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I have to say that I was disturbed with Scordato's constant fixation with raping Angela. I found it gross and creepy. Also, in the time stream of Gerhard and Sophia, one of the German soldiers wants to rape Sophia.

I know rape is a common 'motif' in war novels, but I thought it was overdone. Is this something that is used in romance novels?

I could do without it, and I think the book would be just as good if Scordato didn't harp on it, or if he used some other kind of threat. What do you think?[bn=][/bn]

I didn't have any issue with the idea of rape being included in the novel, but I agree it was probably overdone. Once the reader knows it is something on Scordato's mind, I don't feel like they need to be constantly reminded of it.

Maybe the author thought including the threats in the novel would add to the character development? That type of thing can easily be overdone tho and have the opposite effect to what the author intends.

JHuschle519 wrote: ↑31 Jul 2018, 00:45 I didn't have any issue with the idea of rape being included in the novel, but I agree it was probably overdone. Once the reader knows it is something on Scordato's mind, I don't feel like they need to be constantly reminded of it.

That was my thought, too. Thanks for the reply.

taffylee81 wrote: ↑31 Jul 2018, 04:50 Maybe the author thought including the threats in the novel would add to the character development? That type of thing can easily be overdone tho and have the opposite effect to what the author intends.

That is possible.

I have read other reviews where the reviewers thought that Angela and Alex were well-developed characters. I didn't, they seemed a bit on the superficial side, especially Alex. I don't read romance, but he seemed to be based off Christian Gray: wealthy without having to obviously work; good taste in cars, clothes, design and food; owns exquisite properties in fantastic places, etc.. But as I said I don't read romance, and I don't know how deep they usually go into their characters.

As for Scortado, he was a one-note villain and not developed at all. At the end, I was kind of satisfied to find out he was a reincarnation, too. It brought it all together, except for his viciousness and misogyny.

I found rape threats to be completely unnecessary, and they ruined my enjoyment of reading the book when in that section. Rape threats form part of sexual violence, as it constitutes sexual harassment, especially in South Africa.

I thought they were too much. In fact, I almost gave up on reading the book because they were thrown in to the story so carelessly. Like it was the only tool a villain has against a female character. It brought up the interesting angle of the work place harassment as a tie in to the reincarnation, I suppose... but there were definitely better (and more tasteful) ways to get that point across.

It was not necessary to continually harp on what was on Scordato's mind. The reader surely understands his motives within the first chapter. Carrying his character through the past scenes helped solidify his "bad guy" persona, but did nothing to build his character.

I have only read the review but I have read several books lately that seem to address rape related issues insensitively. I find it unnecessary. There are other ways to convey a violent character.

Same here, I find it a lot. Sometimes it is integral to the story and sometimes not. In this story, I don't think it was necessary.

In the last book I reviewed the main female character was raped by a minister when 16 and because he plied her with alcohol she has no recollection how she becomes pregnant.

I think in some stories they are using it to explain either a vulnerability or strength in a female character.

Hmm... Interesting question. I didn't think about it like that. But while reading, although somewhat senseless, I was thinking that the author's intent was to bring further attention to the "time's up" and "me too" movements, with regard to harassment in the workplace.

If rape is integral to the story, as in The Pillars of the Earth, then I am fine with it. Constant references I find to be very tedious and unnecessary.

The repetition of it, from my perspective, is to get the creepy obnoxious feeling from Scordato. He is supposed to be portrayed as a creepy sociopathic killer obsessed with rape and domination of women. If the author only said he wanted to have his way with her only once, it would not have had the same effect. It wouldn't show his obsession. It would just seem like a passing thing he wanted to do, but no longer an obsession.

I'll agree that it was a bit much. We already get what kind of a scumbag Scordato is. It gets a little disgusting that it is mentioned so much throughout the book. Less is more, after all.

During war major possibilities occur related to the violence, extreme issues and rapes. Although the army of each country is the boundary wall for it and is the protector for it after God but at the moments of wars ,this character of soldiers is mostly disliked by myself.