I think this might be a case of it's not you, it's me....
I've been excited for The FinnPoe Book TM from the moment it was published. I got the paperbaI think this might be a case of it's not you, it's me....
I've been excited for The FinnPoe Book TM from the moment it was published. I got the paperback upon release but only read it now, as one does. Unfortunately, throughout this book I was just... Bored.
WHAT I LIKED 1. Crossover YA appeal. Skrutskie originally wrote this as a YA book and you can tell. If you have trouble with the dense, sterile, unemotional adult sci-fi style then don't worry. This book isn't like that at all. Bonds of Brass is accessible, fast-paced, tropey, and undeniably fun. Actually, it would make a stellar movie adaptation and tbh I think I would have enjoyed it much more as TV show or film.
2. The worldbuilding. So while this does read like every Star Wars-inspired sci-fi world out there without the Force and the Jedi, I actually really enjoyed how vivid it was. We jump from planet to planet, experience different characters with different allegiances and cultures. I also enjoyed the political aspects of the universe, though I expected to see more of it. There's no large-scale political machinations here; it's mainly an action-adventure about two protagonists trying to get somewhere and trying not to get killed along the way.
3. The fact that Emily Skrutskie is so obviously a fangirl. So yes, this seems like a Star Wars Finnpoe fanfic. But there are other easter eggs that I enjoyed. I loved the hints towards Shingeki no Kyojin (Hanji! Trost!). I loved how she lampshaded tropes like there's only one bed.
WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE 1. I found the minor characters more interesting than the protagonists.
Yeah, I think this is the main reason why I was so bored. Ettian and Gal's plotty adventure wasn't particularly groundbreaking, so honestly I didn't have much interest in following them around. I liked Wen a lot better (she's wild and fun and batshit crazy), and it isn't good when your sidekick overshadows the two main characters...
2. Weird pacing of the romance.
So by the time the book kicks off, Ettian and Gal are already friends. They quickly realize they're attracted to each other while on the run, but Ettian refuses to act on it because he knows that's just going to break both of their hearts. So he'll be there with Gal all the way until he gets home, protecting him with his life, as his best friend.
Ettian's way of dealing with this is just ignoring it. Gal's way of dealing with this is going along with whatever Ettian wants, even if he desperately wants both of them to be together romantically. This actually sounds really compelling in theory... IMAGINE THE ANGST!! But there just wasn't enough emotional focus in this book? Like, sure, every now and then Ettian and Gal will have a Moment and Ettian's heart will do somersaults, but then the scene ends and they're back in plot business, running from mobsters or getting into fights or flying a stolen ship. Basically... we don't get enough time to truly SIMMER in the feelings. Which sucked because I have to admit, I bought this book because I wanted to see ROMANTS.
Anyway, um, once I reached the halfway point I ended up skimming this book so I can't comment on the subtleties and minutiae. I sense this will be a very fun and addicting book for lots of people, but it just didn't hit all my right buttons. However, I emphasize that I'd love to see this as a movie.
Actually, there is one aspect that intrigues me. I want to see Ettian grappling with the fact that his best friend that he'll risk his life for is the heir to the empire that destroyed his nation. Since this is a lighthearted book, we've only skimmed it so far (and understandably, Ettian needs to ignore it for his own sanity). But I hope Skrutskie goes deeper into this in the next books because that conflict will be SO DELICIOUS.
When the paperback of Book 2 comes out, I might reread this and consider whether I want to continue. Because wow, that is one beautiful cover. Anyway, bit sad I didn't enjoy this as much, but it's very much a Popcorn Book, if you need that....more
I finished reading this book 2 days ago and I still haven’t been able to stop thinking about it. I’m down so bad. I’m deep into AO3 and I haven’t evenI finished reading this book 2 days ago and I still haven’t been able to stop thinking about it. I’m down so bad. I’m deep into AO3 and I haven’t even started book 3. I’ll never be the same again. CS Pacat what have you done to me...more
EDIT: 5/27/24 I'm re-reading Captive Prince and it's so funny how I felt "meh" the first time I read this, but now every time I encounter Laurent I'm gEDIT: 5/27/24 I'm re-reading Captive Prince and it's so funny how I felt "meh" the first time I read this, but now every time I encounter Laurent I'm giggling kicking my feet screaming. He really was an awful bratty hissy kitty in book 1, my god.
