Reviews tagging 'Domestic abuse'

A Court of Silver Flames by Sarah J. Maas

161 reviews

wrensreadingroom's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful mysterious reflective sad tense slow-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcohol, Alcoholism, Classism, Fire/Fire injury, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Medical trauma, Miscarriage, Body shaming, Gaslighting, Genocide, Grief, Kidnapping, Murder, Self harm, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Mental illness, Misogyny, Police brutality, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Blood, Body horror, Abandonment, Emotional abuse, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Drug use, Eating disorder, Medical content, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Toxic friendship, Violence, Vomit, Addiction, Cursing, Death, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Pregnancy, Sexism, and War

sten89's review against another edition

adventurous emotional hopeful reflective tense fast-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

5.0

I really enjoyed the continuation of this story and finding out more about Nesta. Some of the plot points were obvious, but it didn’t damper my enjoyment of reading. 
Overall, I enjoyed the arcs that characters were on. 

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Content Warnings

Minor: Child abuse, Rape, and Domestic abuse

quietlex's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful inspiring mysterious sad 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

I really hated Nesta throughout the beginning. The self sabotage and rock bottom spiraling was just too much. But it was all necessary, to watch her climb tooth and nail up that mountain to find true happiness: a chosen family, honest friends, and a burning love. I’ll always love a deadly powerful female ripping at the seams with unknown strengths; Nesta truly lived up to the title “Queen of Death.”

Spoiler

I do wish she was able to unleash herself and her powers more, and learn to hone them to become even deadlier. She finally begins to embrace her true self right when she offers up her stolen power back to the Cauldron. Also, what the hell happened with Mor and Eris! They keep alluding that someone different happened, that Eris isn’t actually this awful male that left his betrothed to die in the woods. 

I really enjoyed the friendships that blossomed between Nesta, Emerie, and Gwyn, their pure strength and determination that kept them together and pushing on. The love that they had for each other, no judgement, just acceptance and understanding. Exactly what Nesta needed, just as much as the other women needed it. They are the parallel to Rhys, Cassian, and Azriel. 


I’m upset she had to give up a portion of her powers to save Feyre and Rhys and the baby, despite understanding her reasoning. Not just to save them, but also the fact that she never wanted her powers, never really used them at all. I saw another review talking about how instead of a redemption arc, Nesta should’ve been given a villain arc. Really let loose and go feral with all that power of Death. She was truly unstoppable if she could’ve just kept training her magic. I wanted her to go Red Witch style, burning everything in her path with those icy flames of silver. Not give up before she’s even started. Especially not to use her one chance to alter herself with fleeing powers to change her womb for future winged babies. Barf boring lame. I figured one baby was enough pregnancy drama. At least it was only kept to a portion of the book, and we didn’t have to hear whatever insufferable narration would’ve accompanied from Feyre. Sorry but I don’t care about that kid, even if it’s supposed to be something insanely rare. No one even mentioned Mor’s friend being pregnant either. I just felt no connection to that storyline. I wanted Rhys to be High King, not turn into a diaper changing snore. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Classism, Gore, Grief, Pregnancy, Cursing, Death of parent, Confinement, Animal death, Body shaming, Child death, Chronic illness, Alcoholism, Alcohol, Blood, Body horror, Death, Sexual assault, Domestic abuse, Kidnapping, Excrement, Injury/Injury detail, Miscarriage, Violence, Misogyny, Sexual content, Murder, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Torture, and War

starry2013's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional hopeful inspiring medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content

Moderate: Sexism, Sexual violence, Physical abuse, Violence, and Domestic abuse

lmneal87's review against another edition

adventurous emotional hopeful 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

Moderate: Rape, Domestic abuse, and Murder

foulmouthednewenglander's review against another edition

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse

farmpaws's review against another edition

2.0

Like all SJ Maas books in this series, it would be enormously improved by getting rid of the over complicated plot, branding it erotica, and really having fun with the court intrigue/politics. The author spreads herself too thin trying to cover sex/rivalry/plot and ends up with a product that is just too confusing to understand. I don’t remember anything that happened in this book apart from the rampant gender essentialism and coercion control dressed up as a clash of personalities in one case, and a ‘protective’ lover in another case. Her writing is fine and the characters are at least a bit interesting, but I find that once they become the main love interest they all become the same. Unfortunate, because I originally thought Cassian was the most interesting of all the characters. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Pregnancy, Emotional abuse, Toxic relationship, and Terminal illness

Moderate: Body shaming

This relationship has every red flag possible dressed up as sexy

sarahreadsromance's review against another edition

emotional inspiring reflective slow-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

This was not just a story of healing, but for me, it was healing itself.  It feels silly to say, but it genuinely shifted my perspective on the relationships in my life.  Not to mention it had some pretty fire spice.  Not everything ended the way I wanted, but I think that was part of the point and it helped me come to peace with that.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Physical abuse, Rape, Child death, Cursing, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Death, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Gore, Sexism, Sexual assault, War, Addiction, Alcohol, Bullying, Child abuse, Mental illness, Murder, Misogyny, Pregnancy, Alcoholism, Blood, and Sexual content

evedove's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional inspiring reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• 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: Sexism, Death, Death of parent, Violence, and Sexual content

Moderate: Blood, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Domestic abuse, and Child death

Minor: War

emilytrnr's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional inspiring 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

4.25

I liked! Definitely had some lulls, probably as much to do with the length of the book as the pacing. I enjoyed Nesta’s character development. Cassian sometimes irritated me a bit, there were a few things that felt redundant to the original 3 books, and I think I wish it had been first person with each of their POVs, but overall pretty good!

Spoiler

I didn’t love the Feyre pregnancy plot line, although it made a lot more sense to me by the end. I absolutely got emotional over the Nesta, Gwyn, and Emerie friendship. So beautiful and I love that as much as this book was smut/romance, there was a beautiful throughline of friendship that felt more triumphant to me.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Rape and Domestic abuse

Minor: Suicidal thoughts