Reviews tagging 'War'

Angels Before Man by rafael nicolás

28 reviews

weirdassfanta's review against another edition

dark emotional tense slow-paced

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

5.0

Beautifully gruesome.
Unfortunately I hit a reading slump right before starting this, so I feel I didn’t get to savor it as much as I would have otherwise, even so, this is a remarkable, gut wrenching book. Truthfully I have always been a sucker for pomegranate/cannibalism symbolism in love, and this took that part of me and made it into a book. Watching the process of Lucifer being used and toyed with by God and his love for Michael slowly making him realize what abuse he’s been through and him taking a similar power to work towards freeing not just him, but anyone who chooses to follow him. Even when he knows he will not overcome God, and will be punished yet again, he fights so he does not feel trapped under the lies again. The only I have to say is that I dislike the ending, but I do with many books when they tears me to shreds in such a way. I dislike the ending in a way that I am captivated by it. Just don’t expect the fall of Lucifer to be a happy story ig. A book that time and time again left me simply saying, what the fuck.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Self harm, Sexual content, Violence, Blood, War, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Death, and Torture

Minor: Sexual assault and Fire/Fire injury

bonriki's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective slow-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

1.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Self harm, Torture, Toxic relationship, Religious bigotry, Murder, and War

Moderate: Animal death, Rape, and Suicide attempt

raisinreads's review against another edition

4.25

they struck my man down for being too gay 😔

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Gore, Physical abuse, Self harm, Sexual content, Violence, War, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Sexual assault, Sexual violence, and Torture

Minor: Alcohol

biobeetle's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Blood, Religious bigotry, and Abandonment

Moderate: Medical content and War

Minor: Rape

krystaldelusion's review against another edition

emotional sad

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Gore, Sexual content, Violence, and War

Moderate: Emotional abuse, Self harm, Sexual assault, Torture, Grief, and Gaslighting

Minor: Sexual violence, Vomit, and Suicide attempt

c_alexander's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Emotional abuse, Gore, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Self harm, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Dysphoria, War, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Body shaming, Sexual content, and Religious bigotry

Minor: Rape

pandem0nium's review against another edition

dark emotional lighthearted reflective 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

4.75

the twink to king of hell pipeline 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Self harm, Violence, Religious bigotry, and War

Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Rape, and Sexual violence

Minor: Schizophrenia/Psychosis

ina_pages's review against another edition

dark emotional 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? Yes

4.75

I’d give this 5 stars if not for very minor grammar issues that I believe were addressed in the rewrite. I hope to get my hands on that since I also heard that new scenes were added to it.

This book pulled me out of a reading slump that lasted MONTHS. Rafael’s masterful prose will have you gripped from start to finish and will have you falling in love with characters literally against your own will. It was heartbreaking enough to read about a character you knew was doomed from the start, but this book makes you feel so much for Lucifer that watching his decent from grace was just that much worse.

Highly recommend this book to anyone who’s interested. The author lists down a set of trigger warnings at the start but they are only really applicable in the second half of the book. 

If you want a feel good, slow burn, romance-y book then maybe pick this up and just stop after part one (like skip the interlude even) but if you have the headspace for it part two is an intense rollercoaster ride of emotions.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Religious bigotry

Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Gore, Incest, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Self harm, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Violence, Blood, Grief, Suicide attempt, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol, War, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Homophobia, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, Toxic friendship, and Sexual harassment

asteria_'s review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional 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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cursing, Gore, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Grief, Suicide attempt, and War

brdiaz1123's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Gore, Rape, Sexual violence, Torture, Grief, Religious bigotry, Suicide attempt, Murder, War, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Cannibalism and Toxic friendship