Reviews tagging 'Torture'

Graceling by Kristin Cashore

33 reviews

mokkekitty's review against another edition

adventurous 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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Violence, and Murder

Moderate: Animal cruelty and Emotional abuse

Minor: Incest, Pedophilia, Sexual content, Torture, and Death of parent

leligavi's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful mysterious sad tense 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? No

4.0

I really enjoyed this book. Like a lot. I thought the main characters were so dynamic and lovable. I loved them together and I worried when they weren't together. I love love love Po. I love love love LOVE Bitterblue. The only reason why this book didn't get a higher rating is because of the lull in the middle with the traveling and trying to evade. However, the emotion in it is what pushed me through. 
I'm excited to keep going. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Death of parent, and Murder

Moderate: Animal death, Child abuse, Torture, and Violence

cicizzy's review against another edition

adventurous hopeful reflective fast-paced

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

4.5

One of the few books of my childhood I like to reread a lot which is why this review is probably heavily biased by nostalgia. 

The worldbuilding is pretty simple and the names lack a bit of creativity for me but that does make it easy to remember the countries and people 

I personally don’t like the way people talk. It didn’t bother me when I was a kid but now it seems a bit unnatural. But maybe that’s also partly the translations fault. But kudos to the translator for using „Ihro Majestät“ and not „Ihre Majestät“. If it’s a more medieval setting it’s nice that they use more outdated forms to address people. 

The main couple has a respectful relationship. The male lead is not the typical asshole type like many other romantasy heroes. It’s one of my most favorite things about the book.

Katsa might be a bit crazy sometimes but she has a working brain,  she listens to people and she  is also a strong character. Cashore knows how to write strong characters who still don’t always win fights. 

I also love that it doesn’t end with Katsa becoming Bos wife and being reduced to a wife and mother role. There is obviously nothing bad with being a wife or mother but in some books that suddenly becomes the only role of heroine in the ever after and her own ambitions or the belief that she didn’t want to marry/have children are suddenly forgotten. That doesn’t happen to Katsa.

Bo is just a great man. He isn’t arrogant or an asshole, he treats Katsa with respect and he has no problems showing emotions. He is a healthy love interest and I really  love that. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Violence and Murder

Minor: Child abuse, Death, Torture, and Death of parent

cordeliant's review against another edition

adventurous emotional hopeful medium-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Violence

Minor: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Torture, and Sexual harassment

cedartonk's review against another edition

adventurous funny inspiring mysterious 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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Torture, Violence, Murder, and Sexual harassment

lifa's review against another edition

adventurous medium-paced

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

3.25

This is a book I don't think I would have normally read or continued after the first few pages. The prose and world-building are very weak and the main thing that made me knock off stars. But it was exactly what I needed to read, something simple and straightforward that reminded me of easier days. I very much liked Katsa and Po's relationship and the freedom they value. The plot was good too especially by the end and the ending wrapped things up nicely. This book just came at the right time for me and I'm grateful for it. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Child abuse and Torture

Minor: Animal cruelty

beebeewin's review against another edition

adventurous emotional fast-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

4.5

Upon re-reading I enjoyed this book as much as a remember! I appreciate Kristin Cashore's ability to write an engaging world with well fleshed out characters, especially in regards to Katsa. She creates morally complex characters with ease, and for a teen book doesn't shy away from having characters with motivations and dreams that might be different than in classical YA fiction. There is no pulled punches, which makes for a YA read that, at the time I first read it and even now, doesn't feel like someone dumbing down difficult topics for teens. My only issue is the main conflict seemed to resolve so quickly, like within one chapter. I almost wish that was just drawn out a little longer so that we could really see Katsa's growth and character development fleshed out more. Regardless, I would recommend this book to anyone who wants a quick, interesting, and engaging fantasy read. 

Also 100% Raffin and Bann are gay and you can't convince me otherwise, make it cannon!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse and Emotional abuse

Moderate: Violence

Minor: Torture and Blood

kell_xavi's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional medium-paced

4.0

Well-told for the most part, with believable relationships, challenges, and emotions; however, some emotional events carry on a bit long, becoming repetitive and overwrought. I wasn’t convinced of how the plot comes together around the climax, finding too many threads dragged out only to collapse in a surprising moment. Still, Cashore’s girl-driven fantasy novel is mostly successful, smart and sincere, tinged with fear and a good dose of comeuppance to powerful men who do wrong.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse and Emotional abuse

Moderate: Animal cruelty, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Torture, Violence, Death of parent, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail

gillian_aftanas's review against another edition

adventurous dark lighthearted mysterious relaxing 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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Sexual content, Violence, Medical content, Death of parent, Murder, Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Emotional abuse, Incest, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Torture, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Vomit, Kidnapping, Grief, and Sexual harassment

Minor: Child death and Abortion

tigrelilje's review against another edition

adventurous dark tense medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Minor: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child abuse, Child death, Sexual content, Torture, and Murder