This book came so highly recommended and its accolades were sung so virulently that I ignored my usual rule (either I buy it at Kindle or I get it froThis book came so highly recommended and its accolades were sung so virulently that I ignored my usual rule (either I buy it at Kindle or I get it from the library. I don't buy "books" per se anymore) and ordered the hardcover from Amazon, sure that I would love it.
I actually found it kind of meh. Everything about this story is cute and nice, which is good praise for the author, but there's nothing spectacular about it.
Many parts of the book were lovely, different, imaginative and sweet. The story was rather simplistic but nice. It paced well, has a good climax, many of its characters were enjoyable to read.
The writing, particularly at the beginning of the novel, was very disjointed. It's almost as if Bracken had trouble completing thoughts or visualizing scenes in her head. Actions were often either not followed through or not brought to the readers attention until they'd already been half done.
There was almost no detailed description, or at least, very minimal. Unlike Karen Miller's world in Empress, which was a smorgasbord of culture, identity, sight and sound, I could honestly tell you very little of the people who inhabit Brightly Woven's world.
The world is disappointingly barren to us and it's visual surroundings, smells, feels and tastes are mostly ignored.
The characters often do and say things that didn't make sense, as if half the scene (the important half with most of the information) were missing.
So, over all, it was a nice book. Probably not one I would read again although I'll be interested in picking up its sequel to see where Syd and North end up next....more
Graceling by Kristin Cashore follows in a burgeoning market for strong female characters.
Katsa is much like Katniss from The Hunger Games in her naiveGraceling by Kristin Cashore follows in a burgeoning market for strong female characters.
Katsa is much like Katniss from The Hunger Games in her naive perception of the world, her coldness and tendency towards pragmatic practicality. She is similar to Xhex from the Black Dagger Brotherhood in her disgust of all things "feminine".
The story is well written, with engaging, fun characters. Katsa is fun to read about. The plot may be a little predictable at times but it did throw me a curve ball toward the end.
The romance is lovely between Katsa and Po.
I take exception though, to the message that this book sends. It is the same message I am reading over and over again in current literature.
From Bella Swan who looks down on girls who like shopping, to Xhex who must be wrestled into a dress and who sees all signs of emotion as feminine weakness and now Katsa who refuses to marry or have children and who despises dresses and long hair.
Message to authors: It is not nice dresses and pretty hair and an ability to be weepy on occasion that is the cause for the many inequality issues that women face. Putting a woman in pants does not change how the world perceives her. It doesn't suddenly make her stronger and better than the woman in the dress who likes jewelery!
Your character does not suddenly become the beacon of the feminist movement because she doesn't like dresses. So sick of reading about "strong, independent female characters" who don't like dresses and spend most of the novel putting down almost every other female character as weak and pathetic....more
I found it difficult to enjoy Incarceron at first.
You know that saying, Those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it? Ya, this is IncarI found it difficult to enjoy Incarceron at first.
You know that saying, Those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it? Ya, this is Incarceron all over.
So there's two worlds in this one story. There's the "real" world and the Incarceron world.
The real world is a futuristic world with fantastical technologies - which are not used much because the King of that world decided that change was bad, progress - demeaning and invention - unsafe. So he reverted the whole world to a pre-regency era and forced everyone to act out his weird fantasy.
Okay, first of all, this worked SO well when China did it a few hundred years ago. Yeah. They really benefited from that one. Second of all, it's not like the pre-regency era was full of ecstatically happy people either. Sad to say but the idea was just dumb. Dumb, dumb, dumb.
Then you have the Incarceron world which is basically a giant prison where people from the "real" world sent their thieves, poor people and miscreants. Okay, first of all, once again, been there, done that! I live in Australia - okay. This idea is not new! Did it make England a happier place? No. Did it mean that Australia is some demented country full of criminals and wargangs that are bloodthirsty and ruthless? Okay, totally not going to answer that...
No, Australia is great. Wonderful place and we didn't have all the technology and resources they packed into this place. I mean, seriously. HOW COULD YOU FAIL?! They stuck us on this dry, barren continent with pretty much NOTHING. Did you know that in the entire fleet that landed in Australia to settle, there was not a single farmer? There was almost no trades people, or anybody who knew ANYTHING about livestock, working the land, mining or anything. And yet, behold our success. So I want to know how these morons fucked up so bad. Really, I do.
Okay, so other than these two stupid and ridiculous premises, Incarceron is actually a pretty great book. I thought at first that all the "big surprises" were painfully easy to grasp in the first 70 pages but I was wrong. I was so wrong. I stared open-mouthed at the end of the book muttering, "Well, flippity-doo-dah-day, you got me there, Fisher!"
Characters are pretty good. The two main characters and the big "romance" aren't really that great. They're kind of average and there IS no romance. The romance is a lie. It's nothing. But the other characters are pretty entertaining and interesting.
World building is unique and fun.