But also, it's interesting to look back at Book 1 because the characterization does feel very surface-level. Even with Damen, we don't get much of a glimpse of his interiority aside from his thoughtfulness towards the Akelion slaves and his hatred towards Vere. He is hurt by Jokaste's betrayal but he hasn't yet processed the fact that he was betrayed by his brother too; his only focus is on returning home. That said, my favorite part of book 1 is the complicated political maneuvering. It's a very cerebral, slow-burn start to the series, so I understand why many readers wouldn't want to continue. And if you don't care about the main characters yet -- given how badly Laurent treated Damen -- then you can't fully appreciate the journey. But that's what makes the future books so satisfying <3
I'm also surprised at how short this book is now that I'm re-reading. I would do anything for CS Pacat to write a 500 page doorstopper series. Please.
--- 4/13/22 You know what... Sometimes you just need to read a trashy BL novel during Holy Week to deal with your existential dread....more
I recommended this for my Decolonizing Adult SFF rec list and I still stand by that. I understand why this novel won the Hugo; it's DNFing this at 60%
I recommended this for my Decolonizing Adult SFF rec list and I still stand by that. I understand why this novel won the Hugo; it's smart, creative, and socially relevant. But man, it is a slog. Martine's prose gave me a headache, like I was reading in a language I'm not fluent in. Maybe that's the point, and if it is, props to her cleverness, but I just couldn't take another 200 pages of this nonsense.
Here's what it gets right: the concept and the worldbuilding. Mahit, our protagonist, is an ambassador from a tiny space colony and she's sent to the Aztec-inspired space empire once her predecessor dies. Mahit loves Teixcalaan (the empire) more than her own; she grew up learning the language, the literature, and dreaming of living there. What do you do when you're entranced by your colonizer's culture? This is a familiar image to anyone from a non-Anglosphere country.
Interesting is how the Teixcalaan culture is so dependent on poetry and allusion; everyone speaks in riddles and Mahit has a tough time keeping up because she lacks context or it doesn't translate properly. That was really clever, but I wish Martine actually wrote more poems rather than just describing how many lines they had or what kind of rhyming scheme. I felt cheated there. Literary blue balls. Ugh.
Eventually, Mahit learns that the previous ambassador was MURDERED, and so she needs to solve the crime and gets involved in political intrigue. There's also a slowburn f/f romance with her only ally, Three Seagrass, though it only comes to head near the end of the book. No instalove here!
My problem is that the concept sounds so intriguing but the execution is bad, because Martine's writing style is too dense for any fun. Are Mahit and Seagrass bantering? Is Mahit investigating the murder? Is she at a party? Those should be fun scenes, but instead they're bogged down by paragraphs upon paragraphs of introspection and detailed description of, Christ, I don't know. Nothing has stuck to me. It seems like a lot should be happening, but given how Mahit is so obsessed with minutae and her inner monologues, it feels like nothing is going on.
This novel reminds me why I'm not fond of Adult sci-fi. If you like dry and cerebral then this is for you. I just prefer more flair....more
I received a free e-copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
If you follow me on Twitter, then you know I'm a huge fan of Vicious, as well aI received a free e-copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
If you follow me on Twitter, then you know I'm a huge fan of Vicious, as well as an Evervale shipper. So when I got this review request, I was over the moon! Superhero novels are quite rare in the traditional publishing space, so this was a pleasant surprise.
