This book has been floating on my TBR for probably a decade, so I finally took the plunge.
It was ... eh.
I think maybe it's partially changing sensibThis book has been floating on my TBR for probably a decade, so I finally took the plunge.
It was ... eh.
I think maybe it's partially changing sensibilities, given that this book was written in the 90s, but yeesh, it was insanely melodramatic. Just completely and utterly overwrought in every possible way. And the FMC is unbelievably TSTL, which, combined with the OTT drama, just ends up being painful. Every single choice she makes is the stupidest thing I can even imagine. And the MMC is just ludicrously controlling. Is there really a woman out there who wouldn't punch this guy in the junk and then RUN the other direction? I have a hard time believing it.
I like the mythos of the Carpathians, but if they are all like this, I can't imagine reading this long-ass series. I got through most of this book due to laughter at the ridiculousness, which won't carry me very far into the whole series. Has anyone on my friends list read onward? Is it all like this?...more
Look, there is a fine line between quirky and brainless, and this FMC is on the wrong side of it. That plus her inexplicable acceptance of anDNF @ 54%
Look, there is a fine line between quirky and brainless, and this FMC is on the wrong side of it. That plus her inexplicable acceptance of an asshole boss treating her like shit - it's okay because he's hot, apparently, and she can't stop thinking about screwing him (and whining that it has been THREE WHOLE MONTHS since she had sex - that seriously was said at least 4 times in the 54% of this book that I got through) - and I'm noping right out of here....more
**spoiler alert** So... there's a lot about this that didn't work for me.
First, let me note that this book could have used a copyeditor. There were lo**spoiler alert** So... there's a lot about this that didn't work for me.
First, let me note that this book could have used a copyeditor. There were lots of places where a wrong word was used, or the words were transposed in a weird way that had me puzzling out what the sentence was actually supposed to be. But overall, for me, that was a small issue...but YMMV.
The bigger problem to me was the hold-out alphahole, Phoenix, and Maya's (FMC) feelings towards him. Because the whole thing was childish and ridiculous, and I hated Maya for wanting him. So here's the tea:
Phoenix had a previous relationship with an omega, and he thought she was his - he loved her, as did the other guys in his (now broken-up) pack. Turns out she was stringing them along to steal their money. She peaced out with millions embezzled, and the pack broke up over the hurt. Phoenix's takeaway from this wasn't "that was a manipulative bitch" ... no no, it was "ALL OMEGAS ARE MANIPULATIVE BITCHES" as if this 36 year old grown-ass man is a goddamn toddler. One experience with one person coloring your view of the entire sub-species ... well, there's a word for that and it isn't a nice one. Let's reframe this, shall we? Phoenix is a billionaire alpha - privileged, family that loves him, everything in the world is his for the taking. Omegas are the most vulnerable members of society - I have not read a single omegaverse story that wasn't laced with subplots of sex trafficking and abuse. Let's imagine this as a contemp romance where the poor little white rich guy meets a POC woman in school, falls in love with her, and she breaks his heart, maybe screws his best friend or something, and takes off with his bank account. What a bitch, right? Right. If poor little rich boy's takeaway was "ALL POC WOMEN ARE MANIPULATIVE BITCHES" we'd all have a real problem with that.
Especially seeing it play out in this book, where his fellow packmates meet an omega they scent match to, and he is absolutely horrible to her right from his first encounter with her. Going out of his way to say unbelievably horrible things to her. Rejecting her in the first 10 seconds of meeting her (because they are of course also scent matches), viciously, while loudly proclaiming his obsessive belief that all omegas are the epitome of evil. He wants her out of his pack house NOW, he wants her scent scrubbed from every surface of the pack house, and he wants her to never be near him again. That's both amazingly narcissistic and not possible, because she is the fated mate of everyone else in the pack. But Phoenix doesn't care. He doesn't want an omega and fuck the rest of them, their worlds should all revolve around him and what he says. Later he makes a point of picking up a ho-bag right in front of the omega, to drive home the point that he doesn't want her at-fucking-all. You guys, he was a CHILD. As hurtful as possilbe at every opportunity, though he hadn't even had a single conversation with her.
