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hfjarmer's Reviews (394)
Not as tedious as Mansfield Park and not as heart fluttering as Pride and Prejudice, Northanger Abbey is Jane Austen's middle ground.
An enjoyable little story about Catherine, our heroine, who is ~not like other girls~. She grows up in a family of moderate wealth, one of ten children, and she is allowed the opportunity to live her tomboy fantasy until she grows into "womanhood" and becomes interested in society proper at the ripe age of 17. I loved Catherine for her difference from other Austen heroines. She is simple, likeable, and doesn't display any polarizing character traits. She has not yet learned to trust her gut instincts and often defers to what others think about any given person or situation. She takes a "but what do I know?" sort of attitude about life, for better or worse, and this may be a good thing given her her propensity for presuming the gothic answer in lieu of a more logical explanation. We can thank her love of mystery novels for this.
I really enjoyed watching her naivety as she makes her debut in Bath. Seeing a heroine who was not groomed to be a proper lady from the second they cut the cord was a refreshing change of pace for a novel of this time period. I loved the Mrs. Allen, who will not shut up about her damn dresses, and Isabella who is the OG "pick me girl". Then we have Henry who, in my opinion, isn't much to write home about, but Catherine is immediately taken with him upon their first encounter in the streets of Bath. Austen's love interests are often predictable, but no less intriguing for it.
Austen's cast of characters were the kind you love to hate and hate to love. This wasn't my favorite of her novels, but I did love the fourth wall break, which was an interesting and entertaining literary device especially given the time period in which the story is written. I wasn't overly invested in Catherine and Henry's story, and given this book's reputation for having "gothic themes", I was hoping for more mystery and intrigue. I loved Austen's defense of novels through her characters (though some may think it a tad self-serving, Jane) and every reader can relate to a fellow reader in some capacity or other.
The ending is ultimately what killed the rating for me. If we had continued down this gothic, somewhat humorous path I would've been there all the way, but the ending we received instead felt rushed and out of left field. Eleanor getting married to a character we never met, the General and Mr. Thorpe having all of these background conversations off-page resulted in what felt to be a very anti-climactic finale. That being said, I still would recommend this to anyone who is interested in trying an Austen novel without the 500+ pages, and it stays solidly in the 3-star realm for me!
An enjoyable little story about Catherine, our heroine, who is ~not like other girls~. She grows up in a family of moderate wealth, one of ten children, and she is allowed the opportunity to live her tomboy fantasy until she grows into "womanhood" and becomes interested in society proper at the ripe age of 17. I loved Catherine for her difference from other Austen heroines. She is simple, likeable, and doesn't display any polarizing character traits. She has not yet learned to trust her gut instincts and often defers to what others think about any given person or situation. She takes a "but what do I know?" sort of attitude about life, for better or worse, and this may be a good thing given her her propensity for presuming the gothic answer in lieu of a more logical explanation. We can thank her love of mystery novels for this.
I really enjoyed watching her naivety as she makes her debut in Bath. Seeing a heroine who was not groomed to be a proper lady from the second they cut the cord was a refreshing change of pace for a novel of this time period. I loved the Mrs. Allen, who will not shut up about her damn dresses, and Isabella who is the OG "pick me girl". Then we have Henry who, in my opinion, isn't much to write home about, but Catherine is immediately taken with him upon their first encounter in the streets of Bath. Austen's love interests are often predictable, but no less intriguing for it.
Austen's cast of characters were the kind you love to hate and hate to love. This wasn't my favorite of her novels, but I did love the fourth wall break, which was an interesting and entertaining literary device especially given the time period in which the story is written. I wasn't overly invested in Catherine and Henry's story, and given this book's reputation for having "gothic themes", I was hoping for more mystery and intrigue. I loved Austen's defense of novels through her characters (though some may think it a tad self-serving, Jane) and every reader can relate to a fellow reader in some capacity or other.
The ending is ultimately what killed the rating for me. If we had continued down this gothic, somewhat humorous path I would've been there all the way, but the ending we received instead felt rushed and out of left field. Eleanor getting married to a character we never met, the General and Mr. Thorpe having all of these background conversations off-page resulted in what felt to be a very anti-climactic finale. That being said, I still would recommend this to anyone who is interested in trying an Austen novel without the 500+ pages, and it stays solidly in the 3-star realm for me!
SJM does it again! More specifically, Aelin does it again. Aelin has always been and forever will be "That Bitch™". She is always scheming, and I love the way these books just keep pulling easter eggs from throughout the series culminating in the most bad-ass of plot twists.
