Reign of the Fallen by Sarah Glenn Marsh

Reign of the Fallen by Sarah Glenn Marsh

Reign of the Fallen by Sarah Glenn Marsh book cover

Odessa is one of Karthia’s master necromancers, catering to the kingdom’s ruling Dead. Whenever a noble dies, it’s Odessa’s job to raise them by retrieving their souls from a dreamy and dangerous shadow world called the Deadlands. But there is a cost to being raised–the Dead must remain shrouded, or risk transforming into zombie-like monsters known as Shades. If even a hint of flesh is exposed, the grotesque transformation will begin.

A dramatic uptick in Shade attacks raises suspicions and fears among Odessa’s necromancer community. Soon a crushing loss of one of their own reveals a disturbing conspiracy: someone is intentionally creating Shades by tearing shrouds from the Dead–and training them to attack. Odessa is faced with a terrifying question: What if her necromancer’s magic is the weapon that brings Karthia to its knees?

GoodreadsThe Story Graph

Trigger & Content Warnings:

  • Ableist language
  • Classism
  • Attempted kiss without consent
  • Substance addiction
  • Hallucinations and delusions
  • Self-harm
  • Alcohol consumption
  • Pill addiction, drug abuse, and nonconsensual detox
  • Graphic blood and gore, and dead bodies
  • Physical injuries and burns
  • Grief & loss depiction
  • Death of a boyfriend (on-page)
  • Death of a mentor,
  • Death of a father
  • Death of a girlfriend
  • Murder & attempted murder
  • Strangulation & hanging (mentioned)
  • Fire
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Bridge of Clay by Markus Zusak

Bridge of Clay by Markus Zusak

The breathtaking story of five brothers who bring each other up in a world run by their own rules. As the Dunbar boys love and fight and learn to reckon with the adult world, they discover the moving secret behind their father’s disappearance.

At the center of the Dunbar family is Clay, a boy who will build a bridge—for his family, for his past, for greatness, for his sins, for a miracle.

The question is, how far is Clay willing to go? And how much can he overcome?

GoodreadsThe Story Graph

Trigger & Content Warnings:

  • Parental abandonment
  • Suicidal ideation, and assisted suicide (euthanasia) by asphyxiation by carbon monoxide poisoning
  • Terminal cancer
  • Death of a mother & wife
  • Death of a pet dog (off-page) recounted
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The Year of the Witching by Alexis Henderson

The Year of the Witching by Alexis Henderson

The daughter of a union with an outsider that cast her once-proud family into disgrace, Immanuelle does her best to worship the Father, follow Holy Protocol and lead a life of submission, devotion and absolute conformity, like all the women in the settlement.

But a chance mishap lures her into the forbidden Darkwood that surrounds Bethel – a place where the first prophet once pursued and killed four powerful witches. Their spirits are still walking there, and they bestow a gift on Immanuelle: the diary of her dead mother, who Immanuelle is shocked to learn once sought sanctuary in the wood.

Fascinated by secrets in the diary, Immanuelle finds herself struggling to understand how her mother could have consorted with the witches. But when she begins to learn grim truths about the Church and its history, she realises the true threat to Bethel is its own darkness. And if Bethel is to change, it must begin with her . . .

GoodreadsThe Story Graph

Trigger & Content Warnings:

  • Racism & colourism
  • Misogyny
  • Slut-shaming
  • Ableist language
  • Persecution for witchcraft
  • Physical, verbal & emotional child abuse
  • Sexual assault
  • Rape & statutory rape recounted
  • Paedophilia & child molestation recounted
  • Forced nonconsensual marriage*
  • Exile & ex-communication
  • Alcohol consumption
  • Suicide recounted
  • Self-harm & self-inflicted injuries
  • Pregnancy & child pregnancy (secondary character)
  • Death from childbirth (two on-page scenes), and mentions of miscarriage & stillbirth
  • Graphic blood depiction & menstruation discussed
  • Plague (multiple)
  • Seizures & stroke (side character)
  • Nonconsensual branding
  • Emesis
  • Death of a mother & father recounted
  • Death of a son recounted
  • Death of a best friend (on-page)
  • Strangulation
  • Drowning
  • Being burned alive
  • Earthquake
  • Imprisonment & captivity
  • Murder & attempted murder
  • Knife violence & stabbing
  • Animal death & sacrifice

Note: This book portrays a cult which uses its beliefs to justify abuse, torture, misogyny, racism & paedophilia, including the marriage, rape (‘bedding’) & impregnation of multiple children (not graphic or on-page, but mentioned & discussed by secondary characters).