My rating: 3.5/5 stars
WHAT I LIKED 1. The characters
At a first glance, the characters seem simple. Eric, our protagonist, is a kind superhero who believes in justice and equality. Adam, our villain, is an evil genius who hides a vulnerable side. But they started to grow on me as I read on. Eric seems kind of dumb but... he's so precious. I usually prefer antiheroes so I was surprised that I adored this genuinely good guy. PURE BOY.
Also lmao Adam dresses like a 2000s emo kid and that's just the funniest thing ever, imagining a super genius supervillain who looks like a teenager who posted emo song lyrics on Myspace.
2. The latter half of the romance
I wasn't fond of the build-up to the romance but once it started going... it was very sweet! Not sure if this counts as a spoiler but... Adam learns how to be selfless to prove that he loves Eric. Sobs. Villain redemption is my weakness.
WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE
1. Info dumping
This is a problem with most SFF novels, and I don't like it. There was a lot of narrative info-dumping that I felt could have been showed, not told. Eh.
2. Build up to the romance
See, the author pitched this as an enemies to lovers romance, so I was already fully expecting the romance. And yet it caught me off guard. I was like, "why is this happening already??" I expected a little more build up. You know... sharing feelings and backstories and "you're not alone" "neither are you" "nobody knows me" "but I do" before the smooching. They do end up connecting on a deeper level, don't worry, but the physical attraction got there first. So it's just a personal preference, I suppose.
3. Sparse prose
I'm the type of reader that prefers lush descriptions and vivid prose. Unfortunately, I felt like the author's writing style was too blunt for my taste. There were also some small grammatical errors. Despite that, it was an easy read and I finished it in two days. And by the end... I already wanted more and got the sequel :))
Quick categories Steamy hatefuck scale: 3/5 Even when Eric hates Adam... he's still super nice, so we don't have enough steaminess HAHHA
Secret softness scale: 4/5 They start with the physicality but move onto emotional connection, which is very sweet. Once Adam reveals his true self and Eric realizes he isn't so bad, they have a lot of kilig-worthy moments. There was also a really surprising scene where they get into a tub together... which made me ??? confused af because they weren't that close yet... but squee.
Holy shit plot twist scale: 5/5 I was legitimately not expecting the ending plot twist hahah it wasn't even that wild but it definitely made me appreciate the novel more. The romance plays with your expectations and I fell right into the trap... Happily.
For fans of...
This novel is for every single person who shipped a hero and a villain and had to read some fanfic because their ship didn't become canon. This is for US. FOR YOU....more
I have never been this confused in my life, and I almost failed my college philosophy classes. Which were not in English.
All of my friends adored thisI have never been this confused in my life, and I almost failed my college philosophy classes. Which were not in English.
All of my friends adored this novel, so I was excited for it. I wanted to join the cool fandom, you know? I didn't know what it was about except that it had lesbian necromancers and an f/f enemies to lovers romance and a really funny, witty protagonist. Oh, and it was pretty goth. Sold.
Unfortunately, this novel is incomprehensible. 20% in and I still had no idea what the fuck was going on. I had to read a couple of reviews and summaries to even understand where I was, and even when I was getting the hang of it, random and unpredictable events kept happening. I wish I could say that made it fun and pleasant, but instead it was annoying, because I don't like feeling confused for several hours.
Yes, several hours. It took me a couple of tries to get through this novel. Finally, I gave the audiobook a shot and it made it more bearable, albeit still wildly confusing.
I'll give Muir credit where she deserves, though. I adore Gideon. Her voice really is funny, and immature, and a breath of fresh air. She's the only reason why I could power through this novel. I also love Harrow, who is an absolute prissy brat, and I wish we had more female characters in books like that. Their relationship was pretty cute. I wish we had slightly more romance but it's a very plot-driven book so I'm not that miffed.
Also, the worldbuilding, even though absolutely none of it is explained, was pretty cool. I think this would have been so much better (read: comprehensible) if it were a graphic novel or a TV show. You know, a more visual medium. We have characters dressed like skeletons, bone weapons, chimerical beasts, and mysterious rooms and a whole tournament. The magic system is also pretty cool.
