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A review by alina_leonova
Neglected Merge by Eve Koguce
4.0
I have to start this review with two confessions. First, I don't normally read romance, so I'm unaware of the trends and tropes typical for the genre. I might miss something or judge something unfairly just because I don't know what the norms are, so please take this review with a grain of salt. Second, I've decided to read this book because I know Eve Koguce as an active and supportive member of the writing community, and I was curious about her work. This fact doesn't influence my review.
The story takes place in an intriguing dystopian setting where two worlds have merged, bringing two races of people together: the wingless and the winged ones. Even though they now occupy the same planet, the two races live separate lives and don't have any contact with each other until a winged man falls on the floor of a wingless woman's apartment by accident, kick-starting a romance and a cascade of events that will change the world forever.
I liked the premise and found it interesting and thought-provoking. Even though the title of the book says 'utopian', upon closer inspection the world of the wingless turns out to be deeply dissatisfying despite being technologically advanced and safe. The world of the winged ones is ruled by completely different principles, but the rigid rules imposed on the members of society disregarding their personal preferences and differences is what the two worlds have in common.
The protagonist and the POV character is Tauria, the woman who falls in love with a winged man. What I liked about her was that she was an independent thinker who didn't blindly accept the norm. She wanted more and she was willing to fight for it. She was determined and focused on her goals, but she always thought about the consequences of her actions for other people. However, I personally prefer a flawed character who makes mistakes and isn't always perfect. Tauria was instantly good at everything she tried, everyone liked her, she always had the right thing to say and immediately had a good idea that everyone accepted even in the most unusual situations. Maybe this type of character is typical of romance, and I'm sure there are readers who enjoy it. I personally would prefer to see her struggle and stumble in the multiple challenging situations that she had to deal with throughout the book.
The story starts with a significant and intriguing event when Doron (the winged man) falls on Tauria's floor, which is extremely unusual because the winged and the wingless don't cross the borders of each other's domains. The characters fall in love while Doron stays in Tauria's apartment for a few days to let his wing heal. What I liked was how the simple things about Tauria were described through Doron's perspective. He was fascinated by the fluidity of emotion on her face and by her fidgeting because it was so unlike winged women's behavior. I thought it was really perceptive because the things that other people like about us might be the things we don't even pay attention to and don't consider strengths. What I didn't understand was how quickly the intense and deep love developed between the characters. The mutual fascination, desire and curiosity they had for each other made sense to me and I liked how it was depicted. But because they spent very little time together and didn't really know each other, it was strange to me that they decided they wanted to be together for life and went on without seeing each other for a whole year while they were working on changing the rules of their worlds. Again, maybe it's normal for the genre, but it would make more sense to me if their love developed gradually while they stole secret meetings with each other, unable to stay apart.
After that, the plot slows down while both characters get down to work to change the world so that they can be together. I liked their determination and found that part of the book relaxing and cozy in some moments. For me personally, it lacked emotional tension and conflict, which, again, might be because I'm used to reading sci-fi and fantasy, but I'd love to see the characters encounter more obstacles, both internal and external.
However, the second half of the book provided more conflict, tension, unexpected turns of events and the development of romance with heated and passionate moments. I enjoyed it a lot and was really intrigued by some of the events. It ended somewhat abruptly for me without bringing closure to a few events that were interesting and significant. The main romance plot line was well developed and ended in the place that felt right to me, but there were at least two additional stories that, to my mind, deserved more attention.
All in all, I enjoyed the book. The author has her unique style that somewhat reminds me of the books of the previous centuries with its formal dialogue and the tone of the narrative. Taking into account that it's a debut, I think the author has a lot of potential.
You might enjoy the book if you are into fantasy romances, don't mind a slow start and enjoy a relaxing read that goes into the details of the characters' lives.
The story takes place in an intriguing dystopian setting where two worlds have merged, bringing two races of people together: the wingless and the winged ones. Even though they now occupy the same planet, the two races live separate lives and don't have any contact with each other until a winged man falls on the floor of a wingless woman's apartment by accident, kick-starting a romance and a cascade of events that will change the world forever.
I liked the premise and found it interesting and thought-provoking. Even though the title of the book says 'utopian', upon closer inspection the world of the wingless turns out to be deeply dissatisfying despite being technologically advanced and safe. The world of the winged ones is ruled by completely different principles, but the rigid rules imposed on the members of society disregarding their personal preferences and differences is what the two worlds have in common.
The protagonist and the POV character is Tauria, the woman who falls in love with a winged man. What I liked about her was that she was an independent thinker who didn't blindly accept the norm. She wanted more and she was willing to fight for it. She was determined and focused on her goals, but she always thought about the consequences of her actions for other people. However, I personally prefer a flawed character who makes mistakes and isn't always perfect. Tauria was instantly good at everything she tried, everyone liked her, she always had the right thing to say and immediately had a good idea that everyone accepted even in the most unusual situations. Maybe this type of character is typical of romance, and I'm sure there are readers who enjoy it. I personally would prefer to see her struggle and stumble in the multiple challenging situations that she had to deal with throughout the book.
The story starts with a significant and intriguing event when Doron (the winged man) falls on Tauria's floor, which is extremely unusual because the winged and the wingless don't cross the borders of each other's domains. The characters fall in love while Doron stays in Tauria's apartment for a few days to let his wing heal. What I liked was how the simple things about Tauria were described through Doron's perspective. He was fascinated by the fluidity of emotion on her face and by her fidgeting because it was so unlike winged women's behavior. I thought it was really perceptive because the things that other people like about us might be the things we don't even pay attention to and don't consider strengths. What I didn't understand was how quickly the intense and deep love developed between the characters. The mutual fascination, desire and curiosity they had for each other made sense to me and I liked how it was depicted. But because they spent very little time together and didn't really know each other, it was strange to me that they decided they wanted to be together for life and went on without seeing each other for a whole year while they were working on changing the rules of their worlds. Again, maybe it's normal for the genre, but it would make more sense to me if their love developed gradually while they stole secret meetings with each other, unable to stay apart.
After that, the plot slows down while both characters get down to work to change the world so that they can be together. I liked their determination and found that part of the book relaxing and cozy in some moments. For me personally, it lacked emotional tension and conflict, which, again, might be because I'm used to reading sci-fi and fantasy, but I'd love to see the characters encounter more obstacles, both internal and external.
However, the second half of the book provided more conflict, tension, unexpected turns of events and the development of romance with heated and passionate moments. I enjoyed it a lot and was really intrigued by some of the events. It ended somewhat abruptly for me without bringing closure to a few events that were interesting and significant. The main romance plot line was well developed and ended in the place that felt right to me, but there were at least two additional stories that, to my mind, deserved more attention.
All in all, I enjoyed the book. The author has her unique style that somewhat reminds me of the books of the previous centuries with its formal dialogue and the tone of the narrative. Taking into account that it's a debut, I think the author has a lot of potential.
You might enjoy the book if you are into fantasy romances, don't mind a slow start and enjoy a relaxing read that goes into the details of the characters' lives.