Early on, I was proud of Maya because she started out with the attitude of "well, fuck this guy!" But unfortunately, she rapidly devolved into "it's okay cuz he's hot"-syndrome. This was agitated by the constant fucking refrain of "just hang in there, Maya, you'll prove to him that you're nothing like her" as if SHE has to prove something to HIM. That's when I got pissed. They OF COURSE end up together. Not because he grovels or anything. He just decides he wants her, and she spreads her legs immediately, and that's that.
It was gross.
Lastly, I want to touch on the neurodivergent elements in this book. As someone with social anxiety and a tendency to be such a hermit that you need a crowbar to get me out of my house, at first I kind of dug it. And it wasn't all bad. But I started to get irritated at about the midway mark when it felt like Maya went from being this impressive chick who got her own life together even if she is a little different from everyone else, to this weak-willed watery doormat. She cried all the time, about everything, constantly...to the point where it felt infantilizing, which pissed me off. She's a capable damn woman, who built a life all on her own, and has been taking care of herself while building an impressive career. But then on a dime, she suddenly doesn't seem capable of anything, to the point where you wonder how this woman wasn't found dead in her apartment, eaten by cats, years ago.
I stalled on this series, because I was reluctant to read Luke's book (book 4). Finally, I did something I've never done before - literally, never - aI stalled on this series, because I was reluctant to read Luke's book (book 4). Finally, I did something I've never done before - literally, never - and deliberately skipped a book in the series. I feel weirdly guilty about it, but frankly, I would never have read that book. Between the age gap and the grooming, there are too many things that I personally find loathsome, and so while I love this author, I couldn't do it.
So I jumped to this one and I'm glad that I did. It was the typical SW fun time - growly MMC, tough FMC that is an utter nut - and I enjoyed the heck out of it.
In terms of the overall mystery, that was also fun. (view spoiler)[I did figure that whoever did the profile/catfishing thing was likely the same as the person sending people after Bailey, mostly because when Bailey tracked down that profile she found they'd also created one on a human extremist list. But I wasn't at all sure who the bad guy would be, and was caught pleasantly by surprise. (hide spoiler)] Overall, it was a good ride, and I liked getting to know Bailey. She made my heart hurt a bit, and so I'm glad she gets her HEA....more
**spoiler alert** Well, this one kind of shit the bed. So much so that I'm doubtful I'll bother with book 4 when it comes out later this year.
There we**spoiler alert** Well, this one kind of shit the bed. So much so that I'm doubtful I'll bother with book 4 when it comes out later this year.
There were a lot of problems, but the chief one is that Cora suddenly took a turn towards TSTL, and I've finally come to the conclusion that she talks like a badass but is actually ultimately useless.
We didn't get to see her in a lot of action in the first two books - she didn't really handle any of the problems - but I was tolerant because she had to keep her magical heritage secret. In this book, she finally ditched the secret and fully engaged...and got her ass handed to her repeatedly. She was a stupid, pathetic chump. In this book, we see her get played like a fiddle, act utterly brainless about obvious things (raise your hand if you didn't realize those cards combined to be a summoning thing. No one? No one? Right, so we all saw that was super obvious except Cora), and just let herself get tortured nearly to death. Twice she had the bad guys in her hand, and twice she let them go. She is a world-class dumbass in this book, and needs to get sit in the corner with a blankie while the adults handle the problem, because she is clearly incapable.
Speaking of dumb shit, evil grandma has figured out how to summon Cora - she summons her and binds her, to torture her in an effort to steal Cora's power. She's rescued ... and this is time number two in the book where the chumps that are Team Good Guy just let the leaders of Team Bad Guy go. But like, what's the solve to the summoning issue? Why didn't evil grandma summon her again as soon as she got to a new lair? That's right, there's no reason. All this effort to rescue Cora the Useless after she's summoned, only to let the summoner go so they can all do this all over again soon. Best plotline ever!
