Reviews tagging 'Xenophobia'

Trădătoarea Baru Cormoran by Seth Dickinson

43 reviews

mimit's review against another edition

challenging sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

Possibly one of the best SFF books about colonialism that I've read. It's complex and deeply deeply tragic and painful, and possibly very slow for readers who prefer fast-paced action/battle scenes, but I really enjoyed it!

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Homophobia, Violence, Xenophobia, Religious bigotry, Murder, Colonisation, and War

Eugenics is also a CW for this

There is a queer character death in the book as well, and there is a lot of debate about whether it is Bury Your Gays or not. If you don't mind spoilers, I would advise you to have a look at both sides of the argument before giving this book a go

plushmaya's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious slow-paced

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

2.5

My problem with this book is a problem endemic among war books: it loses itself to the story beats the author wants to hit while neglecting to meaningfully engage with its themes. This pattern is particularly disappointing in Baru Cormorant, a book that sets up ostensibly complex ideas of colonization, identity, eugenics, and power but refuses to spend much time with them. Dickinson has set up an interesting concept— a woman injured by empire deciding to become its agent— but fails to reach a meaningful conclusion. A war starts. It doesn't mean much. Characters are numerous and opaque, including Baru herself, and they die frequently, swiftly, and without much fanfare. This style of killing players off could be effective and meaningful, given the war narrative, but for all but a few cases, we aren't given enough information to care. Dickinson decides to set up mystery by revealing nothing to readers. The final twist feels especially lackluster: without enough information to know what's coming and dread it, it has none of the emotional payoff it was presumably intended to have.

This isn't to say I hate the book completely; the prose is fine and some characters are eyecatching. Tain Hu was clearly meant to be one of the more interesting characters and it works, although she remains a bit bland from Baru's perspective. Purity Cartone is probably the most fascinating character in the book, despite possessing a small part, because Dickinson follows through on what he sets up in ways that both provide a satisfying conclusion and further questions that tie in to broader ideas about both Falcrest and imperialism.

This book would be good for those who enjoyed R. F. Kuang's The Poppy War (I didn't), but best skipped by those who prefer war stories like Samantha Shannon's Priory of the Orange Tree. Maybe the sequels are better; I'm not left interested enough to read them.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Homophobia, Xenophobia, Colonisation, and War

Moderate: Death of parent

Minor: Drug use

Eugenics discussed throughout, and some characters explicitly describe their eugenicist goals.

flyingryndeer's review against another edition

adventurous dark tense 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

3.5

Slow paced throughout the majority of the book, the ending comes very fast

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Homophobia, Racism, Xenophobia, Colonisation, and War

Moderate: Murder

Minor: Vomit and Injury/Injury detail

theirgracegrace's review against another edition

challenging mysterious tense fast-paced

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

4.75

The Traitor Baru Cormorant asks the hard questions about what it means to rule in a way that very few court intrigues ever have. Baru's homeland has been conquered by the Masquerade, and she has spent her life preparing to take it down. But in order to get to the heart of its government, she needs to prove herself as the capable and brilliant ruler she is. Filled with enough worldbuilding and plot twists to keep Baru and the reader constantly guessing, I can say with certainty that I'll never read the likes of this book again.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Biphobia, Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gore, Hate crime, Homophobia, Misogyny, Racism, Sexism, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Police brutality, Medical content, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Grief, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Murder, Lesbophobia, Gaslighting, Alcohol, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

Moderate: Gun violence and Fire/Fire injury

Minor: Cancer, Cannibalism, and Cultural appropriation

untoworthy's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Genocide, Homophobia, Racism, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Xenophobia, Death of parent, Murder, Lesbophobia, Colonisation, and War

Minor: Alcoholism and Alcohol

lipstickitotheman's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense 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

5.0

I can't rate this yet. It's been too soon. All my brain can say is "Baruuuuuu"

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Addiction, Animal death, Biphobia, Body horror, Body shaming, Child abuse, Death, Genocide, Hate crime, Homophobia, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Racism, Sexism, Torture, Violence, Xenophobia, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Lesbophobia, Outing, Alcohol, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

Minor: Cancer, Child death, Chronic illness, Confinement, Infidelity, Pedophilia, Suicidal thoughts, Blood, Medical content, Cannibalism, and Acephobia/Arophobia

chimera999's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional sad tense slow-paced

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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Homophobia, Violence, Xenophobia, Lesbophobia, and Colonisation

Moderate: Misogyny and Blood

Minor: Slavery and Forced institutionalization

jurizprudence's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional informative mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

pov: you open this expecting a witty review and plot summary but are instead greeted by a video of me screaming sobbing throwing up etc for 30 minutes straight

but really. this book is a masterpiece that examines an in-depth portrayal of colonization, morality, political machinations, and the horrors of empire. it's about a super smart and super repressed gay accountant and her singular goal to avenge her family and free her homeland by rising high enough in the Masquerade’s hierarchy to destroy it from within. lots of economics, finance, and monetary polices that will challenge your mind. the prose is immaculate and the plot and twists were finely executed. really dark and gritty, it tackles colonialism and its tolls on the oppressed and subjugated in a realistic way, and because of that, it is not an easy read. cw for almost everything, because this book (the whole series itself) does not hold back from horrifying topics. honestly one of the best books i've read, and i'm already calling it, also one of my favorite reads this year.

read this if you like smart and clever heroines, political intrigue, tragic sapphic romance, grotesque amount of pain and betrayal, and long-lasting emotional damage. the main ship can jam to my tears ricochet ‼

read this and get ready to be devastated by dashing lesbians with unlimited loyalty. come join me and come cry with me :'(

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Death, Genocide, Homophobia, Misogyny, Racism, Sexism, Violence, Xenophobia, Medical trauma, Lesbophobia, and War

Moderate: Gore, Pedophilia, Self harm, Sexual assault, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Grief, Religious bigotry, and Sexual harassment

Minor: Animal death and Trafficking

laszerquest's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Xenophobia, and Colonisation

mahiyaa's review against another edition

dark emotional tense fast-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

5.0

seth dickenson changed my brain chemistry. i will never be the same. my standards are forever changed. goodbye, kuye lam.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Homophobia, Xenophobia, and Colonisation