Review: Give the Dark My Love

Give the Dark My Love by Beth Revis
My rating: 2 of 5 stars



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Review: The Ballad Of Never After

The Ballad Of Never After by Stephanie Garber
My rating: 4 of 5 stars



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Like, Why Are You So Obsessed With Me?

 

I feel a need to address the elephant in the room.  For someone that hates the ACOTAR series as much as I do, I sure do talk about it a lot, don't I?  

I'm willing to admit that I'm somewhat hyper-focused on it, in a sense, but trust me, there's sound reasoning behind it.

First, love it or hate it, you can't deny that the books are a behemoth in the YA/Fantasy world, and publishing in general.  They're a phenomenon, for good or ill (mostly ill, but more on that later), so it's difficult not to judge other works in comparison.  Everyone wants to the next biggest thing, and right now these books are one of the biggest things.

Second, they were a gateway for me that led to other books I eventually wound up admiring and valuing more.  ACOMAF was probably the first book with smut I ever read, and it eventually led me to realize that hey I kind of like it so let me read more (I did, and let me tell you in hindsight the vaunted Chapter 55 is a joke).  It introduced me to the joys of Fae fantasy, and without it I would never had discovered The Folk of the Air books, which are straight up one of my favorites of all time now.

Review: Ink in the Blood

Ink in the Blood by Kim Smejkal
My rating: 4 of 5 stars



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Review: Fall of Angels

Fall of Angels by Kathryn Ann Kingsley
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A review for all three books of the Halfway Between series.

This is the third complete series by Kathryn Kingsley I've read and it's safe to say at this point that I'm a fan.

Everything is present here that makes this a signature KK book, and thus a good read: clever dialogue, hilarious banter, engaging side characters, a crotch-tingling LI, and smut smut smut.

I'll admit that the latter has quickly become like my number one reason for reading her books, but definitely the only reason. Suffice it to say that if that's all I cared about I'd probably just watch porn. It's the added bonus of a great fucking story coupled with top-tier smut that makes Kathryn worth your time.

That said, I'm gonna shock you all and say that the smut here was NOT my favorite thing about this series. The story is stellar (all existential, meaning of life, origin of the universe and importance of religion and belief goodness) and while I certainly enjoyed the smut, it was secondary and the books would have been just as enjoyable without it.

Asmodeous is the standard KK dark hero, but of the three heroes I've encountered so far (Valroy, Simon, and Asmodeous) he's really the least dark of them all, which is kind of ironic given that he's a demon. He really isn't that bad at all when you get down to it, and unlike Simon and Valroy, Asmodeous's love of humanity extends beyond the singular object of his desire. He's definitely got a much more prominent moral compass.

My interest kind of inexplicably waned towards the end of the third volume, but in another unexpected twist I somehow actually became engaged by the Epilogue. Normally I hate epilogues in romance (oh, they got married and had a baby and lived happily ever after? Shocking), but for some reason this got to me. I'm thinking it's because of the epic nature of the story, and the "several years" later situation hits different when you're talking about immortals.

In any case, do treat yourself to a Kathryn Kingsley book or two....or eleven. They're on KU, so it will literally cost you nothing, and they're so goods they pay dividends pretty much immediately.

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When Great Books Make You Angry - Musings on a Revisitation of the Nevernight Trilogy by Jay Kristoff

Tric is too good for all of them.

Authors owe us as readers absolutely nothing.  No artist really owes their audience anything.  Creating art, I believe, is something that's done from an inherent need to create.  Putting it out there in the world and having people enjoy it is fulfilling, and it certainly makes relying on your art as a career a lot easier, but creating something popular doesn't preclude a subsequent responsibility to continually cater to the same group of people and to stop creating things that you like personally.

What I'm trying to say here is that an author doesn't owe their readers happy endings, the survival of certain characters, or even books that make logical sense, to be perfectly honest.  That being said, that doesn't mean that I, as a reader, don't have the right to criticize and complain about an author when they do something I don't like.  I have power as a consumer and as a fan and I always have the choice to say, I don't like this and I'm not buying it anymore.  It doesn't save me feeling cheated or anything, but not every investment is a good one.

Review: Godsgrave

Godsgrave by Jay Kristoff
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Well I didn’t see that coming. I’ve got thoughts though, which I’ll expand upon later.