I did the tandem read which was quite an undertaking, but based on how I felt about Tower of Dawn, I'm glad I did because if I had read this all the way through and then had Tower of Dawn to look forward to, I would've quit reading the series out of spite...
What's gonna happen next?! I'm dying to know.
I did the tandem read which was quite an undertaking, but based on how I felt about Tower of Dawn, I'm glad I did because if I had read this all the way through and then had Tower of Dawn to look forward to, I would've quit reading the series out of spite...
What's gonna happen next?! I'm dying to know.
All I have to say about TOD is "Meh, whatever". This is another transitional book for this series, and honestly I was bored. And before you ask, yes it's because the book is largely about Chaol and no it has nothing to do with this book being largely about Chaol. OKAY?!
I did the tandem read with Empire of Storms, and thank god for that because (and I know I said this in my EOS review too, so shut up) if I had read TOD after finishing the bombshell that was EOS I would've been personally knocking on Mrs. SJM's door asking for a refund. Was this a bad book? No not really, but it was certainly not of the same caliber as EOS.
I really like Yrene and I think she's too good for Chaol. A lot of people seem to like that Chaol gets his somewhat happy ending here, but I love to hold a grudge so I'm not buying it. I'm glad Nesryn moved on, but her and Sartaq's story line was boringgggg.
I don't know, I just wasn't feeling the holy spirit with this one. I really think the #5 and #6 books should have been switched, because the EOS ending feels like a much better lead up for the final book in the series. Better luck next time SJM.
I did the tandem read with Empire of Storms, and thank god for that because (and I know I said this in my EOS review too, so shut up) if I had read TOD after finishing the bombshell that was EOS I would've been personally knocking on Mrs. SJM's door asking for a refund. Was this a bad book? No not really, but it was certainly not of the same caliber as EOS.
I really like Yrene and I think she's too good for Chaol. A lot of people seem to like that Chaol gets his somewhat happy ending here, but I love to hold a grudge so I'm not buying it. I'm glad Nesryn moved on, but her and Sartaq's story line was boringgggg.
I don't know, I just wasn't feeling the holy spirit with this one. I really think the #5 and #6 books should have been switched, because the EOS ending feels like a much better lead up for the final book in the series. Better luck next time SJM.
I have not devoured a book as quickly as I did this one in ages. Granted, the format really lends itself to a quick read, but don't be fooled by the celerity of the read, it is still a gut-wrenching and emotional memoir.
Carmen Maria Machado's writing is both mystical and raw. "In the Dream House" reads like poetry, prose, fiction, non-fiction, and humor all at once, and was a riveting and incredibly unique display of both her immense skill as a writer and the raw emotional trauma she endured in an abusive queer relationship. I was immediately gripped by her vignette-style passages which ranged from 1 line to 3 pages, all in which we read about The Dream House as (blank) motif. The vignette style made the heavy topic of domestic abuse digestible without ever feeling so cumbersome that I had to put the book down and take a break. She allows the reader to feel the weight of what she endured in a totally unique way. Her switches between first and second person take the reader on a journey through her past, present, and future selves and teaches us the important lesson that while the mind may forget, the body never does.
Machado's work is groundbreaking in other ways, as well. Prior to reading "In The Dream House", I was unaware of the sheer lack of information and first-hand accounts that exist on domestic abuse in the queer community. We quickly learn the importance of representation as Machado details her experience. I was struck by her point that in domestic abuse situations, more often than not, the abuse is totally legal due to it's psychological rather than physical nature. There are no physical bruises or broken bones in emotional and psychological abuse, and so society is less willing to pay attention to the alarm bells that ring under the surface. Due to this stark lack of source material, Machado resorts to other methods for finding representation of the abuse she survived. She makes frequent references to movies, TV shows, true crime, research articles and more in order to display how her situation is not new (as evidenced by the folklore footnotes she uses throughout), it has just not been discussed in the specific space she occupies as a "mostly cis-gendered" queer woman. Machado makes the point several times that her story isn't unique, it has just yet to be told.
One final point that will really stick with me from "In The Dream House", is Machado's representation of the queer community. There is a passage where she discusses queer people in media and how they are often either portrayed as "the villain" or "the hero". Machado argues that society's eagerness to stick queer people into one of these two archetypes strips us of what makes us fundamentally human - the ability to just exist in a space that is morally neutral, where queerness is neither seen as evil nor saintly, it just is.
I very strongly recommend this book to all readers regardless of your identity. Every demographic can stand to learn something from Machado, and trust me, you will enjoy doing so.