The other major problem is that grandma, who was always a bit sketch but in a weird gray way - she was a bitch, but she has stepped in to help them several times, even risking her life to save her daughter in the last book - suddenly morphs into a full-on cartoon Doctor Evil-style villain. I mean, it's fucking ridiculous, complete with evil glares galore, glee while torturing family, etc. No gray area here, Doctor Evil Grandma literally, at one point, drags her bound and gagged daughter to the front lines of a fight and threatens to have her daughter (Cora's aunt) raped by her whole army unless Cora hands over Macguffin Evil Book, and allows Team Evil to leave. Cora does this immediately, so it's an all-around win for Cartoonishly Evil Grandma.
Even more amazing is that Cora bends over backwards in this book to keep people from going after psycho bitch granny. Cora knows her grandma is a mass murderer pretty early in this book, but she hides that info as much as possible, and even makes a deal with Lucifer to keep him from going after grandma when grandma starts massacring his people. Why? No reason. Just Cora being pathetic in literally every possible way.
It's really, really bad. I mean, two stars is being generous....more
Still enjoying this series, and the slow reveal of Cora's secrets. There was a weird kerfluffle in the relationship that seemed to come out of left fiStill enjoying this series, and the slow reveal of Cora's secrets. There was a weird kerfluffle in the relationship that seemed to come out of left field, but it ended up just being a bit of a blip, done pretty much immediately after it happened. So I'm just going to ignore it.
Really love Cora, and the secondary cast. And the MMC Hudson is growing on me, despite the blip....more
This was a really fun start to a new series, with a new-to-me author. Really great FMC with a backstory just starting to unfold, and it's super intereThis was a really fun start to a new series, with a new-to-me author. Really great FMC with a backstory just starting to unfold, and it's super interesting. Cora is smart, loyal, compassionate, and she has a spine of shiny steel, refusing to cower in front of the big egos of the supernatural community, even though she has to hide most of her power.
I assume Hudson (shifter) is the MMC, though I also really like Sebastian, her vampire best friend. He has the annoying "I'm the boss shifter of North America and you peasants will bow before me" attitude that Curran did in the first two Kate Daniels books. I'm hopeful that he'll grow on me, like Curran did. Right now, I like him 50% of the time, and I want to punch him in the junk the other 50% of the time, which makes for an interesting read.
**spoiler alert** This book was really disappointing, because at the core, there was an interesting story. Interesting enough that part of me wants to**spoiler alert** This book was really disappointing, because at the core, there was an interesting story. Interesting enough that part of me wants to read onward, even though this book annoyed the absolute shit out of me. So that's why I'm going to give it two stars.
This author desperately needs an editor. With some polish, I think I'd love her books.
Instead, this book just comes across as very juvenile / amateur. As if it is a 16 year old trying to sound grown up, if that makes sense - there was, at times, a really forced formality to the narrative. I mean, look, I'm a huge reader with a strong vocabulary - I don't remember the last time I had to look up the definition of a word, prior to this book, where I had to twice. The FMC feels like a teenager (though she's supposed to be ... 24, I think?), with all the YA angst and stupidity you'd typically get in a teenaged FMC, and the narrative is at that same level, until it tosses in a word like "cynosure" ... not just once, but like, that word was probably used 6 times in this book. I've never seen it before, and honestly thought it was a typo until it kept coming up. Not to harp on a single word, it's not about that - I am happy to expand my vocabulary. It's about the disjointed nature of the narrative, how it was mostly stream-of-teenage-thought (and HUGELY repetitve) but then would drop in a word like it wanted extra points for using the word-of-the-day calendar.
The narrative was also super repetitive, and I do mean super. I mean, it was like the author thought all her readers are morons and so she had to repeat things constantly, spoon feeding us so we'd get it. There were whole sections of the book that were in-italics repeats of a previous section of this book. I'm not even joking. I would sort of get it if this were book 4 and she wanted to call to mind something from book 1, but like, yo, I just read that chapter an hour ago. I don't need the replay, thanks.