Not much else to say really. It was a good read, I enjoyed it. I'll read the next one because I want to know what happens. I wouldn't say I ABSOLUTELY loved it, but it was pretty good....more
I should preface my review by stating that I only read this book because I was given a copy by a very good friend of mine. I read it because I wanted I should preface my review by stating that I only read this book because I was given a copy by a very good friend of mine. I read it because I wanted to know how it all ended and to be done with the series. I had no good expectations of this book because I was less than impressed with Blood Promises and despised Spirit Bound. People in love with this series should stop reading about now.
Because, to be honest, reading this book was like reading an alcoholic unicorn chucking-up rainbows while small children clap. If that sounds kind of awesome then I think life may not have been kind to you.
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I should also preface by saying that I am neither Team Adrian nor Team Dimitri, though I am most certainly Team Shut-The-Hell-Up-Rose! Every big problem I have with the series shows up in this book and it is fuelled by Mead's juvenile love of infantile plot and soap-opera worthy melodrama.
For one, Rose, who I had believed to be a half-decent character even by the end of Blood Promises, continues her nose-dive into craptastic whore and regular pain-in-the-arse-brat. I have heard several times that she ‘grows’ in this book. Unless these people are on a measuring scale comparable to the rate of growth for the shifting of giant fucking glaciers over a matter of hours, then I think some people are deluding themselves. You know, I don’t even mind a bratty character as long as it’s obvious by the surrounding text, story, and supporting characters that she is a giant brat who deserves to get bitch slapped. Preferably by Wayne Brady.
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However, everyone in this series fawns over Rose as if she’s the second coming of the butt-kicking messiah and she is constantly praised as a hero of legendary proportions who is kind, caring, selfless and always there for others.
Rose’s minor, trivial and easily forgotten concerns over the lives she’s ruined to achieve her ends are quickly dismissed at the end of the story. No. Rose Hathaway doesn’t ruin lives. She saves them. She doesn’t demand people give up their only daughter to a life of vicious court politics just so her best friend gets a freakin’ council vote. She doesn’t expect her friends to jeopardize their careers to help her with her love life/criminal career only to ditch them immediately after because, hey, their concerns aren’t her concerns. She doesn’t heartlessly cheat on her boyfriend, acknowledge to herself that it’s a bad time to dump him because he could still be useful and then later tell him off for being a victim in her great dumping speech.
Nooo…er, wait. Yeah, she does do all of that.
Then, of course, is Rose’s great love of public speaking which, once again, pops up in this book.
Christian: Hey Rose, did you ever think it might be a good idea to tell the authorities and your friends about who the killer is first, in private, so that some of them aren't publicly humiliated and embarrassed while having their world pulled out from under them in front of hundreds of people?
Rose: Er…
Christian: Yeah, that’s what I thought…
The girl needs to line up at the Ministry of Ridiculous Speeches (right next to the Ministry of Silly Walks) to get public funding every time the council is stupid enough to let her have free reign on a mic. Which, by the way, has so far been pretty much EVERY time. You’d think they would have learned by now and Kung Fu’d her vocal chords before she could open her stupid mouth at a public function.
There is of course, someone more annoying. In fact, he's so annoying that he almost makes you feel SORRY for Rose. Which, when you think about it, is comparable to making you feel bad for King Henry VIII for having to kill so many of his wives in order to get a son. Have I mentioned before that this guy is particularly dickish? Look, Dimitri, I know that in Soviet Russia, things are done differently, okay?
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But things are different in America. I’m going to give you a scenario of what Rose SHOULD have done, just so that you can see how badly you fuck up as a romantic interest.
“Rose,” Dimitri murmured, his hand caressing her cheek after a seriously kick-arse battle in which evil has been defeated and Rose and Dimitri fought like they were having a sex metaphor. “Your hair is beautiful… and I care for you.”
Rose’s eyes lit up. Finally, this is what she’s been waiting for. After all the heart ache, all the disappointment, all of the dashed-dreams! “Really, Dimitri? Do you think maybe… can you love again?”
Dimitri’s gaze drops and his features stiffen as flakes of snow drop around them in some crazy literary metaphor for dramatic tension. “We can’t talk about it. It’s not right.”
Rose stops, her face screwing into annoyance. “What do you mean we can’t talk about it? Why can’t we talk about it?”
He turns away, with a flash of cold eyes. His shoulders are stiff and his voice is chilling. “Nothing. We have to go.”
Rose’s jaw drops and she stares at him in disbelief. “If we can’t talk about it then why the fuck did you bring it up?”
Dimitri glances back in confusion. “What do you mean, Rose? Er… not that we should be talking about this or anything… but, really, what do you mean?”
Rose crosses her arms over her chest, shaking her head in disbelief. “If you don’t want to talk about it then stop getting me into sexually charged situations and making mysterious comments about how beautiful I am. It’s kind of unfair, don’t you think?”
Dimitri stares into her face with a blank expression, shock colouring his features into stupid disbelief. Finally, he stammers and coughs. “We really shouldn’t talk about this. It isn’t right…”
Rose huffs, flips him the bird and walks off. “Right. I’m going to go have mind-blowing, awesome, earth-shattering sex with Adrian. Fuck you, wanker!”
