The Heart Forger: The Bone Witch, Book 2

Bloody battles with giant monsters called daeva and the undead. Some gory descriptions: a dead familiar (human companion of a witch) impaled by a giant daeva claw who rips himself free with a "wet, tearing sound." A few characters eaten by daeva. Description of man's guts ripped out. Viewed from afar, an army of undead eat soldiers. People transform into evil monsters, fight to the death. One character death mourned heavily. Familiar pulls off arm after injury, zombie style. Sleeping sickness and talk of murders. Talk of a witch consumed by dark forces that was executed. Lashes on someone's back after an interrogation.

Kissing. Talk of a long affair, the only details being pulling off pants. Another affair, only implied through a shared bedroom. Much talk of concubines that are offered to an emperor, per tradition. A joke about the emperor wanting to choose a transgender concubine without knowing it.

"Bastard," "damn," "ass," "bitch," and "hell."

Parents need to know that The Heart Forger is the second in a series by Rin Chupeco, author of the ghost story The Girl from the Well. Here, main character Tea is a witch who can raise the dead. She can also control large monsters called daeva. Book 1, The Bone Witch, dealt more with Tea's training. In this sequel, she's out there in bloody battles with daeva and the undead and with some gore. People get eaten by monsters and the dead, get impaled, and literally spill their guts. There's a bit more swearing than the first book, but it doesn't go beyond "bitch" and "ass." And the sexual content goes far beyond flirting, with kissing and talk of affairs and an emperor's concubines. A diverse array of LGBTQ characters are represented here, including a transgender character who gets much support from friends. The messages in this story are also more mature. Tea works to expose corruption and evil, and most of those faced with the truth still want to hide from it.