Reviews tagging 'Death'

Queen of the Conquered by Kacen Callender

20 reviews

anarmandameg's review against another edition

adventurous dark sad medium-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Slavery, War, Colonisation, Fire/Fire injury, Infidelity, Adult/minor relationship, Gore, Physical abuse, Sexual violence, Child abuse, Death, Murder, Violence, and Blood

crkgleason's review against another edition

dark emotional sad tense slow-paced

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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Slavery, Racism, Murder, Violence, Torture, Colonisation, and Death

leereads93's review against another edition

This is the most depressing book I have ever read. If you like reading torturous things happen to people then this is the book for you. I get what this is trying to do, but a book advertised as "they will know her vengeance" implied that the mc will have vengeance? Instead she just goes around feeling bad that everyone hates her and while I felt empathy for that, I also hated her. I just couldn't do it. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Rape, Child abuse, Death, Death of parent, Slavery, Child death, and Racism

megan_martha_reads's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark fast-paced

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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Genocide, Racism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, War, Child abuse, Colonisation, Fire/Fire injury, Rape, Blood, Death, Murder, Hate crime, Sexism, Slavery, Violence, Gore, Physical abuse, Classism, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Injury/Injury detail, and Torture

meluhnie's review against another edition

dark slow-paced

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

1.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Violence, War, Torture, Child death, Slavery, Religious bigotry, Injury/Injury detail, Grief, Genocide, Murder, Death, Death of parent, Colonisation, and Blood

sunlit_music's review

challenging dark emotional informative reflective tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• 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

Moderate: Death, Murder, Physical abuse, Racism, Blood, Colonisation, Violence, and Grief

aacwilliams's review against another edition

dark mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

I have given this book 5 stars but I found it, and the sequel... very difficult. It was hard at times to cope with the main character's flaws, especially as it was written in the first person. And it was challenging to read the pain inflicted on so many of the novel's characters. 

However, I also found it accessibly written, gripping, deeply felt, very thoughtful and informative. Although it's set in a fantasy world it reflects on the history of slavery, colonialism and racism in our world. It gave me a lot to think about and stayed with me long after I read it. I think it's one of the most meaningful and well-realised books I've read in a long time. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Racism, Death, Physical abuse, and Slavery

library_of_alexandra_'s review against another edition

dark emotional sad tense slow-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

3.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Slavery, Murder, Xenophobia, and Racism

Moderate: Child abuse, Death, Classism, Colonisation, Fire/Fire injury, Child death, and Death of parent

Minor: Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, Terminal illness, Gaslighting, Emotional abuse, and Sexism

the_wendybirb's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.5

+ Diverse setting and unique magic system
+ Tense pace that kept my stomach in knots til the end.
+ Twists
- Brutal & graphic depictions of slavery. Inspiration was drawn from the colonization of the Caribbean, so I wouldn't say it was superfluous.
- The main character gets lost in thoughts and has frequent flashbacks.  It didn't bother me, but I could see how other readers may not like the pacing.
- The reveal of the Big Twist left something to be desired. I understand why it was revealed the way it was, but it was kinda "eh" compared to other parts of the book.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Murder, Racism, Slavery, Colonisation, and Violence

Moderate: Sexual violence, Fire/Fire injury, Suicide, and Toxic relationship

neighborhoodbeanreads's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense

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

4.75

This book was definitely a challenging read. It makes you question the effect privilege has across communities and shows a character that you aren't sure you want to root for. It challenges the MC’s own motivations (are they in the her best interests, or everyone’s?) and how readers perceive the MC. It highlights the brutality of colonization, slavery, and genocide. It toes the line of unreliable narrator (their perception of their reality may not necessarily be real) and makes reader questioning what is and isn’t reality.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Genocide, Racial slurs, Racism, Torture, Death, Death of parent, Colonisation, Confinement, Domestic abuse, Murder, Rape, Slavery, War, Blood, and Child death