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Wendy Darling's Reviews > The Wren in the Holly Library
The Wren in the Holly Library (The Oak & Holly Cycle, #1)
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Wendy Darling's review
bookshelves: audio, new-york, pnr-urban-fantasy, retellings-and-inspirations, lgbtqia, pn-faeries, read-2024, questionable-ethics, poc, new-adult-meh, needs-a-red-pen, tough-subjects, underwhelmed, romantasy
Jun 18, 2024
bookshelves: audio, new-york, pnr-urban-fantasy, retellings-and-inspirations, lgbtqia, pn-faeries, read-2024, questionable-ethics, poc, new-adult-meh, needs-a-red-pen, tough-subjects, underwhelmed, romantasy
Shades of ACOTAR and other romantasies, but the further you get into it, the more it feels like a stereotypical new adult romance than anything else. The mythology isn't all that compelling, and the romance just has all those conventional NA beats, characters, back stories, sex, and rote language. It’s not specifically terrible, but none of it offers much genuine surprise or excitement, either.
Some editing issues here and there, and quibbles with the endless parade of exes/past histories that sort of move the plot along but don't really have much of an impact on the characters otherwise. Taking it off the "adult" shelf and leaving it on PNR/UF, though that's probably being a bit generous. I would have been more tolerant if the story had wrapped up in the one book, but in pursuit of romantasy cred, this one seems set on presenting itself as an epic fantasy series.
2.5 stars
Audio Notes: The narrator Stephanie Németh-Parker does well overall, except that the way she reads the FMC makes it feel very very YA/NA, though I guess that's fine if that's what you're interested in. Her MMC voice is pretty good at first too, except that there are more plummy UK characters/accents introduced, which then makes them all feel sort of put-on and indistinguishable.
But the worst comes when they start having sex and the MMC starts using that slow, lofty accent to talk dirty to her, and then I just started laughing and couldn't stop. I'd try another audiobook narrated by her, though, this was just a bad combination.
P.S. Breads Bakery, which is mentioned repeatedly but not by name, does have the best babka. But the chocolate one is better.
Some editing issues here and there, and quibbles with the endless parade of exes/past histories that sort of move the plot along but don't really have much of an impact on the characters otherwise. Taking it off the "adult" shelf and leaving it on PNR/UF, though that's probably being a bit generous. I would have been more tolerant if the story had wrapped up in the one book, but in pursuit of romantasy cred, this one seems set on presenting itself as an epic fantasy series.
2.5 stars
Audio Notes: The narrator Stephanie Németh-Parker does well overall, except that the way she reads the FMC makes it feel very very YA/NA, though I guess that's fine if that's what you're interested in. Her MMC voice is pretty good at first too, except that there are more plummy UK characters/accents introduced, which then makes them all feel sort of put-on and indistinguishable.
But the worst comes when they start having sex and the MMC starts using that slow, lofty accent to talk dirty to her, and then I just started laughing and couldn't stop. I'd try another audiobook narrated by her, though, this was just a bad combination.
P.S. Breads Bakery, which is mentioned repeatedly but not by name, does have the best babka. But the chocolate one is better.
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Reading Progress
June 15, 2024
– Shelved
June 16, 2024
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Started Reading
June 18, 2024
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Finished Reading
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Lindsey
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Jun 18, 2024 06:57PM
Love the chocolate babka from there!!
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Lindsey wrote: "Love the chocolate babka from there!!"IT'S WICKED GOOD. My best friend sends me one every Christmas.
I saw this at Costco yesterday and it was SO pretty and I considered getting it but I already had a cartful of stuff, lol. Glad I passed on it. ;)
starryeyedjen wrote: "I saw this at Costco yesterday and it was SO pretty and I considered getting it but I already had a cartful of stuff, lol. Glad I passed on it. ;)"The few photos I've seen of the hardcovers are really pretty! I've been pretty out of the loop, I gather Red Tower launched a couple of years ago as a NA fantasy imprint at Entangled. This sort of makes sense in that context, though still not really satisfying as a book for me. I'm still gonna try Iron Flame at some point, though.
I felt the same about the narrator! After the first 25% I realized that I think the voice of FMC sounds so much younger then I most likely would have thought in my head if I physically read it. I am not sure if that would have added to my enjoyment or not.
Amanda wrote: "I felt the same about the narrator! After the first 25% I realized that I think the voice of FMC sounds so much younger then I most likely would have thought in my head if I physically read it. I a..."Yes, agreed! I kept thinking to myself that it would sound so different if I were reading it as a regular book. I liked her voice, but the way she interpreted it felt very young, though in all fairness, the dialogue and situations started to feel that way, too.
I'm glad you pointed out the 25% bit as well, because I also thought the beginning seemed a bit different from the rest (didn't say anything because I didn't know if it was just me!), with stronger writing, world-building, plotting, etc. It's like it was sold on the opening chapters and only the first part got the deeper edit or something.
i have been contemplating if i should read it, and now I know.
That first sentence sums it up for me. No thanks..haha thanks as always
PrincesSarah wrote: "i have been contemplating if i should read it, and now I know."It's not...awful. Unless you dislike most New Adult, in which case, it is, haha.
ReadingWithMyCats wrote: "That first sentence sums it up for me. No thanks..haha thanks as always"Welllll, I actually did like the first few ACOTAR I read--SJM has her foibles, but her writing is leaps and bounds ahead of books like this. I guess NA fantasy is a thing that happened when I wasn't looking, I gotta check out the dragon smutty Yarros at some point. But if this reference is useful to you to know, great!!
