Reviews tagging 'Violence'

Lore Olympus: Volume Four by Rachel Smythe

15 reviews

ninahuynh's review against another edition

adventurous emotional medium-paced

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

5.0

Give it to him, Persephone! Apollo needs to hear it and get it said right to his face- even though he’s still trying to gaslight her, himself and the situation. Eros is once again, the best friend she needs. Oh gods! That last episode 😭 Hades is just a hopeless romantic and I am here for it!!!!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcohol, Domestic abuse, Infertility, Stalking, Gaslighting, and Violence

Moderate: Toxic friendship, Rape, and Sexual assault

risten's review against another edition

emotional lighthearted fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Toxic relationship, Infidelity, Rape, Gaslighting, Sexual assault, and Emotional abuse

Moderate: Bullying, Pregnancy, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Infertility, Blood, War, and Violence

celery's review against another edition

dark emotional funny hopeful reflective sad tense fast-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcohol, Alcoholism, Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, Rape, Sexism, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Classism, Cursing, Toxic friendship, Body horror, Bullying, Fire/Fire injury, Pregnancy, Stalking, Deadnaming, Domestic abuse, Gaslighting, Gore, Medical trauma, Medical content, Incest, Blood, Body shaming, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Infertility, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, Violence, and War

booksthatburn's review against another edition

adventurous emotional medium-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic relationship, Infidelity, and Stalking

Moderate: Cursing, Emotional abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Violence, and Bullying

Minor: Physical abuse, Blood, Sexual content, Pregnancy, Infertility, Ableism, Excrement, Kidnapping, Fire/Fire injury, and Rape

betweentheshelves's review against another edition

adventurous emotional funny fast-paced

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

4.0

This series is such an entertaining one, putting Greek mythology in a more modern setting. The art style is maybe one of my favorite things about it, with the bright colors and the overall formatting. It works well for the subject matter and brings the characters to life.

There's drama, there's romance, what more could you want in a book about Greek mythology honestly? It in itself is all about drama. Definitely will keep reading because it's just entertaining.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Rape, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Alcohol, Sexual harassment, and Violence

Minor: War and Infertility

leonormsousa's review against another edition

emotional funny fast-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Pregnancy, Misogyny, Violence, Animal cruelty, Infidelity, Mental illness, Toxic relationship, and Sexism

diamondsequallove25's review against another edition

fast-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Alcohol, Violence, Stalking, and War

Minor: Infidelity

robinks's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional funny fast-paced

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

5.0

I love getting to read this series in print book format. The colors and images are so beautiful, and I love how carefully crafted each moment is. I cannot wait for the next publication!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Infidelity, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Gore, Sexual harassment, Alcohol, Body horror, Bullying, and Violence

Minor: War, Rape, Infertility, Pregnancy, and Sexual content

just_one_more_paige's review against another edition

adventurous emotional fast-paced

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

4.0

 

And I'm caught up! Though it looks like Volume Five will be published later this year and I will definitely be continuing with this series, because after the first two volumes it has really picked up! I definitely sped right through this in a single (possibly less than an hour) sitting. And it hit the spot. 

 

This is just a continuous story carried over volumes, so this picks up right where the third left us. But, with a major perspective switch to start. This installation opens with the background on and character development for Hades that I have been waiting for (perhaps why I liked it so much, tbh). We get to see deeper into some of his insecurities, stemming from wanting something serious but (due to his position) tamping it down or taking what he can get, because he assumes no one would want to be with him. Between that and the trivialization of his romantic dreams from both his brothers (Zeus and Poseidon), it all very much explains why he is in (and stays in) such an unhealthy - really emotionally abusive - relationship with Minthe. Really, all that elaboration on his history is really kinda heartbreaking (and as a reader, I have all the more emotional investment in his successful outcome with Persephone now - a perfect opposites attract). 

 

I also remain thrilled to see the ever more fully dimensional Persephone. Her emotional range and standing up for herself and just generally having more and varied feelings was everything I thought she was missing earlier and love it here. Like you go girl, with the shutting down of Apollo's horrific emotional manipulation. The entire flashback to her first meeting with Ares, and then "re-meeting" in real time here, was similarly good, as far as building that dimension and flushing out her story. I also have to say that, while fairly heartbreaking, it was great development writing to see her trying to deal with everything (specifically related to Apollo and her future with TGOEM) on her own and keeping it on the DL. I mean, I hope over time she finds a way to talk to more people about it and get support, but it's a very realistic emotional journey and I'm glad she's getting that.  

 

And of course, the centerpiece relationship: Hades and Persephone together. *Big* yes on that front here. It is a deliciously slow burn, first of all. Alongside that, they are talking (at least a bit more openly) about their feelings and concerns, but still with their own shit they're playing more close to the chest. It's a great balance. And the playful and yearning interactions are too sweet. Plus, Persephone is already making Hades work on himself more, which is awesome because he deserves that in general, but it's also leading him towards benevolence and respect elsewhere because he sees goodness and a reason to in her and just...oh my heart. 

 

A last few thoughts... This is like candy for the eyes, color wise. It's just so fun, stylistically. Though, there are still some panels where the characters' features change enough (or resemble another’s so much) that I can’t pinpoint who they are for a bit. It's slightly disconcerting but overall doesn't take away too much - the context of the words and interactions helps place them reasonably quickly. The story arc is really coming into its own and feeling much less scattered and disconnected and confusing. So that's awesome. And I'm personally looking forward to more on the secret fertility goddess plot line and how that plays out. Plus, all the bonus side plot stories (because when talking about Mount Olympus and the gods, there is *so much* drama to choose from and adapt), Smythe does a great job keeping all that ridiculous (and careless) sleeping around and family drama, but doing it in a way that doesn’t make you hate *all* of them (exceptions being Apollo, and Zeus, of course), or at least complicates the hate with other reaction and dimension.       

 

Unputdownable fourth volume. Really looking forward to the fifth now! 

 

“Joking aside, being optimistic doesn’t make you naive. / You see things not for what they are, but for what they could be.” 

 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic relationship, Toxic friendship, Sexual assault, and Emotional abuse

Moderate: Rape

Minor: Violence

kyrstin_p1989's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional funny hopeful lighthearted 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? Yes

4.0

Every volume leaves me wanting more. I don’t know when the next volume gets released but I’ll be waiting with baited breath. Breathtaking imagery paired with a beautiful story of coming of age and learning about love. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Grief, Misogyny, Murder, Bullying, Violence, Death, Rape, Abandonment, Child abuse, Classism, Confinement, Gaslighting, Infertility, Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, Sexism, Stalking, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Sexual assault, and Torture