Reviews tagging 'Torture'

The Leviathan by Rosie Andrews

4 reviews

annaonthepage's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious sad tense slow-paced

• 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Suicide, and Grief

Moderate: Sexism, Death of parent, and Fire/Fire injury

Minor: Ableism, Child death, Fatphobia, Miscarriage, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Terminal illness, Torture, Blood, Police brutality, Religious bigotry, Murder, Pregnancy, War, and Classism

violargento's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense medium-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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Misogyny

Minor: Child abuse, Pedophilia, and Torture

miles_books45's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

1.75

It was ok. Thats all I can kinda say. 

it was a mix of witches craft , weird supernatural stuff , old scandal and lots of talk of lust then like watching the exercist aswell. The story felt like a contradiction within itself,  even with Thomas saying he cares for Henry even though he isn't his blood whilst his sister not even being his blood,  it just feels like sudden twists with not much explanation

I wish it has contained more biblical imagery and dived into the beliefs of the Bible and further into who the leviathans are as well as where they come from.

However , I cant fault some of the writing.  She was able to hold me into the book and keep me reading through that chapters and created amazing atmospheres but the plot just lost it for me , it just felt like a mix of everything and sudden resolution at the end.

Also , the flipping from all witch based events to even more different events as well as the constant flip to the different timed letters that somehow the newer letter seeming like his wishes but somehow those wishes coming true in an earlier world. Im not sure about this.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Animal death

Minor: Suicide and Torture

theirgracegrace's review against another edition

mysterious tense slow-paced

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

3.0

The Leviathan is an interesting take on the cosmic horror genre. Thomas Treadwater is a returning soldier during the English Civil War who returns home to find his father on his deathbed, his sister inconsolable and their servant accused of witchcraft. While Andrews clearly has an understanding of the time period and of the mindset of those who lived in it, much of the book feels sluggish as Thomas desperately searches for answers. Even after getting them, he refuses to do much with them, causing a time jump of 60 years to when he finally gets the nerve to confront his fear. While an interesting take, only those with a deep interest in cosmic horror or period dramas will find the book "bewitching."

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Misogyny, Sexism, Terminal illness, Torture, Violence, Kidnapping, Religious bigotry, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, and Gaslighting

Moderate: Grief, Death of parent, War, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Animal death, Sexual content, Vomit, Police brutality, Pregnancy, and Alcohol

The book takes place in the mid-17th century so there is a lot of Christian religious imagery and content. Also,

Esther and later Milton

start prophesizing and the images can be quite visceral to read.