Reviews tagging 'Violence'

A Soul of Ash and Blood by Jennifer L. Armentrout

33 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

---

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). 

---

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.

---

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. 

---

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

---

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. 

---

Content Warnings

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

katie_thrives's review against another edition

medium-paced

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

2.5

This was not it for me. When I first started reading, all I could think was “oh no, she was contracted for another book to come out and had no new ideas and…here we are.” I hoped I would change my mind but…

I did not.

This was just book one and two of FBAA from the opposite perspective, with 2% new content in the last chapter. In most cases, this may endear the reader to the other character further, but tbh it actually made me like him less 😂

I know some readers crave these kinds of books (shoutout to everyone who asks for more early ACOTAR from Rhys’s perspective), but I am not that person. If I already know what happened, I have lost interest. I can infer feelings well enough from good writing, even from the non-POV character, so I don’t need a whole book on their thoughts and motives. But if that’s your thing, I guess you may love this!

---

Content Warnings

Minor: Violence, Self harm, Physical abuse, and Emotional abuse

marinamierel's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional hopeful inspiring lighthearted mysterious sad tense slow-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

4.75

I guess I just ran out of words for this book. ✨ It is true that it’s not a five star read for me because it wasn’t showing me anything new, but it made me jiggle and kick my feet way too much.🥹 
we needed this. We definitely needed this. Cas ✨ his POV omg✨
 I loved going back to the first time they met… loved to read about all the new characters again for the first time and learning so much about Cas and his thoughts and trauma and story❤️‍🩹 
it is a 4.75⭐️ read for me because this spinoff was way too good for me but I still love them and I still want to read about them and of course this is still my favorite series of all time💛 

can please someone explain this ending?? what do you mean? like does she remember him or not? We waited all this book for not knowing this? I’m gonna shit my pants. And all this Casteel’s transformation? has me completely livinnnnnn! I didn’t expect it. I love it I want to read more about it🫰🏽

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Body horror, Torture, and Violence

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

---

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

yarisbooksandbevs's review

adventurous dark emotional funny reflective 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

4.5

I really enjoyed seeing things from Cas’s perspective. Especially after knowing everything we know. I kind of liked this one better than the first.  It was nice to see what he was going through and a little bit into why he made the decisions he did. The ending really surprised me and I did not see it coming.

I love the bond the three of them have. I wasn’t expecting Cas to shift and I just want to know if she recognized them! I will be heartbroken if she doesn’t

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Cursing, Grief, Torture, Blood, Death, Death of parent, Violence, Mental illness, and Sexual content

Moderate: Alcohol, Self harm, Confinement, Gore, Suicidal thoughts, Classism, Kidnapping, and Panic attacks/disorders

Minor: Body shaming, Child death, and Stalking