Content Warnings Guide

The Fruit of War Saga is dark fantasy. Adult, dark themes are intrinsic to the genre, and it's Tamara's hope that you understand this before reading – in other words, that you won't be surprised that you find beans when you open a can labeled 'beans'. That being said, this is a more comprehensive guide to potentially upsetting material found within the books for those who need it.

Tamara has included only that which actually appears in the text, not every potential trigger out there. She's rated them 'Mild', 'Moderate', or 'Heavy', a guide to which can be found below. They are listed alphabetically, not in order of appearance or degree of intensity. Expanding a collapsible list item will give you further details and a general idea of where the material in question appears in the book, in an effort to balance preparedness with avoiding spoilers, and accounting for page number differences across devices and file types. If an item is a pervasive theme or otherwise mentioned too frequently to realistically itemize, it will include the note 'Throughout'.

Finally, if there are any content warnings you feel she's missed or whose intensity should be reevaluated, please reach out! Thank you for reading with care!

My Ratings

MILD Past-tense, referred, or inferred only; a passing mention, or contextual.
MODERATE Brief (up to a few sentences) and/or non-graphic; may feature a handful of times.
HEAVY Sustained (several paragraphs or more), possibly graphic or intense, or frequent mentions.

Disclaimers

  • Content warnings have been drawn from such lists as BookTriggerWarnings.com and this Tumblr list.
  • Please note that there may be variation between Tamara's labels and that of others, just as one person's mere squick may be fully triggering to someone else.
  • Finally, while every effort has been made to be comprehensive with inclusions and accurate with location guidance, Tamara is only human.

Stone and Flesh Content Warnings

Listed alphabetically. Click or tap a list item to expand for further guidance, but note chapter location notes may be spoiler material if examined too closely.

Alcohol and Tobacco Use – Mild

Alcohol and in-world tobacco occasionally appear. There is a scene with two characters drinking recreationally.

Chapter 15 (smoking); Chapter 17 (smoking); Chapter 17 (alcohol); Chapter 19 (alcohol)

Animal Death – Heavy

Graphic description of the death of a non-POV, non-speaking animal character. Off-screen, implied death of a non-POV, non-speaking domestic pet, and same for beasts of burden.

Chapter 7; Chapter 9; Chapter 11 (moderately graphic); Chapter 13; Chapter 21; Chapter 30 (graphic)

Blood – Moderate

Frequent mentions in both a metaphorical sense (magical allusion) and literal sense (medical, result of violence, etc.).

Throughout

Body Horror – Moderate

There are descriptions of unnatural bodily contortion, the growth of foreign bodies within oneself, physical mutation (including into non-human attributes), and moulting. There are descriptions of wounds and illness, including those brought about by plague. Some of these are graphic.

One of the fantasy races, the nae'cthosai, are notable for possessing the features of plants/trees, insects, and birds, and these are often displayed with pride. They are regarded neutrally by other races. 

Throughout, but particularly graphic instances: Chapter 11; Chapter 23; Chapter 28; Chapter 29

Child Death – Heavy

The death of a young child (<12), though having originally occurred off-page, is frequently mentioned. The death is revisited in flashback form; it is a death from illness.

Chapter 4; Chapter 20; Chapter 21

Combative Gun Use – Mild

A gun is aimed or fired. One such firing results in a background character death. Others result in injury. The topic of using firearms in a combative capacity is mentioned frequently, but guns are not commonplace and are outlawed.

Chapter 4; Chapter 7; Chapter 13; Chapter 16; Chapter 26; Chapter 30

Corpses (Including Reanimated) – Moderate

There are a handful of instances of examination of corpses either by a professional (coroner) or respectful nonprofessional. One is prepared in a morgue. All are whole.

Three died in a nonviolent manner; two died in a violent manner, one of which is shown to be contorted unnaturally.

Chapter 1; Chapter 2; Chapter 6; Chapter 8; Chapter 9; Chapter 21; Chapter 23; Chapter 26; Chapter 28

Demonic Entities – Heavy

Three types of demon-like entities, two of which are nonspeaking. The third is a speaking, major POV character. They are a remnant from a prior war, and are generally associated with occult activity. (See Occult Activity.)

Throughout

Fire – Mild to Moderate

One character experiences being inside a burning building, and describes their own symptoms and the sight of others being trapped.

There is a brief, nongraphic description of individuals dying from burning.

Chapter 8; Chapter 13; Chapter 18; Chapter 24; Chapter 27

Grief and Funerals – Moderate

The primary protagonist acts as funeral director, coroner, and grief counselor. It is a strong theme running through the entire book, but is not frequently graphically described.


There is a funeral procession, and later a funerary visitation seen from afar. Many characters are grieving either fresh losses or older losses, and these are mentioned briefly but often and sometimes inform their decisions.

