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chloefrizzle's Reviews (993)
If I cannot root for the character, I cannot enjoy the book. The first third of the book was un-root-for-able. The last third degraded into political marriages and mind control. Highly disappointing.
My full video review with detailed thoughts is at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-3lQlgxtEcI
My full video review with detailed thoughts is at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-3lQlgxtEcI
It's a Spider-Man story, and an okay one. It has a good amount of heart and Spider-Man does pull off being beaten down emotionally (and physically) well. The downside of this comic is that the biggest dramatic tension comes from "it looks like Spider-Man might really die this time this villain is really tough," which doesn't work because we all know that Spider-Man isn't going to die this time. I would have appreciated more focus on the "does Spider-Man have the guts to actually kill this villain?" and "Spider-Man struggles to be a teacher" plotlines.
My full video review with detailed thoughts is at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Aex3Yg3_A4
I read this as a prelude to the book Darkest Hours by Jim Butcher.
My full video review with detailed thoughts is at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Aex3Yg3_A4
I read this as a prelude to the book Darkest Hours by Jim Butcher.
If you want to read a comic book prequel to this book, check out Amazing Spider-Man, Vol 2, issues #30-35: Coming Home https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/599052.The_Amazing_Spider_Man_Vol_1
This book builds directly on the events of those comics, and I do think it's a richer experience if you read the comics first. However, the comics aren't the best, and you don't need them to understand this novel.
It's actually reading this in pairing with those comics that made me appreciate the novel all the more. The characterization of Spider-Man in the two stories are identical, and hats off to Butcher for capturing that. Where the comic just touches on themes and concepts (Peter becoming a teacher, messing with his spider sense, an unstoppable foe, etc), the book goes all in and excels.
My full video review with detailed thoughts is at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Aex3Yg3_A4
This book builds directly on the events of those comics, and I do think it's a richer experience if you read the comics first. However, the comics aren't the best, and you don't need them to understand this novel.
It's actually reading this in pairing with those comics that made me appreciate the novel all the more. The characterization of Spider-Man in the two stories are identical, and hats off to Butcher for capturing that. Where the comic just touches on themes and concepts (Peter becoming a teacher, messing with his spider sense, an unstoppable foe, etc), the book goes all in and excels.
My full video review with detailed thoughts is at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Aex3Yg3_A4
Many parts of this felt like reading the backstory to someone else's DandD character. Overly concerned with lore, sometimes nonsensical, and above all: irrelevant to my interests and boring.
(Disclaimer: I am a passionate Dungeons and Dragons player.)
The humor just didn't work with me. I think that's what will make or break the book for you, and it was the straw that broke the camel's back for me.
A wise acquaintance said to me, "There's only two types of people who read Kings of the Wyld: people who stopped at the erection joke and people who absolutely love the book." I hoped that I would be in the second camp. To my dismay, I'm actually in the first.
(Disclaimer: I am a passionate Dungeons and Dragons player.)
The humor just didn't work with me. I think that's what will make or break the book for you, and it was the straw that broke the camel's back for me.
A wise acquaintance said to me, "There's only two types of people who read Kings of the Wyld: people who stopped at the erection joke and people who absolutely love the book." I hoped that I would be in the second camp. To my dismay, I'm actually in the first.
Felt very juvenile. Not in the fart-jokes kind of juvenile, but the stupidly-blatant-foreshadowing kind of way. Yes, it's a YA book, but it felt like it was severely underestimating the intelligence of children.
If a protagonist a character whose active choices drive the narrative, I don't think this book really has one. Boring. Gave up at 50%.
This book takes place in a world that was once magical. Due to actions of the protagonist (and other tragedies), magic was lost. Now, industrialization is on the rise, which causes people to no longer miss the magic since they are comfortable with the convenience of washing machines and paved roads. Our protagonist is searching for a way to bring the magic back.
Here is my video review: https://youtu.be/bqJ33eMl384?t=140
This book is, honestly, a collection of info dumps and logical inconsistencies. I kept trying, as I read it, to somehow explain why the main character would speak in such thorough packets of exposition. Perhaps that is just the culture of the city, to constantly remind each other of things that they already know. Perhaps the protagonist interrogates people by telling them details of his investigations because he’s secretly a mind reader, and trying to see what details trigger a memory for them. Alas, the book just is really bad at exposition. I think I would have preferred the exposition to be just given to me as a wikipedia article instead of this.
The themes of this story seem to be: (1) the loss of culture through industrialization and (2) the dangers of going to far to bring the magic back.