Okay, so thoughts, here goes, review with spoilers:

I'll say straight off that the strength of this book lays in the narration and the narrator, unreliable as he may be. It's funny because most of the joy I get from other books comes from the characters, and identifying with the characters and what they're experiencing, thereby inserting myself into the story and having it become more of an immersive experience. I don't get that here. I don't identify with anyone (except maybe Mr. Kindly? Ha), but I have so much freaking fun reading about them that I kind of don't care. It's also one of those rare books where I don't really care who lives and who dies....which I suppose is a good thing, because there's like loads of death here. Normally I get so wrapped up in things that I'm crushed if anything happens to a favorite character (I guess the tween in me never died) but I can still entertain myself even when someone croaks (as Tric did in book 1). That's not to say that characterization here is weak, or that it's so strong in other books....it's just different, and that's good, because I think the strength of the Nevernight Chronicles is that they're different.

Anyway, I digress...

Review: Go Hex Yourself

Go Hex Yourself by Jessica Clare
My rating: 2 of 5 stars



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Review: The Witch's Heart

The Witch's Heart by Genevieve Gornichec
My rating: 4 of 5 stars



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I Love to Hate It: The Joys of a Hate Read

 

And #1 on the Hate Read list goes to......

I'm not a glutton for punishment, I swear.  I take great pleasure from reading - it's my literal escape (see what I did there?) so it doesn't make much sense that I'd devote time to reading things I don't enjoy.  I'm an adult now, so I'm not obligated to read anything I don't want.  I DNF books on Kindle Unlimited with abandon; if I have the misfortune to purchase a physical book that just isn't doing it for me, I usually don't bother to return, but I will donate.  I am never, ever, EVER going to read the Great Gatsby again.  Ever.

Review: The Unseelie King

The Unseelie King by Kathryn Ann Kingsley
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Note - I'll be reviewing the entire series here, just because I'm lazy.

I'll start out by saying that I'm not one for dark romance. I believe I've abandoned every single one I've tried within pages (that terrible JT Geissinger one, previously reviewed, immediately comes to mind). I knew this what categorized as a dark romance, but fae books are a special kind of catnip for me (I'll be the first to admit I have a pointy ear fetish - elves, fae, vulcans, whatever), so that drew me in.

After finishing all four books (plowed through the first 3, slogged through the last one) I'm not sure I would lump this in with those toxic-bf mafia crapfests I've had the misfortune to stumble upon in the past. Yes, the MMC is an asshole, yes there's dubcon, but to be perfectly frank there was a lightheartedness to this entire series that I definitely wouldn't put this in a dark romance category. I can't believe I'm saying that a book where the MMC literally chains up the FMC is lighthearted, but yeah, here I am.

Review: The Curse Workers: White Cat; Red Glove; Black Heart

The Curse Workers: White Cat; Red Glove; Black Heart by Holly Black
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This is probably the first Holly Black book that I didn't fall in love with immediately. I did like it, but I didn't find it quite as engaging as the Folk of the Air (a masterpiece series), Coldest Girl in Coldtown (a standalone under-the-radar masterpiece), or even the Tithe series.

Most of what I love about Holly Black is there - great characters, clever dialogue, a crapton of bon mots. The worldbuilding here (curse workers possess various cool powers but cannot use said powers indiscriminately) wasn't as strong as in other books, but I didn't hate it. I thought the concept of blowback (basically receiving back what you put out ten folder, so if you're a death worker you can kill someone with a touch, but you'll literally lose parts of yourself as a result) was smart, I was really engaged by the whole criminal underworld/con man focus, and I thought Cassel was a delight. Actually, most of the main characters were great (I very much enjoyed Cassel and Sam's dynamic, and Cassel's family is like a smorgasbord of train-wreck entertainment).

Given all that, I'm not sure why I only rated it 3 stars; in fact, I'll be generous and bump it up to 3.5. I think if I had to pick a reason, it would be, first, I didn't like Lila (the main female character and Cassel's love interest) at all. For a gangster's daughter, she was bland, and I couldn't for the life of me figure out why Cassel loved her so much. She's supposed to be some tough, cool girl, but I found characters like Jude from FotA and Tana from CGiCt much grittier, which is saying something, given that Lila is a mob boss in training. Also, this was a bind-up of three separate books, so I think it just felt like kind of a slog going through all three one after the other.

That being said, I'd still recommend it because there's enough of what Holly Black is known for and what she excels at present here to make it worth the effort in reading.

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Review: The Contortionist

The Contortionist by Kathryn Ann Kingsley
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I am slightly shocked that I liked this as much as I did. I'm also pleasantly surprised to see that Kathryn Ann Kingsley appears to be not only talented, but consistently talented - there is nothing worse than reading a book, loving it, and trying to devour the author's entire catalog only to discover that the one book was an outlier and that everything else sucks.