You see what you did there, Dimitri? You’re an asswipe.
[image] Even the guys from Jersey Shore think you’re a dick.
Finally, my biggest problem with this book is that Mead’s writing is over-commercialized dog-shit that has been lazily written, terribly edited and slapped together all in the name of making a quick buck. The ridiculous typos alone in this book were offensive to the reader. I wasn’t even in editing mode and I counted seventeen typos. That’s not counting the grammatical errors I found when I actually looked.
Clearly producing a well-edited, quality product was nowhere near as important as slapping a dramatic cover on the front and shipping out this mess. ...more
The good news is this: Spirit Bound is better than Blood Promises.
Now let's all take a deep, satisfying breath of relief for that.
But, there is bad neThe good news is this: Spirit Bound is better than Blood Promises.
Now let's all take a deep, satisfying breath of relief for that.
But, there is bad news. The character of Rose, for me, takes a huge hit in this installment.
Spirit Bound is fairly well written. The pacing is pretty good in that you don't have an opportunity to get bored. There are three points in the book that I really feel SHOULD have received far more attention and detail than they should:
Rose's exam, Victor's rescue (What shall be hereto referred to from now on as the stupidest act performed by Rose. Ever.) and the battle with Dimitri.
There are many things in this book that I wish hadn't received quite so much attention, such as parties, family visits and general faffing about (To use another strange colloquialism)
Despite that, the book is great - except I'd really like to strangle Rose. Really.
I wouldn't necessarily consider myself Team Dimitri or Team Adrian. I may lean towards Adrian a little but her obsession for Dimitri makes me think that she's nowhere near good enough for him and therefor should stay with Dimitri AND DIE!
How am I supposed to respect a heroine who uses her boyfriend's credit card to pay for her trip to Vegas with friends? Not to mention the money that she had already swindled from him to finance her little trip through Serbia! Then what was with her running around loudly declaring her love to Dimitri WHILE SHE IS SUPPOSED TO BE DATING ADRIAN?
Seriously. I just wanted to smack her.
Dimitri wasn't much better. As my little computer gaming brother would say - Less QQ and more PewPew.
Other characters were awesome and well written. it ended on the most horrible cliff hanger and I'm considering starting a petition to make it illegal for authors to finish on such a very tense note!
Over all, it's a a much better read than Blood Promises. There were aspects of this book that annoyed me but I really enjoyed reading it regardless and now I'm eagerly awaiting the sixth and final installment.
If I had to give the first 3/4 of this book a review, I would have given it two stars at the most.
The plot was painfully, agonizingly slow with many, If I had to give the first 3/4 of this book a review, I would have given it two stars at the most.
The plot was painfully, agonizingly slow with many, many unnecessary characters and plotlines that just bugged the hell out of me. I found myself skipping large portions of text to get to anything worth reading.
The last quarter of this book however, earned that last two stars. It was intense, amazing, beautiful. I almost cried. I wanted to cry. What happened at the end... on the bridge... well bugger me!
Then at the very end with the note... gah! Be still my beating heart!
The Avery/Lissa side story was complete rubbish. Everyone's casual treatment of Adrian was complete rubbish. The deal with Abe annoys the hell out of me for many reasons that I can't put here unless I spoil things. But the ending... that beautiful ending made up for all of it....more
So far, Shadow Kiss is my favorite book in the series. Richelle Mead steps up her game on a number of fronts, in my opinion.
Plot, characterization, stSo far, Shadow Kiss is my favorite book in the series. Richelle Mead steps up her game on a number of fronts, in my opinion.
Plot, characterization, style, pacing and romance. All of these receive a marked improvement.
The VA world becomes more real, relatable and defined. The relationship become more involved, less childish and the main character, Rose, receives a healthy dose of adulthood.
I am coming to really enjoy these books. I wouldn't have continued past the first one without the encouragement of Tatiana and her niggling carrot-on-a-stick comment about Adrian. I still feel that I would choose the Fever Series any day over these.
But I can't say that they aren't appealing to me. Off to read Blood Promises to see if I can discover for once and all, what all the fuss is about....more
The first book in this series left me feeling a big Meh. It’s confusing, nonsensical premise was distracting, though I felt in some ways it managed toThe first book in this series left me feeling a big Meh. It’s confusing, nonsensical premise was distracting, though I felt in some ways it managed to distract from what was essentially a weak plot and simple story.
The same can not be said for Frostbite. The lore of Vampire Academy hasn’t changed but the complexities and further insight, or perhaps just familiarity have lessoned the ache of it. It’s also dealt with differently and in a more realistic way – which is in direct ascension with the growth of the main character, Rose.
She did grow up a little in this book, though only slightly. She remains a unique, alluring and interesting narrator, even if she is painfully slow to catch on to the things going on around her. I swear I knew everything that was going to happen long before she did and I literally felt like screaming at her to put two and two together and FIGURE IT THE HELL OUT!
