The Atlas Six is pretentious and luxurious and self-indulgent. I can’t decide if I love it or if I would rather throw it across the room.
Somehow I reaThe Atlas Six is pretentious and luxurious and self-indulgent. I can’t decide if I love it or if I would rather throw it across the room.
Somehow I read 380-something pages of this book and I still have no idea what it’s about. The characters wander around a library and go to classes that are described with as little detail as possible, they get into some fights for reasons that are not explained, there’s a conflict involving murder that doesn’t seem to have a cause or effect. They wave their hands around and do some hand-wavey pseudoscience slash magic that fluctuates when it’s convenient. There’s a subplot about the overpopulation of the world that I thought would be interesting but was abandoned quickly. There’s another subplot about the perception of time and how we as individuals experience the passage through time differently, but so little page space was spent on it that it faded to the background. The plot got lost in the words.
Nico and Libby—angsty platonic soulmates—make a literal wormhole. And then they just use it to get snacks. Can’t we learn about that, please? Maybe then I’ll understand what this vague *waves hand* power struggle is about. There are so many discussions about what the characters are willing to do for the power that the Library of Alexandria gives them… but what power? Show me. Yes, there are old books. But that’s all we’re given. Maybe I’m an outlier here, but I would not kill someone just to have access to some old books. Use Google Scholar like a regular person.
None of the characters have a reason to be in Alexandria, and every time this is brought up, they dodge the issue with philosophical rhetorical questions that go nowhere. I can get behind a burning quest for knowledge, but I expect it to be given more substance and thought. Personally, if some random man approached me with ominous promises of some unidentified great power, I would not abandon my life to follow him. Have none of these characters been chased by cultists in the streets before? That is shady. Libby only accepted the offer because Nico did. Callum, Tristan, and Parisa are there because they were bored. Reina wanted to read books. (Which is valid, but still.) Besides, the author clearly didn’t care about Reina, and as a consequence, I also forgot she existed most of the time. What does she do? She’s basically a phone charger. Every one of her point of view chapters felt like an afterthought. “Oh, right! There are six main characters!”
I need to give a valid reason why I ended up loving this book even though it was objectively questionable: I can be a really pretentious fan of overblown fustian language and philosophy that runs around in circles and adds nothing to the plot. I like words that sound pretty. I like sentences that give me chills, even if they mean nothing. I am a simple person. Collecting shiny things brings me joy. Yes, that is a shard of a beer bottle, but it’s pretty. This book is a broken beer bottle. #deep
You know when you read something so agonizing and torturous and angst-riddled in exactly the right way and it brings you physical pain? That is it. That is this book. Everyone is manipulating everyone else and their hazy morality wasn’t subtle at all, but I still almost screamed multiple times. The chemistry between all of the characters was a sinful indulgence.
The Atlas Six is enchanting and frustrating and addictive and pointless, but I still really, really enjoyed it somehow. I’m actually tempted to give it five stars because it played with my heart and that’s all I really want. But that decreases the value of the five-star rating, so I’ll settle on something more realistic:
3 unhealthy junk food stars
A uniquely upsetting curse, really, how little he knew how to exist when she wasn’t there.
Jem Carstairs is one of my new favorite characters and I just want to hug him, okay?
This book rises far above Clockwork Angel, which was a true dumpsJem Carstairs is one of my new favorite characters and I just want to hug him, okay?
This book rises far above Clockwork Angel, which was a true dumpster fire and basically a carbon copy of City of Bones. But Clockwork Prince took those same characters, developed them deeply, and added different romantic/angsty subplots that elevated it to a level higher than Clockwork Angel ever was.
Tessa Gray is safe in the Institute--or so she thinks. Mortmain is still on the loose, his clockwork creations wreaking havoc in London. Meanwhile, the Clave is trying to replace Charlotte with Benedict Lightwood, a cunning man who thinks women are incapable of holding leadership positions. They strike a deal--if Charlotte can apprehend Mortmain, she will be able to keep her job. But time is running out, and the mystery just gets more twisted.
There wasn't much plot in this book. In fact, there was hardly any plot at all. Mortmain was barely present. The clockwork creatures only showed up once. There wasn't much tension related to the plot, because this book was basically filler. There was no progression in the plot. There was just one betrayal at the end that this whole book was building up to.
However, plot was never high on my list of things I look for in books. I honestly don't care if the book has a plot or not if I love the characters. And I did love the characters in this book. Well, I loved one of them and tolerated the rest of them, but my love for that one character trumped my mild dislike of the others.
That character is Jem Carstairs.
I love him so much. He's one of my favorite characters of all time. He's a sweet, genuine, precious cinnamon roll and I must protecc.
I want to give Jem a giant hug. He is a kind, sensitive, insightful character who cares so deeply for everyone around him. Everyone thinks he's fragile because he's sick, but he goes through so much without complaining. He tolerates Will's carelessness with his feelings. He tolerates everyone treating him like a porcelain doll. And he does so with grace and love. He never snaps at anyone for no reason. He is calm and clear-headed, unlike Will.
Instead of lashing out at others because of his inevitable fate, he treats them with kindness and care and gentle love. I have so, so much admiration for his character and Jem as a person. I just want him to live happily ever after with his violin and his cat.
Everyone takes him for granted until he's not there. Everyone gives him very little of the true care and attention he deserves beyond "have you taken your drugs." He is not seen. They just accept that he's going to be sweet and precious and they don't appreciate him for it. And it makes me triggered. My poor cinnamon roll deserves the world and they do not see it.
LOOK AT HIM. LOOK AT HIM. ISN'T HE THE MOST PRECIOUS THING YOU'VE EVER SEEN. My heart is bursting.
I am not going to tell you anything about my opinions on Jessa vs. Wessa because I don't have a preference. Will and Tessa were made for each other, and Jem and Tessa don't have that kind of chemistry, but I need Jem to be happy. I don't particularly ship either of them.
Tessa Gray is definitely better in this book than she was in the previous one. She's calmed down a bit and isn't as hypocritical as she was before. She's kind to Jem, and that means I like her.
In general, she's very caring and kind and considerate, and I appreciate that. She's in a love triangle, which automatically makes me a little annoyed, but I really didn't care about that as much as I did in the first book. I... might have even liked it, actually, once I got over my initial annoyance. I love angst.
As always, I don't like Will Herondale. Only now I use the words "don't like" and not "hate," because I guess there was a reason why he was so cold and rude and moody? Although I still dislike him because tortured doesn't look good on him. Will runs away when they need him most. He's kind of a jerk. He's disrespectful to everyone, doesn't think about Jem before he acts, and he's so unbearably angsty and in a bad way. There was a reason for his anger issues, but quite honestly, I don't care. I don't care about whatever bad stuff happened to him in the past.
