Reviews tagging 'Sexual assault'

The Blade Itself by Joe Abercrombie

5 reviews

hannahdamigo's review against another edition

adventurous dark funny 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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Gore, Violence, Blood, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Domestic abuse, Racism, Kidnapping, and Colonisation

Minor: Alcoholism, Sexual assault, Slavery, Torture, and War

the_night_reader_'s review against another edition

dark emotional tense slow-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Chronic illness, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Excrement, Grief, Medical trauma, Murder, Colonisation, War, and Injury/Injury detail

samuelhayler's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark funny mysterious 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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Slavery, Suicide, Torture, Violence, and War

nerdkitten's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark mysterious tense fast-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Animal death, Body horror, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Gore, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexism, Torture, Violence, Blood, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

Moderate: Ableism, Body shaming, Confinement, Fatphobia, Panic attacks/disorders, Racism, Slavery, Xenophobia, Excrement, Vomit, Medical content, Trafficking, War, and Deportation

Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Child death, Genocide, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Slavery, Police brutality, Grief, Cannibalism, Death of parent, and Colonisation

triforception's review against another edition

dark 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? It's complicated

3.5

The slowest of slow burns, this book feels like an extended intro to the sequel, which I must admit I’m very much looking forward to. If you come in expecting a fast-pace, Salvatore-esque fantasy, you’ll likely be disappointed - The Blade Itself is about introducing its characters, and in that regard it serves its purpose admirably.
Logen begins the story quite boring and stock, but as we learn more about him and see him interact with the wider world and other characters, he gains a lot more of his own shape. Luthar never really won me over, but I began to accept him quite a lot more when it became clear that the author wasn’t necessarily on his side either. Glotka is flat out amazing, an extremely well-realized character, the best of the bunch. A faster pace would certainly have been nice, as well as an earlier introduction to some of the later narrators

Ferro and the Dogman, especially

as they add some variety and diversity to the cast.

If you’re willing to read this book for what it is, an extended introduction and establishment of characters for the main story, I think you can have a wonderful time with The Blade Itself. There’s a lot beneath the surface of an otherwise normal low-fantasy story that hints at complex characters ripe for the developing, a truly dark and somewhat horrific mythology and magic system, and some very fulfilling intrigue in the next books.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Sexism, Slavery, Torture, and Violence

Moderate: Sexual assault and Sexual content