Reviews tagging 'Self harm'

The Burning God by R.F. Kuang

98 reviews

loup's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional sad 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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Genocide, Emotional abuse, Cursing, Cannibalism, Blood, Fire/Fire injury, Drug use, Suicidal thoughts, Racism, Torture, Self harm, Physical abuse, Murder, Animal cruelty, Toxic friendship, Injury/Injury detail, Grief, Death, War, Animal death, Toxic relationship, Gun violence, Gore, Excrement, and Drug abuse

Minor: Sexual violence, Sexual harassment, Sexual assault, and Slavery

winterwoodbooks's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional hopeful 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

5.0

The ending was perfect for this amazing series and I loved everything about it.
The character work is immaculate.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug abuse, Dysphoria, Eating disorder, Gaslighting, Genocide, Murder, Medical content, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexism, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Misogyny, Child death, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Stalking, Religious bigotry, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Trafficking, Abandonment, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Blood, Drug use, Grief, Hate crime, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Classism, Fire/Fire injury, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Pregnancy, Rape, Slavery, Violence, Cursing, Death, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Excrement, Medical trauma, Addiction, Alcohol, Body horror, Bullying, Cultural appropriation, Racism, Self harm, Alcoholism, Body shaming, Cannibalism, Child abuse, Colonisation, Deportation, Emotional abuse, Gore, Kidnapping, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Torture, Vomit, and War

mpbookreviews's review against another edition

adventurous dark tense medium-paced

• 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? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Drug use, Fire/Fire injury, Murder, Self harm, Torture, Alcohol, Grief, War, Blood, Violence, Genocide, Medical content, Animal death, Child death, Colonisation, Sexual assault, Vomit, Gore, Rape, Racism, Religious bigotry, and Injury/Injury detail

caelinsullivan's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: War, Cannibalism, Violence, Animal death, Addiction, Self harm, Murder, Suicide, and Colonisation

myk_yeah's review against another edition

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Fire/Fire injury, and War

Moderate: Animal cruelty, Body horror, and Self harm

thebookaholic's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional 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

4.0

WOW what a conclusion to this series!! I'm surprised to say that this was my least favourite of the three books, but it's still a solid 4 star read which imo, says a lot about the series as a whole and Kuang's insane writing abilities.

This book felt so much bigger that the others did, with the plot zooming out in a way that was more distant from the characters and comprehensive of Nikara, and yet I don't think it lost any of the character depth and development. I felt that overall, this book had a few pacing struggles comparatively, especially in the middle section of the book with

Spoiler

the Trifecta

specifically, but I think this conclusion was so so fitting for the story that Kuang was trying to tell. 

After all,

Spoiler

The first rule of the Cike is that they cull, and Rin had already been to the Chuluu Korith...

Would I recommend? ABSOLUTELY

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Animal cruelty, Child death, Genocide, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Suicide, Torture, Violence, War, Racism, Animal death, Death, Rape, Religious bigotry, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Cannibalism, and Fire/Fire injury

marinasjd's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense 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

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Drug use, Fire/Fire injury, Genocide, Gore, Gun violence, Self harm, Death, Addiction, Alcohol, Grief, Animal death, Blood, Body horror, Child death, Colonisation, Cursing, Murder, Pandemic/Epidemic, Suicide, Child abuse, and Animal cruelty

lena_kellogg's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark medium-paced

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

3.0

If I’m being totally honest, I was so let down by the ending of this trilogy. I LOVED 95% of this series, but the ending of the final book felt too fast paced, had too many surprises that felt unbelievable, and just fell flat in comparison to how epic the entire story felt. 

Rin has survived two wars, and now a third is looming over the country of Nikara. She returns to her roots and aligns with the newly formed Southern Coalition to protect the people that raised her - and claim the power she desires. She encounters new challenges, adopts new allies, finds new foes, and dedicates herself to the only cause she can trust - her revenge. It’s an exciting culmination of Rin’s story. 

Even with the letdown of the ending, I would still recommend this high fantasy series to anyone looking for detailed worldbuilding, engrossing plot, and morally gray characters in abundance. 

This book seemed to have less graphic violence than the first two (with the first book being the heaviest). There is quite a bit of swearing accompanied with heavy themes. 

The worldbuilding is where this series stands out. Every detail is intricately woven. Extremely nuanced political situations are thrilling and not tedious. The mythology is carefully constructed to be comprehensible yet ethereal. The worldbuilding is a perfect balancing act between completely engrossing and being vast enough that as readers we know we’ll never know everything. 

You might be reading all my praise for this book and asking why I rated it only 3 stars. It really is just the ending. But don’t let that deter you from taking on this absolutely stunning series. I regret nothing. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Sexual violence, Self harm, Torture, Suicide, Suicide attempt, and Suicidal thoughts

0shelfcontrol's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional sad tense 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? It's complicated

5.0

What an epic end to an epic series. Read this series if you want the characters to feel real to you. I say this because they are all extremely morally grey; sometimes driven by ego and other times duty. I am heartbroken by the series end as well as how it ended, however, I also know that this is the only way it makes sense. It was inevitable, but still there’s that part of me that wishes there was some sort of miracle. I’m still processing, and probably will always be.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Genocide, Colonisation, Addiction, War, Trafficking, Torture, Suicide, Sexism, Self harm, Rape, Panic attacks/disorders, Murder, Child death, Child abuse, Racism, Misogyny, Medical trauma, Animal death, Gore, Drug use, Blood, Violence, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, Excrement, and Drug abuse

Moderate: Infertility

decie's review against another edition

5.0

Spoiler

rin. what the fuck.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gore, Religious bigotry, Suicide, Violence, Vomit, Animal cruelty, Blood, Body horror, Cannibalism, Colonisation, Fire/Fire injury, Self harm, Animal death, Death, Drug use, Genocide, Murder, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Torture, Child death, Classism, Confinement, Injury/Injury detail, Racism, and War