Reviews with content warning for Violence - Court of Blood and Bindings

Reviews tagging 'Violence'

Court of Blood and Bindings by Lisette Marshall

11 reviews

clairebartholomew549's review against another edition

adventurous emotional mysterious 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

4.0

This book was really fun and much less predictable and unoriginal than I expected. We follow Emelin as she is kidnapped from her home and taken to a Fae court where she has to act silly and frivolous to avoid death and capture. She has a classic enemies-to-lovers storyline with the Silent Death (incredible name and character, truly), and her inner conflict about everything she knows about him in tension with her burgeoning feelings rung true and nuanced. The worldbuilding feels both easy to follow and really innovative - I'm excited to learn more about color magic and how it works - and the side characters are interesting. I was a little confused about the connection between the gods and the fae, but I'm sure the other books in the series will shed more light and expand the universe, and the Labyrinth was delightful. I'm excited to read the next books in this series!

Special thanks to NetGalley and Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op for sharing this amazing digital reviewer copy with me in exchange for my honest opinions.

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romantasy_mama's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional mysterious 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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teaand_tomes's review against another edition

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emotional mysterious tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Court of Blood and Bindings by Lisette Marshall is a compelling fantasy romance novel with well-crafted characters, an intricate plot, and a unique magic system. The slow-burning romance between main characters Creon and Emeline is filled with tension and chemistry. The book's plot is layered with intrigue and suspense, balanced with adventure. The magic system is fresh and influences the characters and their world. The sentient labyrinth adds an extra layer of mystery to the narrative. The book is a testament to Marshall's storytelling and world-building skills.

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sugarkilleer's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional 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? No

3.75

Not for its themes though, it's a light reading, definitely helped me get through my lately-lack-of-reading phase. I liked the characters and worldbuilding- the main characters are also likeable and their chemistry is very steamy 🔥 Maybe it'd have been good to add more of villain's character development but still it's a enjoyable reading ✨

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louwho244's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional sad tense 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? Yes

4.25

Content Warnings

prettynerdy3's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging mysterious medium-paced

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

4.0

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h4ll3's review against another edition

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adventurous 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? It's complicated

4.25

I really enjoyed this book! I was intrigued at the outset by the color magic and the way that needs to be tended to by each character (because perceiving color is different for different folks) and how Emelin does not realize the full extent of her powers until she is trained to use more than one color at once. I always enjoy when character conflict is mommy-issues... because same! The ASL-lover in me also really appreciated the push for Creon to learn a new way to communicate through hand signs, and how he is hesitant at first but wants to connect with Em badly enough to learn. I do love a MMC who is morally gray and will legit kill for the FMC, but would never touch her if she didn't want it. I felt like the exploration of how he's been trying to

overthrow his mother and the kingdom

could have gone a bit deeper, but I am excited to continue reading the series and see how things work out for the motley crew who join forces at the end.

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baroo92's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional funny 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

This series has RUINED ME. The chemistry and nuance between the characters, the magic system, the lore… I’m obsessed. I just plowed through books 1 and 2 as well as the prequel in a week and I’m dying waiting on the third book to release!!

I’m not seeing nearly enough reviews on the magic system- I read a LOT of fantasy series, and I’ve never seen a style this creative. Color mixing is such a cool idea, and it adds such subtle nuances to the way magic can be used in both huge and subtle ways. I loved every turn of the page because there were always new variables to think about with their magic and how they would solve problems with it.

This book takes a really simple fantasy romance structure and fleshes it out in a really great way- I described it to a friend as “ACOTAR but with depth”. The characters have real nuance, they grow and learn with each other, and I was so satisfied following the thought process through the journey. I really can’t recommend enough.

PS- SIGN LANGUAGE ROMANCE. SIGN LANGUAGE DURING SEX. SEXY ACCESSIBILITY. LET’S GOOOOO 🔥🔥🔥🔥

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bexbringsbooks's review against another edition

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adventurous 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? Yes

5.0

Despite starting this technically like 3 weeks ago, and last year, at least 85% was read over the course of the last two days. So I will say we’ve started the year off on a strong note. I know what I like to read and what is satisfying to me. However, just because a book might tick off certain boxes, it is not a guarantee that it will do so in a way that I enjoy. But Court of Blood and Bindings was so much fun. Are there some surface level comparisons to ACoTaR? Yes. But they are just that; surface level. This book had one of the most unique magic systems I have seen in a while and it was fascinating to get into the mechanics of it. Also puts a really interesting spin on certain magical beings that I’ve never seen before. The tropes that I live for were all present and accounted for but made interesting in the circumstances that brought them about. Appropriate foreshadowing was used, and I never felt like there was a deus ex machina introduced just to disappoint me. Given how it ended, some would likely say cliffhanger, but I don’t agree, I expect our world will expand in the second book, and I am terribly curious to see what else there is to discover. But aside from all of the new takes and unique ideas the book introduced, I honestly have to say that the best part about it was the banter between the leads. At turns laugh out loud funny, tense, adorable, steamy, and occasionally heartbreaking, it was their back and forth that really made the story. Will definitely be continuing the series, but want to let this installment sit with me for a little while before diving back in.

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krisalexcole's review against another edition

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adventurous 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? Yes

2.5

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