Carmen Maria Machado's writing is both mystical and raw. "In the Dream House" reads like poetry, prose, fiction, non-fiction, and humor all at once, and was a riveting and incredibly unique display of both her immense skill as a writer and the raw emotional trauma she endured in an abusive queer relationship. I was immediately gripped by her vignette-style passages which ranged from 1 line to 3 pages, all in which we read about The Dream House as (blank) motif. The vignette style made the heavy topic of domestic abuse digestible without ever feeling so cumbersome that I had to put the book down and take a break. She allows the reader to feel the weight of what she endured in a totally unique way. Her switches between first and second person take the reader on a journey through her past, present, and future selves and teaches us the important lesson that while the mind may forget, the body never does.
Machado's work is groundbreaking in other ways, as well. Prior to reading "In The Dream House", I was unaware of the sheer lack of information and first-hand accounts that exist on domestic abuse in the queer community. We quickly learn the importance of representation as Machado details her experience. I was struck by her point that in domestic abuse situations, more often than not, the abuse is totally legal due to it's psychological rather than physical nature. There are no physical bruises or broken bones in emotional and psychological abuse, and so society is less willing to pay attention to the alarm bells that ring under the surface. Due to this stark lack of source material, Machado resorts to other methods for finding representation of the abuse she survived. She makes frequent references to movies, TV shows, true crime, research articles and more in order to display how her situation is not new (as evidenced by the folklore footnotes she uses throughout), it has just not been discussed in the specific space she occupies as a "mostly cis-gendered" queer woman. Machado makes the point several times that her story isn't unique, it has just yet to be told.
One final point that will really stick with me from "In The Dream House", is Machado's representation of the queer community. There is a passage where she discusses queer people in media and how they are often either portrayed as "the villain" or "the hero". Machado argues that society's eagerness to stick queer people into one of these two archetypes strips us of what makes us fundamentally human - the ability to just exist in a space that is morally neutral, where queerness is neither seen as evil nor saintly, it just is.
I very strongly recommend this book to all readers regardless of your identity. Every demographic can stand to learn something from Machado, and trust me, you will enjoy doing so.
I am both sad and relieved that this series is over, 4,856 pages later... The journey was incredible, but oh my god I’m tired. Analyzing fantasy books has never been my strong suit, so here are my feelings at the end of it all.
1) Aelin rocks. She is the coolest and strongest FMC I’ve read. She is cunning in the way Feyre wants to be and she is sassy in the way Bryce wants to be, but neither comes even close to Aelin. I started out hating on her, and I stand by what I said in my early reviews, but it is easy to see why so many people fall in love with and find strength in her character.
2) Why tf was Elide in this story? Sure she was smart and could hack together a good plan, but so could the rest of them. I found her character annoying and somewhat useless and I’m not sorry about it.
3) Aedion is a crybaby. Again, sorry about it, but I stand by it. Everyone else went through a lot too, but managed not to isolate themselves from the people they love. Aelin and Lysandra didn’t deserve that.
4) MANON. The love of my life. She will never be the same after this book, and she is probably the character who my heart breaks for more than anyone else in the whole series. I want a book just about Manon and the Chrochans.
5) Dorian, sweet, sexy Dorian. He better marry Manon, and get the hell over Sorscha, she only existed for like half a book, we are over it, so he needs to be too.
6) Tell me how a magical healer, Heir of Silba, could not keep herself from getting pregnant DURING A WAR. Yrene!? Her character could have easily done what she did (i.e. save the world) without being pregnant. I hate pregnancy tropes. All these people are like 20, lets not. Chaol redeemed himself, but only slightly, and really only because Yrene loved him. Such a moody bastard.
7) The book was great, but the ending felt a little rushed which is honestly hilarious because it was, in fact, a 900+ page book and probably the second longest book I’ve ever read. I wish we got a better wrap up on the romance, but it would’ve been way too long. I do think there is room for Sarah to pick the series back up, especially considering she is contracted for several more books, maybe one of them will be TOG…
8) I was really skeptical when I started this series, but I’m so glad I pushed through. I feel like this series gave me so much perspective into the SJM world, and I loved seeing easter eggs for her other series throughout this one.
9) Where the hell am I supposed to go from here??
1) Aelin rocks. She is the coolest and strongest FMC I’ve read. She is cunning in the way Feyre wants to be and she is sassy in the way Bryce wants to be, but neither comes even close to Aelin. I started out hating on her, and I stand by what I said in my early reviews, but it is easy to see why so many people fall in love with and find strength in her character.
