Reviews tagging 'War'

King of Thorns by Mark Lawrence

6 reviews

garrettcz's review against another edition

adventurous dark funny 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

4.5

This was the weakest in the series but still great! It’s told in a pretty confusing way that’s very different from the rest of the series, but was still a ton of fun to read. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Bullying, Child death, Cursing, Death, Genocide, Gore, Sexual content, Torture, Violence, Medical content, Grief, Murder, Pregnancy, War, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Bullying, Child death, Death, Gore, Infertility, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Torture, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Murder, Pregnancy, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail

hal00alex's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious tense slow-paced

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

3.75

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Violence, and War

Moderate: Child death, Gore, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Blood, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, and Sexual harassment

Minor: Excrement and Alcohol

lermaline's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark 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? Yes

2.75

J'ai apprécié suffisamment les livres pour achever la série. Cependant ce second tome ne m'a pas laissé une impression durable.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Child death, Gore, Blood, Fire/Fire injury, War, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Animal cruelty, Miscarriage, and Sexual assault

whirl's review against another edition

adventurous dark sad medium-paced

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

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Child death, Death, Gore, Violence, Blood, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, War, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Infertility, Rape, Abortion, and Pregnancy

Minor: Pedophilia

writingcaia's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No

3.75

It is difficult to understand what keeps driving Jorg Ancrath while death and tragedy follows and so much stands in his way. 
The narrative, like in the previous book, goes back and forth four years, this time jumping from the last months of his fourteens, showing him lose his memories after some atrocity and defining moment that he is made or pushed to forget and trap in a box, he also loses a great friend, but sees the world, finds his feelings, gains family and new friends and also a chance, to the day in his late eighteens that he is getting married while reacting to be attacked by the Prince of Arrow, the lauded and prophesied future emperor.
This change in the narrative is sometimes difficult to follow but it does make for a very tense, surprise filled and interesting read.
Still, the question remains for me, what drives him to face and conquer the dreams that Sageous puts in his head? Is another manipulating him instead? On the first book part was revenge part was his brain being played with, but what about now, what drives him to kill everyone and bleed the world so he can become emperor? Not love, not being a good emperor, I don’t think, not even wining the Hundred Years’ War and unifying the kingdoms. Not even power I bet. He seems only mad, broken, lost, and terrifying.
I liked this second book better than the first, the writing has improved and the added details to the plot and character arc were pretty awesome even the brutal ones, but I’m still not wholly convinced with the plot and the drive of the main character, although I like the mystery and glimpses of the past of the Broken Empire and the builders - the ancient people of before, and like the idea of the new awaken and broken veils that give magic and bring forth new inhuman foes, and also like Jorg’s interactions with the others even the gruesome ones, and how he plans his conquering majestic plans, I still can’t rate it higher because I still can’t understand why though, why he does all that? Why not just let it be?
Maybe I’ll get to know the answer on the last one.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Fire/Fire injury, War, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Body horror, and Gore

Minor: Child death and Rape

m3gan0's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional medium-paced

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

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Death, Gore, Rape, Torture, Violence, Blood, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, War, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Animal cruelty and Animal death

Minor: Mental illness, Miscarriage, Suicidal thoughts, Grief, Abortion, and Pregnancy

I have no idea how this trilogy will end at this point but it's been a fantastic (though dark and violent) read so far. I hope book 3 is just as good.