Reviews tagging 'Sexual assault'

Kargalar Meclisi by Leigh Bardugo

264 reviews

tinyjude's review against another edition

adventurous dark 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

4.75

After watching the tv show I was really interested in this part of the story and characters, and they didn't disappoint at all. I had the books on my shelves for a long time and I finally found the right timming to appreciate them.

Since I already grew fond of them watching on the screen, it was easier to follow everything and appreciate the nuance in each character and story arc. It was enjoyable, especially getting to know more about each characters' backgrounds and wills.

If the screen adaptation sold Kaz and Inej romance with ease because of both actors' incredible work, I was even more invested into their interactions and the slow burn going on in the book. Damn, those final words they exchange... still hitting the right spot. Inej and Nina are my queens, I love them dearly, especially Inej.

The age of the characters is one of the things that makes it quite unbelievable; even just aging them two years could have helped solidify their prodigious nature and talent, but I guess some people will find it cooler if they are that young and proving to be such a threat.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Forced institutionalization, Gun violence, Drug use, Sexual harassment, Slavery, Trafficking, Death, Drug abuse, Body horror, Child death, and Blood

Moderate: Addiction, Xenophobia, Rape, Animal death, Sexual content, Deportation, Gaslighting, Sexual violence, and Sexual assault

theresamothinmyroom's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful mysterious 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Grief, Trafficking, Slavery, Sexual harassment, Violence, Drug use, Addiction, Blood, Child abuse, Gore, Torture, Abandonment, Death, Death of parent, Gun violence, and Panic attacks/disorders

Moderate: Religious bigotry, Pregnancy, Alcohol, Sexual assault, Cursing, Kidnapping, Misogyny, Sexual violence, and Body shaming

im_hungry_'s review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional funny tense medium-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

5.0

Easily five (six) stars. Though, I considered being petty and put a 4 just because it ended on a cliffhanger but thankfully, I had picked up the Crooked Kingdom as well. Leigh make them canon, you amazing author 🫵

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders, Blood, Death of parent, Gore, Violence, Child death, Death, and Gun violence

Moderate: Torture, Addiction, and Trafficking

Minor: Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Slavery, and Pedophilia

hpruett's review against another edition

adventurous dark funny 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

5.0

This is now one of my very favorite books of all time. Each character is so lovable and the pace is perfect. Many things I didn’t see coming which is perfect 👌

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence and Sexual assault

una_klavina's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional funny inspiring sad 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Death, Torture, Child death, Sexual assault, and Trafficking

ofinkandscales's review against another edition

adventurous emotional hopeful mysterious 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? It's complicated

5.0

Spoiler-free TL;DR Review:
This book is phenomenal, each character is well written, the pacing is great, and it will absolutely tug at your heartstrings at times.

Spoiler Review:

I originally got into this book because of my love for the Netflix series (#SaveShadowandBone) and boy do I regret not reading this sooner. Kaz Brekker will always be my favorite, the deadliest boy in all of Ketterdam. Of all the scenes in the entire book, the scene with the Crows riding the stolen tank through the Fjerdan streets, the sense of "this is it, we did it" had me in tears because for the entire book, everyone doubted this ragtag group of criminals kids, and despite all the doubters, /they did it/. And just as soon as they did it, it all went kettle up and now I can't wait to get into Crooked Kingdom. Even if I hadn't seen the show first, I believe I still would've fallen in love with this world of criminals and heists, each character is so well written, no one is flat and each one pops off the page as if they were a real, flesh and blood person. The way Leigh Bardugo describes her scenes makes the entire thing similar to a movie; the electric feeling of Nina taking the jurda parem and her power being felt by all, even the reader, the feeling of Jordie's bloated and slippery flesh under Kaz's hands, the turmoil Matthias feels between loyalty to his country or the girl he loves, and the feeling of walking through miles of snow and ice with only the promise of riches keeping you going.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gore, Suicidal thoughts, Racial slurs, Trafficking, War, and Xenophobia

Moderate: Child abuse, Addiction, and Emotional abuse

Minor: Vomit and Sexual assault

The entire book revolves around a heist between a crew in Ketterdam and the country of Fjerda. Those who reside in Fjerda have a rank of people known as Druskelle who use religion as a justification for eradicating the Grisha simply for being different. The Fjerdans regularly claim Grisha are less than dogs, are monsters, etc. One of the main characters is kidnapped and trafficked into a brothel and forced to "work down" her debt. One of the main characters has deep trauma and suicidal thoughts at times. One character deals with addiction, and another deals with an abusive family. Gore is described in detail.

jjwelden's review against another edition

adventurous dark 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? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gore, Sexual assault, and Trafficking

aheroux_24's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional funny tense medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders

Minor: Trafficking and Sexual assault

eemi42's review against another edition

adventurous 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? Yes

4.75

Reading Six of Crows is a somewhat similar experience to reading Dune in that there is a lot of vocab and world building to get used to, but it's worth it to stick with it.

The characters are loveable

and I like rooting for the couples that formed—Kaz and Inej, Jesper and Wylan, and especially Nina and Jesper.

Also, I found the Grisha vs. Fjerdan conflict very compelling and relevant.

It took me quite some time to get used to the world,

but things really pick up in the final 25%. Things would appear to go wrong and I'd get very stressed, only for it to be revealed that it was part of the plan all along. (Inej getting detained at the gate). There are many loose ends that make me want to acquire and read the second book immediately

I thought the constant switching of perspective would get annoying, but it was masterfully done and didn't detract from the story—only added to it.

Can't wait to read Crooked Kingdom!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence

Moderate: Murder, Ableism, Addiction, Blood, Death, Genocide, Racism, and Vomit

Minor: Sexual assault, War, Sexual harassment, and Trafficking

ahsirgverse's review against another edition

adventurous challenging funny mysterious 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: Gun violence, Violence, Body horror, Death, Blood, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, and Gore

Moderate: Drug use, Kidnapping, Sexual assault, and Slavery