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charliauthor's reviews
492 reviews
Bloodmarked by Tracy Deonn
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
Sigh, okay...let's go.
I'm aware I'll likely be in the minority for this but I'm past caring at this stage.
When I read Legendborn a few years ago, I liked it well enough but I did struggle with the trauma/slave narrative and so focused more on the Fantasy/Arthurian element of it which I enjoyed a whole lot more. After giving it a re read, this was still the case and I spent most of my time trying to get my head around the lore as I found this more interesting than the other side of the plot which i found rather depressing and not what i usually want in my Fantasy.
Saying that, there was no reason for me to have spent any time getting to terms with the Arthurian parts of this, because in Bloodmarked, none of them matter and the actual knights and Arthur take pretty much a back seat to everything else.
I'm aware I'll likely be in the minority for this but I'm past caring at this stage.
When I read Legendborn a few years ago, I liked it well enough but I did struggle with the trauma/slave narrative and so focused more on the Fantasy/Arthurian element of it which I enjoyed a whole lot more. After giving it a re read, this was still the case and I spent most of my time trying to get my head around the lore as I found this more interesting than the other side of the plot which i found rather depressing and not what i usually want in my Fantasy.
Saying that, there was no reason for me to have spent any time getting to terms with the Arthurian parts of this, because in Bloodmarked, none of them matter and the actual knights and Arthur take pretty much a back seat to everything else.
- Bree's back and forth with Sel.
- Bree's Stockholm/Damsel in Distress syndrome with Nick.
- Bree being overpowered while not knowing how to use that power.
- And so on and so forth.
This book was too long and by the end, straight up boring. It took entirely too long to explain what the 'bloodmarked' stuff meant considering we went into this on an entirely different plot point. What happened to Camlinn? What happened to the demons? What happened to Nick? Everything that got the ball rolling by the end of book 1 was some how just forgotten or set aside for heavy dialogue with over explanation and forced tension. Action scenes seemed to just be thrown in when it was convenient, then we went back to talking then started the whole process again. I spent half the time yelling at Bree and Sel for being really annoying even though their parts were the only parts that interested me by the end.
Bree and Sel's relationship in this was great in the sense that they actually built one. They scenes together were probably the best and i was all here for the yearning and deeper meanings cause i love me some romance. Their relationship was also miles better in comparison to Bree's and Nick's who Bree hasn't spent nearly any time with, but is somehow obsessed with and thinks is God's gift. Where in book 1 there was genuine reason for her feeling conflicted between the two - regardless of my feelings on that set up - by this book, it was infuriating to watch Bree continue to have these deep and meaningful convos with Sel only to either shut him down or act like she doesnt know what hes trying to tell her. This took teen angst way too far for me. No one is that fucking stupid.
On top of that we have Little Miss Bree who thinks she knows everything while knowing absolutely nothing and not even trying to learn. Why did i spend 50% of the book with people not acknowledging her role as the Scion of Arthur, another 40% running around the countryside and the the last 10% finally deciding that she needs to learn things and at the ends oftheir enemy of all people who, spoiler, isnt actually their enemy anymore . It was tedious and ridiculous and just made me want to claw my brain out of my skull (i had the audiobook). Bree has absolutely no agency about anything. she spends the majority of the book being saved by everyone else while telling those same people she doesnt need to be saved.
The side characters (William and Alice) were basically carrying a lot of this on their back and despite wanting more of them when i first started, the new Black characters introduced felt caricaturist to me. The Southern accent, formerly enslaved hoodoo/voodoo/root demon was something straight out of Supernatural and i just didnt like the clicheness of it all. Valc was a better addition than some others but still just a bit too gimicky for me. There were a few scenes were Bree managed to address the nature of her root and the crafters but it was clear once she was with them that she didnt really...belong!? Bree has spent so much time being the only Black girl among her white friends that when she was finally around Black people, she didnt really relate to them either. She had no real connection or understanding of her root and i found this comical, as she she spends so much time demonstrating and performing her Blackness to not reaaaally - in the confines of this book anyway - be Black enough. I found it very odd.
The racial aspects of this book were always going to be a struggle for me because i'll be the first to say that this is not meant for me. As a Black British person, this lived experience of racial tension and residue of enslaved people onto their descendants and institutions etc. just does not hit in the same way as it does for African Americans. I do not take away from that experience and understand that it speaks to a lot of people in this way, but it just didnt to me.
The ending felt weak. Much so like the end of Iron Flame with Xaden turning venin or whatever that was, Sel going into his dark side wasnt even a surprise so it felt lazy. The whole Arthur possession thing we could see from ten miles away so not sure why Bree couldn't and the pacing was just off throughout. I wanted more of the dream/memory walking stuff. I wanted more knights and armour and fighting and called Scions and it was just all...politics!?!