The other thing that could have used some polish was the derivative world building. To be clear, I'm not saying she is copying other authors - we're all inspired by someone, and this was more like that...but with too thin a window dressing, so I could clearly see where the inspiration came from. For example, in this world, the Shifters are all under the authority of an elusive man who lives in the northern mountain wilderness - the Alpha who is the ultimate head of all packs - and he has a special title: The Marrok Faoladh Also, there was a super jarring beat where one character - out of nowhere - started calling the MMC the Beast Lord ... totally randomly, around the 75% mark for like 4 pages. Like, what?
The reason I don't think she's copying other authors, but rather just inspired by, is that the core plot is all her own and it is an interesting one. She just threaded together elements of other UF worlds to be part of (not even the entirety of) the framework of her world building. The result is that it sort of felt like fan fiction, particularly because of the unpolished narrative.
Other problems I had with this book:
There was a real problem with telling and not showing. There were 3 times in this book where we started a chapter with the FMC in sudden jeopardy - she had been kidnapped in the space between chapters, something we don't see, but rather are just informed happened, and now we're dealing with the aftermath (generally, her rescue by the MMC ... which is another problem, see below). When found, she's generally unconscious and near death. Only once did we get to see how THAT happened (we didn't see the altercation that led to the abduction, but rather started with her regaining consciousness in a locked room...and then saw her assault by the abductors in that room which left her bleeding out when MMC arrived) - the first two times, we just find her when the MMC does, injured and near death.
The FMC sucks. For so, so many reasons. She feels like a brainless teenager, though we're told she is 24. She makes so many TSTL choices that it is stunning. Also, we're TOLD that she's some magical powerhouse, but - as I noted in a highlight - I don't even believe it because she displays about the same power level as a wet piece of toilet paper. She does one single bit of magic early on that is - we're told - really impressive. And nearly dies doing it. And that's it. Otherwise, it's a constant chain of her being dumb, getting kidnapped, and nearly dying. I don't understand why the Alpha (MMC) allows her out without a child leash superglued to her, honestly.
The MMC is an OTT caricature. Like, the most OTT fanfiction version of a moody Alpha hero that you can imagine. I mean, really, dial that shit up to 11, I promise you're not going beyond the ridiculousness of his characterization. He has moments of lovely, well done nuance ... but that's like 2% of the time we see him. Most of the time he is a shouting, snarling, way over-the-top unreasonable dickhead. (Also, as an aside: there are constant exclamation points in the narrative that I also found jarring ... because it made the tone of voice weird and overly shouty. Not just with the MMC, but across the board.)
The bummer is that despite all that, I found the story compelling - I want to know what Lady Bethesda's plan is, who the real bad guys are, what will happen with the sisters, etc. That's why like 20% of me wants to read on.
But I just can't, y'all. This shit was painful....more
(Note that for some reason this is the only book in the series on KU. Not sure why, but just a heads up for folks considering the series.)
So, I liked (Note that for some reason this is the only book in the series on KU. Not sure why, but just a heads up for folks considering the series.)
So, I liked this book, but not as much as the first one. It was a good story, the mystery / adventure played out well, but I didn't like the core couple. Ian (MMC) was an absolute dickhead - condescending, manipulative, and a bunch of other things that made me deeply dislike him. And the fact that Bianca (FMC) panted after him despite him constantly treating her as if she was a spoiled, empty-headed toddler (and lest you think I'm exaggerating, he actually CALLS HER an empty-headed princess to her face) made me think she's a moron with no self-respect. It also made it hard to believe her backstory of an abusive husband - (view spoiler)[a man she watched die when she could have helped, because while she hated him, she couldn't bring herself to take matters into her own hands... but at least sitting on her hands while he was trapped in a fatal situation finally got her out of it (hide spoiler)] - because why would she be so completely drawn to someone who belittles her and treats her like garbage?
