Reviews tagging 'Genocide'

In Deeper Waters by F.T. Lukens

12 reviews

tea_coffee_sam's review against another edition

adventurous 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? Yes

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Kidnapping, Self harm, Violence, Torture, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, and Blood

Moderate: Medical content and Abandonment

Minor: War, Death of parent, Genocide, Classism, and Alcohol

pvp_niki's review against another edition

adventurous emotional hopeful lighthearted 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? It's complicated

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Kidnapping, Fire/Fire injury, and Confinement

Moderate: Vomit, Torture, Blood, and Genocide

Minor: War and Death of parent

linnea1801's review

adventurous emotional inspiring 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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Fire/Fire injury, Genocide, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, and Murder

stardustandrockets's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional funny hopeful lighthearted reflective sad tense slow-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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Kidnapping, Torture, Violence, Emotional abuse, Grief, and Physical abuse

Moderate: Blood, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, and Grief

Minor: Death, Genocide, and Death of parent

adonis_march's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional hopeful fast-paced

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

4.0

Now, BookTok likes to recommend this as a fluffy wholesome gay love story… while the relationship between Tal and Athlen is very wholesome, well-built, and refreshingly healthy, oh my god no it is not!

In the best way possible, In Deeper Waters is like investigating what the events of Avatar The Last Airbender would be like from the perspective of Zuko’s grandkids. It begins incredibly slow, and the writing style takes a bit to get used to. Especially in the beginning, some of the choices used read a la an above average Wattpad/AO3 fanfic.

HOWEVER, by god was Talisen’s emotional arc incredibly well-written and engaging. There are painfully realistic spirals and turns that could be seen as an extended metaphor for inherited mental illness or personality disorder. The rest of the characters also became hopelessly endearing, overcoming any challenges in prose.

All the pirates were evil though, so points off. (Not really, but again, it was recommended to me as a gay pirate novel and it’s really not about pirates at all).

The ending was going to decide if this came down to a 3/5 or a 4/5 and I can assure you, it stuck the landing. 

While it’s not for the light, fluffy mood that people recommend it, still a fun, enjoyable read once you push through the beginning!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Fire/Fire injury, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Emotional abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, and Torture

Moderate: Genocide, Confinement, Death, Grief, Vomit, and Physical abuse

Minor: Abandonment, Classism, Cursing, Murder, Alcohol, Death of parent, and War

kayladaila's review against another edition

adventurous emotional 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

Graphic: Fire/Fire injury

Moderate: Violence, Abandonment, Blood, Kidnapping, Murder, Gore, and Death

Minor: Torture, Vomit, Classism, Confinement, Death of parent, Genocide, and War

bookishflower's review against another edition

adventurous emotional funny lighthearted 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? Yes

5.0

Can we talk about that incredible vintage romance- inspired cover?!

This was such a feel good read! When ‘The Little Mermaid’ meets ‘Luca’ (if Disney had been brave enough to give us a gay love story).  

This was wonderfully whimsical, with a great balance between an engaging plot and swoon-worthy romantic fluff. 
Athlen and Tal are the cutest and fleshed out which is not only enhances their romance but also the plot. Lukens doesn’t sacrifice their character development and the story in favour of the romance which is refreshing!
I am in love with all of the royal siblings, if this book got the Bridgeton treatment and each of them got their own book I would eat it up! The tease of a sleeping girl in Alemmeni and Garrett! Please! The sibling banter was hilarious, I caught myself laughing out loud serval times. 
More people need to talk about this book?! I’ve already preordered ‘So This is Ever After’ and can’t wait!!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Death, Fire/Fire injury, Torture, and Blood

Minor: Cursing, Colonisation, Death of parent, Mental illness, Genocide, and Panic attacks/disorders

delz's review against another edition

adventurous emotional funny hopeful mysterious 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

4.25

In Deeper Waters’ pace is slow at first then builds up to lots of exciting battles and romance. Tal is third in the line of succession out of 4 siblings. Unlike other stories the place of King/Queen is not in competition and Tal will have a position within the palace. Right now, Tal is being escorted by his oldest brother, Garrett, on his “coming-of-age tour/voyage. You see Tal has been in hiding his entire life because of his very dangerous magical abilities. The family is terrified of anyone finding out, but secrets can only be kept for so long. When Tal and Garrett are out at sea, they encounter a burning ship. They go to investigate and find a strange boy chained up. They also discover a mysterious cachet of gold. The boy, Athlen, is concealing secrets of his own, secrets Tal would very much like to discover. This was a fun, swashbuckling fantasy in a world with magic and no homophobia.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Confinement and Kidnapping

Minor: Death, Genocide, Violence, and Vomit

jstarshine16's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful lighthearted mysterious 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Fire/Fire injury, Gore, Kidnapping, and Murder

Moderate: Blood, Cursing, Death of parent, Grief, Panic attacks/disorders, Torture, Violence, and Death

Minor: Sexual content, Vomit, Alcohol, Self harm, and Genocide

plumpaperbacks's review

adventurous 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? Yes

5.0

This book is my newest obsession. I was instantly drawn into the story and attached to Taliesin and Athlen. These boys are adorable and precious and need to be protected. Their romance is so soft and sweet and perfect. I love them and Tal’s family and Dara.

From a more critical perspective, not only  was this a really fun read, but the plot, characters, and world were all well-developed. In the second half, there were some interesting twists I didn’t see coming. Lukens took the story in multiple directions I never expected.

Also, I was so not expecting the last fifty pages to be as emotional as they were. I was panicking as I read, desperately hoping that everything would work out. Thankfully, it did. The last chapter was so unbelievably cute and wholesome and good. It made me very happy.

I’ll be thinking about this book for a while. It’s definitely one of the best books I’ve read in 2021, and a new favorite. Highly, highly recommended!

Representation

• queer protagonist and love interest
• achillean romance (m/m)
• side character with depression
• side characters of color

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Confinement, and Fire/Fire injury

Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders

Minor: Death, Death of parent, Murder, Genocide, and Slavery

Genocide and slavery tags included because both occurred prior to the story and are briefly mentioned throughout the book.