Reviews tagging 'Torture'

Den skarpa eggen by Philip Pullman

19 reviews

jessthanthree's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Death, Gun violence, Violence, Blood, Death of parent, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Animal death, Bullying, Child death, Suicide, Torture, Religious bigotry, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Cultural appropriation, and War

Minor: Sexual content, Forced institutionalization, Kidnapping, Fire/Fire injury, and Classism

jonsnowsmanbun's review against another edition

adventurous medium-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? Yes

3.5

„Every little increase in human freedom has been fought over ferociously between those who want us to know more and be wiser and stronger, and those who want us to obey and be humble and submit.“

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Death, Torture, and Death of parent

ok7a's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Violence, and Blood

Moderate: Torture and Grief

Minor: Mental illness, Death of parent, and Abandonment

melancholymegs's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious tense medium-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? No

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Xenophobia, Religious bigotry, and War

Moderate: Blood, Kidnapping, Death of parent, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Torture, Medical content, and Murder

fiveredhens's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional reflective sad tense fast-paced

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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Gun violence, Racial slurs, Racism, Suicide, and Torture

Minor: Bullying, Sexual content, and Religious bigotry

ailsaod's review against another edition

adventurous dark slow-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? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Death, Medical content, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Torture and Violence

Not sure how to explain but this book can get quite disturbing in ways that aren't covered by the tags.

mmefish's review against another edition

I didn’t like “The Northern Lights” much and, apparently, the trilogy becomes worse and worse with every book, so no thanks. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Torture

beccasbookcase's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot

4.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Torture, Blood, and Death of parent

ceallaighsbooks's review against another edition

adventurous mysterious tense fast-paced

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

4.25

“You ever spend any time among the witches?”
“Yes,” said Grumman. “And among academicians, and among spirits. I found folly everywhere, but there were grains of wisdom in every stream of it. Not doubt there was much more wisdom that I failed to recognize. Life is hard, Mr. Scoresby, but we cling to it all the same.” 

 

Even though I still liked The Subtle Knife, it didn’t have a lot of what I loved so much about the first book—namely the specific world building that had been present in Lyra’s world. I also thought that this book felt a lot more quest-y than the first book, even though Lyra was definitely on a quest in Golden Compass, it didn’t have the same feel, perhaps because there was a stronger use of fate or destiny in this book along with seeking magical objects to fulfill prophecies, etc. 

 

It’s also interesting that Pullman introduced a second main character of the trilogy in this book in the form of Will—a human from “our” world. I actually really liked Will, I sympathized with him a lot and liked his contrast with Lyra. 

 

Something else I liked about this book were the dark academia vibes surrounding Lyra’s experience at the museum as well as her encounter with Dr. Malone. I really liked the story element connected to John Parry as well. 

 

There were still some problematic elements carried over from the previous book. Neither Mrs. Coulter nor Lord Asriel got any more interesting or sympathetic. I still didn’t like a lot of the colonial themes and the white savior trope that continued in the character of Lord Asriel and to an extent in Lyra and Will…. 

 

There were also some choices Pullman made vis a vis the story’s plot in this book that left me confused…. especially regarding Dr. Grumman and the witch? Idk. I still liked the book (and the quote I quoted from it at the top of this review is one of my favorite quotes of all time now 🥰) but it just didn’t answer any of my questions leftover from the first book. Which is why I immediately started Amber Spyglass when I finished reading it even though that wasn’t my plan. 🤷🏻‍♀️😂 

 

“It was difficult to tell them the truth when a lie would have been so much easier for them to understand.” 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty and Torture

Moderate: Animal death, Child death, Death, Gore, Mental illness, and Murder