pikachu_in_glasses's reviews
43 reviews

Eh. Cute and super fun. Great romcom “vibes,” but was it written super well? Not really. I know we don’t read romcoms for reality, but sometimes some of the things the characters would do or their thoughts/rational was so unhinged, it took me out of the story. But still an enjoyable read. Some one-liners had me crying I was laughing so hard. If you like open door, light-hearted, funny, dorky romcoms with a tiny bit of spice, this is your book.

Magnificent. Stunning. Exceptional. No book is truly perfect but this one is as close to perfect as possible. What a follow up. I am so blown away by the prose, character depth, plot intricacies, and emotional pulls that I cannot put together any kind of analytical review. Every single character makes sense - their thoughts, goals, reasonings, actions. The plot never stops. The world building is too real for words.

Spoilers!!!!! 

My only grievance is Muntadhir. He is too scared to do anything, so he just acts out to act out. His actions are for his own benefit due to fear. The only time he acts for others is his lover or his sister. That’s it. He has other influence (besides Ghassan) to listen to, and instead acts out of fear and anger because he feels powerless to do anything else. Amongst a cast of characters who ACT, for better or for worse, his spineless temper tantrums made me greatly dislike him.

For me, books get 5 stars when the author writes a successful story within its genre - and certain genres are a bit more complex or have higher standards. Chakraborty is a master at fantasy, and that is no small feat. A dense fantastical world that is so fleshed out it feels too real. Three dimensional characters who are all morally grey as real people are. A plot that continually picks up pace and has you turning the pages as fast as you can.

The three main characters give the reader different sides and views of the conflicts, but each has both valid and invalid points, making it hard to root for any “side” completely. The racism (partially spurred by differing religious beliefs) both outside and within the djinn race is as gruesome and hateful as ours throughout history. Chakraborty makes political intrigue engaging and tense at every turn. Throw in the fantasy elements of magic, mythological creatures, and mystifying powers - plus a dash of romance - and you’ve got an outstanding novel.

Even the side characters pull at your heart and either make you want to cry or scream. Everyone has an agenda, and while you cannot support their actions, they’re understandable. A true testament to the writing. You feel like the main character - lost, confused, frustrated - and while you know there is a better way to handle all this, it’s hard to see with the long history of hate between characters.

It’s not all glum though! There are plenty of moments of witty dialogue, humorous shenanigans, and beautiful descriptions. The pacing and emotional balance is just right.

SPOILERS AHEAD!
I do have a few tiny critiques. The little romance we get in the desert is too shallow and insignificant to warrant the emotional fallout in the third act. Granted, it’s a subplot but the correlation didn’t match up. Yes, Dara is dashing and handsome and is Nahri’s safety. She is his hope. But those elements aren’t quite shown.

The Daeva religion is still a bit murky. They do all the fire praying and darn near worship the Nahids, but they use Creator and God expressions like the other tribes and humans. Since the religion spurs so much of the racism, I would have liked more clarity on that belief system.

Finally, you’re gunna tell me the geniusly devious King didn’t put a tail on Dara? What Dara was able to get away with seems a little far fetched. Sure, maybe he evaded being spied on, but we didn’t see all he did in his time away from Nahri - intentional I’m sure. We’ll learn about it in the future books. But we did get to see how shrewd the King is, and he wouldn’t have let Dara just do as he pleased.

*—*—*—*—*—*—*

If you’re weighing the merits of reading this book, just do it. Even if politically heavy fantasy isn’t your usual cup of tea. This is one is different and you’ll surely enjoy the ride.

All the qualms I had with the first book are still front and center in this sequel, except now the great side characters aren’t there to make it better. Plus, this plot was slower.

But just like the first, if you love tropes, swoon worthy cliches, and non-stop romantic tension set against a fantasy, you’ll eat this book up.

It’s entertaining and has all the tropes readers love. But with that comes repeated dialogue and scenes just in different locations. I’m all for a fantasy romance (and the romance is very good), but there were so many repeated romantic scenes that other characters got completely lost, events didn’t connect, and motivations or relationships were flat or non existent.

Spoilers ahead!

For someone so intelligent, Paedyn did not critically asses the resistance before just jumping in with them. For having a best friend in the castle who she already forgot once, she sure never sought Adena out. For a manipulative king, we were told a lot of his evils and kindness towards his sons but never shown. How can the queen be such a good mom to Kai but then truly love the king who tortured him?

All the other side characters were great. Perfect amount of development and were key components to spurring the main characters along their journies. But the dynamics between the two boys and their parents, or Paedyn and Adena, was so much telling and not showing that the fallouts of those relationships were nothing. They meant nothing and made no sense.

One final note, if I read “laughed” or “chuckled” one more time I was gunna scream. 

If you don’t care about literary prowess and just want a book with great romantasy vibes, you’ll love this book. If you do care, be warned.

A slow start, even for Bardugo. The entire first act (of 3) creeps along to establish all the key players. In fact, it was so wordy and lengthy, often characters had contradictory thoughts or motivations. The second and third acts have the characters solidify and go on clear archs. But due to the muddy and confusing first act, it was hard to root for or believe some of the characters as they grow. Bardugo was going for a morally grey and dynamic cast, but instead gave the reader unclear snapshots of the main players.

All that being said, this is still Bardugo, and she delivers in all the usual ways. The city of Madrid during the Spanish Inquisition is depicted in technicolor. You feel the fear each citizen lives. The plot is tense and keeps you constantly questioning who to trust and what will be the fate of each person. Throw in dashes of humor, wit, friendship, romance and magic, and you’ve got an engaging historical fiction with lots of twists and turns.

Half romance, half self discovery and growth. An easy read with enjoyable characters who all have a nice arch. Despite the genre, some topics are a little too glossed over and some relationships change far too easily/quickly. Otherwise, an easy read that warms the heart.

Dramis is a promising young writer. The concept is engaging and the plot is full throttle the entire time. 5⭐️ on entertainment value. However, the writing can be wordy and confusing. Many side characters serve little to no purpose, they’re two dimensional, and because of that there is no investment as a reader. Some plot lines are never resolved or even touched upon more than twice. A lot of telling not showing. And finally, the writing is always hyperbolic. Everything is life or death. Every conversation, scene, and moment is at the highest emotional point. When every sentence is the highest is can be emotionally, they loose strength. The climaxes don’t feel earned because there isn’t proper build. Again, entertaining as ever. Dramis has a lot of potential and I cannot wait for the next book! The writing just needs improvement.

Not her best but not her worst (PWMOV). It was okay. Very little drama, which is nice. Unfortunately, the characters are not opposites who attract or twins flames who fit well together. The relationship doesn’t seem fated or complimentary in any way. Just circumstantial. Makes it hard to root for them. Pretty bland main characters honestly.