And then there's this quote from him that I wanted to chuck out the window:
You see it, don't you, James? Without Tessa there is nothing for me--no joy, no light, no life. If you loved me, you would let me have her. You can't love her as I do. No one could. If you are truly my brother, you would do this for me.
Will, honey, you basically ignored Tessa for most of the first book. The gaslighting in this scene is real.
There was a scene where Will brought Tessa tea and she was so shocked that he was being nice to her that she drank all of it, even though she didn't like it.
The villains were the worst part of this book. Mortmain did nothing, and Nate was a terrible antagonist. He's such a 2D villain. What are his motives? Why is he so heartless? No one knows. It felt cheap as a result.
As always, Cassie's writing style is entirely addictive and time passed so quickly while I was reading. I genuinely enjoyed myself reading this, and that's more than I can say for most books.
Daisy Jones is Coming Your Way. From a young age, she decided that Heroes are Hard to Find and Sooner or Later she will have to carve her own path. ShDaisy Jones is Coming Your Way. From a young age, she decided that Heroes are Hard to Find and Sooner or Later she will have to carve her own path. She Dreams of being Everywhere and doing everything. The Six are Dreamin' the Dream for a while. Their album tops the charts by a Landslide, but it is a Temporary One. Then the band members start telling Little Lies to each other, and Rumours spread that threaten to break The Chain and ruin even the greatest Peacekeeper. Karen plays risky Future Games with Graham. Daisy realizes that maybe Billy isn't Mr. Wonderful after all—he's a Family Man, or is he? Billy, meanwhile, is Mystified by Daisy. It's Just Crazy Love. Daisy isn't really looking for Somebody, or for some Big Love. She doesn't want to say I Do, No Questions Asked, but she also doesn't want to Say Goodbye to Billy.
The Fleetwood Mac vibes are strong with this one.
I love Fleetwood Mac. I always have and I always will. I love the drama and tension between the members of the band. I love Stevie and her voice and her aura. I love Christine's quiet but strong keyboard skills. I love everything and everyone except for Lindsey Buckingham. He's annoying.
And my thoughts about Fleetwood Mac are literally the same as my thoughts about Daisy Jones and the Six.
I love Daisy Jones and the Six. I always have and I always will. I love the drama and tension between the members of the band. I love Daisy and her voice and her aura. I love Karen's quiet but strong keyboard skills. I love everything and everyone except for Billy Dunne. He's annoying.
Daisy and Billy are both headstrong, arrogant, and brilliant musicians. When they work together, they are a force of nature. But when they clash, the other band members know to stay away.
But what if the lesser known members like Graham, Karen, Ed, and Pete want the spotlight as well? What if they're tired of their opinions being overlooked in favor of Billy's or Daisy's? Can a band this tense ever achieve greatness?
Well, the answer is yes.
This book follows the band Daisy Jones and the Six on their journey to fame, and explains why they broke up. I love the drama. I love the tension. I love the gossip.
The author literally wrote the lyrics for an entire album and included them at the back of this book, and that's when you know that Daisy Jones and the Six is good. Really, really good.
This book is told through the format of an interview. I've heard that some people don't like the way it was written, but I thought it really brought the book to life. It doesn't need anything more than dialogue, really, to give the characters personality and ambition. The relationships between the characters were especially evident when the book switched perspectives, as it does every once in a while. They were built slowly and carefully. Each character had dreams and triggers, and by the end of the book, I felt like I really knew them.
Quotes from my Queens
"Men often think they deserve a sticker for treating women like people." - Karen
"That's the glory of being a man. An ugly face isn't the end of you." - Karen
"[Graham] seemed to think that his pain was the only pain that mattered." - Karen
"I came to hate that I'd put my heart and my pain into my music because it meant that I couldn't ever leave it behind." - Daisy
"I am not going to sit around sweating... just so men can feel more comfortable." - Daisy
This book stole my heart and I am pressing charges.
Chain of Iron, the second installment in The Last Hours series, takes everything that Chain of GolThis book stole my heart and I am pressing charges.
Chain of Iron, the second installment in The Last Hours series, takes everything that Chain of Gold did well and adds to it. Layers and layers of character development, mysterious motives, addictive writing style, added to stunning romance and heartbreaking angst. I was literally beaming while reading this book. I felt like my whole body was smiling. There were painful moments, too—many, many painful moments. In fact, the ending made my heart feel like it had been processed through a paper shredder and then stomped on.
This book opens with a murder on the streets of London. Shadowhunters are being killed by a mysterious person—or demon—that is frightening the community. Shadowhunters can no longer go on patrols by themselves. But are these murders connected, or are they simply the product of a killer’s suppressed rage?
While this is happening, Cordelia Carstairs is contemplating her situation. She’s engaged to James Herondale, but it is a false marriage brought about to save her reputation after she sacrificed her social standing to save him from unjust imprisonment. Lucie Herondale is working with Grace Blackthorn, attempting to raise Jesse from the dead in a plot they keep secret from all the others. Matthew Fairchild is struggling with his alcohol addiction and his hatred of himself, despite the love he receives from others. Anna Lightwood and Ariadne Bridgestock are trying to save their love after the heartbreak that happened between them. Thomas Lightwood and Alastair Carstairs have undeniable romantic tension, but neither of them are willing to admit it. Meanwhile, Tatiana Blackthorn is scheming again, and nothing is as it seems…
Cordelia is one of my favorite heroines of all time. She’s probably the best protagonist Cassie Clare has ever written. She’s so insightful and always notices things about people they didn’t know themselves. She puts James’s feelings first, over her love for him, and she doesn’t force him into anything. She knows he loves Grace, and while it pains her and despite her suspicion that he may have been tricked into that love, she accepts him for how he is and doesn’t try to change him. She’s quietly brave, determined, and thoughtful—and actually a strong female character without shoving it in our faces.
James is a character I surprisingly adored in Chain of Iron. I had lukewarm feelings about him in Chain of Gold, simply because he didn’t stand out to me as a very unique character, but I absolutely loved him in this book. I have been converted to a Jordelia shipper. James x Cordelia is my new OTP. James is so wonderful because he’s more mild than typical CC love interests like Jace and Will. He feels deeply, he cares about others in a quiet way, he’s relentlessly loyal to Cordelia despite the fact that their marriage is fake. He is the new Sam Cortland. I need a James in my life. He’s so sweet and intuitive and considerate. He has the emotional maturity that so many characters (*cough* Will *cough*) never had.
"Someone who broke your heart is often not the person who can mend it."
Lucie, unfortunately, is not my favorite character anymore. She’s still ambitious, and she’s still witty, but in this book, she starts to hide things from Cordelia, even though they will eventually become parabatai. She has secrets and never really apologizes for hiding them from her family and friends when they could have helped her. Lucie was the only one in this book besides Jesse who had negative character development. She became almost infatuated with Jesse, and got too caught up with her need to live a fairy-tale life to focus on the feelings of her future parabatai.
