Reviews tagging 'Blood'

Thornhedge by T. Kingfisher

58 reviews

rexpostfacto's review

adventurous mysterious medium-paced

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood and Murder

Moderate: Ableism, Body shaming, and Xenophobia

lakinglaze's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious 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

5.0

Oh my stars—this was just lovely. Toadling is such a gentle and dear little creature and I’m happy her story ended with love from both her worlds. 💗

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Child death, Confinement, Death, Suicide, Blood, Kidnapping, Death of parent, Murder, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail

sarahsbooklife's review against another edition

adventurous lighthearted mysterious fast-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death and Blood

Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Confinement, and Murder

Minor: Suicide and Grief

r_a_bell's review against another edition

adventurous lighthearted mysterious reflective relaxing sad slow-paced

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

4.75

So short but so lovely! I guess the story is what some people would consider a bit on the darker side, but overall it felt like a hug. Toadling was just so endearing! 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Death, Physical abuse, Suicide, Murder, and Abandonment

Minor: Animal cruelty, Body horror, Confinement, Cursing, and Blood

There is some content that people could be sensitive to but overall it is very light and barely does more than mention the previously listed contents. I will say, as someone who is EXTREMELY sensitive to animal death/violence, it kind of goes out of the way to say that the animal lived and was ultimately okay. It also gives absolutely zero detail about what actually happened.

anna_fangirling's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious relaxing medium-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? It's complicated

4.75

I’ve been interested in Sleeping Beauty retellings recently and this one hit the spot. Filled with whimsy and darkness, light-heartedness and seriousness, it seems like it’s own fairytale. Honouring the original story while also being it’s own story. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Confinement, and Death

Moderate: Animal death, Suicide, and Murder

Minor: Blood, Death of parent, and Injury/Injury detail

daniellekat's review against another edition

adventurous lighthearted fast-paced

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

3.5

An interesting retelling of the Sleeping Beauty fairytale. I thought the characters were cute and endearing but generally I found this a bit boring. It was super short and easy to read but not my favourite of Kingfisher’s work. I love how the author can easily drop a reader into a well thought out fantasy world, but I wish this had more horror elements. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Child death, Death, and Suicide

Moderate: Blood

maryellen's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful 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? No

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Suicide, Blood, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail

gaby_readsbooks's review against another edition

dark mysterious fast-paced

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

4.0

Well this was delightfully weird, sweet and amusing and I really enjoyed it. It was short and very entertaining while also having all the whimsical elements I love. I will definitely be checking out more by this author. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Torture and Blood

julessssss's review against another edition

adventurous dark lighthearted medium-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death, and Death

Minor: Body horror, Gore, Violence, Blood, and Kidnapping

lilshelly's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional hopeful mysterious reflective sad tense 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

Finished this interesting little novella tonight. Writing some broken thoughts about it before I must sleep. 

It took me days to read this 100ish page book, when really it could have been read in one. I think I'm just out of practice when it comes to fantasy. I found myself struggling slightly to understand all the mythology and folk tales and references included here. I know enough about the fae realm to get me by, but apparently not enough! 

That being said, I found T. Kingfisher's writing to be beautiful in many regards. Their descriptions of emotions and connections are lovely to read. I found myself trying to predict twists that never came throughout the story. Maybe that's because I'm too jaded by other texts. 

I loved Toadling deeply for all her flawed not quite humanity. Her reflections on emotions and life and how one should feel were lovely to read. The knight himself, Halim, was very kind and subdued in a charming way. 

Everything Kingfisher did in this story was to subvert our expectations of common tropes in fairy tales, and honestly, I respect it. Interested to check more of their catalogue, though maybe some time between is needed.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty and Death

Moderate: Suicide, Violence, and Murder

Minor: Blood and Injury/Injury detail