Yeah, so true to its description, this book is whole-heartedly a “dark romance,� with a stronger emphasi(Warning: this review contains a bad ice pun).
Yeah, so true to its description, this book is whole-heartedly a “dark romance,� with a stronger emphasis on the “dark� part. I could see how some of the subject matter here might be a little too much for some, because there were definitely points where even I was extremely uncomfortable. The basic story is that Kai, a college student, is saved by a mysterious stranger named Avery from a fatal encounter and becomes indebted to the man. This proves unfortunate, as that stranger just happens to be a Fae Prince, who then becomes obsessed with Kai and starts isolating him from his best friend Tristan so that Kai will become wholly dependent on him. Despite this being more of a fantasy story, the book does tap into some very troubling real-life situations, and It was incredibly harrowing to read Tristan’s POV chapters, as he is forced to watch his friend (that he’s also in love with, mind you) become a completely different person right in front of his eyes. Though I’m not too familiar with the story that this book is a retelling of, this did immediately remind me of this movie called Before I Disappear, mostly because of the way sadness and dread were depicted in a dream-like quality. Moving on though, I will admit that by the half-way point, I was seriously sick of this freak Avery! Tristan, who’s a magic witch, can literally see Avery’s “hooks� in Kai, and still waits until it’s too late to take action. He should have kicked his ice from the first moment he knew he was mind controlling his best friend! Anyway, I haven’t even said, but I did enjoy this, and while the sometimes-clumsy execution of its themes leaves something to be desired, I think that with its melancholy tone and haunting, fairy-tale allure, ’d say that this book more than does its job to captivate. Oh, and I try not to get too into the nitty-gritty of whether or not characters deserve their respective fates� but I’m so glad that these two got their happily-ever-after. They deserved it....more
I’m crying everyone’s tears, I’m the King of Sorrow (King of Sorrow - Sade).
Great song, one of my favorites. Also my way of saying this book made me rI’m crying everyone’s tears, I’m the King of Sorrow (King of Sorrow - Sade).
Great song, one of my favorites. Also my way of saying this book made me really emotional! A new favorite� again! Hooray! This book is wonderful, and I think at the end of the day, I really did love it. But I think I should start with some of the issues I had, get the nasty business out of the way, you know? First of all, I thought the humor was at points a little childish and a little desperate (especially in the middle portion). Sometimes I wanted to reach into the pages and scream, “yes, you’re very funny, can we move on now!?� I couldn’t help but feel like several chapters could have been shortened by quite a bit. A simple discussion between the characters about the group’s plan of action would often turn into several pages of word salad simply because the narrative saw it fit to add an endless number of inane jokes. There’s a character that we meet in the middle of the story who all of our main characters insult by saying that they're always “saying a lot without saying anything,� but ’d argue that half the main characters have this problem! Talk about the pot calling the kettle black. And I don’t know if this makes sense, but this book is incredibly loud. With the constant repetitive nature of the humor� I felt like I couldn’t get a moment of peace. The little robot will say something cute, then something funny. The nurse robot will say something evil, then funny. Rinse and repeat, rinse and repeat, RINSE AND REPEAT! I mean, there’s a reason why C-3PO and R2-D2 suddenly disappear every time Darth Vader shows up; it’s a signal so the audience instinctively knows that now is the time to take things seriously. When exactly are we supposed to take this book seriously?
Now on to the reasons why I still say I loved this book, as I do believe it’s greater than the sum of its parts. While I can’t say it’s perfect, when it wants to be serious, there’s a gorgeous picture painted here. I can honestly say that I teared up several times throughout the story. It must be T.J. Klune’s signature whimsical charm! Any story that’s about fighting fate, I’m there, I’m seated! Anyway, so normally the books I read remind me of a few other things (like a song or a movie), and I know this is a loose retelling of Pinocchio, but I was reminded me of about a million other stories! It constantly had me like, “hey, this is like that thing from that one thing!� So instead of peppering them around evenly like a normal person, I think I’ll just list them all here so I don’t seem like I’m trying to brag as if I’m Mr. Pop Culture or whatever. When reading this, I couldn’t help but see constant shades of: WALL-E, Mass Effect 3, Terminator 2, Blade Runner, Fallout 4, and finally� The Iron Giant! Phew, that’s a lot of things! All of which have similar themes nature vs. nurture, and questions whether or not a machine can move past its programing and become something more, maybe even something human. And like many of those stories, the answer given is a resounding “yes!� ...There are no strings on me. All in all, I just think that this story has a really lovely message that it’s never too late to become a better person, and that any person, human or machine, is never too far gone. What else is there to say? This book is flawed, messy, and sometimes even inconsistent. Yet it remains beautiful and poignant all the same. I think that’s enough.
