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robotnik 's review for:
And I Darken
by Kiersten White
slow-paced
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
My sister had this game for the PSP that was about Joan of Arc, but there was also magic girl sequences, historical figures being furries and lots of demons. It was as anime as an adaption of history could get. Why am I mentioning this? Well, this Joan of Arc game is pretty much the same as And I Darken as they're both historical retellings that don't really tell you how anything in history actually went. The difference is this game was weeb trash but it was fun weeb trash while this book was incredibly boring most of the time with no sense of direction.
The game also, despite all the furries and demons flying around, is apparently more historically accurate than this book, judging by some of the reviews from people who are actually from the culture this book describes. Apparently, And I Darken is not just a retelling, but a full on offensive bastardization of their history, which is always fun. I digress.
When I first started reading it, I was pretty into this book. Unfortunately, the dark and edgy glamor of it eventually wears off as nothing continues to happen. None of the characters are capable of being rooted for. A lot of them are boring and flat with more than a fair few just feeling like bare bone stereotypes. It was lucky the book was told from both Lada and Radu's perspectives as they're the only two remotely interesting characters in the whole thing and, even then, I don't know if either one could carry a book on their lonesome. I think it was trying pretty hard to be a political drama while having some of the most boring basic politics going on. It's really just a romance story with a love triangle in it. An unconventional love triangle but a love triangle nonetheless.
Don't get me wrong, the book wasn't entirely boring. Again, I enjoyed it when I started it, and I liked it when there was action going at the end. But, the entire middle was a slog to get through and at 500 pages, it doesn't feel worth it.
I already own the second book, seeing as I got them both as a deal, so I'll still read it, but if that one turns out as poorly as this one, this might be a series I give up on.
The game also, despite all the furries and demons flying around, is apparently more historically accurate than this book, judging by some of the reviews from people who are actually from the culture this book describes. Apparently, And I Darken is not just a retelling, but a full on offensive bastardization of their history, which is always fun. I digress.
When I first started reading it, I was pretty into this book. Unfortunately, the dark and edgy glamor of it eventually wears off as nothing continues to happen. None of the characters are capable of being rooted for. A lot of them are boring and flat with more than a fair few just feeling like bare bone stereotypes. It was lucky the book was told from both Lada and Radu's perspectives as they're the only two remotely interesting characters in the whole thing and, even then, I don't know if either one could carry a book on their lonesome. I think it was trying pretty hard to be a political drama while having some of the most boring basic politics going on. It's really just a romance story with a love triangle in it. An unconventional love triangle but a love triangle nonetheless.
Don't get me wrong, the book wasn't entirely boring. Again, I enjoyed it when I started it, and I liked it when there was action going at the end. But, the entire middle was a slog to get through and at 500 pages, it doesn't feel worth it.
I already own the second book, seeing as I got them both as a deal, so I'll still read it, but if that one turns out as poorly as this one, this might be a series I give up on.