Reviews tagging 'Violence'

L'ombra della notte by Cristina Volpi, Deborah Harkness

26 reviews

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

---

Content Warnings

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

Moderate: Grief, Death, and Injury/Injury detail

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

flyintothestorm's review against another edition

adventurous dark 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? Yes

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Miscarriage, Sexual content, Blood, Violence, and Injury/Injury detail

saroreen's review against another edition

adventurous mysterious tense slow-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

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Torture, Violence, and Blood

Minor: Antisemitism

kat1105's review against another edition

adventurous emotional 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? Yes

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Body horror, Child abuse, Alcohol, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Drug use, Sexual content, Fire/Fire injury, Violence, Vomit, Torture, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Death, Emotional abuse, and Gore

laurenleigh's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious tense slow-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? Yes

5.0

It’s rare these days that I immediately continue a series, other library holds be damned, but I couldn’t resist with this one. Iloved all the research Harkness put into the first book, but wow there’s even more here! Minor spoiler, but this whole book is set in the past. I kept waiting for them to return to the present, but I ended up thoroughly enjoying the historical setting. I’ve read or watched plenty of stories set in Elizabethan England, but this was the richest depiction I’ve had yet! I see how from a writer’s perspective, historical fiction places a number of restrictions upon you, but to combine that with witches, demons, and vampires is a delightful juxtaposition. I’m so into this world that Harkness has built, and I’m already on book #3!

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Pregnancy and Miscarriage

Moderate: Violence and Misogyny

micaelamariem's review against another edition

challenging mysterious 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? It's complicated

3.0

A bit disappointed with this one. Good points: it was well written and there must’ve been loads of research put into this which I respect. Not so good points: the books was unnecessarily long and many scenes could’ve been cut out, Matthew was insufferable in his secret-keeping, hypocrisy, and jealousy, and the elements of time travel didn’t make much sense as they thoroughly messed up the timeline!

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexism, Sexual content, Violence, Blood, Death, Vomit, Injury/Injury detail, Grief, and Miscarriage

Moderate: Murder, Antisemitism, Religious bigotry, and Pregnancy

Minor: Alcohol, Fire/Fire injury, War, Colonisation, Forced institutionalization, Torture, Addiction, Classism, Confinement, and Drug use

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.

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Miscarriage, Kidnapping, Misogyny, and Pregnancy

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

aduqu's review against another edition

emotional mysterious 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

I almost stopped reading this book many times - it's mottled with both intriguing and painfully slow parts, but the good parts are worth slogging through the bad.

Matthew is less of an ass in this one, and Diana is less helpless.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Miscarriage

Moderate: Alcohol, Torture, Drug abuse, and Violence

Minor: Rape

baearles's review against another edition

adventurous emotional mysterious 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

3.75

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Death

Moderate: Blood, Death of parent, Addiction, Violence, Toxic friendship, Mental illness, and Alcohol

Minor: Sexual content, Miscarriage, Grief, Fire/Fire injury, Drug use, Antisemitism, Sexism, Injury/Injury detail, Pregnancy, Murder, and Torture

hazelgirl21's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional slow-paced

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

3.5

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Blood, Violence, Miscarriage, and Pregnancy