It was written in 1985, so I was expecting it to be politically incorrect, which it is. I was born (2.75 stars)
This one is particularly hard to rate.
It was written in 1985, so I was expecting it to be politically incorrect, which it is. I was born in 1999 and am looking on this book with 2024 eyes, so obviously I will find it wanting in "sensitivity" respects, and I knew this going into the novel. Still, I was expecting more of a censure towards the slaveowners, which we don't really get.
The cover is also very misleading, although that isn't the author's fault, but that of the publisher (ye olde clickbait!). It's not an interracial romance, it's between a white slaveowner and a white governor's daughter. Actually, it's barely even a romance; it's more historical fiction with a soupçon of romance in there.
The novel was evidently well researched, and I did enjoy the plot, although I felt a lot of the characters were very one-dimensional. The women in particular fell into the madonna/whore dichotomy, which, again, isn't unusual for a male author in 1985, so I guess I can't be SUPER mad about it. Even the male characters seemed to be a little one-dimensional, though.
Overall, I am glad I read it; I love reading "politically incorrect" vintage novels if only because I'm curious of how the general public's views have changed, and the story wasn't too bad - but the characters could have been developed more, and it's certainly a product of its time. I probably wouldn't recommend it....more
Holds up pretty well for a fifty-year old romance novel, and was certainly entertaining and heart-wrenching, but the two main characters were lowkey iHolds up pretty well for a fifty-year old romance novel, and was certainly entertaining and heart-wrenching, but the two main characters were lowkey insufferable - I wanted to slap both of them so many times! I was expecting them to be insufferable sometimes, but not constantly!
Could have been a four-star read if it was shorter - some parts really did tend to drag a little. ...more
This could definitely have been condensed by a couple of hundred pages. Too much extraneous detail bogged down the narrative, swathes of time in whichThis could definitely have been condensed by a couple of hundred pages. Too much extraneous detail bogged down the narrative, swathes of time in which nothing much happened, which meant that when the denouement finally arrived, I just felt... tired. Ready for it to be over....more
I really wanted to like this, but it was just... boring. Nothing really happened, and the things that did happen were very predictable. This novel is I really wanted to like this, but it was just... boring. Nothing really happened, and the things that did happen were very predictable. This novel is about finding one's identity, but ironically, the book itself doesn't seem to know what it's supposed to be - it's certainly not horror despite the GR tags, it's sci-fi/fantasy but only surface level, not clever or intricate enough to be considered literary fiction... I think this would have worked if Moreno-Garcia had really leaned into the romance part and made it out-and-out romantic fiction with a HEA with (view spoiler)[Montgomery (hide spoiler)]. ...more
(3.5 stars, rounded up because of just how batshit it was.)
I don't know what the fuck this is, but it sure as hell isn't romance - and it's exactly w(3.5 stars, rounded up because of just how batshit it was.)
I don't know what the fuck this is, but it sure as hell isn't romance - and it's exactly what I needed right now. A real bodice-ripper, an interpersonal drama that reads like a soap opera at times. The sort of love story that reminds you that Aphrodite wasn't a loving, comforting figure; she was actually kind of a dick.
Sometimes you don't need romance. Sometimes you need a awful, irredeemable turd of a man doing awful, irredeemable turd things....more
Unique premise and a wonderfully flawed protagonist. I did feel the whole story could be wrapped up in around 100 pages less, though - it seemed to drUnique premise and a wonderfully flawed protagonist. I did feel the whole story could be wrapped up in around 100 pages less, though - it seemed to drag at times. Nevertheless, still a worthwhile read. I'm glad I actually enjoyed the winner of the Booker prize for once lmao. ...more
It's always a good day when K.A. Merikan decide to go absolutely fucking feral.
pre-review rantings and ravings:
I literally just wrote another [image]
It's always a good day when K.A. Merikan decide to go absolutely fucking feral.
pre-review rantings and ravings:
I literally just wrote another review for another Merikan book where I was like, "yeah they're great, pretty dark but never too unhinged or non-conny, y'know, pretty tame mostly" and then i fucking see the blurb of THIS motherfucker
Nemo ☠️ (pagesandprozac)
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Books:
historical-fiction
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