Reviews tagging 'Gaslighting'

The Burning God, by R.F. Kuang

10 reviews

shantalia's review

adventurous dark emotional informative 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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gore, Classism, Blood, Colonisation, Gaslighting, Kidnapping, Genocide, Injury/injury detail, Murder, Cannibalism, Violence, and War

Moderate: Alcohol

Minor: Abortion

sunsetcity's review

challenging dark emotional sad slow-paced

• 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Misogyny, Animal death, Classism, Murder, Sexism, Slavery, Violence, Adult/minor relationship, Animal cruelty, Blood, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Racism, Rape, Vomit, War, Body horror, Child death, Colonisation, Drug abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Religious bigotry, Drug use, Injury/injury detail, Sexual assault, Addiction, Cannibalism, Death, Genocide, Gore, Grief, Sexual violence, Sexual harassment, and Torture

arisaenz's review

adventurous 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

5.0

I tend to be able to finish a book of this length within 2 days... this one took me a little over a month. This book (really this series) demands your attention and emotions and everything you have to give to it. Every second I was not reading this book I was thinking about it and the things it was telling me to look at and observe in the world. So many POC have such a similar story for their country and this makes you not only feel incredibly seen and understood but makes you take a good hard look at how the things that happened to your country left such long lasting scars in you and your family and how you responded. This isn't a book/series for just anyone. It is a very difficult read emotionally and mentally. I took breaks because it would begin to feel so overwhelming, but man was it worth every second. Rin is not easy to love but man so I hold her so close to my heart. I will for sure be going back for a more in depth reread at some point. For not I still feel the weight of this book on my chest and will probably be constantly thinking back to it's themes over the next few months.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Gore, Religious bigotry, Violence, Toxic friendship, War, Racism, Physical abuse, and Grief

Moderate: Drug use and Gaslighting

Minor: Mental illness and Panic attacks/disorders

natnat_7's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious sad 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: Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Body horror, Blood, Classism, Death, Genocide, Gore, Grief, Gun violence, Injury/injury detail, Mass/school shootings, Murder, Rape, Religious bigotry, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexual violence, Sexual harassment, Sexual assault, Suicide, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Xenophobia, Vomit, War, and Violence

Moderate: Ableism, Addiction, Alcoholism, Alcohol, Animal death, Animal cruelty, Cannibalism, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gaslighting, Terminal illness, Slavery, Self harm, and Panic attacks/disorders

Minor: Abortion and Miscarriage

ccpetrikas's review

dark mysterious 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

3.75

I thought this was a good ending to the trilogy but not as strong as I was expecting. Still worth the listen but I was a little disappointed with the ending 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Chronic illness, Blood, Bullying, Deadnaming, Death, Violence, War, Alcohol, Child death, Drug use, Gaslighting, Gun violence, Injury/injury detail, Misogyny, Murder, Sexual assault, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Cannibalism, Classism, Fire/Fire injury, Genocide, Gore, Medical trauma, Sexual content, Torture, Toxic friendship, Colonisation, Cursing, Drug abuse, Sexual violence, Xenophobia, Grief, Hate crime, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Racism, Rape, Religious bigotry, and Sexism

obrooke1's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful sad tense fast-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Child death, Classism, Drug use, Genocide, Grief, Murder, Animal death, Blood, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Gore, Injury/injury detail, Panic attacks/disorders, Religious bigotry, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, Colonisation, Death, Cursing, Toxic relationship, Violence, War, and Vomit

Moderate: Addiction, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, and Rape

middumullu's review

challenging dark emotional sad tense fast-paced

• 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? Yes

4.0

still really enjoyed it but i think by this point i had gotten a bit tired of all of the same circles that have been happening over the past few books. still really enjoyed the characters

