Reviews tagging 'Ableism'

Косиног. История о колдовстве by Бром, Brom

14 reviews

vixenreader's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring mysterious reflective 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? Yes

5.0

A dark, bewitching novel, it is a tale of reclaiming your identity, listening to your intuition, and the empowerment of creation and connection (Abitha and Samson make a beautiful couple) with well-rounded characters, rich folklore, and phenomenal storytelling. Seriously, this book is a work of magic.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Bullying, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gore, Gun violence, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Torture, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Grief, Religious bigotry, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Ableism, Child death, Racism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Death of parent, Toxic friendship, and Sexual harassment

Minor: Police brutality, Colonisation, War, and Classism

Be aware that this book touches on violence against women, mistreatment and torture because of witchcraft accusations, Puritan dogma, Satanic Panic, cat murder, hanging, drowning, scapegoating, and Pagan worship.

felofhe's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional funny hopeful inspiring mysterious reflective sad tense 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Bullying, Child abuse, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Xenophobia, Blood, Police brutality, Kidnapping, Grief, Cannibalism, Religious bigotry, Stalking, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Sexual harassment, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

trollmila's review against another edition

dark sad tense fast-paced

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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Confinement, Death, Misogyny, Sexism, Torture, Violence, Blood, Religious bigotry, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Ableism, Animal cruelty, Bullying, Grief, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Domestic abuse, Excrement, Death of parent, and Colonisation

sarahelyse's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense fast-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Confinement, Death, Gore, Torture, Violence, Blood, Religious bigotry, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Ableism, Alcoholism, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexism, and Gaslighting

Minor: Xenophobia, Stalking, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, and Fire/Fire injury

spookology's review against another edition

2.0

Some really good elements but ruined by the racist references to/depiction of Native Americans (as well as a few moments of obvious ableism). In a story of patriarchal/religious oppression it stands out starkly how native Americans are depicted as savage and otherwise ignored while the main character gets to be a vengeful white woman.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism and Racism

klsreads's review against another edition

challenging dark funny sad tense medium-paced

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

4.0

This book was not what I expected, but I had a fun time so ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.  The 1600's protagonist read like a modern woman, and the pacing was a bit odd. It is horror, so there is gore and explicit torture/violence. I was really excited for the last 20% of the book and it delivered. Beyond that, the discussions on ecocide and spirituality/religion really hit, as well as the rumination on the nature of evil. I loved the intermingling of Native American folklore, fairy tales, and Christianity.

Consider checking the cws/tws. The art in the book is super spooky and cool. I think it added a lot to the experience!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racism, Sexism, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Police brutality, Grief, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Child death, Sexual content, Death of parent, and Colonisation

Minor: Pandemic/Epidemic

ellornaslibrary's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious tense slow-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

2.0

This book is marketed as horror, and there are parts that definitely left me feeling a little scared at first. Except then it becomes something altogether and different. The thing that should scare you isn't what you should be scared of essentially. Always love it if it is done well and the possibility was there just wasn't delivered upon in the end. I liked Abitha a lot and the other main character a good deal; found the story fascinating enough to continue reading after the book turned out not to be what I was hoping for when I picked it up. I even found the side characters interesting.

However, the story moves so slow and the satisfaction I was hoping to find in this new possible story presented was short-lived as it turned into the usual predictable story. It was at least going to be a 3 or 3.5 star book though until the blatant ableism right at the end. Literal magic in this book, used multiple times throughout to do amazing things, and then we get to this part and just. . . it was insulting and offensive so now it's a 2 star book and I don't know if I'll pick up another book from this author anytime soon.

CW Ableism details:

magic used to make corn sprout from the dirt, to make bees mass produce honey, to make them fly at one point on a broom. . . And instead of healing her damaged legs, makes a comment about living as a cripple the rest of her days and she shudders at the idea. Her reaction is even worse considering that her husband was disabled. . . Nevermind she could have all sorts of options with literal magic at her fingertips too even if her legs weren't fully healed. Just so offensive and exhausting at this point to see this attitude presented.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Death, Gore, Gun violence, Misogyny, Sexism, Torture, Violence, Blood, Grief, Religious bigotry, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Ableism, Animal cruelty, Confinement, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, and Gaslighting

gudrqa's review against another edition

dark slow-paced

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

3.0

First part of the book was enjoyable and I'd rate it 4.5 even but then it started dragging out quickly. Not a lot of magic for a tale of bewitchery.

The problems for me started when it became a torture porn. The whole second part of the book felt like a kink. The constant mentions of hair and torture. A lot of it was repeated all the time. I either wish it wasn't so graphic/maybe less victims OR that it was more inventive.

 

I might've enjoyed it more if I didn't pick up an audiobook version. I didn't like the voices the lector was making.
I couldn't really care for the characters except one

the pastor's wife

. A lot of plot points didn't feel impactful enough. The main character never felt at risk really after the first two plot points

the beginning with the goat and then her husband's death. After that the first encounter with the Father happened and immediately we knew she would be safe with him.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Cursing, Death, Genocide, Gore, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Blood, Excrement, Police brutality, Religious bigotry, Suicide attempt, Murder, Colonisation, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Child death

solarel's review against another edition

challenging dark sad tense medium-paced

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

3.0

People suck. 

I’m conflicted a bit. While I enjoyed the main two characters, Abitha and Samson, I found the plot as a whole to be very… typical? 

Samson’s story was by far the most interesting plot line. I enjoyed watching him struggle to find who he really is. Is he the monster or the savior? Abitha however, her story felt not just predictable but inevitable. The last third of the book is pure torture porn, and she did not grow as a character. She is merely an instrument of a vengeance arc. 

I saw a lot of reviewers say this story was very white. And I think I see what they mean. I don’t know what the author’s religious background is, but this read as a very Christian framed story. People said this was a horror novel. I didn’t find it scary, only sad. People were the villain. Puritan culture was the villain. And yet it still felt like it was still validating their beliefs in the end with what was supposed to be the “horror”. 

I don’t know if that makes sense, but “pagan” aspects were not rooted in lore beyond that of Christianity. I guess that’s what made it feel like more of a fantasy masquerade of a pagan story of blurred good and evil. 

Stars for ambiance and entertainment only. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Bullying, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Mental illness, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Excrement, Grief, Religious bigotry, Suicide attempt, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Cultural appropriation, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Sexual harassment, Colonisation, and Injury/Injury detail

storyorc's review against another edition

dark emotional inspiring tense slow-paced

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

3.5

As should be expected from an author famous for their classic D&D art, the writing is very visual. It paints a clear picture of everything from honey to torture. The creature design is also wonderfully creepy. Brom's website includes art of his monstrous 'wildfolk' too - my favourite is the fish with the face of a child between its teeth.

The plot owes its bite to its human villain, Wallace. It was such a delight to hate that man that I had no choice but to root for Abitha. However, I was surprised to see 50% of the book remaining at the point I felt ready to round up.

Without a Wallace for the half of the plot surrounding 'Slewfoot's' identity crisis, it dragged. It also reminded me how horror films lose something when you see the whole monster. Perhaps that half would have felt more vital if it also involved Abitha (by some Pequot heritage? Since they

play a big role in the mystery of Samson

). As it was, I was checked out by the time the climactic

revenge fantasy

hit.

Still, this book does deliver well on both the chills and Good For Her/Support Women's Wrongs fronts. (Although, if ever there were a time for

monsterfucking

, surely this is it? You can't tell me there's not a draft out there somewhere with it.)

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Racism, Sexism, Torture, Blood, and Colonisation

The book does not condone the subjects of these content warnings, though there may still be some room for improvement with the portrayal of natives.