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Reviews tagging 'Body horror'
Elias & Laia - Eine Fackel im Dunkel der Nacht by Sabaa Tahir
12 reviews
otterforce'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? It's complicated
5.0
Still a bit more dark than my usual reads, but it never went overly far while still keeping the stakes high and tension in place.
Looking forward to the rest of the series.
Graphic: Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Genocide, Hate crime, Physical abuse, Racism, Slavery, Terminal illness, Torture, Toxic relationship, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Police brutality, Death of parent, Murder, Toxic friendship, and Classism
Moderate: Bullying, Grief, and War
emilywemily6'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: Body horror, Bullying, Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gore, Physical abuse, Racism, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Police brutality, Grief, Murder, Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Moderate: Sexual harassment
Minor: Slavery
alexasolis98'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? Yes
3.0
Moderate: Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Slavery, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Police brutality, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Sexual harassment, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
dawnilton'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
The character writing was the highlight in this book. Every main and side character we got to know had such good character development and I really feel connected to them. I really enjoyed seeing Helena, Laia and Elias' journey and how their paths intertwined with each other. You could really see it all come together in the end in a satisfying and heartbreaking way. Just like book 1, I think Elias' POV was much more interesting than Laia's POV. I just felt there was so much more to explore with Elias, his mental struggle with death, dealing with his mom,
I still have so many questions about the magic in this book.
This is your sign - read the second book! It will meet all your expectations.
Graphic: Body horror, Child abuse, Death, Genocide, Physical abuse, Slavery, Terminal illness, Torture, Violence, Blood, Trafficking, Grief, Mass/school shootings, Murder, Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail
This book is very graphic and deals with heavy topics. Just like the first book, it doesn't shy away from violence. Just be aware of this before going into the book.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
allyareads'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
5.0
Do I recommend reading a book with genocide and ethnic cleansing in it right now?
100% I do not.
I cried so hard I gave myself a headache
It was still as amazing as I remember but I need to go stare at a wall in a dark room for an indeterminable amount of time.
*sob*
Graphic: Body horror, Bullying, Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Genocide, Gore, Hate crime, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racism, Sexism, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Xenophobia, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Colonisation, War, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Infidelity and Rape
imds's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
Graphic: Body horror, Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Genocide, Physical abuse, Rape, Slavery, Terminal illness, Torture, Violence, Police brutality, Kidnapping, Grief, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Sexual harassment, and Classism
madamenovelist's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Body horror, Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gore, Hate crime, Physical abuse, Racism, Sexism, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Xenophobia, Blood, Grief, Murder, Colonisation, War, and Injury/Injury detail
saramarinho'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? It's complicated
5.0
Yes it took me forever to even pick this second book up but the important part is that I did it, I read it, and I absolutely loved it!
It's fast-paced, it has twists we do not expect coming, and the writing is pure pleasure to read!
The story is so, so fantastic. It's clever, develops with attention to detail, there's character growth, plot development, a villain to love to hate, a super slow burn romance that keeps making us dream for more, and the setting of this story is at the same time brutally devastating and full of hope.
The Ember Quartet has everything to be one of my all time favourite book series ever. So far it has not disappoint in any way.
Graphic: Body horror, Death, Physical abuse, Violence, and Blood
Moderate: Slavery and Torture
kilic's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
Graphic: Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Gore, Physical abuse, Slavery, Blood, Grief, Medical trauma, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail