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A review by meredith_peruzzi
First, Become Ashes by K.M. Szpara
fast-paced
5.0
K.M. Szpara knocks it out of the park again (so to speak). This book feels entirely different from Docile, it's less power exchange and more power tsunami. Although religion and spirituality are central to the narrative, it doesn't feel particularly "woo" - it feels more like fantasy novel magic than pagan magic. (That may just be me, I'm not very woo myself.) To my surprise, it's a novel of hope - for the first two-thirds I was expecting one outcome, and then that focus was abandoned in favor of stubborn hope in the face of adversity.
The book has trigger warnings for SM, sex, abuse, and rape - it is worth noting that all of these are depicted in a predominantly negative light. I don't think Szpara is saying BDSM is a bad thing - nor did he with Docile, both felt like he has a solid grasp of healthy consent and power exchange - but it should be noted that the SM is equated with abuse and rape in this book, and only in some scenes is the sex depicted positively.
If you enjoyed Docile, do pick this up. It's a very different book but Szpara is a phenomenal writer and this was an excellent read.
The book has trigger warnings for SM, sex, abuse, and rape - it is worth noting that all of these are depicted in a predominantly negative light. I don't think Szpara is saying BDSM is a bad thing - nor did he with Docile, both felt like he has a solid grasp of healthy consent and power exchange - but it should be noted that the SM is equated with abuse and rape in this book, and only in some scenes is the sex depicted positively.
If you enjoyed Docile, do pick this up. It's a very different book but Szpara is a phenomenal writer and this was an excellent read.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Rape and Sexual content