Jesse is still my least favorite character. He’s just a ghost. He’s very bland and gets angsty at random moments for no reason. There’s nothing interesting about him, besides the fact that he’s dead, which I think is the opposite of intriguing. He and Lucie have romantic tension that comes out of nowhere. I don’t like it. Unlike all the other relationships in this book, CC was forced to tell us that they were romantically interested in each other. There was no build-up, no small, heartwarming moments between the characters. I have a theory about this, which I will share in the spoiler section.
Matthew is such a sweet cinnamon roll. He always acts like he doesn’t care, but he does deep inside. He struggles with feeling like he’s not wanted, or that he’s isolated because of his alcohol addiction. We learned at the end of the first book that he loves Cordelia, and there are so many little moments that bring this to life. I personally don’t ship Fairstairs because I like them better as friends at this point and I ship Jordelia too hard to give it up, but I also have a theory about this, which, again, will be included in the spoiler section.
Cordelia hesitated. "Sometimes," she said, "it is not enough for others to love you. I do not think Matthew loves himself very well." Lucie's eyes widened. "What is there about him he could possibly not love?" she said.
Grace was one of my least favorite characters in Chain of Gold, but in this book, she’s much better. She has a clear motive and a personality. I’m actually sympathetic towards her. She was forced into this situation by Tatiana. She’s been used her whole life. All she wants is to get her brother back. I still don’t like her, but I appreciate her as a character.
All of the characters in Chain of Iron were perfect. They were fully fleshed-out, each with their own personalities and unique traits. This is the best cast that CC has ever written. I have so much love for each and every character, excluding Jesse.
There was very little plot in the first one hundred pages, but I had no problem with this. This book could be 100% fluff and I would not care. I love the characters so much that the plot was just a nice thing to have on the side. And the plot twist was actually surprising. I didn’t expect it at all.
One thing that stood out was the way the male characters treated Cordelia and Lucie. They respected them but didn’t go out of their way to say “oh, Cordelia, how very strong and female you are” like some characters do, just to emphasize how amazing and independent the women are. They respect the female characters without worshipping them.
As always, Cassie Clare did her research, and Edwardian London was really brought to life in this book. The balls, the dresses, the atmosphere—it was all perfectly written.
Destroy Me is the novella that takes place during the events towards the end of Shatter Me. Unfortunately, it's wWell, this exists. I wish it didn't.
Destroy Me is the novella that takes place during the events towards the end of Shatter Me. Unfortunately, it's written from Warner's perspective, which simultaneously disgusts me and makes me want to unsubscribe from life.
In case you're new to this series, Warner is the psycho stalker who also happens to be *ahem* irrevocably in love with Juliette, the protagonist of the Shatter Me series. He had a revelation sometime off-page because all of a sudden he is disgusted with himself (it was about time) and decides to make Juliette love him by being nice to her. Who would have thought. Who would have thought.
This novella is so short and also so problematic. Apparently Warner is the preferred love interest. Adam may be bland, but at least he's not, well... a serial killer with serious problems. I've read some reviews of Adam's novella, and he gets worse. But so far, even though I want to erase both men off the face of the earth, Adam is better. Because at least he isn't evil. I don't care about Warner's tortured past or whatever, that's not an excuse to be a terrible person. He's not even a compelling terrible person, like Cardan or Kaz. He's just bad.
1.5 stars, rounded up because of that one side character who kept trying to get Warner to drink coffee...more
So, I actually didn't hate this as much as I thought I would. I enjoyed maybe thirty percent of it before it all went downhill, but... um... it reallySo, I actually didn't hate this as much as I thought I would. I enjoyed maybe thirty percent of it before it all went downhill, but... um... it really went downhill.
I do not like to think about eyeballs. They just exist. I don't want to look at them. I hate this cover.
But that's irrelevant. The hideous covers are irrelevant. But... is that Adam's eye? Because the only thing I took from this is that Adam's eyes are blue blue blue blue cobalt blossoming bruise clear as the midnight sky blue.
Dark blue eyes dark brown hair sharp jawline strong lean frame.
His eyes are the perfect shade of cobalt, blue like a blossoming bruise, clear and deep and decided.
I've tried so hard to get those blue blue blue eyes out of my head but I know him I know him I know him.
...blue and bottomless...
I'd recognize your eyes anywhere in the world.
He still has the most unusually blue eyes I've ever seen.
...the deep dark blue of the eyes I've learned to swim in.
His natural tan offsets a pair of eyes a shade of blue in a midnight sky.
*aggressive coughing*
Ma'am, this is a Wendy's.
I actually didn't mind the writing, as long as it wasn't about Adam's eyes. The biggest complaint I see is usually related to the purple prose and long-winded metaphors and awkward phrases, but I enjoyed it...? To a point. I thought most of the strange metaphors were accurate, and the somewhat unconventional style of writing really helped to portray Juliette's trauma, which was my favorite part of the book. Too bad it all disappeared when she ✨fell in love.✨ Because that's just how the world works.
I did find some, uh, interesting quotes:
Raindrops are my only reminder that clouds have a heartbeat.
I wonder about how [raindrops are] always falling down, forgetting their parachutes as they tumble out of the sky toward an uncertain end. It's like someone is emptying their pockets over the earth and doesn't seem to care where the contents fall, doesn't seem to care that the raindrops burst when they hit the ground, that they shatter when they fall to the floor, that people curse the days the drops dare to tap on their doors. I am a raindrop.
[image]
Someone picked up the sun and pinned it to the sky again, but every day it hangs a little lower than the day before. It's like a negligent parent who only knows one half of who you are. It never sees how its absence changes people. How different we are in the dark.
I'm wearing dead cotton on my limbs and a blush of roses on my face.
I catch the rose petals as they fall from my cheeks, as they float around my body, as they cover me in something that feels like the absence of courage.
These words are vomit. This shaky pen is my esophagus. This sheet of paper is my porcelain bowl.
1 word, 2 lips, 3 4 5 fingers form 1 first. 1 corner, 2 parents, 3 4 5 reasons to hide. 1 child, 2 eyes, 3 4 17 years of fear.
I wish I could stuff my mouth full of raindrops and fill my pockets full of snow. I wish I could trace the veins in a falling leaf and feel the wind pinch my nose.
Every muscle every movement tightens, every vertebra in my spinal column is a block of ice.
My eyes are 2 professional pickpockets, stealing everything to store away in my mind.
My words wear no parachutes as they fall out of my mouth.
My dreams are bloody and bleeding and blood is bleeding all over my mind and I can't sleep anymore.
