Reviews tagging 'Misogyny'

The Lady of the Lake by Andrzej Sapkowski

10 reviews

marinaxanna's review against another edition

slow-paced

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

2.0

Love to hate it, hate to love it—thank god its over, because this is where the honeymoon phase with the series finally ended for me. It’s like Sapkowski just gave up and I, too, stopped believing in this story.

Three books of build up, interesting characters, interesting cultures and worlds—only to have it end like this, with the lackluster that is the Tower of the Swallow and the Lady of the lake.

Reducing strong, intelligent women who had compelling narratives into mindless Geralt simps while throwing around misogynistic takes.

Spoiler

Oh and not to mention more vile, completely unnecessary SA scenes/tropes for Ciri. Seriously what the fuck was up with that Gramps BS?

And all that for an anti climactic, cliché as fuck ending that leaves more questions than answers. It felt incredibly unsatisfactory.

Spoiler

Mila, Regis and Cahir deserved better. And I mean that as in, their deaths were incredibly underwhelming, with happening in the same 4/5 pages apart and with the bare minimum of impact. I didn’t even take it seriously. They went from all OP/skilled to dropping like flies in the last book.

Geralt and Yennefers characters were just butchered. Both of them felt 2D as hell by the end of the book and it seemed like the author just wanted to be done with the series. 
Well, so did I—Almost dnf. Reading this was just not enjoyable for me at all. I forced myself to finish it since its the last part. Skipped the entirety of chapter 7 when it was clear it was another senseless subplot with Men Being Men TM with a bunch of characters i would never read about again. Seriously, who needs so many detours and timejumps to shape a plot???? 

Anyway. Goodbye to this series. This book has killed any love I had for these characters. I’m done.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: War, Rape, Sexual assault, Body horror, Emotional abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, and Physical abuse

Moderate: Incest

starsfall's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• 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: Rape, Alcohol, Xenophobia, War, Violence, Torture, Suicide attempt, Sexual violence, Sexual harassment, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexism, Self harm, Racism, Murder, Misogyny, Injury/Injury detail, Gore, Death of parent, and Colonisation

Moderate: Pedophilia

Okay wow this book was a lot. There were many plottwist that left me quite confused. I really loved how there were so mant different povs, so many characters. Although sometimes I was a bit lost with so many names and places.

Spoiler

So that's that, the end of the witcher series, in hindsight I should have read season of storms after this one but i'll just reread the epilogue now. The ending kinda broke me, I feel like it was incredibly sad and depressing. And I know that the whole mood of the series should have indicated that there wasn't gonna be a perfect happily ever but still, I was a bit dissapointed. So many characters died.

camoo3032's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious tense fast-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, War, Xenophobia, Gore, Rape, Sexism, Racism, Sexual violence, Slavery, Torture, Confinement, Murder, Death, Sexual assault, Blood, Fire/Fire injury, Medical trauma, and Suicide attempt

Moderate: Abortion, Drug use, Incest, Infidelity, Physical abuse, Vomit, Animal death, Pregnancy, Sexual harassment, Suicide, Alcohol, Classism, Misogyny, and Sexual content

Minor: Alcoholism, Infertility, Homophobia, Kidnapping, Cursing, Slavery, Child abuse, Child death, Colonisation, Death of parent, Excrement, and Bullying

geordirr's review

adventurous dark slow-paced

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

0.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, War, Sexual violence, Blood, Adult/minor relationship, and Sexual assault

Moderate: Misogyny

Minor: Incest and Antisemitism

Spoiler

if you haven’t figured it out by now the entire plot of the series revolves around the attempted forced impregnation of a teenage girl by multiple parties. It’s particularly bad in this book as we get to read graphic descriptions of people attempting violent physical rape, coercive rape and medical rape on Ciri. Oh and one of the last things yennifer does before dying is to call Triss a slut for sleeping with Geralt back in book 3

saltylane's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-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

3.0

Like all the other books in the Witcher series, this one jumps back and forth between perspectives, and gives a lot of information that isn’t completely necessary or interesting. The writing style is descriptive but not necessarily excessively so. The story itself has a lot of twists and turns and mysteries. I’d say the ending was rather bittersweet. Also, there were a lot of things that didn’t really make too much sense for the characters that have developed over the past handful of books. There were also just a handful of times whenever an action was starting to peak, and then it just dropped down because there was some kind of intervention that just happened to happen at that moment.

I didn’t necessarily expect a happy ending for everyone… But at least an ending that actually had conclusions that really mattered or that made sense would’ve been nice. 

Overall, I rather enjoyed the series, despite its many flaws. With the switching perspectives, it did get confusing as to what was going on and what character was doing what. It often went to characters that I wasn’t really sure why they were even included… Unless they were just trying to close up plot lines? I don’t know; they didn’t really matter. It didn’t really seem very important that So-and-So died in such a way or succeeded in XYZ. Sure, sometimes it was nice to see what older characters that we hadn’t seen in a while were doing… But overall it wasn’t really important to the plot what was going on in their lives. 

The reader for this audiobook is very talented! He really knows how to manipulate his voice to the different characters and stick with it consistently. The voice acting  was also very good with emphasized emotions relevant to the scenes.