2) Why tf was Elide in this story? Sure she was smart and could hack together a good plan, but so could the rest of them. I found her character annoying and somewhat useless and I’m not sorry about it.
3) Aedion is a crybaby. Again, sorry about it, but I stand by it. Everyone else went through a lot too, but managed not to isolate themselves from the people they love. Aelin and Lysandra didn’t deserve that.
4) MANON. The love of my life. She will never be the same after this book, and she is probably the character who my heart breaks for more than anyone else in the whole series. I want a book just about Manon and the Chrochans.
5) Dorian, sweet, sexy Dorian. He better marry Manon, and get the hell over Sorscha, she only existed for like half a book, we are over it, so he needs to be too.
6) Tell me how a magical healer, Heir of Silba, could not keep herself from getting pregnant DURING A WAR. Yrene!? Her character could have easily done what she did (i.e. save the world) without being pregnant. I hate pregnancy tropes. All these people are like 20, lets not. Chaol redeemed himself, but only slightly, and really only because Yrene loved him. Such a moody bastard.
7) The book was great, but the ending felt a little rushed which is honestly hilarious because it was, in fact, a 900+ page book and probably the second longest book I’ve ever read. I wish we got a better wrap up on the romance, but it would’ve been way too long. I do think there is room for Sarah to pick the series back up, especially considering she is contracted for several more books, maybe one of them will be TOG…
8) I was really skeptical when I started this series, but I’m so glad I pushed through. I feel like this series gave me so much perspective into the SJM world, and I loved seeing easter eggs for her other series throughout this one.
9) Where the hell am I supposed to go from here??
Throughout reading this my fiancé would ask me, “How is your book?” and I would respond “As good as a book about Auschwitz can be.” I’m a huge fan of historical fiction, and The Tattooist of Auschwitz was no exception. I have read several historical fiction novels (and several nonfiction books) about Nazi Germany, and I am shocked every time by the new atrocities I learn of. The reviewers that gripe about the “graphic nature” of this novel must be…new to Earth? It’s a book about the Holocaust, I would certainly never pick it up anticipating it would be about rainbows.
Lale and Gita’s story is awe-inspiring both in what they endure and overcome, but also in this incredible love they share when so much is wrong, knowing so much about their lives will never be the same again. Stories like this you can’t help but try and picture yourself in their shoes. Would I have been as cunning and determined to help others as Lale if I was in his position? The story elicits introspection of a new kind and begs us to ask the question ‘what kind of person am I?’ This story really highlights the bright spots of human nature, the banding together to help those most in need, especially in the face of a common enemy.
The story telling is simple and straightforward, which I have conflicting feelings about. On one hand, Lale’s story tells itself. The lack of embellishment speaks to the authenticity of the story. On the other hand, I wish Morris had given us a little more. The novel did lack a certain color that comes from good storytelling, even when the story is based on true events. It felt very “this happened, then this happened, and then this happened”, rather than a true narrative flow.
I would recommend this book to everyone. The perspective it provides is a necessary piece of history. Come for the history, stay for the love story.
Lale and Gita’s story is awe-inspiring both in what they endure and overcome, but also in this incredible love they share when so much is wrong, knowing so much about their lives will never be the same again. Stories like this you can’t help but try and picture yourself in their shoes. Would I have been as cunning and determined to help others as Lale if I was in his position? The story elicits introspection of a new kind and begs us to ask the question ‘what kind of person am I?’ This story really highlights the bright spots of human nature, the banding together to help those most in need, especially in the face of a common enemy.
The story telling is simple and straightforward, which I have conflicting feelings about. On one hand, Lale’s story tells itself. The lack of embellishment speaks to the authenticity of the story. On the other hand, I wish Morris had given us a little more. The novel did lack a certain color that comes from good storytelling, even when the story is based on true events. It felt very “this happened, then this happened, and then this happened”, rather than a true narrative flow.
I would recommend this book to everyone. The perspective it provides is a necessary piece of history. Come for the history, stay for the love story.
1.5 stars because I barely finished it.
I'm gonna be totally honest - I didn't even enjoy this book a little bit. I feel like I read a COMPLETELY different book than the millions of people that seem to have ranted and raved about it since it came out. The literal only reason I finished it is because several of my friends and family members have read it and gave it 4+ stars. The summary of the plot is actually more interesting than the book itself.
