Reviews tagging 'Physical abuse'

The Last Sun by K.D. Edwards

10 reviews

kalseng's review against another edition

adventurous medium-paced

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

3.0

(Upon looking over this review, I recognize that I lead with a lot of criticism. There are things I liked, I promise! I gave it a 3! That's a good book!)

The Last Sun was a fine book, with some structural choices I found annoying. I also found this particular printing layout annoying, with a random blank page thrown in at the end of chapters, sometimes before the last page of the chapter actually concluded. Weird! I also don't find the central romance very compelling, I think. It's fine, but fluffy and kind of... empty. 

I am also very distracted by the lack of women. The majority of what few women are present are barely described, except to remark on the weight of one particular character. (To my recollection, there were also few, if any, people of color present.) Queenie is a major character who is regularly mentioned, discussed, and thanked. And I have NO idea what she looks like! 

The plot is decidedly interesting, though it lacks the sort of huge, recontextualizing twist that I live for in mystery plots.

I like the world-building, the way magic is described is plenty interesting, and I found most of the characters incredibly likeable. Brand, in particular, stands out as a favorite as the story progresses. 

Again, overall, 3/5, good book if you like urban fantasy mystery/thrillers with writing reminiscent of a prestige television show.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Kidnapping, Grief, and Murder

Minor: Pedophilia

themelodyofspring's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark funny mysterious medium-paced

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

4.0

This was amazing! Found family vibes off the charts! The characters were all so fun. The triggering stuff (while limited) was worse than I had been told 😶‍🌫️ 
Audiobook narration was fucking awesome ⭐

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide attempt

xaniya's review

adventurous emotional tense fast-paced

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

4.0

For a book so incredibly dense with action and heavy, deep world building, it felt like glimpsing a city through the window of a bullet train: fast enough for glimpses, rushing from one thing to the next.

I never got bored, but there was so much information and things moving, getting picked up and put down and thrown around, that it's a mystery I ended up finishing this book calmly instead of annoyed by all the loose ends. If anything, Last Sun feels like the longest prologue ever to an action-urban fantasy series. 

Still, though fast-paced narrative usually isn't for me, I'm tempted to know what happens next. I like the characters, as quick as I had to be to learn them all (and there are A Lot). Brand is my favorite. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Gore, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Torture, Violence, Blood, and Murder

ambientdusk's review

adventurous dark emotional funny mysterious tense fast-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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Violence, Trafficking, Murder, and Fire/Fire injury

Moderate: Child abuse, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, and Blood

Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Panic attacks/disorders, Death of parent, and Injury/Injury detail

usually_sleep_deprived's review

adventurous dark funny sad fast-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Cursing, Death, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Gore, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Kidnapping, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, and Sexual harassment

blynecessity's review

adventurous dark emotional mysterious fast-paced

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

4.5

This was much closer to Gideon The Ninth than the YA I thought this was going to be! In the best way, the NA queer fantasy/mystery genre was fun! There are a LOTTT of trigger warnings on this tho. Like a looot of explicit and graphic stuff. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, and Sexual violence

Moderate: Bullying, Violence, and Death of parent

Minor: Sexual content, Torture, Kidnapping, and Sexual harassment

jjjreads's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny inspiring mysterious sad tense fast-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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Gore, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Violence, Blood, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Body shaming, Bullying, Fatphobia, Gore, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Medical content, Grief, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, and Abandonment

Minor: Cursing, Drug use, Eating disorder, Gun violence, Self harm, Slavery, Excrement, Antisemitism, Cultural appropriation, and Alcohol

foxgloveinspace's review

adventurous dark emotional funny sad tense fast-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? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Drug use, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Torture, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

Moderate: Body shaming, Eating disorder, and Fatphobia

Minor: Adult/minor relationship

shmandy's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional funny mysterious fast-paced

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

3.5

The relationships between all these characters absolutely came for me and did all the heavy lifting in this book. I am reading the next almost solely to watch everyone interact - plot be damned.

However, that being said - really interesting setup, love the world-building and how all the major families are named after Major Arcana. Am at a bit of a loss as to how it all works but we're rolling with it. My one issue is that the writing is so very "tell" and not "show" - first-person fantasy so often suffers from this.

Also just - insane posturing on behalf of every male was a bit ridiculous. I know it was written by a man, we know they're all men - enough with the dick commentary.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault

Moderate: Physical abuse, Rape, Torture, Violence, and Murder

Minor: Suicidal thoughts

upsidedown10's review

adventurous dark funny tense fast-paced

• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

I found this book in a list of 'books that are LGBT, but you wouldn't know from the jacket' and I'm so glad I decided to pick it up. I was expecting a pretty good urban fantasy novel, but I wasn't expecting to find a new all time favorite book. The main character was amazing. I loved Rune and his witty repour with Brand, his Companion/bodyguard/childhood best friend. I wasn't expecting to be swept along by the rip-roaring first chapter only for the pace to pick up from there. I wasn't expecting to be so invested in the found family narrative that grows between the excellent action sequences. I loved every aspect of this book, pure and simple. I read this on Libby and I'm about to go buy it and it's sequel.

A note about the target audience and possible triggering content: This is an adult urban fantasy novel and there are mentions of sexual assault and rape to both adults and minors. I don't feel that these depictions were used for shock value. I think they were knowingly and carefully written into the story as something that the characters have to deal with.

I loved this book. The pace was fast, but I don't think that character was sacrificed for it. Maybe it was the fact that I have mostly read YA stories with this kind of premise, but I found this book a breath of fresh air for the genre. The way that everyone is assumed bisexual unless proven otherwise is wonderful and I think that there are a lot of ways that this story could go. Wherever it goes, I'm looking forward to it. 


May 2024 Re-Read: This is still one of my all time favorite books. I love coming back to this one and seeing where all the little pieces of foreshadowing begin. I felt myself pre-reacting to scenes that I knew were coming up soon. This book gives me physical reactions in my body that only the best books can do. I love KD and his work and I am here for the long haul.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Gore, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, and Sexual violence