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Reviews tagging 'Animal death'
Elias & Laia - Eine Fackel im Dunkel der Nacht by Sabaa Tahir
12 reviews
tabea1409's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Graphic: Animal death, Child abuse, Child death, Cursing, Death, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gore, Physical abuse, Slavery, Terminal illness, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Sexual harassment, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
risten's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gore, Physical abuse, Racism, Slavery, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Police brutality, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Moderate: Animal death, Misogyny, Excrement, and Vomit
anarmandameg's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
Graphic: Animal death, Child abuse, Confinement, Domestic abuse, Genocide, Gore, Physical abuse, Racism, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Medical content, Death of parent, Murder, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Colonisation, War, and Injury/Injury detail
bzliz's review against another edition
- 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
There’s an interesting theme of isolation between our three leads- Laia with Keenan, Elias with the Soul Catcher, and Helene’s loss- and how they face this isolation and forge ahead shows how special they are. This is also a spot I find frustrating as a reader because I’m certain these characters will all have to trust each other eventually to defeat the final evil but they don’t right now so they lack the full picture that they’d have if they worked together.
Sabaa Tahir excels in creating complex characters that thrive in murky gray morality and I absolutely love it. I was concerned about Helene’s story being consumed by lovesick feelings but I’m thrilled she’s coming in to her own. Elias’s journey is fascinating- he does everything in his power even as he’s dying to fulfill his vow to Laia (obligatory: Ladies, don’t settle. If he wanted to, he would.) and it leads to a big twist I know will be crucial and probably necessary as the series builds. And I already didn’t care for Keenan (he has big Gale energy) but there’s no way I could have predicted his deeply layered secrets.
I appreciate the well balanced push-pull between the different forces at play. It can be frustrating when you read something where the villains never slip up and are always one step ahead. Even as the Commandant builds her secret plans, Helene manages to foil some, which is a huge accomplishment when you consider the Commandant’s unearthly ally. Laia and Elias also discover a weakness in the Nightbringer despite the power imbalance between them. These successes make the world grim but not entirely bleak.
Content warnings: this world is brutal and survives on groups enacting violence upon each other. I’d recommend you stay away from the series if you can’t stand true cruelty.
Graphic: Body horror, Death, Gore, Torture, Violence, Blood, Grief, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Child abuse, Confinement, Genocide, Slavery, and Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Animal death and Death of parent
madisonbell_'s review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.0
Minor: Animal death
rinku's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Genocide, Physical abuse, Racism, Slavery, Terminal illness, Torture, Violence, Blood, Death of parent, Murder, and Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Animal death, Gore, Sexual content, War, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Sexual harassment
booksthatburn's review against another edition
- 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
4.5
The worldbuilding focuses on the Tribes more this time around, maintaining things established in the first book but not doing as much worldbuilding for the other groups and locations. One thing that's new is the Waiting Place where Shaeva helps the dead pass on. A lot of new backstory and worldbuilding is conveyed to Elias there, gradually through a series of conversations.
One of my favorite things about the structure of this series is that Laia and Elias each have another person they're interested in. Rather than a standard love triangle, this creates something more tangled where it's uncertain whether they're both interested in a relationship with each other. Any potential romance takes a backseat for much of the book because of the circumstances of their journey, but there's just enough there to keep things interesting. I like how Keenan's storyline plays out, I genuinely didn't guess what was going on with him and I'm pretty pleased with the reveal. Helene isn't around the others as much, but I like that because her chapters get a chance to be on their own rather than echoing Elias's, since in the first book we only saw Helene through Elias (and very occasionally Laia).
Each of the characters have specific and very understandable reasons for acting at cross-purposes. Some of those justifications are definitely on the evil side, but so far none of the characters are evil for the sake of it. Their justifications may be power, security, making sure no one can do to them what they're doing to everyone else, but there's always a reason. In a series that seems determined to add perspectives with each sequel, that's not an easy feat. I don't have to like all of the point-of-view characters in order to enjoy the book. Even when I vehemently disagree with them it's not a frustrating reading experience, instead it's highly engaging.
