Reviews tagging 'Kidnapping'

Furyborn by Claire Legrand

20 reviews

abby_can_read's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious 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

4.0

📖
This was an amazing book. I had a fabulous time reading it. I liked the characters. Both Rielle and Eliana were well developed characters. While I didn't really like either of them at times, I was curious to see what would happen next. I liked the worldbuilding, the lore, and the magic system.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Violence, and Death of parent

Moderate: Sexual content, Torture, Kidnapping, and Murder

Minor: Child abuse, Gun violence, Sexual assault, and War

roseandivy's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional 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

this gets a 3.25 because i loved rielle's half of the story and found eliana's sort of so-so. i love a good corruption arc/descent into madness, and the set up of the trials was engaging and kept things fast-paced. i was able to connect to rielle immediately, and found myself rooting for her even when she was clearly in the wrong. eliana on the other hand didn't do much for me in the way of character, and most of the appeal of her chapters was seeing how her story tied back to rielle's. simon felt like a cut-and-paste version of most other YA love interests i've seen, so i was most invested in eliana's friendship with navi and her relationship with remy. i'm excited to read the next book and see how rielle continues to deteriorate. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Death, Toxic relationship, Violence, Kidnapping, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, and Colonisation

Moderate: Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Torture, and Stalking

Minor: Gun violence, Slavery, and Pregnancy

kitkatkatdog's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional tense fast-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

3.5

Meh. I love Rielle, and she might be the only reason I continue. Eliana just doesn’t hit the same. But the last few chapters she started to get me so we’ll see if she grows on me in the next one. Also, holy shit, Angels? Did not expect that.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood and Fire/Fire injury

Moderate: Body horror, Death, Gore, Mental illness, Sexism, Violence, Kidnapping, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Abandonment, Colonisation, War, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Adult/minor relationship and Animal death

yriax's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark tense fast-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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Confinement, Death, Sexual content, Torture, Violence, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Sexual harassment, War, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Child abuse, Child death, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Slavery, Kidnapping, and Murder

meredith_williams_'s review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious 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

3.75

I’ve had this book on my TBR for awhile and finally decided to give it a try. The beginning was a bit slow and some of the world building was a bit confusing. However, the story eventually picks up and I ended up enjoying it. The dual timeline was especially intriguing. I feel it made the mystery aspect more engaging and allows the reader to sympathize with both main characters even as they becoming increasingly more morally gray. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Death, Gore, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Cursing and Sexual content

mxdegroot's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional hopeful mysterious tense slow-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

2.5

I have to be honest, I almost DNF'd this book multiple times purely because it started out as such a drag. It's a five-hundred-pages-long brick of a book and should have been about three hundred pages shorter, because that's how long it took for the plot to finally pick up properly. I do have to be honest and say that, once the plot did pick up, I was hooked until the end. But on to the actual book now.

I quite liked Eliana as a character. The writing of her perspective at the start of the book showed how indoctrinated into her society she is really well and it was fascinating to read how she justifies some of the things she does, as unacceptable as they may be. It was also a good writer's choice to not have her morality make a 180 when she is literally face to face with the consequences of her actions. However, that is about where the logical character development ended for me. Legrand set up some beautiful storylines and relationships - Navi and Remy's friendship, Eliana and The Wolf's eventual friendship - but those were either thrown away or rushed. Additionally, Eliana's deal with The Wolf felt weird and forced. For someone who was willing to go to horrific lengths and had such faith in her repuation and importance to her society, she was very quick to turn her back on that same society and make a deal with a man who she had absolutely zero reason to trust. To summerize, a lot of the character development in this book felt forced and weird, especially on Eliana's side.

cw/tw: talk of NSFW and non-consent
Every moment that the characters were engaged in sexual activities or anything adjacent to it was, in my opinion, either too graphic or completely unnecessary. I mostly don't have any problem with sex, but it was mostly unnecessary to the plot and a bit too graphic for a book that classifies as Young Adult (12 - 18). Legrand should have especially been more careful with the way she describes certain sections that were either explicitly or assumably non-consensual but were described as fine. Again, Furyborn classifies itself as Young Adult, which means it is aimed primarily at minors, most of which will be just starting to explore their sexuality and comfort/discomfort and so might think that certain sections in the book are okay while they are not. This is just plain dangerous.

Also, except for one, maybe two times, the sex didn't add anything to the plot or characters except to show that 90% percent of the characters are predators, so in YA book it would have been better to just leave those sections out.

Finally,

Rielle and Audric having a relationship in which Audric is so loyal to her and risking everything while he is betrothed to Ludivine, while Rielle is horny for Corien is really fucked up

. In conclusion, the sexual parts of this book generally made me quite uncomfortable.
end of content/trigger warning

Will I read the rest of the series? Yes, I will, because the worldbuilding and main plot is generally quite good, if fairly poorly executed, and Legrand have a pleasant and enjoyable writing style. I really hope the 1100 pages the next to books take up combined will be worth it.

Rep: gay characters (MLM).
February 7th, 2023 - March 9th, 2023.

"Have you always been this unspeakably irritating?"
"Has your face always looked so temptingly carvable?" 

"Belief doesn't keep you alive."
"But, given time, it can win wars."

"I have heard rumors of what is done to them, these missing girls, and I hope my daughter is safely dead."

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Child abuse, Cursing, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Violence, Blood, Death of parent, Murder, Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Confinement, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Grief, and Stalking

Minor: Infidelity

oliverreeds's review against another edition

adventurous tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Child death, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Gore, Gun violence, Sexual content, Torture, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, War, and Injury/Injury detail

saukittome's review against another edition

adventurous dark

3.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Death, Toxic relationship, Blood, Death of parent, and War

Minor: Confinement, Cursing, Gun violence, Sexual content, Torture, Violence, Kidnapping, Fire/Fire injury, and War

eve_reads's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious tense fast-paced

• 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

4.25

Overall Thoughts:
⁕ I usually don't enjoy dual point of views, but Legrand does it so well. The chapters are relatively short and almost every single one ends on a cliff hanger, so I was completely hooked from start to finish. I truly don't think there was one moment I was bored.

⁕ There is zero info dumping in this book, but it did take me almost 300 pages to get a firm grasp on the important historical and religious context of the world. I really hope the next 2 books in the series further grows upon this knowledge.

⁕ Legrand starts each chapter entry with a journal/text/letter excerpt that is dated with months from the Gregorian calendar. I really wish she had devised her own system for time/date keeping because this was a really small and easy detail that detracted from the world-building.

 

⁕ SPOILER: The magical kingdom(s) that this story take place in exists largely outside of heteronormative, patriarchal society. LGBTQ+ and women characters are in positions of power without being questioned or explained as "outside of the norm." WHY THEN does Legrand make a point to highlight that the "crawlers" (Frankenstein monsters born from the experiments of the Empire) are made of mutilated women and girls that were stolen?! Without any further exploration or discussion?! I'm still trying to find the words as to why this made me feel so icky but it did. 

⁕ To whoever labeled this book as a YA on Goodreads and Storygraph: Why?!?! There are brutal beheadings of children, assault, body horror/experimentation, and at least one sex scene. I'm not complaining (especially since the author expertly used these moments to explore themes of morality, loyalty, and survival), but I think a lot of audiences looking for mature reads might accidentally pass this one over because of false advertising.

To read my full review, visit: https://evereads.online/
For regular book-related content, follow my Instagram account: @eve_reads 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Gore, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Torture, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, and War

apersonfromflorida's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious fast-paced

• 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? It's complicated

2.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Violence, Death of parent, and Fire/Fire injury

Moderate: Sexual content and Kidnapping

Minor: Child abuse