Reviews tagging 'Violence'

La Gloire à tout prix by Emily Tesh

85 reviews

lyndann's review against another edition

challenging dark tense slow-paced

• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.5

Initially I was turned off by the unlikeable protagonist, but overall felt that the large themes the book was exploring were not examined with the nuance I had hoped. A few scenes at the end were confusing (in terms of being out of character and just didn't need to be included), which overall resulted in a lower rating. After the halfway point I was intrigued by the twist, but again, I feel they did not stick the landing. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Homophobia, Violence, and War

Moderate: Child abuse and Sexual violence

voxvenati's review against another edition

adventurous emotional hopeful inspiring 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? Yes

5.0

When I started this book, I thought it was a strong 3 star. I have never been so pleased to be wrong. 

At the start, I hated Kyr. Borderline stopped reading because I found her to be so awful. I hated the gender essentialism, internalized and otherwise. I hated the bleak world. But it fascinated me, even so, and I read on. 

Every character I thought I hated had such character growth. By the end, I honestly loved every single major character. These were some of the best character arcs I have ever seen, full stop.

The single thing I’m going to say I really did not care for was the characterization of Avi as a redhead. He is unlikable, gay, promiscuous, unattractive. These are some stereotypes that get applied to redheads regularly (though some not as often to men). Didn’t love the stereotype, but I do love Avi. So.

I am such a sucker for aliens and sentient ai/whatever was going on with the Wisdom. LOVED the character growth it? They? Got at the end. “I am a pleasure yacht.” !!!

And Yiso. I want to kiss them on their little crest!!! Every time they were hurt, I was physically upset. I love them so much. 

This whole spoiler section is just me gushing, but the two of them deserve it.

It’s such a cliche to say I couldn’t put this down, but for the later 80% of the book, I was losing sleep, carving out breaks in my work day just to keep reading. I couldn’t stop thinking about it. I was sobbing by the end. 

In one book, Emily Tesh has become an auto-read author for me. If you enjoy explorations of nationalism, fascism, cult tactics, found family, identity, and purpose, you have to give this book a shot. It won’t be for everyone (please check those trigger warnings), but this got into my brain and has lodged itself there. Excellent read. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide and Violence

Moderate: Pedophilia, Sexual assault, War, and Rape

Minor: Police brutality

toopunkrockforshul's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful reflective sad 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? Yes

5.0

Really loved this, it kept me on my toes the whole way through and the characters were so interesting and compelling. The audiobook was amazing too, the narrator did a great job with all of the voices. Wonderful. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Murder, Grief, Death, Xenophobia, Cursing, Violence, Sexual assault, Injury/Injury detail, Gaslighting, Kidnapping, Suicide, and War

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Genocide, Rape, and Pregnancy

Minor: Police brutality, Racism, Incest, Abortion, and Outing

lady_sharp's review against another edition

adventurous dark reflective fast-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

This was fun as hell. Mind the trigger warnings, but this is what science fiction should be, using the premise to dig at the flaws of society.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Homophobia, Suicide, Genocide, Xenophobia, Violence, Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, War, Transphobia, and Misogyny

Moderate: Ableism, Racism, Injury/Injury detail, Acephobia/Arophobia, War, Physical abuse, Bullying, Pedophilia, and Rape

Minor: Abandonment and Body horror

Contains an on-page suicide, women being forced into the roles of breeding stock, in-depth look at cults, attempted grooming of a minor and a successful past attempt that resulted in the birth of a child, genocide, a forced kiss, and an attempted rape

waqupi's review against another edition

adventurous dark tense medium-paced

• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Xenophobia, Sexism, Suicide, Misogyny, and Violence

Moderate: Sexual assault and Child abuse

Minor: Gun violence, Abortion, Racism, Homophobia, and Rape

adotzam's review against another edition

adventurous 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide, War, Homophobia, Blood, Violence, Misogyny, Genocide, and Sexual assault

Moderate: Racism, Torture, Rape, and Sexual violence

minervacerridwen's review against another edition

adventurous dark hopeful medium-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

5.0

I love that this book didn't treat brainwashing as something a character can just as easily shake off. The things Kyr had learned all her life kept returning to haunt her, and I think that's the strength of this book. Action-packed with some shocking turns and interesting worldbuilding, Some Desperate Glory was an impressive rollercoaster.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Death, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Racism, Violence, Murder, Sexual assault, Death of parent, Ableism, Sexism, Genocide, Homophobia, Injury/Injury detail, Pregnancy, Child abuse, Misogyny, Suicide, and Suicidal thoughts

bug_gwen's review against another edition

dark sad tense medium-paced

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

This was not the book to read during a terrible crisis in the Middle East. Having said that, it’s a compelling portrayal of fanaticism, authoritarianism, and xenophobia. It’s very good, but I just couldn’t 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Torture, Violence, and Suicide

Moderate: Homophobia and Racism

Minor: Rape

stacyaj's review against another edition

adventurous dark reflective 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

I feel like the book description doesn’t do justice to the complexity that this story brings. It took me a little bit to get into it and not get thrown off by the technical sci-fi aspects, but I ended up completely hooked. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide

Moderate: Violence, Rape, War, Genocide, and Death

bruisedtigers's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

3.75

This is very hard to rate. I love how Tesh writes and the characters are the strongest element of it. I do wonder if this book got cut short? The first section takes its time laying everything out, and then the middle is brief, followed by an even quicker conclusion. None of which was bad, but it felt like it needed more breathing room for the plot. I wanted to see more of the alien culture, more of the world outside of what Kyr knows, more of the

alternate universes, instead of just one

, and more of the relationships between the characters.

Please note that there is an ongoing plot thread regarding

sexual assault

and while nothing is actively depicted, there's a very strong threat.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Xenophobia, Homophobia, Suicide, War, Genocide, and Violence