Reviews tagging 'Violence'

Winterkeep by Kristin Cashore

38 reviews

laurenkimoto's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

4.5

I put off reading this for such a long time because I didn’t think anything could live up to the original trilogy but I regret that choice. Cashore expands the world and builds the characters deftly while dealing with some heavy and serious topics with nuance and care. 

I was warned about the parents and wow I did not expect it to go like it did and how it evolved

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Violence, Blood, Grief, Murder, and Classism

queer_bookwyrm's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious tense slow-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

5 ⭐ CW: violence, child abuse, sexual content, slut-shaming, suicide mention, murder, death of a parent, imprisonment 

Winterkeep by Kristin Cashore is book 4 of the Graceling Realm series. I cannot stress how much I love this series! And it's completely underrated! I have loved every single one of these installments, and Winterkeep is no different. 

We continue to follow Bitterblue a few years after the events of the previous book. We also get Giddon's perspective in this book, and he's a great character. Bitterblue and company travel to the newly discovered continent of Torla, a country made up of democratic republics and vast scientific advances. When Bitterblue is swept overboard on the journey to Winterkeep, she finds herself in the middle of a plot. We also get new characters, like Lovisa, the daughter of the Winterkeep President. Lovisa's life is turned upside down when she discovers what is hidden in her attic and what her parents are up to. 

One of my favorite things about these books is that Cashore doesn't shy away from letting her female characters embrace their sexuality. Both Bitterblue and Lovisa are pretty open about having multiple lovers, and I suspect Lovisa to be somewhere on the Aromantic spectrum. I loved Lovisa's character and her growth throughout the book. She's tough, blunt, and honest and doesn't much care for expectations. I definitely related to her as someone who grew up in an abusive household without understanding how bad it actually was. I really felt for Lovisa when she finally figured out that's not normal. Giddon was such a sap this book. He cried so much, but it was kinda sweet. We get more from Hava too, and I read her as neurodivergent. We get sentient, telepathic foxes! And a sentient Sea monster that just wants to be left alone. I want to be able to talk to silbercows. They seem so cute and fun. 

There is a lot of political intrigue in these books, and I'm a fan. I will say that this isn't the most fast paced books series, but it has so much in it. The world-building is just incredible. Cashore has expanded the world with each book and new character, and it just becomes fuller. Super looking forward to Seasparrow, but also dreading the end of this amazing series. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Confinement, Emotional abuse, Death of parent, and Murder

Moderate: Sexual content and Violence

Minor: Suicide

rubyhosh's review against another edition

adventurous emotional hopeful reflective tense fast-paced

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement and Grief

Moderate: Violence and Death of parent

ckdan's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Torture, Violence, and Murder

lubotomy's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful mysterious reflective sad tense slow-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Death, Drug use, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Death of parent, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Sexual content, Kidnapping, Fire/Fire injury, and Abandonment

Minor: Outing, Sexual harassment, and Classism

talonsontypewriters's review

adventurous hopeful mysterious 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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Kidnapping, Grief, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, and Classism

Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Bullying, Drug use, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Death of parent, Gaslighting, War, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Addiction, Infidelity, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, and Vomit

Drowning. Slut shaming. Starvation. Relationship between characters who are currently both adults, but almost definitely met when one was around 10 and the other was an older teenager/adult.

bookdragonshay's review against another edition

adventurous emotional mysterious tense medium-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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Death and Violence

themoodreader's review against another edition

adventurous 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? No

3.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Child abuse, Confinement, Violence, and Death of parent

Minor: Animal death, Child abuse, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Sexual content, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Kidnapping, Stalking, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail

traceyanderson's review against another edition

adventurous emotional 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

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Violence, Kidnapping, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

cepbreed's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional slow-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

4.25

I'M SO PROUD OF MYSELF I TOTALLY CALLED IT AFTER READING THE LAST BOOK!!!

Bitterblue and Giddon have my entire heart and each chapter of longing and want made me fall for them more. The pining was beautifully done and the set up in the last book, even if unintentional, made them an instant favorite of mine. Soulmates don't always need to find each other immediately they just need to have their "its always been you" moment.

God I love Cashore's ability to flesh out characters in her entirely unique way. Each interaction is purposeful, each conversation adds layers to the personal narratives of the characters involved, it's masterful. I've never felt so close to a character in a fantasy novel as I do with Lovisa. She is remarkable and vulnerable. Just that is enough to inspire me. Thank you Kristen Cashore for this series that I never thought I'd love so hard. I'd like to travel back in time and simultaneously punch and hug the person I was when I picked up the first book. She was naive in expressing a dislike for the series, but wise to continue on despite that initial opinion. I'll remember these books forever.

Ranking of the books: Bitterblue, Winterkeep, Fire, Graceling

Song: 

• Mirrorball - Taylor Swift

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Mental illness, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexism, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Medical content, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Grief, Stalking, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

Moderate: Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, and War

Minor: Drug use and Infidelity