A lot of readers also told me that it would all wrap up and be excellent by the last 10%, but unfortunately, I'm not impressed. I managed to guess one plot twist (how?) and while I liked the ending, I'm still very meh about it.
Book 2 is intriguing but I'm just very, very disappointed in this novel. Am I dumb or something? Honestly? My brain feels so fried....more
I’m glad that I only read this now, and not during the peak of Call Me By Your Name’s popularity, when I would have been blinded by other people’s opiI’m glad that I only read this now, and not during the peak of Call Me By Your Name’s popularity, when I would have been blinded by other people’s opinions. The writing style didn’t always work for me, and some scenes were REALLY cringey. But it wrenched at my heartstrings. I read this book with tears streaming down my face. I know that I’ll want to reread it sometime again in the future. It perfectly encapsulates the yearning, the obsession, the heartache, and the simple joys and simple agonies of that first love. Young love, doomed from the start, but not any less real or important. Elio is so young, so infatuated, so easily hurt and appeased. I felt for him so much.
Oh yeah, and the final paragraph absolutely destroyed me. ...more
I looked at the steel sculpture: huge, undeniable, but rust would eat it as surely as leaves fall in winter and dawn breaks the night open and spills I looked at the steel sculpture: huge, undeniable, but rust would eat it as surely as leaves fall in winter and dawn breaks the night open and spills light afresh on the world, and I would still be here. Alone. I had killed them all, because that was what I did.
“Get up,” I said.
“Why?”
“So you can run.”
Lovely, lovely twist. I love fantasy stories about ancient creatures. Even gods get lonely....more
This book is not bad. But it's also not good. For an author who got her degree in fairy tales, I expected more insight than a freshman English major'sThis book is not bad. But it's also not good. For an author who got her degree in fairy tales, I expected more insight than a freshman English major's first draft.
WHAT I LIKED: 1. Mina. Mina is the "evil stepmother" figure, though in reality she's a sympathetic antiheroine. I really loved her character and was rooting for her each step of the way.
2. The concept. God, this book could have been so good. All that wasted potential.
WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE Literally everything else.
My copy has been sitting on my shelf for over a year. I bought it remaindered and I get why it was remaindered. Holy shit. I read one chapter, put it down, and only managed to power through the rest because I was buddy reading it and finally decided to sell it. This book is bland YA retelling to the max.
First of all, Bashardoust's writing style physically pains me. By the middle and end, she finally finds her groove, but I noticed that her books always start so stilted and awkward. No cadence to them, no poetry, so much telling and not enough showing. The first 100 pages were incredibly slow and pointless. I don't even remember what happened during them.
Finally over a hundred pages later, the real plot kicks in and we finally have a goal. Lynet, our spoiled princess who does not want to become a princess, is due to inherit the crown. Mina, her stepmother and current Queen, does not want to lose control of the crown. Does the king answer for the fact that he's ripping mother and daughter apart? Nope.
If you follow me on Twitter then you must have seen my disappointment at this book's insistence that it's feminist when it isn't. THANKFULLY my issues were resolved by the end, but it's still a really drab novel. This is a book where men cause all the trouble and pit women against each other. It's exhausting.
There's a tiny f/f romance between Lynet and a surgeon girl that is cute but also pretty rushed.
Now... remember what I said about this feeling like a "freshman English major's first draft"? Let me explain that.
This novel feels more like a literary deconstruction or a criticism but without the grace of storytelling, and without the grace of complex insights. Everything is basic to a fault. Oh, what if the wicked stepmother was actually not wicked and just lonely and desperate to be loved? Oh, what if Snow White learned she wasn't really human and freaked the fuck out? All really interesting propositions, but executed with painful mediocrity.
Some of the dialogue is really awkward and unrealistic. Most of the characters are cartoonish and one-dimensional. The pacing is an actual nightmare. Jesus, what a mess.