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Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo

Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo

Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo book cover

Ketterdam: a bustling hub of international trade where anything can be had for the right price—and no one knows that better than criminal prodigy Kaz Brekker. Kaz is offered a chance at a deadly heist that could make him rich beyond his wildest dreams. But he can’t pull it off alone. A convict with a thirst for revenge. A sharpshooter who can’t walk away from a wager. A runaway with a privileged past. A spy known as the Wraith. A Heartrender using her magic to survive the slums. A thief with a gift for unlikely escapes. Kaz’s crew is the only thing that might stand between the world and destruction—if they don’t kill each other first.

GoodreadsThe Story Graph

Trigger and Content Warnings

  • Ableism & ableist language
  • Persecution for ‘witchcraft’ (theme)
  • Indentured servitude and slavery
  • Forced underaged sex work recounted
  • Child abuse recounted
  • Disownment
  • Substance and gambling addiction
  • Nightmares
  • Coerced suicide (implied)
  • Alcohol consumption, recreational drug use & non-consensual drugging including forced and coerced drug dependency
  • Blood, gore & injury depiction including dead bodies, emesis, medical experimentation, plague, eyeball trauma, and non-consensual body modifications
  • Grief & loss depiction
  • Death of a father & brother recounted
  • Death of a friend
  • Murder & attempted murder
  • Physical assault
  • Knife and gun violence
  • Torture
  • Strangulation
  • Explosions
  • Kidnapping and captivity
  • Incarceration
  • Drowning
  • Animal death
  • Animal attack & death by an animal attack
  • Bullying

The Perfect Assassin by KA Doore

The Perfect Assassin by K.A. Doore

Or so Amastan has been taught. As a new assassin in the Basbowen family, he’s already having second thoughts about taking a life. A scarcity of contracts ends up being just what he needs. Until, unexpectedly, Amastan finds the body of a very important drum chief. Until, impossibly, Basbowen’s finest start showing up dead, with their murderous jaan running wild in the dusty streets of Ghadid. Until, inevitably, Amastan is ordered to solve these murders, before the family gets blamed. Every life has its price, but when the tables are turned, Amastan must find this perfect assassin or be their next target.

Goodreads

Trigger and Content Warnings

  • Slavery mentioned
  • Cheating mentioned
  • Blood, injury & gore depiction, including dead bodies
  • Death of an uncle & brother (off-page)
  • Death of a mother, wife & stepmother recounted
  • Murder & assassination (theme)
  • Poisoning
  • Attempted murder by fire
  • Knife violence
  • Kidnapping
  • Dehydration & death from dehydration mentioned

The Impossible Contract by KA Doore

The Impossible Contract by K.A. Doore

Thana has a huge reputation to live up to as daughter of the Serpent, who rules over Ghadid’s secret clan of assassins. Opportunity to prove herself arrives when Thana accepts her first contract on Heru, a dangerous foreign diplomat with the ability to bind a person’s soul under his control.

She may be in over her head, especially when Heru is targeted by a rival sorcerer who sends hordes of the undead to attack them both. When Heru flees, Thana has no choice than to pursue him across the sands to the Empire that intends to capture Ghadid inside its iron grip… Read more.

GoodreadsThe Story Graph

Trigger & Content Warnings:

  • Racism
  • Slavery
  • Colonialism themes
  • Sex work shaming & slurs
  • Self-injury for blood magic
  • Graphic blood & gore depiction, including dead bodies
  • Physical injuries & illness
  • Emesis
  • Nonconsensual branding
  • Murder & attempted murder (theme)
  • Poisoning
  • Knife violence
  • Graphic strangulation & garrotting
  • Severe dehydration depiction & water scarcity
  • Graphic fire & result loss of property
  • Animal murder discussed & animal death
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Caroline’s Heart by Austin Chant

Caroline’s Heart by Austin Chant

Cecily lost her soulmate years ago, leaving her with nothing but the clockwork heart that once beat in Caroline’s chest. They say it’s impossible to bring back the dead, yet Cecily’s resurrection spell is nearly complete and grows more powerful by the day.

But when a cowboy she barely knows is fatally injured, the only way to save him is by sacrificing an essential piece of the resurrection spell—and all possibility of seeing her lover again.

GoodreadsThe Story Graph

Trigger & Content Warnings:

  • Queermisia
  • Transmisia & internalised transmisia
  • Persecution for witchcraft
  • Hate crimes
  • Misgendering and deadnaming*
  • Coming out themes*
  • Grief & loss depiction
  • Death of a girlfriend recounted
  • Alcohol consumption
  • Blood depiction & physical injuries, including amputations & gunshot wounds
  • Gun violence
  • Bar fight & attempted murder
  • Hanging mentioned
  • Strangulation

*Context: The main character is told a transgender character’s deadname & incorrect pronouns and uses them unintentionally until he is corrected. A closeted trans character is ‘outed’ to the main character when he is undressed for medical treatment while unconcious (off-page).

