Tarnished Are The Stars is, at its core, a queer adventure story, but it also deals with some heavy topics, many of which could be triggering to some readers. I have included a list below of overall content warnings with minimal spoilers, and beneath that I have included a more detailed explanation with chapter numbers. If you feel I have missed something or have questions, I would be grateful to hear from you through my contact form. Please do what you need to do to stay safe!
The following content warnings apply to Tarnished are the Stars:
The following content warnings apply to Tarnished are the Stars:
Physical descriptions of surgery and medical procedures
Childbirth and pregnancy
Child death
Grief and death
Physical violence
Parental abuse
Physical abuse
Ableism
Classism
The following includes some spoilers and more detailed explanations of triggering content including chapter numbers.
Multiple characters are surgeons by trade and are shown on page performing surgery in chapters one and forty-six. A character draws blood in chapters twenty-nine and thirty-one. Other discussions of surgery and medical conditions occur, but otherwise are not shown on the page.
A character is pregnant for the course of the story and describes herself as such. She gives birth on page, however with minimal description of the actual birth. The main discussions of this are in chapters four and the epilogue. It is mentioned a few other times, though not in detail.
In addition to discussions about child death in general, a child dies on page. This occurs in chapter twenty-one and is discussed for several chapters thereafter. Warnings for discussions of grief, guilt, and blame.
Themes of grief and death are prevalent throughout the story, and aside from the above death, there are multiple deaths that occur both on and off screen, so to speak. Chapters forty-three through forty-five include on page death and physical violence. Parental death is discussed in chapters thirty-one, thirty-four, and forty-eight. A queer character is dead prior to the events of the book and this death is discussed in chapters twenty-seven, thirty-three, forty, and forty-four, but this death is not shown on the page.
Physical violence in the form of combat occurs in chapters three, six, twenty, twenty-one, twenty-six, forty-two, and forty-four. Physical parental abuse occurs in chapters two and thirty-nine, and emotional parental abuse occurs in chapters two, ten, twelve, fifteen, twenty-two, twenty-three, thirty-nine.
Both ableism and classism are themes examined throughout the course of the story, but specific discussions of ableism occur in chapters eight, ten, eleven, fourteen, and thirty-eight, and classism in chapters three, ten, twenty-seven, and thirty-two.