Reviews tagging 'War'

The Mermaid, the Witch, and the Sea by Maggie Tokuda-Hall

32 reviews

riverstrongblood's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional sad 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

5.0

I cannot begin to express how thoroughly I enjoyed this book. Somebody else on this app wrote that they wished there were more witches and mermaids and "less of all the other stuff" but let me just say that this books is PACKED with fantasy and pirates and witches and mermaids. A person who simply can't care for the depth of the diversity and intersectionality in this book doesn't deserve the magnitude and life breathed into its pages. 

I'm not one for spoilers in book reviews but I have never regarded a book more highly than this. And I am so appreciative for authors who are writing queer and ethnically diverse books. It's rare. A breath of fresh air against the bland, white, straight canopy that fantasy has been for so long. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Hate crime, Homophobia, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Racism, Sexism, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Vomit, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Lesbophobia, Outing, Abandonment, Alcohol, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

Moderate: Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, and Cannibalism

bookcaptivated's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional hopeful reflective medium-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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Gore, Gun violence, Torture, Violence, Blood, and Murder

Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Bullying, Confinement, Misogyny, Vomit, Colonisation, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

Minor: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child death, Homophobia, Racism, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Slavery, Trafficking, Grief, Death of parent, Lesbophobia, and War

deadly_kitten777's review against another edition

adventurous emotional sad 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

Absolutely beautiful and gut wrenching

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Torture

Minor: Homophobia, Rape, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, and War

itscrispyy's review against another edition

adventurous emotional hopeful inspiring 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

Cogí este libro sin esperar nada y me atrapó desde el principio, aunque reconozco que el principio de la segunda parte lo sentí un poco lento y me hizo perder un poco el interés, llegando a parecerme algo aburrido. Pero una vez se pasa eso, vuelve a remontar y con creces porque me ido final 😱😱 desde luego que hubo muchas cosas que NO me vi venir. Además, algo que me parece súper original es el concepto de sirenas que ha creado 👌🏻

Como punto negativo diría que me hubiese gustado más que se desarrollasen más cosas de los distintos países conquistados por el imperio y sus respectivas culturas, ya que a lo largo de la novela se dan pinceladas sueltas pero no se llega a profundizar, lo que me dejaba a veces un poco perdida y con ganas de saber más para entender mejor el transfondo de los personajes.

Además de la trama del Imperio, me gusta que también se centre en el desarrollo de las protagonistas y que vaya incluyendo nuevos POVs en cada parte del libro (es un recurso que no había visto hasta ahora). 

Tiene algunas escenas un poco duras y graficas que la verdad no me esperaba porque es bastante juvenil, así que lo dejo avisado para que no os pase como a mí.

He visto que hay segunda parte y, aunque cambian las protagonistas, lo leeré próximamente porque tengo ganas de que seguir un poco más en este mundo (y ver si ahí se pueden conocer más cosas) 👀

En general, me parece una lectura muy entretenida y super fácil y rápida de leer que creo que merece mucho la pena que más gente la conozca 🤍

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence

Minor: Xenophobia, Trafficking, and War

semiruralcoma08's review against another edition

adventurous emotional hopeful medium-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

4.75

An incredible love story and smashing adventure that is extremely inclusive of many genders and queer relationships. this book moved me to tears on multiple occasions and is written in a way that is enjoyable and accessible for readers of many levels/ages. I look forward to checking out the sequel!

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Death, Sexual violence, Torture, Trafficking, Alcohol, Colonisation, War, and Classism

e_riahh's review against another edition

adventurous hopeful mysterious 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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Bullying, Child death, Confinement, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Sexual assault, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Xenophobia, Grief, Colonisation, War, and Classism

Minor: Blood

anjasshelf's review

adventurous tense medium-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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Bullying, Child death, Confinement, Death, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Grief, Murder, Alcohol, Colonisation, War, and Classism

Moderate: Rape

embee007's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional hopeful medium-paced

• Strong character development? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.5

I picked this up after multiple people recommended it as a cozy fantasy...I would really like to have a word with them. Queer Fantasy =/= Cozy Fantasy. Happy Endings do not mean Cozy Fantasy. This book contains slavery, gore, depictions of torture...It is not a light & fluffy read. It is most similar to a YA version of Season 2 of Our Flag Means Death - dark, but not that dark.

I feel like there was a bit of a lull towards the end? Or the action was weird? Or maybe that was just me. (first full book I read with Covid) But the ending mostly made up for it. I'm definitely interested in reading book 2, at some point this year.

"There’s freedom in stories, you know. We read them and we become something else. We imagine different lives, and while we turn the pages, we get to live them. To escape the lot we’ve been given.”

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Bullying, Child abuse, Confinement, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gore, Gun violence, Rape, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Vomit, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Murder, Alcohol, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

enbae's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious 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

This was the best book I read in a long time! It got me hooked like crazy and I told all my friends to read it. If you enjoyed the "darker shades of magic" trilogy or even the Pirates of the Carribbean movies, this book is a must-read!!!!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Death, Misogyny, Sexism, Torture, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Trafficking, Murder, Alcohol, and Classism

Moderate: Child death, Homophobia, Rape, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Violence, Vomit, Trafficking, Lesbophobia, Abandonment, and Colonisation

Minor: Racism, Sexual violence, Slavery, War, and Injury/Injury detail

quiet_reader's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional inspiring sad tense medium-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? It's complicated

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Bullying, Child abuse, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gore, Gun violence, Physical abuse, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Grief, Murder, Abandonment, Alcohol, Colonisation, Dysphoria, War, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Child death, Sexual violence, and Suicidal thoughts