glynn_nr 's review for:

Gods of the Wyrdwood by R.J. Barker

DID NOT FINISH

challenging dark emotional mysterious tense slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Plot

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: No

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

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I DNF this book at around the 35% mark. Normally I'm all up for some dense world-building, but this one just did not land for me because it felt like nothing was ever being clarified or revealed in a way that you could actually grasp what it meant. Around the 20% mark I was ready for the quest to start already. Around the 30% mark I started wondering if I even understood what the point of the book was because the quest still wasn't underway yet. At around the 35% mark I realized that I was more hate reading to see if anything good happened than reading because I was interested. Instead, I was supremely bored and tired of the opaqueness of the world. After reading a few more reviews that confirmed the reluctant hero would not really start the quest for the majority of the novel, I just accepted this book was not for me. The world was far too dark, dense, and bleak for me to enjoy at this time. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Gore, Violence, Religious bigotry, War

Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child abuse, Death, Emotional abuse

Minor: Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Transphobia, Trafficking

There is a third gender who, while accepted as normal in society, are treated poorly in this book and this time in the world. It might be upsetting for readers to realize that while the "trans" representation is normalized it's got some pretty negative aspects.