Legendborn is another YA book I would have enjoyed more in my adolescence, but now as a woman nearing thirty, I can only summon up a trickle of weary Legendborn is another YA book I would have enjoyed more in my adolescence, but now as a woman nearing thirty, I can only summon up a trickle of weary joy and objective admiration.
There's a lot going for it—a plucky heroine with a good head on her shoulders, diversity, an interesting magic system that considers racial implications, and a sweet, believable romance. In my youth, I would have gushed more about these things, but NOW, I'm going to push up my glasses and put my adult mind and education to use.
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René Girard, in Desire, Deceit, and the Novel (1965), theorizes that within the structure of an love triangle, there is the desiring subject, the person being desired, and the "mediator" who wants anything his role model (the desiring subject) is after. What this means is that the person is desired by the mediator not due to their own qualities, but because they were chosen by mediator's role model. Eve Sedgwick would later expand on this theory of triangular desire in her highly influential book Between Men (1985), where she coins the term “homosocial desire” to describe the unbroken spectrum between social bonds and erotic desire.
What does this mean for Legendborn? Well, there's an obvious love triangle brewing among Bree, Nick, and Sel. Nick is the descendant of King Arthur, and Sel is his bodyguard. According to Girard and Sedgwick, Sel's sexual chemistry with Bree would be the direct result of his bond with Nick and latent homoerotic feelings for him that cannot be expressed except through desiring what Nick desires.
Don't come after me with pitchforks, please. This is just me having some fun with literary theory....more
“The scent of her still lingered in the sidewalk, lilac and nutmeg and something he couldn’t quite place—like the gleam of first stars at nightfall
“The scent of her still lingered in the sidewalk, lilac and nutmeg and something he couldn’t quite place—like the gleam of first stars at nightfall.”
Lolwut.
Sarah J. Maas was set to come to London for her House of Earth and Blood book tour, but it was cancelled last minute due to coronavirus. At the time, I was disappointed, but I wonder if I'd dodged a bullet because it meant I didn't spend 15 pounds on a fancy hardcover.
I was so bored in the first two-thirds of the book, I asked my friend to spoil the mystery of Danika's killer for me. That was the only thing that kept me reading. People will tell you it picks up in the last 200 pages or so, which I can attest to. My favorite streamer was livestreaming Overwatch (a FPS I am addicted to, even though its platform Blizzard is morally dubious) and I couldn't stop reading.
But did the last hurrah make up for 500+ bloated pages of recycled Maas characters/plots and lukewarm sexual tension?
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There's so much infodump in the first chapter. World-building is vomited out in the poorly disguised form of conversation. I would characterize it as a more advanced system of the kind found in A Court of Thorns and Roses, what with the magical creatures being divided into houses and humans once again being the dregs of society. It's actually quite interesting once world-building tidbits are unfolded alongside the plot, but I guarantee you'll be very confused for a good while.
We're also repeatedly smacked over the head with how close Bryce and Danika are in the beginning. The intensity of their bond is overwhelming. Of course, later we find out it's to justify Bryce's depression after her murder. (Bonus points if the reader feels something too.) But given we only get a few chapters to get to know Danika, their friendship feels slightly artificial and contrived. It's a plot point, rather than an emotional connection that touches the reader too.
Everyone in House of Earth and Blood is beautiful and powerful because in a Maas book, the ugly and weak do not exist—at least not as important characters. (view spoiler)[Even the medwitch turns out to be the Queen of witches. I saw the Starborn twist with Bryce coming ten light years away. It's incredibly annoying that Maas’s heroines always start off as weak humans, then develop super special abilities. Doesn’t that nullify the message that humans can do incredible things even with physical limits? Bryce's power is also similar to Aelin's (fire) and Feyre's (she's the glittering starlight to Rhys's night triumphant). (hide spoiler)]
Hunt is basically Rhys and Rowan smushed into one. A hot, super powerful, brooding, domineering man—sorry, male. There's a big theme throughout the book that Bryce doesn't want to date some dominating alphahole, like Maas is poking fun of her own trope. But it kinda falls flat when your heroine falls for exactly that. (He can smell her period too, which is simply gross.) The same type of hypocrisy is found in her blink-and-you'll-miss-it LBGTQIA representation too. (view spoiler)[Fury's love for Juniper is revealed in such a cheap way and only gets two sentences' worth of page time. (hide spoiler)] It’s like in Allegiant when that one character says, “I loved her too” after the other character had died, thus revealing she's lesbian. Representation is never seen on-page and just mentioned in a throwaway line, so Roth/Maas can pat herself on the back for having done her part for Pride Month.
(view spoiler)[I do like the part where Bryce questions why she should make the Ascent for a man, and Danika refutes, “And why is it somehow a mark against your strength to admit that there is someone, who happens to be male, worth returning to?”
It reminds me of my own inner struggles with my feminist identity. I came to London to do a PhD because I wanted to be close to my boyfriend who lives here. He’s obviously not the only reason I did it, but he played a big part in the decision, and I even turned down another offer that provided more scholarship money but less time in the UK. I would be the first to dissuade anyone from uprooting their life for a guy, yet given my own history, doesn’t that make me immensely hypocritical? I love my boyfriend dearly and don’t regret my decision, but there are times when I still struggle with the ramifications of my choice and question my intentions. Danika's line reminds me it’s not anti-feminist to love someone and want to be in a relationship with them. It’s okay to compromise and sometimes sacrifice things in a relationship. Simply put, it’s not badass to be romantically selfish and expect your man to fall at your feet and go along with whatever you want. He’s a human being too and I feel like the feminist movement sometimes forgets that with the “men are trash” rhetoric. (hide spoiler)]
The final climatic battle is basically the villain ranting about his evil plans to a hidden camera. I have no words.
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Bet $10 Hunt is replaced by a hotter, more powerful dude in the second book. (view spoiler)[Maybe that Prince of Hel who can turn into a cat. (hide spoiler)]...more
Since this is a novel all about music, I figured I'd relay my thoughts on it via songs. Daisy Jones & The Six is entirely told through interview transSince this is a novel all about music, I figured I'd relay my thoughts on it via songs. Daisy Jones & The Six is entirely told through interview transcript form, so your enjoyment of it largely hinges on whether or not you found the characters engaging. I matched a song to each member of the band:
I'm your hell/I'm your dream/I'm nothing in between/You know you wouldn't want it any other way
Daisy is an objectively terrible person. To quote the TV show, talent like Daisy's is wasted on someone like her. She's a rich girl who decides to be a rock star and succeeds because she's so effortlessly talented. Her friend Simone, a struggling singer, pays the rent on the flat they live in, even though she could ask her parents for money. But nope, she enjoys being "independent" and wafts through life partying and taking drugs. (view spoiler)[She also tries enter into a romantic relationship with Billy despite being friends with his wife and kids. (hide spoiler)] She kinda reminds me of Daisy from The Great Gatsby and this quote: "They were careless people, Tom and Daisy – they smashed up things and creatures and then retreated back into their money or their vast carelessness, or whatever it was that kept them together, and let other people clean up the mess they had made."
BUT she was fun to read about. I liked her badassery and how she fights against the Pixie Girl trope. She's complex rather than one-dimensional. Such a bitch, but a bitch you want in your corner.
The worst thing that I ever did/Was what I did to you
Billy is a dirtbag, but he's a nuanced dirtbag. Long story short, he cheated on his pregnant wife (Camilla) with random groupies multiple times on tour and goes nuts with the alcohol and drugs, then spends the rest of his life trying to make it up to her. He tries so hard and my heart breaks for him even as I actively despise him.
