Reviews tagging 'Classism'

Gild by Raven Kennedy

31 reviews

teentalk85's review against another edition

mysterious relaxing slow-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

I'm in, I'm hooked, I'm excited to read more!
I enjoyed the start to this series and the breadcrumbs the author is sprinkling for us to build this world! Even though a whole lot of nothing happens throughout pretty much the entire book I was entranced by it and consumed every moment!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Rape, Blood, Kidnapping, Murder, and Classism

viselik's review against another edition

dark

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

4.25

The book does have its issues, and I think if you know what you are getting into it's fine. But please read the content warning, this book is definitely not alright for younger readers who don't know what they are getting into!

The first time I read this I did not know it had the content in it that it did due to me skipping over the content warning and I finished the book feeling like I had missed something and felt icky. I only figured it out once I read the content warning that I had accidentally skipped and reread the book that it clicked what had actually happened, it wasn't what I expected and made me like the book a whole lot more than I originally did.

Edit 22/07/24: I have now read this three times, my most recent is to prepare for the release of Goldfinch, and I deeply enjoyed it. I think now, the first time I read this book, I may have been a slight bit too young as I didn't grasp the subject matter as well, but this time, I understood it a lot better. I still do feel this book can get a slight bit boring at times but I am highly excited to continue to read the series to prepare for Goldfinch's release.

I did find the whole first face-to-face talk with Rip a bit annoying this time, but I think it's more just I felt like I have read a similar thing over and over again by now. This is more a romance/romantasy issue I have though in general not just with this book.
Midus I feel like he was done well for what he is in the story, we can see the twisted perspective that Auren has of him and how it is slightly warped by the end of this book. We see some glimpses behind the mask and I deeply liked those moments where we get to see how he truly is. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Death, Gore, Misogyny, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Violence, Kidnapping, Murder, Sexual harassment, War, and Classism

Moderate: Trafficking

Minor: Animal death and Slavery

deyknight's review against another edition

challenging dark funny sad tense slow-paced

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

3.5

Very well written, but I struggled to understand what the intended overall plot was through most of the book. It felt very much like this book was a pilot episode, laying the ground work, backstory, and world building... But we only really discovered the plot/conflict at the very end of the book. 

Also: definitely pay attention to the trigger warnings!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Sexual assault, and Sexual harassment

Moderate: Confinement, Physical abuse, Sexism, Slavery, Toxic relationship, Trafficking, Gaslighting, and Classism

Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Bullying, and Torture

beckyremillard's review against another edition

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? Yes

4.0

Quick read. Really wasn’t sure about the gilded woman with prehensile ribbons coming out of her back but definitely an intriguing story and I will continue. 

Check trigger warnings for sure; it’s very dark. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Death, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Grief, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Sexual harassment, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

Minor: Animal death

jennipea382's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Infidelity, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Trafficking, Grief, Murder, Gaslighting, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Cursing, Blood, Alcohol, and Classism

booknerdcoco's review against another edition

slow-paced

3.0

OK so this book was really slow, and not much happened until towards the end. However, I have heard that the series overall is good and the second book is better. It is typical for the first book of a series to be predominantly concerned with scene setting so I won't write it off just yet.

The book has lots of swearing in, and some of the scenes aren't for the lighthearted.

There are strong themes of oppression against women, however, I have a feeling that this series will predominantly contain kick ass feminine energy so watch this space.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body shaming, Confinement, Cursing, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Violence, Kidnapping, Grief, Murder, Sexual harassment, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

sami_not_sammi's review against another edition

dark emotional tense medium-paced

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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Violence, and Kidnapping

Moderate: Alcoholism, Infidelity, Blood, and Murder

Minor: Infertility and Classism

tink2cma's review against another edition

adventurous challenging funny mysterious slow-paced

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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Slavery, Toxic relationship, Kidnapping, Gaslighting, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, and Classism

Moderate: Trafficking, Death of parent, and War

kalequeentv's review against another edition

2.5

I feel guilty saying this but; this book feels like a try-hard. It’s wild that I’m going to read the entire series (I’m just not a quitter even when I hate books I have to pray for a redemption). The world building was fine and the characters are mildly interesting, but ultimately the book is so slow it brings it’s own downfall. 

Slight spoily and graphic +18 hints in this paragraph, proceed with caution! ⚠️ The fact that we spend 30% of this book waiting for a SA, only for her to be free, only then, yet again we spend another 20% of the book waiting for another SA - this whole thing is leaving me kinda “….??” I think perhaps I have issue with the “obsessively dumping trauma after trauma on your MC until they break and become super strong and can fight the oppressive war because now they understand the oppression of the people”. I really do hate it. I’ll say it. I think trauma dumping on characters until they are “worthy” leaders or power forces in a rebellion is silly and boring. I wish we could find better motivation without the concept of repeated SA? The author literally HOOKED the concept of poverty on a line for the MC to gobble up and feed her rage but it doesn’t matter because BAM let’s assault someone again. 

Maybe book two will hook me. One can only hope. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Violence, Blood, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Sexual harassment, and Classism

coach_steve_is_my_dad's review against another edition

dark mysterious medium-paced

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

4.0

Really enjoying the series.
Great world building, magical system and characters. The Stockholm syndrome is strong with this one. 
 *Trigger Warning* Towards the end there’s an awfully graphic r**e scene which is very hard to read.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Rape, Sexual violence, and Sexual harassment

Moderate: Death, Emotional abuse, Slavery, Murder, and Classism