”Quiet this, a solitary moment in an imperfect world where existence did not need to be proven or earned. It just was, and here, in this place, that counted for something. Perhaps everything.�...more
Whether it be a full-length novel or just ten pages, Madeline Miller always knows how to write stories that make me want to cry.
“But what, really, couWhether it be a full-length novel or just ten pages, Madeline Miller always knows how to write stories that make me want to cry.
“But what, really, could he have said? That he begged his friends to end his agony, and they would not. That he died badly, and the oily stench of his flesh hung in the air for days. That men worshipped him like a god, but no one mourned.�...more
You know, for what’s supposed to be a dashing adventure at sea, this came across as surprisingly dry ha ha (I know I’ve said this about a book called You know, for what’s supposed to be a dashing adventure at sea, this came across as surprisingly dry ha ha (I know I’ve said this about a book called Out of the Blue, but I only have one joke). This book ran into a lot of the same issues that the live-action versions of the Disney animated movies did (I actually liked live-action Aladdin and Cinderella), in that it endlessly added extra filler on a story that didn’t need all that much expansion. Instead of a concise story, the whole thing just seemed bloated. Simplicity is key, you know? I found that whenever we were with Prince Eric for an extended period of time, I couldn’t help but wonder what Ariel was up to. Probably busy being in a more entertaining story, singing fun and catchy tunes. And while I did enjoy the secondary characters and appreciated the addition of more representation in this book, it was still at its best when it was just directly adapting The Little Mermaid.
What I like most about retellings is that they can take a story that we’ve seen millions of times before, and show perspectives from voices that we don’t usually hear from. So when you have a retelling of a story that’s originally from a female perspective, then flip it, it’s just going back around to telling a story about a boring old prince again! That’s hardly doing a full 180� more like a full 360? They even took Ursula, Ariel’s nemesis in the original movie, and made her Eric’s most personal enemy!? In doing so, all it accomplished was completely glossing over Ariel’s journey. That doesn’t really sit right with me. At least the author perfectly and faithfully translated Prince Eric from the screen to the page, if only in the fact that he was still dumb and had the personality of a thumbtack. I mean, no offence to Prince Eric, but following him for hundreds of pages was a bit... yawn. Anyway, wake me up when they do a retelling of bisexual king, Li Shang from Mulan....more
“Two days ago, I could not think of one thing to look forward to, and now I am dreaming in weeks and months and years.�
I watched this movie recently c“Two days ago, I could not think of one thing to look forward to, and now I am dreaming in weeks and months and years.�
I watched this movie recently called In the Mood for Love, and I loved it so much that it had the unfortunate side effect of me� pretty much comparing it to each and every romance book I’ve read since. Unfairly so, I might add. What can I say? It’s a high bar! If every fleeting glance isn’t accompanied by the sad wailing of a violin’s waltz to signify a repressed and desperate yearning, then what’s the point in anything? Thankfully, as far as comparisons go, I think this book more than holds its own. Which is wonderful because at first, I was afraid to continue reading on because I wasn’t sure if ’d be able to handle a queer retelling of a famously tragic, “everybody dies� story like Romeo & Juliet. But when I soldiered on and realized that Juliet was still a character in this story, mostly unchanged from the original, and not retooled into a male character like I originally thought this book would be, I was like, �oh good, I'm good, this should be a breeze!� But then I noticed the plot threads of the original started slotting into place with Valentine (Romeo’s love interest in this book) in Juliet’s stead� and my anxiety started anew. It was a wild ride reading this book, that's for sure. It was all quite dramatic, actually. Anyway, like lots of folks, I read Romeo & Juliet in school, and despite the “required reading curse� and the fact that adults tried really, really hard to make me like it, I actually liked it! Really, it's a miracle I got through it at all. I remember my teacher had a weird tone when talking about the main point of the story though, like the main take-away that we should have was that Romeo and Juliet were simply dumb kids caught up in a whirlwind romance. And even if they’d lived, after the dust settled, there’s no way that they would have remained in love. Not to air out old grievances, but that interpretation never really sat well with me. Like, does it matter? Does their love somehow mean less because of the brevity of their acquaintance? I'm answering my own rhetorical questions here, but I certainly don’t think so. Romeo & Juliet is a tragedy not only because they both die entirely avoidable deaths, but because we see two young people’s ability to make their own choices cut short by outside forces. Both caught in the crossfire of other people's ignorance and blind hatred. Whether or not it would have lasted, it’s sad because they never get the chance to see it to fruition.
