Reviews tagging 'Religious bigotry'

The Binding by Bridget Collins

2 reviews

geilie's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful mysterious 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? Yes

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Homophobia, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicide, Vomit, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Blood, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, and Alcohol

Minor: Fatphobia, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Kidnapping, Grief, Religious bigotry, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

greymalkin's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense slow-paced

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

2.0

Writing is decent enough and I enjoyed the worldbuilding and the idea of what binders do.  But wow does this book feel like it needs to have all the content warnings included.

I didn't much like any of the characters and the terrible abuse of all the female characters (not a single one is spared) was really upsetting.  Especially as the male characters tended to be the abusers and awful people and for the most part had zero repercussions or punishment.  I also wish that the book had lingered more on the actual bookbinding part instead of just a few descriptions of materials and tools that we never "see" used so we don't know what they do.  Since the author has actually taken a lot of bookbinding classes I expected more but it felt more like what someone might add after an evening of googling and youtube videos.  Since it was such a huge part of the magic system of the world, I wanted more details.  All the bits about "trade" and fakes were intriguing but we never get to interact with them "onscreen".  Humans are storytellers, how is that no one has written down stories before?  If they didn't, then why isn't there more of an oral tradition?  My questions really took me out of the book.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Homophobia, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicide, Violence, Grief, Gaslighting, and Sexual harassment

Moderate: Alcoholism, Domestic abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Vomit, Murder, Abandonment, and Classism

Minor: Racism, Torture, Kidnapping, Religious bigotry, and Stalking

In case the massive block of content warning tags is not enough, this book has multiple serial pedophilic rapists in it and disturbing homophobic violence. And no, the perpetrators don't get punished. Only their victims get punished and killed.