I'll start by saying I know this is a translated book, and I hope that maybe the translation just doesn't hit the same way as the original text. I don't know, but this was one of the slowest books I've ever read. The plot didn't pick up until the last third of the book. Prior to this, all we get are long, boring, monotonous conversations where Henrik and Mikael discuss details of the case and introduce and name every single existing and potential offspring of the Vanger family going back to the year Christ was born. I have had an easier time keeping up with the cast of an 800+ page fantasy book than I did in this "thriller".
The characters were lifeless and we got so much weird background into some of the characters that felt totally superfluous and provided nothing to the dimension of the characters, if that is what the author was trying to do. The fact that Salander and Blomkvist didn't even meet until SIXTY PERCENT INTO THE BOOK is criminal. The author was really hoping people would give his book enough of a chance to make it that far into the story, because the rest of it certainly wasn't compelling.
Also, was Steve Jobs Steig Larsson's secret lover??? I don't know anyone who would give that much free advertising without getting something good on the side in return. ENOUGH ABOUT THE iBOOK. PLZ.
I am open to hear your objections, but just know I had a bad time reading this.
I'm gonna be totally honest - I didn't even enjoy this book a little bit. I feel like I read a COMPLETELY different book than the millions of people that seem to have ranted and raved about it since it came out. The literal only reason I finished it is because several of my friends and family members have read it and gave it 4+ stars. The summary of the plot is actually more interesting than the book itself.
I'll start by saying I know this is a translated book, and I hope that maybe the translation just doesn't hit the same way as the original text. I don't know, but this was one of the slowest books I've ever read. The plot didn't pick up until the last third of the book. Prior to this, all we get are long, boring, monotonous conversations where Henrik and Mikael discuss details of the case and introduce and name every single existing and potential offspring of the Vanger family going back to the year Christ was born. I have had an easier time keeping up with the cast of an 800+ page fantasy book than I did in this "thriller".
The characters were lifeless and we got so much weird background into some of the characters that felt totally superfluous and provided nothing to the dimension of the characters, if that is what the author was trying to do. The fact that Salander and Blomkvist didn't even meet until SIXTY PERCENT INTO THE BOOK is criminal. The author was really hoping people would give his book enough of a chance to make it that far into the story, because the rest of it certainly wasn't compelling.
Also, was Steve Jobs Steig Larsson's secret lover??? I don't know anyone who would give that much free advertising without getting something good on the side in return. ENOUGH ABOUT THE iBOOK. PLZ.
I am open to hear your objections, but just know I had a bad time reading this.
4.5 Stars boosting to 5 because it deserves the hype.
This book, like many in its genre, is severely underrated. I am a massive fan of the humor and essays genre, it is oftentimes where I feel the most seen by someone's writing. Lillian Stone's Everybody's Favorite, felt like it was actually written for me (and maybe even by me, at some points).
Largely covering her adolescence in the Y2K era, Lillian paints us a hilarious and detailed account of some of her most ~colorful~ childhood memories, spanning into her early adulthood. She covers religious trauma, body image issues, the difficult life of a dog-mom, and her struggles with obsessive compulsive disorder, and "the pursuit of perfection". Being only a few years younger than Lillian, this book pulled some deeply nostalgic memories from the dark depths of my brain. Each essay was hilarious, but rife with the wisdom that only hindsight and moving out of your hometown can provide.
Many books boast "laugh out loud funny" writing, few deliver. Everybody's Favorite, is the hilarious exception. Lillian, if you are reading this, I need your next book ASAP.
This book, like many in its genre, is severely underrated. I am a massive fan of the humor and essays genre, it is oftentimes where I feel the most seen by someone's writing. Lillian Stone's Everybody's Favorite, felt like it was actually written for me (and maybe even by me, at some points).
Largely covering her adolescence in the Y2K era, Lillian paints us a hilarious and detailed account of some of her most ~colorful~ childhood memories, spanning into her early adulthood. She covers religious trauma, body image issues, the difficult life of a dog-mom, and her struggles with obsessive compulsive disorder, and "the pursuit of perfection". Being only a few years younger than Lillian, this book pulled some deeply nostalgic memories from the dark depths of my brain. Each essay was hilarious, but rife with the wisdom that only hindsight and moving out of your hometown can provide.
Many books boast "laugh out loud funny" writing, few deliver. Everybody's Favorite, is the hilarious exception. Lillian, if you are reading this, I need your next book ASAP.
If I was Rebecca, I'd be embarrassed by this book. It was just straight up not good and honestly I've never been so mad reading a book before. Did anyone even read this book before publishing it or was it just shoved into ChatGPT as "write me a sequel" and they printed whatever came out?