This is the second book in a quartet, and it wraps up a pretty important thing left hanging from the first book, since this is where the planned attempt to rescue Laia's brother is made. The journey itself functions mostly as a new storyline, though technically it began at the very end of the first book. Several smaller things are resolved, but the first book ends on a cliffhanger and then this one picks up immediately where it left off, which makes it harder for me to remember which things where mentioned at the end of the first vs the beginning of the second. Some things related to Helene are specifically left for later in a way that makes me think they may drive the third book. Helene is a new narrator, her perspectives joining the rotation with Laia and Elias. Laia and Elias are consistent with themselves in the first book, though they do change gradually in this one (especially Elias). There's an audiobook narrator for each perspective, Laia, Elias, and Helene. I like the performances, they did a good job.
This begins exactly where the first book left off, with Laia and Elias running through the tunnels. Reminders of what happened in the first book are doled out slowly, when the characters have a moment to think while running for their lives. It wouldn't make sense to start here, since the main plot is the second half of the story begun in the first book. Since it's a quartet it does set up plenty to keep the story going, but Laia became a slave in the first book in hopes of getting her brother rescued and this book is about the journey for that rescue attempt. Beginning here without having that setup would make a lot of the story less satisfying.
Laia and Elias are traveling to Kauf to rescue Laia's brother. They're joined by some characters from the first book, and the party splits and reconfigures several times as they get help along the way. Helene is the Blood Shrike, trying to deal with the hateful Commandant's machinations from the inside, all while under the thumb of the new emperor. In an attempt to get back at Laia and the resistance, the Commandant is using her influence to try and wipe out the Scholars and anyone she thinks of as helping them. These plot threads intersect more towards the end, establishing a new status quo going into the third book.
I enjoyed this and will keep reading the series!
Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Death, Torture, Violence, Blood, Death of parent, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Animal death, Genocide, Gore, Slavery, and Fire/Fire injury
veeronald's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
Graphic: Chronic illness, Confinement, Death, Genocide, Physical abuse, Racism, Slavery, Terminal illness, Violence, Police brutality, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, Colonisation, War, and Classism
Moderate: Animal death, Child abuse, Child death, Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Drug use, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Vomit, Stalking, Death of parent, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis
cgn's review against another edition
- 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
4.0
Graphic: Animal death, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Genocide, Physical abuse, Torture, Violence, Blood, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Slavery, Grief, and Classism
Minor: Sexual content
lainiereads's review against another edition
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I know people love Helene and like,, I get that she isn't a truly bad person and I don't HATE her, but I'm still waiting for something to make me actually like her. I'm sure she will probably be more lovable in the next one, and I am all for a flawed character, but I just don't really get it yet.
Elias has only gotten better, oh my god I LOVE HIM!!! He is just such a good person that even when he does annoying things, he is still great. You always know that he is going to feel remorse for the bad things he has done, and he will try to make it right however he can.
I had absolutely no idea what plot twists were ahead of me as I read this book, and I was constantly being shocked by everything! Sabaa Tahir has that perfect way of storybuilding that makes you want to immediately reread everything to see all of the hints that you missed.
I also really love Tahir's writing because she is able to constantly keep the reader hooked. At times, I caught myself seriously reflecting on what I had read hours before, and I just wanted to pick up the book again and again. This is especially impressive given how depressing this series can be. I don't usually look forward to reading things that I know will be painful, so the fact that this book is able to make me excited to read more is crazy.
I am scared for the pain to come, but obviously I have to keep reading, I just love these characters so much :')
Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Misogyny, Racism, Sexism, Terminal illness, Torture, Violence, Blood, Grief, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Physical abuse, Slavery, and Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Animal death and Death of parent