Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.74 AVERAGE
3.74 AVERAGE
So I’ve just finished the book and I cannot tell you how angry and annoyed I am, so here goes my rant. The beginning was okay. It was intriguing and I wanted to know more. Then it started to change and one incident after another, the MC’s got annoying and things went downhill from there onwards.
Finnie, who apparently ‘lives for the moment, always wants an adventure and can never sit still’ is, to be completely honest, a little lacklustre and I was sorely disappointed in her. Well, until she has a massive go at Frey near the end, which was in my opinion the best part of the book. The fact that she only goes on adventures when handed to her on a platter and takes zero initiative to get what she wants, disappointed me.
Spoiler
Also, when she found out she was pregnant, whilst on birth control, she doesn’t batt an eyelid. In fact, one second she’s in shock, the next “if this made Frey this happy, even though it was too early for me; I couldn’t help but share his joy” - so you don’t have your own opinion?!?; “So we were going to start a family early. Who cared?” APPARENTLY YOU DID JUST 2 SECONDS AGO?!!?!?!?!? and “I didn’t think Frey and I had been trying to create the heir to the throne, not yet. But his words would indicate he did.” ehm, isn’t that a decision you make together??. That brings me to Frey, who is a complete and utter manipulator and I can’t really stand him. He binds Finnie to his world without asking and ‘makes up for it’ by bringing her best friend to their world (without asking her and only for the benefit of Finnie). And what’s this “wee Finnie” business about? It makes her sound like a small child.This is all topped by an insane amount sexism, gender stereotyping, toxic masculinity and homophobia throughout the whole book. The fact that Sjofn is a lesbian does not give Frey the right to hate her or leave her in a cold dirty cabin in the woods alone. It was also implied that even though she’s a lesbian, she was beautiful enough to justify material rape.
The parents also stressed me out because they lost a daughter, displayed minimal emotions about this, agreed she would be hanged for treason if she ever came back and let Finnie replace her without batting an eyelid.
I like the occasional dominant Alpha male romance, but this just went over the top, past love and respect and crossed all boundaries. I was angry and annoyed at 99% of the book, but (to my utter horror) I still wanted to know what happened at the end. That and the fact that there are dragons and a semi talking cat justify the 2 stars.
I'm counting this book as read even though I'm a little over halfway done because
1) this book is really long. I feel like I've read TWO books in one already and I'm not even finished yet.
and
2) I can't handle Kristen Ashley's particular brand of mushy gushy-ness right about now.
I'll get to finishing the last part of this book soon. But for now I'm going to leave it and probably read Zero at the Bone.
1) this book is really long. I feel like I've read TWO books in one already and I'm not even finished yet.
and
2) I can't handle Kristen Ashley's particular brand of mushy gushy-ness right about now.
I'll get to finishing the last part of this book soon. But for now I'm going to leave it and probably read Zero at the Bone.
The start of the book was really good at world building and development. It didn't overload on narration and built up a steady understanding of the characters and what was happening.
My main issues with this book were some flubs in the logic, and a weak ending.
I'll skip over the flubs in logic, because I didn't notate all of them and I don't feel that contributed that strongly to my rating. The weak ending was quite a disappointment, however. The front half of the novel was so vivid and full in its descriptions. The back half, especially the climax and resolution portions, were exceptionally bereft of the full, detailed explanations the beginning was so keen on. The ending just seemed to be over in a flash, when it took so dang long to get there. To be fair, I enjoyed the journey to make it to the end, so I didn't think it was too long, but it was disproportionate between the two halves of the book.
The poorly written ending left gaping holes of information out.
My main issues with this book were some flubs in the logic, and a weak ending.
I'll skip over the flubs in logic, because I didn't notate all of them and I don't feel that contributed that strongly to my rating. The weak ending was quite a disappointment, however. The front half of the novel was so vivid and full in its descriptions. The back half, especially the climax and resolution portions, were exceptionally bereft of the full, detailed explanations the beginning was so keen on. The ending just seemed to be over in a flash, when it took so dang long to get there. To be fair, I enjoyed the journey to make it to the end, so I didn't think it was too long, but it was disproportionate between the two halves of the book.
The poorly written ending left gaping holes of information out.
Spoiler
For instance, does Frey's cousin, Apollo, know that Finnie is not the real Sjofn? If not, how does he know to pay Valentine to find his dead wife's twin? If yes, does that mean everyone now knows Finnie's secret? And if so, will they still accept her child as a royal offspring? Then, I also wonder what the hell happened to Sjofn, the real Winter Princess. If Finnie is pregnant by the Drakkar, does that mean Sjofn is also pregnant by Frey's twin from the other world? I mean, she would have to be if they really are mirror worlds, right? And then there's the whole Broderick overthrowing the governments issue. Everyone gave him credit as being pretty sharp, so why wouldn't he try to make his country better the way Frey had suggested he might do? It sounded like the land had rich natural resources, and his people would be better off without Baldur in charge of the treasury. Plus, King Atticus of Lunwyn had already tried to reunite/merge/ally the two countries on multiple previous occasions, so why didn't Broderick try to bring up those deals anew? Why did Atticus have to die? Why was Aurora kept alive? Furthermore, if you were sent to kill Frey Drakkar, why wouldn't you make certain he is dead? And who was the super powerful witch that was Finnie's main foe? Did I miss if she was ever found? And are they questions supposed to be open ended, and later resolved in future books of the series? It beats the hell out of me....
This book went on forever 😭 literally nothing happened in middle of this book
Plot: 5
Pacing: 5
Writing style: 4
Romance: 5
Entertainment: 5
Beginning: 5
Middle: 5
End: 4
adventurous
funny
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
1.5 stars
I had some major issues with some of the choices Frey and Finnie made, separately. Also this couple needs to talk more. Finnie drove me absolutely nuts.
I had some major issues with some of the choices Frey and Finnie made, separately. Also this couple needs to talk more. Finnie drove me absolutely nuts.
I had high expectations as I'd liked the 2nd book in this series, so going back to the start of the series was just restoring the natural order of things. What a fail! You can tell by my rating I thought this book was dire. I didn't DNF, but I so wanted to. After 20% of the book had passed this was a constant refrain at the back of my mind.
I'm clearly in the minority given the other glowing reviews but for me this was a pseudo travelogue through a dysneysque world with the bare minimum of a plot. And that's not even getting into any of the multitude of issues woven into this 'story' that disturbed me.
I'm clearly in the minority given the other glowing reviews but for me this was a pseudo travelogue through a dysneysque world with the bare minimum of a plot. And that's not even getting into any of the multitude of issues woven into this 'story' that disturbed me.
4.5 stars.
Now I believe KA can write absolutely anything. Damn, that was so good!
Now I believe KA can write absolutely anything. Damn, that was so good!
I had high expectations as I'd liked the 2nd book in this series, so going back to the start of the series was just restoring the natural order of things. What a fail! You can tell by my rating I thought this book was dire. I didn't DNF, but I so wanted to. After 20% of the book had passed this was a constant refrain at the back of my mind.
I'm clearly in the minority given the other glowing reviews but for me this was a pseudo travelogue through a dysneysque world with the bare minimum of a plot. And that's not even getting into any of the multitude of issues woven into this 'story' that disturbed me.
I'm clearly in the minority given the other glowing reviews but for me this was a pseudo travelogue through a dysneysque world with the bare minimum of a plot. And that's not even getting into any of the multitude of issues woven into this 'story' that disturbed me.