I could really be here forever but I'll leave with this: I am very happy for this author to have had the impact she has with this series. There are series much worse than this who get all the editions and all the marketing and all the praise, so for a book by a Black author to receive the same accolades and legions of fans who think it can do no wrong and go to the mat for it, i'm very happy for it. Carve your lane in this space that is constantly taken over by white authors, i'm here for it as a Black person and as a writer.
As a reader, however, this was not for me. It was too long, too forced and just too...sad. I come to Fantasy to have fun and by the end, I just wanted it to be over.
Bree and Sel's relationship in this was great in the sense that they actually built one. They scenes together were probably the best and i was all here for the yearning and deeper meanings cause i love me some romance. Their relationship was also miles better in comparison to Bree's and Nick's who Bree hasn't spent nearly any time with, but is somehow obsessed with and thinks is God's gift. Where in book 1 there was genuine reason for her feeling conflicted between the two - regardless of my feelings on that set up - by this book, it was infuriating to watch Bree continue to have these deep and meaningful convos with Sel only to either shut him down or act like she doesnt know what hes trying to tell her. This took teen angst way too far for me. No one is that fucking stupid.
On top of that we have Little Miss Bree who thinks she knows everything while knowing absolutely nothing and not even trying to learn. Why did i spend 50% of the book with people not acknowledging her role as the Scion of Arthur, another 40% running around the countryside and the the last 10% finally deciding that she needs to learn things and at the ends of
The side characters (William and Alice) were basically carrying a lot of this on their back and despite wanting more of them when i first started, the new Black characters introduced felt caricaturist to me. The Southern accent, formerly enslaved hoodoo/voodoo/root demon was something straight out of Supernatural and i just didnt like the clicheness of it all. Valc was a better addition than some others but still just a bit too gimicky for me. There were a few scenes were Bree managed to address the nature of her root and the crafters but it was clear once she was with them that she didnt really...belong!? Bree has spent so much time being the only Black girl among her white friends that when she was finally around Black people, she didnt really relate to them either. She had no real connection or understanding of her root and i found this comical, as she she spends so much time demonstrating and performing her Blackness to not reaaaally - in the confines of this book anyway - be Black enough. I found it very odd.
The racial aspects of this book were always going to be a struggle for me because i'll be the first to say that this is not meant for me. As a Black British person, this lived experience of racial tension and residue of enslaved people onto their descendants and institutions etc. just does not hit in the same way as it does for African Americans. I do not take away from that experience and understand that it speaks to a lot of people in this way, but it just didnt to me.
The ending felt weak. Much so like the end of Iron Flame with Xaden turning venin or whatever that was, Sel going into his dark side wasnt even a surprise so it felt lazy. The whole Arthur possession thing we could see from ten miles away so not sure why Bree couldn't and the pacing was just off throughout. I wanted more of the dream/memory walking stuff. I wanted more knights and armour and fighting and called Scions and it was just all...politics!?!
I could really be here forever but I'll leave with this: I am very happy for this author to have had the impact she has with this series. There are series much worse than this who get all the editions and all the marketing and all the praise, so for a book by a Black author to receive the same accolades and legions of fans who think it can do no wrong and go to the mat for it, i'm very happy for it. Carve your lane in this space that is constantly taken over by white authors, i'm here for it as a Black person and as a writer.
As a reader, however, this was not for me. It was too long, too forced and just too...sad. I come to Fantasy to have fun and by the end, I just wanted it to be over.
Tempted By The Devil by Michelle Heard
fast-paced
3.0
This was fun enough. Shy virgin Catholic girl. Overbearing, scary Mafioso. I was eating this shit up. It was a little fast for my taste but the smut was decent and Angelo was very hot and thats all you need really. FMC Vittorio was sweet but maybe a little too sweet. Oh i dont want to go into an arranged marriage but my perfect life is to be a kept woman and raise a family. Okay fine, but like, wheres the tension if he eventually gives her exactly what she wants? Angelo wasnt scary for long enough, becoming a simp all too soon which is why its just middle territory. i'd try more from this author though
The Dating Playbook by Farrah Rochon
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
While I really enjoyed this, I was let down by the lack of on page intimacy. I respect this is more a romance than a 'smut book' but i still wanted more than we got in this which was much the same vein as her previous book. I liked the characters and all the positive Black love which is always a bonus, I just felt that things were a little too easy throughout. While i despise a forced third act break up, to have one that have it resolved so quickly, almost feels worse lol
Im also not a fan of how much emphasis this writer puts on the FMCs knowledge about things. Like in the first book in this series, there were pages and pages about app technology that i know nothing about or care about, this one was about fitness and working out and American Football which i also know nothing about. It just felt unnecessary and slowed down the book that was already slow on the romance element anyway.
