Reviews with content warning for Sexual assault - Curse of Shadows and Thorns

Reviews tagging 'Sexual assault'

Curse of Shadows and Thorns by LJ Andrews

14 reviews

brenna199x's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional 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

5.0

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carsons1996's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional hopeful 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

4.25

Such great world building, and such interesting characters. It was a bit slow to get into, but it really picks up and then I couldn't put it down! Just a little spicy, just a little romantasy, just a little beauty and the beast, all together perfect! Can't wait to read the rest of them!

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meagan_mizukage's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional hopeful mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes

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phoenixsparks's review against another edition

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adventurous mysterious medium-paced

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

3.75

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ettaviereads's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging 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? It's complicated

5.0

A princess who doesn’t fit in with the other royals and her assigned dowry negotiator 🥵🥵 This was an amazing read that kept me begging to continue instead of follow up with my adult responsibilities.

The banter and tension between Elise and Legion was delightful. The hidden promises and pasts from both of them kept me wondering what exactly Legion was hiding, since the whole book was from Elise’s POV.

Tender moments were shared between Elise and so many of the secondary characters that I grew to adore her as a person and how she treats people that society sees as lesser or undeserving. Legion’s actions and commitment to Elise through playful banter made me fall head over heels for his dark and mysterious past.

The twists and turns this book has took me on such a rollercoaster that even after world building initially, I feel so connected to the world that Andrew’s crafted and I cannot wait to read the second book of this series

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nikki_b's review against another edition

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3.5

Rating: ★★★½
Genre: Fantasy/Romance
Intended Audience: Marketed as YA - should be New Adult.
Format + Source: E-book, Kindle Unlimited

Read this if you like…
- Viking-esque world building
- Magic + fairies
- Game of Thrones style throne jockeying
- Natural, engaging dialogue

This may not be for you if you don't like...
- Figuring out the plot + twists early on
- Heavy-handed Viking inspiration
- Calling women "princess" as a pet name

Rating Breakdown

Characters: ★★★★
I really liked Elise. Her attitudes towards others were believable ("Night Folk" are deserving of equal rights, etc.), though we didn't get an explanation for <i>why</i>... just that she is "kind-hearted."
The companions were fleshed-out and seem to have their own stories that will be explored later (hopefully).
Legion is smart and snarky, without being obnoxious. His conversations with Elise (and them reading together) made me buy into the growth of their relationship.

Writing: ★★★½
Tying into the plot aspect below... the writing gave everything away too early. There are quite a few info-dump sections re: the world and its inhabitants. Too much unnecessary detail about these other kingdoms that aren't even featured in this book (or the next!)
That said, the dialogue was so natural and fun that I forgave a lot of issues with the plot/writing.

Plot: ★★★
Predictable. I hoped that Andrews was planning to subvert some tropes/cliches, but they went just as expected. I sussed out the ending within the first few chapters yet enjoyed the book enough to stick around.

Enjoyment: ★★★★
Technical issues aside, I enjoyed the world and characters. Sometimes the Viking terms are a bit much and I wish some plot aspects had gone a different direction but this was a fun read overall.

Other thoughts...
I am very, very, very tired of "A Noun of Stuff and Things" titles.

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ruckystarnes's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional mysterious sad 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? It's complicated

4.75

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bzliz's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional mysterious 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? Yes

4.0

There is a steep learning curve here and you really get thrown into the pool without a floatie with terminology and lore about the history of the land. It tapers off as you familiarize yourself with the world. One of my least favorite tropes in fantasy novels is having silly terms for the passage of time. Here, years are turns and minutes/hours/seconds are clock ticks.

The slow start builds to a steady pace and by the end, events are flying by. I was concerned I’d have a DNF on my hands but I’m so glad I stuck it out and was rewarded for my diligence. I particularly loved the build up of Elise and Legion’s relationship. It has some enemies to lovers vibes without them ever truly being enemies. Every victory felt earned and I have no doubt this will continue in the next installment.

Below I have listed many content warnings and provided some context for them in the spoiler tags. I highly recommend checking that if anything listed is a trigger for you before proceeding to reading.

Content Warnings:
Blood (on page):

Several injuries throughout including Elise getting stabbed, one character experiences severe bloodlust.

Confinement (on page):

A “witch” is imprisoned, Elise is briefly captured roughly 2/3 through the book

Death/Murder (on & off page):

Off page murders of the original royal family. On page murders of Agitators, an ally, lots of enemies, regicide.

Injury (on page):

Lots of people get stabbed or shot with arrows or crossbow bolts, main character is purposefully injured by allies to stave off bloodlust.

Incest (on page, not explicit):

As royals do, lest anyone taint the bloodline. Cousins intended to marry.

Sexism (on page):

Women are not allowed to do many things, like travel, and we are reminded many times that their worth comes from a good marriage.

Sexual assault/violence (on page, not explicit):

When Elise is captured, she is tied to a bed and has her skirt lifted. She is threatened with a forced marriage then marital rape but is rescued before these threats are carried out. The language used is less explicit but the intent is clear.

Sexual content (on page):

The language used is non-explicit but the acts are clear. In one scene, Legion briefly performs manual sex on Elise. In another he does the same to completion and she does the same for him.

Slavery (on page):

The book term is serfs but it’s pretty clear they’re not free to leave. The king also enslaves anyone with fae powers.

Suicide attempt (off page):

Brief mention that when Legion becomes the beast he seeks blood at all costs and will turn to his own if nothing else is available. It is mentioned that Tor has seen him try to die in his bloodlust but he cannot die so it all continues.

Torture (on page):

Innocent people are captured and tortured on page prior to their attempted execution.

Violence (on page):

See all the other warnings

Content Warnings