Reviews with content warning for Sexual content - This Gilded Abyss

Reviews tagging 'Sexual content'

This Gilded Abyss by Rebecca Thorne

10 reviews

takarakei's review

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adventurous mysterious 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

4.0

'submarines' more like a giant cruise ship underwater
a bit of sci-fi horror
environmental undertones
queer second chance romance!

Despite some photography inaccuracies which took me out of the story for a bit (totally a me thing)... this was super fun to read! I found the world building interesting and the mysterious plot kept me reading along! I've heard this was inspired by Bioshock? which makes sense. Audiobook is good too!

Downside is it's the first in a series and the next book isn't out yet :'( but I shall be continuing once that's out!

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fromthefoxhole's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark funny mysterious 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

4.0

What a ride, this book!

I usually hate when books are marketed "X meets Y, for fans of Z!" It feels cheap and inauthentic 90% of the time. That said, as a massive fan of Arcane and a Locked Tomb enjoyer? Yeah, they nailed that. I can't speak to Bioshock aside from the whole retrofuturism underwater aspect, but. I wouldn't necessarily quantify This Gilded Abyss as a horror, more that it has horror elements (a disease that makes people inexplicably violent and mindless, a haunting (?), I have thalassophobia so this entire premise is my nightmare anyway). It is, definitely, a SFF book.

So what didn't work?
1. The worldbuilding - There are moments in this book that are crystal clear, I could basically see the movie adaptation in my mind. There are others that had me flipping back through my notes like "how did I miss that?" only to find out that I hadn't missed anything, it just hadn't been mentioned. Lumos is probably my best example of this - we never got backstory on Lumos outside of Nix constantly using the name where we would use "God" in a sentence.

Then like 3/4 of the way through the book, there's the barest exposition that immediately gets flipped on its head. It would have been helpful to have from the beginning, to explain why Lumos = God in this world, the importance of Lumos to Valkeshia, etc. It would have made a better base for the Lumos-specific twist toward the end of the book.

2. Pacing - The first portion of the book kind of drags, where in later chapters every single one ends with another Major Event Cliffhanger. I understand ramping up the action as the stakes get more dire, but there comes a point where it becomes hard to hold onto all of the different threads. It could have benefited from being a touch shorter, or maybe omitting a thread or two to provide more space for the rest.
3. Writing style - I understand the frustration in several of the reviews about Thorne's style being very straightforward. There's a good amount of telling over showing, but I personally don't really mind that. Worth noting, however. There are several instances where something is explained 2-3 times within like 2 chapters, and if Kess is on the page, you can bet Nix is making a remark about her ichoron eye. That repetition felt unnecessary and stilted, at times.

What did I love?
1. Twists and turns abundant - I may have gotten a bit overwhelmed by the end, but I enjoy intrigue and suspense. It was hard to trust anyone throughout, and I know my heart rate was elevated at least several times based on my "oh god" note count.
2. Nix and Kess. Queen and Knight sapphics where they're both badasses?

"There hasn't been anyone since you"? "I had to do what I could to protect you, even break my own heart"????

God, I love lesbians!
3. Worldbuilding - Where I do have some clarity issues, as mentioned above, good lord this world is amazing. I'm a sucker for that steampunk retrofuturist aesthetic, and This Gilded Abyss absolutely nails that. There's no way in hell I would ever take a trip on the Luminosity, even before the events of this book (thalassaphobia, remember?), but the idea is so cool and the aesthetics are imacculate. All the rose gold, the geometric designs, even the outfit details are so specific and it really helped me feel immersed in the world.

I will say I wish there was a note in the title that this was part of a series, because when it ended I about threw my phone seeing "to be continued". But overall I really enjoyed This Gilded Abyss and I can't wait for the other two books to drop!

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bucketsjen's review against another edition

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adventurous dark medium-paced

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

4.0

Most of this author's works are "cozy". This is not cozy. At all.

Enjoyable, well written, excellent use of appropriate story mechanics and tropes... although I do wish that the badass main character had a chance to be badass on the page a bit more. Somewhat spoilery explanation:

We're told how good of a fighter she is, then she loses her first two fights and spends a chunk of the book perpetually injured.

