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simonlorden's Reviews (1.38k)
I realize I am seeing for the first time the shape of her back, the geography of her spine.
I'm not even sure how to describe this, but I absolutely loved it.
I'm not even sure how to describe this, but I absolutely loved it.
I received an ARC through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
demons! witches! character development! amazing ship dynamic! telling the truth to your friends about fucking the poltergeist and everyone thinking you're joking!
I also love that this book normalises introducing yourself by your pronouns even if you're cis / not nonbinary.
note: this is definitely erotica and it definitely has several sex scenes
other content notes: blood magic, cutting, cheating, adultery, abuse, drugs, and probably some other things I'm missing
overall, this turned out to be not really my cup of tea (for reasons, just look at the content notes), but I did like Victor a lot.
demons! witches! character development! amazing ship dynamic! telling the truth to your friends about fucking the poltergeist and everyone thinking you're joking!
I also love that this book normalises introducing yourself by your pronouns even if you're cis / not nonbinary.
note: this is definitely erotica and it definitely has several sex scenes
other content notes: blood magic, cutting, cheating, adultery, abuse, drugs, and probably some other things I'm missing
overall, this turned out to be not really my cup of tea (for reasons, just look at the content notes), but I did like Victor a lot.
I liked the fae lore in this, but it got a little too much with the vampires, angels and demons. Also, the two main characters were confessing their love after three days and ehh. I don't always have a problem with instalove, but I just wasn't feeling it.
note: there's quite a lot of sex scenes in the book.
note: there's quite a lot of sex scenes in the book.
Re-reading this was a little like coming home, in a weird way.
I love my snarky djinni Bartimaeus, and I love my genius magician son with great potential who still has a shitton of prejudices and attitude problems to work through.
I love my snarky djinni Bartimaeus, and I love my genius magician son with great potential who still has a shitton of prejudices and attitude problems to work through.
I think my memories coloured this book a lot. There's much more history and politics and much less Bartimaeus and Nathaniel friendship than I remembered (I guess the latter only really happens in the last book), and Nathaniel still hasn't even started letting go of his stupid prejudices.
Also, I can accept teens being heroes when most characters are teens, but a 14-year-old becoming a minister among adults is ehh. It's pushing my suspension of disbelief more than the djinnis.
Also, I can accept teens being heroes when most characters are teens, but a 14-year-old becoming a minister among adults is ehh. It's pushing my suspension of disbelief more than the djinnis.
My feelings hurt and I am... conflicted.
Through this book, I kept thinking that Kitty should have been the main character, really. SHE is the one who actually cares about both commoners and spirits. Nathaniel is full of prejudices and basically a slave master up until more than halfway in the third book. His character development is in the wrong direction for almost the entire series, then suddenly turns around in the end. (This is nicely shown by the name-switch in the narration, which was a neat detail actually.)
It is Kitty and not Nathaniel who makes the connection Ptolemy did, and even towards the end, Bartimaeus says he wouldn't have agreed if not for Kitty. His bond with Nathaniel doesn't live up to his bond with Kitty, despite spending all three books bound together.
It's only in the last battle scene, after the union that I felt like they really bonded. Then, of course, in the last moment Nathaniel pulls a Ptolemy too, which destroyed all my feelings - but despite me loving the ending, it still felt like too little, too late?
TLDR; I get that the point is that in the end they win TOGETHER, the three of them, and that's great - but the individual relationships within that trio felt unbalanced and not as satisfying.
Soon I'm going to read Ring of Solomon for the first time (the other three books were re-reads) but right now I don't really feel like it. I'm afraid I won't like it as much without Nat and Kitty?
Through this book, I kept thinking that Kitty should have been the main character, really. SHE is the one who actually cares about both commoners and spirits. Nathaniel is full of prejudices and basically a slave master up until more than halfway in the third book. His character development is in the wrong direction for almost the entire series, then suddenly turns around in the end. (This is nicely shown by the name-switch in the narration, which was a neat detail actually.)
It is Kitty and not Nathaniel who makes the connection Ptolemy did, and even towards the end, Bartimaeus says he wouldn't have agreed if not for Kitty. His bond with Nathaniel doesn't live up to his bond with Kitty, despite spending all three books bound together.
It's only in the last battle scene, after the union that I felt like they really bonded. Then, of course, in the last moment Nathaniel pulls a Ptolemy too, which destroyed all my feelings - but despite me loving the ending, it still felt like too little, too late?
TLDR; I get that the point is that in the end they win TOGETHER, the three of them, and that's great - but the individual relationships within that trio felt unbalanced and not as satisfying.
Soon I'm going to read Ring of Solomon for the first time (the other three books were re-reads) but right now I don't really feel like it. I'm afraid I won't like it as much without Nat and Kitty?
I already read this once online but listen: this story is fucked up.
In book form together, I sometimes felt like there was too much background/filler, but I understand that those parts were still important for the really creepy part to work. And wow, once the story comes together, it's just really, really fucked up.
tw: uhhh... stalking, pet cruelty/death, kidnapping, implied pedophilia, probably more
In book form together, I sometimes felt like there was too much background/filler, but I understand that those parts were still important for the really creepy part to work. And wow, once the story comes together, it's just really, really fucked up.
tw: uhhh... stalking, pet cruelty/death, kidnapping, implied pedophilia, probably more
I love Bartimaeus, I love Asmira, and I have a very unexpected third fave. I also loved the different relationships between humans and spirits, and the examination of slavery not only in regards to the djinnies, but also those who might not even realise they are being used.
I'm taking points off for a running joke that was fatphobic and unnecessary, but otherwise this might have been 5 stars.
I'm taking points off for a running joke that was fatphobic and unnecessary, but otherwise this might have been 5 stars.
4.5
did I stay up reading this when I have an exam tomorrow morning? yes I did
I enjoyed the Arden novella too (sibling stuff and Luidaeg stuff are my favourites) but I'm feeling ehhh about all these ships coming out of nowhere. I understand the books are Toby POV and people all have their own lives, but it still feels weird.
did I stay up reading this when I have an exam tomorrow morning? yes I did
I enjoyed the Arden novella too (sibling stuff and Luidaeg stuff are my favourites) but I'm feeling ehhh about all these ships coming out of nowhere. I understand the books are Toby POV and people all have their own lives, but it still feels weird.
I didn't enjoy this much, and also Frank is a creep.