Reviews tagging 'Sexual violence'

The Gilded Ones by Namina Forna

151 reviews

zoepagereader's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious 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

Graphic: Body horror, Death, Gore, Misogyny, Sexism, Violence, Blood, Grief, and Murder

Moderate: Rape, Sexual assault, and Sexual violence

katerinovaaa's review against another edition

dark fast-paced

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

4.5

I've finished the series and I truly want to encourage everyone to read these books. Each one is better than the last. 🥺
This series is truly focused on action and all little plot twists and new revelations. The writing is impeccable and truly makes you hope there was a movie to visualize all these wonderful places and creatures (Forna said they are thinking about it!).
This book serves to create a vivid image of Otera (and characters) on which the sequels build upon. I love that the book is not confusing at all and it's easy to keep up even though it's YA high fantasy. 💚

The first book explores many heavy topics but the sequels less so. Check TWs!

I love that there isn't any drama with friendships/relationships as everyone loves one another to their last breath. You can just focus on the story line and not worry about petty drama. Also with each book they are more diverse (queer, non-binary)

Trigger warnings:
torture, misogyny (extreme religious patriarchy), racism (at the beginning), sexual violence (other characters talk about their experience or we are aware that some others experienced it but nothing happens to FMC or is on page; it's mostly discussed in this book, mentioned in 2nd one, and 3rd not at all), war, death of a parent, body-horror (blood, death, murder)

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Misogyny, Torture, Religious bigotry, and Murder

Moderate: Child abuse, Racism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Forced institutionalization, Death of parent, and War

Minor: Pedophilia

root_root's review

adventurous dark mysterious sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Misogyny, Torture, and Violence

Moderate: War

Minor: Sexual violence

demievrything's review against another edition

adventurous dark tense fast-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Death, Misogyny, Sexism, Torture, Violence, and War

Minor: Racism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Torture, Blood, Trafficking, and Sexual harassment

thethingwithfeathers's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional medium-paced

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

4.25

Loved the concept/magic system. Love female friendships. Love girls with rage. Belcalis <3 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Death, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Torture, Violence, Blood, War, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Child abuse, Physical abuse, Racism, Murder, and Abandonment

Minor: Animal cruelty, Confinement, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, and Slavery

rubybereading's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious sad tense 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? Yes

5.0

OMG!! Wow wow wow!! This was intense. This took me almost a full month to finish because I was reading a few other (very much LESS intense) books at the same time. Turns out, those other books served as perfect palate cleansers in between all the heavy subject matters, plot, and character treatment and especially character BUILDING of the more relevant characters of the book. This book shocked me! 

I thought it was going to be very mid based on the first few chapters. Midway through, I was intrigued and enjoyed the story, thinking it was a very solid book that still left much to be desired. So, I paused reading this for a few days (a few separate times) and instead spent those times starting and or finishing a few other books that were, again, much less 

"intense". Maybe I'm a lightweight. Idk. But this book was A LOT for me (first it was the colorism shoved down our throats in the first chapter, the plot jumps throughout, and then the torture and treatment the girls were going through, the heavy subject matter, the gore, etc). I ended up deciding to finish it JUST to get it over with so I could move on (since I'm trying NOT to DNF any books). And then, MY GOD (!!!). Somewhere after the halfway point, it took me to a whole nother REALM! This book turned me every which way but loose gotdamnit! And it left me wanting MORE! This book could've and probably SHOULD'VE been twice as long. That's part of my only slight criticism: there were time lapses throughout the story where the reader is just given the basic gist of what happened during the lapses instead of making it a part of the plot. The whole "telling us instead of showing us". It would've been nice to be able to read more of the character growth, experiences that enhanced her abilities, growth in strength and self-esteem, etc. Instead, there were multiple points in the story where we're told days, weeks and even months went by and something significant happened or occurred to the main character, and then the story would just continue from there. I would've preferred reading about it in detail, and definitely would not have minded if the book was even twice as long in order to do so. And I would've had to be literally peeled away from the pages! That would've made this book perfect! Still, it's a 5* for me! Having the palate cleansers and the short breaks definitely made this a better read for me though. Nonetheless, 5 star! 5 star! 5 star!!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Death, Gore, Misogyny, Sexism, Torture, Violence, Blood, Death of parent, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Bullying, Forced institutionalization, and War

Minor: Rape, Sexual violence, Trafficking, and Sexual harassment

mollyv's review against another edition

adventurous 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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Racism, Sexism, Violence, Xenophobia, and Trafficking

Moderate: Rape, Sexual assault, and Sexual violence

jachnax's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional inspiring mysterious 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

This book is so powerful, lush and thought out. I loved every page, every sentence and i will immediatly pick up the sequel.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Death, Genocide, Gore, Misogyny, Sexism, Torture, Violence, Blood, Grief, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Murder, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Deportation

Moderate: Body horror, Bullying, Child abuse, Racism, and Sexual violence

Minor: Animal cruelty, Rape, Self harm, and Xenophobia

ctara2123's review

adventurous dark emotional fast-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? It's complicated

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Misogyny, Sexism, Torture, Violence, Blood, Religious bigotry, Murder, and War

Moderate: Cursing, Racism, Death of parent, and Fire/Fire injury

Minor: Bullying, Rape, Sexual assault, and Sexual violence

katskratchh's review against another edition

adventurous challenging 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? It's complicated

4.5

The pacing was a little all over the place in parts which I think caused for a little rushing through important and impactful moments in the latter half of the book, but that’s truly my only complaint because the rest of the book was so incredibly good, and gave you very much sisterhood/girl power energy.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Torture, and Death of parent

Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Bullying, Misogyny, Sexism, Torture, Violence, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, and Vomit