Reviews tagging 'Murder'

The Vanished Queen by Lisbeth Campbell

4 reviews

lottie1803's review against another edition

dark emotional 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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, War, Violence, Sexual content, Injury/Injury detail, Toxic relationship, Blood, Infidelity, Murder, Death of parent, and Torture

elsaemmalise's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark tense slow-paced

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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Violence, and Sexual violence

Moderate: Rape and Genocide

madelinelindy's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious 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? It's complicated

4.5

Evil king, political intrigue, and characters who are desperate to stay morally true despite the ruling tyrant makes this dual pov check all the boxes. The romance subplot could have been better it was very sudden and seemed more of a convince than an actual attraction match. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Suicidal thoughts, Emotional abuse, Rape, Torture, Domestic abuse, and Death of parent

Moderate: Genocide, Emotional abuse, Self harm, Death, Physical abuse, and Infidelity

bookmaddie's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional sad tense fast-paced

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

4.0

is it bad tht i wanted more romance ??? lmaaoo
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The Vanished Queen is a really fun fantasy read—it definitely helped get me out of my reading slump! The pacing was solid—a bit slow to get started, but it really ramped up around 30% in and I was hooked. While the story isn't super magical, there is a lovely sense of adventure. I also feel like I really need to learn my fantasy subgenres because I always expect some form of magic, which isn't always the case.

Anza was a fiery and clever main character. I enjoyed seeing her learn more about strategy and how to stage a revolution. I feel like sometimes in fantasy main characters are followed blindly. But here Anza was placed in a position where her opinion was valued, yet it was clear that she didn't always know best. It was refreshing. Of course, I was here for her romance with Esvar, and his growth as a character throughout the story. Their youth shines through and makes you really root for them.

Overally, this is a fun fantasy adventure! If anything, I wish the romance between

Anza and Esvar

was given a bit more depth. It kind of developed over a handful of conversations, where one of them really dominated the conversation. I wish they were able to talk or exchange letters maybe like one more time.. though I see how that would be quite hard, considering the circumstances. Anyways, if you're looking for a quick and fun fantasy from a new voice, here you are!

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an advanced digital copy.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Physical abuse, and Sexual content

Moderate: Suicidal thoughts

Minor: Child death