I'd rather have seen her be a badass than be told she totally is even though she's struggling constantly.

The writing style is eloquent but clear; I enjoyed it and want to try other works by this author.

Spicy level: present but low. There is one sex scene that's fairly detailed, but vanilla.

The relationships and the story develop, but it still ends on a cliffhanger and the next book hasn't been written yet. I didn't know this was intended as a trilogy until I was about 3/4 through this book (learned via a TikTok update from the author about her writing schedule)... SOB. Because I desperately need to know what happens to these lesbians (and to the rest of the world, I guess).

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bookishvampire's review against another edition

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adventurous 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

I absolutely LOVED this book! The world building is amazing and so unique! I can't wait for the next book in the series!

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dynamogk's review

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adventurous dark sad 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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dancers_and_dragons's review against another edition

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adventurous dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

5.0

Thorne does a stunning job of sweeping the reader along into this world, where mysteries run rampant and are unfolded as the pages turn. The tension and care and tumult between the characters was perfect to make me feel for them through each chapter, and the attention to detail brought things to life.

While I'd wished for a less ambiguous ending, I'm definitely bittersweet about finishing this book and I'm looking forward to the next installment of this series.

Content Warnings

Graphic: Chronic illness, Death, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Toxic relationship, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Vomit, Grief, Murder, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

Moderate: Cursing, Medical content, Alcohol, and Pandemic/Epidemic

Minor: Body horror, Child abuse, Confinement, Emotional abuse, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Terminal illness, Religious bigotry, and Gaslighting

Sexual content:

Pages 247-261 on Kindle, unsure of the count on other devices (the first half of chapter 23) contains explicit sexual acts between the two main protagonists. All sexual acts are consensual, but do have a layer of trauma behind them, as they had a previous sexual relationship that ended sourly.

Colonisation/Xenophobia/War: The country the protagonists live in, Valkesh, is at war with another society, the Triolan. From what I can determine from how certain things are explained, these societies do not look different from each other or have different racial features, but they do hold animosity toward each other.

While Thorne does a good job of showing that not all members of either society are a monolith, this progress from their perspective is largely unhelped by the events of the book and there is little to no resolution. One of Nix's best friends is a Triolan, which is further describes under "Betrayal" below. But the Valkesh do hold an upper hand in the war between them and have limited tolerance to listen to alternate points of view besides Kessandra, one of the subarchs in the monarchy.

Betrayal:

One of Nix's squad, Leon, is a Triolan and is working against her and the Valkeshians as a double agent, even though she trained him up and mentored him. His betrayal comes as shock to her and is described with a significant amount of grief and concern. He does attempt to kill her near the end of the book.

Classism: There is a clear hierarchy between civilians and the monarchy, with aspects of wealth and privilege that are mentioned heavily throughout the book and occasionally used as a power play between characters. Emotional abuse/child abuse/confinement:

Kessandra, one of the main characters, does reveal that the primarch/head monarch has kept her confined for years, gaslighted her and the country about the illness they're investigating, and has attempted to kill her multiple times since she was young. While this is not explicitly labelled as abuse by anyone in the book, aspects of it are explicitly described.

Confinement: At various points, the main characters or side characters are confined in rooms for quarantine or in attempts to barricade themselves from others. Also, 90% of the book takes place in a vessel that is travelling beneath the ocean.

livtinja's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.5

I thoroughly enjoyed Rebecca Thorne's Tomes & Tea cozy fantasy series and was incredibly excited to receive an ARC for her new book. While I'm not typically a horror fan, the warnings that accompanied this book made me apprehensive as I started each new chapter. It felt as if I were walking through a haunted house, anticipating something to jump out of the closet. And indeed, it did happen in the second part of the book. I lost count of how many times things went from bad to worse for our characters. However, overall, the level of concern for the characters was manageable without causing any nightmares.

Rebecca's exceptional writing makes you genuinely care about all the characters, including the main characters who are strong, lovable, and perfectly flawed, as well as the villains in the story. Their motivations are solid, and you can truly see things from their perspective.