The other thing that is starting to make this series struggle is their father. Look, he has abused his kids horribly, and they've all bonded over it. Why haven't they offed him? He sold one daughter into an abusive relationship. Another fled when he tried to do the same with her, and he actually LITERALLY put a bounty on her head (that was the FMC from book 1). He has tortured his children, he threatens them constantly, he has made it clear that he wants Ada (FMC from book 1) to have an "accident" and Bianca made it sound like he's pressuring her to help ... kill this guy already! WTF, seriously? He's not even good at his job, because Ada ran circles around him for 2 years. He couldn't figure out who had Ferdinand in this book, or even who set him up (Bianca did). What is he even good for, aside from being a looming monstrous asshole for the series? It's time for this guy to have an "accident". I frankly didn't understand why Ada didn't kill him in book 1, and now I REALLY don't understand why all the siblings haven't taken him out. It's cool that they banded together to help each other as children, but they're not children anymore. The monster can be deposed.
Also, the FMCs spend an inordinate amount of time feeling bad about killing people trying to kill them. I mean, in this book Bianca kills slavers that were trying to catch her...and she has to take a moment to grieve it and whinge about it being her fault. WTF, seriously. Yes, killing people should have a cost or you become a monster, but like, you're in a survival situation here, can you just not right now? This also leads to them leaving vicious enemies alive after a confrontation, which is frankly TSTL. (view spoiler)[Not killing Riccardo is literally the dumbest way I can even imagine for her to handle the situation, for example. (hide spoiler)]
I do like the series, I like the story. I just think there's some spots of inconsistency (Bianca bitching about people trying to take her choices away and then literally doing that to Ada, for example) and I really didn't like either of these two leads. ...more
**spoiler alert** Mmmm, there's a lot I liked about this trilogy, but it was really hurt by inconsistency. Most critical, the inconsistency about Gabr**spoiler alert** Mmmm, there's a lot I liked about this trilogy, but it was really hurt by inconsistency. Most critical, the inconsistency about Gabriel.
Honestly, he was at his most likeable in book 1, and he became a bigger asshole each book from there. He was a terrible love interest, and TBH, he wasn't really the actual love - it was so clearly always Phyr. Gabriel is a giant caricature of toxic masculinity. He says he wants equality but always gets pissy about being in charge. And in this book he's just a shitty, whiny baby. And I don't think even the author knows what we should think of him. He's described as a protector, and then we find out he literally massacred children in the angel war, committing genocide at their behest. In this book, after his utterly gross and self-absorbed tirade, Miriam says it's over, and she and Phyr realize that if the angels could so utterly corrupt him in a couple days then he must have already partially believed these gross things himself. But then he only has to SHOW UP near the end of the battle and Miriam acts like it is all forgiven, never happened. He's a dickhead who utterly defines himself by his authority and power, and that's his entire identity. He's toxic, but constantly rewarded. He shows up when the battle is nearly over, and is just handed authority over all supernaturals on earth. WTAF?
For a book/series that wants to hold itself up as feminist, it is mired in the most disgusting, toxic masculinity apologist crap ever.
I'm sad because it seemed like Miriam was perfect with and for Phyr and it seemed like she finally realized that they were perfectly balanced together, dropping Gabriel. But ugh. I guess she can't feel fulfilled in life without catering to a whiny man-child that demands you respect his authori-tay!...more
This one lost a whole star because Gabriel crossed a bunch of lines and Miriam is seriously fine with it. Yeah, she was salty in the moment b***2.5***
This one lost a whole star because Gabriel crossed a bunch of lines and Miriam is seriously fine with it. Yeah, she was salty in the moment but she forgave quickly and they're still together. Not good enough.
He's as bad as the rest of the angels, and needs to be stripped of any authority. Period.
Miriam also made some surprisingly dumb choices.
I still liked it, and since the next book is the last, I'm going to finish ... but it was a bit disappointing....more
Started skimming at the 60% mark because the misogyny was making me throw up in my mouth a little bit.
MMC is a paternalistic fuckhead
FMC is a patheticStarted skimming at the 60% mark because the misogyny was making me throw up in my mouth a little bit.