I felt the romance between her and Dimitri was MARKEDLY improved. It was realistic, more heartfelt and real. He manages to avert the otherwise extreme squickiness of a twenty-four and seventeen year old in a romance by behaving and acting mostly appropriately despite the impulses. The mother in me wants to scold him for not working harder, the young woman in me is begging him to go for it.
The story in this instance, and the plot, is much improved. It’s far more gripping, intense and pushes the reader into a shared sense of dread and elation toward the end.
Over all I thought it was a much better read. ...more
I really enjoyed this book and I enjoyed that it, in a number of areas, was brave enough to break away from the stereotype that the paranormal urban rI really enjoyed this book and I enjoyed that it, in a number of areas, was brave enough to break away from the stereotype that the paranormal urban romance genre is famous for.
On one hand, I enjoyed the plot, story and characters. It was paced well, easy to read, enjoyable. The characters were fresh, original in some regards and likable.
The great "reveal" was painfully easy to guess and I had suspected it from the beginning, but I feel that the writing style and characters made up for this lack.
The character of Georgina Kincaid is on the list for one of the more likable female protagonists so far. She joins ranks just under Mac Lane from the Fever Series and Katniss Evergreen from the Hunger Games.
She's not perfect. She may be beautiful and smart, but she is also vain and flawed. I enjoyed the portrayal of a woman who has made many mistakes and actually has a history. I'm sick of my female protagonists being blank cutouts who never did anything or anyone before they meet the hero.
The secondary characters in this story really help it along. Carter, Seth, Jerome, Hugh, Cody and Peter give the story a much needed realistic and humorous boost.
The thing is, you can get silly when dealing with a story about a Succubus. Maybe Anita Blake is getting silly now (Really, how many men can you date? How many times can you have sex a day before you start walking crooked?) But I think Georgina Kincaid allows for the reality (if you could say there was such a thing) of being a succubus. Sex becomes a monotonous job or task. It becomes meaningless and lonely.
I maybe got thirty pages in before I decided that Drake was a big sack of shit and that Helen is possibly the most annoyingNope. I can't do it. Sorry.
I maybe got thirty pages in before I decided that Drake was a big sack of shit and that Helen is possibly the most annoying female protagonist that I have ever, ever read.
"Oh, I have a vision of being burnt alive... this couldn't possibly be metaphorical! I think I'm going to run awaaaaaaaaay! La de da la!"
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Or then you have the stereotype caveman complex that is Drake.
"You have plaits. Me Pull. You come now. Drake beat chest. Manly Drake. Ahhhahhhhhhahhhhhh!"
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What, so you see a hot chick walk into a diner and you think it's perfectly acceptable to:
a) go up and creep her out to the point where her ninty-year-old grandma and waitress friend are physically attacking you. b) Assault the ninty-year-old grandma and waitress friend or let your friends do it. c)Kidnap ninty-year-old grandma AND object of your affection and d) Mind rape object of your affection.
After reading three paranormal/urban fantasy romances in a row, you can only imagine how happy I was to read, not only something different, but somethAfter reading three paranormal/urban fantasy romances in a row, you can only imagine how happy I was to read, not only something different, but something GOOD!
Good is the best description I can give of Alanna. I wouldn't say it was great. It gets pretty close to it, though. Some parts of it seem unrealistic to me. Alanna being so readily accepted by the boys etc. But the story is short, fun, action-packed with magic and mystery and high-adventure.
Alanna it a great character. Stubborn, cheeky, doubtful of herself. The supporting characters, ranging from Prince Jonathan, Sir Myles and King George are all great. Gary, Raoul and Alex are never fully realized but that's only to be expected with such a short book.
It is the rather typical girl-in-boy's clothing story but the writing is rather good and the sense of fun more than makes up for some of the predictability. The end isn't quite the blazing glory that I'd hope for but it wasn't too bad and there's many more books to follow so I can't wait.
Over all a thoroughly enjoyable read and I can't wait to devour the sequels!
Edited to Add:
I just had to mention something, possibly the one thing that really annoyed me! There's this evil character in the book, The king's nephew. He's clearly evil and it's made very obvious to the reader, but despite all of the evidence, the Prince refuses to believe that this person could possibly betray him.
Say what? This isn't the first time I've read something like this in a book and I have to wonder if the author ever imagined what it would be like growing up in court - a system usually known for its lies and betrayal and petty squabbling over power.
Now, I'm sorry, but if I were Queen of the world (think about it - it really wouldn't be such a bad idea. I'm not asking you to vote or anything - just to ponder the possibility) then I'd kind of be cautious if I'd almost died twice and the only person that could possibly have tried to kill me twice was the first person to inherit the throne upon my death. I'd at least take a moment to think about it.
And why trust anyone implicitly? If I were Queen of the World (don't you think that title just SUITS me?) then I'd have categories of people:
Those absolutely trusted without question. Those I trust mostly but keep an eye on. Those I'm friendly with but am wary of. Those I don't trust (people in this category would either be about to die or already dead.)
