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3.43 AVERAGE
3.43 AVERAGE
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Set in 1863 Pennsylvania and narrated by Jerusalem, paranormal elements are added to the Civil War.
adventurous
challenging
dark
tense
fast-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:
Yes
adventurous
dark
medium-paced
This was an interesting book. I like that it takes place during the American Civil War and that the author included the Underground Railroad and historical figures, like General Lee, in the story. I felt for Jerusalem and all of the losses she had faced but I loved how she turned that grief into action and used it to avenge her family and take out some vampires.
Is this going to become a duology? Because I wouldn't say no to another book with Jerusalem and Alexei.
Angel Pean and Jay Ben Markson did a great job narrating this novel. You could easily identify which character was speaking based on the narrators voice which made it easy to keep everyone straight in my brain. Looking forward to listening to more of their work in the future.
Is this going to become a duology? Because I wouldn't say no to another book with Jerusalem and Alexei.
Angel Pean and Jay Ben Markson did a great job narrating this novel. You could easily identify which character was speaking based on the narrators voice which made it easy to keep everyone straight in my brain. Looking forward to listening to more of their work in the future.
I really wanted to be in love with this book. I truly enjoyed the plot and was really intrigued with a Civil War era romantasy. The Dangerous Ones follows Jerusalem and Alexei. Jerusalem is a newly freed enslaved woman who has escaped her plantation and is a saint with superhuman strength and speed. Alexei is a vampire with a strong disgust for enslavement and has joined the union army to give them a fighting chance against the vampires fighting with the south. When the time has come, Jerusalem is finally able to seek revenge on those who enslaved her and murdered her family. Unfortunately, it’s not gonna be as easy as she thought.
I think I really struggled with loving these characters for probably about 75% of the book. It felt like a lot of their actions didn’t align with their thoughts/words. I also really struggled with the white savior complex in Alexei. That said, I really appreciated the world building and enjoyed one the twists in the end. The other twist kind of didn’t make sense to me, and I found myself rereading that section but still not having much clarity. This is probably the most diverse CAWPILE rating I have ever done because I felt like there were some things that I really loved about The Dangerous Ones and some things that I just didn’t understand.
C 6
A 10
W 6
P 9
I 8
L 4
E 8
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
The Dangerous Ones by Lauren Blackwood is the second book by Blackwood I’ve read (the first being Within These Wicked Walls). I found I had similar complaints with the latest novel as I did with the first - a main character that I didn’t like much. In WTWW the main female protagonist was strong and fierce, but the love interest was whiney and incredibly irritating. I found this to be flipped on its head in The Dangerous Ones. Told from two POVs this time, the Vampire, Alexei was for some reason which is never quite clear, in love with a black teen, Jerusalem, who treats him pretty poorly throughout almost the entire book. She has had a really tough life, enslaved and abused, before escaping and fighting in the ongoing Civil War which sets a backdrop to the action. Her backstory is well told, and the scenes of ill treatment extremely visceral and impactful. Similarly Alexei’s backstory is also intriguing (I’d have liked to have seen both explored a little more). But there really is no romance slow burn to speak of, and it is never really that clear what either sees in the other. I felt more romance between two briefly seen side characters. In the last quarter of the book the action really picks up and it became a super fast read but I really was not pulling for these two to get together whatsoever. Overall the civil war setting, and broader themes of slavery and emotional abuse lent weight to what is otherwise a little thin on story and romance.
“'You make me so mad sometimes,' I muttered, but I didn't sound convincing.
'And you try to kill me sometimes. We're even.'"
From the author's note at the end: "[U]ltimately, The Dangerous Ones is the journey of a Black girl seeking vengeance, falling in love, and taking her freedom into her own hands . . . and I also just wanted to write a book about hot, powerful people and include every fantasy romance trope I could think of on my own terms. The result is a fun, emotional ride that is full of just as much Black Joy as pain."
I really enjoyed this book! This book features modern vernacular, which I actually liked. It's a fantasy reimagining of the Civil War with vampires; the author can do what they want.
'And you try to kill me sometimes. We're even.'"
From the author's note at the end: "[U]ltimately, The Dangerous Ones is the journey of a Black girl seeking vengeance, falling in love, and taking her freedom into her own hands . . . and I also just wanted to write a book about hot, powerful people and include every fantasy romance trope I could think of on my own terms. The result is a fun, emotional ride that is full of just as much Black Joy as pain."
I really enjoyed this book! This book features modern vernacular, which I actually liked. It's a fantasy reimagining of the Civil War with vampires; the author can do what they want.
challenging
dark
tense
medium-paced