The world-building and the central mystery are incredibly well-executed. There is some foreshadowing, but you have no idea how deep the rabbit hole will go.

There was only one spicy scene in the book, but it was exceptionally well-done. I mean, really good. It left me yearning for a prequel that delves into all the fun Nix and Kess had when they first met, focusing solely on their seduction and passion.

For now, I eagerly await the second book. I cannot wait to see where the overall story will take us and look forward to encountering new villains.

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jazzyjbox's review

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adventurous dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.75

This Gilded Abyss is a WILD ride!

Nix is a soldier who takes a special assignment to protect her ex-girlfriend Kessandra on a trip via submersible to an underwater city. The civilization relies on an enhancement that Kess suspects is making people ill and violent. She's right, and soon Nix has her hands full trying to keep Kessandra alive.

There are so many dimensions to this story! The world building is amazing, the descriptors are incredible, and the spice is hot. As a veteran, I appreciated the military camaraderie. Can't wait for Thorne's next book!

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sunshine_oracle's review

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dark mysterious sad tense fast-paced

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

4.5

Did you enjoy the cozy fantasy of Can't Spell Treason Without Tea and A Pirate's Life for Tea? Well, hold on to your butts because Rebecca Thorne's upcoming novel This Guilded Abyss goes in a completely different direction. There's nothing cozy to be found in this novel.

Instead, follow Sergeant Nix Marr on a special assignment aboard the Luminosity as personal security for Subarch Kessandra Marie Vendermere Biltean III. Luminosity is the travel vessel to the underwater city if Fall, it is the only way in and out.

Nix has been there before to the Ichoron mines outside of Fall along with Kessandra. Many soldiers do tours in the mines, and not all of them come back. This trip to Fall is different. Something -or someone- is attacking dive teams before they even get to the mines. And Kessandra means stop it. But before they can reach Fall, the attacks begin on Luminosity.

Prepare yourself for a journey deep underwater on an oppulant vessel filled with people going berserk. I am a wimp when it comes to horror and gore. But This Guilded Abyss made me the right level of uncomfy. Thanks to the content warnings page I knew exactly what I was getting into. I described it to a friend as soft horror, it didn't hit my upper threshold which is great and it didn't make me gag and have to DNF. But jeeze did it have me nearly crying several times. And getting weird shivers because of the idea of red eyes just lurking in the darkness. I enjoyed reading This Guilded Abyss and slammed through it in just a day. I can't wait to find out what's waiting for Kess and Nix in Fall.

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smarty007's review

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adventurous dark mysterious 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? No

5.0

After receiving an eArc of this book, I basically binge read it in one day. This is my honest review: I am hooked. I binge-read it in one sitting and still want more. Before I tell you why, quick recap what the book is about:
This story centers on Sergeant Nix Marr and the royal Kessandra (sorry, unlike Nix I can’t list all her titles properly). Nix is the protagonist and the novel is told from her POV. At the very beginning there seems to be bad blood between the two women, but Kess wants Nix’s help regardless and even though Nix is reluctant, Kess prevails and they embark on their mission together. And no one is prepared for what happens next.

Okay, so the first third of the book is a lot of world building and character set up, which feels like a bit of a slow start (compared to what happens after they embark), but it really pays off. Taking the time to set up the world, the characters and the story ensures that you as a reader have a rough idea of what’s going on and what’s at stake at all times. And it’s the reason why certain things in this book work as well as they do. Also, getting to know more about the characters and their relationships makes the fast paced action that follows even more enjoyable. Nix is an awesome protagonist and works well with Kess who starts off as an antagonist. There are a few interesting and notable side characters that support the story. The plot itself is detailed and blew my mind. You think you know where the story is going until you don’t. There are hints, there is foreshadowing, but the plot twist still lands incredibly well. The pacing is on point and the action is entertaining, for lack of a better word. As the author has cautioned many times, this is not a cozy fantasy, it’s an action-packed and bloody one, so make sure to check the trigger warnings. Long story short: I loved this wild ride and can’t wait for the second book.

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