(1) The epitome of the dangers of industrialization is the Evil Businessman, Niles. He does such despicable things such as paying his workers well, building housing for the poor, and funding public libraries. The protagonist hates him primarily because he makes life without magic convenient, so no one else is working to bring the magic back. I was most excited about this plot when a side character insinuated that Businessman was Protagonist’s ex-boyfriend. Finally, a relationship between them, with emotional depth, and a legitimate reason for them to hate each other! I was disappointed that this turned out to be a sarcastic joke.
(2) As with most plots, the protagonist’s goal is difficult to attain and comes with challenges and costs. So, as he tries to restore magic to the world he often fails and gets people hurt. Though this becomes a part of the major climax of the story, it falls flat when many of these consequences are reversed.
Thanks to Orbit Books and Netgalley for giving me a copy of this book to review. All opinions are my own.
Here is my video review: https://youtu.be/bqJ33eMl384?t=140
This book is, honestly, a collection of info dumps and logical inconsistencies. I kept trying, as I read it, to somehow explain why the main character would speak in such thorough packets of exposition. Perhaps that is just the culture of the city, to constantly remind each other of things that they already know. Perhaps the protagonist interrogates people by telling them details of his investigations because he’s secretly a mind reader, and trying to see what details trigger a memory for them. Alas, the book just is really bad at exposition. I think I would have preferred the exposition to be just given to me as a wikipedia article instead of this.
The themes of this story seem to be: (1) the loss of culture through industrialization and (2) the dangers of going to far to bring the magic back.
(1) The epitome of the dangers of industrialization is the Evil Businessman, Niles. He does such despicable things such as paying his workers well, building housing for the poor, and funding public libraries. The protagonist hates him primarily because he makes life without magic convenient, so no one else is working to bring the magic back. I was most excited about this plot when a side character insinuated that Businessman was Protagonist’s ex-boyfriend. Finally, a relationship between them, with emotional depth, and a legitimate reason for them to hate each other! I was disappointed that this turned out to be a sarcastic joke.
(2) As with most plots, the protagonist’s goal is difficult to attain and comes with challenges and costs. So, as he tries to restore magic to the world he often fails and gets people hurt. Though this becomes a part of the major climax of the story, it falls flat when many of these consequences are reversed.
Thanks to Orbit Books and Netgalley for giving me a copy of this book to review. All opinions are my own.
Unbearably slow. Boring. Some plot twists in the end, but no reason to care about them.
This is the sequel to the recent Six Crimson Cranes.
It's interesting that, if you look through the Goodreads reviews from people who haven't yet read the book, about half of them are begging for a love triangle and half of them are begging for there not to be a love triangle.
That's interesting for two reasons:
1) It shows that these books don't really know what they want to be (or if they do, they haven't communicated it to the audience well). The love plot does indeed feel very Young Adult, balancing right on the edge of a love triangle. There's some chaste kissing and marriage politics.
However, the wiring style feels too juvenile to be YA. The book is always telling us what is happening without much detail or emotion. I think the audience that would like this book is much younger than YA. The book is fast paced and has interesting (if confusing and lacking detail) worldbuilding.
So what is this book? I think it's closer to middle grade, even with the romance bits, and it's a disservice to the book to market it otherwise.
2) This book doesn't seem to have good enough characters to pull off a love triangle, anyway. I was consistently bored with the characters and feeling out of touch with what was transpiring on the page.
Thanks to Netgalley and Knopf Books for Young Readers for a copy of this book to review. All opinions are my own.
It's interesting that, if you look through the Goodreads reviews from people who haven't yet read the book, about half of them are begging for a love triangle and half of them are begging for there not to be a love triangle.
That's interesting for two reasons:
1) It shows that these books don't really know what they want to be (or if they do, they haven't communicated it to the audience well). The love plot does indeed feel very Young Adult, balancing right on the edge of a love triangle. There's some chaste kissing and marriage politics.
However, the wiring style feels too juvenile to be YA. The book is always telling us what is happening without much detail or emotion. I think the audience that would like this book is much younger than YA. The book is fast paced and has interesting (if confusing and lacking detail) worldbuilding.
So what is this book? I think it's closer to middle grade, even with the romance bits, and it's a disservice to the book to market it otherwise.
2) This book doesn't seem to have good enough characters to pull off a love triangle, anyway. I was consistently bored with the characters and feeling out of touch with what was transpiring on the page.
Thanks to Netgalley and Knopf Books for Young Readers for a copy of this book to review. All opinions are my own.