Camilla is an amazing example of how you can create a strong female character without having her be stroppy. She is a housewife and a mom and largely just follows Billy around as he does his rock star stuff. She's portrayed as assertive and intelligent. She doesn't leave Billy after he cheats because she loves him and wants a life with him and takes active steps to ensure that happens, like ordering him to shape up. She doesn't want an easy love; she wants Billy and all the complications that come with it. Her portrayal changes her character from a submissive woman who puts up with her husband's transgressions to someone with agency and a vision that she is determined to carry out. Her speech to Daisy towards the end of the book is amazing and I will forever be sad that the show cut it.
And you can try to change my mind/But you might have to wait in line/What's a girl gonna do?/A diamond's gotta shine
Badass woman fighting against sexism in the industry. (view spoiler)[I'm glad she didn't sacrifice her dreams and decided to abort the baby. She was right to call out Graham on his bullshit: "Are you going to quit the band to raise the baby?" Obviously not. (hide spoiler)]
You don't know what its like to be like me/To be hurt, to feel lost/To be left out in the dark/To be kicked when you're down
An emo song for Pete because well, he's pretty emo. I relate to his desire to be featured more in the band, but like his bandmate told him: you're part of a hugely successful band and making loads of money. Isn't that enough?
“Have you ever made a flame dance upon a windowsill?” he asks softly. “Or called a lighting bug to your hand on a summer’s night? Have things ever
“Have you ever made a flame dance upon a windowsill?” he asks softly. “Or called a lighting bug to your hand on a summer’s night? Have things ever happened because you wished they would, or those who would hurt you gone away suddenly and no one knows the reason?”
The crystalline gaze is steady. “No, sir, because those things bring death. And I do not mean to die.”
Reasons you should read Feast of Souls:
-The badass quotes -Kamala, the protagonist, is dark af -Yassss women thriving and winning in a patriarchal society -There's more than one strong female character -No special snowflake syndrome -Friedman builds anticipation like the pre-chorus in Taylor Swift's song Dress -Killer magic system -Kamala's "diamond" gaze (not what y'all think) -The Witch-Queen would be sitting on the Iron Throne in two seasons -No cheesy star-crossed love??? 100% here for this content -Lots of scheming -High Queen Gwynofar is proof that traditional femininity does not equate weakness -Remorse is for losers and Magisters don't have time for that shit
Ten days to figure out how to beat his enemies at their own game.”
Kaz Brekker would have so much fun with Levi Glaisyer. He'd fleece Le
“Ten days.
Ten days to figure out how to beat his enemies at their own game.”
Kaz Brekker would have so much fun with Levi Glaisyer. He'd fleece Levi dry, then convince him Halloween pumpkins are a good investment in December.
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Look, in the olden days, a kinder, softer Natalie might have given Ace of Shades 3 stars. There's nothing overtly offensive about it. The writing's decent (if a bit tryhard at times), there are clear stakes, okay world-building—all in all, a solid YA fantasy. But these days, thesis deadlines are squeezing my fun-meter dry and when I sit down with a book to relax, I expect to be transported.
I paid for a good time in the City of Sin and I didn't get it.
Ace of Shades is very obviously inspired by Six of Crows, but falls completely flat where Crows soared. I can't buy Levi being a street lord at 17. He's too youthful, too inexperienced. Kaz, despite his age, was depicted as wise beyond his years and fully capable of commanding a gang. Levi actually acts his age, which is fine except his whole backstory falls apart. He should've been knocked down ages ago.
The romance has the finesse of a Donald Trump speech. I had the same issue with Descendant of the Crane. The hero/heroine notes that the other party looks attractive, but gee whiz, I’m certainly not going to fall for him/her! Nosiree, there’s more important business afoot! Then several chapters later, they’re pawing at each other in a broom closet. Where’s the slow burn from friendship to love? Or if it’s enemies-to-lovers, the hatred to grudging respect to tentative friendship to angsty love? I'd prefer slow uncertain development rather than the literary equivalent of a topic sentence.
Also, the guidebook excerpts in front of every section are cool, but makes no sense when you actually think about it. Guidebooks are meant to promote tourism and bring in capital. Those excerpts just warn people away. Have fun building a new bridge with your meager treasury.
Points for Levi being bisexual, though the primary romance is heterosexual so make of that what you will....more
Why Restore Me is Unrecyclable Trash Reason #1: Juliette is stunningly, magnificently incompetent at her job
The ending of Ignite Me is shit, alright? Why Restore Me is Unrecyclable Trash Reason #1: Juliette is stunningly, magnificently incompetent at her job
The ending of Ignite Me is shit, alright? Juliette becomes Supreme Commander of an entire country in the name of “feminism” DESPITE her having received no proper education or training. Restore Me simply highlights how terrible that decision was.
I mean, look at this crap:
“Why did I think I’d be capable of running a entire continent? How did I allow myself to imagine that a supernatural ability to kill things with my skin would suddenly grant me a comprehensive understanding of political science?”
"I did not think it would be easy to be a leader exactly, but I do think I thought it would be easier than this"
“What do you mean, my quarters? I have quarters?”
Juliette is boggled out of her tiny mind that Warner can speak seven languages, even though it should be common sense given that he was the commander's son. At one point, she wistfully wishes Anderson, the evil dictator she killed, were alive so he could take governance off her hands. Oh, she also calls him talented.
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The scenario reminds me of my experience with Wandavision. Everyone was sobbing their eyes out and bumping Wanda up to their favorite Avenger, while I had no sympathy for her at all. She held an entire town hostage and forced its residents to relive her nightmares nightly. All the good characters talk about how hard Wanda had it and how her actions are understandable—indirectly telling the audience to sympathize with Wanda. In the end, when normalcy is restored, the townspeople see Wanda off with unforgiving eyes and the special agent says to Wanda, "They will never know what you sacrificed for them." As if Wanda, not the poor people she terrorized, is the victim here.
Maybe some people sympathize with Juliette. I imagine that must be the case, given how astounding popular this series is. She's a teenager with great potential struggling to do her best. On a certain level, I sympathize with her. But my sympathy does not stretch beyond my concern for the populace. I sure as fuck wouldn't want Juliette as my president. I wouldn't trust her to run a bake sale, let alone the shattered remains of a dictatorship. It's lunacy to parade placing an incompetent woman in a position of power as feminism.
Why Restore Me is Unrecyclable Trash Reason #2: The Soap Opera Continues
In the original trilogy, we found out Warner and Adam are brothers. Now we discover Juliette’s parents weren’t her real parents and her real ones might still be alive. And she has an older sister??
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Why Restore Me is Unrecyclable Trash Reason #3: There is No Plot
Half the book is Juliette finding out she is shit at her job. Then two people show up from another country, Juliette gets shot (don't worry, it has very little impact on anything), she finds out secrets about her past, and for the grand finale, (view spoiler)[she murders 600 people (evil commanders, of course) and her real parents take her home. (hide spoiler)]
Why Restore Me is Unrecyclable Trash Reason #4: Juliette and Warner's Romance is Bullshit
“If Juliette has been supreme commander for seventeen days now, she and I have only been in a relationship for two days longer than that."
That quote seems pretty self-explanatory. They are the classic YA power couple: soulmates despite minimum interaction.
I maintain that Warner is an abusive fuck, but even if we ignore that, these hormonal teenagers know next to nothing about each other.
"I know he loves me--I can feel, in our every interaction, how deeply he cares for me--but even so, he's only ever offered me the vaguest information about his life."
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The thing is, she whines that Warner and Castle are keeping secrets from her, but the instant she finds out any type of impactful information (like Warner's ex), she has a mental breakdown. Kinda hard to blame them for hiding things.
Juliette and Warner's sex scenes are nauseatingly perfect too. There are common descriptions of heated skin to keep it age-appropriate. I actually wonder if they break into fever every time they fuck. And, of course, they orgasm together in perfect symphony.