The titles of Those Absolutely Trusted Without Question will be awarded posthumously after they've completed an act to save my life - losing theirs in the process.
I just find this kind of trusting royal a ridiculous characterization. If you have a significant ruling power, say a kingdom, then despite receiving it by right of birth/might/money, someone is going to try and take it from you. They may be smarter, better looking and more capable then you but it's still your job to ensure they never wrest power from your cold, dead fingers. To do that, you kind of have to use a little more brain power and a little less blind loyalty!
*Breaths a sigh of relief* And I promised myself I'd have a break from ranting! Oh well, maybe the next review will be rant free!...more
I'm about to type the six words that I almost never say: I. Could. Have. Written. It. Better.
I've read a lot of crap books, but I don't think I've eveI'm about to type the six words that I almost never say: I. Could. Have. Written. It. Better.
I've read a lot of crap books, but I don't think I've ever used these words in a review before. Maybe because I've never, ever had such a strong compulsion to literally pick up a book and start rewriting it.
The thing is, the idea is FANTASTIC (By fantastic I mean sexy as hell and full of schmexing possibilities) and yet, it's such a let down. I can almost imagine some editor person sitting Jill Myles down and their conversation would go something like this:
Editor: Jill, you have to write this idea! It's fantastic! You'll be a rich and famous author! Jill Myles: Fantastic! I'm getting right on this! Nothing is going to hold me back! I shall spread my little typing wings and soar! Editor: Before you go, I should warn you - the only way you'll fail is if you make the female protagonist so agonizingly stupid that your readers will ache to bore a rusty screwdriver through their skull to make a hole through which they can pour bleach. Jill Myles: *Too busy imagining swimming through a pool of money to listen* Annoying, stupid protagonist...sure... whatever...bye!
IF ONLY SHE'D LISTENED!
Okay, so the story starts out with fat, frumpy, Museum Docant, Jackie waking up in a dumpster. She's had a helluva one night stand and upon disentangling herself with what can only be assumed as a traumatized dumpters, she runs into the very man she'd had wild, passionate sex with, Noah.
She is then told that she had literally been a dead lay (bwhahahaha!) and that because she was bitten by a vampire, and had slept with a fallen angel, she would now be a succubus.
Calling him a crazy loon shortly after drooling over his shoulder length blond hair, toned abs and GINORMOUS Johnson, she stalks out.
By the next morning she's lost a ton of weight, become beautiful and grown an incredible pair of bossoms. It's at about this time, I deduce, that the energy going into creating the Tits of Glory caused her brain to shrink, whither and die away.
She immediately sets out to find Noah for explanations, has sex with him in a church and departs with his darling Succubus friend, Remy. One of the first things they tell her is not to meet up with any vampires (in case one of them is her master), don't make any deals with Angels and avoid fallen angels as well.
So naturally she runs off within five minutes and makes a deal with the first angel she meets and wonders why everyone doesn't think this is the biggest stroke of genius since Thomas Edison invented a Ghost Busting machine. So AGAINST the EXPRESS orders of her Master Fallen Angel, she and the other "Suck" head off to super sleuth the vampires and find out what they're up to so that Jackie can be free.
Now, let me give you a frame of reference for how bad their sleuthing is. In 1960 French diplomat, Bernard Bouriscot went to China. The Chinese, not being completely stupid, assigned a spy to him. He began a relationship with Shi Pei Pu who he divulged every single state secret to as soon as he could. Just before he was about to leave the country, Shi Pei Pu who recognized how incredibly gullible and useful he was for her career, informed him that she was pregnant. Four years later he returned to greet his child and lived with Shi Pei Pu and his "son" for the next sixteen or so years.
Now, I know that doesn't sound precisely riveting or spy like, after all, it's only twenty odd years of living a lie as a spy, gathering all the secret documents you like from a man who is just incredibly unobservant. Well, that's until you learn that Shi Pei Pu was really a man. Yes. A man. Bouriscot did not discover this until he took his happy family back to his homeland of France where he was immediately told something along the lines of, "Dude... that chic's a dude..."
Go ahead. Wiki that shit. It's all true!
So whilst I'm not holding Jackie & Co up to Shi Pei Pu's remarkable standard (No doubt his twenty year reign of Employee Spy of the Month was unchallenged and well deserved) I was kind of expecting a better plan than: walk into a club full of vampires, completely unprotected and get busted so quickly as spies that they were barely in the doors before one of the halfwits mumbled, "Der... do you think this is such a good idea?"
But it's okay for Jackie because she is not at all alone in the stupidity stakes. She has a contender in the form of the Vampire Queen who immediately reveals her ENTIRE plan to Jackie and insists that Jackie now needs to go find the mysterious relic that the Queen is seeking.
