Good story but too much graphic violence
595157
I enjoyed this book as I have the previous two in the series, primarily because of the interesting characters, atmosphere, and good writing.  However, this latest installment of the Cormoran Strike adventures is full of what seemed to me to be gratuitous and graphic violence and psychopathology; parts of it were unpleasant and disturbing to read.  There is enough ugliness and brutality in real life; I don't want to spend my free time being assaulted by more of it.  I hope the next installment does not repeat this.
4640191
I enjoyed this book. It was a fast read for me. Makes you want to find out what happens next. Well written and easy to follow both stories at once. I would have given it 5 stars except that it has some violence in it that was too graphic for me. Still a good book tho!
2856157
A good story but must warn, the beginning is very graphic. It was hard for me to read since I too am a victim of rape, but once I got through that part, it was a good read. Christina survives a terrible attack, a gang rape. I could understand her feeling of fear, hopelessness, and despair trying to continue on with life. The boys are convicted, but one threatens to find her after he gets out of prison.

After a few years go by, she learns to get on with her life. She has a great job and boss, and finally meets someone who peaks her interest, but looming is the boy, now man who threatened her life. There is suspense, romance, action and courage from the main character to get past her nightmare and go on. I did enjoy the story!
2280615
Loved the entire trilogy but I was kinda worn out by this third book.  A LOT going on and it was an amazingly intertwined story but there was a bit too much violence in this story for my personal taste.  I did enjoy the family dynamics and appreciated the overall racial equality undertones of the series, but a few of the bad guys were just too nasty.
3015330
Written well. I don't like the basis of the story. A few parts were too graphic when the violence was described. But mostly I don't like the teen on teen violence.
4057538
This book was recommended to me because the capture theme is one I normally enjoy.  The story was very good in that it held my interest, thus the three star rating.  But it was too violent and sad for me.  Yes, the author went by history and it was a brutal time.  Yet, I read these books for escapism.  If I want to hear about dead children, I will turn on the news.  Also, I prefer my hero's not tortured until they black out with a hot poker to their privates.  This story had so very much tragedy and violence that I was left with an uneasy feeling when I finished the book.  I know I will never re-read it even though it is on my Kindle. If you don't mind a dark story, you may enjoy it, but I prefer a lighter romance.  I also gave three stars for the author's bow to history and bringing the Scottish language in her story, although not overly so to the point it grates.  Alex and Catherine are both fine characters, so there is much to recommend about this book if you don't mind the aforementioned incidents.
2126781
The book definitely keeps you on your toes. I personally stopped reading the book halfway through because it was no longer a joy to read. The plot gets more and more exciting as the story reads on but the book is extremely graphic.  I understand the author's need to incorporate violence to give the reader perspective of the time period, but there was way too much horrific torture/violence I just no longer felt the desire to read it. I am honestly torn because the book is well written and I am dying to know what happens next, but it was hard to put the images of the book out of my mind (which I am sure is what the author wanted). If you don't mind violence or just want a good honest depiction of the daily horrors of slavery, the book is very well written.
1991609
I enjoyed the love story between Rhett and Ariel but found some of the scenes very macabre and disturbing. Too much violence for me,
4653998
I did enjoy the book but for me the foul language was too much. I could see how it fit with the plot and the characters but it distracted me from the story as a whole.
The story is a view of how all of us that have been through abuse would like to see revenge exacted. I did like the characters and the strong personalities presented in this work that involved so many deep emotional issues. The story flowed very well and there was continuous action. I made the mistake of reading Book 2 first and hope that other readers will avoid this mistake as it is sometimes hard to know where I am in the story.
4536679
Let me start by saying that I love Julie Farrell's books. I love the well developed romance and the characters that I get to know. She is an amazing writer of romance novels. However, I had a little problem with this book. There was violence, and it came early in the book. I am a pacifist of the greatest degree and the scene disturbed me and made it difficult to get into the rest of the book. Unfortunately, the violence continued until the very end. Other than that, the book is exciting and suspenseful. if you don't mind a lot of violence, which is necessary for the story, read this book. It follows the theme of happy ever after, with a touch of Romeo and Juliet, and keeps the reader involved until the end. Just close your eyes when the shooting starts.
I received an ARC for an honest review.
1114702
I like this series and look forward to the next one but this one was more violent than the others. I'm not fond of a lot of violence.
3867017
This is a good romance book BUT there is a lot of violence in it.  I'm a person who doesn't mind violence and I watch and read things with a lot of violence in them.  But...in this particular book, the violence is above and beyond what it needed to be.  There is emotional, physical and sexual violence to the point of no return.  The main character, Jamie would have died before he even met Claire, if we are to really examine everything here.  The book could have benefitted from better editing and ended way before it actually did.
2741139
Despite some strong narrative writing here, "Blood of the Wicked" leans so much on brutality and violence that enjoyment of the story is often compromised by its very bloodiness.  Granted the ongoing conflict between the haves and have-nots in Brazil is well-documented and often results in see-sawing assaults and murders.  However, author Leighton Gage has pursued that aspect of social confrontation to excess, chronicling a series of torture/murders--particularly of women--to an unnecessary extreme (in my opnion).

My other general problem with this novel is the author's portrayal of his protagonist, Chief Inspector Mario Silva--the top cop in Brazil's Federal Police.  Despite the impressive bonafides provided by author Gage for Silva, he and his entourage of experienced Federal officers play only a passive role throughout the book, arriving at the various crime scenes well after the latest murder has been committed and seemingly unable to anticipate and prevent the next violent occurrence.

So, this is not a book for the reader with a sensitive stomach or who especially enjoys good police procedurals.  However, its bloodymindedness and fast-paced action will definitely find some fans.
1023692
I like this production but I find the violence to be too frequent and harsh and I keep having to leave the room, love the scenery, acting and overall story line.
2026631
There is just too much gratuitous extreme violence in this story to ever appeal to me.  The basic story line is interesting, but the violence seems to have been exaggerated just to attract teen age readers.  I also found it hard to follow the plot, hard to decide who were the "good guys", and why I was still reading it.
2471151
I liked this story a lot maybe because I am from Missouri.  It contained some violence not recommended for children.  I know a few people like the ones in the story but kinda stay away from them.  I think there was a lot of truth in the characters
4776177
Set somewhere in the universe is a world based on combat and perfection.  Edmond tries to resist at every turn and it costs him dearly.  This was a good read, but is full of violence and betrayal - you may find it depressing and too graphic.