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A review by withywoods
Fortuna Sworn by K.J. Sutton
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.0
My rating isn't fair, perhaps. For books of this genre, maybe Fortuna Sworn is above average. I wouldn't know.
I was tempted to keep a list of all the things that made me scoff and roll my eyes and just sigh with exasperation. But I didn't. So let me just say that this book's biggest problem is the protagonist. I wanted her to fail. She's just odious. I like the idea that she sees her work pals as her little found family when you know that they'd be better off without her sarcastic ass dragging the mood down constantly. Abrasive, mercurial to a fault, HORNY AS A DOG (my God what was WITH her constant horniness?!) and just plain idiotic most of the time, Fortuna made this book about ten times worse than it might otherwise have been. Make up your mind, woman – are you ready to jump this man's bones or do you hate him, hate him, never want to date him? By the third or fourth lengthy description of Collith's appearance, we had a preface of "I've never had a chance to look at him properly before now". Honey, what?! Ogling this "male", your "mate" is ALL you've been doing!
Anyway, the reason I can't read books where "romance" (let's be honest, here, it's just plain smut at points) is the main theme is that there's never very strong plot, worldbullding and characterization. All cheeky little things that I tend to enjoy in my fiction. But what you will get is loads of "and now his dick was hard". Right now? When he's being attacked? And he's surrounded by others? Unlikely. Apologies to anyone reading this review and thinking "Yeah, that's the whole point of the genre". Fair enough, but it clearly doesn't work for me.
SPOILERS AFTER THIS, PROBABLY
Buried under the POV of the world's most tiresome protagonist and the paper-thin cast of characters is a vaguely intriguing plot. Just about. Does anyone want to know who or what Oliver is, exactly? Because spending time with Fortuna's mental sex doll would otherwise be very bleak, if his plot and purpose don't amount to anything more. And who would've thunk that the character only Fortuna interacted with was visible only to her?! I am in pure disbelief and will never recover from this groundbreaking discovery. Is there really more to Sutton's world to warrant further reading? Perhaps. Check in with me next year, when the nights draw long and the temperature plummets and I once again lose all sense and reason, and reach for another trashy and easily devoured book. Maybe the next in the series is what I'll reach for. If I can remember one bland character from the next, or why I should care about Fortuna's motives, or or or.
Note that even this review is tainted – influenced by Sutton's overwrought writing, mean-spirited, aiming for a banterous tone but just sounding petulant. I need my mental space to be clean once more. May the next read be a good one.
I was tempted to keep a list of all the things that made me scoff and roll my eyes and just sigh with exasperation. But I didn't. So let me just say that this book's biggest problem is the protagonist. I wanted her to fail. She's just odious. I like the idea that she sees her work pals as her little found family when you know that they'd be better off without her sarcastic ass dragging the mood down constantly. Abrasive, mercurial to a fault, HORNY AS A DOG (my God what was WITH her constant horniness?!) and just plain idiotic most of the time, Fortuna made this book about ten times worse than it might otherwise have been. Make up your mind, woman – are you ready to jump this man's bones or do you hate him, hate him, never want to date him? By the third or fourth lengthy description of Collith's appearance, we had a preface of "I've never had a chance to look at him properly before now". Honey, what?! Ogling this "male", your "mate" is ALL you've been doing!
Anyway, the reason I can't read books where "romance" (let's be honest, here, it's just plain smut at points) is the main theme is that there's never very strong plot, worldbullding and characterization. All cheeky little things that I tend to enjoy in my fiction. But what you will get is loads of "and now his dick was hard". Right now? When he's being attacked? And he's surrounded by others? Unlikely. Apologies to anyone reading this review and thinking "Yeah, that's the whole point of the genre". Fair enough, but it clearly doesn't work for me.
SPOILERS AFTER THIS, PROBABLY
Buried under the POV of the world's most tiresome protagonist and the paper-thin cast of characters is a vaguely intriguing plot. Just about. Does anyone want to know who or what Oliver is, exactly? Because spending time with Fortuna's mental sex doll would otherwise be very bleak, if his plot and purpose don't amount to anything more. And who would've thunk that the character only Fortuna interacted with was visible only to her?! I am in pure disbelief and will never recover from this groundbreaking discovery. Is there really more to Sutton's world to warrant further reading? Perhaps. Check in with me next year, when the nights draw long and the temperature plummets and I once again lose all sense and reason, and reach for another trashy and easily devoured book. Maybe the next in the series is what I'll reach for. If I can remember one bland character from the next, or why I should care about Fortuna's motives, or or or.
Note that even this review is tainted – influenced by Sutton's overwrought writing, mean-spirited, aiming for a banterous tone but just sounding petulant. I need my mental space to be clean once more. May the next read be a good one.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Slavery