Why Restore Me is Unrecyclable Trash Reason #5: Juliette's Thick-Ass Plot Armor
You can rest assured nothing bad will ever happen to Juliette. Her plot armor is so thick, it'd stop a dozen machetes. She’s never seriously injured and everyone kisses up to her. She never suffers consequences in her personal relationships due to her actions. It’s always the other person's fault and they’re always, ALWAYS, panting to make it up to her.
Even when Juliette force Kenji and Warner to spend time together. Even when she makes Kenji wait two hours for her because she was fucking her boyfriend. She prettily apologizes, they forgive her, and the world moves on, orbiting Juliette, the center of the universe.
"Choose carefully, Nona. Let the Path lead you to a name."
Nona opened her mouth. "Cage," she said. "Let them call me Cage."
Red Sister is what you
"Choose carefully, Nona. Let the Path lead you to a name."
Nona opened her mouth. "Cage," she said. "Let them call me Cage."
Red Sister is what you get what you combine Arya's arc from Game of Thrones with Harry Potter.
There's stabbing and friendship. Magic and religion. Illicit potions and assassin lessons. Red herring villains and badass mentors. A "Chosen One" and prophecies.
You'll notice I put quotation marks around "Chosen One" because it's not what it seems. Everyone thinks Nona is the Chosen One after she arrives at the Convent of Sweet Mercy, fresh from the executioner's block, to train to be an assassin. Born a hunska, one of the four godly tribes, she is extraordinarily talented for a girl of eight and has more hand-eye coordination than I do while holding a cup of milk.
BUT there's a curveball. And another curveball. And another. This entire book is basically me getting hit in the face with curveballs, from the moment I noted the teenage-ish cover model and then discovered Nona is under twelve years old throughout the whole book. Except for sporadic chapters from the future (present?), we mainly track Nona's childhood in the village to her life in the Convent.
One of those curveballs is Ara. Beautiful, rich, and skilled, she's despised by Nona from the very beginning.
You can imagine how I reacted.
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But Nona grows to realize she's wrong. She discovers Ara is actually a really nice person, a loyal friend, and first impressions aren't everything.
"Ara's crimes appeared to be confined to being beautiful, being born rich and bring the Chosen One. Everything else, Nona realized, was something given to her by Clera or something assumed."
(I lowkey ship them. I know they're not old enough yet, but shhhh, let me dream of the future.)
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The world-building is woven seamlessly with the narrative. It's too complicated to explain and my goldfish of a brain no longer remembers the specifics, but know there are absolutely no info-dumps. Everything is presented to us naturally and smoothly.
All in all, I'm excited to see Nona grow into her cover model. And do more magic, stabby stuff.
"This isn't about Adam or Warner," I tell him. "This is about me and what I want. This is about me finally understanding where I want to b
3.5 stars
"This isn't about Adam or Warner," I tell him. "This is about me and what I want. This is about me finally understanding where I want to be in ten years. Because I am going to be alive, Kenji. I will be alive in ten years, and I'm going to be happy. I'm going to be strong. And I don't need anyone to tell me that anymore. I am enough, and I always will be."
Ughhhh, I'm an absolute sucker for these kinds of feminist-awakening stories. Juliette's growth is outstanding. Mafi may have been writing by the seat of her pants initially, but she clearly had an outcome in mind, no matter how vague, and she goddamn delivered.
God, when Juliette gave that speech to Kenji, I was an inch from screaming, "YAS QUEEN YAS!"
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It was a ballsy move making her timid and unlikable and not all that together in the first place, but I'm so glad I stuck around. I love the message that your first love doesn't have to be your only love and you can grow out of your teenage crush. That it's okay to walk away from an abusive relationship. That emotional abuse is still abuse.
"I think he wants me to pretend I'm the girl who doesn't really speak and spends most of her time being scared. The kind of girl he needs to protect and take care of all the time. I don't know if he likes who I am now. I don't know if he can handle it."
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Alright, still with me? Ready for the hammer to drop? (You all know it wasn't all Wonder Woman undies and Katniss braids, or three red stars wouldn't be sitting up there.)
Like I said, I love its stance on first loves, but I don't like feeling manipulated into it. The series is obviously shoving us towards Warner, so Adam becomes a needy, unreasonable prick with a stick up his ass.
In Fracture Me, his first priority was his brother and he held off on saving Juliette to make sure he's safe. In Ignite Me, he tells Juliette that she's the only thing he ever wants, which is great in terms of banishing the concept of unhealthy all-consuming love, but very messy characterization. Mafi has no idea what the fuck to do with Adam except to make him look as bad as possible.
Warner, in contrast, is absolutely perfect now. Every sin, every bad thing he has ever done is rationalized or ignored. If he can really sense Juliette's emotions, wouldn't he have known that she was repulsed by him when he was making moves on her way back in Shatter Me? Or does it not matter because he wasn't in love with her yet and didn't care about making a half-mad teenage girl uncomfortable just to get what he wanted? If he couldn't, then his ability (and character) is pretty damn convenient.
(Also, Warner can Apparate like Game of Thrones's Varys. After Juliette has a fight with Adam, she calls him with a pager or some sort and he's there in three minutes. Just throwing that out there.)
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Next thing I had a problem with is genre. This series is not dystopian. It's a coming-of-age romance set against a really, really vague dystopian background. The Reestablishment is the Booeyman. It's the threat in the shadows, there but not really. Warner's father is the stereotypical bad guy and as flat as a pancake.
Three books, two novellas, and we still don't have a clue what the world is like. How's the environment? Are there other countries? Is there a textile industry making all these jeans Juliette finds laid out on her bed?
Even the final battle is wrapped up too easily. There's no buildup or a sense that people were ready to rebel. In The Hunger Games, we got sporadic rebellions first before the showdown in the Capitol, which took one entire book. But here, all of a sudden, everyone in Sector 45 decides to join. No snitches or anything.
(view spoiler)[Then Juliette declares herself leader of nation.
"I've always known, deep down, who should be leading this resistance. I've felt it quietly for some time now, always too scared to bring the words to my lips. Someone who's got nothing left to lose and everything to gain. Someone no longer afraid of anyone.
Not Castle. Not Kenji. Not Adam. Not even Warner.
It should be me."
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Symbolically, I get it. It fits with her overarching character arc of embracing her power. Practicality-wise, are we really going to trust a sixteen-year-old with little formal schooling and zero knowledge of politics to rule over a country? Ignite Me ends rather abruptly, without letting readers know whether she steps down eventually or if the other sectors fall in line. (hide spoiler)]
I mentioned earlier that Juliette's "feminist awakening" was a positive thing, but it also left a bad taste in my mouth towards the end. She gets really dictator-like, and it's equated with strength and girl power. She does whatever the hell her selfish ass desires, even if people die. She doesn't give soldiers from the opposing side a chance to surrender and afterwards, there are no conversations or inner monologues about the sanctity of life.
And I must have lost track of how many times Juliette forgets about James or Kenji or Castle because she's too busy worrying about her own problems. When Kenji thinks about passing the torch of rebellion to someone else because of Omega Point and their depleted numbers, she basically rips his head off. The ugly truth is she wants revenge on Warner's dad, so she drags everyone on her quest to murder him.
The girl from Shatter Me was scared of her own shadow. This girl, standing on the roof with Warner, watching the horizon, would Hulk-smash anyone who disagreed with her.
If it's a villain-in-making story, then I tip my hat. But I don't think it is. I think we're supposed to see Juliette as a hero and liberator, which terrifies me because she's morally grey at best. She's certainly a worse person than Katniss is.