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Alex + Ada by Jonathan Luna and Sarah Vaughn

Alex + Ada, Vols. 1-3 by Jonathan Luna & Sarah Vaughn

From JONATHAN LUNA (GIRLS, THE SWORD, ULTRA, Spider-Woman: Origin) and SARAH VAUGHN (Sparkshooter) comes ALEX + ADA, a sci-fi drama set in the near future. The last thing in the world Alex wanted was an X5, the latest in realistic androids. But after Ada is dropped into his life, he discovers she is more than just a robot.

GoodreadsThe Story Graph

Trigger & Content Warnings:

Volume #1

  • Sexual harassment
  • Scalpels & needles
  • Death of a friend mentioned
  • Mass murder mentioned

Volume #2

  • Discrimination
  • Amputation & prosthetic limbs discussed
  • Mass murder mentioned
  • Ex-soldier secondary character

Volume #3

  • Discrimination & hate crimes
  • Dysphoria discussed
  • Alcohol consumption
  • Blood depiction & minor physical injuries
  • Grief & loss depiction
  • Death of a grandmother
  • Murder
  • Mass murder mentioned
  • Physical assault
  • Hanging
  • Explosion
  • Gun violence
  • Imprisonment
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Empress of a Thousand Skies by Rhoda Belleza

Empress of a Thousand Skies by Rhoda Belleza

The only surviving heir to an ancient Kalusian dynasty, Rhee has spent her life training to destroy the people who killed her family. Now, on the eve of her coronation, the time has finally come for Rhee to claim her throne – and her revenge.

Alyosha is a Wraetan who has risen above his war refugee origins to find fame as the dashing star of a DroneVision show. Despite his popularity, Aly struggles with anti-Wraetan prejudices and the pressure of being perfect in the public eye.

Their paths collide with one brutal act of violence: Rhee is attacked, barely escaping with her life. Aly is blamed for her presumed murder… Read more.

GoodreadsThe Story Graph

Trigger & Content Warnings:

  • Ableist language
  • Racism & racial slurs, including internment camps
  • Blood depiction (chp 3)
  • Unethical human medical experimentation (chp 16)
  • Needles (chp 6 & 8)
  • Consensual and non-consensual drugging (chp 6, 7 & 22)
  • Death of mother, father & sister recounted
  • Death of a mother (on-page, chp 25)
  • Death of a friend (chp 14)
  • Explosions recounted & on-page (chp 1 & 15)
  • Murder & attempted murder (chp 1, 3)
  • Strangulation (chp 1)
  • Knife violence (chp 3)
  • Police brutality & violence (chp 15)
  • Torture (chap 7)
  • Mind control discussed
  • Imprisonment (chp 17)
  • Poisoning (chp 25)
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The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

In the ruins of a place once known as North America lies the nation of Panem, a shining Capitol surrounded by twelve outlying districts. The Capitol is harsh and cruel and keeps the districts in line by forcing them all to send one boy and once girl between the ages of twelve and eighteen to participate in the annual Hunger Games, a fight to the death on live TV. Sixteen-year-old Katniss Everdeen regards it as a death sentence when she steps forward to take her sister’s place in the Games. But Katniss has been close to dead before—and survival, for her, is second nature. Without really meaning to, she becomes a contender…. Read more.

Goodreads

Trigger and Content Warnings

  • Classism & ableism
  • Alcoholism (secondary character)
  • Hallucinations
  • Drugging
  • Alcohol consumption & abuse
  • Involuntary medical treatment & procedures, including amputation & needles
  • Graphic blood & gore depiction
  • Graphic physical injuries & serious illness of a loved one, including burns, loss of hearing, and discussions of scars
  • Graphic emesis, multiple on-page
  • Cannibalism recounted & discussed
  • Graphic food and water scarcity, including mentions of death from starvation & dehydration
  • Grief & loss depiction
  • Death of a friend & child (on-page, multiple)
  • Death of a father & husband recounted
  • Murder & attempted murder by stabbing and strangulation
  • Fire & explosions, on-page & recounted
  • Whipping mentioned
  • Poisoning
  • Avalanche mentioned
  • Police brutality mentioned
  • Poverty
  • Rebellion & war themes
  • Graphic animal death & hunting including graphic description of skinning & butchering
  • Animal attack & death from animal attack, including death from a wasp attack and graphic scene of a child being eaten alive by a wolf
  • Attempted murder of a pet cat recounted