

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

3.75

I enjoyed this book a lot more than the first one. It's possibly one of the best historical novels I've read as it does truly bring Elizabethan England to life. There was also a lightheartedness to this novel that the first one lacked. I also enjoyed the more focused exploration of witchcraft. 

The only reason I won't give it 4 stars is because I still don't like how Matthew treats Diana. Mostly he is better than the first book but that's not saying much. He is still abusive and its still excused as being because of his vampirism and past. It is such a shame as without that these would be great books. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Torture and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Pregnancy, Physical abuse, Misogyny, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Panic attacks/disorders, Injury/Injury detail, Drug use, Forced institutionalization, Miscarriage, Sexual content, Religious bigotry, Violence, Suicidal thoughts, Death, and Blood

laurenleigh's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious tense slow-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? Yes

5.0

It’s rare these days that I immediately continue a series, other library holds be damned, but I couldn’t resist with this one. Iloved all the research Harkness put into the first book, but wow there’s even more here! Minor spoiler, but this whole book is set in the past. I kept waiting for them to return to the present, but I ended up thoroughly enjoying the historical setting. I’ve read or watched plenty of stories set in Elizabethan England, but this was the richest depiction I’ve had yet! I see how from a writer’s perspective, historical fiction places a number of restrictions upon you, but to combine that with witches, demons, and vampires is a delightful juxtaposition. I’m so into this world that Harkness has built, and I’m already on book #3!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Pregnancy and Miscarriage

Moderate: Violence and Misogyny

redheadsuperpowers's review against another edition

emotional tense slow-paced

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

3.0

300 pages in and already annoyed with the menfolk.  I am reminded of why I avoid historical romances. Matthew has fallen away from his modern memory, and is treating Diana as if she were from the Elizabethan era and not the educated woman she is. At risk due to a jealous ass of his friend, who has attempted to stir witchcraft sentiments against her in a time and place where witches were burned!! I seethe, as all could have been avoided if her was listening and respecting her intelligence. Men.ugh.

I read this directly after reading the first in the series. It did lend some to the storyline, but overall, it just reminded me I hate historical novels. I am more of an urban fantasy reader.

In this follow up to A Discovery of Witches, we find our leads Diana and Matthew time walking back to Elizabethan England. With a jealous wannabe paramour for Matthew, active witch hunts, and time appropriate intrigue, it drags a bit. Matthew is once again keeping too many secrets, but Diana is finally learning her own abilities. We meet Philippe and Stephan, and see both leads get some closure with their fathers. Diana changes history by being herself. We met lots of major historical players that were apparently Matthew's friends. That man sure involves himself in major events for someone changing lives so often. All in all, it was a decent book, and while long winded, did lend depth to the storyline.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Miscarriage, Kidnapping, Misogyny, and Pregnancy

Minor: Forced institutionalization, Gore, Classism, Colonisation, Death, War, Blood, Child abuse, Sexism, Stalking, Torture, Child death, Chronic illness, Death of parent, Religious bigotry, Animal death, Mental illness, and Violence

goosegrimm's review against another edition

adventurous emotional mysterious medium-paced

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

3.0

Sometimes you need a campy book about witches timetraveling to elizabethian england and getting married to a vampire. This is that book. I found it really slow in the beginning, and while I do enjoy (somewhat) how complex the plotlines are, there were a few times I was frustrated by the detours. However, Harkness still has a really interesting way of handling prose. And I am a sucker for all of the history bits. And overall the last 3rd of the book was quite tight and very satisfying. If you like paranormal romances with a shocking amount of history in them, Harkness is where its at honestly.  

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Sexual content, Sexism, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Violence, Blood, Antisemitism, Religious bigotry, and War

Minor: Xenophobia

katielaine_w's review against another edition

slow-paced

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

1.0

Turned from a problematic relationship to an abusive one all the good parts of the world building were thrown out ant turned into literal knitting. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Murder, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Stalking, Torture, and Toxic relationship

meganpbennett's review against another edition

adventurous 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? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

Shadow of Night picks up immediately after the ending of A Discovery of Witches, this time in 1590. Matthew and Diane go back in time in an attempt to solve a variety of mysteries that plague the present, and find the missing book. 

I'm not sure what I think. I don't really like Matthew, though he is growing on me, a bit like mold or calculus. I have issues with how he treats Diana, and how much he didn't seem willing to help her adjust to suddenly living in Elizabethan England. Or how he treats her and how he doesn't seem willing to help her when they have to go to Prague, tracking a traitor alchemist and the book. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Drug use, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Sexual content, and Violence

Moderate: Antisemitism, Death, Pregnancy, Religious bigotry, and Sexism