Reviews tagging 'Murder'

The Hemlock Queen by Hannah Whitten

15 reviews

bzliz's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious medium-paced

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

4.25

No second book slump here for me- I loved it just as much as the first one. I think people will be disappointed if they go in expecting Romantasy, which this is not. It’s fantasy with some romance. The romantic elements of the true love triangle left me asking the same question as Lore- how much of this is you vs the gods in your heads? (But also, I’d be thrilled if this ends in a true throuple.) And the gods were just as messy in their times, which I enjoyed seeing. 

And we got a lot more of those gods, much to my delight. Nyxara’s presence in Lore’s head made for an interesting dynamic deeper than any conversation she could have with her cohorts. I felt like every interaction Lore had with anyone was crucial in learning more about the stakes, because of course you’d need some time to catch up in a chess match against a god that began hundreds of years before you existed. 

Everything is so complicated because it’s so intertwined, which makes every decision matter more, and I felt that tension every step of the way. I’m so sad that the third book isn’t out until next year, I want it now!

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror and Murder

Moderate: Sexual content

kbowles24's review

dark emotional mysterious tense medium-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

3.75

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Cursing, Death, Medical content, Religious bigotry, Murder, and Gaslighting

Moderate: Emotional abuse, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Death of parent, and Classism

Minor: Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal death, Confinement, Drug use, Infidelity, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexual violence, Slavery, Vomit, Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol, War, and Deportation

mauve_heard's review against another edition

It was so slow without anything happening except for miscommunication or just general lack of communication that made the book last longer. Was trying to hold out because all of the reviews raved about twist ending but after the autopsy being the first actual thing that happened in the book, I had to tap out 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Death, Gore, Blood, and Medical content

Moderate: Toxic relationship, Vomit, and Murder

puddleshoes's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious 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

4.25

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Gore, Toxic relationship, Violence, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Death, Physical abuse, Murder, and Sexual harassment

Minor: Religious bigotry and War

beccaand's review against another edition

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

4.5

happy pride to my favourite throuple

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Death, Gore, Blood, and Murder

Moderate: Sexual content and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Religious bigotry

book_gremlin42's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious sad tense medium-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

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Death, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Violence, and Murder

Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Death of parent, and Alcohol

callistag1's review

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense slow-paced

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

2.25

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Suicide attempt, Murder, and Gaslighting

Moderate: Sexual content, Sexual violence, Violence, and War

Minor: Religious bigotry

mandersdraws's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

4.5

Ugh I need to read it again!! I feel like Hemlock Queen gets off to a sluggish (and maybe a little depressing) start, with the protagonist taking a passive role for a few chapters, but the action and tension really ramped up quickly. It wove a bunch of loose threads together from the first book into an intricate and rich tapestry, and it gave me even more ancient mysteries to think on while I wait for the next one!

I really love how the protagonist’s powers and relationship to the religion of the world allows us to peek into the ancient past. I love how it explores the fallibility of people, and of divine figures. I love that it calls into question the motives of the people writing our laws, our bibles.

And oh, I really fucking love the tragic romance. (I especially love the very real possibility of a “completed” love triangle here, my new One True Threesome). I love how tender some of the spicy scenes are. This shit is right up my alley!!

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Death, Gore, Sexual content, Violence, Blood, Religious bigotry, and Murder

Moderate: Cursing, Gun violence, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Violence, Kidnapping, Alcohol, and Sexual harassment

Minor: Confinement, Domestic abuse, Infidelity, Misogyny, Rape, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Sexual harassment, Colonisation, War, and Classism

Mental illness tag because while it’s related to the fantasy elements of the book, the protagonist hears voices. That and possession are big topics of the book. Also warning for dissociation.

dani_reis's review against another edition

dark slow-paced

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

3.0

This felt like a version of the book Illborn but with different focuses. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Confinement, Gore, Sexual content, Medical trauma, and Murder

Minor: Death

chaptermaggot's review against another edition

emotional tense medium-paced

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

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Gore, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Confinement, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Murder, and Alcohol

Minor: Child death, Drug use, Gun violence, Infidelity, Rape, Torture, Death of parent, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , War, and Classism