Reviews tagging 'Slavery'

Deadhouse Gates by Steven Erikson

10 reviews

damjanotom's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad 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

4.25

At first, Deadhouse Gates' intensity can be quite shocking and is most certainly intentionally so. At first this felt somewhat like torture-porn but as the book went on all of the events and the progression of each set of characters' arcs resolved into a nuanced reflection on the varied experience of living through and with prolonged trauma. Through this lens themes of war, grief, change, sexual trauma, and the roles of spirituality and information are all explored in ways that can often be shocking but felt nuanced nonetheless. Perspectives in character may have felt at first to be judgemental or disrespectful but provide depth to the discussion around the experience of trauma and how it changes those experiencing it and the way they interact and are perceived.

Outside of this, Deadhouse Gates presented some excellent genre stories including the main military fantasy storyline and a really engaging adventure storyline among others. A fairly heavy read with a lot of thematic meat on the bones but delivered through another tightly presented set of intertwined arcs.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Genocide, Gore, Grief, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, War, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Sexual assault and Slavery

vivectelvanni's review against another edition

dark 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? It's complicated

4.75

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Animal death, Child death, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gore, Rape, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Torture, Blood, Excrement, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, Colonisation, War, and Injury/Injury detail

thewitchwhoisabook's review against another edition

Rape depicted as something a 14 year old girl is wise for permitting; men she has a fatherly relationship with depicted as unable to stop themselves from at least wanting to have sex with her; generally misogynistic worldview

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Slavery and War

Moderate: Child abuse, Misogyny, and Rape

captainminnow's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark reflective 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

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Death, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Sexual content, Slavery, and Violence

ilereads's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark slow-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? Yes

4.0

Secondo volume molto più violento ed intenso del precedente. Dopo "La Dimora Fantasma" posso dire di essermi fatta finalmente un'idea della scrittura di Steven Erkson e del tipo di storia che vuole raccontare; una storia cruda che non fa sconti a nessuno, senza dei veri protagonisti e in cui è molto difficile riuscire a capire chi è l'eroe e chi il cattivo. Come nel primo romanzo, seguiamo diversi filoni narrativi; il più coivolgente per me è stato senza dubbio il viaggio della Catena dei Cani di Coltaine nel suo disperato tentativo di portare in salvo migliaia di fuggiaschi malazan ad Aren, l'unica città non ancora caduta nelle mani dei ribelli. Un viaggio estenuante, quasi impossibile e che riserva un finale sconvogente e agghiacciante. Facciamo poi la conoscenza del sacerdote senza mani Heboric e della sorella minore di Ganoes Paran, Felisin, un personaggio molto controverso che spesso fa scelte abbastanza discutibili ma per me giustificate dalla terribile situazione di schiavitù nelle miniere in cui si ritrova. Tra i vecchi personaggi ritroviamo Kalam, Crokus, Apsalar e il Violinista. Forse nel complesso l'ho trovato un po più lento del primo volume, anche per la mole, ma si riprende con una parte finale spettacolare.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual violence, Slavery, Torture, and Violence

griffinthief's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark reflective tense slow-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

4.25

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Child death, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gore, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Excrement, Vomit, Police brutality, Medical content, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Grief, Medical trauma, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Pregnancy, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, Colonisation, War, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Pedophilia and Fire/Fire injury

Minor: Abortion

catsy2022's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious tense slow-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? No

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Animal death, Body horror, Child death, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Physical abuse, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Blood, and War

Moderate: Vomit

Minor: Sexual content

danielleor's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark tense slow-paced

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

3.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Animal death, Body horror, Child death, Death, Genocide, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Blood, Grief, Murder, Abandonment, Alcohol, and Colonisation

skyeer's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark 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? Yes

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Death

Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Drug abuse, Genocide, Rape, Sexual content, and Slavery

riddhima's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful mysterious tense slow-paced

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

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Animal death, Emotional abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Slavery, and Blood