rumireads's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Graphic: Blood, Medical content, Pedophilia, Rape, Toxic relationship, Stalking, Suicide, Miscarriage, Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Gun violence, Infidelity, Religious bigotry, Sexual violence, Torture, Murder, Excrement, Gaslighting, Incest, Death, Emotional abuse, Pregnancy, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Confinement, Forced institutionalization, Gore, and Body horror
bpjacks's review against another edition
- 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
4.0
Moderate: Rape, Emotional abuse, Incest, Gaslighting, Adult/minor relationship, and Murder
missbegonia's review against another edition
Spoiler
I was enjoying this story until I got to the double whammy of romanticized slavery and erotic incest between father and daughter. I was truly disgusted at how Anne Rice wrote about slavery. Using the excuse of a character in the past and their journals, Rice glorified slave owners simply because they were Mayfair Witches and white washed the traumatic history of an enslaved person’s kidnapped life.The incest just kept going even up until the end of the book. Glad I just skipped ahead to find out the ending wasn’t worth reading the whole book.
Graphic: Incest, Racism, Adult/minor relationship, Racial slurs, Rape, Sexual assault, Colonisation, and Murder
Moderate: Alcoholism, Body horror, Child abuse, Torture, Pregnancy, Medical content, Kidnapping, Injury/injury detail, Infidelity, Child death, Suicide, and Terminal illness
mr_sosotris's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I love how Anne Rice sets up this sweeping tragic, horrifying family history, and leaves the reader wondering just how true any of the gossip and legends surrounding the Mayfairs really is. Questions of free will entwine throughout this massive story, and the reader is left uncertain of what is actually true until the novel’s final moments.
Lasher is a compelling, mysterious figure existing in the background and possibly pulling the strings throughout the centuries, and Rice beautifully weaves a complex tapestry of human drama, populated by fun, tragic, hopeful characters.
I love Rowan and Michael, and I like how each character’s specific strengths and flaws play into how the story plays out. There’s no easy answers, and the mysteries are compelling. I love this book so much!
Moderate: Rape, Murder, Pedophilia, Incest, Toxic relationship, Body horror, Gun violence, Mental illness, Sexual assault, and Terminal illness
foreverinastory's review against another edition
- 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
Rep: white female MC, white bisexual male side character, Black side characters, white achillean male side character.
CWs: Adult/minor relationship, alcohol consumption, alcoholism, blood, death, death of parent, drug use w/o consent, forced institutionalization, incest (many times), injury/injury detail, medical content, mental illness, misogyny, murder, pedophilia, pregnancy, rape & coercion, religious bigotry, sexism, sexual assault, sexual content, suicide (two times), violence. Moderate: racism, homophobia/homomisia, grief.
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Blood, Death, Death of parent, Forced institutionalization, Incest, Injury/injury detail, Medical content, Mental illness, Misogyny, Murder, Pedophilia, Pregnancy, Rape, Religious bigotry, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Suicide, Violence, and Drug use
Moderate: Racism, Homophobia, and Grief
fra_ci90'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? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Abortion, Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Blood, Body horror, Bullying, Child abuse, Colonisation, Confinement, Cultural appropriation, Death, Death of parent, Dementia, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Gore, Grief, Gun violence, Hate crime, Incest, Infidelity, Injury/injury detail, Medical content, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Murder, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Religious bigotry, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Suicide, Terminal illness, Torture, Toxic relationship, Toxic friendship, Trafficking, Violence, Vomit, and Xenophobia
rrovezzi's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Graphic: Slavery, Racism, Adult/minor relationship, Death, Incest, Murder, Pedophilia, Rape, and Sexual content