This review is already pushing a thousand words, so I'm going to wrap it up with a few last thoughts:
1) Why is no one concerned about the healer girls? In Fracture Me, Kenji was all gung-ho about saving Juliette. Here, everyone's all, "Oh, they'll be fine. Warner's dad will keep them alive." I know they're minor characters, but some concern would be nice.
2) Kenji is as awesome as ever, though I wish he weren't so far up Juliette's ass.
3) Juliette is super, super powerful and basically invincible. That sentence speaks for itself.
4)
"It's like a soap opera." Ian nods. "But with worse acting."
Entire series in one quote. It's cheesy, cliche, and shamefully entertaining. I regret nothing.
"And I understand, for the first time, that I have the power to destroy everything."
Before I go into my review, let's take a moment to a2.75 stars
"And I understand, for the first time, that I have the power to destroy everything."
Before I go into my review, let's take a moment to appreciate Kenji. Practical, funny, brilliant Kenji. He's the Minho of the series. When Juliette is off angsting over Adam or with Adam, he's there to cut through their bullshit and remind them that there's a war going on. His friendship with Juliette stretches as far as his first priority—the destruction of the Reestablishment and keeping Omega Point safe.
"I'm not blind, okay? On a purely physical level? Yeah, you're pretty sexy--and that suit you have to wear all the time doesn't hurt. But even if you didn't have that whole 'I kill you if I touch you' thing going on, you are definitely not my type. And more importantly, I'm not some perverted asshole," he says. "I take my job seriously. I get real shit done in this world, and I like to think people respect me for it."
Forget Adam and Warner, he's the man I want.
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Alright, appreciation time over. The gloves are off. (Har har, subtle reference to the ending)
The melodrama is back in spades in Unravel Me as Juliette finds out *gasp* she's slowly killing Adam by being with him! (He's not technically immune to Juilette. Long story.) Oh, angst! Oh, woe! Oh, tormented gazes across the cafeteria that fall like oddly shaped stones on Juliette's bleeding heart!
But wait! Warner smashes back in the picture and she... might... be... FALLING FOR HIM!
*See how annoying capitals are? Stop using them, book.
I have ninety-nine and a billion problems with Juliette and Warner striking up a romantic relationship, but let's start with Warner himself first. In Shatter Me, he was the cruel, charismatic leader who made Juliette feel icky. Here, he's a tormented Prince Charming that was good all along. I didn't get what readers were saying about Rhys from A Court of Mist and Fury, but I get it: his character does a complete one-eighty. In fanfiction speak, Warner is OOC—out of character.
The reason Juliette initially falls for him is that she sees him being nice to a puppy. Then she has nice, long conversations with him and gets to his gooey interior. He transforms from a two-dimensional character to a three-dimensional human, so Juliette can no longer hate him.
If depth is all it takes to change villains to heroes (case in point, Warner's mustache-twirling father), then Hitler must be Jesus Christ reborn. Serial killers are capable of kindness, too, you know. Hitler was lovely to his secretary and the people close to him, according to that memoir. The rather thoughtful message of refusing to acknowledge the enemy's humanity in order to kill them is lost under this putrid heap of romance.
There's also that uncomfortable you-secretly-wanted-it reveal. Warner forced himself on her at the end of Shatter Me and Juliette pretended to go along with it so she could attack him. But now we find out she actually liked it. How fucking rapey is that?
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Despite it all, I was enjoying Unravel Me. I liked that she eventually realizes she needs to stop relying on Adam and be her own person. Then the ending happened and laughed in my face for ever thinking it could break out of the neat little Cliche Romance mold it built itself in. It spit on all the growth Juliette did in the last four hundred pages. She doesn't need a man, but look, here's something with a penis charging in to save the day! He comforts her and opens her eyes to the truth, just like Adam did in Shatter Me. Her character arc is exactly the same. It is then rinsed and ushered off to the next book to inspire false hope.
I'm going to read the last one. We all fucking know it. I'm reading Fracture Me right now.
Some random thoughts I couldn't structure into my review:
-Castle is an idiot. He's a bigger idealist than Trump. It's a wonder Omega point has survived this long if Anderson is as ruthless and intelligent as they make him out to be.
-Juliette is beautiful. This is very important because we're reminded every time she has contact with a heterosexual male.
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-I don't hate this series. I honestly don't. It's too amusing to be annoying. For someone who's currently trapped in end-of-semester hell, it's a relief to dive into something that isn't intellectually challenging. I skimmed a lot and was able to bang out a full-length review. (Trust me; you're not missing out a lot if you skip a line or two of Juliette's melodramatic thoughts.) There are some genuinely good themes if you read between the lines.
"He was probably the best man she'd ever known. Earnest, determined clever and strong. And, for some reason, he loved her. At times, that
3.5 stars
"He was probably the best man she'd ever known. Earnest, determined clever and strong. And, for some reason, he loved her. At times, that fact was even more amazing that her part in the Lord Ruler's death."
In my review for the first book, I expressed concerns that this series is mislabeled. Everything about it, from the 16-year-old female protagonist to the fall-in-love-with-the-enemy subplot to the high concept spy plot, screams YA.
The Well of Ascension vanquished any lingering doubts I still had: this series is YA to the bone. In fact, it shouldn't be called epic fantasy; it should be called angst fantasy because that's what a good chunk of this book revolves around. Vin lamenting that she's not good enough for Elend, while Elend secretly does the same thing in the next room. All while two armies are camped outside their walls and the city is in danger of fragmenting.
But sure, let's throw a love triangle in the mix. Let's have Vin constantly comment on how self-confident his posture and smile is.
"Zane looked up at her, meeting her eyes, standing straight-backed and confident in the night.
He's so strong, she thought. So sure of himself. So different from..."
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I know I'm ragging an awful lot on a book I rated 3.5 stars, but I can't help myself when it comes to Vin. I simply don't like her. She's this black hole of insecurity and callousness that drags everything down with her. (view spoiler)[Experimenting on Oreseur without his permission was a dick move. (hide spoiler)]It's the Throne of Glass series come again. No matter how I love Manon and the witches and the increasingly epic plot, Aelin's there to spit in my tea.
For a girl that doesn't like to be worshiped, Vin is extremely self-centered. All she ever thinks about is her problems and how uncomfortable the skaa's attention is making her feel. She's terrified she won't be able to protect everyone, but it never occurs to her to spare a couple minutes to comfort the desperate skaa who just want a relic of Kelsier to look up to.
Just suck it up like Katniss did, girl. It ain't hard.
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What's good about it is Kelsier is still a very big part of the narrative. I'm not fond of author killing off characters, then never mention them again. The Survivor plays a part in the government and the new religion that's popped up. And there's a good prevalent theme of reality over idealism. Installing a democracy on the heels of dictatorship is harder than it seems, as our scholarly Elend discovers.
“When you can't have freedom and safety, boy, which do you choose?”
But again, it comes back down to its YA-ness. As an epic fantasy, Game of Thrones does it better. As a YA fantasy, I've read better. Throne of Glass does it better. Champion and And I Darken handle similar themes with more finesse. Pierce Brown's upcoming Iron Gold series will no doubt do it better.
Kissing is as far as the romance goes, with off-screen sex scenes. We don't even get a fade-to-black make-out session. I understand Sanderson might not want to steer toward erotica waters, but the fight scenes aren't particularly gory either. Nothing about this series suggests that it's ages 18 and up. The writing's sparse without much description, so I can't give it much points for world-building neither.
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The only thing it's got going for it is that it's addictive. I zoomed through it in a couple days and jumped straight to the third book. I only stopped halfway because I hadn't written my review for this yet. I didn't want my reading experiences to bleed into each other.
Would I recommend this series? Eh. I'll have to see how the next one is. For now, you're better off reading A Game of Thrones.
