Reviews tagging 'Violence'

The Monster of Elendhaven by Jennifer Giesbrecht

79 reviews

polterbooks's review

This reads like bad fanfic and the characters are boring.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Death, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Stalking, Death of parent, Murder, Colonisation, Classism, and Pandemic/Epidemic

theowinterwood's review

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.25

Giving a lot of points for style here, but I figure it's warranted. I think overall the main flaw is it could have been at least 20% longer and given itself more breathing room, especially in the final act, where things played out a little too fast to sustain the tension and dread the stakes should have at that point. If what's coming is going to be unavoidable (and it should be), let us sit in the dread of watching it come a little longer.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Child death, Death, Gore, Violence, Blood, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, and Pandemic/Epidemic

Moderate: Self harm, Medical content, Grief, and Death of parent

itshrewsbury's review against another edition

dark mysterious fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Diverse cast of characters? No

4.5

I really, REALLY want to give this book 5 stars. The atmosphere, the concept, the world building are all really interesting and fresh, I just remain confused about some finer points of johann’s lore and the magic system of elendhaven, and that ultimately is stopping it from 5. This book isn’t marketed as lgbt at all (and really, this is a horror book, not a romance, so that makes perfect sense), so the MC’s being in a little entanglement was so thrilling when it first is hinted at! I loved it! I really was rooting for johann and Florian to succeed in their endeavors, even though their goal is…less than desirable lol 
The voice work of the audiobook is REALLY good, especially with johann sounding like a certain lovable ghoul from fallout 4. 

TW/CW: violence, gore, murder, child abuse, sexual assault, implied statutory rape, child death, epidemic, nsfw content, drug use (alcohol, tobacco)

“Magic isn’t in the brain, miss. It’s in the bones.” 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gore and Violence

Moderate: Drug use

Minor: Child abuse, Sexual assault, and Sexual content

frecklebrows's review

adventurous dark funny fast-paced

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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death and Violence

Moderate: Vomit

Minor: Sexual assault

opheliamcgrail's review

dark emotional funny mysterious tense fast-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

4.5

I loved this book. I loved the nasty greasy old decaying setting of Elendhaven and how as a marine biologist I could really picture the dead whales and sharks in this frigid northern sea. I LOVE horrible nasty evil gay characters!! I love revenge!! I love monstrous simps that live to serve and I love toxic relationships! I love that Johann got to live on as a combination of both of them and both of their dark bidding. This was a really quick and enjoyable listen, just enough horror and a little bit of gore for me to like without being turned off.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gore, Violence, and Murder

spadedigsbutts's review

dark mysterious 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? Yes

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Death, Gore, Gun violence, Physical abuse, Self harm, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Medical trauma, Stalking, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, and Pandemic/Epidemic

Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Bullying, Confinement, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Racism, Grief, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Toxic friendship, and Sexual harassment

Minor: Incest, Xenophobia, and Classism

ellington_rist's review

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, Violence, Stalking, Gaslighting, and Sexual harassment

Moderate: Body horror, Child death, Death, Genocide, Rape, Blood, Medical trauma, and Murder

Minor: Child abuse, Chronic illness, Incest, Death of parent, and Injury/Injury detail

hellavaral's review

dark medium-paced

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Death, Gore, Violence, Blood, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Gun violence, Sexual assault, and Excrement

blueroo's review

dark medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Child death, Death, Self harm, Terminal illness, Violence, Death of parent, and Pandemic/Epidemic

Moderate: Incest

rungemaille's review against another edition

dark fast-paced

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

3.25

There are aspects of this I really enjoyed — the coastal horror setting (I was reminded of the videogames Dishonored and Dredge, which I've played recently), the Hallenkind mythos, the Leickenbloom family history (although I wish we had more of it).

Others I was not so enamoured with — the rape scene (which, while it was mercifully brief and undetailed, I don't think brought much to the narrative, and could have done without), and

the detailed, brutal description of Kanya's death (I don't begrudge the author her death, it made sense thematically, but the way it happened left me rather uncomfortable)

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gore, Violence, and Murder

Moderate: Rape and Pandemic/Epidemic

Minor: Incest and Excrement