Scan barcode
rowanmoth's review
- 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
4.75
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Torture, and Murder
Moderate: Mental illness, Medical content, Kidnapping, and Grief
Minor: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child abuse, Confinement, Cursing, Emotional abuse, Gore, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Religious bigotry, and Abandonment
Cult deprogramming, Deprogramming, prior mental abuse that was severe.ashlikes's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
Graphic: Child abuse, Confinement, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Medical content, and Kidnapping
Moderate: Death, Sexual assault, Torture, Violence, Murder, and Alcohol
Minor: Gore, Blood, and Injury/Injury detail
endemictoearth's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.75
(can't get it to post, so you get a link instead)
This is the kind of dark book that I find lovely and cathartic. Someone who has been treated abominably learning to start to trust the people around them again. Those people not always recognizing the issues that character is overcoming. If you liked In This Iron Ground in particular, I think there are lots of similar themes here. And, as ever with Marina Vivancos, the way that therapy is incorporated into these books. The characters need it, but it is a journey to trust that process, too.
The two things that kept this from being 5++++ stars are
1. The cover. I love Vivancos and her writing, and her covers are always beautiful, BUUUT, either change your description to fit the photo in said cover or keep looking at stock images.
2. I don't know why, but mentioning real world media pulled me out slightly. When they were talking about watching Severance . . . I was thinking, "You live in a world with this very extreme biokink . . . I can't imagine the TV shows would be the same?"
That being said, the feels? Top tier. The worry and concern I felt for Roman and also Tyler? Too real. My hope that there is another book in this world forthcoming? Most fervent.
I received a copy for review from Gay Romance Reviews, and my admiration of Marina Vivancos's prose is most sincere.
3/14/23 re-read - Yes, I re-read it the day it was released and you know what? It was even better on the re-read. I noticed a lot of the worldbuilding and talk of how the magic works in this world more the second time through, and Tyler felt more real and I could appreciate how he really felt terrible for how he misread/misjudged Roman at first. The third act (external) conflict did seem a bit convoluted, but I could understand why it was included and what it lent to the character and relationship development.
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, and Violence
A lot of the stuff happens in the past, but Roman is still dealing with ramifications, shame, and a whole host of other things during the book.