(Someone in the comments said Tor is planning to repackage the series as YA. Please for the love of God give it new covers. The ones now are the fugliest things I've ever seen.)
"Vin was not fury. She was not terror. She had grown beyond those things."
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I've been waiting two books for Vin to woman up and be the kind o
"Vin was not fury. She was not terror. She had grown beyond those things."
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I've been waiting two books for Vin to woman up and be the kind of heroine epic fantasy deserves. She's matured so much since the mistrustful creature Kelsier welcomed into the fold four years ago. While she doesn't come close to cracking my top 20 favorite female characters, she's finally a character I can respect.
And the plot. Excuse me while I swoon. Gone are the linear plotlines of The Final Empire. The twists are intelligent and strategically placed. I almost want to reread the whole series to catch all the sneaky hints Sanderson placed in the first two books.
I'm also really glad Spook has a larger part. He won my heart from the start with his endearing nature. Part of the reason I disliked Vin is how mean she was to him. (You were beaten every day by your brother, honey. Show a little compassion to your fellow street rat.) His coming-of-age character arc is long overdue and it's developed skillfully over the course of the narrative.
A few criticisms. Where are all the ladies? Other than Vin, no other women have their own POVs or hold significant roles. Allriane (who I adore) barely shows despite being a powerful Soother, and Tindwyl was a plot device for Sazed to lose his faith. Beldre, the Citizen's sister, is a fascinating character I'd love to know more, but isn't properly fleshed out. It grates on me, especially when Vin is incredibly well-developed.
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I also never jumped on the Vin/Elend bandwagon. Their main thing is unconditional trust. So if Vin does something stupid, Elend lets her carry on, and vice versa. It seems to be a tremendously dangerous state of mind to be in given the events that happen (view spoiler)[Ruin controlling people. (hide spoiler)] I understand it's connected to Vin's abandonment issues and Zane, but blind trust is never a good thing. (view spoiler)[Use steel to communicate if you must. (hide spoiler)]
On whole though, The Hero of the Ages is a brilliant finale to the Mistborn trilogy. Started with a sputter, ended with a hearty bang.
“So Nesta had become a wolf. Armed herself with invisible teeth and claws, and learned to strike faster, deeper, more lethally. Had relished
4.25 stars
“So Nesta had become a wolf. Armed herself with invisible teeth and claws, and learned to strike faster, deeper, more lethally. Had relished it. But when the time came to put away the wolf, she'd found it had devoured her too.”
I am irrationally annoyed by how much I enjoyed this. I read the reviews and was prepared to snicker my way through the purring, the ridiculous sex scenes, and constant assertions of "my mate." However *sigh* this series just does something to my cold cynical heart. I laugh at it, but I am incapable of hating it.
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So take my hand, lovelies. Let us venture into my detailed thoughts, which I have thoughtfully assembled into a list with no discernible pattern or theme:
-Nesta is so bitchy sometimes. I get that it's complex and there's a certain feminism in portraying someone like her as a protagonist instead of a villain, but jeez, girl. Learn some basic manners. I occasionally wonder if SJM went too far in making Nesta the selfish stepsister in ACOTAR. It's hard to shake off that image. She does attempt to justify it in this book by explaining that Nesta was angry at her father for giving up and not providing for his daughters. Nesta was ready to let them all starve to prove a point
-Rhys says to Nesta, “Of course you have a choice. You always have a choice here,” like he didn’t force Nesta out of her flat, force her to live in one of his residences where she can't leave, force her to train with Cassian, force her to work at the library, etc. Surely there are better ways to stage an intervention. I know they did it out of love, but Tamlin did what he did out of love, too
-Speaking of, everyone hates Tamlin because he gave Nesta and Elain to the King of Hybern (which he did to save Feyre), but when Rhys threatens to kill Nesta if she hurts Feyre, that’s somehow okay. (view spoiler)[Nesta literally had to flee for her life after telling Feyre the truth about her pregnancy (hide spoiler)]
-Rhys and Feyre are supposedly equals, but he refuses to tell Feyre about the dangers of her pregnancy. Nesta is portrayed as the bad guy for telling her sister the truth
-Can we stop worshiping Rhys now? Please?
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-I like that Nesta asks Cassian how he likes his blowjob. It normalizes communication during sex
-SJM is too lazy to think of actual names for magical places and items. Under The Mountain sounds ominous if you think about it, but then there’s the Harp, the Mask, and the Crown
-I really liked Nesta's character arc: her struggle with trauma and depression, her cold rage at her father for refusing to provide for them and the steel pride that prevents her for apologizing to Feyre for her past behavior, the self-loathing and insecurity, the female solidarity with other victims of sexual assault and misogyny. On that last note, I've never understood why Nesta and Elain were so upset with being being transformed into beautiful, powerful High Fae back during ACOWAR. SJM explains it more by linking the violent act of being forced inside the Cauldron and changed against her will with rape/sexual assault.
-While I adore the themes mentioned above, SJM writes the same arc over and over. All of her female protagonists (Aelin, Feyre, that girl from House of Earth and Blood) wrestle with crippling depression at some point. She recycles plots and characters and writing phrases. Gets pretty old
-The ending is thematically confusing.(view spoiler)[Nesta and her friends are thrown into the Illyrian Rite of Passage thing, which has traditionally forbidden female warriors because sexism. They get through it together without magic, symbolically smashing the patriarchy. This ties in with all the themes ACOSF has been pushing.
Feyre's childbirth near the end is where it gets confusing. Both Feyre and her kid die, but Nesta saves them by stopping time and bargaining with Death (or the Cauldron, can't remember). She alters the shape of Feyre's pelvis so a kid with wings can pass through and transforms hers as well for her far-off future kid with Cassian. In exchange, Nesta gives up some of the power she took from the Cauldron, but gets to keep a little because God forbid a SJM character is anything less than overpowered.
Thematically, the childbirth scene doesn't make sense in terms of the book's overall plot. What is the implication? That women have to sacrifice power in order to have kids? That doesn't fit the whole feminist angle.
Maybe the scene can be interpreted as Nesta finally repairing her bond with Feyre? ASOSF has seen Nesta feeling disconnected from her family (guilt over her dead father, anger towards Elaine for supposedly turning her back on her, both rage and guilt regarding Feyre). Here, Nesta is restoring family by saving her sister and nephew's lives. She communes with the Mother, the harbringer of life. It contrasts her power of death, which is connected to her feelings of rage and desolation. Nesta believes she is too prickly to love, but through her hand (and better mental health), life blooms.
That's a better interpretation than SJM had a baby in real life and wanted to work in motherhood somewhere. Also, Feyre has been resurrected twice now. Another three stamps and you get a free ice cream scoop at Scoops Ahoy!
"I've been waiting for more than three years," he murmurs.
"For what?" What's he doing?
"For the girl whose gift is chaos... Death is her
4.25 stars
"I've been waiting for more than three years," he murmurs.
"For what?" What's he doing?
"For the girl whose gift is chaos... Death is her burden. Wherever she goes, it follows. They say she can either save the world or end it."
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I was so sure I'd hate the post-apocalyptic twist The Vanishing Throne dives down, but I didn't.
Refresher course for those who don't remember the end of The Falconer: Aileana failed to prevent the faery prison from breaking, all hell breaks loose, and in the beginning of The Vanishing Throne, we see our favorite Victorian badass trapped in the faery world. Dark shit happens to her at the hands of an evil faery before she breaks out with the help of Kiaran's sister Aithinne. They return to the mortal world, which is devastated and the remaining humans are living in a sort of bunker for safety.
Hello, dystopian scenario.