Definitely not the case here - KK is so far five-for-five in my book as far as writing engaging, funny, witty, sexy stories. And she has a definite knack for writing truly dark heroes that you can't help but love. I'm not talking about the type that seems bad at first but then somehow has an explanation for literally every bad thing they've ever done. Her heroes are bad, they know it, but somehow they can't help being soft for the FMC. There's no trying to understand it, and I'm actually kind of glad that I don't have to perform the mental gymnastics required to understand how I could actually be hot for a villain (or read a fucking chapter-long diatribe on the same). In other words, this is true dark, fantasy romance, and it's great.

I've mentioned before that I'm not normally a fan of dark romance, though I do find it more palatable when it's in a fantasy setting, and I think that's purely because I want to suspend disbelief and don't want to think about the implications of finding an actual psycho that could very well exist in the read world kind of hot. I don't want to read about another Ted Bundy. A freaky undead puppeteer that's part of a murder circus (as Cora would say)? Sign me up, I don't have to worry about running into him in an alley at night.

This is true dark romance, mind you, and while Simon is every bit as witty, intriguing, and charming as Valroy (from the author's Maze series) you'd do well to understand that he is not a good guy and doesn't try to be at all, except when it comes to his intended. In other words, you're not going to get all hot for him only have him be completely defanged later because it turns out he was working undercover the whole time and was really emo over the bad stuff he did, and can you tell I'm talking about Rhysand here?

You're safe with Simon....not literally, but you're safe in knowing that he's not going to turn out to be a wimp later on.

All things aside, the story is engaging, the setting is *chef's kiss* (freaky vintage carnival with a sort-of tarot theme! I can practically smell the popcorn). And if that doesn't have you convinced, KK is an artist in addition to being an author, so her books are often accompanied by character and setting artwork, which is such a treat. I know not all authors are artists, but I do wish more included artwork in their books (and it's really just on the flyleaf or end papers here, there's not a ton) because it really helps with the immersion, and I am American, and thus lazy, and don't like to think for myself. In all seriousness, her art is gorgeous, as is her writing, and I'm so so glad I discovered her. You will be too.

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Review: A Court of Mist and Fury

A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Maas
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

I'm surprised I never reviewed this on my first go-around two years ago. In a way I'm glad, because I apparently gave it a five star rating, and I had written some gushy review I'd be feeling pretty damn embarrassed right now.

This was the audiobook version, and that bears mentioning because I severely disliked the book narrator. I don't believe that had any impact on my downgraded rating, more that emphasized a growing dislike for Feyre and Rhys that really started in "A Court of Silver Flames." Why it started there I can only chalk up to the fact that their behavior is so egregiously bad in that book that it's hard to ignore. I apparently did ignore it my first trip through this book, but now that I look at it, it's there in spades.

ACOTAR - Full Highlights and Notes

 

Idk what anyone says, he's still the hottest high lord and I'd still let him eat me alive.

There's really no point in putting up an ACOMAF highlight notebook without doing the same for ACOTAR, because you cannot look at both independently of each other and hope to understand why 1). Tamlin is deserving of our sympathy and 2). Apparently SJM has selective memory when it comes to her own writing.

In any case, here are my notes on book 1.  Feel free to send them to any Rhys stan who insists Tamlin was always awful or that Rhys was always good.

Review: House of Sky and Breath

House of Sky and Breath by Sarah J. Maas
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Where do I even start with this? There are three things you need to know about this book. First, it's fucking long. Second, it didn't need to be as long as it was. Third, it's absolutely batshit crazy. 

 I was hopeful for this new, more adult series when I first read it last year, but it actually wound up being not all that different from ACOTAR, or what I read of TOG (I haven't finished that yet and I'm not sure I will). 

 Now that I mention it, there's probably a fourth thing you should know about this book - Sarah J. Maas writes the same story, over and over. The minor details might change, but the major ideas, themes, and concepts are all the exact. same. thing. Partially human girl? Check. Ridiculous amount of powers and abilities? Check. Status as chosen one/savior? Check. Hot, over-muscled, similarly over-powered SO that everyone else is really afraid of? Check. Quest to save the world that only our aforementioned heroine can complete? Check. Lots of fucking/growling/purring/roaring? Check check check check. 

 Honestly, the list could go on and on. And really, I could have forgiven sticking with a certain theme (horny fae is definitely her shtick). The fact that SJM is now not only copying her own concepts over and over again, but literally smashing all of those previously separate worlds together is where I draw the line.

