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655 reviews by:
burntotears
2.5 This series is... eh. There's a lot of things that make me uncomfortable in the storyline. Most of all is the sexual relationships between men and teenage boys (also called rape and pedophilia). This happens once (off screen) in the first book, but in the second book is front and center within the first three chapters. Honestly that was the final nail in the coffin for me to not read the second book any further.
This felt like a fanfic the whole way through - and I say that as a person who writes fanfic that includes cursing, sexual situations, alcohol and drugs, and blood and gore. This book felt excessive in all those categories.
The writing is okay when it's not slapping you in the face with sudden plot movement. Things happen VERY SUDDENLY with little lead up. Writing is never a HUGE turn off for me, but characters and plot are.
This book was trying to discuss immigration, racism, sexual assault, and queer themes but failed to really deliver. That might be because the main character couldn't carry the narrative to save his life. He was basically a drone that followed people around like a love-sick dog. The secondary characters were not well-realized and felt like cardboard cut-outs sitting on the sidelines when they were needed and then discarded. The sci-fi/fantasy aspect of the book seemed to be the only thing that was thoroughly thought out while the rest was thrown in haphazardly.
Every time I tried to get emotionally invested in something happening between the characters it was just over. They didn't have meaningful conversations - even when discussing things like rape. It was mentioned and then they moved on. Dara feels like the least loved character of all. The author was so wrapped up in keeping his secrets secret that you didn't get to know him at all, even when you wanted to. And when these characters tell one another that they love each other, the only response I could have was "how", because hardly any of their interactions were meaningful. It was entirely frustrating.
This felt like a fanfic the whole way through - and I say that as a person who writes fanfic that includes cursing, sexual situations, alcohol and drugs, and blood and gore. This book felt excessive in all those categories.
The writing is okay when it's not slapping you in the face with sudden plot movement. Things happen VERY SUDDENLY with little lead up. Writing is never a HUGE turn off for me, but characters and plot are.
This book was trying to discuss immigration, racism, sexual assault, and queer themes but failed to really deliver. That might be because the main character couldn't carry the narrative to save his life. He was basically a drone that followed people around like a love-sick dog. The secondary characters were not well-realized and felt like cardboard cut-outs sitting on the sidelines when they were needed and then discarded. The sci-fi/fantasy aspect of the book seemed to be the only thing that was thoroughly thought out while the rest was thrown in haphazardly.
Every time I tried to get emotionally invested in something happening between the characters it was just over. They didn't have meaningful conversations - even when discussing things like rape. It was mentioned and then they moved on. Dara feels like the least loved character of all. The author was so wrapped up in keeping his secrets secret that you didn't get to know him at all, even when you wanted to. And when these characters tell one another that they love each other, the only response I could have was "how", because hardly any of their interactions were meaningful. It was entirely frustrating.
Just okay. Didn't really feel very pulled toward any characters and the narrators weren't great.
Bored and not invested in characters.