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But like I said, Elizabeth May does a lovely job of transitioning from steampunk fantasy to post-apocalyptic. It's risky changing genres, especially genres, but she pulled it off. I wish I could tell you a little bit more on how it earned those four stars, but honestly nothing much comes to mind. There's no Second Book Syndrome, Aileana's recovery from PTSD is lovely, Kiaran is fabulous as usual, his sister is hilarious and awesome—good, solid elements, but I can't write a paragraph on them.
Plus, I didn't stop to take notes. Come to think of it, that's probably why I'm stuck.
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One thing I should mention is Aileana and Kiaran's romance is very Twilight. Our faery bae is essentially Edward Cullen without the abuse and condescending personality. But there's no angst. He doesn't shove her away and tell her he's no good for her or any of that ridiculous crap. He respects her strength and lets her fight and grow.
“'You want to know what you mean to me, Kam?’ His lips trail down the curve of my neck. 'Every day I wonder when your human life will end, and it scares the hell out of me.’ His words are hot on my skin. ‘You make me wish I didn’t have forever.'”
The humor's still here, despite the more somber tone.
"I admit to being somewhat unclear on the function of human tears," she says. "So we're sad about this? Should I menace someone?"
Overall, a brilliant sequel. I'm so glad I waited to begin this series. That cliffhanger would have killed me.
This has one too, by the way. Less brutal, but pretty damn cruel. Savor the pages, darlings!
"In many ways, unwise love is the truest love. Anyone can love a thing because. That's as easy as putting a penny in your pocket. But to love somethin
"In many ways, unwise love is the truest love. Anyone can love a thing because. That's as easy as putting a penny in your pocket. But to love something despite. To know the flaws and love them too. That is rare and pure and perfect.”
I used to be into the manga/anime Fairy Tail in 2008. That was before I discovered feminism, so I overlooked the hourglass-shaped women and sexual assault paraded as humor, stuff that would give me a rage-induced brain tumor now.
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I didn't quit reading because of that. I quit reading because of the lack of plot. It's a common occurrence in manga. They have arcs that exist as mini-plotlines and may or may not trickle into the main one twenty years later.
The Wise Man's Fear brought me back to my otaku days. It's long and rambling and if you put some thought into it, nothing much happens. I thought this installment was about how he got expelled, but instead we get a Naming Class arc, Research arc, Patron arc, Make Sex With Fae Goddess arc, and the obligatory Training With Recluses arc. They matter in the long run the way a drop of water matters to a pond.
In all fairness, the Patron arc is fascinating and I skimmed the Make Sex With Fae Goddess arc to get back to it quicker. Faye makes a really good point in her review: the good stuff is left out. Where's his trial against Ambrose? I'd rather read that than pages and pages of YA-rating sex with Felurian.
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Near the end of the book, our dashing hero happens across two raped girls.
Yeah, you can guess what happens next.
I don't doubt Rothfuss identifies as a feminist. You can tell by the way he characterizes Kvothe and the thinly veiled direct-to-reader-addresses. But—and for the lack of a better term—he has a typical male understanding of feminism. Take Sherlock: The Abominable Bride, for instance. It tries to be feminist, but turns female suffragists into murdering extremists.
Rescuing women from rape is such a cliche, gendered trope it makes my vagina boil. Then, after the bad guys are slain and our good Samaritan is taking Krin and Ell home, Kvothe has to tell Krin to take care of Ell. A man has to tell a woman to help another woman.
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It gets better. The girls get home and Kvothe tells the resident healer, an old lady, that a few of the responsible kidnappers were women. Old Lady is outraged, then says no women should do that because "they know what it feels like."
On the surface, it looks feminist. Women standing up for each other, yay! but remember it's Kvothe who prompts Krin into helping Ell. It's all tell, no show.
Then there's the context. One of the female bandits, before Kvothe kills her, said it was either her or them. You can't condemn her for valuing her own well-being over others, then dress it as feminism. Was it the right thing to do? No, but it falls into the area of morality, not feminism.
After my huge feminist rant, you'll see I still gave it 4 stars. Why? Because I enjoyed reading Kvothe's adventures. Because I hope maybe Rothfuss will read what his female fans have to say and change his perspective. I put that quote up there for a reason. The Wise Man's Fear is far from perfect, but it's pretty damn good nonetheless....more
"There are thousands of slaves in Endovier, and a good number are from Terrasen. Regardless of what I do with my birthright, I'm going to find a wa
"There are thousands of slaves in Endovier, and a good number are from Terrasen. Regardless of what I do with my birthright, I'm going to find a way to free them someday."
No one, no one, was more surprised than me when I ended up giving Heir of Fire three stars. Three stars means it's not bad, I quite liked it. And I've made my hatred of Calaena pretty damn clearin the past.
Is she still Grade A Special Snowflake? Yes. Yes, she is.
"Such a rare gift—the ability to summon and manipulate flame. So few exist who possess more than an ember of it; fewer still who can master its wildness. And yet your mother wanted you to stifle your power—though she knew that I only wanted you to submit to it."
But for once in her unique, turquoise-eyed lifetime, she has to work to be amazing. I don't care if a character is the Chosen One or bestowed with never-been-seen powers as long as they have to work for it. I want them to suffer and train like Olympics athletes do.
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Two-thirds of Heir of Fire is devoted to Calaena learning to control her powers. She fucks up, she begs defeat, and that to me, showed more humanity than Crown of Midnight and Throne of Glass put together.
She's also really beat up over Nehemia. It's hard to hate her when she's already hating herself so much.
Her relationship with Nehemia is a touching and twisted one. On one hand, female friendship points. Calaena spends 90% of her time angsting over her best friend. Although it got annoying and repetitive near the end, I'm glad she doesn't suddenly snap out of it in the span of three chapters. On the other hand, (view spoiler)[Nehemia is a manipulative bitch. She basically orchestrated her death to teach Calaena a lesson because the assassin wouldn't claim the throne. What kind of shit friend does that? (hide spoiler)]
Admittedly, Heir of Fire drags. It takes a long time for Calaena to claw her way out of the abyss, and I would've gone nuts if it weren't for this amazing new character Manon.
"First of all, human," Manon interrupted, "don't give me orders." Her iron teeth snapped out and he flinched. "Second, I won't be training with another wyvern. I'll train with him."
Heir to the Blackbeak Witch Clan, she's the evil, brutal person Calaena pretends to be and does it ten times better. But she has a soft side.
"Once all that is done," she said, smiling faintly at her wyvern, "you and I are going to learn how to fly. And then we'll stain this kingdom red."
Manon+Abraxos = Hiccup and Toothless.
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Then there's Dorian. He's become my number one priority since Crown of Midnight. Reviewers warned me something bad was going to happen to him in the end, but I still wasn't prepared. Nothing can prepare you for THAT.
Dammit, Maas, you can't give my baby one relationship that doesn't end in tears? (hide spoiler)]
This is the highest compliment I can give: I actually want to read Queen of Shadows. Before it was more like a slog for a marathon you signed up for three months ago and then totally forgot. I want to see Aedion and Calaena's reunion. I want to see Dorian (view spoiler)[freed. (hide spoiler)] I want to see the storm that comes when Chaol meets Calaena again.
For those of you still wondering, yes, I'm still Team Dorian.
“It’s Aelin now,” she snapped as loudly as she dared. “Celaena Sardothien doesn’t exist anymore.”
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I think it's finally time for me to ackno
“It’s Aelin now,” she snapped as loudly as she dared. “Celaena Sardothien doesn’t exist anymore.”
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I think it's finally time for me to acknowledge I will never like Aelin. It's been four books, almost 2000 pages in total. I appreciate her as a character, but I don't give a shit about her. She could fall down a volcano, embracing her title as "Fireheart" and I wouldn't shed a tear.
