Reviews tagging 'Sexual violence'

Queen of the Damned by Anne Rice

11 reviews

metamorphesque's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-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

4.5

I want to hug these idiots so tightly. There's a deep love in me for this book that just grew and grew with each page. Just a gorgeous book and a gorgeous story with all the arguments in this absolutely fascinating me endlessly. To dismiss the novel as "boring" or "slow" is to miss out on the richly layered characterization that Anne Rice has crafted. The depth of the story lies not just in the events that unfold, but in the intricate web of relationships, histories, and existential dilemmas that haunt these immortal beings. Moreover, this book isn’t merely about plot; it’s an exploration of myth, power, and the burden of immortality. So if you've finished it and come away thinking it's simply boring, slow, or lacking in action, then you've fundamentally overlooked Anne Rice's nuanced characterization and misunderstood both the essence of the story and the depth of the characters. :)))

• thought-provoking journey into the dark, seductive world of Anne Rice’s vampires, one that is well worth the investment
• beautifully different characters with such intricate feelings and interpersonal relationships -  this is fundamentally a character novel btwww so if you're reading it for the plot and complain about it ??? what are you doing?? lmao go read twilight instead. 
• there's a lot that goes on here politically ((idea of world peace ushered by genocide lol 
• not a whimsical fantasy or some lighthearted cozy vampire bs, it's a dense fucking book with thick prose that deals with heavy topics and complicated characters with trauma, and immortality, and religion mixed into all of it ofc 
• ancient characters full of biases my beloved 
•  love that the message boils down to "No one needs or deserves a God stepping in to solve their problems with deceptively simple solutions, just as the global North should learn to keep it's hands out of the global South" 
• however, I am ON. THE. FLOOR. at this fucking 500yo grown ass vampire painstakingly feeding individual paper towels to the garbage disposal at 1am. Armand making smoothies and cooking rats in a toaster oven, come on now. <3 
• iCONIC. totally would give it 8/5 purely because of devil's minion. 
• I really enjoyed the different POVs, finally got to see khayman and jesse and maharet tho that plotline dragged a bit lol I can appreciate having the major arc of lestat and louis towards the end there though, so worth it 
• akasha is Meh for me like Gurl plz
• the vampire mythology was interesting but personally I couldn't give a damn 
• which brings me to lestat's shenanigans and 'tell me how bad i am, it makes me feel so good’ lestat you whore are you ok ?? xd
• unfortunately this book faces its share of criticisms, with some people out there lamenting the writing style, the slow pacing, or a perceived detachment that makes it feel like the reader is merely observing the vampires from a distance
  • all these overlook a fundamental aspect of the novel: the narrative conceit that Lestat himself is the "author" of this story in-world. like girl he doesn't care about rules, he doesn't like them including those of writing novels by extension xd This rebellious approach isn't just a quirk of his either btw; it's deeply embedded in his character - he is impulsive, narcissistic, and insatiably curious, and the book's style mirrors these traits
  • the sprawling narrative, the meandering reflections, and even the slower pacing are all deliberate choices that reflect Lestat's temperament; almost as though you are being brought into the mind of a vampire whose perspective spans centuries, with all the complexity and indulgence that entails, all the extravagance and horror of it too

Ultimately, if you come away from Queen of the Damned feeling that "nothing much happens," it suggests a misunderstanding of what Rice is attempting to achieve :)) The novel is a meditation on the vampire condition, a gothic tapestry where the beauty lies in the details, the characters’ introspections, and the lush, poetic language. To reduce it to a lack of conventional action is to overlook the artistry and nuance with which Rice breathes life into her world. Her work is not about meeting conventional expectations, but rather about challenging them, offering an experience that is as much about mood and atmosphere as it is about story :)) 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gore, Rape, Sexual violence, Violence, Blood, Cannibalism, and Murder

madamenovelist's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny mysterious reflective sad tense slow-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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Child death, Confinement, Death, Genocide, Gore, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Torture, Violence, Blood, Islamophobia, Medical content, Grief, Cannibalism, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Sexual harassment, Colonisation, War, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Alcohol

Minor: Excrement, Vomit, and Abortion

peggy_racham's review against another edition

5.0

"The past may instruct us. But it won’t save us."

Women's rights and wrongs but has Akasha ever been right?

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Body horror, Death, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gore, Misogyny, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, Cannibalism, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, Colonisation, War, and Injury/Injury detail

bolivianrash's review against another edition

adventurous dark funny hopeful inspiring mysterious tense slow-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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Violence, Blood, and Fire/Fire injury

Moderate: Genocide, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Toxic relationship, Grief, Cannibalism, Murder, Dysphoria, War, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Body horror, Child death, Cursing, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Medical trauma, Car accident, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Toxic friendship, and Colonisation

lilianmathilda's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Sexual violence, and Violence

jelliestars's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Death, Rape, Blood, Cannibalism, and Murder

Moderate: Confinement, Genocide, Gore, Incest, Physical abuse, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Kidnapping, Grief, Religious bigotry, Fire/Fire injury, Toxic friendship, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Animal death, Chronic illness, Gun violence, Hate crime, Pedophilia, Racism, Sexual content, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Xenophobia, Excrement, Medical content, Mass/school shootings, Car accident, Abortion, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Alcohol, Colonisation, War, and Pandemic/Epidemic

avie_j's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious 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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Gore, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Murder, and Gaslighting

Moderate: Torture

Minor: Slavery

lnolen01's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Death, Genocide, Gore, Blood, Cannibalism, Murder, and Fire/Fire injury

Minor: Rape, Sexual violence, Death of parent, and Sexual harassment

t_bun's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious slow-paced

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Torture, and Violence

carrionkid's review against another edition

4.5

Quite a few plot threads here but they managed to come together as a worthwhile sum of so many components. The little insights into all the characters lives were a delight and made it a stronger work for their additions. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Death, and Fire/Fire injury

Moderate: Rape, Sexual violence, and Cannibalism