Spoiler

but i missed them all being together all the time,

and i felt like some of the newer characters were a lot less fleshed out. i think i liked the ending.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Animal cruelty, Excrement, Gore, Gun violence, Medical trauma, Murder, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Child abuse, Child death, Death of parent, Drug abuse, Grief, Rape, Self harm, Death, Medical content, Sexism, Alcoholism, Animal death, Body horror, Domestic abuse, Mental illness, Misogyny, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Vomit, War, Xenophobia, Panic attacks/disorders, Racism, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Alcohol, Blood, Classism, Cultural appropriation, Emotional abuse, Injury/injury detail, Drug use, Fire/Fire injury, Forced institutionalization, Gaslighting, Religious bigotry, Sexual assault, Violence, Colonisation, Cursing, Dysphoria, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Suicide attempt, Toxic friendship, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Cannibalism, Torture, Ableism, and Abandonment

Minor: Abortion and Miscarriage

again there was so much goin on in here that it is hard to remember in totality if something should be graphic/moderate/mild. for instance - there isn't as much medical content/trauma in this book as there were in others but it was mentioned several times and (to me) clearly informs character's actions (as do many of these tags). theres a scene where the characters visit a town that has been taken over by the west/Hesperians .

mazomazli's review

challenging dark informative reflective sad tense medium-paced

• 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

5.0

Make no mistake in assuming a happy ending for this very realistic and grounded in Chinese history book. Kuang shows the brutality of war and what happens after the revolution ends. Most fantasy books call it a day and everyone gets to go home and be happy. In reality, that’s the furtherest from the truth. There’s a lot to think about coming away from this book when you’re done crying. Seriously, you’ll probably cry a lot. There’s no answers or good choices and that’s the point. Part of me wishes the author decided “hey it’s fantasy I can do whatever I want” and wrap it up nicely in a way that brings closure. That wasn’t the point and I respect that. 

5/5 tissue boxes. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Blood, Death, Drug abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Genocide, Gore, Grief, Injury/injury detail, Mental illness, Murder, Torture, Violence, War, and Xenophobia

Moderate: Alcohol, Toxic friendship, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual assault, Rape, Self harm, Physical abuse, Gaslighting, Emotional abuse, Colonisation, and Cannibalism

violaceae's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional reflective 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: Violence, Death, Gore, Blood, Drug use, Murder, Child death, Genocide, Torture, Drug abuse, Cannibalism, Racism, Grief, Animal death, Body horror, Addiction, Rape, Religious bigotry, Xenophobia, Suicide, Suicidal thoughts, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Physical abuse, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Medical trauma, Cursing, Self harm, Confinement, Animal cruelty, War, Abandonment, Alcohol, Bullying, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Colonisation, Excrement, Forced institutionalization, Gaslighting, Injury/injury detail, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Slavery, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, and Vomit

Moderate: Alcoholism, Kidnapping, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Outing, Pregnancy, Racial slurs, Racism, and Rape

andromeda_1998's review

adventurous dark emotional sad tense slow-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

4.75

The burning god is the third installment of the amazing poppy war trilogy. It isn’t easy to review a series so raw and honest as this one. The poppy war has some amazing story, world and character building. Feats that I’ve already explained in my earlier reviews. 

The trilogy as a whole is really strong and it’s a big rollercoaster ride that I would recommend to everyone. In some ways these books still have some points of criticism that in my opinion could have made the books better. But the critics are really minor and not even really worth mentioning. It’s just that I would have enjoyed some more character interaction between the fighting. For me it would have explained more the love the characters feel for eachother. 

My favorite quote from the trilogy: 
“They believe in a singular and all-powerful deity, which means they cannot accept the truth of other gods. And when nations start to believe that other beliefs lead to damnation, violence becomes inevitable.” 

I would recommend these books to every fantasy and history fan but make sure to read the trigger warnings. These books describe a lot of gruesome things in a lot of detail so make sure these books are the right fit for you. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcohol, Animal death, Blood, Body horror, Bullying, Cannibalism, Child death, Colonisation, Death, Death of parent, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Genocide, Gore, Grief, Infertility, Medical trauma, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Murder, Panic attacks/disorders, Racism, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Suicide, Torture, Toxic friendship, and Violence