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3.64 AVERAGE
3.64 AVERAGE
I received this free from the publishers via NetGalley
“The only thing that really matters in the end is how we choose to live.”
Captive is the second book in The Blackcoat Rebellion series, the first being Pawn.
In Captive, Kitty Doe aka Lila Hart has been betrayed, hurt and accused of treason which lands her in Elsewhere. A prison that no one has ever escaped from. She is surrounded by people she doesn't know if she can trust, she doesn't know who is with her or against her. Kitty is part of the rebellion, but is she really ready to do whatever it takes to win?
If you read my review of the first book in this series here you would see that I was pretty positive about it, but I felt the world building could have been a bit better. Unfortunately, I don't think it was much better. There was a different side of the society shown in the Elsewhere, but that was the only development. It was like we can only see the two opposites - the leaders and the prisoners. While I found the Elsewhere interesting and honest and brutal, much more interesting that the setting in the previous book, it still felt short. I can't really put my finger on it, but I do know for sure that I would like to see other parts of society, not just in the palace walls or the prison walls.
If you also read my review on the previous book you can see my admiration for Kitty, and her selfishness. In Captive, she seems like a completely different person, and while she sticks by her decision she made at the end of Pawn, she seems to put the Rebellion in front of Benjy, which is something she never did in the first one. In Pawn she did everything she could to protect Benjy, yet in Captive she didn't really, it seems like he was a little less important to her in this book. Perhaps the author wanted to make room for Knox? Either way, I didn't like this character change in her, especially as it seems to have came about out of nowhere.
While there were many twists and turns, I felt the pacing was a little too fast in the first half of the book. It seemed so rushed and it all happened so fast, especially with the supposed betrayal. Yet the first half also bored me as well, despite being rushed. I must not have been that invested in the book much. However, by the second half, when we see Elsewhere, it gets a lot better, but I feel like the shortcomings of the first half - perhaps I just got bored of the setting - can't really warrant 4 stars from me.
The romance did not really interest me at all. While I like Benjy and Kitty aka Lila, I just don't see the love there, or much of the chemistry. This may be due to the simple fact is that we have never really seen their relationship develop. From Pawn they were together from the beginning and were already in love. I just feel as though the romance was a little bland and flat for me. Also, I think I see a potential love triangle, but thankfully it isn't exactly there, which is a positive.
Overall, if you really loved Pawn then of course, this is a must read.
“The only thing that really matters in the end is how we choose to live.”
Captive is the second book in The Blackcoat Rebellion series, the first being Pawn.
In Captive, Kitty Doe aka Lila Hart has been betrayed, hurt and accused of treason which lands her in Elsewhere. A prison that no one has ever escaped from. She is surrounded by people she doesn't know if she can trust, she doesn't know who is with her or against her. Kitty is part of the rebellion, but is she really ready to do whatever it takes to win?
If you read my review of the first book in this series here you would see that I was pretty positive about it, but I felt the world building could have been a bit better. Unfortunately, I don't think it was much better. There was a different side of the society shown in the Elsewhere, but that was the only development. It was like we can only see the two opposites - the leaders and the prisoners. While I found the Elsewhere interesting and honest and brutal, much more interesting that the setting in the previous book, it still felt short. I can't really put my finger on it, but I do know for sure that I would like to see other parts of society, not just in the palace walls or the prison walls.
If you also read my review on the previous book you can see my admiration for Kitty, and her selfishness. In Captive, she seems like a completely different person, and while she sticks by her decision she made at the end of Pawn, she seems to put the Rebellion in front of Benjy, which is something she never did in the first one. In Pawn she did everything she could to protect Benjy, yet in Captive she didn't really, it seems like he was a little less important to her in this book. Perhaps the author wanted to make room for Knox? Either way, I didn't like this character change in her, especially as it seems to have came about out of nowhere.
While there were many twists and turns, I felt the pacing was a little too fast in the first half of the book. It seemed so rushed and it all happened so fast, especially with the supposed betrayal. Yet the first half also bored me as well, despite being rushed. I must not have been that invested in the book much. However, by the second half, when we see Elsewhere, it gets a lot better, but I feel like the shortcomings of the first half - perhaps I just got bored of the setting - can't really warrant 4 stars from me.
The romance did not really interest me at all. While I like Benjy and Kitty aka Lila, I just don't see the love there, or much of the chemistry. This may be due to the simple fact is that we have never really seen their relationship develop. From Pawn they were together from the beginning and were already in love. I just feel as though the romance was a little bland and flat for me. Also, I think I see a potential love triangle, but thankfully it isn't exactly there, which is a positive.
Overall, if you really loved Pawn then of course, this is a must read.
4.5 Kitty and Knox both drove me crazy at times, but another great book. I love the story, it's so fast and easy to read and good characters. Diving straight into the next one!
Still really enjoying this series, but that shock twist was anything but surprising. I saw that reveal coming before I was born!
EDIT - 03/04/17:
"There's no such thing as a bloodless revolution."
I found this installment mind-numbingly predictable.
Read my spoiler-filled series review here - don't say I didn't warn you!
EDIT - 03/04/17:
"There's no such thing as a bloodless revolution."
I found this installment mind-numbingly predictable.