I saw someone call Iron Flame the "fast fashion of publishing" and that sums up my feelings perfectly. First of all, there are a MILLION publishing errors in this book to the point people are making literal BINGO cards of all the mistakes, from misprinted spines to missing pages, the book is a shit show.
The writing in this book is objectively bad, on many levels. Fourth Wing was not a literary masterpiece, but it was fun and it made a decent amount of sense and we all fell in love with the cast of characters Yarros spun. Iron Flame is the antithesis of Fourth Wing. Violet and Xaden were ANNOYING, WHINY, and UNCOMMUNICATIVE. Gone are the sexy, smart three-dimensional main characters we all fell in love with. Instead, I read 623 pages of flat, two-dimensional characters with no soul, no fire, just gaslighting and cringey romance (you CANNOT say endgame in a fantasy book, COME ON). Apparently Violet just lets anyone back into her life, seeing as Xaden didn't even lift a finger to win her back, and even Dane was trusted way too easily. The story line is confusing and jumps all over the *gods*damn place, Yarros tried to pack WAY too much into one book, and the plot and characters suffer massively for it. It's slotted to be a 5 book series, what on earth is the rush???
I could lament over this utter failure forever so here are brief additional qualms:
1)Jack Barlow randomly coming back, saving Violet in the middle and then fucking off until the end??
2)Andarna getting just completely snuffed for this book. There's something special about her but we are going to BARELY explain it and only in the last three pages of the book after she sleeps the literal whole time"
3)Xaden being Venin but the explanation for how or why is completely incomprehensible to me even after trying to watch bookish content creators try to explain.
4) Figuring out Xaden's second signet and then it not really even being relevant at all? We just are moving on? She just kept info dumping information that ~happened~ to be relevant in the next chapter, what a terrible writing device.
5) How did we go from "if you die we all die" to "I'm going to sacrifice myself to save us?" It's giving "nooo Ronnn nooooo, he's going to sacrifice himselffffff". WTF? Did we just forget about that???
This is what happens when these BookTok authors try to rush through the writing process, we get these half-assed disappointing books. I am genuinely so confused how this book has 4.5 stars, we clearly did not read the same thing. This book could have been really great, but instead it was just sloppy and I wanted it to be over.
I saw someone call Iron Flame the "fast fashion of publishing" and that sums up my feelings perfectly. First of all, there are a MILLION publishing errors in this book to the point people are making literal BINGO cards of all the mistakes, from misprinted spines to missing pages, the book is a shit show.
The writing in this book is objectively bad, on many levels. Fourth Wing was not a literary masterpiece, but it was fun and it made a decent amount of sense and we all fell in love with the cast of characters Yarros spun. Iron Flame is the antithesis of Fourth Wing. Violet and Xaden were ANNOYING, WHINY, and UNCOMMUNICATIVE. Gone are the sexy, smart three-dimensional main characters we all fell in love with. Instead, I read 623 pages of flat, two-dimensional characters with no soul, no fire, just gaslighting and cringey romance (you CANNOT say endgame in a fantasy book, COME ON). Apparently Violet just lets anyone back into her life, seeing as Xaden didn't even lift a finger to win her back, and even Dane was trusted way too easily. The story line is confusing and jumps all over the *gods*damn place, Yarros tried to pack WAY too much into one book, and the plot and characters suffer massively for it. It's slotted to be a 5 book series, what on earth is the rush???
I could lament over this utter failure forever so here are brief additional qualms:
1)Jack Barlow randomly coming back, saving Violet in the middle and then fucking off until the end??
2)Andarna getting just completely snuffed for this book. There's something special about her but we are going to BARELY explain it and only in the last three pages of the book after she sleeps the literal whole time"
3)Xaden being Venin but the explanation for how or why is completely incomprehensible to me even after trying to watch bookish content creators try to explain.
4) Figuring out Xaden's second signet and then it not really even being relevant at all? We just are moving on? She just kept info dumping information that ~happened~ to be relevant in the next chapter, what a terrible writing device.
5) How did we go from "if you die we all die" to "I'm going to sacrifice myself to save us?" It's giving "nooo Ronnn nooooo, he's going to sacrifice himselffffff". WTF? Did we just forget about that???
This is what happens when these BookTok authors try to rush through the writing process, we get these half-assed disappointing books. I am genuinely so confused how this book has 4.5 stars, we clearly did not read the same thing. This book could have been really great, but instead it was just sloppy and I wanted it to be over.