Here's a list of characters I do care about, ranked according to chapter anticipation:
1) Manon 2) The witches. Everyone and everything to do with these iron-teethed bitches. 3) Dorian 4) Lysandra 5) The wildflowers Abraxos sniffs
I would read an entire series based on the witches. I skipped chunks at a time to get to Manon's chapters and the whole mystery subplot and her friendship with Elide. I would read an entire book on Asterin and her past. They are why Queen of Shadows gets three stars, not two.
(view spoiler)[I will lose my shit if Dorian and Manon get together. I both want it and don't want it because Manon is a fire-breathing goddess who should remain free and wild.
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I wouldn't mind if everything comes full circle and Dorian ends up with Aelin. There are shadows of hints. The line, "They were infinite. They were the beginning and the ending; they were eternity", reminds me of Rhys and Feyre from A Court of Mist and Fury and we all know she isn't going to go back to Tamlin. (hide spoiler)]
And Lysandra, my sweet practical darling. It's a bloody shame almost all her scenes are linked with Aelin's, though I appreciate the female friendship aspect. Girl power in Queen of Shadows is prevalent and fabulous. Aelin eventually getting over her misconceptions of Lysandra and them forming an alliance and friendship is a joy to read.
Rowan, Aedion, and Chaol, I don't give a damn about. I personally prefer Rowan and Aelin's relationship remain platonic. They can still die for each other and all that jazz, but they wouldn't want to bang each other. But honestly, everyone and their grandfather wants to bang Aelin, so I should stop banging on about it.
Sorry, I'll stop using the word "banging."
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Aedion's primary character trait seems be Aelin's Protector. I don't care if it's some Fae male possessiveness shit; it's creepy, two-dimensional and reminds me too much of the self-obliterating imprinting plot element from the Twilight Saga.
Chaol is like useless home decor to me. I know it exists and I appreciate it on a certain level, but someone could steal it and my life wouldn't be any way lessened. I can't comment on his "character assassination" as some reviewers call it precisely because of my apathy; I simply don't care enough to have an opinion.
Though personally, I didn't see it reflect negatively on his character. (I know, I know, I'm like that person who says they don't have an opinion, but vomits it all over you anyway.) He has every right to be afraid of magic considering how he was raised and to be willing to sacrifice anything to get Dorian back. Loyalty to the Crown was and is a large part of Chaol's personality. He struggled with it constantly in Heir of Fire.
It actually reflects more on Aelin's character that she sneers at his fear of magic and frequently shits on him for running when the king murdered Sorsha and imprisoned his best friend. Like, what was he supposed to do? Stay and get murdered? You ran from your country and heritage for years, my darling assassin. You don't get to point fingers.
The very hypocrisy of Aelin astounds me. Yet everyone continues to kiss her ass.
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One last thing—why does everyone important have magical powers? Don't bring Nesryn into this; she isn't important enough to be in the main credits. It's like the ending of A Court of Mist and Fury. Argue it however you will, but you can't deny Maas has a thing for beautiful, powerful characters.(view spoiler)[While Chaol doesn't get magical powers at the end, I do want to point out that he gets treatment for his paralysis. Which is basically a miracle pill and reinforces the underlying theme of powerful characters. I would love the idea of a disabled Captain of Guards. (hide spoiler)]
Yes, I'll read Empire of Storms. I've gotten this far, haven't I? Here's to Manon making Aelin's chapters more tolerable.
"She tipped her head back and gave the moon a wicked smile. She'd been called Adarlan's assassin for a r
2.5 stars
Answer me something. How can this—
"She tipped her head back and gave the moon a wicked smile. She'd been called Adarlan's assassin for a reason. Dramatic entrances were practically her art form."
—and this—
"Curled on the couch beside Chaol, Calaena took a sip of her tea and frowned. "Can't you hire a servant like Philippa, so we can have someone bring us treats?"
—possibly be the same person?
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I teetered between liking and hating Calaena while reading. Mostly hating. I can handle the shoes and shopping because a girl has the right to look damn good while disemboweling enemies. (Fun fact: Calaena finally acts like a real assassin in this installment)
But leaving her post to dance?
I'm going to say it one more time to let it sink in. The world's greatest assassin left. Her. Fucking. Post. To. Dance.
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It's such a transparent attempt to squeeze in a moonlit waltz between Chaol and Calaena, I want to laugh.
I'm Team Dorian, by the way. Just putting that out there. Chaol is an overprotective fucknuckle who can suck it.
Calaena still does stupid crap, like exploring without backup or sufficient research. Her obsession with chocolate cake is goddamn annoying. It's too cutesy and feels like Maas's trying too hard. Each time it came up, I felt like paraphrasing Amy from Gone Girl: No one fucking likes chocolate cake that much.
Midway, as I was finally warming up to Calaena, she turns into an uber Mary Sue. (view spoiler)[She's part Fae, the lost queen of Terrasen, and has magical powers. For fuck's sake. Choose one, Maas. Don't be greedy. (hide spoiler)]
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I originally warmed up to Calaena because of Maas's excellent portrayal of loss and depression. It's not resolved in a chapter or two; it's an underlining theme that affects the latter half of the book. I especially like that (view spoiler)[Calaena doesn't forgive Chaol right away. Nehemia dying wasn't his fault, but her anger and distrust is justified. (hide spoiler)]
I also liked Dorian's (view spoiler)[magic (hide spoiler)] subplot. It's one of the few things in Crown of Midnight that made me sit up, and partially why I think he'd be good with Calaena: ice and fire.
He's a way better love interest and friend. I don't care if it's planet-aligning true love, you don't sneak around with your best friend's ex-girlfriend. *cough*Chaol*cough* I especially like the part where Dorian sees them dancing and chooses to let her go. It was a sweet, poignant moment. And put me firmly on his side, even though I'm destined to lose.
Ah, well.
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A Court of Thorns and Roses is amazing and I will definitely check out anything else Maas writes, but this series is a disappointing mess.
"I can feel him eyeing Mather, both of them caught in an awkward web surrounding me. I'm at the center of a weird possessive feud between the Winte
"I can feel him eyeing Mather, both of them caught in an awkward web surrounding me. I'm at the center of a weird possessive feud between the Winter king and the Cordellan prince. How in the name of all that is cold did that happen?"
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I have no idea. But of course, no love triangle is complete without manly preening!
"It whacks into the center of the target, the handle wobbling from force.
Theron turns to me, half his face slight with the beginnings of a smile. "My weapon of choice doesn't matter," he says, continuing our conversation like nothing happened. His eyes flash to Mather over my shoulder. "No matter what, I always hit my mark."
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To be fair, Meira doesn't spent a lot of time mooning over Boy 1 and Boy 2.
Her country, Winter, was destroyed by Spring several years ago and the handful of them not in work camps live in constant fear, moving from one place to the next. Their only hope is that the boy king, Mathe, escaped with them and someday, they might find the magic conduit that Angra stole from them and they can rebuild their lives.
Sounds pretty awesome, right?
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The premise reminds me of Avatar the Last Airbender. The Fire Nation wiped out the Air Nomads except for Aang and now, he has to defeat them. Also like Avatar, Snow Like Ashes' world is split into four countries: Spring, Summer, Autumn, and Winter.
Only female heirs can use magic, which is pretty awesome. (view spoiler)[Though in hindsight, it's used to facilitate the twist that Meira is Hannah's daughter, which is less awesome. (hide spoiler)]
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But the writing, guys. I've figured out why YA Fantasy and I don't gel. Most of it is written in smothering Laini Taylor prose and it makes me feel like I'm wading through a pool of syrup. I keep kicking out my arms and legs, looking for something substantial to hold onto, but it's gooey mush.