The prospect of Adam in pain is like a cold hand clutching my esophagus.
I can shoot a hundred numbers through the chest and watch them bleed decimal points in the palm of my hand. I can rip the numbers off a clock and watch the hour hand tick tick tick its final tock just before I fall asleep. I can suffocate seconds just by holding my breath. I've been murdering minutes for hours and no one seems to mind.
I could jump up to catch a breeze and live in its windblown ways forever.
His lips are spelling secrets and my ears are spilling ink, staining my skin with his stories.
My lungs are sawing my rib cage in half, but I force them to process oxygen anyway.
I take a few bites of oxygen.
My face has been slapped by a hundred hands.
And one of those hands is mine.
It's like... here, I'll write an example.
Here's a normal sentence: "I walk down the cold hall."
Now make it as awkward as possible: "I walk down the hall, the linoleum as cold as the corpses of the women and children they've killed, and my spine conducts enough electricity to power an entire city."
[image]
THE CHARACTERS
Juliette:
I didn't love her, but I liked the portrayal of trauma even though it suddenly disappeared halfway through. She needs to stop thinking in strikethroughs, but I don't have any real complaints. She's frustratingly stubborn at times, but she's a YA protagonist, obviously she's going to be stupid.
Juliette can torture/kill people with her touch. She was locked away at a young age and has lived in solitary confinement ever since. She's a little kooky. I don't really care.
Adam:
Are you serious? I have to choose between an obsessed problematic psycho serial killer love interest and a blander-than-bland cardboard cutout organic whole wheat waffle love interest??
Adam is the organic whole wheat waffle. He's probably better for Juliette than the psycho serial killer, but apparently he's not the endgame LI.
[image]
To summarize his character development, he went from a somewhat interesting mysterious weirdo and Juliette's third grade friend to... a very bland concerning weirdo and Juliette's third grade friend.
This is instalove disguised as we-were-friends-as-kiddos-and-now-I-love-you. Which is probably worse. Adam's entire backstory is that he was hit as a kid once (this was never mentioned again) and he's spent his entire life searching for Juliette. Because logic.
I wouldn't have minded the abuse subplot if it were actually a subplot instead of something mentioned once and thrown away. Maybe if it, I don't know, actually affected him, I would call it deep and move on.
I was okay with him until he and Juliette had a little dialogue sequence. He tried to give her a blanket (this was before he knew that she had magical killing powers) and she told him not to touch her, but he was being all rebellious and she said it again, and then she said this, to which he replied:
"Maybe I don't want you to." He makes a harsh sound. "I disgust you that much?"
When someone tells you not to touch them, you back off. It's basic courtesy and respect. Don't assume it's about you.
Warner:
Warner is the obsessed problematic psycho serial killer. In case you were wondering.
Some of my friends have been telling me Juliwarner is a better ship than Julikent. I beg to differ. Adam may be an organic whole wheat waffle, but at least he's not an edgy guy with problems that could be solved by therapy but he's too tough for therapy so there's that. Ahem.
He's, uh, strangely obsessed with Juliette and continually tries to make advances on her even after she shows no interest in him. First of all, he needs to stop. Second of all, he's blond?? That was random, but since when are villains blond? I was picturing him with black hair until I searched up fanart to see what Juliette looked like and Warner was there with his blond hair. This is not okay.
WORLDBUILDING
What worldbuilding? All I know is that there's something called The Reestablishment, which is a dystopian government that does bad stuff. What bad stuff? Who knows? And apparently the planet is all desolate now because the sky is gray. *looks outside* Oh no, the sky is gray. We must be living in a post-apocalyptic world because obviously clouds aren't a thing.
I didn't hate it, but I certainly didn't like it.
2 stars, get that cover away from me before I actually throw up...more
When someone shoves a book in my face and tells me it's high fantasy, I expect a few things.
1. A thought-out plot 2. Worldbuilding 3. Characters with brWhen someone shoves a book in my face and tells me it's high fantasy, I expect a few things.
1. A thought-out plot 2. Worldbuilding 3. Characters with brains 4. Good writing
According to my checklist, this book is not a high fantasy. It's a.... *checks notes* hastily put-together, jumbled mess of trite tropes traditionally categorized as fantasy. So.
1. A thought-out plot
Princess Lia, terrified of being forced into an arranged marriage, runs away to live a peaceful life by the sea. Because no one will be able to track her. Not even the King's soldiers. And obviously no one in the peaceful town by the sea knows what the missing princess looks like. Nothing about this plan could go wrong. Nothing... at all...
Enter the Prince and the Assassin, who just happened to show up at the same peaceful town by the sea, *the convenience is painful* searching for Lia. The Prince isn't old or decrepit like she was afraid of - he's handsome (oh wow, who would have ever thought). Lo and behold, the Assassin isn't too bad to look at, either! Could... there be... a love triangle? Could... both men... fall in love with Lia? *suspense*
This is the plot up to 15%. And after that, here's what happens.
1. Lia does laundry 2. Lia chops onions 3. Lia bemoans her fate, because how could she possibly choose between the prince and the assassin? There are definitely no other, more important things to worry about.
I'm not joking. This is the entire plot after 15%. *sigh*
2. Worldbuilding
This is supposed to be fantasy. I think. But there's no worldbuilding; just a vague semblance of it.
What I'm given is a bunch of random terms shoved in my face. Of which I remember approximately zero. Because there's no context at all, just names. One might have thought a fantasy novel needed a world...
[image]
3. Characters with brains
The characterization in this book is sooo sloppy. It's like a copy-paste of every other 2000s YA fantasy.
We have Lia, who is exactly like every protagonist out there. She risks the peace between nations because she's worried that the prince might be ugly. And she ruins a perfectly good family heirloom while doing it. She's so predictable that I can guess every thing that comes out of her mouth, and I'm alarmingly good at it.
We have Pauline, Lia's maid, who throws away her perfectly comfortable life with a perfectly kind man to run away with some teenager who has no idea what she's doing. And then she has the nerve to say that this man "will know where she is no matter where she goes," because he "knows her like no other." Excuse me?
We have the Assassin (I lowkey forgot his name), who is also the worst killer in the entire history of killers. He's supposed to murder Lia, because she's risking the peace between kingdoms. But the moment he looks into her ~gorgeous eyes,~ he's lost to lurve. And suddenly he doesn't want to kill her, because she's like no other girl he's ever met before... *gags*
We have the Prince (haha, forgot his name too), who is just... he doesn't exist to me. He has absolutely no personality. I don't even know what to say about him because he's as shallow as a puddle. There's no character complexity here.
4. Good writing
This was just alarmingly, painfully bad. Everything is told straight to my face. There's no depth. And the dialogue is horrible and cheesy and predictable.
