Reviews tagging 'Gore'

Varjo ja riipus by Leigh Bardugo

60 reviews

orchidlilly's review against another edition

adventurous mysterious tense medium-paced

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

3.5

Fantasy not-quite-Imperial-Russia with weird magic people is a pretty neat premise. I really appreciate the world building, which feels realistic but not so overtly 'just Russia' that it pulls you out. The magic is fun, even though it isn't very in-depth, and the plot as a whole is very gripping. Mostly, the characters are the biggest issue. Insofar as they don't have much personality. Alina is just a bland YA fmc, the Darkling is just broody hot and evil, Mal is good and also hot, and I can smell the love triangle from a mile away. It's not terrible, though, just very full of the standard YA cliches. I also don't generally love first person, but the writing is good enough that I can overlook it.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Death, Gore, Gun violence, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Murder, Toxic friendship, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Physical abuse, Sexism, Sexual assault, Medical content, Grief, Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol, War, and Classism

Minor: Ableism, Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Infidelity, and Slavery

evemlacey's review against another edition

adventurous emotional lighthearted tense medium-paced

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

3.25

I'm usually someone who reads a lot of classics, so I was unsure about the rating I was going to give this book. I can admit, I enjoyed it, so I will be giving it 3.25 stars. That's still a great score according to me.

This book did have me gasping, giggling, and scowling as a reaction to the plot.

I wasn't sure if she was going to end up with Mal or The Darkling, for a brief point I shipped them. I feel like Mal could be more fleshed out because, in all honesty, The Darkling was more interesting. Alina and Mal are not a great couple. There's little chemistry between them and in all honesty, I'm hoping a new love interest will be introduced in the sequel. Let's just say I'll be busy reading The Darkling x Alina fanfiction on AO3 this next week.

I enjoyed this book. I had just finished reading a heavy novel and this acted as a palate cleanser for me. If you're a fan of romantasy and YA, you'd enjoy this. Go give this book a read. It's a light and easy read. The pacing was a little off, but I didn't mind. 

Fortunately, I own the next two books, so I'll settle in with Siege and Storm, chocolate, and a cup of tea for the night. Can't wait!

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Gore, Medical trauma, War, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Gun violence, Sexual content, and Death of parent

vnfhcxksiw's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful inspiring mysterious reflective sad medium-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Genocide, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, War, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Animal death, Body horror, Body shaming, Bullying, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gore, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, Suicide attempt, Murder, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

snowiceblackfruit77's review against another edition

dark sad medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Body horror, Bullying, Death, Gore, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Grief, Murder, Alcohol, War, and Classism

sparrow_oak's review against another edition

adventurous mysterious tense fast-paced

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

3.25

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Gore

alex_4's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful inspiring mysterious reflective sad 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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gore, Gun violence, Sexual assault, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Death of parent, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

Moderate: Emotional abuse, Suicidal thoughts, and War

natyourusual_'s review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious slow-paced

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

2.5

It was a fun book. I think the biggest disappointment was in the characterization of the Darkling

(I really wanted him to just be a misunderstood antihero or to have a better goal overall to make him a justifiable villain but he’s just evil for evil’s sake and I don’t like that for him)

and I just don’t like Mal at all as a character, but it’s a solid YA fantasy book with a very interesting magic system and world. I devoured the first 3/4 of the book (it almost fooled me into thinking it’s adult fantasy very briefly because it was that good) but the final stretch was not what I wanted. The writing is very beautiful and I am excited to see where it goes anyways!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death and Gore

Moderate: Death and Violence

Minor: Chronic illness, Sexual assault, War, and Classism

noras_library's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional inspiring reflective sad 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? It's complicated

4.5

This book made me feel more than any book has made me feel in a long time. The idea of the book is amazing and the execution is perfect. I loved the writing style.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Death, Gore, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, and Abandonment

Moderate: Child abuse, Child death, Sexual violence, Death of parent, and War

Minor: Sexual content

lovejasmine's review against another edition

adventurous emotional funny mysterious tense fast-paced

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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Physical abuse, Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, Murder, Gaslighting, and Colonisation

jguerrera77's review against another edition

adventurous emotional tense medium-paced

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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence

Moderate: Gore and Blood