Reviews tagging 'Sexual violence'

Mistborn: The Final Empire by Brandon Sanderson

54 reviews

lydsgrace99's review

adventurous dark hopeful 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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Physical abuse, Racism, Slavery, and War

Moderate: Body horror, Death, Gore, Torture, Violence, Murder, Abandonment, and Classism

Minor: Mental illness, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Kidnapping, Grief, Death of parent, and Colonisation

rnbhargava's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted mysterious reflective relaxing 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

4.25

I quite enjoyed this book throughout. It’s fairly well thought out. It’s not perfect as many have suggested it is. However the characterizations and a good portion of the world building is done really well. These characters already are very memorable to me. I honestly can’t wait to get to the rest of the series. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Confinement, Death, Gore, Racism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Grief, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Murder, War, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Ableism, Animal death, Body shaming, Bullying, Child death, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gun violence, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Sexism, Torture, Forced institutionalization, Medical content, Kidnapping, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Alcohol, and Classism

There are references to the potential for SA throughout the book. Also, there’s literal references and allusions to slavery and the types of work involved in real life slavery also happening in this fictional world. The nobles are also quite misogynistic at times.

kenina's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

4.5

I'm a fantasy lover, and this is definitely a highlight. There is a lot of physical abuse, war, abandonment and death, as well as gore. The tropes I listed above are quite graphic as well. Overall this book as amazing, and a definite 4.5 stars, and the reason it's not a five star is because I'm used to high stakes, fast paced books such as Percy Jackson. But overall a great read for a rainy day and you've nothing better to do 😁

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Child abuse, Death, Gore, Physical abuse, Racism, Sexual violence, Violence, Murder, Abandonment, and War

sierraclimbs's review

adventurous dark emotional funny hopeful inspiring mysterious sad tense fast-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? It's complicated

5.0

I loved reading this book!
It’s Avatar the Last Airbender but make it Victorian & instead of mastering the elements you burn metals to manipulate your surroundings. Also with a few “avatars” instead on one.
I also think the story is very similar in tone & characters to Six of Crowd by Leigh Bardugo. But it read a little more mature to me, while Six of Crows felt more YA. But I think if you enjoyed one you’d enjoy the other. 
The world & magic system are so well thought out. Every time I thought I found a loophole it was explained away soon after as if the author was reading my mind! 
This book honestly felt like a stand alone. But I am still eager to pick up the next in the series! 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Racism, Slavery, Violence, and Blood

Moderate: Genocide, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Torture, Medical content, Grief, Murder, and War

patrickdm's review against another edition

adventurous emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious relaxing 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Slavery, Torture, and Violence

Moderate: Body horror, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Physical abuse, Racism, Toxic relationship, Death of parent, Murder, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Genocide, Mental illness, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, and Alcohol

emsavors's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gore, Hate crime, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Police brutality, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Abandonment, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

mallorypen's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

3.75

Okay, so I liked it ... but that first third of the book was a CHORE to get through. I understand why there was so much exposition - there was a fairly complicated magic system to explain, as well as a need to set the class system and history of the Lord Ruler - but by the forgotten gods it took a looooong time.

That said, once the plot really started to get going after the end of Part 1, this was a fantastic political thriller and mystery. Vyn as a protagonist was NOT a Mary Sue - which was great - and I got so frustrated with her lack of empathy in some situations, her selfishness in others, and her decision-making pretty much across the board. I don't know if I liked her character (and I'm pretty tired of the Chosen One trope) but I did root for her. Her inner monologues were ... a bit wooden, for my tastes, but they got the job done.

Once we got into the story and the others were able to develop their personalities a little more, I generally liked all the various members of the crew. They all became distinct from one another, and

when the Ska rebellion leader died after making his terrible decision with the army, I was sad for his death. When Marsh was thought to have been killed by the Inquisitors, I was sad for his death, too.

And Sayzid? He was the best character out of them all.

I agree wholeheartedly with the general consensus that Brandon Sanderson writes a FABULOUS fight scene. The action is written so clearly, and even with a complex magic system making up 80% of the sequences, I really felt like I was there in the moment fighting alongside the characters.

I'd also posit that Brandon Sanderson writes a mean twist. <spoilers> Marsh actually being alive, and having gone through the process to be an Inquisitor ... I totally didn't see that coming. Or, Kelcier's overarching plot to make himself a legend and then let himself be killed? Mind. Blown.

A few things that gave me pause:

• A white CIS man writing a female protagonist who comes from an enslaved people subjected to torture and subjugation for a thousand years ... I don't know. It hit me in a weird spot how similar some things were between the nobility/Ska and white/Black people; the abuses felt VERY familiar and I'm not sure how I feel about it coming from who wrote it. I don't know. It will take further rumination on how exactly it bothers me.
• The instalove between Ellend and Vyn. Tired, boring, blegh. Why did we need a romance, here?

Anyways. I will read the next two books, but I will be giving myself a break.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Death, Sexual violence, Slavery, Violence, Xenophobia, Murder, and War

aeternus's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional inspiring 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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Rape, Sexual violence, Slavery, and Abandonment

mads_reads_books's review against another edition

adventurous dark inspiring sad slow-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

3.0

Does not pass The Bechdel Test

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Adult/minor relationship, Child death, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Police brutality, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Abandonment, Colonisation, War, and Classism

Minor: Body horror, Confinement, Drug use, Genocide, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Toxic relationship, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Police brutality, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Grief, Stalking, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Fire/Fire injury, Cultural appropriation, Toxic friendship, and War

naomi_k's review against another edition

adventurous emotional inspiring 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Gore, Slavery, Violence, Blood, Murder, and Classism

Moderate: Body horror, Child death, Confinement, Torture, Forced institutionalization, Xenophobia, Police brutality, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Genocide, Rape, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, and Toxic friendship