MMC is a paternalistic fuckhead
FMC is a pathetic doormat who talks a lot of smack but is so weak-willed and toothless that I just can't even
I know a lot of these alien romances have dub-con, but something about this in particular skeeved me out. These alien men can apparently control women so thoroughly that they can even control when a woman ovulates. Zero body autonomy. All I could think was wow, what a very Republican superpower. ...more
I enjoyed it, but I struggled a bit with the sexist bullshit. I'm not sure how that's going to work out for me going forward ... but I'm hopeful becauI enjoyed it, but I struggled a bit with the sexist bullshit. I'm not sure how that's going to work out for me going forward ... but I'm hopeful because Mia (lead female) seems like she is not going to tolerate being belittled into a submissive "little woman" role in this backwater misogynistic town.
But I'm still concerned, because when she puts her foot down, Seth just manhandles her into compliance, and she does cave.
I'm hoping they can find better balance, and this series doesn't become a slog of watching this strong female character get hammered down into a subservient 1950s housewife.
I'm also going to say I rolled my eyes a bit about how much disdain these guys had for law / government / society. Like, this lady is FBI. It is unrealistic for them to act like they are this untouchable, and it was a little odd. Generally in PNR/UF, the supes have a healthy fear of humanity because just in terms of raw numbers, if it came to war they would be wiped out. These supes don't give a fuck, don't think laws apply to them, and don't even think they have to hide that fact. It's really weird....more
I didn't write a review after my initial read a couple years ago ... I guess I was just feeling lazy. But after this re-read, I felt it deserved a fewI didn't write a review after my initial read a couple years ago ... I guess I was just feeling lazy. But after this re-read, I felt it deserved a few words.
This is a sweet omegaverse story (I think I've mentioned it elsewhere, but the dark abusive ones with dub/non-con are not my cup of tea) that I really enjoyed. It's a fun setup - the characters are social media celebrities. The FMC, Bexley, is an omega that advocates for omega rights via her site "OmegasGuide", most importantly their right to have a life of their own and make their own choices. She's got some backstory issues that leave her fearing a bond, and knows plenty of regretfully bonded omegas. There is a strong implication that omegas are treated like commodities, with a government center that kind of pushes them into packs all under the guise of "protecting" omegas ... and that omegas pretty frequently end up bonded into packs where they are second-class citizens, as if their naturally soft and submissive natures mean they should not be an entity of their own, with goals and dreams. These omegas get subsumed into packs where they are expected to bend to whatever the rest of the pack wants, with them to just be some kind of bangmaid living in the house. I'm sure that stuff happens plenty (in my head cannon, it was like this book exists in the same world with all the other omegaverse books, some sweet, some hell), but for Bexley it grew in her mind to this feeling like that was the inevitable result of being bonded. That there was no happy option. Because even if you find yourself in a lovely situation, life will rip it away - (view spoiler)[something she's seen happen to people she loves in two horrific cases. Firstly, her parents were a single-bonded alpha and omega, and when her dad died after walking into a convenience story robbery, her mom just gave up on living, wasting away quickly and dying a month after her dad, leaving 6 year old Bexley behind. And then her best friend was in a lovely pack with a child, and they all died in a horrible car accident ... Bexley finding herself in a situation very like the one with her mom, forcing her best friend to eat, sleep, live. (hide spoiler)] So for Bexley, bad bondings are common - she's had so many people connect with her on social media sharing those horror stories - and even good bondings end badly, so why on earth would anyone sign up for that?
Then you have the guys, who are her social media nemeses - a group of alphas that advocate for the joys of pack life via their site "RideAnAlpha" ... they basically post videos to counter Bex's all the time, and so the two have become high profile rivals.
There's a lot of nuance to this story, which I really appreciate and is the reason I thought it was one I should review. Firstly, the theme of not judging people based on some 2-dimensional, highly curated social media clips. These two sites hate each other to an obsessive degree, until they agree to meet onstage at a conference for some Q&A with fans ... and realize that they are each much more complicated, compassionate people than the others realized, and they like each other a lot. Like, a LOT.
