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tawallah's review
- 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
2.5
Butler tackles her constant themes in this series. Here, eugenics, power dynamics and gender clash. Slavery is forever the undercurrent in her books. But it is unclear from this entry, the true purpose of Doro dream. He has no ability to predict the future, his arrogance and pride makes him slow to gain wisdom. Anyawu is the stereotypical woman - healer and builder of family. She is determined to be free and yet submits repeatedly to Doro. Often, reminding me of a woman suffering from abuse. But I fail to comprehend the purpose of this story. It is dark, repulsive and has moments of sublime irony. But its purpose - remains elusive.
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Incest, Racial slurs, Rape, Slavery, Suicide, and Violence
Moderate: Child death, Forced institutionalization, and Colonisation
saintrobot's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Moderate: Sexual assault
Minor: Suicidal thoughts and Suicide
julaun's review
- 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? It's complicated
4.5
Graphic: Death and Violence
Moderate: Child death, Incest, Slavery, and Suicide
dahliapyne's review
4.0
Graphic: Death, Emotional abuse, Incest, Slavery, Toxic relationship, and Colonisation
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Racism, Suicide, Pregnancy, and Sexual harassment
Minor: Pedophilia, Rape, and Murder
sydapel'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? It's complicated
4.0
Graphic: Incest, Violence, and Murder
Moderate: Mental illness, Suicide, Toxic relationship, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis
jalexpulliamkepler's review against another edition
- 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
3.75
Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Slavery, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Violence, Medical content, Trafficking, Grief, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Pregnancy, Gaslighting, and Colonisation
Moderate: Animal death, Cursing, Infidelity, Physical abuse, Blood, Abandonment, and Classism
Minor: Homophobia, Transphobia, Death of parent, and Fire/Fire injury
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
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
turtleduckiess'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? It's complicated
4.25
Moderate: Death, Racism, Rape, Sexual content, Slavery, Suicide, and Grief
Minor: Pedophilia and Rape