Reviews tagging 'Religious bigotry'

The Traitor Baru Cormorant by Seth Dickinson

14 reviews

third_bookworm'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

5.0

This book makes me unwell. It's so, so well done and also so upsetting. Really excellent in many ways. This was my second time reading it, and like all my favorite books it truly hits differently the second time through.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Homophobia, Lesbophobia, Colonisation, War, Violence, and Religious bigotry

Moderate: Death of parent, Grief, and Torture

btrz7's review against another edition

challenging dark medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: War, Colonisation, Genocide, Misogyny, Biphobia, Homophobia, and Religious bigotry

Moderate: Alcohol, Death of parent, Child abuse, and Alcoholism

searobin's review against another edition

2.5

The book itself was ok, aside from the plot...

I did not love the queer indigenous woman suppresses her sexuality and aids the colonisers to fully colonise another nation in order to somehow maybe save her own nation eventually story line

I got a bit lost in all the dukes and dutcheses and territories, so some moments were probably less poignant than they were supposed to be, but I got the gist.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Animal death, Sexual violence, Animal cruelty, Blood, Child death, Death, Death of parent, Drug use, Fire/Fire injury, Genocide, Gore, Grief, Homophobia, Injury/Injury detail, Lesbophobia, Medical trauma, Murder, Religious bigotry, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Violence, Vomit, War, and Xenophobia

sarah984's review against another edition

adventurous dark sad medium-paced

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

4.0

I was a little skeptical about this book because I keep seeing it recommended alongside other books I didn't like very much, and the 'take an empire down from the inside' storyline can often be kind of cheesy. I'm glad I gave the book a chance (even though it hurt me severely) - this was a tragic story with fascinating characters that never lets you forget for a second the cost of empire. 

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Content Warnings

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

Moderate: Child abuse, Confinement, Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Misogyny, Murder, Outing, Forced institutionalization, Genocide, Police brutality, Religious bigotry, Torture, Xenophobia, Animal death, Grief, and Violence

Minor: Drug use, Vomit, Child death, Pedophilia, Ableism, Addiction, Cannibalism, Fire/Fire injury, Self harm, Slavery, and Suicidal thoughts

yourwitcher's review

adventurous challenging dark tense medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Violence, Colonisation, and War

Moderate: Medical trauma, Police brutality, Sexism, Lesbophobia, Misogyny, Religious bigotry, Classism, Homophobia, Death, Violence, Xenophobia, and War

Minor: Torture

jjjreads's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative sad tense fast-paced

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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Death of parent, Kidnapping, Stalking, Animal cruelty, Biphobia, Religious bigotry, Suicidal thoughts, Alcoholism, Animal death, Confinement, Abandonment, Classism, Cultural appropriation, Acephobia/Arophobia, Physical abuse, Emotional abuse, War, Mental illness, Alcohol, Transphobia, Colonisation, Misogyny, Outing, Deportation, Gaslighting, Genocide, Hate crime, Homophobia, Sexism, Slavery, Grief, Murder, Police brutality, Racism, Sexual harassment, Trafficking, Lesbophobia, Toxic relationship, and Violence

Moderate: Child abuse, Drug use, Adult/minor relationship, Injury/Injury detail, Blood, Gore, Sexual harassment, Medical trauma, Mental illness, Pedophilia, and Sexual violence

mimit's review

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

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

pearlbird's review

challenging dark emotional

• 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: Colonisation, Homophobia, Racism, Religious bigotry, Violence, and Lesbophobia

The content warnings also relate to the main themes of the book and this book is an examination of them

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

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

Minor: Trafficking and Animal death

mayaccountant's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective 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: Child abuse, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Xenophobia, Medical trauma, Trafficking, War, Murder, Death of parent, Lesbophobia, and Colonisation

Moderate: Rape, Violence, Racism, Pedophilia, Suicide attempt, Slavery, Religious bigotry, Sexism, Sexual assault, Misogyny, Genocide, and Forced institutionalization