Reviews tagging 'Death of parent'

Il Trono di Spade by George R.R. Martin

23 reviews

clairebartholomew549's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional informative mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

4.0

This is for sure the darkest book of the series so far - the bad events are pretty much unrelenting; cough cough the Red Wedding - but it also expands the universe in a really satisfying way and delves deeper into the characters' motivations and allegiances. There's also some satisfying comeuppance (Joffrey's wedding is truly a moment to relish) and interesting alliances that bring out new facets of characters (Jaime and Brienne's fraught partnership is fascinating, and Jaime remains one of the more complicated characters in the book), and the world-building is top-tier. Just like in the TV series, Dany's journey feels a bit meandering, but at least in this book it feels like she's really wrestling with what kind of ruler she wants to be and with the betrayals of the various people in her lives.

This is the first book where it feels like there is real diversion from the TV series, and I'm excited to see where the fourth and fifth books go (and the sixth and seventh if George R. Martin ever gets off his ass, which is certainly not for certain lmao).

I'm intrigued by Ramsay Bolton being married to Jeyne Poole instead of Sansa - I read an interview with the TV writers saying it felt like it made sense for all of Ramsay's terror to be inflicted on a character we actually care about, which to me is gross and speaks to the willingness of the TV writers to put female characters through trauma that even George R. Martin didn't think was necessary. It's also interesting how little sex there is in the books than there is in the series, which again speaks to the TV writers' interest in depicting female bodies and sexual violence. Finally, I'm so intrigued by the epilogue and the question of whether Cat actually survived, and I can't wait to see if the woman is a pretender or somehow the real Cat.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Death, Domestic abuse, Gore, Incest, Infidelity, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Sexual harassment, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

buffalo666's review against another edition

adventurous dark sad tense fast-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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Death, Gore, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Kidnapping, Grief, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol, War, and Classism

Moderate: Miscarriage and Abortion

Minor: Excrement and Pregnancy

13films's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Loveable characters? It's complicated

5.0

undeniably the best book so far. like i cant even stomach how great it is. clash of kings made an astounding entrance of the tyrells.

then we got the red wedding. TERRIBLE. it broke my heart the second time, much more wrenching witnessing from Catelyn's point of view for the first time . And how she never got to have another chapter again after chap. 51. like i cant believe it. she's gone.

then the purple wedding that i cheered so fucking bad like joffrey was fucking kaf kaf kafing that shit out YES! 

Tyrion in trial... terrible for him.

Sansa.... just want to hug her like terribly. My favorite stark I say.

WE GOT DUOS THAT AGED LIKE FINE WINE JAIMEBRIENNE AND ARYAHOUND <33333333333333333

WE GOT THE MARTELLS OH GOD PRINCE OBERYN. RED VIPER VS THE MOUNTAIN. JUSTICE FOR ELIA MARTELL.!!!!!

Dany accumulating the unsullied and the astapor madness... Dracarys... Daario, Jorah mormont weird and exiled.. Missandei!!! GAYNESS!!!!!

I LOVE THIS BOOK PERFECTION SCRUMPTIOUS DELICIOUS

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Adult/minor relationship, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Chronic illness, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gore, Incest, Infertility, Infidelity, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, and War

lepulus's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-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? It's complicated

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Death of parent, and Classism

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Emotional abuse, Incest, Mental illness, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Sexism, Sexual content, Slavery, Violence, Excrement, Vomit, Medical content, Grief, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Sexual harassment, War, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Abortion

mattyvreads's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

4.25

Definitely my favorite so far of the series. It is a well plotted story, and there are numerous successful elements: the world building, the characters, their relationships, the big plot twists. I am glad that I stuck with this series.

In terms of plot, this book is much more interesting than the last, in my opinion. On the crazy shit scale, this book is about a 7/10. If I hadn’t watched the show first, I would have been open-mouthed and wide-eyed the whole time.

On a smaller scale, I love learning details about each character’s history. How each character’s worldview shapes their justification of war, or alternatively, desire for peace. Or even who slept with who or caused some great insult. It’s all very interesting.

I still struggle with this series, sometimes, though. The sexualization of children is incredibly graphic and those moments are often written in first person. Deeply unpleasant and incredibly uncomfortable. For those who defend the author’s sexualization of children — fuck off. Why? Isn’t there another way to adequately convey exploitation or abuse without having the reader engage with it in first person, in such an explicit way? It’s graphic and unnecessary, and pretty disgusting. I think the readers are smart enough to understand the plot with or without those graphic depictions.

I also think some parts of this book  are coded a little racist. Hm…

Annnnywayyyy…… in terms of content, I think the good outweighed the bad parts of this book. I probably will read the next one. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Incest, and Pedophilia

Moderate: Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, and War

vavocado's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious sad tense 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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Child death, Death, Death of parent, Murder, and War

geminisoul's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Body horror, Bullying, Confinement, Death, Gore, Incest, Infidelity, Violence, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol, War, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Abortion

sucordera1's review against another edition

adventurous dark sad 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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content, Violence, Kidnapping, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, War, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Body shaming, Bullying, Confinement, Incest, Infidelity, Grief, Religious bigotry, Murder, and Alcohol

jane_moriarty's review against another edition

adventurous dark medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Gore, Incest, Sexual content, Slavery, Violence, Blood, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Body shaming, Misogyny, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Death of parent, and Alcohol

Minor: Fire/Fire injury

annaparente's review against another edition

adventurous dark tense slow-paced

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

4.5

This book was long, and it took me a long time to read, so something about it needs to be short (that something being this review). 

1. I could have done without the following lines (this book could have used a little more editing): 

“It felt as good as sex.” 

(I can’t remember what this referred to, but it might have been about Tyrion relieving his bladder. Not necessary, George. Not at all.) 

“Wedded and bedded.” 

(seriously??) 

“The beds were stuffed with straw and not too many lice.” 

(have you ever had lice, George? I have. Twice. If there is one, there will soon be many. There are either lice, or there are no lice. Nuisance, or lack thereof. There is no in-between.)

2. With that out of the way, here are some random thoughts with no context:  

• Holy crap, what a book! 
• The Red Wedding! 
• All the weddings, really. There were three, and they were all just… wow. 
• Tyrion is really the only redeeming character. 
• Petyr Baelish, who tf do you think you are? 
• I actually kind of like Jaime?? Not sure why I was expecting to hate him tbh. 
• Ok, but why is Bran’s storyline slowly becoming more and more useless? 
• Joffrey mwahahahahahaha!!!
• (Sansa shouldn't have left her first husband) 
• Can Daenerys please get to Westeros soon? 

3. Wonderful book, overall. 
4. I’m getting a little impatient but that didn’t impede my enjoyment of the book. 
5. A feast for crows indeed…

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death and Murder

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Incest, Blood, Death of parent, and War