Read my spoiler-filled series review here - don't say I didn't warn you!
This series would seriously be fantastic if not for two things:
1.) Benjy and Kitty's relationship. It's so unbelievably bland. I mean, I'm told about how great a love they have and blah, blah, blah but that's all. I'm just told about it but I've never been given reason as to why their love story is even worth telling. So the grew up together, that's not really interesting. Also, it's so awkward. And they're both so hung up on sex at random moments, like chill, we kinda have other things we should be worrying about other than the two of you getting to do it.and that sex scene was so uncomfortable. they were just like 'yup we need to have sex right now just because we might not be able to after this' soooo romantic. it wasn't set up or anything. and then were given akward commentary afterward as if the readers needed to be reminded that kitty and benjy's relationship is the equivalent of two middle schoolers who are convinced they are in love.
2.)Kitty's goddamn repetitiveness. Not once in this entire novel did she do as she promised she would. And every single time she screwed Knox over. Sure, she's allowed to make mistakes and act selfishly every now and then but literally did it the entire novel. It's so unbelievably frustrating. And to be quite honest, she can be a big hyprocrite too. She blames Knox for everything that has gone wrong in her life and for not trusting her when she never even proves to be truthworty. How can she not understand that he is trying to actually change the world and how he can't just let her spill all of his secrets? She has really unfair judgement to him especially considering he's the only character in this god-forsaken series who's actually Getting Shit Done.
But other than that this series has actually really interesting and developed plotlines.
It just really lacks in character development and relationships. I was able to mostly ignore this is Pawn, but it became such a glaring problem in Captive that it really ruined the book for me. Knox is the only character is has serious development and a clear and true purpose with this series. Despite his privilege, he really truly wants to change the world for the better, even if he has to make some morally ambiguous decisions in order to achieve it every now and then. Kitty, our supposed protagonist, actually really is no more than a pawn in all of this (even if she feels the need to state otherwise every freaking chapter). The only change she has made within this series thus far, the only relevant things she has actually done, have all been by Knox's direction. She read all of the speeches because Knox encouraged her to. She killed Augusta because Knox had to give her the incentive.she attended maybe a few Blackcoat meetings and even noted that she had no idea how everything worked and was basically useless. Knox had to coaz her into continuing to be Lila and then had to make the back up plan of faking Benjy's death for when Kitty inevitably fucked everything up. Honestly, literally any girl could take Kitty's place and nothing would change. Except maybe if it had been a different girl, this girl wouldn't be so intent on fucking everything up all the time.
And what's stupid is Kitty's lack of regard for anyone else but her and Benjy. I'm supposed to believe that she cares about the rest of humanity when she is always so quick to run away from everything just so she can be with her boyfriend? If she really cared she would actually listen to Knox for once and not intentionally keep secrets and go behind his back just so she can have blackmail.
The only thing that makes Kitty even ounce relevant to this entire story is the fact that she was masked to look like Lilaand because she is the real Daxton's daughter apparently.
What I'm basically saying is this series would have been better off just being written in Knox's point of view. Basically.
1.) Benjy and Kitty's relationship. It's so unbelievably bland. I mean, I'm told about how great a love they have and blah, blah, blah but that's all. I'm just told about it but I've never been given reason as to why their love story is even worth telling. So the grew up together, that's not really interesting. Also, it's so awkward. And they're both so hung up on sex at random moments, like chill, we kinda have other things we should be worrying about other than the two of you getting to do it.
2.)Kitty's goddamn repetitiveness. Not once in this entire novel did she do as she promised she would. And every single time she screwed Knox over. Sure, she's allowed to make mistakes and act selfishly every now and then but literally did it the entire novel. It's so unbelievably frustrating. And to be quite honest, she can be a big hyprocrite too. She blames Knox for everything that has gone wrong in her life and for not trusting her when she never even proves to be truthworty. How can she not understand that he is trying to actually change the world and how he can't just let her spill all of his secrets? She has really unfair judgement to him especially considering he's the only character in this god-forsaken series who's actually Getting Shit Done.
But other than that this series has actually really interesting and developed plotlines.
It just really lacks in character development and relationships. I was able to mostly ignore this is Pawn, but it became such a glaring problem in Captive that it really ruined the book for me. Knox is the only character is has serious development and a clear and true purpose with this series. Despite his privilege, he really truly wants to change the world for the better, even if he has to make some morally ambiguous decisions in order to achieve it every now and then. Kitty, our supposed protagonist, actually really is no more than a pawn in all of this (even if she feels the need to state otherwise every freaking chapter). The only change she has made within this series thus far, the only relevant things she has actually done, have all been by Knox's direction. She read all of the speeches because Knox encouraged her to. She killed Augusta because Knox had to give her the incentive.
And what's stupid is Kitty's lack of regard for anyone else but her and Benjy. I'm supposed to believe that she cares about the rest of humanity when she is always so quick to run away from everything just so she can be with her boyfriend? If she really cared she would actually listen to Knox for once and not intentionally keep secrets and go behind his back just so she can have blackmail.
The only thing that makes Kitty even ounce relevant to this entire story is the fact that she was masked to look like Lila
What I'm basically saying is this series would have been better off just being written in Knox's point of view. Basically.