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A review by carryontae
Born of Embers by Harper Wylde, Quinn Arthurs
2.0
I made it to 75% and just. Couldn't get any further. I dunno if it was me or the book but I was bored a lot while reading this. And I really didn't want to be bored because the shifters here are so unique and cool and I wanted to know more so badly (kraken???? a unicorn that's not actually a unicorn??) but I was so bored I couldn't do it. IMO a lot of that had to do with how info-dump-y the book was.
I get it, y'know. First book in the series, the info needs to be revealed but how much do you reveal without coming off as /too/ mysterious but making sure the basics are out there. It's a fine line and unfortunately, this book kind of leaped way over it. A few random blocks of info would've been fine. Pages and pages of info blocks, repeating every other chapter was ... not for me.
I had a hard time connecting with any of the characters. I couldn't get a feel for any of the guys despite having scenes from their POV (maybe because of all the info dumps, everyone just blurred together rip T__T) And Nix. God I feel ghastly for not caring about Nix considering apparently the opening chapters barely scratched the surface of how much trauma she endured but I just couldn't connect with her or care about her at all. I can't speak to how she was after arriving in Alaska because there's no right way/wrong way to behave post-trauma but something about the way she was written made it feel like the abuse was someone else's story. There were a couple of other books I've read recently (with similar past abuse storylines) and my heart ACHED for the MC because you could feel what she felt. I had to take breaks during the scenes where they described what happened because it felt too raw. Here, though, it read more like descriptions rather than emotion (telling not showing I guess) and I couldn't connect with Nix at all.
(Also I'm aware that I'm being petty but Nix apparently had enough access to TV and pop culture that she could make random references and jokes to the guys about shows she'd seen, some of which included GOT and My Little Pony and anime, and she kinda knew what a kitsune was, but in all her life, considering how many times she'd died and come back to life, it never once occurred to her that the animal she might be looking for was a phoenix????? Okay sure she didn't know shifters existed but once she did, and once she knew mythological creatures were fair game, she still had no idea? She suspected DRAGON before PHOENIX???? The guys didn't know she'd come back to life so many times so whatever, but what was Nix's reasoning here? She knew about Jon Snow and watched Charmed and Supernatural but didn't get to ...... phoenix?? I wanted to rip my hair out at how long it was taking and when it finally happened, I couldn't even be happy because it was just so drawn out and dumb)
(Another thing that was dumb. Why on EARTH did she take her scumbag dad's word at face value about that bracelet or whatever? Sure at first, she might've held out hope, but after she got to the point where she was calling him by name because of how garbage he was, why wouldn't she suspect that this thing that he wanted her to wear was probably something she should've thrown away immediately?)(If this is something that's clarified later in the book, then nvm)
Anyway. Wasn't for me.
I get it, y'know. First book in the series, the info needs to be revealed but how much do you reveal without coming off as /too/ mysterious but making sure the basics are out there. It's a fine line and unfortunately, this book kind of leaped way over it. A few random blocks of info would've been fine. Pages and pages of info blocks, repeating every other chapter was ... not for me.
I had a hard time connecting with any of the characters. I couldn't get a feel for any of the guys despite having scenes from their POV (maybe because of all the info dumps, everyone just blurred together rip T__T) And Nix. God I feel ghastly for not caring about Nix considering apparently the opening chapters barely scratched the surface of how much trauma she endured but I just couldn't connect with her or care about her at all. I can't speak to how she was after arriving in Alaska because there's no right way/wrong way to behave post-trauma but something about the way she was written made it feel like the abuse was someone else's story. There were a couple of other books I've read recently (with similar past abuse storylines) and my heart ACHED for the MC because you could feel what she felt. I had to take breaks during the scenes where they described what happened because it felt too raw. Here, though, it read more like descriptions rather than emotion (telling not showing I guess) and I couldn't connect with Nix at all.
(Also I'm aware that I'm being petty but Nix apparently had enough access to TV and pop culture that she could make random references and jokes to the guys about shows she'd seen, some of which included GOT and My Little Pony and anime, and she kinda knew what a kitsune was, but in all her life, considering how many times she'd died and come back to life, it never once occurred to her that the animal she might be looking for was a phoenix????? Okay sure she didn't know shifters existed but once she did, and once she knew mythological creatures were fair game, she still had no idea? She suspected DRAGON before PHOENIX???? The guys didn't know she'd come back to life so many times so whatever, but what was Nix's reasoning here? She knew about Jon Snow and watched Charmed and Supernatural but didn't get to ...... phoenix?? I wanted to rip my hair out at how long it was taking and when it finally happened, I couldn't even be happy because it was just so drawn out and dumb)
(Another thing that was dumb. Why on EARTH did she take her scumbag dad's word at face value about that bracelet or whatever? Sure at first, she might've held out hope, but after she got to the point where she was calling him by name because of how garbage he was, why wouldn't she suspect that this thing that he wanted her to wear was probably something she should've thrown away immediately?)(If this is something that's clarified later in the book, then nvm)
Anyway. Wasn't for me.