Just like Self-Made Boys by Anna-Marie McLemore (a Gay Gatsby retelling), this book does a wonderful job of following similar story beats of a classic tale while also meaning and saying something completely different, constantly finding new ways to be poignant and tug at the heartstrings. It was really exciting to see all the old familiar faces, only given a new context within the narrative. And while I loved all the new that comes with this adaptation, the thing is� it’s kind of nice to see that Romeo and Juliet are still arguably the most important characters in this book. There’s no doubt about it that this is the kind of story that's simply at its best when they’re both the central figures. It’s interesting to see that their relationship remains the catalyst for every event that transpires, with the only difference being that in this interpretation, they share a more relaxed, quiet fondness that serves as a replacement for the burning infatuation of the original. So fans of the play should breathe easier knowing that this is still categorically Romeo & Juliet, even if it’s mostly in spirit rather than a strict recreation of the same story. Part of me does miss the twisted irony of the original ending and I believe that when a tragedy is so drastically changed by overriding it with a happy ending, something important is lost, but you know what? At the end of the day� I don’t really care that much. Especially when I think about what’s gained when there are more books like this in the world! When it comes to queer retellings, especially historical-fiction queer retellings, ending on a happy note is more transgressive than any tragic finale could possibly give us. Besides, the original play is still right there, so there’s really no harm done. Yeah, so while the original Romeo & Juliet posits the foolishness of lifelong grudges and the failure of the prominent families, of society, this interpretation tells us simply that if Romeo were gay and Juliet were asexual, every problem would have been solved. As easy as that. My personal take-away? Being queer saves the world, obviously.
One summer night, we ran away for a while / Laughing, we hurried beneath the sky, to an obscure place to hide / That no one could find (Underneath the Stars � Mariah Carey)...more
I read this book in a way that can only be described as “slowly chipping away at it.� It wasn’t bad at all, but I think it’s a bit of a odd choice to I read this book in a way that can only be described as “slowly chipping away at it.� It wasn’t bad at all, but I think it’s a bit of a odd choice to have half of the book entirely in an in-depth flash-back on Mrs. Hudson, Sherlock Holmes� housekeeper. I mean, this is the fifteenth installment in the series and I haven't read any of the others, so maybe this is a "scraping the bottom of the barrel" kind of thing. Well, maybe that's too mean, because the quality of the writing genuinely spectacular, but the truth is that generally in mysteries, I mostly enjoy learning information at the same time as the characters, because otherwise, it just ends with all the characters playing catch-up on information that we already know!
More importantly, let's talk a little bit about Sherlock Holmes! I’m always really interested in reading retellings of iconic characters, and then examining them through a different lens by taking away everything that makes them iconic. Who are they without the gimmicks? Take away Victorian London and his lover Dr. Watson, and let's see what's at the core of Mr. Sherlock Holmes!? What's going on in there!?!? Well, according to this book, he’s the same� he’s literally the same guy! Boo~ooring!!! Now look, I know that he’s a beloved character and people don't like it when our heroes are changed, but this was such a great opportunity to show what he could be if he had the tiniest bit of character development. Maybe he grew up a bit? This book is supposed to be decades on and he hasn’t even changed a little? We're in the new century by now and he hasn't changed his opinions on anything!? I don't know, maybe this wouldn't have been such a big issue for me if it didn't feel like Mary Russell was the same exact character as Sherlock Holmes was. Quick, smart, and knows everything that's about to happen... yeah, we've already seen that before. And then with Mycroft’s inclusion, there’s at least threeevery character is Sherlock Holmes. Nobody ever appreciates Watson's use in Sherlock Holmes stories, but he's there for a reason, and there's something missing when he's not. I’m sorry, but my favorite iteration of Sherlock Holmes will always be in The Extraordinary Adventures of the Athena Club series, where he's a little older, a little kinder, and thus, a little more tolerable.
