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hisashiburi's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Slavery
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Misogyny, Sexism, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Medical content, and Grief
Minor: Animal cruelty, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicide, Torture, and Pregnancy
littleskylights'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
5.0
Graphic: Death, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexism, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicide, Violence, Excrement, Grief, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Rape
lauramcc7's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
Graphic: Bullying, Child abuse, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Sexism, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Violence, Blood, Excrement, Grief, and Injury/Injury detail
errie's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Animal death, Bullying, Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexism, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Blood, Police brutality, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Grief, Death of parent, Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Addiction, Drug use, Infertility, Miscarriage, Sexual violence, Torture, Toxic relationship, Excrement, Abortion, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Alcohol, and Classism
josiah17'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
4.5
This is overall just fantastic nautical fantasy with exceptional character writing, as well as complex and entertaining family dynamics. I enjoyed almost every POV for one reason or another. Hobb writes characters that you can root for here, and some that you vehemently despise. I cannot stand Kyle and Torg. Malta really annoyed me even though I understand she's still a kid, I just hope she learns and develops as a character. And I was always rooting for Brashen, Althea, and I really came to sympathize and feel attached to Wintrow. He deserves better, but unfortunately his father is beyond awful.
The additional worldbuilding for the Realm of the Elderlings with the liveships was also very interesting and unique. The idea of a sentient ship bonded through familial blood is amazing, especially because two ships have their own POV's and we get some insight into their perspectives. I'm very curious to learn more about the Rain Wild Traders as well. The relationships they have with the Bingtown traders is interesting, and I hope the sequels explore some of the actual Rain Wild territory. And I have a suspicion about the serpents, but I still don't really know what's going on with them. They're cool though.
Even though the plot was pretty non-existent for most of the book—per usual with Hobb so far—this was surprisingly just addicting to read. The blurb on the cover says "as addictive as morphine," and that's a pretty apt metaphor for my experience. Nautical fantasy just works so well for the visual movie I have running in my brain when reading, and it seems to scratch an itch. Paired with fantastic writing and captivating character dynamics, this is an amazing read. I could see myself bumping it to 5 stars depending on how the trilogy pans out.
Graphic: Physical abuse, Slavery, Toxic relationship, and Trafficking
Moderate: Sexual content and Sexual violence
missgarceau's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Body horror, Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gore, Hate crime, Mental illness, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Excrement, Vomit, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Suicide attempt, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Sexual harassment, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
smokingchagga's review against another edition
- 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
4.0
Note: sexual violence is a major thing in this particular series. The threat of it is quite heavy and it can absolutely be a deal breaker for someone who is sensitive to it. There were also a few instances where an assault or the direct aftermath of one was explicitly shown.
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal death, Child abuse, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Misogyny, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, Abandonment, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail
lacyparrish's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
Minor: Drug use, Rape, Sexual violence, Slavery, Violence, Trafficking, and Colonisation
thebookfinch's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Slavery, Violence, and Blood
Moderate: Death, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, and Death of parent
Minor: Addiction, Drug abuse, and Drug use
achingallover's review against another edition
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Addiction, Body horror, Child abuse, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Excrement, Vomit, Medical content, Trafficking, Grief, and Medical trauma