Reviews tagging 'Genocide'

Crier's War by Nina Varela

20 reviews

datgirllani's review against another edition

adventurous emotional sad tense slow-paced

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

3.0

Slow in the beginning, but overall an okay read. I wish the build up to the romance between the two mc’s was more evident. The plot is okay nothing too exciting or thrilling happens except for a few bombshells here and there. I will be reading the second to see how the story ends. “…and that was how Crier learned that pain was not finite; there was no limit to woundless hurt.”

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief and Classism

Moderate: Genocide, Slavery, Alcohol, and Blood

Minor: Death of parent and Death

nightshaderoots's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious reflective sad tense slow-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

4.75

I liked how complex the plot and characters are. The writing style was something to get used to but I liked the way the author described scenes and the characters. The world building was also something I haven't seen before which I loved learning about. The lore building was also paced well so it doesn't feel like info dumping but it was still enough where I wasn't in the dark. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Genocide, Injury/Injury detail, Slavery, Body horror, Cursing, Grief, Torture, Physical abuse, Vomit, War, Blood, Death, Death of parent, Gaslighting, Gore, Misogyny, Murder, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, and Violence

Minor: Infertility

clayclay's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional sad fast-paced

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

5.0

This story challenged me. It was impossible to put down. Incredibly engaging  and visceral descriptions. Summer coming like “a slow descent into boiling water.” UGH SO GOOD. We love a sapphic antifascist sci-fi rebellion 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Slavery, Xenophobia, Violence, and Genocide

cheeky_biscuits's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional 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? It's complicated

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug use, Gaslighting, Genocide, Grief, Murder, War, Violence, Child abuse, Death of parent, Xenophobia, Blood, Body horror, and Death

Moderate: Misogyny, Classism, Alcohol, and Sexual content

Minor: Confinement and Dysphoria

strange_little_ranger's review against another edition

adventurous inspiring mysterious medium-paced

• 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? It's complicated

3.0

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Content Warnings

Minor: Genocide, Gore, Violence, War, Classism, Death of parent, Death, Fire/Fire injury, Animal death, Blood, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Alcohol, Child death, Cultural appropriation, Emotional abuse, and Slavery

oliverreeds's review against another edition

adventurous emotional tense medium-paced

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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Classism, Death of parent, Death, Genocide, Grief, Hate crime, Police brutality, and Racism

marshiereads's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious reflective sad tense fast-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

4.5

I really and truly liked this book! The author had me from the very beginning with a timeline. Some fantasy novels can drag you through the trenches trying to learn their world and this one is not one of them! I feel like I’m along for the ride, learning about it with her rather than in spite of her. I’m gonna talk specific so spoilers ahead. Also please look at the trigger warnings for this book if that applies as this book has a lot!!

The inner turmoil of both, but especially, Ayla and Crier had me reading the book in only a couple sittings. I almost couldn’t put it down. Trying to figure out what was and wasn’t one of Kinok’s manipulations had me reeling to the literal last pages of the book. I mean wow! The romance was certainly a part of the plot but this is not a “romance book” it is fantasy first but it still felt completely integral and not just thrown in there. I was also a fan of the fact that it wasn’t one of those “we can’t do this because it’s wrong because it’s gay” because frankly as an lgbtq+ person myself I was grateful for some relenting on that narrative choice. There still was an element of “wrongness” but more because on girl literally wanted to kill the other. Overall an excellent start to the series and I cannot wait to read the second (I’ve got it on hold now).

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Violence, Xenophobia, Suicidal thoughts, Racism, Police brutality, Injury/Injury detail, Hate crime, Gore, Genocide, Gaslighting, Child death, Classism, Death, Death of parent, and Grief

Moderate: Animal death, Blood, and Body horror

Minor: Miscarriage

charlereads's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious fast-paced

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

3.25

I wish I had access to queer fantasy books like these at 16, it’s a little wistful to read at 25.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Blood, Death, Death of parent, Genocide, Grief, Self harm, Slavery, and War

cemeterygay's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional medium-paced

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

4.0

I adored this book. It hit all of the right tropes for me. I mean person and machine falling in love. Exploring the boundaries of humanity and the consequences of war and oppression, I adore it. Both Crier and Ayla are great protagonists and I adored reading both of their POVs, I just wish the supporting cast was a bit more memorable. I think the world for the most part was quite understandable, but the initial timeline was a bit hard to wrap your head around. 

I also loved that we got a Sapphic romance that wasn't solely focused on coming out. I also really enjoyed the writing style of this book and I found the ending cliffhanger to be quite effective. While quite a few twists were predictable, the reveals were still quite satisfying and it wasn't necessarily a let down that they weren't revolutionary.

I was very concerned that this was going to be a yet another book where a person in a position of privilege only begins to care about oppression because they think a person that is oppressed is cute, but that was not what this was. It is very clear from the onset that Crier has severe doubts about the treatment of humans and from the get go wants to help improve the lives of humans separate to her relationship with Ayla.

I really liked this book but I will say it's nothing that revolutionary. I would recommend this book but it's not like you have to read it. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Genocide, Grief, Misogyny, Xenophobia, and Infertility

Moderate: War and Cultural appropriation

Cultural Appropriation is of fictional cultures. Discussions of infertility refer to past figures and not main characters but is still discussed in depth.

starccato's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful mysterious reflective 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

3.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Colonisation, Death, Gaslighting, Genocide, Grief, Misogyny, Murder, Sexism, Toxic relationship, and Violence

Moderate: Abandonment, Child abuse, Child death, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Gore, Hate crime, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Alcohol, Confinement, Cultural appropriation, Fire/Fire injury, Infertility, Police brutality, Self harm, Sexual content, and Mental illness