I Love to Hate It: Romance Novel Tropes

 

I'm a latecomer to the romance genre, having discovered somewhat later in life than most women that I didn't hate reading "mushy" stuff.  My reticence was born mostly from shame, which is dumb, because in the grand pantheon of embarrassment, reading romance books is like the very bottom of the list.

Despite the late start, it didn't take me long to separate the bad from the good.  I'm sure I'll discuss the tropes/genres I love at some point, but I'm better at complaining than I am at opining on why I actually like something (without devolving to my prior pre-teen self), so here's a list of crap I hate:

1. Reverse Harem
• I totally understand the desire for women to want to have a bunch of <zoolander voice> really really really good-looking</zoolander voice> men fawning all over them, but I'll freely admit that I'm selfish, even if it's myself we're talking about sharing.

ACOMAF Re-Read - Complete Notes, Quotes, and Criticisms

Don’t worry, Tam Tam. I’m on your side. 

Below is the full export of all of my highlights and notes, collected during my recent critical re-read of ACOMAF.  I tried my hardest to focus only on passages that showcased either the blatant revisionary approach SJM took to Tamlin, the blatant hypocrisy exhibited by both Feyre and Rhys, or if you're really lucky, both.

As you can see the infodump is massive, which leads whether or not SJM even tried to be careful about how she was even contradicting her own work.  My gut tells me that, much like Feyre, she's often enamored of her own cleverness, and thinks she was probably being like super-smart about dismantling every single thing Rhys did wrong in book one (to make it be right) and every good thing Tamlin ever did (to make it be wrong).  I can literally see the bullet-point list in my imagination, and her ticking off items one by one, cackling in glee. 

What she, and the less mentally independent readers out there, see as cleverness, I just see as laziness, because for all of her very thorough efforts to showcase Rhys as the good guy all along, she appears to have completely ignored the fact that she's created the two most blatantly oblivious characters in the history of YA/NA Fantasy Romance, neither of which have any awareness of the fact that they are actually not the heroes they think they are, but are instead sanctimonious, condescending Mary-Sues.  I’ve found that taking that perspective makes re-reads much more bearable, because I’m sure Feyre and Rhys will never get their comeuppance, and certainly not in the way Tamlin has. 

Excuses, Excuses (ACOMAF Re-read)

A victim of his creator

 

Chapter 55 is probably the most well-known chapter in the entire series.  I'm not going to go in to why, but while I will say that what I found kinda hot 3 years ago, I can barely stomach listening to/reading now.

So while chapter 55 is infamous, I think Chapter 54 might actually be the most important one in the entire series, certainly the first two books.  Tamlin's retcon had been slowly building since page one of ACOMAF, it's Chapter 54 that really buries him.

It's basically a pages long explanation of why Rhys isn't anything like what we knew of him in book one, setting up the smut to come in the next chapter (because how could our heroine ever fuck a guys that isn't perfect).

Long story short, he knew of Feyre before she ever came to Prythian, he loved her from the first, and every last thing Rhys ever did was done with the express purpose of being near her, or being with her, or whatever.  I forget.  My brain got addled from all the eye-rolling.

It's obviously supposed to be some grand, romantic thing (it's destiny! it's fate!), but it also reveals what a lot of the fandom already suspects about him - that he's a manipulative, self-centered....prick.

SJM methodically tries to tie up every loose end imaginable with regard to Rhys's true character, but I am still left with so many unanswered questions.

Review: A Court of Silver Flames

A Court of Silver Flames by Sarah J. Maas
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Ah. It’s so good to be back in the Fae lands of Sarah J. Maas, where all the males are beautiful, ripped, and roar when they come, all the females are beautiful and delicate-yet-strong, all characters are over-powered to the point of it being ludicrous, and nothing bad ever happens, at least to those in our sacred Inner Circle. Oh, and I almost forgot the copious amounts of fucking. Lots and lots and lots of fucking. Fucking and fucking and fucking.

It’s formulaic as shit, predictable and trite, and I looooove it.

There’s nothing earth-shattering about this latest addition, and it goes much the same way pretty much all of SJM’s books go. I think people have been clamoring for the story of Nesta and Cassian for a long time, and now that it’s finally here, it winds up being......a lot like the story of Feyre and Rhys. Broken girl mends herself through the love of a good man, and exhibits yet more world-shattering power and saves her friends from certain death through the power of love and family and togetherness. Blah blah blah.