I also found a number of plot holes. Lia and Pauline escape too easily, especially since two kingdoms are counting on them. They basically steal a horse and gallop away into the sunset.
And then they ride their horse through a stream to "conceal their tracks." *snorts* A horse is HEAVY. There is MUD at the bottom of a stream. And WATER PLANTS. Smashing water plants and stirring up mud and probably breaking your horse's leg by making it walk over stones is not going to help you at all. But Lia gets all happy because she's being so "clever." And Pauline's like "my lady, you are truly intelligent. So majestic."
[image]
The descriptions were lazy, the pacing was so off, and their entire escape sequence was two pages long. It felt so hastily put-together, as if the editing team just fell asleep in the middle of reading this over. I don't blame them. I would be asleep, too.
After this disaster and this dumpster fire, I was ready to distance myself from Cassandra Clare once and for all. But atLet me tell you a funny story.
After this disaster and this dumpster fire, I was ready to distance myself from Cassandra Clare once and for all. But at least five people kept telling me to read Chain of Gold, that The Last Hours was better than TMI and TID, that even though I hated everything I’ve read by CC, I would love CoG.
I highly doubted it.
But I ended up reading this anyway, because it was free and available and what’s the worst that could happen? I had resigned myself to the loss of a few more brain cells from my dwindling supply.
What happened?
How dare I enjoy a Cassandra Clare book?
Chain of Gold is essentially a soap opera. It’s filled with romantic drama, hilarious cliffhangers, cheesy dialogue. I love it so much.
But this book did something that shocked me and made me question my addled logic.
I enjoyed the love triangles. All of them.
How could I?
Spoilers for the romance in this next paragraph only.
James likes Grace, Cordelia likes James, Matthew likes Cordelia and Lucie, Lucie likes no one, Grace is engaged to Charles, James is engaged to Cordelia. As if that weren’t confusing enough, Anna likes Ariadne, who was previously engaged to Charles. Alastair likes Charles and Thomas, and Charles is definitely not available.
Is this book okay? No. Do I care? No.
It’s so dramatic and juicy and angsty and my heart is bursting.
What cements this book’s place in my soap-worthy shelf is the prioritization of drama over plot. I could honestly care less, because plot has always been a secondary thing for me, but I can see how some people wouldn’t enjoy this due to its lack of a comprehensive storyline.
Chain of Gold is about Cordelia Carstairs, whose family has fled to London in the wake of a scandal related to her father. She’s a bold, down-to-earth and logical main character who knows what’s good for her. She confronts those who are unpleasant to her, she always thinks a step ahead. Well, almost always, but we’re not going to talk about that. I actually didn’t like her at first because I thought she was going to turn out to be Tessa Gray 2.0, but I was pleasantly surprised when she gained her own personality.
Her Persian heritage was woven in very organically. Congratulations to Clare for finally adding some diversity to her books. And she did a very good job, actually. It was all quite natural and an integral part of the characters themselves, rather than, uh… what happened with Jem Carstairs in Clockwork Angel. We don’t talk about that.
The other main character is James Herondale, who is the son of Tessa and Will from TID. He was my least favorite character. He’s your typical leader-with-a-troubled-past, and I wasn’t too interested in him. I was more interested in Cordelia/James as a ship (even though I shipped Matthew and Cordelia more), because they had an intriguing dynamic.
Reading together. Never had Cordelia heard of anything so romantic.
I do think that the next generation of Herondales is more mild than the TID generation, which I absolutely love. That was one of my biggest complaints about TID. Will was just so brash and loud and I hated him. But James is calm and soft and sweet and overall much better than Will ever was. (Sorry, Will stans.)
Lucie Herondale, James’s sister, was an incredible character. I loved her. She’s a dryly sarcastic writer, and her narrative was so refreshing and subtly funny. Her relationship with Jesse Blackthorn wasn’t the best, mostly because Jesse had a ghost of a personality (ehehehe puns), so I definitely shipped her with Matthew. At least, I did in the beginning, but that changed at the end, and now I don’t ship her with anyone. She’s so bright on her own.
Those who mock fiction do so because they fear the truth.
Matthew Fairchild… Oh, Matthew. What can I say? He’s amazing. He struggles with his alcohol addiction, but inside he’s a caring person who loves deeply and is just trying his best. He is my cinnamon roll.
Alastair Carstairs is such a morally grey and intriguing character. He was a bully when he was younger, and he’s still dealing with the repercussions of his actions. Not to mention that he feels like an outcast in society. He’s struggling to protect Cordelia while battling his own inner demons. I need more of these characters in my life.
I read this entire book in a British accent, it’s that classy and sophisticated and English. Cassandra Clare has a way of bringing the setting to life in Chain of Gold, and while it may be a little cliche, it’s just so, so good.
I was not expecting to love this book. In fact, I was prepared to rate it one star and write a rant review and move on. But fate had chosen a different path for me.
Why isn’t a copy of Chain of Iron in my hands right now. This is sacrilege.
4.5 stars, my favorite guilty pleasure book ever
I’m not ready to move on from this book, so here’s some amazing fanart. Seriously, this series has perfect art.
[image]
[image]
[image]
[image]
Also, a Chain of Gold playlist! Because… why not?
James - Line Without a Hook (Ricky Montgomery) Cordelia - Chinese Satellite (Phoebe Bridgers) Matthew - Sweater Weather (The Neighbourhood) Lucie - Kyoto (Phoebe Bridgers) Anna - we fell in love in october (girl in red) Alastair - Black (Pearl Jam)
If Will was singing, that meant he was in a sociable mood and would seize them the moment he saw them and begin reminiscing about Wales and ducks.
”Oh, perfectly,” said Christopher. “I told her all about culturing bacteria, and she was so fascinated that she never spoke a word!”
Look me right in the eye and tell me this isn't the same book as City of Bones. Oh, wait, you Where have I read this before? Oh, right:
[image]
[image]
Look me right in the eye and tell me this isn't the same book as City of Bones. Oh, wait, you can't. Take a look at this plot sketch.
1. Normal girl is saved from demon by strange, handsome boy with mysterious powers 2. Normal girl's name rhymes with "hey" and has three syllables in total 3. Girl discovers she has magical powers, and isn't normal after all 4. Girl discovers her parents were hiding something from her 5. Girl falls in love with two different boys *gasp* how could she ever choose?? 6. At least one of these boys has to be relentlessly sarcastic/rude
Need further proof? Will Herondale is the exact same person as Jace whatever-his-name-is. Just with different hair and a better name. Tessa Gray = Clary Fray, except with books instead of paintbrushes. I don't care how well she can quote Dickens (who can even quote Dickens, that's so unrealistic), she's still the same person as Clary, minus the sarcasm and plus a not-so-healthy dose of Special Snowflake. Clockwork Angel is City of Bones with a steampunk paint job.
