Reviews tagging 'Body horror'

Land of the Beautiful Dead by R. Lee Smith

6 reviews

doahdancer's review

challenging dark emotional funny hopeful reflective sad tense slow-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Body horror, Body shaming, Bullying, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Genocide, Gore, Gun violence, Infertility, Physical abuse, Self harm, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Terminal illness, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Excrement, Vomit, Medical content, Trafficking, Grief, Medical trauma, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail

hecklaurac's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Slavery, Terminal illness, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Medical content, Trafficking, Grief, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Sexual harassment, War, and Injury/Injury detail

downtown_kb's review

challenging 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? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

 The world has been ravaged by war trying to defeat Azrael, an eldritch horror who has an army of undead and cannot be killed. Lan, who has nothing left to lose, sneaks into Azrael’s palace prepared to recklessly bargain with the Lord of the Undead to get him to stop destroying the world. 

This was a reread for me.

It was interesting to revisit this because the second read always removes the angst, and this book has a lot of angst. Although, it still tugged at my heartstrings.

These two struggle so hard because they just are so different. Lan’s lack of education and small world vs Azrael who is tens of thousands of years old and surrounded by violence, hatred, and death. It shouldn’t work but R. Lee Smith did a great job of illustrating just how not on the same page they always are. It’s miscommunication but more than that. And not to say that I didn’t understand where he was coming from on the first read but I think I saw Azrael more clearly this time around. You see where the bitterness, cruelty, and apathy comes from. But also, there is so many times he does little things that show you he's actually thoughtful and kind.

I’m glad I reread this. It was just as good and I saw it all on another level. The first time I read this book it wrecked me emotionally to the point I just stared at the wall for a while after. The reread allowed me to face the boogeyman so to speak. 

If you like cold MMCs, true enemies to lovers, angst and some dark/horror themes - this book is a must read.

 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Cancer, Death, Gore, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Terminal illness, Vomit, Medical content, Suicide attempt, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Torture and Death of parent

Minor: Infidelity

ayuming_reads's review

challenging dark emotional 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

5.0

I cannot stop thinking about this book. I sobbed so hard. And I thought I finally got over it and then I saw someone’s fanart of the characters and just looking at them made me start crying uncontrollably again. Like I feel so much for these characters oh my god. My heart hurts so much as if they’re real people. 
If someone asked me to explain this book I wouldn’t be able to do it without immediate tears.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Death, Gore, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Violence, Grief, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Genocide, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicide, Suicide attempt, and Sexual harassment

Minor: Rape and War

terminal illness, radiation poisoning, cancer

starlit_pathways's review

dark emotional reflective sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• 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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Body horror, Child death, Confinement, Gore, Self harm, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Terminal illness, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Body shaming and Bullying

selda's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious slow-paced

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

5.0

Wow. I have never read anything like this. I can tell that this author is very unique. I LOVED this story. It’s more quiet and slow, but I loved that. You never find stories where characters just talk and build a relationship over many pages. It has a very death and the maiden/batb feel and that is my favorite trope. I loved how the author portrayed an immortal that actually felt like one. One who had been through everything and slowly unraveled throughout the story. It all just developed so organically it was a beautiful experience. I could have done without his other courtesans(unfortunately they are there throughout the story) but I can overlook it this time because of how amazing everything else was. If you love powerful god-like immortal gives everything for his girl this one is for you. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Gore, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Terminal illness, Torture, Blood, and Suicide attempt