Sure. You've had your entire vampire crew searching for this one historical item for HOW LONG NOW? And you think some twit whose idea of a clever plan is "On the cound of three... Go!" will do better? Clearly SOMEONE has never read Peter's Evil Overlord List
Oh, and the relic that Jackie has to retrieve, actually BELONGS to the Vampire Queen and is in exactly the last place the Queen left it, by the way. And the Queen even shows up at a convenient time to provide Jackie with instructions on how to retrieve it.
SUUUUUUuuuuuuuurrrrrreeee...
I can totally see how this woman has ruled for over four millenia. She's a criminal mastermind, that one!
Now this seemed to be part of the book where Jackie, whose dream it is to be an archeaologist, should have really shined. She's going to an achealogical site, IN EGYPT, and doing all kinds of history shit. Clearly, this would be right up her alley. Yet Jackie approaches it will all the finesse of a college bimbo coaxing a free bear out of a fratboy at a party. She knows nothing about anything and any hopes I had of reading a story about a mature, intelligent twenty-six year old woman swiftly blew out the window.
I could go on. Really. I could complain all day. From the "mystery" involving her vampire master to the fact that an archaelogist who supposedly has several degrees is so ridiculously incompetent in every single area of life, including intellectual pursuits that I want to barf, to the fact that she somehow demands that she shouldn't HAVE to pick between two lovers, and that it's really the mature thing for them to both get over expecting any kind of monogamy out of someone they, unfathomly, honestly care about. How about Jackie's unexplainable anger toward Remy for being a Porn star? Why? Why does she feel betrayed that the woman she just met, who is a succubus, is a porn star?
I put this challenge out. Using every single plot point (Ie, Jackie goes here, Jackie meets this person, Jackie does this... etc) and the main themes, theory and concept behind this book, I could have done so much better. Except for the sex scenes - those were the only reason I finished reading this book because... *fans self* okay, they were hot.
So if you're going to read, check your brain out at the door and just enjoy the smutfest that dances past, scantily clad and overly bussomed. That's about all this book has to offer.
**BTW at their final size, Jackie's boobs are measured as 34DD. This is apparently huge and has every man in the vicinity writing love Haiku's to her Tits of Glory. I'm sorry, but I actually HAVE 34DD and a hot ass body - yet no men have ever flocked around my breasts like mosquitos to a bug zapper! Fail!
***Okay, I can now no longer complain that no poems have ever been written about my breasts. Manny has kindly posted his brilliant sonnet to my "girls" here! Enjoy!...more
I find it really hard to give a book five stars these days. It really has to earn it and truthfully, Poison Study almost did.
The writing was surprisinI find it really hard to give a book five stars these days. It really has to earn it and truthfully, Poison Study almost did.
The writing was surprisingly rich and colourful, the characters were great. Yelena was calculating and resourceful which I really liked. Valek was great. At some points he was your stock-standard superhero, protective saviour cliche but his loyalty, dedication and sneakyness really added some more dimensions to that.
The plot... oh, the plot! Okay, in some instances it was really, really great. Except the big reveal was painfully, painfully obvious. I don't want to spend umpteen chapters screaming at the characters about what the beans are and how they're connected to everything. If it's that flipping obvious then, as an author, you need to be just a little more sneaky.
Other than that is was a really enjoyable read and I'll definitely be picking up the next one in the series....more
See how happy, how healthy, how loving they are. ImaginSee this family?
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Or this family?
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Take a good long hard look at all of their faces.
See how happy, how healthy, how loving they are. Imagine you've known them your entire life and that you love each one more than life itself.
Now imagine if you were one of the people in that photograph with them.
Now imagine that I told you and all those other people standing and smiling with you that I was going to kill you all so that I could go for a trip to the beach...
Okay, now you know the basic plot of The Forest of Hands and Teeth.
I've mentioned before that I have a love/hate relationship with zombies. On one hand, I love reading zombie books and watching zombie movies. On the other I will then spend two weeks wide awake clutching a baseball bat while waiting for the shuffle of feet and the moans of the undead outside my bedroom door.
[image] I actually have something like this in my house...
I love the chase as things fall a part and slowly people are picked off one by one.
That's the thing that's almost a constant in the Zombie genre - is the psychological breakdown of the group. Usually in a zombie group, you'll find the differing personalities and human flaws are what slowly kills the group - not so much the zombies.
The difference between most of the zombie media, and this book, is that usually you watch things unfold from the sole sane person who is trying to keep all the crazies from turning themselves into meat patties and throwing themselves to the horde.
In this story you get to watch the gradual mental breakdown of a woman until she's willing to sacrifice anything and anyone just to live out a damn fantasy.
Okay, so I know the point of it is that there are dreams and dreams are important like freedom is important and you must always follow your dreams blah de blah blah!
Sorry, I'm a very pragmatic person.
Kill zombies first, fulfill life long dream of of seeing ocean second.
Yet, despite my utter hatred of the main character by the time I finished this novel, I still can't give it less than five stars.
I can't give it less than five stars because I spent most of this book gripping the bed covers in suspense. The characters were all great, realistic and interesting. Mary's decent into madness was COMPLETELY understandable and very well documented and this book was very well written and paced very well.