The other interesting bit is defining yourself, outside of your designation. I hugely appreciate this theme in the story, as not only do these characters struggle to be more than just their designations, but we also have an MMC who is biologically not designated, something very rare in their society. Cam presents both alpha and beta qualities in a very fluid way - it's sort of an omegaverse take on a non-binary designation, and I loved the grace with which it was handled. Overall, there was grace to all of it - Bex struggled to be more than just the needy, pack-oriented submissive that people expect of her designation while strongly supporting omegas who DID want to live that traditional role (there was no "not like other girls" vibe to Bexley, imo - she did not belittle others for their choices, she only wanted to be free to make her own). And Cam struggled to accept that he can be beta with Hawke (another alpha in the pack, who Cam has had this angsty secret love for) and alpha with Bex, and that it is okay. Everyone around him loved him and accepted him for all that he was.
The start was a little rough - Eve is just so closed off and psychopathic, which made it difficult to hook in emotionally, especially when we didn't kThe start was a little rough - Eve is just so closed off and psychopathic, which made it difficult to hook in emotionally, especially when we didn't know if Adam was a good guy or not - but once she meets the pack at around the 20% mark, it became riveting. This is one I'll definitely re-read....more
This was a hell of a lot of fun. Something about Suzanne Wright's books just totally does it for me, and this one was no exception. Grumbly, grumpy alThis was a hell of a lot of fun. Something about Suzanne Wright's books just totally does it for me, and this one was no exception. Grumbly, grumpy alpha dude, smart, tough lead female... In this book we've got the fake marriage/marriage of convenience thing going on, and I just enjoyed the heck out of it.
**spoiler alert** This was a misfire for me, which is a bummer because I love this author.
I just couldn't stand Luna. I mean, Could. Not. Stand her. T**spoiler alert** This was a misfire for me, which is a bummer because I love this author.
I just couldn't stand Luna. I mean, Could. Not. Stand her. This is a 27 year old who has survived a horrifically abusive family, and yet somehow is ridiculously naïve, dumber than a box of rocks, and a complete fucking doormat. Her character made no sense to me - she had the fortitude and cunning to flee her abusive family at age 17, but not before making sure to get her younger sisters to safety with her Grandma. But yet she lets literally every single asshole in the world walk all over her, while she continues bending over backwards to be brainlessly sweet at all times. Even the sisters that she sacrificed endlessly to save - getting them to grandma for a couple years, until she, still a teen, could take all 3 children in herself ... and then breaking her back with work so she could support them, house them, feed them, and even send them to college! - treat her like absolute trash.
I was FURIOUS that in the epilogue they all surprised her by showing up for her birthday to celebrate, and she happily welcomed them. Fuck them. They watched their father abuse her for years. He put a fucking gun to her head, threatened to kill her. They said he was sorry and wanted to make amends, but he never reached out to try with Luna... only them, and he swayed them away from her. At the start of this book, she says they never visit, don't want her to visit, never call ... have told her to leave them alone. Thea is an unbelievable piece of shit about this whole thing, saying she didn't tell Luna because she was afraid Luna would make her choose between her dad and her "half-sister" ... and that it all had nothing to do with her really.
If I saved my baby sisters from abuse I suffered for 17 years, essentially raising them myself with zero support, and then they shunned me to have a relationship with my abuser, they would be DEAD to me. Luna is such a spineless doormat that I can't even.
And I was furious with Rip, who says he's not going to let anyone - including her family - treat her like trash ... and yet here these bitches are, still in her life.
Nope.
Further, Luna's inner narrative (we're riding her POV throughout) is just so vapid and repetitive that it was really insufferable. And she was so ridiculously oblivious to things that were so obvious that I couldn't believe it.
The worst, though, was the "fight" with Rip at the end. This was a dude who obviously cares about her. Freaking out with emotions he can't process because the father he's estranged with just had a heart attack. And he asks Luna for space. Just, like, stop asking him questions trying to "help" him and leave him be. People are fucking allowed to ask for space. But she just will not allow it. He asks like 4 times, and then finally warns her to just back off right now and stop pressing him before he says something he will regret. And she STILL KEEPS AT HIM. So he lashes out, and she reacts in this insanely over-the-top way with bullshit dramatics and insistence that he hates her and so she's going to freeze him out like a pre-teen having a tantrum.
