Reviews tagging 'Kidnapping'

La sombra de la noche by Deborah Harkness

5 reviews

siglerbooknook's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional informative mysterious reflective 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? No

4.5

This was a very engaging book full of important little details. Harkness does a great job of pulling all the pieces together so they are believable and entertaining.

This book does a great job building both our main characters and several of the side characters from the first book, as well as introducing new characters that feel like real people.
I must say, I enjoyed the side characters even more than Matthew and Diana.

I found Matthew's brooding a bit taxing as the story went along. It felt like growth between Diana and Matthew took a bit too long and it did get frustrating, however the side characters were loveable enough to make up for it.

I love Harkness's way of weaving useful information in with the desires and personalities we've already come to know of Matthew and Diana. They didn't feel like completely different people despite their circumstances.

She also does a wonderful job of making the story feel complete, letting the reader see little snippets of detail like the ripples a choice causes in time. I don't understand how this book could feel so beautifully finished and yet leave me so tense and ready for the third book. I can't wait to see how this trilogy will end in the next novel.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Infertility, Miscarriage, and Abandonment

Moderate: Child death, Drug use, Torture, Kidnapping, Grief, Stalking, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

Minor: Addiction, Animal death, Homophobia, Infidelity, Self harm, Sexual content, Antisemitism, Religious bigotry, and Pandemic/Epidemic

mads_reads_books's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious sad tense slow-paced

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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Child abuse, Confinement, Gore, Hate crime, Infertility, Miscarriage, Sexual violence, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Kidnapping, Grief, Religious bigotry, Stalking, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Colonisation, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

Moderate: Miscarriage and Misogyny

joey_paige's review against another edition

adventurous emotional hopeful mysterious tense slow-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Infertility, Miscarriage, Sexual content, Torture, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, and Pregnancy

Moderate: Death, Grief, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Animal death, Drug use, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Rape, Religious bigotry, Murder, and Abandonment

redheadsuperpowers's review against another edition

emotional tense slow-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? It's complicated

3.0

300 pages in and already annoyed with the menfolk.  I am reminded of why I avoid historical romances. Matthew has fallen away from his modern memory, and is treating Diana as if she were from the Elizabethan era and not the educated woman she is. At risk due to a jealous ass of his friend, who has attempted to stir witchcraft sentiments against her in a time and place where witches were burned!! I seethe, as all could have been avoided if her was listening and respecting her intelligence. Men.ugh.

I read this directly after reading the first in the series. It did lend some to the storyline, but overall, it just reminded me I hate historical novels. I am more of an urban fantasy reader.

In this follow up to A Discovery of Witches, we find our leads Diana and Matthew time walking back to Elizabethan England. With a jealous wannabe paramour for Matthew, active witch hunts, and time appropriate intrigue, it drags a bit. Matthew is once again keeping too many secrets, but Diana is finally learning her own abilities. We meet Philippe and Stephan, and see both leads get some closure with their fathers. Diana changes history by being herself. We met lots of major historical players that were apparently Matthew's friends. That man sure involves himself in major events for someone changing lives so often. All in all, it was a decent book, and while long winded, did lend depth to the storyline.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Miscarriage, Misogyny, Kidnapping, and Pregnancy

Minor: Animal death, Child abuse, Child death, Chronic illness, Death, Gore, Mental illness, Sexism, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Religious bigotry, Stalking, Death of parent, Colonisation, War, and Classism

katvou's review against another edition

adventurous informative mysterious 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? It's complicated

3.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Child death, Death, Miscarriage, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Addiction, Animal death, Drug use, Mental illness, Rape, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Violence, Medical content, and Kidnapping