Reviews tagging 'Sexual content'

A Soul of Ash and Blood by Jennifer L. Armentrout

31 reviews

ladymiya's review

adventurous dark reflective medium-paced

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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Sexual content and Violence

Minor: Self harm

mabs_grace's review against another edition

adventurous emotional funny fast-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

2.75

I’m going to be honest, I don’t really see the point of this being the 5th instalment of the series. A novella? Sure, but a whole ass that’s just the first book from Cas’s POV seems pointless.  There were only like 7 chapters in the present, the rest was flashback to book 1. It feels like the book didn’t move the plot forward at all. This should have been a .5 book (4.5) not a full book (5). 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Sexual content, and Violence

Moderate: Blood

Minor: Body shaming, Child death, Grief, Kidnapping, Physical abuse, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Death of parent, and Torture

itmakessenseincontext's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad 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

3.5

Controversial, but I think this was the best book in the series.

As in the most well written. 

I loved how it was structured, and how JLA explored mental health, trauma, recovery, and worthiness through Casteel, and I felt myself relating to him a lot in this book, and I was in tears a few times because certain passages felt like a callout. In a good way, because it made me think about how I treat myself, and why certain passages were triggering for me.

If you are just here for more or Poppy and Cas and finding out what happens next you won't enjoy it, and I think that's why people dislike it. But if you approach it as a look into Casteel's mind, vulnerability, trauma, and healing its a wonderfully well written book, and an enjoyable read.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Self harm, Death, Emotional abuse, Grief, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Body horror, Confinement, Blood, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Murder, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, and Sexual content

Moderate: Drug abuse, Alcoholism, and Addiction

I really want to emphasise the Mental Illness, Self Harm, and Suicide trigger warnings. I dont know if I was just really vulnerable while reading, but these topics hit me very hard, and I'm normally able to deal with them very well. They are addressed with care and sensitivity, but if you have gone through this they will be extremely relatable, at least they were for me

abicaro17's review against another edition

dark emotional funny slow-paced

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

2.0

This was tortuous. So goddamm slow and boring. Almost everything in here is part of the first book and she we already knew. I was pulling my hair out and skimming shit bc fuck this. This made me hate Cas a little because he clearly knew what would happen if he slept with her before she knew the truth too. Even Kieran did! That said, the scenes that are new (present day stuff, scenes where Cas was separated from Poppy, and the pre-Poppy stuff) were interesting, funny, and pretty sick. I wish thus was a novella with just the 150 pages of new stuff. I would have given it a 3.5-4 but everything else makes this book burnable. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gore, Death, Sexual content, Alcohol, Blood, Body horror, Medical content, Bullying, Grief, Infidelity, Kidnapping, Murder, Religious bigotry, Violence, Classism, Stalking, Child abuse, Cursing, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual harassment, Toxic relationship, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Child death, Confinement, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Body shaming, Death of parent, and Emotional abuse

potalian's review

slow-paced

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Self harm, Grief, Kidnapping, War, Murder, Gore, Sexual content, Violence, Blood, Injury/Injury detail, Death, Body horror, and Torture

itsmaddiebauer's review against another edition

reflective medium-paced

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

2.75

I appreciated seeing Casteel’s perspective of the first books events. THAT BEING SAID this could have been a bonus chapter? Or maybe make it a different short story in different editions of the book. I know the series is decently long with a ton of twists and turns. Having a reminder of their history and the first book is nice because I read it so long ago but my goodness. This could have been a novella? Or special edition whatever. 

What I did like -
I enjoyed the moments between Cas and Kieran. I was looking forward to the present time moments just for them. I wish we had bits and pieces of Kieran’s POV because I want to get into his head and see what he’s thinking and feeling. 
I want more Cas/Kieran moments. I want to see more of their relationship. I want some of their past relationship and what it’s evolved to. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Grief, Murder, Blood, Death, Panic attacks/disorders, Kidnapping, Violence, Physical abuse, Self harm, and Sexual content

elislittlelibrary's review against another edition

adventurous dark slow-paced

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

2.0

I read the first four books in this series while I was sick, which wasn't necessarily a good time, but the books were pretty easy to read, so it was a good distraction. That being said, I was that my library acquired a copy of the fifth book in the series and I felt a little bored, so I decided to read it. Of course, the fourth book ended in a cliffhanger, so I was interested to see how that would develop. Well. This book does take place after the events of book four, but only a few chapters make the story progress (mainly just the very last chapter). The rest of the book is literally the events of the first book, but from the POV of Cas. If you have always wanted to know what Cas thought during the events of book one, then I guess read this. If not- this will probably not be for you. I felt it was underwhelming, because nothing really happens to progress the story and Cas' thoughts are very much what you would expect them to be. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Death and Sexual content

ka_ke's review against another edition

adventurous slow-paced

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

2.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Misogyny, Gore, Sexual content, Classism, Gaslighting, Blood, Domestic abuse, Kidnapping, and Cursing

Moderate: Grief, Abandonment, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Violence

taryngoehrig's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional tense medium-paced

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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content

moonybritney's review against another edition

adventurous funny hopeful 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? No

5.0

I devour the books in the Blood and Ash series as soon as I get my hands on them and this one was no different. When reading the first book, I thought it would be nice to get one from Cas' perspective and I'm glad we did.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Classism, Cursing, and Blood

Moderate: Grief, Physical abuse, Injury/Injury detail, and Sexual content

Minor: Body shaming, Child death, and Kidnapping