Apparently, this started out as Harry Potter fanfiction, and it should have stayed as Harry Potter fanfiction. No one was fooled when you changed Muggles to mundanes and Draco to Will, CC.
Tessa is "not like other girls," only she is, because her only personality trait is "I'm in love with books," which I'm feeling rather defensive about. Let's go over this little checklist, shall we?
YA Protagonists. A Checklist:
1. Must be "plain" until they put on a beautiful dress and WOW is that really her?? She's so pretty! 2. Love triangles are always in. Oh, and it has to be super obvious who's going to win (it's usually the cocky jerk, not the nice guy). 3. Your protagonist must shout out dramatic quotes every once in a while. Behold:
Tessa shouted, "I won't let you give me to the Magister! I'd rather die!"
The more empty bravado, the better. Bonus points if they "die" at the end. 4. Your protagonist must hatefully shame "ugly" people at least three times throughout the novel. As seen here:
"It hardly seems worth living a long time if you're going to look like that."
5. Everyone must be insanely obsessed with your YA protagonist, to the point of giving up their entire livelihoods to save her.
Will Herondale: An Essay
The entirety of the readers on Goodreads are in love with Will Hairandtail. And I want to throw him in the trash where he belongs.
He is possibly one of the rudest characters I have ever read about. He's constantly mean to poor Henry, calling him a "fathead" and an "idiot" despite the fact that Henry has only ever been kind to him. I have read numerous comments telling me that "it's all explained in the next book!" No. Absolutely not. Explain it in the first book, otherwise he'll just seem like a spoiled jerk.
Do I look like I care about his eyes, either? Tessa has a strange obsession with his eyeballs, and she constantly (I mean every other sentence) describes them in different ways that... don't always make a lot of sense. Here are some of them.
"The color of the sky in Hell." "Shards of ice." "Deep and brilliant."
None of those are actually consistent. And how am I supposed to know the color of the sky in Hell, huh? I haven't written enough mean reviews for that to happen. For reference, here is the color of ice:
[image]
And here is the color of the sky in Hell:
[image]
Hm.
Not to mention the fact that he abandons his friend Thomas for Jem as soon as they lay eyes on each other. And Thomas is expected to forgive him, because Will is such an "immaculate" person.
Tessa Gray: The Fault in our YA Protagonists
Will anyone notice if I... accidentally... bash her over the head? No? Okay --
Tessa is constantly shocked throughout this book because women are actually doing things. I quote: "Women don't have fierceness." Says the person who threatened to hit Will with a pitcher.
I wouldn't have had a problem with this, because it's the 19th century, if Will hadn't felt like he came straight out of a frat party driving his Mitsubishi in the year 2017. Consistency, please. Take it or leave it.
Tessa is not like other girls. She likes to read--oh, and she also likes to scorn Jessamine for being a shallow twit. Yes, Jessamine is a shallow twit, but Tessa isn't much better. Besides the ugly-shaming and pretentious attitude, she has to pull an I'm-So-Sorry and moan on and on about how personally responsible she feels for the grievous paper cut of Jem Carstairs and the fact that "none of this would have happened if you had kicked me out" and how "this is all my fault." No. It's not. Maybe Will was being angsty, and that's why he's mad. Maybe Tessa was being an idiot, and that's why she's... um... an idiot.
Jessamine: A Cautionary Tale
Ah, Jessamine. The character with the greatest potential for an absolutely amazing character arc. The character who CC mocked at every turn and decided to stereotype to push Tessa up in the Special McSpecialson Seat.
The Shadowhunters: The Shortcomings of Idiots
Did you really abandon everything to follow the advice of a half-insane kid who was literally a member of the Pandemonium Club? Do you really have a brain among you, Shadowhunters?
First, they left their most valuable potential hostage in an empty house. Then, they deployed every single one of their members on a lead so vague it was practically nonexistent. And they were so surprised when it was a trick.
Bad Foreshadowing, Terrible Similes, and Infodumps: A Summary of Clockwork Angel
I hate CC's writing. It's a combination of similes that make no sense, cliche dialogue, and obvious statements.
Not to mention her foreshadowing, which kind of reminded me of playing hide-and-seek with a little kid. They choose the most obvious hiding spot and then proceed to giggle whenever you get close, feeling so clever and genius.
CC plays her cards outright and expects us to be shocked when the plot twist comes, even though she's been foreshadowing it with a heavy hand from the very start.
Oh, and what a convenient infodumping machine that random character you just met is! What a great idea to ✨subtly✨ reveal the entire history of the Shadowhunters!
Cardan Greenbriar holds my heart in his hands, and he looks rather smug about it, the absolutely perfect insufferable jerk.
This is one of those books Cardan Greenbriar holds my heart in his hands, and he looks rather smug about it, the absolutely perfect insufferable jerk.
This is one of those books where the faerie are actually scary. Yes, they're pretty immature, but they're cruel, terrible people who play with mortals for fun. These are not your Sarah J. Maas fae. They can't control the wind or change shapes -- but they can force humans to do their will, which is almost worse. Unless you wrap a string of rowan berries around your neck or turn your stockings inside-out.
Jude and Cardan are characters that make the plot seem like a side thing. I could watch them fold laundry and be perfectly content. Their dynamic is the best thing I've seen since Rowaelin. I noticed farther along that Jude and Cardan are literally just genderswapped versions of each other. She pretends like Cardan is the worst person ever, but just compare them, and you'll see what I mean. They both crave power over others. They both deceive each other without a second thought. It's the perfect love-hate relationship.
[image]
And that's why I don't think it's problematic. I've seen reviews criticizing Jurdan, but they both tormented each other. Jude ultimately betrayed Cardan in the end. This is one of those relationships where they'll either get married or kill each other. (Please don't kill each other. I love you both too much.)
I would welcome Cardan to the part of my heart specifically set aside for cinnamon rolls, but he would probably burn the whole thing down while muttering something about decomposing mortals. Sam Cortland could never.
I'm just going to stand here in awe while all of you actually do productive things. I didn't see any of those twists coming. I know I probably should have. But I didn't. And while some may say the plot was too convenient, or too basic, or too convoluted--I was never bored. Not once. Do you have any idea how long it's been since I've been this invested in a novel? Too long, my friends.
There is just one thing I would have liked to see more of in The Cruel Prince, and that's worldbuilding. I still have no idea what a Seelie Court and an Unseelie Court are, and I suppose I could look it up, but I would have preferred an explanation in the book. Maybe I'll get one in The Wicked King. Even though the atmosphere in Elfhame was just perfect, I wanted to know more about the world outside that of the faerie, and how it all connected to the human world. But that's not enough to take off more than a star, because Cardan and Jude have stolen my heart, and I'm pressing charges.