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Not bad per se--it's actually quite good--but just not for me. The story isn't interesting enough to make up for the writing.
Info-dumps plague the narrative in the worst way. When Meira first arrives in Spring, she hears someone curse, "Golden leaves," then proceeds to spend a big, unnecessary paragraph explaining it.
"Just as Winter focused its magic on mining, Coredell focuses its conduit on opportunity--on helping its citizenswork a situation in their favor so they get the most out of it. Opportunistic, resourceful, swindlers: whatever they're called, they can make "leaves turn to gold"--a Cordellan phrase Sir explained in our many lessons, referring to the fact that they're so good at turning a profit it's as if they make leaves on a tree turn into gold coins. That explains Captain Dominick's curse earlier--golden leaves."
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Plus, I saw the twist coming miles away.
Will others like Snow Like Ashes? Maybe. But it just didn't click with me. ...more
First, the writing. It's in desperate need of another round of editing. It's unpolished, full of unnecessary repetition and lazy placeholder sentences.
Maas can write. She's proved it over and over again, which makes ACOWAR seem almost criminal. I think the strain of writing two novels a year finally caught up with her. ACOTAR AND ACOMAF don't really count because they were written long before Throne of Glass was published. All she had to do was clean up. But ACOWAR was written back-to-back with Empire of Storms, which was a beefy number on its own.
Fervent as I was for ACOWAR, I wouldn't have minded waiting another year if it meant getting quality content.
Where are the sacrifices? How it can possible that no one in this bloated main cast dies? (Don't you bloody dare point to Feyre's dad. He was barely a presence the entire series, and I remain firmly convinced Maas brought him back just to fill the death toll and shut up people like me.)
I understand Rhys's resurrection—he's Feyre's mate and fan favorite and therefore too important to die—but Amren too? Her losing her godly power is not a sacrifice. She's still High Fae. Why not make her human? Why not have a human serve in the Night Court? Or why not have Cassian or someone else lose their wings? Quite a few reviewers (and me included) have mentioned this already, but Maas undeniably has an obsession with inhumanly powerful characters.
On the subject of Rhys, it would have been so, so cool for Feyre to be the sole ruler of the Night Court. The first High Lady in history. And it would have been a fitting end to her character arc. She was dependent on a man in the first book, was broken by the same man in the second, and then healed and made to see she could be powerful and independent by another man. In the third, she stands alone, back straight, strong and proud, without a man. Obviously I'm oversimplifying things here, but you can't deny the pieces line up.
Also, that deus ex machina army in the end. Oh, we're on the edge of losing! All is lost! BUT WAIT here's an army. And ANOTHER army! (hide spoiler)]
Another thing that bothered me is how unbelievably powerful Feyre is. There is feminism, which is an underlying theme for her character, and there is what-the-fuckery. Near the beginning of the book, she is able to take on two daemati (powerful fae) who have a thousand years of fighting experience over her. Later, after she accidentally ingests a drug that strips her of her powers, they still magically flare back to life to help her triumph over two seasoned High Fae fighters.
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Right, I think I've bitched enough about the bad. Let's get to the good.
I love the characters. The Inner Circle, Lucien, Nesta, Elain... they are a huge part why I rated ACOWAR as high as it is. Feyre and Rhys—in this book and this book only—aren't as interesting. Their story in terms of conflict was finished in ACOMAF and although I enjoy how Maas explores how normal couples argue and make up, I'm not as invested in them as before. There are too many other stories begging to be told: Lucien's, Elain's, Nesta and Cassian's, Mor's, Tamlin's.
Yes, Tamlin. This fandom is too hard on him—and too forgiving of Rhys. I will never forget what he did in ACOTAR. Yet because the story is filtered through Feyre's perspective, Rhys becomes a hero who makes mistakes and Tamlin becomes a monster who commits unforgivable sins. He genuinely thought the woman he loved had been abducted and was likely being tortured. I'm not excusing his abusive behavior, but we have to remember he was suffering from PTSD too. He was trying to protect Feyre the best he could—just like Rhys by forcing Feyre to make that bargain with him way back in ACOTAR, fyi. Why does Rhys deserve dozens of free passes and not Tamlin? Hating the High Lord of Spring just because Feyre does is a disservice to the complexity of his character.
I also like that Maas seems to be pulling away from the whole "mates" concept. Multiple characters within have strong romantic relationships without the mating bond, and those that do may not necessarily be right for each other. (view spoiler)[Much as I love the idea of Lucien and Elain, I get the feeling that she's setting them up for something different. Elain and Azriel, and Lucien and Vassa. (hide spoiler)]
The pacing is good, too. There aren't as many sex scenes as the previous book, which I was happy about, though not due to any misguided sense of propriety. I simply found myself bored reading about Rhys slamming his shaft up to the hilt or what not. (view spoiler)[Still lowkey mad the first thing Feyre did after coming back from the Spring Court is bang Rhys and not check on her traumatized sisters. (hide spoiler)] While I liked them in ACOMAF, there are more important things going on here, like the war or the other courts.
"You want to save the mortal realm?" he asked. "Then become someone Prythian listens to. Become vital. Become a weapon."
This book, guys. I don't k
"You want to save the mortal realm?" he asked. "Then become someone Prythian listens to. Become vital. Become a weapon."
This book, guys. I don't know how to review it. Sarah J. Maas has broken me and I'm honestly running out of reasons to not put her on my favorite authors list.
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One thing I do want to state is I'm not technically a Feyre/Rhys shipper. I can't get over what he did Under the Mountain, where he made Feyre put on body paint and grind on him. Yeah, classic wrong thing for the right reasons, but you can justify Tamlin's behavior with the same theory.
I love them as individuals, and as long as they love each other and make each other happy, I ship it. I ship it to the ends of the earth.
"You think I don't know how stories get written—how this story will be written?" Rhys put his hands on his chest, his face more open, more anguished than I'd ever seen it. "I am the dark lord, who stole the bride of spring. I am a demon, and a nightmare, and I will meet a bad end. He is the golden Prince—the hero who will get to keep you as his reward for not dying of stupidity and arrogance."
Fine, maybe I ship it little.
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So I mentioned Tamlin. Tamlin, who Feyre and us readers (mostly) loved in A Court of Thorns and Roses. Tamlin, who is an abusive aggressor in A Court of Mist & Fury.
"He never woke when the nightmares dragged me from sleep; never woke when I vomited my guts up night after night. If he knew or heard, he said nothing about it."
The complexity of Feyre and Tamlin's relationship takes my breath away. I love the first book even more because of the Easter eggs Maas hid in their initial courtship. He'd always been borderline Christian Grey and some readers picked up on it. I didn't though. I was as caught up in the magic and wonder as Feyre was and just as blindsided when Tamlin got more and more controlling.
I sympathized with Tamlin sometimes. That's how good Maas is. Abusive relationships aren't black and white. They begin with love, searing, consuming love, until it burns.
"I had loved the High Lord who had shown me the comforts and wonders of Prythian; I had loved the High Lord who let me have time and food and safety to paint. Maybe a small part of me might always care for him, but... Armarantha had broken us both. Or broken me so that who he was and what I now was no longer fit."
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I was worried about the love triangle and I needn't have. It's not about a girl choosing between two guys. It's about a woman growing and learning and finding out what she wanted in the past may not be right for her now.
It's a feminist masterpiece and it's beautiful.
"You might be my mate," he said, "but you remain your own person. You decide your fate—your choices. Not me. You chose yesterday. You choose every day. Forever."
Update 6/5/2016: It's out! And I'm too busy with school to read it. This past week on GR has been like:
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Pre-review: I'm hearing a lot of talk about a love triangle and I'm really hoping that's not the case. Then again, I'm on Team Lucien so what do I know?
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