Reviews tagging 'Cannibalism'

House of Hunger by Alexis Henderson

58 reviews

lionfish_22's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Self harm, Violence, Blood, Cannibalism, and Murder

Moderate: Sexual content

Minor: Drug use

scifi_rat's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated

3.5

Plot: 3.5★
Prose: 3.75★
Pace: 4★
Concept/Execution: 4★/3.75★
Characters: 3.5★
Worldbuilding: 3.75★
Ending: 3.5★

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror and Blood

Moderate: Bullying, Chronic illness, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Self harm, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Murder, Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

Minor: Animal death, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Pedophilia, Cannibalism, and Death of parent

jasper_is_atypical's review against another edition

dark mysterious 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? It's complicated

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Animal death, Body horror, Bullying, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gore, Self harm, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Excrement, Medical content, Trafficking, Grief, Cannibalism, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Gaslighting, Abandonment, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Torture, and Xenophobia

Minor: Incest and Death of parent

archaicrobin's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense slow-paced

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

2.0

I have a very unpopular opinion here, I know tons of people love this book and it is beautifully written but the plot dragged on in my opinion and I honestly wasn’t that invested in any of the characters which made it even more of a slog for me. 

Based on the real Blood Countess Elizabeth Bathory, Marion is a new blood maid for the House of Hunger where girls are bled for the wealthy nobles to drink. She’s not only a blood maid, but blood maid to one of the most hungry and insatiable of nobles Lisavet.

This is the second book I’ve read by Henderson that fell flat for me. I had read Year of the Witching previously and had the same problems with plot and characters. While her writing is very atmospheric and lyrical, her plots and romance all come off as stale or slow to me. House of Hunger started off great, I was invested in the story and curious as to where it would go but once Marion arrives at the castle it all just slows down. The focus shifts to the relationship between Lisavet and Marion, and it turns from a horror novel into some weird toxic romance. 

Romance is not my thing, I don’t read it, I don’t pursue it, and I don’t mind it as a subplot if it’s well done, but in House of Hunger the relationship was so abusive and toxic from the start I never got behind it. Unfortunately, a huge chunk of the book is just Marion and Lisavet in the castle bleeding for each other and shooting boar, not really interesting to me. 

By the time the plot picks up again, the story goes in to hyper speed and then it’s over, the pacing is not the best. Also, If you know the history of Elizabeth Bathory the twist is not a shock to you, which again probably ruined some of the intrigue for me since I’m a huge history buff and was probably unhealthily obsessed with Bathory as a child so this story was just a miss overall for me.

I can definitely see why so many people love this, it’s dark paranormal romance with gorgeous prose and a bloody story but it’s not what I’m looking for in my own reading. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Chronic illness, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Gore, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Cannibalism, Death of parent, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

kassidyreads's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense fast-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? It's complicated

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Drug use, Gore, Physical abuse, Self harm, Terminal illness, Violence, Blood, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Animal death, Child abuse, Drug abuse, Sexual content, and Toxic relationship

Minor: Torture, Cannibalism, and Death of parent

maddiereadswords's review against another edition

3.5

Sapphic gothic vampire-inspired horror?? Say less. The tension and the pacing of this book is so well done, and even though I could see a few of the twists coming, the journey to get there was just so good!! It did have a little too much medical body horror (like needles and related issues) for my personal tastes, so there were some parts I had to skim to get through, but I enjoyed literally everything else about it. I relate to Marion because I, too, would risk it all for hot countess who could and would kill me. Also in case you're worried

the cat survives!!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal death, Body horror, Chronic illness, Confinement, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gore, Physical abuse, Self harm, Sexual content, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Trafficking, Cannibalism, Murder, Gaslighting, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

bluemoon_dani's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.5

This was an intensly captivating read that had me picturing every moment vividly within my mind.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug use, Blood, Vomit, Cannibalism, and Murder

raisinreads's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No

3.25

girlie was down BAD

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Cannibalism, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

Moderate: Confinement

sproutedpages's review against another edition

dark mysterious 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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gore, Physical abuse, Self harm, Torture, Blood, Trafficking, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Addiction, Eating disorder, Sexual content, Slavery, and Cannibalism

cozyscones's review against another edition

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? It's complicated

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Gore, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, and Murder

Moderate: Body horror, Child abuse, and Classism

Minor: Cannibalism