Reviews tagging 'Medical content'

Witchmark, by C.L. Polk

19 reviews

raptorq's review

3.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Classism, Forced institutionalization, and Medical content

Moderate: Murder, Blood, and War

Minor: Violence and Genocide

espiargrant's review

adventurous mysterious tense fast-paced

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

4.0

Overall, this book was a good time, though by no means perfect. The writing style was clear and flowed easily, and I liked most of the characters. The world-building seemed well-thought-out, but not explored as much as I would have liked. 

One issue I had with this book was that it kept the reader in the dark about certain things for too long to really have a sense of what to care about. I also felt that the ending was extremely rushed, and I wish that Tristan had had more development. He was absent too often and when he was present, he didn't have much agency in the story, which dampened the romance for me.

That said, this was still a fun, magical story with a cute queer romance, and I'm glad I read it.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Classism, Death, Forced institutionalization, Mental illness, War, Medical content, and Murder

Moderate: Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, and Homophobia

Minor: Drug use

ninjamuse's review

emotional hopeful mysterious medium-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? It's complicated

3.5

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Medical content, Medical trauma, Death, and Murder

Moderate: War, Emotional abuse, Classism, Toxic relationship, Mental illness, Suicide, and Injury/injury detail

Minor: Suicidal thoughts, Homophobia, Death of parent, and Grief

criticalgayze's review against another edition

I always feel bad about not finishing an undersung and much beloved title, and I feel worse here because it came recommended to me as part of a 12 Friends, 12 Books reading challenge. However, I would feel worse about leaving a lackluster rating that affected the overall average in even a marginal way.

I *need* SFF authors, even the ones given less editing and marketing help, to work on this issue of dumping us into story with little or no world-building. I get this flies in the face of conventional writing wisdom, but SFF is a unique genre that needs that work done desperately if you want your reader to understand stakes, which I really didn’t here. Too much was happening, and I wasn’t sure why or why I should care.

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Medical trauma, Mental illness, and Medical content

Minor: Murder, Suicide, and Suicidal thoughts

purplepenning's review

adventurous dark emotional mysterious medium-paced

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

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Classism, Death, Death of parent, Mental illness, Forced institutionalization, Injury/injury detail, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Suicidal thoughts, and Vomit

Moderate: Alcohol, Colonisation, War, Torture, Slavery, Medical content, Homophobia, Drug use, and Emotional abuse

20sidedbi's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious tense fast-paced

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

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Classism, Forced institutionalization, Medical content, Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, and Torture

Moderate: Death of parent, Homophobia, and War

llyrian's review

adventurous dark emotional hopeful mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

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

5.0

So good it deserves a place in my physical-bookshelf-collection! 

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Physical abuse, Domestic abuse, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Blood, Bullying, Chronic illness, Classism, Death, Injury/injury detail, Medical content, Medical trauma, and Emotional abuse

Minor: Murder

therainbowshelf's review against another edition

adventurous emotional funny mysterious medium-paced

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

5.0

An absolutely fun read, especially if you enjoy fantasy reads. I loved watching Miles try to figure out what's wrong with his patients and solve the mystery of the murdered magic user all while quickly falling head over heals in love. The characters are really fun, and the pace of the story felt really well done. Definitely will be one of my favorites for 2022.

📘The Gist 📘: While trying to unravel a mysterious illness he sees with magic without letting anyone know he has magic, Miles is visited by a dying man who passes on a dire warning. This adds solving the murder, falling in love, and avoiding his family's notice to his growing list of problems. 

📒Representation📒: mlm mc, mental healthcare

💕 For readers looking for 💕: a fun and adventurous fantasy, secret magic, mystery, magical others, heartwarming romance, political drama, an undertone that things are not as ok as they appear 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Grief, Injury/injury detail, Medical content, Mental illness, Murder, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Violence, and War

Moderate: Classism

blackrabbitrun's review

adventurous mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.5

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Confinement, Forced institutionalization, Medical content, Mental illness, Murder, Self harm, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Suicide attempt

Moderate: Addiction, Cancer, Injury/injury detail, and War

aardwyrm's review

adventurous mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.0

A tightly plotted mystery with lots of stakes and intrigue and enough clever worldbuilding interwoven with the historical inspiration to be fun to follow. The romance is given a center stage that it doesn't quite earn, but the relationships are otherwise interestingly sketched.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Torture, War, Violence, Suicidal thoughts, Medical content, Gore, and Death of parent

Minor: Colonisation and Suicide