Reviews tagging 'Sexual harassment'

Heir to Thorn and Flame by Ben Alderson

11 reviews

fool_ofabook's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional 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? No

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content and Violence

Moderate: Sexual violence and Sexual harassment

tsuyoi's review against another edition

adventurous dark tense medium-paced

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

1.0

I wanted to like this book a lot more than I did. It's an interesting world and magic system that isn't fully explored. The main character Max doesn't seem to actually affect the plot but has the plot happen upon him. His agency is teased at but never a thing. Honestly what annoys me most is how some of the deaths were just there to shock and not allow Max to ever have closure. Additionally the betrayals felt unearned when there was potential for so much more. I get that the main characters need to have motivation to grow but this was almost all telling and not showing.  Max was defined by others not his own actions.

I'm going to read the sequel because I'm still interested but I'm saddened by what could have been.

the betrayals by Camron and Bea felt like such a waste. Camron was the only character to seemingly care about Max's actual wishes and had the potential for an interesting love triangle or for Max to actually decide what he wants. But instead we got a dissapointing, flat, mustache twirling villain. Additionally the muguffin of his parents never paid off and how his father was killed off was even more disappointing. Dame's death was also so poorly handled. Suddenly miracously alive and then dead at the end of the chapter.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Murder, and Sexual harassment

tofugal's review against another edition

I DNF this at Chapter 9 (20%). Though I adore m/m fantasy and really wanted to love this, there was too much violence for me to continue, especially since so much of it was sexual violence. That’s something I’m not comfortable reading about. For similarly sensitive readers, I’d recommend checking the content warnings before reading.

That said, what I did read was well-written with interesting world building.

For anyone who’d prefer a lighter, cozier m/m fantasy novel minus the triggers, I recommend A Rival Most Vial: Potioneering for Love and Profit by R. K. Ashwick.

I received an advanced copy from the publisher and am voluntarily leaving this review.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Violence, and Murder

Moderate: Sexual assault and Sexual harassment

SA attempt, past SA, and murder

cyrr's review against another edition

I didn't connect with the characters, specially not with the main character, which I liked at first, didn't quite like the romance and wasn't a fan of all the gore. Also, this was marketed to me by the author as something similar to Merthur, but I don't feel it. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder

Moderate: Gore, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Torture, Violence, and Sexual harassment

Minor: Animal cruelty and Animal death

behindpaperbacks's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious tense medium-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

2.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Death of parent, and Sexual harassment

Moderate: Rape and Sexual assault

libraryofaphrodite's review against another edition

adventurous medium-paced

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

3.0

Max is a servant living under the oppressive Gathrax family, constantly pursued by their maniacal eldest son, Julian. 

When Julian chases Max into Galloway Forest, Max discovers that he is a mage, something the south lost long ago. This sets off a chain of events leading to an arranged marriage, battles with dragons, and a quest to uncover the truth of Max's identity.

I had really wanted to love this new M/M fantasy but something didn't quite click for me. I felt at times that descriptions were lacking and the characters didn't have as much depth as I would have liked. At points it read more like YA than adult fantasy (albeit with a large amount of gore) which might be why it wasn't for me. 

I did really enjoy parts and had trouble putting the book down in those sections. It just didn't feel fully realised or consistent yet.

There is definitely an audience for this book - if you enjoy M/M fantasy, slow burn romance, mythological monsters, and warring nations, this may well be the book for you.

Thank you to NetGalley and Second Sky for an advanced digital copy in return for my honest review.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gore, Violence, Blood, Death of parent, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual violence, and Fire/Fire injury

amobrien's review against another edition

adventurous mysterious tense medium-paced

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

2.5

The premise of this book was so good, and I loved how queer the story was, but I just could not get into it at all. I honestly wish I DNF'd, but I kept hoping it would get better. I didn't like the characters at all - not even in a fun unlikeable type of way because I think we are supposed to like a few of them. But the main character often comes across as whiny, and there really weren't any side characters that redeemed it for me. It's the start of the series, but I felt like this book could've been broken into several itself - it kept dragging on every time I thought it would end soon. Unfortunately, it just did not work for me at all.

Thank you Netgalley for providing a digital ARC.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Sexual assault, and Sexual harassment

Moderate: Toxic relationship

anapthine's review against another edition

dark emotional tense fast-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

5.0

 

Thank you NetGalley and Second Sky for giving me an ARC in exchange for an honest review. 

I cannot put it into words how much I love this book. The plot just flowed so flawlessly and had you hooked the entirety of the way through. Alderson writes in such an incredible way that you form such a connection with the characters, with their emotions so perfectly written, making it so easy to imagine - almost as if this is happening right in front of you. There were so many twists and turns in this novel, many of which were not expected, always keeping you on your toes. 

This book contains the following tropes (as if the things I have already listed haven’t made you put this book on your TBR):

• Found family
• Enemies to lovers
• Forced proximity
• Multiple love interests
• Elemental magic
• Dragons, dragon riders
• A lost child

 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Sexual harassment, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

Minor: Sexual content

_kayreads_'s review against another edition

dark tense slow-paced

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

2.5

First, thank you for chance to listen to this arc. 

There should be a warning of attempted sexual violence, abuse and torture. 

It’s a bit rough to read but I understand that is the point of the start of the story. It is needed to set the stage. 

I wished I could have enjoyed it more.  It has a good subject but I felt like it threw so many different parts of fantasy in there it was a bit lost. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Violence, Death of parent, and Sexual harassment

annebronte's review against another edition

adventurous medium-paced

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

2.5

Unfortunately this book does not work for me. The description grabbed my attention, but overall I was not drawn into this book. Mainly because the book is somewhat kneecapped by the marketing that lists it as an adult fantasy romance, when the book itself leans more towards YA territory, and the romance element itself only appears in fits and spurts. I went in with expectations that were not met, and I never really connected with the characters. Especially the main character, Maximus, who did not move along the plot so much as the plot moved him. 

An enjoyable enough read, but at the end of the day I am not that interested in keeping up with the future installments. 

My thanks to NetGalley for the advanced copy.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gore, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, and Sexual harassment

At the very beginning of the book, within the first few chapters, a character sexually harasses the main character. This escalates into an attempted sexual assault. Throughout the book there are vivid descriptions of gore, specifically during battle and fight scenes.