Then, of course, I had the satisfaction of knowing that if it had been me - I totally could have survived better than them. And that, my friends, is the biggest satisfaction you can get out of the zombie genre.
Oh yeah, baby.
My Zombie Plan totally beats the crap out of their Zombie plan.
How can I write this review without sounding like I'm about to start stalking Kelley Armstrong?
I loved this book. I loved all the characters in it. ItHow can I write this review without sounding like I'm about to start stalking Kelley Armstrong?
I loved this book. I loved all the characters in it. It was well written, with engaging, interesting characters. The plot was fast moving and interesting. I never got bored, I never felt like it was dragging and the story was a PLEASURE to read.
This is what reading should be! Turning from page to page, absolutely and completely emotionally invested in the characters and feeling like you're right there, experiencing things through their eyes, their fingers and their brains even.
This book, to me, equals The Hunger Games and that's VERY high praise. I think I may actually enjoy it more than the Fever Series - though I don't want to go saying anything I can't take back!
I'm off to read the next books, hoping against hope that this one wasn't a fluke and that they are as well written and incredible as this one was! If they're not, I think my heart is going to break!...more
Okay, I recognize that I never wrote a review for Faefever so I'm doing it now for Tatiana since I know that she's about to start it.
In Faefever we seOkay, I recognize that I never wrote a review for Faefever so I'm doing it now for Tatiana since I know that she's about to start it.
In Faefever we see a change in the dynamics of Barrons and Mac's relationship. It starts to be a little more even between them as Mac wises up a little and really becomes a player in the game.
We also see more of Christian in this installment.
The whole world changes in Faefever and the ending is... well, it's pretty traumatizing actually. I kind of wonder why Ms. Moning felt she needed the graphic detail she went into.
It ends on a HUGE cliffhanger and I can't say that this is my favourite book in the installment - but Dreamfever more than makes up for it....more
When I finished this book, I jumped up and down on the bed, tossed junk on the floor and screamed. I pulled at my hair and threw pillows mercilessly aWhen I finished this book, I jumped up and down on the bed, tossed junk on the floor and screamed. I pulled at my hair and threw pillows mercilessly at the wall, annoyed that they didn't BREAK the wall and only landed with a less than satisfying thud before tumbling to the ground.
This was an excellent book, as all the others are, with deep and interesting characters, character growth, a brave new world to explore with excellent writing, as I've come to expect from Ms. Moning. Rich in language (though I wish she'd ease up on two words: demarcation and irrevocably (I wish OTHER authors would stop abusing the latter as well but that's a story for another day)).
The book is fast paced, action packed and full of the kind of rich, original and immersive story each of the previous books have enjoyed.
I thoroughly recommend this series.
Except for the freakin' endings! This book has the worst case of cliff-hanger fever I've ever seen! KMM, the last book better wrap up nice and neat or I am seriously going to lose my cool....more
What were you doing when you were 16? Checking your boobs each morning to see if the Boob Fairy had paid you a visiThis review has spoilers!
Bitches...
What were you doing when you were 16? Checking your boobs each morning to see if the Boob Fairy had paid you a visit? Sneaking out of the house to the park down the street where you and your six friends would share a single can of beer and pretend you're drunk? Making out? Homework? Fighting with your parents? Watching scary movies?
Katniss is sixteen years old and she's been in two Hunger Games, fighting against twenty-odd opponents to the death. Then she becomes the symbol of the rebel leadership and helps overthrow an evil empire before she can legally drink.
So I suppose it's really ridiculous of anyone to expect her capable of then going on to be president of this new world after everything she's been through. Nobody would be evil enough to force that on her considering her fragile mental state...
Except me.
[image]
Maleficent and I go way back...
But this is fantasy, right, it's not like children or teenagers are really capable of this much! It would be totally unrealistic of me to expect much more of Katniss considering all she's done...
Well, except for the cute little nine-year-old Htoo twins who lived in the Karen National Rebel camp when the enemy came and all the soldiers ran away leaving their AK-47's. These two nine-year-olds thought it'd be a hoot to pick up a few guns and hold off the entire invading Burmese army... successfully.
And that would be a really cute story except for the fact that they went on to create their own army who were convinced that these two little chain-smokin' tykes had magical powers and were invincible.
But I mean, they're a fluke! It's not like any other kids did great things. Well, unless you're counting Iqbal Masih who was made a slave at the age of five and chained to his loom for twelve hours a day. Still, the little tyke managed to escape when he was ten so he only had to endure the first half of his life with unspeakable cruelty and torturous living conditions that left him unable to grow.
Luckily, when he got out he ran off into the sunset and lived happily ever after. *Kat is interrupted by whispering* Wait - what? He didn't? *More whispering* He joined the Bonded Labor Liberation Front of Pakistan as their spokesperson, going RIGHT back into the slave trade that had abused and tormented him for five years so that he could rescue another three THOUSAND children from slavery?
Shit.
[image] Get off the computer you lazy little cow and go rescue some child slaves!
