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3.85 AVERAGE
3.85 AVERAGE
adventurous
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
dark
funny
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I thought the worldbuilding and magic system were interesting, plus the general tropes and beats of the novel were absolutely up my alley. The constant pop culture references (especially for someone 1000+ years old) wore thin fairly quickly, as did the inundation of sexual references.
Half of the issue was that it was repeatedly made clear that it was a woman written by a man. The other half was that even/especially if it was a male protagonist, it would wear thin very quickly. The gratuitous sexual references only worked as much as they did BECAUSE it was a woman, but the woman in question was not written well enough to carry it
Half of the issue was that it was repeatedly made clear that it was a woman written by a man. The other half was that even/especially if it was a male protagonist, it would wear thin very quickly. The gratuitous sexual references only worked as much as they did BECAUSE it was a woman, but the woman in question was not written well enough to carry it
adventurous
emotional
funny
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
What a good concept for a book! But there’s a lot keeping me from really enjoying this. The footnotes could have been cut in half, the tone could have a bit more polishing, and the references to 80s/90s gamer nerd culture needs to be fuzzed out. A lot. First of all, I don’t feel that’s what Davi would have been interested in when alive, but second of all, after 1000 years of torment, I doubt she’d remember anything as clear as specific characters and plot points from anything, really. There’s a foot note early on that tacitly explores this, but then she spends the rest of the book wholesale quoting movies.
Some people say the voice feels inauthentic, and I kinda agree. She thinks with her loins way more than any woman I know, her references are glaringly coded, and (insert witty third thing, don’t forget to edit this part out). But i have friends who are a lot like Davi. They’re butches and transmascs, which is real as hell. So these people do exist, and I appreciated reading a character far removed from other books I’ve read before.
I enjoyed this. There’s a lot keeping me from loving it, but it was a stupidly quick read and did have some genuinely very good emotional moments. If you like the concept but don’t think this book is right for you, check out In Other Lands if you’re queer or A Practical Guide to Conquering the World if you like the cocky underdog general side. Or check this out at your library and read all three. I’m not your mom.
Some people say the voice feels inauthentic, and I kinda agree. She thinks with her loins way more than any woman I know, her references are glaringly coded, and (insert witty third thing, don’t forget to edit this part out). But i have friends who are a lot like Davi. They’re butches and transmascs, which is real as hell. So these people do exist, and I appreciated reading a character far removed from other books I’ve read before.
I enjoyed this. There’s a lot keeping me from loving it, but it was a stupidly quick read and did have some genuinely very good emotional moments. If you like the concept but don’t think this book is right for you, check out In Other Lands if you’re queer or A Practical Guide to Conquering the World if you like the cocky underdog general side. Or check this out at your library and read all three. I’m not your mom.
So different from everything I’ve read before! Filled with humour, satire and a sprinkle of dungeons and dragons. I loved it and I’m excited for the second!
adventurous
funny
medium-paced
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes