Reviews tagging 'Kidnapping'

The Time of Contempt by Andrzej Sapkowski

15 reviews

billyjepma's review against another edition

adventurous dark tense medium-paced

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

3.75

A much better entry than the last one, though not without the typical bevy of "yeah, a straight white man definitely wrote this." The worldbuilding kicks back into high gear, and it rules. Sapkowski gets to dig into the politics of his cruel fantasy world and develop the different factions scheming against each other. I'm a sucker for that stuff, so obviously, it worked for me. His action scenes are also stellar, as per usual, and I don't think I'll ever get tired of how much specificity he invests in the quick but brutal bouts of combat. 

Not all of the development lands, and Sapkowski would benefit from a slightly more ruthless editor. And, again, the way he writes his women characters is a big ol' mixed bag. Sometimes, it's really good, and I genuinely appreciate how complex his cast's morality and motivations are, men and women alike. He doesn't suffer from cliches in that way. What he does suffer from are many of the other problems that plague most fantasy penned by male writers. He relies far too heavily on the sexuality and violence the women are defined by or threatened with. These issues aren't as pronounced as in the last book, but they're still here, and I don't see them miraculously disappearing moving forward. 

Still, I enjoyed this immensely, and my fascination and investment in the Witcher series are here to stay.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Gore, Violence, Blood, and Murder

Moderate: Animal death, Child abuse, Confinement, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Xenophobia, Kidnapping, Abandonment, Sexual harassment, War, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Genocide and Vomit

gameoftomes's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious sad tense fast-paced

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

3.25

3.25 / 5 stars
Very harsh, a lot of players in the game without the needed characterizations or backstories. But I’m a lover of YA fantasy, which is frequently character-driven. 

I understand that in Ciri’s precarious position late in the book that there is a realistic threat of rape. But having Mistle save Ciri from being assaulted only to then have it be very unclear as to Ciri’s consent is too much for me. The text disgusts me: “a warm and wet well of resignation and helpless submissiveness. A disgusting and humiliatingly pleasant submissiveness.” I’m not sure if things were lost in translation, or if that is what the writer considers female consent is. It’s especially disturbing because Ciri is 14 and frequently described as being not far from childhood. I know she’s dealt with a lot in terms of survival and war. I know she’s been trained in violence and combat by witchers. But the unclear consent and circumstances surrounding it just doesn’t feel right. There’s no romance, no lust. Ciri’s not an adult, not in a position of power, barely in a position of safety, and the text quickly moves on from it, showing Ciri being tender with Mistle and being a full member of the gang.

There are a lot of great plot twists and switching allegiances before that. Unfortunately I feel like there isn’t as much of a story payoff as there could be, considering the reader gets very little detail and characterization of the key players beforehand. I think the Netflix adaptation of these storylines could greatly improve upon this narrative and give the viewer a satisfying, thrilling, and enthralling watching experience. Fingers crossed.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Gore, Violence, and Blood

Moderate: Animal death, Misogyny, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Xenophobia, Kidnapping, Murder, War, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Cursing, Rape, Sexual violence, Suicide, Torture, Vomit, Trafficking, Grief, and War

bookaholic_in_wonderland's review against another edition

adventurous dark slow-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? No

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Kidnapping, Murder, Sexual harassment, and War

Minor: Cursing and Pedophilia

catriona99674's review against another edition

adventurous dark tense slow-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

3.0

This is definitely my least favourite of the Witcher books so far. It felt like mostly exposition. The random POVs made the pacing odd and it ended in a very strange place. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Violence, and Sexual harassment

Moderate: Cursing, Emotional abuse, Gore, Physical abuse, Rape, Torture, Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, Murder, and Abandonment

chronographia's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious tense

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Death, Gore, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexism, Sexual content, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, and Murder

Minor: Domestic abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicide, Xenophobia, and Vomit