Scan barcode
galleytrot's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
READ: Mar 2024
FORMAT: Audio
ENTERTAINMENT VALUE: 4 / 5⭐
TECHNICAL / PRODUCTION: 4.5 / 5⭐
FINAL – OVERALL: 4.25 / 5⭐
In this book, Edwin's home and neighbourhood are threatened by a high flood risk for the first time since moving in, and it's up to him to prepare for the inevitable as best he can. One of the engineers assisting with flood prevention and management takes a shine to the lonely and quiet homeowner, gifting him with special attention and pulling him out of his shell, but the memory of his ex's abandonment weighs heavy on Edwin inside of his house of dreams and expectations. Said ex also gets his own story now, in the second half of this book.
It's been a hot minute since my first time reading this book, and I'd hoped with the re-release that a heavily increased page count meant more might’ve been added to this rather short (but extremely sweet) story. Alas, it's been left the same as before, and the majority of the new content is about Marius with a couple peeks back over at what Edwin and Adam have been up to afterwards. I never exactly wanted Marius' story, nor did I think I would like it very much based off what little we were fed about him through the Spires series. Chasing the Light ultimately never softened me to him, but I'm glad to have read it, all the same.
Waiting for the Flood is like poetry, the way all of the Spires books come across. They're all so beautifully written in this ethereal way that makes them so easy to just soak in and feel, with characters given extensive personalities and histories and quirks of character and interests not commonly found in your other average romance characters. It always shocks me when I am reminded that these are some of Hall's earliest works, because they're all on a level I could never hope to aspire to on my own. The tone of Chasing the Light, on the other hand, takes a hard turn away from that artistic beauty in a way that hits very close to home, having once been a productive artist who has since hit a wall and hasn't created a thing in far too many years. I'm irritated by how effective that tonal shift is, and it’s extremely effective for demonstrating Marius’ fall away from creation.
This book has representation for gays and bisexuals. There is otherwise little else in the way of diversity.
The following elaborates on my content warnings. These may be interpreted as spoilers, but I do not go into deep detail.
This book contains: past parent death (heart attack); past addiction (unspecified); injury (severe sprain); blood; and, heavily implied eating disorder.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Eating disorder, Blood, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Addiction and Death of parent
More...