On a positive note, I thought this book was fantastically written and the mystery aspect was incredibly well crafted. Despite my minor complaints, all of the characters, especially Clarissa Hudson, were fascinating, and contrary to what the punchy title might have you believe, this was very much her story.
“‘Why do women find relief a greater burden than fear.� His exasperation made for a blessed note of normality, and Mrs. Hudson responded in kind. ‘Perhaps because we have so little experience with relief.’�...more
Hi, so I haven’t actually read any Jane Austen books (don’t ask me why), but I do read a lot of retellings of Jane Austen books (again, don’t ask me wHi, so I haven’t actually read any Jane Austen books (don’t ask me why), but I do read a lot of retellings of Jane Austen books (again, don’t ask me why), and my ignorance usually doesn’t come as a detriment to the enjoyment of my reading experience. You probably know where this is going, but for this book, I really got the sense that I needed to have read some of the originals in order to enjoy this bad boy. I mean, or at least feel like I wasn't missing important context. Mr. Wickham’s introduction had me feeling the same way I do when Marvel characters are introduced, where it's just some guy who arrives through the door, says something witty, and pauses for the audience to scream and cheer. Well, there were crickets from my end, I'll tell you that much. Because with this book, I did the exact same thing I always do when I watch those Marvel flicks; check Wikipedia to understand why I should be excited. Huh, that's why! Who would have thought?
I did enjoy the writing style, it was very dramatic, very wordy, and very flowery, just what I expect in this type of setting. There may be too many narrators though, I think every character gets a word in edgewise, and it's like, do we really need this guy's opinion!? And then with the pov switching multiple times a chapter, sheesh it’s really hard not to get some kind of narrative whiplash. Besides, I’ve never been a big fan of several pov’s in mysteries, because it usually only makes the whole thing less mysterious because we're given too much context.
Also, it doesn’t even become a murder mystery until about 30% in, which wouldn’t be an issue if the book really ramped up afterword, but it instead moved at the same glaciers pace that it had already been moving. You’d think a murder mystery where a bunch of people are stuck in the same house for a month and one of them is a killer wouldn’t be such a chore to read through, but here we are.
I mostly continued reading because I was curious as to which one of these beloved characters would turn out to be a murderer, and how it would be justified. And I can honestly say that the reveal was� alright. I don’t know, maybe I’ll do a re-read when I’ve read a couple Jane Austen books (this is a lie, I won’t)....more
I was tempted to just have this review be a series of exclamation points, but I’ll say a little something. I remember my first introduction into queerI was tempted to just have this review be a series of exclamation points, but I’ll say a little something. I remember my first introduction into queer theory was my high school language arts teacher when he said that Nick Carraway from The Great Gatsby was probably gay and even maybe in love with Jay Gatsby. Okay wait, this isn’t a Finding Forrester type heart-warming story, my teacher said this in a �haha gay people� kind of way, as if the possibility of a gay man was a punchline to some bad joke. But the idea of reading classics through a different lens, a different perspective that I could more closely relate to stuck with me.
Honestly, I was a little worried to start this book simply because of the heavier emphasis on romance the story would take. My interpretation of the original Great Gatsby is that despite all the flash and excess of the new decade, connecting with people is becoming impossible. In the original novel, Jay Gatsby’s extravagant and twisted romantic gestures in the form of lavish parties fail to succeed because he isn’t actually interested in Daisy, but a dream he created of her in his mind. The original novel has a rather cynical take on romance as a whole. This book however retools these characters and gives them new layers in order to make a love story feel earned.
If the original Gatsby was about superficiality, then this book is about identity and finding a home in other like-minded people. Very different, but beautiful and important all the same. Thankfully, it’s still stylish and exuberant, but with a tenderness that makes this one of my absolute favorites. I loved this story, and it was silly of me to think I didn’t need it....more
You got that certain style, oh, you can move me with your smile / Let me tell you / Love me in a special way, no one else can compare with all your loYou got that certain style, oh, you can move me with your smile / Let me tell you / Love me in a special way, no one else can compare with all your love and care (Love Over and Over Again � Switch).