I’m really interested in seeing how the series on Netflix adapts all of the storylines. Hopefully it’s a little bit less convoluted…

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Death, Gore, Sexual content, Body horror, Violence, Blood, and War

Moderate: Drug abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Confinement, Drug use, Genocide, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racism, Torture, Xenophobia, Medical trauma, Rape, Sexual violence, Alcohol, and Grief

Minor: Pregnancy, Self harm, Colonisation, Animal death, Classism, Fire/Fire injury, Infidelity, Homophobia, Incest, Medical content, Excrement, Adult/minor relationship, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Sexism, and Vomit

tilo's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious sad tense slow-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

4.75

Der letzte Teil der Hauptreihe ist wie alle anderen Bücher in der Reihe genial. Der Anfang ist sehr kurios und ich war etwas skeptisch, aber der Subplot

Spoiler

mit Nimue und Condwiramurs

hat dann alles in ein spannendes Licht gerückt. Einige der Höhepunkte des Romans haben mich jedoch nicht so stark bewegt wie die Vorgänger, was einerseits daran lag, dass ich durch die Videospiele einer der größten Plottwists schon kannte und andererseits fand ich einige Momente sehr abgestumpft geschrieben und die Reaktionen der Charaktere haben mich teilweise verwundert. Das ist aber auf hohem Niveau angemerkt.
Das Ende ist sehr sonderbar. Man mag darüber denken, was man möchte, aber speziell zu diesem Teil hat es schon gepasst.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child death, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, Alcohol, Blood, Cannibalism, Death, Fire/Fire injury, Murder, Racism, Sexism, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Violence, and War

Moderate: Classism, Cursing, Excrement, Grief, Incest, Medical content, Slavery, and Torture

Minor: Ableism and Colonisation

rosequarterdrifting's review

dark emotional mysterious sad medium-paced

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

2.75

favorite quotes:

Spoiler

‘Very well,’ sighed Regis. ‘Let it be. I’ll have to steer clear of looking glasses and dogs, watch out for sorcerers and telepaths … and if in spite of that they unmask me, I’m counting on you.’

‘You can,’ Geralt responded gravely. ‘I won’t abandon you in need. Comrade.’

The vampire smiled, and because they were alone, showed his full set of fangs. ‘Comrade?’

‘It’s my anthropomorphism talking. On we go, let’s get out of these caverns, comrade. Because all we’ll find here is rheumatism.’

Spoiler

‘I must ride,’ she said at last. The woman smiled, jingling melodiously.

How does it happen, thought Ciri, what can it be ascribed to, that in all worlds, places and times, in all languages and dialects that one word always sounds comprehensible? And always similar?

'Yes. I must ride to my mamma. My mamma is waiting for me.’

Spoiler

‘Good, Ciri. But more calmly. Without euphoria. And close to me.’ 

‘I’ll always be close to you.’

‘Don’t cut from the shoulder if you can from the elbow. Take heed.’

‘I am.’

The flash of a blade. Screams, blood. Death.

‘Good, Ciri.’

‘I want to see the sky.’

‘I love you very much.’

‘I love you too.’

‘Take heed. It’s getting slippery.’

Spoiler

Geralt glanced at Ciri. And almost howled with fury, seeing streaks shining white as silver in her ashen hair. He controlled himself. It wasn’t the time for anger.

‘Be careful,’ he said softly. ‘Stay close to me.’

‘I’m always going to be close to you.’

‘It’ll be hot down there.’

‘I know. But we’re together.’

‘We’re together.’

Spoiler

The executioner went closer, kneeled down before the condemned man in keeping with the ancient custom, and lowered his hooded head. ‘Forgive me, good fellow,’ he requested gravely.

‘Me?’ asked Dandelion in astonishment. ‘Forgive you?’

‘Uh-huh.’

‘Not a chance.’

‘Eh?’

‘I’ll never forgive you. Why should I? Have you heard him, the prankster! He’s about to cut my head off, and I’m supposed to forgive him? Are you mocking me or what? At a time like this?’ 

‘How can you, sir?’ asked the executioner, saddened. ‘For there’s a law … And a custom … The condemned man must forgive the executioner in advance. Good sir! Expunge my guilt, absolve my sin …’

‘No.’

‘No?’

‘No!’

‘I won’t behead him,’ the executioner declared gloomily, getting up from his knees. ‘He must forgive me, otherwise there’s nothing doing.’

‘Lord Viscount.’ The funereal clerk caught Dandelion by the elbow. ‘Don’t make things difficult. People have gathered, they’re waiting … Forgive him. He’s asking politely, isn’t he?’

‘I won’t forgive him, and that’s that!’

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gore, Incest, Medical trauma, Misogyny, Rape, Sexual assault, and Death of parent

Moderate: Suicide attempt, Child death, Confinement, Lesbophobia, Drug abuse, Fatphobia, and War

Minor: Alcohol, Excrement, Infertility, Torture, Xenophobia, and Cursing

luciawolfie's review against another edition

adventurous dark medium-paced

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

3.5

The way women are portrayed in this book make me very uncomfortable. Also the ending makes no sense...

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abortion, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Cannibalism, Child death, Death, Drug use, Gore, Grief, Kidnapping, Misogyny, Murder, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, and Suicide attempt

fallhistorywitch's review against another edition

dark slow-paced

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

I’m too disgusted right now to give an in-depth review. All you have to know is sexualization of a minor, sexual assault of a minor, incest, an over all aura of misogyny combined with the slowest pace I’ve ever seen in a book. The stupidest book I’ve ever read! 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Incest, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Sexual assault, Adult/minor relationship, Cannibalism, Xenophobia, and Rape

capitola's review against another edition

adventurous dark tense medium-paced

• 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? It's complicated

2.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Xenophobia, Violence, Slavery, Misogyny, Adult/minor relationship, Blood, Confinement, Medical trauma, Sexual assault, Sexual content, and Sexual violence

Moderate: Incest, Vomit, and Excrement

Extensive subplot about multiple adults wanting to rape/impregnate a minor