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caitgreads's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Child death, Death, Emotional abuse, Incest, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexual violence, Slavery, Grief, Murder, and Colonisation
pinakamataas's review against another edition
- 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
4.25
This was a gripping piece that can make you question anyone’s sanity, it deals with truly dark subject matter, so I would not lightheartedly suggest it to anyone, but to those who were deeply disappointed by Addie LaRue, and maybe because it hinted at darkness it definitely didn’t deliver, this will in spades. But it’s unfair to make this review mentioning both books, because this clearly stands on its own.
I’m not sure if I’ll pick up the next instalments of the Patternmaster (soon or if ever), because it gave me something (or took something from me) that I will need a while to recover.
Doro is and will be one of the most disturbing characters who must kill, and yet kills for pleasure as well. Throughout the book he goes through so much character (I can’t say development) change, that it’s admirable (in spite of everything), and here if he says he loves someone, as a reader you understand that love is nothing romantic and while it’s disturbing and with very little humanity, it is not a lie.
Anyanwu Is the character that teased me with the potential 5⭐️ rating, and in the end while I didn’t hate the place she ended up in the book, approximately 5% before the final reveal of the ending I exclaimed to myself “She WON” and while she didn’t lose the battle with Doro, she definitely didn’t win it either, and it was a huge disappointment to me. Some people might not have that reaction.
Anyanwu sometimes feels like an even more interesting character than Doro while she goes through a lot less character development, her development was more along the lines of the power over her abilities and coming into her own power, but otherwise she is a strong willed character, that I admired a lot of the time.
Anyanwu and Doro play this very separate black and white, yin/yang, good and evil dual POV, and during the course of the book the roles soften, and this feels like the beginning of Doro’s future journey where he has embraced a lot more greyness. And in a way, he ended the book a little less dark than he began it.
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Incest, Slavery, Suicide, and Medical trauma
eatyourphone's review
- 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
5.0
this is an extremely emotional tale of abuse that won't be for everyone. also i dont know how i feel about some of the gender things that are put forward. however butler is veryy smart in the way she deals with complex politics. Im definitely going to read the rest of the books in this series!
Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Sexual violence, Slavery, and Violence
thenextbookdilemma's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Child death, Emotional abuse, and Incest
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Racial slurs, Slavery, Suicide, and Suicide attempt
Minor: Infertility, Pedophilia, Sexual violence, Cannibalism, and Pregnancy
therainbowshelf's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Child death, Confinement, Emotional abuse, Incest, Mental illness, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Religious bigotry, Suicide attempt, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Pregnancy, Abandonment, and Colonisation
antimonium's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Graphic: Child death, Emotional abuse, Incest, Infertility, Infidelity, Racism, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Murder, and Pregnancy
qmedna's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
1.0
Now and then, Doro courted her in his own way. He arrived with a new body—sometimes an appealing one. He paid attention to her, treated her as something more than only a breeding animal. Then, courting done, he took her from Isaac’s bed to his own and kept her there until he was certain she was pregnant. Still, Isaac urged her to use these times to tie Doro to her and strengthen whatever influence she had with him. But Anyanwu never learned to forgive Doro’s unnecessary killings, his casual abuse when he was not courting her, his open contempt for any belief of hers that did not concur with his, the blows for which she could not retaliate and from which she could not flee, the acts she must perform for him no matter what her beliefs.
She sighed and stared down at her daughter’s still face. No, her children gave her pleasure. She loved them, but she also feared for them. Who knew what Doro might decide to do to them? What would he do to this one?
He (Thomas) blinked, looked at himself. “And I guess you’re used to better!”
“Of course I am! Let me help you and you will be better. You could not have been this way for your wife.”
“You’re not her!”
“No. She could not help you. I can.”
Note that our female protag isn't all good either. She, for some reason, also thinks she is doing something good for the man she's talking to even though it really isn't. 💀 Poor Thomas
Graphic: Incest
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Pedophilia, and Kidnapping
henlovesbooks's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
4.5
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Incest, Slavery, Suicide, and Toxic relationship
tenderbench's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
Graphic: Death, Emotional abuse, Incest, Slavery, Toxic relationship, Violence, Murder, and Pregnancy
Moderate: Racism and Rape
m_petranoff's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
Graphic: Death, Incest, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis
Moderate: Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Xenophobia, and War
Minor: Ableism, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Body horror, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Blood, Cannibalism, Abortion, and Colonisation
Like many of Butler's books, this is a challenging look at the nature of humanity. It is dark and about how easy it can be to lose ones humanity, but not as challenging to read as some of her other novels. There are a lot of content warnings, and only a few are graphic, but the theme of the book itself is engaging with challenging themes.