Oh, I finished this book already. It’s cool though, I can talk about it, I've got things to say! I guess I was just expecting more time to be able to sit with this one. More time to digest the story heh heh. That's a joke because this is a book about cooking. Okay, where to start? Ugh sometimes I wish BookTubers read the same books that I do so I could then just subconsciously absorb their opinions into my brain and I could then try to pass it off like they're my own. Anyway, this was actually a reread, and when I first started My Fine Fellow again, I kind of figured that it’d work nicely as some �background noise� where I didn’t have to focus too hard and I could just fall back on it whenever I was bored. But then I forgot that this was actually a good book that required my attention. You might even say that I ended up devouring it once again! This is a joke because the book is about food. Speaking of food, other than Jon Favreau’s movie Chef or The Last Holiday with Queen Latifah, I don’t really go out of my way to watch movies or read books centered around cooking. I was never really able to get into anything with Gordan Ramsey because I don’t like the whole �’s--ܲ--ٳ--dzܻ-ܲ-Բ--DZ-ɳ-’t-ٲ-� tough guy thing and I think it was just never a topic that interested me all too much. Well, if I ever needed proof that anything can be interesting with strong enough writing, then it’s this book, My Fine Fellow (#ad). It’s apparently a retelling of something else, but because I’m someone who has never read a Jane Austen book and has no basis for nostalgia for works in which this author is clearly trying to emulate, I’m only able to judge this book on how it stands as its own thing rather than its inspirations. It’s like how Conan O’Brien (the talk show guy) is the only person whose opinions on video games I trust because not only does he not play them, but actively dislikes the medium. It sounds backwards, I know, but there’s something about a layman’s opinion on things that can often be more helpful than a hardcore fan. Jane Austen fans might find this work redundant, but I'm out here having a great time! Anyway, I’ll actually talk about what this book is about in the first paragraph for once. It’s a thing I usually forget to do until several paragraphs of inane rambling, I’m aware. This book starts as the main character, Penelope, finds a street vendor named Elijah with intelligent eyes in a hunger-pang frame that sets her heart aflame, every part aflame. Impressing her with his cooking, Penelope and her friend, Helena, then decide to take him under their wings in an attempt to turn him into a gentleman cook for a school project. What then proceeds is a fun and simple story about cooking that quickly evolves into a pleasantly surprising tale about the dynamics of social class, how feminism can be twisted if its only practiced through the lens of privilege, and how pushing the needle forward in terms of progress requires a lot more introspection and soul searching than most are comfortable with. There’s layers here! You know, like an onion.
And while I like them both, I do actually think that this book is superior to Jennieke Cohen’s previous book, Dangerous Alliance, in which a lot of the romantic plot beats between the characters would often only be propelled forward by cliché love triangle tropes and contrived misunderstandings. And I thought this was interesting because My Fine Fellow actually has a much more natural set-up for a love-triangle and yet the author shows much appreciated restraint in having most the conflict show up in a more natural sense; through the social constructs of the time-period as well as the shortcomings of the character’s personalities, including insecurities about one’s station and their racial backgrounds. It’s different, and I like that. Because if you just keep doing the same thing over and over and over again, it's easy to become Jack Harlow, a man who had one good song years ago, but then just kept doing the same �I know I’m cute � shtick until his music deteriorated to the point where it’s now delegated to haunting the aisles of Target’s around the world. So yeah, I’m glad that this author has found her particular niche and was able to move past the need to fall into tropes, and understood that too much nostalgia infused in the story can easily turn the work into parody. I know the word �delightful� is often used as a descriptor whenever a new one of these big sweeping historical romances come out, but I really do believe that’s the best way to describe this book. It understands the assignment! Light and easy in the romance between Elijah and Penelope, while also never sidelining the very real prejudices of the time period like a certain other romantic historical-fiction that I won’t name or hate on too much because I know a lot of people really like it. But really, sugarcoating history is often a big problem with me in these kinds of stories, and I think the author does a good job of balancing the narrative between her clear love with the time period and never falling into glorifying the past. Because the thing is, whenever you write a historical fiction, it can be easy to dip into that kind of �things were simpler and better back in the day� mentality, and I think that the best stories are the ones that move past this and instead whip out the pros and cons list. I’m no fence sitter, but a little dash of nuance sprinkled on the whole meal goes a long way. That's a joke because this book is about cooki� I’m just saying, this book walked that fine line between having an accurate depictions of the era and feeling like the characters would break out into a little Lin Manuel Miranda rap. Okay, I’ve probably exhausted this point, but the truth is that I’m never actually interesting in looking at the past through rose-tinted glasses.