It's been so long since a book has touched me this deeply.
This is a story of grief. Severin locks his sorrow inside and hardens his face. Laila distaIt's been so long since a book has touched me this deeply.
This is a story of grief. Severin locks his sorrow inside and hardens his face. Laila distances herself from her friends. Enrique throws himself into his work. Zofia leaves L'Eden and its tainted halls. Hypnos tries to fill a role never meant for him.
The Silvered Serpents is a recovery story. The crew comes together for one last job, but nothing is the same. It's a weak imitation of the camaraderie of before, and they all know it. Relationships are shattered and glued together. Hearts break and are mended. It's a beautiful novel, lacking the mindless fun of The Gilded Wolves, but infused with a deep feeling of melancholy and hopelessness.
I cried and laughed and cried some more. I could physically feel my heart breaking at that ending.
5 stars
And now, a Gilded Wolves character quiz. Keep track of the letters you pick.
1) On your best days, you are... A. Patient B. Dedicated C. Caring D. Charismatic E. Clever
2) On your worst days, you are... A. Antisocial B. Quick-tempered C. Stubborn D. Shallow E. Cold
3) Favorite subject? A. Math B. History C. Music D. I don't really pay attention in school E. Economics
4) You hear your best friend spreading rumors about you behind your back. What do you do? A. Stop talking to them B. Talk to them in private C. Continue being their friend. People make mistakes sometimes D. Call them out in public E. Come up with the most passive-aggressive way possible to bring them down
5) A friend of yours starts to ramble on and on about a subject you have no interest in. What do you do? A. Listen patiently, remembering everything just in case B. Listen eagerly, interrupting occasionally to contribute a bit of your own knowledge C. Listen at first, but zone out eventually D. Tell them you're not interested E. Cleverly turn the conversation around so you're the one talking instead
6) What's your favorite food out of these choices? A. Cookies B. Cake C. Pastries D. The most luxurious option available E. Raspberry jam
7) Are you self-conscious? A. Awkward is a better word for me B. Extremely C. Not at all D. Why should I care about what the peasants think of me? E. Around certain people, yes
RESULTS:
If you picked mostly As, you're Zofia!
You're very intelligent, but socially awkward. Sometimes you're not able to read between the lines like others do. You're logical and sweet, and everyone loves you.
[image]
If you picked mostly Bs, you're Enrique!
You're witty and dedicated. If you start a task, your attention will be fully devoted to it. Your coping mechanism is humor. You're that person who knows a fun fact about everything.
[image]
If you picked mostly Cs, you're Laila!
You're kind to everyone, no matter how they treat you. You're graceful and poised. You sometimes crave sugar. Scratch that - you always crave sugar.
[image]
If you picked mostly Ds, you're Hypnos!
You're very charismatic and live a luxurious life. You sometimes use your riches to cover up inner insecurities. The only thing you want in life is to belong.
[image]
If you picked mostly Es, you're Séverin!
You're quick-witted and clever, but you can sometimes be cold. You're a misunderstood genius. But you care deeply for everyone around you.
I think I left part of my soul behind after finishing this book. So I read it again. And again. I devoured The Riddle for the first time in May 2020, I think I left part of my soul behind after finishing this book. So I read it again. And again. I devoured The Riddle for the first time in May 2020, and I've read it seven times since. I know these characters better than the back of my hand.
When I first read this, I sort of skimmed the boring parts so I could finish faster. But on my reread, I sat back and basked in the beautiful world of Edil-Amarandh and the comforting companionship of Maerad and Cadvan.
There was one passage I remember vividly, a huge argument between Maerad and Cadvan. I read it quickly first, relishing the angst and emotions that pour out of the pages. But then I looked over it again, marveling at how genius the whole thing was. How each phrase had meaning. It is clearly evident how much Alison Croggon loves to write. It fills every word with a magical, comforting quality.
I'm pretty sure this has something to do with my unending love for these characters. Cadvan is sometimes solemn, but there's always a hint of humor lurking somewhere behind that mask. He's kind and gentle and unflinching. And Maerad, despite all her wild emotions, is usually calm, capable, and intelligent.
I physically felt a stabbing pain in my heart from all the grief and coldness and nostalgia that this book is filled with. Reading The Riddle feels like coming home.
To whoever thought writing formulaic YA dystopian novels was a good idea....
I hate you.
YA dystopia is basically a game of Mad Libs. Shall we play?
__To whoever thought writing formulaic YA dystopian novels was a good idea....
I hate you.
YA dystopia is basically a game of Mad Libs. Shall we play?
__Insert name__ lives in a corrupt society where people are divided by __insert something along the lines of factions/districts/blood color__. She is a __insert oppressed race__, which means she slaves away for the "good" of __insert corrupt government__. But __insert name__ is not like other girls. She can __insert special ability__, which makes her a target. She longs for home and the boy she left behind, __insert boy she left behind__, who is probably in love with her, even though she is blissfully oblivious. But there is another boy within the corrupt government who is not like other boys...
Et cetera, et cetera. Fill in the blanks.
Mare Barrow lives in a corrupt society where people are divided by the color of their blood. She is a Red, which means she slaves away for the "good" of the Silvers. But Mare is not like other girls. She can control electricity, which makes her a target. She longs for home and the boy she left behind, Kilorn, who is probably in love with her, even though she is blissfully oblivious. But there is another boy within the corrupt government who is not like other boys....
Katniss Everdeen lives in a corrupt society where people are divided by districts. She is a citizen of District 12, which means she slaves away for the "good" of the Capitol. But Katniss is not like other girls. She can use a bow, which makes her a target. She longs for home and the boy she left behind, Gale, who is probably in love with her, even though she is blissfully oblivious. But there is another boy within the corrupt government who is not like other boys....
Do you see? *awkward silence* *someone in the audience coughs* WE HAVE BEEN BRAINWASHED.
The rest of this review is riddled with spoilers, so stop here if you haven't read the book or if you just don't care.
This book makes no sense at all. Mare is sent off to become Silver royalty because she's special, but she doesn't have Silver blood. Which means a simple paper cut could expose her. First of all, Evangeline clearly wants to kill her, but prevents herself from cutting Mare multiple times because ~drama~ and ~suspense.~ But why do Elara and Tiberius want to keep her alive, anyway? Killing her would solve all their problems. It's not that hard to cover up her electric abilities afterwards. And then they betroth her to Maven, but why would they want a Red in a position of power? Of course, it's all a set-up at the end, but really? Mare fell for this? It's so blatantly obvious that Maven was lying. What would he have to gain, anyway? There are so many holes in this plot, and Mare either ignores them because of ✨love✨ or is too empty-headed to see them. This so-called Scarlet Guard trusts him blindly, giving him all their precious little secrets. It's so dumb. And then Elara is apparently a whisper, so she can look through people's thoughts. They somehow thought they would never be found (they being Mare Barrow). Don't be an idiot. Oops, it's too late.