Oh and by the way, he only stopped after two years because he'd affected carpet manufacturing so much that carpet export in those years dropped by $200,000,000 and he was assasinated in 1995 for being too damn awesome.
At 12 years old my greatest achievement was not killing myself while I shaved my legs!
I wasn't going to mention St Joan of Arc because that comparison would be a little too easy but since I have time I'll just quietly mutter that she helped lead France to a number of tactical defeats in the Hundred Year's War, crowned a King and was Burned as a witch before she was nineteen years old.
But, no, it's too much to ask that Katniss step up into a role like that! After all, she had PTSD and she was traumatized. It would be evil for any adult to keep her on retainer as a figurehead to inspire the people. Which, by the way, if I were an adult in power in this particular world - I would totally do.
But Katniss isn't the only one I'd keep to do my bidding. I'd keep Peeta around too. Occasionally, I'd pull them out of their little therapy/rejuvination bubble to do short propos on how the new unified nation was moving forward in positive steps and how everything was improving.
And since I am only moderately evil and am actually very fond of Katniss and Peeta, I find the fact that they were allowed to go home and live out their quiet little lives peacefully to be very unrealistic. In fact, it was the only really unrealistic thing in this novel and let's remember that I'm including genetically altered mutts and beams that can melt your skin off on that list!
So she did a little thing like shooting President Coin. Let's be realistic. Until a few days earlier, the Capitol didn't even know who President Coin was and every single district apart from 13 probably had never seen her. She has the personality of a dead fish left on hot concrete for three days that had been shat on - and the charisma to match! I doubt many of the residents of district 13 even held any great love for her! Most of the population of Panem was probably going to immediately assume that President Coin somehow had it coming. After all, if Katniss shoots you - you probably did something bad. Something very, very bad!
The election of Paynor was just ridiculous and unrealistic. You have a nation so fractured that it's fourteen different districts have never cooperated or worked or even really MET each other. Plus the fact that they're in economic collapse and dealing with the fallout of a costly war.
I just can't bring myself to believe that they wouldn't drug Katniss up, put her smiling face on stage and have some kind of deciding power working behind closed doors while Katniss waved happily to the smiling faces and kissed babies.
It reminds me of that scene in Ender's Game when Ender is reminiscing about how he's just won the war as one of the greatest generals of recent history and suddenly, in the clean up effort, he's become useless because the adults don't think that the same leadership and skills it requires to lead an army, could also be useful to rebuild a world.
But Katniss and Peeta have the perfect matching set of skills to help put the world back together and they already have the love and trust of most of the population! I'm not saying they'd want to do it. I'm saying I doubt, realistically, that they'd have a choice in the matter.
Now, apart from the ending - which I didn't mind, just was baffled by - I loved and adored this book.
Peeta's hijacking was devestating, Katniss' mental breakdown was harrowing. Finnick! *cries* and I'd really held out that maybe somehow Cinna had survived and been kept as a prisoner like Peeta - but alas, no! And everytime he was mentioned in the costuming etc I wanted to cry.
The battles, the politics, it was all such an amazing novel and the end to an amazing series. I'm honestly in love with Suzanne Collins because she's such a brave writer. She's not scared to go to dark places and she's not scared to scar her characters up a bit. She's happy to take the audience out of their comfort zone and I LOVE that about her.
Catching Fire and Mockingjay could never match the perfect pacing and brilliant plot of The Hunger Games but they're still amazing books full of suspense, action, great characterization and thoughtful dialogue. They reflect circumspectly on our society as Collin's asks us to see ourselves through the eyes of Katniss.
I've heard a little bit of mumbling about the relationship between Peeta and Katniss. It's interesting to bring up because I've heard the concept that Katniss doesn't deserve Peeta a lot. Why? Is she as patient, devoted and understanding of Peeta and he is of her? Absolutely not. Katniss regularly fails at patient and kind. I'd also highly doubt that this would come of any shock to Peeta. He didn't fall in love with her not knowing who she was. He's watched her for years and he has ALWAYS been the one to feel more deeply, act unselfishly in her favor and to give more of himself. That's who they are as a couple. Katniss on the other hand, I'm relieved to say, is a female character who isn't hung up on emotions and the postures of love. She loves Peeta enough to make herself sick and crazy at the thought of what's happening to him - but she's also a functional, strong person who has a job to do. She's not like Bella who falls to pieces when Edward leaves. She can't afford to and she's never been one to sit around and obsess over how perfect Peeta's hair is or comment on his body like it's a marble statue.
I guess what I'm saying is that if Peeta feels like he deserves Katniss and vice versa, then who am I to argue?
So whilst I didn't satisfactorily buy the ending, I really loved this book and highly recommend this series - even if I had to out myeslf as an evil, plotting witch with political aspirations of taking over the world to do it!
*Can I also just add that Katniss' mother is the saddest excuse for a human being - in reality, she's a sack of shit who should never have had children. I can't think of more horrible things to call her right now because I'm so angry at her! Gah!...more
Kat Kennedy
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