Take a photo of a barcode or cover
courtney_saba 's review for:
Queene of Light
by Jennifer Armintrout
Annnnnnnnnnnnd there goes my high expectations. Overall: 1.5 stars rounded down.
This book came highly recommended by a reviewer that I hold in very high esteem. It pains me to dash her hopes, but I really didn't enjoy this one.
The beginning was stellar! I was definitely intrigued by a fight between a faery assassin and a Death Angel, and the eventual romance between these two enemies (also a stellar theme). I've never seen that combination before, and I was excited to continue the story. Then the fight was a little lackluster. Not to mention that I never really got the feeling that this "assassin" lived up to her reputation. It always seems like when a book includes an assassin, there isn't any assassin-ing going on. Or maybe that's just my luck with books.
The romance: I'm a sucker for enemies to lovers; however, this pairing was so sudden that I got a whiplash. Malachi went from rage and "ugh I hate her I'm going to kill her" to making out with a shapershifter succubus that looked like Ayla. Um...100% whiplash. And Ayla's feelings for him was sudden, too. This "connection" between them was mentioned several times, but never explained. I wanted more from the romance angle. More explanation. I was ultimately confused and questioned their need for each other. This could've been epic, but it wasn't sadly.
While reading this book, I felt indifferent. Dispassionate. There was a wall between me and the characters and this essentially hindered my ability to connect to and care for the characters.
Ayla was annoyingly naive at some points and intelligent in others, and I wasn't able to root for her in the end. She was dull, empty, without much personality, prone to childlike outbursts and immaturity. Her inability to open up and be vulnerable was a weakness, and I was tired of her after the halfway mark. A character doesn't have to be likeable for me to be entertained, but I at least have to somewhat enjoy being in their head, our protagonist, for the majority of the book. And I really didn't enjoy Ayla.
***spoiler ahead. Read at your own risk***
I'm saying it now and you can't convince me otherwise: Keller was a plot device. What was the point in us getting to know him and establishing him as a sort of important character just for him to be killed off page? The author did a disservice to him, tbh, and I wasn't happy with this choice.
Goddamn baby angle. I don't enjoy this theme, and maybe I'm being unreasonable, but I seriously hate this angle in books.
***end spoiler. Carry on***
The worldbuilding: unique, original, but still vague and weak in execution. Again, could've been better.
The plot: underdog rises up. Typical. Entertaining for a bit, but I only read the dialogue during the last 30-40% of the book.
Overall: another disappointment. I'm in a bit of a reading slump these days, and I can't seem to pick the right books anymore. It's made me even more jaded than I already am.
Would I re-read or recommend this book? Unfortunately, no. (Sorry Nenia)
Was I entertained? In the beginning, but it became less exciting the more I continued.
Happy reading, Goodreads fiends.
This book came highly recommended by a reviewer that I hold in very high esteem. It pains me to dash her hopes, but I really didn't enjoy this one.
The beginning was stellar! I was definitely intrigued by a fight between a faery assassin and a Death Angel, and the eventual romance between these two enemies (also a stellar theme). I've never seen that combination before, and I was excited to continue the story. Then the fight was a little lackluster. Not to mention that I never really got the feeling that this "assassin" lived up to her reputation. It always seems like when a book includes an assassin, there isn't any assassin-ing going on. Or maybe that's just my luck with books.
The romance: I'm a sucker for enemies to lovers; however, this pairing was so sudden that I got a whiplash. Malachi went from rage and "ugh I hate her I'm going to kill her" to making out with a shapershifter succubus that looked like Ayla. Um...100% whiplash. And Ayla's feelings for him was sudden, too. This "connection" between them was mentioned several times, but never explained. I wanted more from the romance angle. More explanation. I was ultimately confused and questioned their need for each other. This could've been epic, but it wasn't sadly.
While reading this book, I felt indifferent. Dispassionate. There was a wall between me and the characters and this essentially hindered my ability to connect to and care for the characters.
Ayla was annoyingly naive at some points and intelligent in others, and I wasn't able to root for her in the end. She was dull, empty, without much personality, prone to childlike outbursts and immaturity. Her inability to open up and be vulnerable was a weakness, and I was tired of her after the halfway mark. A character doesn't have to be likeable for me to be entertained, but I at least have to somewhat enjoy being in their head, our protagonist, for the majority of the book. And I really didn't enjoy Ayla.
***spoiler ahead. Read at your own risk***
I'm saying it now and you can't convince me otherwise: Keller was a plot device. What was the point in us getting to know him and establishing him as a sort of important character just for him to be killed off page? The author did a disservice to him, tbh, and I wasn't happy with this choice.
Goddamn baby angle. I don't enjoy this theme, and maybe I'm being unreasonable, but I seriously hate this angle in books.
***end spoiler. Carry on***
The worldbuilding: unique, original, but still vague and weak in execution. Again, could've been better.
The plot: underdog rises up. Typical. Entertaining for a bit, but I only read the dialogue during the last 30-40% of the book.
Overall: another disappointment. I'm in a bit of a reading slump these days, and I can't seem to pick the right books anymore. It's made me even more jaded than I already am.
Would I re-read or recommend this book? Unfortunately, no. (Sorry Nenia)
Was I entertained? In the beginning, but it became less exciting the more I continued.
Happy reading, Goodreads fiends.