There is anecdotal mention of off-screen funeral biers (burning and leaving to the elements).

Throughout

Miscarriage – Mild

Mentioned once, anecdotally. There are no details to the circumstances.

Chapter 16

Misgendering – Mild

There is one brief instance of a character unintentionally misgendering another whom they have not met; they are corrected by someone close to the individual, and the correction is welcomed.

Chapter 24

Murder – Mild

There is one brief depiction of a murder. Off-page murders are referred to; the investigation of one is actively but briefly on-page.

Chapter 6; Chapter 12; Chapter 13; Chapter 23; Chapter 28; Chapter 31

Occult Activity (Including Necromancy) – Heavy

Warlocks and dark magical are shunned from society, especially due to their involvement with the recent war. They are associated with the creation or summoning (and/or control) of demonic entities, manipulative or unnatural magic, inhumane experimentation, and necromancy. Their efforts in necromancy have not been successful, but are still being attempted.

We mostly see their magic; descriptions of its physical effects are described in detail, and include scarring, psychological manipulation, bodily contortion, and death. However, there are anecdotal descriptions of their other activities.

Throughout, but Chapters 8 and 28 in particular

Plague – Mild to Moderate

Past-tense, referred-to. Description of symptoms, source, extent, and death toll.

Throughout, but Chapters 1 and 2 in particular

Psychological Manipulation (Malicious) – Heavy

An antagonist uses a substance and psychic powers to psychologically manipulate others, including their emotions, their memories, and what they are physically perceiving. The victims are generally unaware of the manipulation, and experience a strong sense of unreality, confusion, and fear.

Chapter 11; Chapter 25; Chapters 26-29

PTSD – Mild to Moderate

Characters briefly relive traumatic moments and experience physical symptoms related to them, including shaking, nausea, sweating, fear, narrowing of vision, and mild confusion.

Chapter 6; Chapter 18; Chapter 20; Chapter 27; Chapter 28

Racism – Mild

There is in-world racism experienced off-page by one POV character, but it is mentioned briefly and anecdotally.

Chapter 8

Religion – Mild

Two characters are actively religious and are shown to pray. There is a scene involving a daily religious ceremony. There are discussions of belief systems.

Throughout, but the scene with the ceremony is Chapter 10

Sex – Moderate

Non-graphic, off-screen / 'fade to black'. Additionally, there are non-graphic, occasional instances of suggestive or sensual imagery. All sexual material is a mix of consensual and nonconsensual (see Sexual Abuse and Psychological Manipulation).

Chapter 17; Chapter 18; Chapter 19; Chapter 27 (nonconsensual); Chapter 28 (nonconsensual)

(Adolescent) Sexual Abuse (Rape) – Moderate

Described in flashback form. It is in a group setting, and brief and non-graphic (a 'fade to black'). Forced ingestation of a drug is involved. Though perpetrated by strangers, it is allowed by a parent.

Chapter 28

(Adult) Sexual Abuse (Including Rape) – Moderate

Described in flashback form while under the influence of psychological manipulation, and brief and non-graphic (a 'fade to black'). Magical (occult) restraint and physical force is involved. 

Chapter 28

Spirit Possession – Moderate

As part of the protagonist's profession, they are tasked with carrying the spirits of the dead from the corpse to a designated place where they can be released back into 'the Source'. The spirit is non-speaking. This is a routine, typically uneventful, and sacred process, with the carrier inviting the spirit to them. While carrying a spirit, the protagonist is fully aware and in control of their actions.

In one instance, the spirit the protagonist is carrying causes them to fall unconscious. In another, more than one spirit enters them without consent.

Throughout, but especially Chapter 1, Chapter 2, Chapter 28, and Chapter 29 

Strong Language – Moderate

Though not excessively, swearing occurs frequently from at least two characters, with the strongest being the F-bomb. There is a brief instance of in-world racial slurs (written, not spoken).

Throughout, but the slurs appear in Chapter 8

Suicidal Thoughts – Mild

Mentioned extremely briefly, and not acted or dwelled upon.

Chapter 26

Violence and Gore – Moderate to Heavy

Violence with weapons and magic is both alluded-to in the past tense and actively on the page. There is one instance of graphic detail of gore. There is a non-graphic description of a death by burning.

Throughout, but mild gore appears in Chapter 10, Chapter 11, Chapter 26, Chapter 27, and Chapter 30

Vomiting – Mild

Mentioned briefly, as the result of inexperience with flying, and nongraphically.

Chapter 7

War – Mild

Past-tense, referred-to. The setting is recovering from a large war several years prior; casualty scale, effect on the physical and metaphysical environment, and recovery efforts are frequently mentioned. Many characters are active or retired military.

Throughout