syd
I'm torn. I love what this book set out to do, and it had some really great parts. Somewhere near the middle though, it just started feeling a little lost. I love drawing attention to these women who also served, but it just got to a point where if something good happened to Frankie, I knew something bad was going to happen in the next chapter. I thought I was loving the ending, until the one last big reveal. I think that should've been cut, but I won't go into it in depth because spoilers.
The narration was FANTASTIC, I'm glad I listened!
While I loved book 1&2, book 3 has fallen pretty flat. The premise was so interesting, had such a good setup for some popular tropes, but it was just....meh. The plot was rushed, the characters were flat, and the romance was not good compared to the previous books. There was a lot of potential, but it just didn't come anywhere near where I think it could've landed. I still do recommend the first two books, though! And I'm intrigued, because I think I can see the character(s) that the author may be considering for another book - if that ever comes to be, I'll definitely pick it up!
this was an INSANE listen (in a good way). RF Kuang had a lot to say on a lot of topics, some of it niche to the publishing industry. I suppose it's heavy handed, but I thought it was kind of fitting for this satirical piece. There is a lot to pick apart and dwell on, but overall it was a fun listen. it was good, but overall not something I'll read and re-read again and again
it's got everything - drama, comedy, and commentary on how money was the most important factor in marriages for some (women AND men), and societal expectations like showing too much or too little emotions was a bad thing at the time. it's also about sisterhood and family.
did she forget about Margaret??
This is definitely a popcorn thriller, there's nothing wrong with that. I actually did really enjoy the plot and the twists. it's just an ok book - the writing is okay and there's some bits in there that read as borderline fetish content (I will say, this may also be due to how the narrator read the book. I dunno). I also didn't really love being stuck in Millie's head, the way she views things like postpartum psychosis was gross. but, I like where the author was trying to take the plot!
I DNF'ed at 11%, so I'm not leaving a rating.
I'm not a huge fan of the narrator for Adam (small nitpick) As far as the writing goes, I do not like either Sarah or Adam. The assistant is another character introduced, and she is such a doormat. And now I'm DNFing at 11% because a best friend (Matthew) was introduced and he is the worst (hates kids AND pets???) and he's such a dick to Sarah but she just laughs it off like "ha ha that's just Matthew!" Grow a SPINE girl stand up for yourself, that man is MEAN
Anyway, everyone's insufferable and I am a very character driven reader, so I'm dropping it.
I really liked this story - the characters, the setting, all of it was such a good package! But, when at ~80% of the book, the plot still hadn't revealed most of the actual murder mystery bit, I started to feel a bit meh on the "mystery" part of the book. It wasn't really a who dunnit, but a who is it?! The main thing that impacted the rating for me is the ending. I feel like we had a lot of build up, with a lot of POV characters having motives and conflict - but then that was all rushed and wrapped up in the last chapter and epilogue.
I enjoyed it, and the story plays out like a movie! But I'll probably never re-read. I do recommend picking up if the premise seems interesting to you!
beginning of the book was a rough read, mega worldbuilding lore & religion info dump. as a huge fantasy reader, it was still rough for me to get through. the narrative hit its stride at ~40% of the book! first half was meh, second half (especially the ending) I loved.
very very low fantasy, mostly political intrigue - the main character is essentially a (spicy - in the pain sense, that is) courtesan trained to be a spy. I wouldn't consider it romantasy, but it does have a lot of sex scenes (plot relevant, not gratuitous) woven through the narrative. it's a good book to pick up if you're looking for a uh....spicier? fantasy narrative that has flowery prose, and a mountain of lore.
The narrators are fantastic!
I would've DNFed if I was reading with my eyes and not my ears. first part of the book was so strong, I was loving it. The setting and storytelling was so good that I was actually getting a little creeped out listening to Jonathan's journals.
once Mina and Lucy are brought into the narrative, Mina carries the story and everyone puts her on a pedestal and we can't go a page without a man gushing over her man brain. there's (I think, since I listened to it) pages of nothing in the story happening and just them yapping about how amazing Mina or Lucy is. and then all the action is at the end. I listen to audiobooks to stay awake sometimes, and I managed to fall asleep on the floor SEVERAL times listening to this snooze of a plot.
very shocked after seeing high reviews that this is the classic vampire book. vampires WHERE?!
While the characters from the first book didn't experience much growth, I liked the newer characters. I feel like all the characters would've benefited from more attention, I have read that this is 2 books condensed into 1 and I think it suffers from that. With that being said, I think it was still a very entertaining sequel. Fast-paced, action heavy plot focused on a bunch of selfish, morally grey people with superpowers struggling for power - do pick this series up if that's your jam
I finished The Trials of Empire, and so finished the Empire of the Wolf series. The first half was....a lot. I think there was a lot logistically left to do for the characters, and not much time to do it. I almost wonder if it should've been 4 books, but I think it would've probably started to drag. Either way, it hit its stride in the second half, and I think it had a strong conclusion. I loved Helena as a character and as a narrator, and I really think she had fantastic character growth. I think the overall conclusion was satisfying, there were a few moments that felt convenient for the plot, but I think that could also be waved as “Fate”. Either way, I really enjoyed reading this series, and it's one I'll re-read & recommend!
listened to the audiobook, not a huge fan of the narrator (did not affect this rating)
I just felt underwhelmed by this story. it takes forever to get going, it's a big cast and they're all almost caricatures, in a way. the reveal at the end was pretty meh, and I felt like it was just a lot of guessing that got him to that conclusion. did not make me want to take a river cruise anytime soon, that's for sure
