Reviews tagging 'Kidnapping'

A Darker Shade of Magic by V.E. Schwab

36 reviews

op3's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny lighthearted mysterious tense 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? It's complicated

4.25

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Torture, Violence, Blood, and Murder

Moderate: Sexual assault, Torture, Violence, Blood, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Blood, Kidnapping, and Fire/Fire injury

cicizzy's review against another edition

adventurous mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

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

3.75

I really liked the worldbuilding and the characters. I need to read less romantasy this was really refreshing to read.

But the writing style bothered me. I can’t even say what it was, maybe I was just too tired to but I felt like I had to focus a lot more than usual while reading. Maybe it’s just that it felt like there are no “unnecessary” sentences. If you miss a sentence you can actually miss important information. There were no drawn out descriptions of places or longer conversations. Everything was short and to the point. I think when it comes to that so would have liked to see a bit more of the worlds and Londons. The lack of description could make it feel a bit “flat” at times and I think it was a bit of a wasted potential. But it is also just the first volume and I hope that the worlds will be explored a bit more in the future volumes. 
It also didn’t exactly feel like the early 19th century for me but Gray  London also didn’t play a big role. 
I‘m looking forward to the rest of the series.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder

Moderate: Death, Slavery, Torture, Violence, and Kidnapping

Minor: Physical abuse, Trafficking, Death of parent, Alcohol, and War

lisa07xie's review against another edition

emotional mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

I would give it free point five stars and I really like the story itself it does have a different view of Magic then over books. It was kind of hard to get into for me because the beginning was Just Not for me but after some time I began to enjoy it and I accustomed to the writing Style which was really descriptive and it is in 3 Person but we get to see the pov from so many small Characters even which I think is quite rare. But the romance was lacking I was told it has a romance subplot which I think is really untrue the romance in this book was a whole sentence long which was quite disappointing... But I did like the Characters and the story it was something different

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Body horror, Child abuse, Cursing, Death, Gun violence, Physical abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Violence, Blood, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Grief, Murder, Alcohol, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

valerian_honeybee's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional 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

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Gore, Physical abuse, Self harm, Torture, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Injury/Injury detail, and Pandemic/Epidemic

Moderate: Misogyny, Sexism, and Abandonment

Minor: Alcohol and War

cozy_tea_reader's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional hopeful mysterious tense fast-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

4.25

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Death, Gore, Blood, Grief, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Gun violence, Rape, Self harm, Torture, Kidnapping, Fire/Fire injury, War, and Pandemic/Epidemic

mobymaize's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional funny mysterious 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

4.5

A lovely romp through multiple Londons, similar to, but not the same as, Neil Gaiman's Neverwhere. Super exciting and felt like a very well done HBO mini series in the best way possible :)
Planning on reading the sequels at some point!

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gore, Gun violence, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Police brutality, Medical content, Kidnapping, Grief, Stalking, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

Main character uses magic by through self harm. Just a heads up.

kal517's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Violence, Blood, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Gun violence and Sexual assault

Minor: Torture and Kidnapping

_marycappiello3's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional tense medium-paced

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

5.0

I love Delilah bard 🖤

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Torture, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Grief and Fire/Fire injury

shaestrong's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious medium-paced

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

4.5

This is a pretty straight forward magic-as-power fantasy, with multifaceted characters who are challenged to grow or die as the adventure progresses. I could wish the world building included a little more detail on the "physics" of the magic system, but it was overall enjoyable and feels as if there is more story to be told in this world. Thankfully there IS more since this is book one of a series, and we can hopefully learn more about Kell and Lilah are faced with new dangers and intrigues.

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Slavery

Minor: Child abuse, Death, Blood, Kidnapping, and Classism

witcheep's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional slow-paced

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

4.5

Pika-arvostelu: Kerronta on viipyilevää, miljöötä ja henkilöitä kuvaillaan paljon. Jos pitää eläväisestä kuvailusta ja uuteen moniulotteiseen fantasiamaailmaan tutustumisesta, kirja miellyttää varmasti. Jos taas kaipaa nopeatempoista toimintaa ja isoilla panoksilla pelaamista, sitä saa odottaa ensimmäisten sadan sivun ajan. Sitten kuitenkin myös juoni ottaa enemmän tuulta siipiensä alle.

Fantasiamaailman rakentuminen: Magian syvempi sävy esittelee kiinnostavan ajatuksen rinnakkaismaailmoista, joissa Lontoosta on olemassa neljä eri versiota, kukin eri suhteessa magian olemukseen ja käyttöön. Eri maailmojen välillä voivat matkustaa vain vahvat, mutta harvinaiset verimaagit eli antarit. Heidän voimansa ei periinny suvussa, vaan on arvoitus, miksi jollakin henkilöllä on tämä voima. Tämä rinnakkais-Lontoiden universumi on rakennettu niin tarkasti aina taikuuden toimintaperiaatteista eri maailmojen omiin kieliin, että uskon antareista paljastuvan vielä lisää tietoa jatko-osissa.

Henkilöt: Päähenkilö Kell esitellään voimakkaana verimaagina, joka virallisten kuninkaallisten tehtäviensä ohessa tekee sivubisnestä salakuljettajana. Tähän nähden hän on kuitenkin hämmentävän hyväuskoinen ja toistuvasti kävelee vailla epäilyksiä ansoihin kuin neito hädässä.

Sen seurauksena Kell on useamman kerran vähällä menettää henkensä tai joutua orjuutetuksi, mutta onneksi on Lila pelastamassa päivän.

Henkilöiden välisille suhteille annetaan kirjassa huomiota, mutta niillä on vielä paljon tilaa kehittyä eri suuntiin jatko-osissa.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Physical abuse

Moderate: Death, Gun violence, Self harm, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Kidnapping, Murder, and Sexual harassment

Minor: Genocide, Misogyny, and Sexual assault