Dylan

long WINDed

Reviewed: 01-12-25

I love this series, this book is very important in the series, clearly. But it’s a bit of a slog. It reminded me a lot of the first book in that regard.

It really affected my mood, how depressing and how the odds kept stacking up. The main ensemble were completely isolated from each other and the victories were rather small, subtle, and nuanced. I want more but I heard we might not get another entry until 2031. Idk if I can keep interest that long and seems unacceptable considering how large the team is for the cosmere series.

Michael and Kate are perfect palette cleansers for each other however Michael got a larger percentage of the book this time around and you felt it. He doesn’t change his pitch for any of the characters he narrates outside of the one-off child or woman voice, they all have the same stuffy regal aura.

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Good

Reviewed: 11-05-24

There is a lot going on in this story, definitely avatar the last airbender meets Hunger games with a heavy sprinkle of Danganronpa wrapped up in a Agatha Christie Murder on the Nile package.

I looked up the author and she cosplays and I have a feeling that making characters you can dress up as was a big motivation for the story, not that there’s anything wrong with that. I just feel like some story elements fell through the cracks. Everything was very ship-forward, practically everyone was coupled up even though they should all be at odds?

Idk, it was cute if a little unrealistic in romantic pursuits. Not a lot of the romance that happened was earned. Also a murder game isn’t a very romantic setting so it was odd anyone was getting any.

The conclusion was a little nonsensical, where all the power ends up and everyone is just okay with it. Wild. It clashes with the main characters previous thoughts on governmental power and is overall hypocritical.

However I’m rooting for the author that there is a manga adaptation and eventually an anime. Why not.

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1 person found this helpful

Painful and Crass

Reviewed: 11-02-24

This book is garbage and makes lgbtq+ literature look bad, I can’t believe it’s a series. The writing level is elementary but it’s nonstop unfunny sex jokes and snide bickering so it’s considered adult reading. There is an interesting premise here but the main character is too unlikable and too much of a Gary-Stu that speaks in all sarcasm. All story devices are surface level and the plot and relationship baiting is drawn out painfully.

The magic system is bad and altogether forgotten about, the writer preferring to focus on sex jokes and shipping dialogue. It reeks of personal self-insert sex fantasy writing.

I stopped 10 hours in because I’m a glutton for self torture and I noticed it wasn’t gonna get better. Apparently this writer has better books but I can’t trust him after this crap.

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Unloveable

Reviewed: 10-21-24

The plot is juvenile, the liberties taken with source material are ridiculous, and the first half of the book is so fast-paced in order to hook in low attention span readers from booktok. It gets better halfway in, even if it’s a marysue love triangle Hunger Games-Twilight-Hercules abomination.

Stop making YA books adult romance by adding smut scenes, it’s cheap.

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MALcontent

Reviewed: 09-08-24

Dull and self-righteous main character is given unrealistic amount of influence in an fbi case when he is the prime suspect. Too many references to other books, I get that’s the premise and setting of the story but it goes much further beyond that of the 8 main stories. The twists are twists… *shrug*. If it’s truly based on a real story like it says then oof that is a convoluted existence.

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Cinderella/Ever After fan fiction

Reviewed: 06-12-24

It’s hard to root for a heroine so subdued yet pessimistically argumentative. Benedict’s emotions and feelings are nonsensical at times, especially when he feels ‘betrayed’ in the final act. There is an interesting story arc buried under endless character self-pitying and what only feels like creative plagiarism in the first and last act.

And speaking of the Cinderella references- they could have been a lot more creative, ‘more subtlety’ would have been the best direction to go. Unfortunately I understand why Shonda skipped this entry for the Netflix series, she’s got her work cut out for her when she comes back to it.

The voice performance was impeccable.

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Dull, Boring, Slow.

Reviewed: 05-21-24

I cannot finish, I’m 4 hours in and nothing has happened past the initial premise. The narrator as well as the characters have no life in them. The stuff I’m not interested in (exposition) is drawn out while the stuff I want to hear more of (literally any type of point a to point b/character growth/excitement) is skipped over.

The magic/scholar system is boring and the narnia-esque magic world I haven’t got to yet sounds boring too.

I was deceived by the 3 good reviews, probably planted by the team behind the book.

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Not as good as the first imo

Reviewed: 11-26-23

I feel like the world building and excessive romances hurt the story this time around. Everyone is coupled up, it’s nauseating. Each of the 3 main couples has some obscene moment where they declare their love by making out in front of everyone else. It would have worked once, but three times? There is a fourth ‘will they won’t they’ couple that blushes whenever they touch and I’m sure we’ll get their make out moment in the next book.

There are too many kingdoms introduced this time as well, it’s hard to remember which is which when they move around so quickly. It’s like that Gaga meme “bus, club, another club, bus, plane, another club..” too much all at once and it’s disorienting.

Instead of shooting for a trilogy I think the author should have paced herself. Maybe did an 8 parter considering there are 8 kingdoms, idk.

Narrator’s voice is annoying when she speaks softly, which is most the time.

To go from the first book, a very concentrated somewhat small world fantasy story focused on magic systems and monster slaying.. to this world trotting - not trusting anybody - everyone is a little bit evil even yourself - overpowered protagonist - romance fest. Disappointing to say the least. I’ll give the last entry a shot since I loved the first so much, but honestly this book was a mess.

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Loved it, just my vibe

Reviewed: 11-14-23

Great world building, great setup, everything given is earned. The Witcher meets memoir of a geisha meets spirited away. There are complaints that it’s too slow, but I disagree. I think time spent on building relationships and meaningful subplots is time well spent. Heroine slightly likable, greatly relatable, possibly corruptible.

I’ve gone through a slog of bad reads lately and I am so happy I found this, can’t believe it’s free for audible subscribers. Might purchase the physical books when done.

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Romantic Fantasy Fodder

Reviewed: 11-09-23

I’ve heard a million different versions of this story at this point. Girl who keeps to herself is not like other girl, has (or comes across) crazy abilities, dark and brooding eye-candy love interest, take down the oppressive monarchy, yaddi yaddi yadda. This is a court of thorns and roses/red queen/twilight type book that falls short.

The stand-out magic system is basically a deck of Pokémon cards themed to the 12 days of Christmas (literally embarrassing). Also they sprinkled in some sort of HIV metaphor magic illness that the big bad genocides, which is a little offensive tbh.

The world building is awful, it’s in a kingdom but it feels more like a cul-de-sac of castles and mansions owned by the king and various military figures and aristocrats. There’s a holiday every other day that they all have to meet up for. You hear little to nothing about the common people until about 8 hours in. Why not just have it set in an office or uncharted island if the scope of relevant characters is so small?

The action sequences were very well done, this author knows how to describe a fight scene in a way that isn’t simple or tiring, just right.

Also the term “gothic fantasy” is thrown around a lot by the people on social media promoting this book, but it’s not that deep. This is a YA novel with one smutty scene, don’t exaggerate.

I will say that Lezbit (or whatever her name is) doesn’t fall into the trap of feeling sorry for herself which is a huge win and typically a big problem with these types of stories. She just kinda goes with it and I appreciate not having to be subjected to that inner turmoil. However it was super annoying how she would chastise and feel betrayed by anybody who kept any little secret from her. She constantly lied and kept her own secrets, like calm down Elsabuh.

I’m not gonna even try to follow this series. This is a one and done for me. I followed ACOTAR into the hell it turned into and I’m not doing that again. I imagine our protagonist will stop her evil cousin’s husband through her overpowered magic, guided by her hot boyfriend but that doesn’t take away from the fact that she as a girl did most of the work and everyone should thank her for it.

Gotta catch em all!

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