Don't even get me started on Bashardoust's lost opportunity to discuss feminism and queerness more in depth. For example, all of these women's lives are controlled and ruined by men's. Mina only considers romantic love true love, although thankfully Lynet knows that's not true. Both Lynet and Mina hate that they're only valued for their beauty, because they want to be loved for who they are. Lynet's attitude towards her love interest is basically a one-liner where she sees two girls being sweet and goes Oh, I never knew there was an option besides a man and a woman getting married. And in an earlier chapter, her father explicitly forbids her from spending so much time with her love intereste the surgeon, because she has to prepare to be queen now.
I'm just saying, this could have been a really grand and complex story. Vague spoiler: there's also drama about succession to the throne, because the king doesn't name any heirs. Lynet doesn't want it, and Mina needs the backing of the court even though she's queen and married to the king. Sigh.
I also skimmed the last hundred or so pages of this book and the ending was happy but the most predictable thing on earth.
Anyway, I'm really hoping that someone buys this from me because I want my money back. Bye....more
In times of trouble, Mother Mary comes to me speaking words of wisdom, "Reread The Monster of Elendhaven."In times of trouble, Mother Mary comes to me speaking words of wisdom, "Reread The Monster of Elendhaven."...more
I first read The Song of Achilles in 2014 and I LOVED it. I decided to reread it now in 2024 because it's been ten years and I wanted to rEDIT: 4/1/24
I first read The Song of Achilles in 2014 and I LOVED it. I decided to reread it now in 2024 because it's been ten years and I wanted to refresh my memory.
Here is the result of my reread: okay, nostalgia really colored my memory here. I don't love this book as much as an adult. It's more of a 4 or 4.5 star read to me now. The beginning is very slow, and while Miller's prose is very beautiful, her narrative style feels a bit wonky with all the scene jumps. I mean, I don't blame her. It's difficult to write retellings AND stories that span a character's entire life from childhood to adulthood.
The book really captured me once we got to the war chapters. At that point, I couldn't stop devouring it. It's also most of what I remembered from my 2014 read. It's what made me love Patroclus, and feel so bad for Briseis, and feel moved by how much Patroclus and Achilles loved each other. I never had a Greek Myth phase as a kid, so I treated it as Miller's story entirely, and didn't really care about what details she left out or not.
And the ending! My god!! When I first read it in 2014, I cried my heart out. Now that I knew it was coming, I didn't cry anymore, but it still moved me and hurt me very much... Maybe I've outgrown this story a little, but The Song of Achilles is still a great book, and Miller's retelling is a modern classic. Mostly I am grateful to her for making this great love story so accessible to all <3...more
Home is what you kill for. And I killed for Swift.
HOLY SHIT THIS BOOK IS SO FUN AND UNDERRATED! I love how you can tell Skrutskie writes fic because th
Home is what you kill for. And I killed for Swift.
HOLY SHIT THIS BOOK IS SO FUN AND UNDERRATED! I love how you can tell Skrutskie writes fic because this has the ff tropes: -slowburn enemies to lovers sapphic romance -bedsharing -handcuffed together -JUST LOTS OF LOVELY ROMANCE SCENES -Oh, and the super unexpected ANTIHEROINE ARC.
Ahhh!! So I put this off for so long because I wasn't a fan of Skrutskie's writing style and the opening felt quite bland, but the more I read, the more I enjoyed myself! It's short and packs a punch, but also manages to slow down for the character and relationship development scenes.
(At the start I was like, wow Swift sounds like one hot bitch but by the end I was impressed at Cass' guts. Oof)
Everything about this is just really great. The super original concept, the sea monster battles, and of course, the characters. My only real complaint is that I wished there was more description of the worldbuilding; I had no idea what things looked like half the time. Still, this is a strong short book in a sea of too-long SFF. *ba dum tiss*
Loved it!!
That ugly cover is an honest INJUSTICE to this book....more
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