Reviews tagging 'Blood'

Varjo ja riipus by Leigh Bardugo

201 reviews

uselesspirateraven's review against another edition

adventurous informative lighthearted relaxing sad slow-paced

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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Bullying, Emotional abuse, Toxic relationship, and Classism

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Rape, Sexual assault, Slavery, Violence, Xenophobia, and War

Minor: Body shaming, Blood, and Vomit

evelynnnn33333's review against another edition

adventurous challenging 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, War, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Animal death, Death, Blood, and Medical content

Minor: Bullying, Rape, Sexual assault, Excrement, Grief, and Alcohol

bookishdreamer's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark mysterious sad slow-paced

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

2.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Death, Emotional abuse, Toxic relationship, Violence, and Toxic friendship

Moderate: Misogyny, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Blood, and War

Minor: Physical abuse, Rape, and Death of parent

kshertz's review against another edition

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

4.5

Ooh I see why people like this book. I very much enjoyed Mal and the main character and their love story. I also enjoyed learning about the darkling and this entire fantasy world and all that it entails that I’ll continue on with the series because it wasn’t so gripping that I had to know what happens next, but I definitely enjoyed the book and I would definitely recommend it others!! It’s gripping! 

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Content Warnings

Minor: Animal death, Body horror, Death, Violence, Blood, War, and Injury/Injury detail

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

nclausel25's review against another edition

adventurous mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Confinement, Death, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Grief, War, and Injury/Injury detail

tabea1409's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional tense fast-paced

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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Child death, Death, Emotional abuse, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Murder, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, and Injury/Injury detail

marayzex's review against another edition

adventurous dark tense medium-paced

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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Animal death, Gun violence, Slavery, Torture, Forced institutionalization, and Murder

Minor: Cursing and War

takarakei's review against another edition

adventurous fast-paced

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

3.5

This was a super quick read. Especially since I watched the first season of the tv show way back when it first came out, so that helped a lot with the worldbuilding, but I had enough distance to not remember a lot of detail.
Onward with my Grishaverse journey!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence

Moderate: Animal death, Blood, and Classism

Minor: War

a mystical deer is hunted/killed

caitsreadingcorner's review against another edition

adventurous slow-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? No

3.25

I was surprisingly underwhelmed by this book. Bardugo does a great job setting up the political and societal system that comprises the plot and the explanations about the different powers that characters possess is pretty seamlessly woven into the plot. However, I still found myself getting lost at times and referring back to the map and hierarchy. Kudos to her for creating such an expansive universe, with myriad of cultures and people but the Grishaverse definitely takes some getting used to. 

That isn’t why I struggled so much with this book but rather, the characters were the issue for me. I just did not care for Alina at all. She is strong willed in terms of having been through some very hard experiences but a lot of her thoughts were too meek, over modest and whiny. I don’t think she’s a very strong main character and she was extremely (and predictably naive) in thinking the Darkling was romantically interested in her though she is rather plain. I did respect some of the decisions she made in the book but her back and forth feelings towards Mal and uncertainty made her a bit emotionally unstable. She’s not a very grounded or certain individual. She grew on me slightly towards the end but I still wouldn’t consider her badass. Mal is likeable enough but still, I wasn’t much enthralled by him either.

The most well written character in the book is the Darkling. There is a cunning duality to him that makes him mysterious and intriguing. At times he makes you want to root for him and at others, you’re reminded just how powerful and deceitful he truly is. The other characters lack depth in comparison. Overall, decent read. I will continue the series but I don’t have high expectations. 

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Content Warnings

Minor: Violence, Blood, and War