Look. People are allowed to have boundaries. And not respecting those boundaries makes you an asshole. I have had people in my life who just push and push and push because they think that makes them a nice person. That's not them being nice, that's them making it all about what THEY need. THEY need me to talk to them, eat with them, etc. But I'm allowed what I need ... and in this case, Rip was allowed to need a little space to process his complex feelings about his father. Luna wouldn't give him that, despite him repeatedly asking, and he predictably lashed out. And then we spend ages - weeks in the book pass - with her acting like she was the injured party, and him trying to prove he cares.
It is ridiculous. Of all the people in this book that Luna needed to develop a damn spine with, it was not Rip. She lets - and still allows - people to treat her like garbage. But this guy who has gone above and beyond with her asks for some breathing room one damn day, and he is DEAD to her.
Luna is The Worst.
And that unfortunately was impossible to shake, like a cloud of awful that drowned this book. So ... 1.5 stars....more
**spoiler alert** Soooo... I hated this. I'm giving it two begrudging stars because I finished it, but I hated it.
Look, the MMC is an utter douchebag.**spoiler alert** Soooo... I hated this. I'm giving it two begrudging stars because I finished it, but I hated it.
Look, the MMC is an utter douchebag. Completely convinced of his own superiority and the rightness of his judgement, this guy has his head so far up his own ass that it is frankly unbelievable. He believes everything he's been told, even when it is FUCKING OBVIOUS that it is wrong. Like, say... he comments in his narrative at one point that the scavengers say they aren't being given enough food, but the pack nutritionists say they are so they are clearly lying. Take a look at the goddamn social setup asshole. He KNOWS that all the elitist twats in the pack regularly go down to fuck the scavengers (and in frankly horrifying other areas of the book, Rosie says that she's been told they are mean, not gentle ... so let's be honest, the rich boys are raping these women) in exchange for giving them food! So which is harder to believe? That these people who say they are starving are lying, have plenty of food, but are letting themselves be abused in exchange for fucking food OR that you people who think you rule the world prefer to keep them poor and hungry so you can do what you want to them?
If it wasn't so obvious that the rich assholes in the pack are mean bullies who enjoy abusing people - seriously, one dickhead pops a boner when he thinks he's going to get to beat them up for something, and that's not an exaggeration - this would have played better. But it was fucking obvious, and that made him fucking evil, and beyond stupid.
His treatment of the FMC was not forgivable. And that he'd be horrible to her and then go to fight training and ... take extra hits as if he's punishing himself. No, fuck you pal. You don't get to offset your own cruelty. You don't get to decide what your own punishment is. I have news for Cadoc: he's the villain.
And while I wanted to like Rosie (the FMC), I just didn't. There were parts about her that I definitely did like. I liked the earthy vibe, the connection to her people. But whenever she had to interact with Cadoc or the other bullies, she turned into this utterly spineless doormat who was unbelievably TSTL. Look, folks. The big ending crisis was her running away to hide ... taking Cadoc's high-end car to do it, so he finds her IMMEDIATELY because of-fucking-course it has Lojack. She's a brainless damsel who forgives everything instantly, and I can't stand her. At all.
Plus, for who even knows what reason, the author decided to give her this super-jacked Godzilla of a wolf. Does she use this super-wolf to defend herself? No. She literally lays there and takes an assault rather than defend herself. Does she stop her people from being starved and abused for helping her? No. She does nothing. She is a useless asshole.
Plus, for the record, having the first book in the series feature 27 year olds and the second book feature high school brats and drama ... man, that's a bait-and-switch....more
I wasn't sure that Killian was going to win me over, because he is a super-douche in the beginning. But he did, and overall I thought this was a surprI wasn't sure that Killian was going to win me over, because he is a super-douche in the beginning. But he did, and overall I thought this was a surprising amount of fun....more
Loading...