But hey, while I thought this book was certainly tackling all of the themes it wanted to tackle, it still never tries to be Parasite. The romance is still first and foremost My Fine Fellow’s top priority and also its biggest strength. Remember when I said that this book could have easily tried out another one of those love-triangle things? I just know that in an alternate universe, there’s a version of this book where Penelope and Helena start to fight each other over Elijah’s affections. And hey, that’s a worse thing! I’ve got to tell you, I don’t envy that universe’s choice in literature at all. In this story, Helena’s pride and arrogance has naturally pushed people away from her for her entire life, so when Penelope and Elijah start to grow closer, any jealousy felt on Helena’s end is due to the fact that she feels like she’s losing her only friend to who she sees as an upstart rather than any unsaid romantic feelings between them. The other real conflict blooms through Elijah’s insecurity as he starts thinking that his previous station in life is preventing him from being the man that Penelope �deserves,� and he then strives to become the kind of rich and noble man that could possibly win her affections despite the fact that it was his charm and good natured heart that she fell for in the first place. It’s very much like Aladdin� or Hitch. "One jump ahead of the slowpokes, one skip ahead of my doom, next time gonna use a nom de plume!" We all know she'd marry him with paper rings if she had to. And smallish spoilers, but I thought it was innovative how the final act of devotion in the story’s climax wasn’t done in order to save a romantic relationship, but the friendships between Helena and the only two people that matter to her! I don’t know, you just don’t really see that all that often, and I thought it was cool. Otherwise, I appreciated the way this novel dealt with racial tensions in a sensitive, yet hard-hitting way. I like Hairspray, I really do, but the way the story plays out gives off the impression like it's saying that we should all rest easy because outdated ideals like racism disappearing is an inevitability, that it’s really only still a problem due to �a few bad apples� rather than this systemic issue that can and does affect everyone in a real way, and that to combat it is a constant struggle. Because the thing is, My Fine Fellow also expertly deals with the discussion about people who see the good in everyone, even bigots, and deconstructs this way of thinking through Penelope as a character. For the most part, her kindness is portrayed about as wholesome and well intentioned as possible (she’s like a Disney Princess), but it then later explores how Penelope's tolerance in letting Helena off the hook for her antisemitic remarks toward Elijah and racism towards her own mixed race heritage was actually an act of sideline cruelty, and not particularly kind to anybody. Good stuff! Anyway, rereads are always a risk, because who knows if it’ll still be the same, you know? But� nope! This was still amazing the second time around. Pretty cool! My Fine Fellow is a great book, but then again, I already knew that. I’m just glad I was able to put it into words this time.
“Times are changing, my friends,� Helena pronounced with a self-assured smile. “And ɱ’r going to change them.�...more
There’s a reason why classic fantasy stories end when they do, because otherwise our heroes are just left wandering around for hundreds of pages. I’m There’s a reason why classic fantasy stories end when they do, because otherwise our heroes are just left wandering around for hundreds of pages. I’m sorry, but this is a fantasy book that doesn’t want to be a fantasy book, which is honestly my least favorite kind of thing! A genre flick that feels like it has disdain for the genre it's in? Yuck. This aspect is mostly shown in the fact that everybody speaks like they’re in a contemporary setting for some reason? All "I'm in the mood to help you du~ude" or whatever. Look, I don't need Lord of the Rings, but give me something more than that smarmy annoying person at a party who isn’t taking the D&D game seriously and clearly thinks they're above it all by making jokes every other sentence, and I'd be more than happy.
This book is Marvel movie funny, so it’s pretty much a joke a minute, firing off so quick that you don't even get a chance to think back to whether or not any of them were actually funny in the first place. Spoiler alert: they weren't. The problem is that because of this airy tone, whenever the narrative tries to touch on some emotion other than snark and irreverence, I think it falls a little flat. A lot of the time it’s just like, �joke, joke, joke, oh and also we all have PTSD, now we're sad... anyway� joke, joke, joke!� It's mind-numbingly dull. Oh yeah, and it doesn't help that a lot of the humor is like, �Hey y'all, remember that time when we did that thing and this thing, isn't it obvious how close we are because of that amazingly grand adventure we all went on? That we totally remember.� No, unfortunately I don't remember, because I WASN'T THERE! I kind of wish I were, though. But nah, instead let's allude to a story that sounds a million times more interesting than the one we're currently in, because that's always a fun thing to do in a story. That was sarcasm, it really isn’t. A large dose of sensitivity and sincerity would have easily made this a new favorite for me.
