Reviews tagging 'Sexual violence'

Dragonfly in Amber by Diana Gabaldon

30 reviews

chronicallyplotting's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional reflective sad slow-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? It's complicated

4.0

Dragonfly in Amber reunites us Claire Randall Fraser and some of our many other beloved and not so beloved characters from the first Outlander novel. This book does a time hop a current Claire with her now grown daughter Brianna unfolds the truth behind Brianna's father and what happened that lead Claire to have to come back through the stones. We learn the attempts made to try to save the men from the dreaded fate of the many bloodshed battles about to occur over the Scottish lands. 

Diana Gabaldon does an amazing job interweaving incredibly accurate historical information into her writings. I have learned so much about various Scottish tribes and have gone on to do my own leisure reading about the different real life clans myself. The author also includes extensive research into medical and livelihood means during this time period which really transport one into the book. 

I enjoy the diversity of character's in this book including the every mysterious minor character Master Raymond. Mother Hildegarde and her dog Bouton have a special place in my heart. And Donas the loyal horse. 
My only downfall for this novel is the first 350ish pages were slow. It was hard to get into and the characters POV's would occasionally switch without notice and it would take a moment to realize who was narrating. Although the beginning was a slow start, all the information was needed and necessary to understanding everything that was and is to come. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gore, Infertility, Miscarriage, and Medical content

Moderate: Death, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Terminal illness, Torture, Violence, Abortion, Murder, Pregnancy, Sexual harassment, and War

kimveach's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional informative 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

I'm amazed at how easy and enjoyable it is to read an almost 1000-page book.  This author is amazing.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Bullying, Chronic illness, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gore, Gun violence, Homophobia, Infidelity, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Terminal illness, Torture, Violence, Blood, Excrement, Vomit, Medical content, Kidnapping, Grief, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

ashybear02's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring mysterious reflective sad tense slow-paced

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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Rape, Sexual content, Sexual violence, and Murder

Moderate: War

thefriendlymushroom's review against another edition

adventurous emotional tense fast-paced

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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Miscarriage, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Pregnancy, Sexual harassment, War, and Injury/Injury detail

hannahbailey's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious tense medium-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? It's complicated

3.5

I enjoyed this a lot more than the first one; perhaps I was coming in with lower expectations. Rich in its historical setting, we travel from Scotland to Paris and back again. Really enjoyed learning more about the politics of the time and the Jacobite rebellion. Hated seeing the English win ofc, we're always the villains 😫

This was a comfort read as the story and characters were familiar. However I was kept engaged by the high stakes not only of Paris aristocracy but civil war too! There is something quite mesmerising about Gabaldon's writing, despite the smut scenes.

TW: r*pe, SA, misogyny, murder, death, PTSD, miscarriage, violence, kidnapping, torture

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child death, Death, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Torture, Violence, Medical content, Kidnapping, Grief, Medical trauma, Murder, Pregnancy, War, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Colonisation and Classism

skyegibs's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Miscarriage, Rape, Sexual violence, Violence, and Sexual harassment

imrereads's review against another edition

adventurous emotional 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? No

3.0

This is less a helpful review, and more an attempt of compiling my feels after what to be is a very comolicated story. I don't know what to say about this book. Honestly I felt like it didn't need to be as long as it was and it took me ages to finish, but I still find myself compelled to read the next one (despite knowing what happens, thanks to the tv series). There is certainly something great about Gabaldon's style of writing that makes me want to continue, despite many aspects of the books not being to my taste. 

I think one of my major issues, and this is absolutely a oersonal preference, is the degree of sexual content. While I often find it good and fitting, I also often find it jarring and takes away from the core of the moment. Does every sex scene need to be explicit? I don't think so, but I guess it is that kind of a book so I can't really complain. I just found that often when the scenes showed up I couldn't fathom how they were horny in that moment. 

This probably is my least favouritr part of the story, it was in the series as well, but I found the first 200 pages really compelling, and likewise the last 200. I guess the issue is that that leaves about 500 pages in the middle that was kind of rocky to me. 

So I don't know. The overall premisenof the stort compells me. Gabaldon has a strong pen in my opinion. What happens next really interests me. I like that the characters are complicated, but a lot of the time I don't really like them. It ebbs and flows. I found that supplimenting my physical copy with the audio was really helpful to get through it, so maybe doing that from the start will lift the next book. Who knows! I just know that this book left of strong, so despite taking 4 months to finish, I want to continue the journey. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Medical content, Pregnancy, and War

jessica_wilder's review against another edition

adventurous emotional funny sad slow-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, and Violence

tiffanysmith's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional reflective sad tense slow-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

4.0

I enjoy Gabaldon’s immersion into historical times and characters, but this did get quite slow for me toward the middle. To keep my momentum, I actually switched to audiobook to get through the middle and then went back to reading toward the end when the excitement redeveloped. The pacing of the first book was somewhat better, but it also had it’s moments of unhurried storytelling. 

Still, I love how she drew me in with details and emotion. Gabaldon is very skilled with gifting the reader with all their senses during the read. It’s as if you can taste, hear, and smell every moment for better or worse. This is a true reflection of the magic of being immersed in an amazing read. 

There were a few moments I had some conflicting thoughts about how the author approached rape and sex in this installment. Some of Jamie’s remarks/actions were probably in remarkably bad taste. Admittedly, the events of Claire and Jamie’s relationship take place in the 18th century, so relationships were quite different back then. I don’t believe Jamie is a bad man, only that there were some specific choices of words or actions he made that  made me cringe at the vulgarity. 

Overall, the book is well-written and I do feel like I am a part of the world woven by the author. It’s full of beautiful moments of love and heartbreak, as well as loyalty, betrayal, and a sincere fierceness to protect those that we hold most dear. And then the heartbreak! I look forward to the next book! I’ve realized by now that I’m committed and in it for the long-haul. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Chronic illness, Cursing, Death, Miscarriage, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Pregnancy, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Torture, Vomit, Sexual harassment, and War

Minor: Drug use, Murder, Alcohol, and Classism

jillianseibert's review

adventurous emotional 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? No

4.0

Hot, sexy, the slow burn is necessary.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Misogyny, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Torture, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Murder, Pregnancy, Sexual harassment, War, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Cursing, Infertility, Infidelity, Miscarriage, Rape, Grief, and Classism

Minor: Domestic abuse