Reviews tagging 'Violence'

From Blood and Ash by Jennifer L. Armentrout

379 reviews

kirstinlwx's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark medium-paced

2.0

From Blood and Ash tried to interrogate important topics like

corporal punishment, consent, propaganda, and agency,

and failed at doing so in very entertaining fashion.

After struggling to get through the first half of the book - it was like each page included one of either:
1. nothing of actual plot- or character-progression, or,
2. a cheeky sort of "tell ya later!" that was only to be underwhelming when later revealed - the plot picked up excitingly, and kept my attention. I scoffed through some of the reveals and references, but I was brought along pretty effectively - feeling as though the author was guiding me to the realizations alongside or just before Poppy came to them herself. However, I was tired by Poppy's simultaneous lack of interrogation of big concerns and histories, and her over-thinking and inner-monologuing about her experiences.

Similarly, Hawke's explicit seeking of consent in some situations was funny to look back on, considering he never recognized or seemed to grapple with his lack of understanding around the foundation of the concept (i.e. the informed part of informed consent).

There was essentially a lot of flat hypocrisy throughout the book, with over-explanation and under-exploration running hand in hand through the fairly jumbled plot.

With all of those conflicting feelings and reflections, I might still pick up the next book, because the story is fun even with its wild leaps and gimmes, and the e-book is free/included in my subscription. Do I feel a little guilty about that, given my issues with the writing and handling of sensitive topics? Yes. Do I sometimes want to read a book just for fun, with part of the "fun" being that I can complain about it? Also yes. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Physical abuse, Sexual content, Sexual violence, and Violence

antidietleah's review against another edition

adventurous dark medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Death, Gore, Sexual content, Violence, Blood, Death of parent, and Murder

char_borg's review against another edition

dark sad tense slow-paced

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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Body horror, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Religious bigotry, Murder, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail

udari's review against another edition

adventurous dark fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Physical abuse, Violence, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Bullying, Emotional abuse, Death of parent, and Sexual harassment

Minor: Torture

octopus18's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious 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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Torture, Violence, Blood, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Body shaming, Child death, Grief, and Death of parent

Minor: Domestic abuse

justagremlin's review against another edition

dark medium-paced

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

1.5

Poppy is very bland in my opinion. Her only real trait is “being trapped as the Maiden” and that’s it. That’s her only trait. Hawke is just as bad. The only character trait he has for like 75% of the book is that he’s…hot. That’s it. 

And they have no chemistry. The whole chemistry between them is how “FoRbIdDeN” their love is.

Hawke try not to bring up their forbidden kiss challenge: impossible. But seriously all of their banter is just that over and over and over again.

 

The last 25% of the book is just plot twist after plot twist and a LOT of them felt very forced. They weren’t exactly well set up and came out of left field.

The only one that was slightly good in my opinion, was that the ascended were the real vampyres. That one had some plausible setup. But Hawke being “The Dark One”??? Poppy being half atlantain?? Where the hell did those come from?

 

So overall, a miss for me 

1.5/5 

Recommend For: Easy read for forbidden romance lovers. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Violence, and Death of parent

Moderate: Sexual assault

Minor: Child death and Domestic abuse

child death:

couple recounts the death of their two children but not in graphic detail, depictions of children being raised to be blood supply for vampires.

Death/violence

Typical fantasy violence and fighting

Death of parent

a parental figure dies before MCs eyes.

Domestic abuse

briefly implied to have happened to a side character

physical Abuse

MC is often whipped by a cane as "punishment"

sexual assault

someone tries to assault MC, however, he is interrupted

Sexual content: Chapter 30 Chapter 33 and Chapter 39 are just smut scenes with no plot relevance besides maybe some emotional heart to heart. Chapter 38 has a little bit of plot relevance but also its not the spiciest of scenes

art_books_chemistry's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Torture, and Violence

Moderate: Child death and War

Minor: Death of parent

hailey_sar's review against another edition

adventurous dark 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content

Moderate: Death, Physical abuse, Violence, Blood, and Injury/Injury detail

_jamie's review against another edition

adventurous dark tense medium-paced

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

3.75

Easy read, predicable elements. Interesting premise and storyline, intriguing religious elements. Not sure if it's enough to make me want to read the second book, especially with the last sentence of the novel

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Violence, and Blood

Minor: Child abuse, Gore, and Classism

debbri22's review against another edition

adventurous dark 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? Yes

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Physical abuse, Violence, and Blood

Minor: Domestic abuse