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A review by mamoru
The Grief of Stones by Katherine Addison
1.0
I gave this book more than a fair chance. I gave this author more than a fair chance. This is my third book by her and it seems to me that she absolutely hates women. Her books are built on women being killed, used, raped, destroyed and discarded.
They appear when someone needs to get killed or when the author needs to prove just how awesome the male characters are. Except they’re not. They suck. Especially Maia.
All female characters are here to further the men’s cause. They're all victims who need saving. They're either beautiful and vapid, or ugly but somewhat intelligent. The ugly ones resent the pretty ones while also masking a thinly veiled “at least I’m not stupid” smirk. The pretty ones use their charms to get shit from men but have no other thoughts or aspirations. They're all moody, hysterical and mere shadows that happen to cross the men’s path.
You could argue that it's okay for a book or an entire series to focus on men. To that, I say, Absolutely! But if you're going to add female characters, then you owe it to them (and us, the readers) to give them some substance and purpose outside of being there as victims.
This entire series is an ugly palimpsest of trigger warnings and toxic tropes that should be retired. Gold diggers, virgins versus whores, women in the fridge X a billion, gossiping women, the bimbo, the nagging wife bitch, the hysterical screaming ladies etc. The MC’s love interest literally murders his wife in order to be with the MC. We don’t know anything about the wife, not even a name. She's there to build character and explain why Thara is such a sadboi.
On top of that steaming pile of shit tropes, the author generously invites you to dine on an abundance of trigger warnings (for this book): Child pornography, child murder, suicide (a girl kills herself and her unborn baby after being raped by her boss), stillborn, parental abuse/neglect, mental illness, homophobia, misogyny, blackmail,
For the rest of the series: serial killer killing his wives (some pregnant), graphic suicide, ritual suicide, mention of suicide and suicidal ideation, attempted murder, murder, violent death, graphic death, body horror, homophobia, hinted sexual assault, infanticide, child abuse, abusive relationships, explicit racism etc.
Absolutely no substance. Triggers used for shock value. Pedantic writing. Female characters are worth less than dog shit.
They appear when someone needs to get killed or when the author needs to prove just how awesome the male characters are. Except they’re not. They suck. Especially Maia.
All female characters are here to further the men’s cause. They're all victims who need saving. They're either beautiful and vapid, or ugly but somewhat intelligent. The ugly ones resent the pretty ones while also masking a thinly veiled “at least I’m not stupid” smirk. The pretty ones use their charms to get shit from men but have no other thoughts or aspirations. They're all moody, hysterical and mere shadows that happen to cross the men’s path.
You could argue that it's okay for a book or an entire series to focus on men. To that, I say, Absolutely! But if you're going to add female characters, then you owe it to them (and us, the readers) to give them some substance and purpose outside of being there as victims.
This entire series is an ugly palimpsest of trigger warnings and toxic tropes that should be retired. Gold diggers, virgins versus whores, women in the fridge X a billion, gossiping women, the bimbo, the nagging wife bitch, the hysterical screaming ladies etc. The MC’s love interest literally murders his wife in order to be with the MC. We don’t know anything about the wife, not even a name. She's there to build character and explain why Thara is such a sadboi.
On top of that steaming pile of shit tropes, the author generously invites you to dine on an abundance of trigger warnings (for this book): Child pornography, child murder, suicide (a girl kills herself and her unborn baby after being raped by her boss), stillborn, parental abuse/neglect, mental illness, homophobia, misogyny, blackmail,
For the rest of the series: serial killer killing his wives (some pregnant), graphic suicide, ritual suicide, mention of suicide and suicidal ideation, attempted murder, murder, violent death, graphic death, body horror, homophobia, hinted sexual assault, infanticide, child abuse, abusive relationships, explicit racism etc.
Absolutely no substance. Triggers used for shock value. Pedantic writing. Female characters are worth less than dog shit.