Reviews tagging 'Grief'

The Girl in the Tower by Katherine Arden

29 reviews

basil_touche's review

adventurous dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.0

I'd say that this is even better than the first book. No word is wasted here, yet it paints such a vivid and clear story of a girl fighting for her freedom in a period that denies her that, while also trying to keep what family she has left in Moscow safe from those who seek to use her to gain power. 

Also learned some things about Medieval Russia, the whole narrative feels very well researched in that regard.

It was also quite neat to see more of the mythical beings of Russian Folklore in this, but I feel that they don't appear as much as in the first novel. However, with this story leaving certain threads unanswered, I feel that the last book of the trilogy will feature more of them while also revealing what has been hidden under the surface the last two books. I eagerly anticipate reading it.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Child death, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Violence, Blood, Murder, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Sexual harassment, War, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Self harm, Xenophobia, and Grief

Minor: Slavery

bethlynch's review

dark emotional medium-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Child death, Sexism, Grief, Pregnancy, and Fire/Fire injury

lisa_m's review

adventurous dark emotional hopeful mysterious tense fast-paced

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

5.0

I loved this book even more than the first one in the series! If the 3rd installment can keep up this might become one of my favourite series!

I started to love Vasya as the main character even more. I feel like she had so much more personality and drive in this book. Also I generally really love the 'girl dresses up as a boy in order to be taken seriously' trope - especially when she then comments on the things that come so easy to her just because of that small change, as well as all the things she would never have been allowed to do otherwise.
The end was a great conclusion to the story of this book. I realised that even though the story is a continuation of the first book, every book could really stand on it's own as well. They are clearly connected and part of a series, but they all tell their own stories that just happen to the same cast of charaters. I am really excited for 'The Winter of the Witch' and I really hope Katherine Arden will write more mythology retellings because she is truly doing such an amazing job!

I really like reading the Glossary at the end as well as her own reflecton upon the book. In this one she even gives secondary sources for further research into the base myths and storys of the books. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Animal cruelty, Body shaming, Child death, Confinement, Death, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Grief, Religious bigotry, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, and Classism

thewildmageslibrary's review against another edition

adventurous

5.0

Wow, 5 stars for sure. I adored the way this built on book one and all the revisited characters! Vasya and Morozko have my heart. I love the vibes, the magic, SOLOVEY, girl-in-disguise, just everything.

CW: same "it's set in the 14th century, so" as book one

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Death, Misogyny, Sexism, Violence, Blood, Religious bigotry, and Fire/Fire injury

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Confinement, Miscarriage, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, Kidnapping, Grief, and Pregnancy

Minor: Death of parent

riccii's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional inspiring mysterious tense medium-paced

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

5.0

WOW. This book should come with some hefty warnings but the payoff at the end?? Wow. Just. Wow.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Misogyny, Blood, and Outing

Moderate: Confinement, Death, Violence, Grief, Religious bigotry, Fire/Fire injury, and Sexual harassment

Minor: Slavery and Pregnancy

fatherprozac's review against another edition

adventurous emotional mysterious 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

4.0

This was kind of a slog to get through from the beginning to middle, but once it started picking up toward the end I was hooked into the series once again so I will continue to the final book.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Body shaming, Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual violence, Slavery, Violence, Blood, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Grief, Religious bigotry, Murder, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Outing, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

saoreads's review against another edition

adventurous challenging funny hopeful informative inspiring reflective 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? No

5.0

The deception and lies surrounding the novel's continued progression are indeed intriguing. The characters who play important roles in the story are introduced one by one in chronological order so that readers can focus on them. Not to be spiteful, but the way women are treated, with or without special circumstances, or simply as someone who is seen as insane, is baffling beyond measure to me. It's as if no personality can be bestowed upon a woman due to stereotypical beliefs and birthing machines alike, and addressing those issues was both frustrating and raging for some hopeful specks. That is how good this book is at evoking such emotions. I'm off to read the third one now.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Death, Gore, Miscarriage, Sexual assault, Violence, Blood, Grief, Stalking, Pregnancy, Alcohol, and War

nebulasaurus's review

adventurous dark emotional tense slow-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Bullying, Cursing, Death, Misogyny, Sexism, Slavery, Violence, Blood, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Grief, Religious bigotry, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, Colonisation, and Injury/Injury detail

sarahaf712's review against another edition

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Animal cruelty, Child death, Confinement, Gore, Misogyny, Sexism, Slavery, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, Medical trauma, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, War, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Bullying, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Infertility, Sexual assault, Death of parent, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, Colonisation, and Classism

Content warning: birth; stillbirth

thoseoldcrows23's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional tense slow-paced

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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Animal cruelty, Child death, Confinement, Death, Sexism, Sexual assault, Violence, Blood, Grief, Religious bigotry, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Slavery and Death of parent