Reviews tagging 'Physical abuse'

The Goblin Emperor by Katherine Addison

47 reviews

bkwrm1317's review against another edition

emotional funny hopeful sad tense medium-paced

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

4.5

Really solid read. I’m glad I dug this one out from the innards of my TBR. 

Some of the Elvin/Goblin names and
honorifics are a bit challenging (guide at the end of the book), especially at first, but context clues will provide most of the needed information. 

Sweet half-goblin Maia, youngest son of the emperor, unexpectedly has to take the throne after the death of his father and elder brothers. What ensues is full of politicking, class difference, xenophobia, and other adventures as Maia gets acquainted with court. 

While not a traditional coming of age tale, Maia does come into himself in his time at court, and becomes much more confident in his knowledge and abilities. 

Re: racism and xenophobia - these are directed negatively towards Goblins in the novels due to Elvin racism and sense of racial superiority. 

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Racism, and Xenophobia

kylieqrada's review against another edition

adventurous emotional funny hopeful lighthearted mysterious medium-paced

• 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

Obsessed does not begin to describe it. I will be reading everything Katherine Addison has ever written or ever will write. Csevet supremacy forever.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Suicide, and Death of parent

Moderate: Death, Emotional abuse, and Racism

Minor: Homophobia, Miscarriage, and Physical abuse

blewballoon's review against another edition

challenging reflective tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.5

My boyfriend read this book to me at night to help me fall asleep, and it's great for that. If you need an example of a fantasy book with excessively convoluted names, this is the book for you. If want a painfully slow and dry story with a vague sense of political intrigue but nothing too intriguing, this book is an excellent choice. How much you enjoy this book will depend on how much you enjoy the main character. I personally thought he was.. fine? Not a bad person, but not an exceptional one either in the grand scheme of things. I was much more interested in his close staff, such as his personal assistant who arguably did the most, his rotating bodyguards, and even his royal dressers who picked out his clothes. (Notice how I'm avoiding using anyone's name because I have absolutely no hope of trying to spell them.) I think this book would have been vastly improved by having more perspectives, like the staff members I mentioned, and a female character perspective would have been great as well. The emperor arguably does the bare minimum in terms of treating women decently, at least from a modern viewpoint. I am glad this is a book where

"Good" people have good things happen to them and "bad" people don't get away with doing a lot of bad stuff for very long.

If this were a more pessimistic book, I think the snail's pace and difficult to grasp world-building would have been even harder to wade through. 

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Death, Suicide, and Death of parent

Minor: Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Miscarriage, Physical abuse, and Racism

gardens_and_dragons's review against another edition

The names of the elves and goblins were very complicated to learn, and there was a lot of characters, people to know, political entities, religious figures etc. 

While it is written very well line by line, I think it was a bit too dry for my tastes. I don’t think I could make it through more of the book, because I’d be lost. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Death and Death of parent

Moderate: Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Racism, and Classism

Minor: Homophobia

flyingryndeer's review against another edition

adventurous tense slow-paced

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

4.75

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Racism and Sexism

Minor: Child abuse, Confinement, and Physical abuse

cdelligatti13's review against another edition

adventurous slow-paced

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

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Physical abuse

h4ppycupcake's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional funny fast-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? No

5.0

I found the protagonist very endearing and was so pumped every time he figured out how to solve a problem. Maia deserves all the cookies in the world. Highly recommend if you can stand complicated character names and honorifics. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Confinement, Death, Physical abuse, Racism, Suicide, Grief, Death of parent, and Murder

ladythana's review against another edition

emotional hopeful inspiring 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

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Suicide, Grief, and Death of parent

Moderate: Bullying, Death, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexism, Dementia, and Car accident

Minor: Miscarriage, Racism, and Kidnapping

littki's review against another edition

emotional hopeful inspiring reflective medium-paced

• 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

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Death of parent, Murder, and Abandonment

Moderate: Alcoholism, Sexism, Sexual assault, Suicide, Violence, and Sexual harassment

Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Chronic illness, Panic attacks/disorders, and Classism

tasseomancie's review against another edition

hopeful mysterious relaxing slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

This was a lovely read, and surprisingly cozy, despite the political intrigue, formal language, and intricate worldbuilding. I suppose the characterization has much to do with why I consider it a cozy read, as throughout Maia's rise from exile to emperor, he maintains his good heart. I'm eagerly looking forwards to reading the companion novels set in this universe, even though Maia is not the main character!

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Suicide, and Death of parent

The main character reminisces on the death of a parent and abuse by a guardian within the first 50 pages. There is a ritualistic suicide of a side character depicted in the latter half of the book, and ritualistic suicide is briefly mentioned in a few other places.