Oh, and that blurb!? "Carry On meets Arthurian legend" my ass! Pshhhhhh... this is only similar to the Simon Snow books in that the magic system is so poorly defined that it's barely worth mentioning. What can anybody do in this fantasy world, you ask? Who even knows. I'll try to break it down for you: Arek, our main character becomes the king despite him not wanting the crown, and when he tries to abdicate from the throne, he’s stopped from doing so by� magic or whatever. And then later he’s forced to find a spouse in three months because of reasons� but I'm guessing it's magic or whatever! Do you see what I’m getting at? You can’t just scream �magic� every time you need to solve a plot point! I don’t know, I think it reads more like a parody, which was maybe the point? I hope not, because that kind of sucks. I mean, I appreciate the attempt and I think more books like this should exist, just� better? Genuine, maybe? It's whatever, though. But hey, extra star for the cover. Great cover....more
From Wikipedia: Damning with faint praise is an English idiom, expressing oxymoronically that half-hearted or insincerNot bad, just bad comparatively.
From Wikipedia: Damning with faint praise is an English idiom, expressing oxymoronically that half-hearted or insincere praise may act as oblique criticism or condemnation. In simpler terms, praise is given, but only given as high as mediocrity, which may be interpreted as passive-aggressive. ...more
There’s a lot I like here, and� some I don’t. Thankfully, a lot of my issues are glossed over by the fact that Lake and Knight are the major highlightThere’s a lot I like here, and� some I don’t. Thankfully, a lot of my issues are glossed over by the fact that Lake and Knight are the major highlight of the whole book. From their witty dialogue to all the ridiculous situations they got into that made up most of the plot, it's classic and refreshing at the same time! It was just a whole lot of fun to read through. Also, it was pretty nice to read a book where the characters seem to enjoy being in each other’s company. I don't know, sometimes I feel like writers forget that the main couple should probably like each other. The bar is on the floor, I know. As for the bit I didn't like? Well, there's an odd subplot where one of Lake’s friends has a crush on his own cousin? Bid odd, in my opinion. I can only assume this couple is in the original Jane Austen novel, but isn’t the point of a contemporary retelling to� retell it contemporarily? Update a couple things that wouldn't fly today? Maybe switch it up a little? At least have somebody comment on it! Ugh, I wish I could grab a pair of scissors and *snip snip* the parts I didn’t like! Anyway, on a positive note, here’s a bit I did like:
“Reading you has been a pastime for months, but right now I need spoilers. Do you feel the same?�
I've seen a lot of criticisms of this book saying that it definitely didn't need to be seven hundred plus pages, and I totally agree... it needs to beI've seen a lot of criticisms of this book saying that it definitely didn't need to be seven hundred plus pages, and I totally agree... it needs to be thousands. More! I need more!!! I'm not kidding, but I do understand why a few would find reading this book to be a monumental task because there's no denying that this is a really, really� REALLY long book. Sheesh I’m surprised I finished it as fast as I did the first time! Though I think I actually liked it more this time, like, I was able to appreciate the nuances a little more because I wasn't as worried about getting to the end as quickly as possible. I mean, what other book manages to combine Jekyll & Hyde, Frankenstein, and Sherlock Holmes (and many others) all seamlessly into a cohesive narrative and a fun adventure to boot!? That wasn’t rhetorical, if you know another book series like this, please tell me, because I'll read it! This book series is like the MCU if it were good! Okay there, I filled my Marvel hate quota. Anyway I’ll always love a re-interpretation of a “monstrous creature,� like in a Shape of Water� or Shrek. The best part isn’t how the whole story becomes this unruly, monstrous amalgam like a Frankenstein(‘s monster), but the fact that that’s the point. It's messy, chaotic, and beautiful.
“You know, I think Irene was right-this really is the best costume. It hides firearms and makes men uncomfortable. A perfect combination.�...more
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