I haven't seen any characters this bland since Kai, either. Cal and Maven are the same person, except one is less powerful and moody. Why is this a hard choice for Mare? Just kill them both, escape, pull a Kaz Brekker or whatever. Forget the stupid angsty princes and their stupid angsty declarations of fake love. Life's too short to waste it with men.
My favorite character was Evangeline. Yes, the shallow mean girl who was only there to antagonize Mare. Because girl-on-girl hate is just SO COOL. I hope you detect my sarcasm. At least she knew what she was doing, unlike Bone Marrow (courtesy to whoever told me that joke, it was A+).
And Horse Wheelbarrow must feel personally responsible for EVERY LITTLE THING, even if she didn't even cause it.
I feel like a traitor. What are my parents eating for dinner tonight?
Eat the stupid food. That's what it's there for.
If it all goes to plan, he'll never hug his sister again. Evangeline will have lost a brother.
Oh, be quiet. People have siblings, okay? They don't matter.
He's a father. He's a father and we're going to kill him.
Just kill him already. I thought you hated these Silvers.
"Children." The words rip out of me. "He's a father.
Yeah, well, they're all fathers. They're all daughters/sons. They're all sisters/brothers. ??? What are you trying to say here? Everyone has family. Everyone is related to someone. just kill the guy already
Maybe he knew the colonel; maybe he was her brother, her cousin.
Again with the personal responsibility! Obviously they're related to someone.
And then there is Mare Barrow the Hypocrite, who hates all Silvers for being violent, heartless monsters and yet somehow expects them to treat Reds like more than glorified slaves. It works both ways, you know. Or, at least, it should.
Cal's blood might be silver, but his heart is as black as burned skin.
"I can fault him for whatever I want," I snort, remembering the war books and death guides all over his room. "He's just like all the others."
As if this weren't enough, Mare's not-like-other-girls-ness is so overpoweringly annoying that it seeps into all the prose.
"You don't seem like the girl to weep at the drop of a hat."
My stomach churns, but not with the excitement or nerves or any of the things silly girls talk about.
Excuse me? Can I not be excited or nervous without being branded as a "silly girl?"
Finally (I'm almost done), can we stop with this purple-prose-that's-just-weird trend that's going on in YA?
The only things that serve to distinguish us, outwardly at least, is that Silvers stand tall. Our backs are bent by work and unanswered hope and the inevitable disappointment with our lot in life.
[image]
Congratulations. You are officially On-Brand YA.
My heart plummets in my chest until it bounces around my toes.
What is this? Shatter Me?
There's only one thing I did like--Queen Elara. She was a very compelling villain with layers, which surprised me in a book that was purely black-and-white. I sympathized with her (sometimes, at least more than I did with Horse).
But, for the most part, this was the same old thing that's been churning out of the YA Machines since the year 2000.
Edit: If I read this now, I would probably give it two stars. But I read it over a year ago when I was basically a walking dumpster. Hence the high raEdit: If I read this now, I would probably give it two stars. But I read it over a year ago when I was basically a walking dumpster. Hence the high rating.
Theodosia, called Theo by most, is a princess of a forgotten land, Astrea, whose inhabitants are now slaves to Kalovaxia. She is imprisoned in the Kalovaxian castle, where she is forced to wear a crown of ashes as a sort of subtle threat to the Astreans.
You can probably guess what happens next.
Theo teams up with a group of rebels, they set up some complicated schemes, she escapes the castle, they gather an army, et cetera. Couldn't get more basic than that.
This was derivative, basic, cliche, and cringeworthy at times, but I still had a good time reading it. It was a lot fresher than a lot of YA fantasy (except for the love triangle, kill me now). It definitely wasn't a masterpiece, but it was mindless fun, and sometimes I need that in my life.
Ash Princess, while riddled with plot holes, was actually a lot more realistic than other books I've read. It never sent the message that you can always get everything you want, which is a pet peeve I have with a lot of books. I'm tired of things ending up happy in the end, or even worse, if the aLmIgHtY lUrV solves everything. Theo loses Soren, Crescentia, and her entire way of life. She's in a pretty tough situation by the end.
What I hated most about this book was the absolutely horrid, unnecessary, cheesy love triangle. We have Blaise, the Childhood Friend. We have Soren, the Cute New Mysterious Guy With a Soft Heart. Who will Theo choose??
Um.
No.
CHILDHOOD-FRIENDS-TO-LOVERS IS NOT COOL. You knew each other when you were little and now you're in lurvvv??? One, it's concerning that an adult fell in love with the child version of their friend. Two, I don't buy it. You know what's worse? Instalove-childhood-friends-to-lovers. Or "I've loved you since I first laid eyes on you." No. That's just weird.
Besides the pointless love triangle, the plot had more holes than Swiss cheese:
1. Spiritgems are jewels that give the user powers, which are dramatically increased if you know how to use them properly. The Kalovaxians have no idea how to do so. Conveniently, Theo does. According to her, Fire gems can easily destroy the entire palace. There are hundreds of Spiritgems in the castle. Theo can easily swipe one. She's done so before. So why isn't she?! If you have Spiritgems, use them. And what's her argument against it? She doesn't want the gods to damn her in the afterlife. She has thousands of Astreans relying on her! At this point, she doesn't even believe in the gods. So why is she holding back? She could use a Fire gem, burn down the palace, and her problems would be solved. Her people are no longer slaves, her enemies are all dead, other kingdoms are free from Kalovaxia. It's not that hard.
2. Why is Theo still alive? There doesn't seem to be a reason. Apparently, the Kaiser is using her to keep the Astrean rebels under control, but it's clearly not working. Besides, why should they care about this one girl trapped in a castle, doing absolutely nothing to help them? It's not like they even hear about her torture. Plus, Theo is definitely not being treated like a prisoner, apart from her punishments. She lives in luxurious rooms and wears gorgeous clothes. She's even allowed to make friends with nobles. This isn't a great way to run your country, Kaiser. She's doing nothing except amusing him occasionally. Even for the Kaiser, that isn't a good enough reason to keep her alive. She's just a risk to his carefully crafted empire.
3. Soren is way too nice to be a Kalovaxian Prinz. From what we've seen of the other nobles, there's absolutely no one to teach him to be this kind. They're all spoiled, entitled, or just plain cruel. I doubt his mother would have the guts to be a good role model, anyway. So where does he get this strange kindness? If you grow up around brats with no other exposure to anyone else, you're going to become a brat, too. This isn't rocket science.
This was a good guilty pleasure read, but it definitely had a lot of flaws. I probably won't read the sequels. But it was a pretty decent book.
Loading...