Even so, I liked all the characters but it just needed a tad more spice for me personally.
Im also not a fan of how much emphasis this writer puts on the FMCs knowledge about things. Like in the first book in this series, there were pages and pages about app technology that i know nothing about or care about, this one was about fitness and working out and American Football which i also know nothing about. It just felt unnecessary and slowed down the book that was already slow on the romance element anyway.
Even so, I liked all the characters but it just needed a tad more spice for me personally.
Brutal Intentions by Lilith Vincent
funny
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
This had some really funny bits but overall the plot and pacing was a bit weak for me to take it seriously as a Dark Romance. Im a fan of all the kinks in this book, age gap, breeding etc. but there was just an odd way to have gone about it. Despite the severity of their situation, they never really seemed to try to not be together and it was just super fast from the first page. I like this more for the humour than anything else but still not great.
Glass Sword by Victoria Aveyard
Did not finish book. Stopped at 26%.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 26%.
I just don't care about this in anyway. Every time I think I've made a dent, i check the percentage and its still like 2 seconds in. Its tiring. The writing is dry, low in action, the characters arent particularly likeable or interesting and I just simply don't care. I've tried another book from VA and was surprised I was able to get through book 1 of this but I think VA is just not the writer for me.
Taming Seraphine by Gigi Styx
dark
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.75
When we actually got to it, the smut was good enough but the rest of the book/plot itself was a bit silly. At no point did this 'dangerous assassin' girl seem that dangerous or much like an assassin. She was just straight up crazy. No one eats severed penis more than once and isnt a raging psychopath. How the MMC would find her attractive after such heinous acts was just stupid.
Call Me Daddy by Jade West
dark
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.25
This one was a bit of an ick, I must say lol
I couldnt really get on board with the daddy kink in this simply because it didnt come across as two consenting adults but more so predator behaviour. Much more so because they do a lot of their 'loving' in his deceased five year old step daughter's bed and he dresses and speaks to her like a child. Thats not the same as the usual daddy kink so it just wasnt great.
I did like the shitty best friend simply because she was well written and relatable, having known people like that.
I couldnt really get on board with the daddy kink in this simply because it didnt come across as two consenting adults but more so predator behaviour. Much more so because they do a lot of their 'loving' in his deceased five year old step daughter's bed and he dresses and speaks to her like a child. Thats not the same as the usual daddy kink so it just wasnt great.
I did like the shitty best friend simply because she was well written and relatable, having known people like that.
Latte Darling by S.J. Tilly
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
Now this was much better!
Was second guessing going into it because of the first one but the age gap daddy trope was insaane.
Maddie meets the father of her blind date when said blind date stands her up. What results is the smuttiest, hottest, biggest daddy that ever daddied and i just could not get enough. Where this lost points was the forced third act break up. There was just no need for it in anyway. All she had to do was talk to him. All he had to do was find out where her friend lived and go get her. It was just so stupid and dragged out that it really pissed me off.
Outside of that though, what i liked about this was that there was no weird relationship with Axel and his son Brian. It was actually really healthy and full of banter and i really liked that.
Again, not much reason for why Axel was so scared about safety or why Maddie had only ever had sex one time before. It just felt a little unfinished in many ways.
Still, it was saved by silver fox Axel who is just sooo saucy!!
Was second guessing going into it because of the first one but the age gap daddy trope was insaane.
Maddie meets the father of her blind date when said blind date stands her up. What results is the smuttiest, hottest, biggest daddy that ever daddied and i just could not get enough. Where this lost points was the forced third act break up. There was just no need for it in anyway. All she had to do was talk to him. All he had to do was find out where her friend lived and go get her. It was just so stupid and dragged out that it really pissed me off.
Outside of that though, what i liked about this was that there was no weird relationship with Axel and his son Brian. It was actually really healthy and full of banter and i really liked that.
Again, not much reason for why Axel was so scared about safety or why Maddie had only ever had sex one time before. It just felt a little unfinished in many ways.
Still, it was saved by silver fox Axel who is just sooo saucy!!
Smoky Darling by S.J. Tilly
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.75
Didn't really love this one as much as I could have. While the smut when it turned up was really good, I didnt much like the main characters. Elouise was fine enough. Other than fixating on someone for 20 years, she was sweet as a small town elementary school teacher but there was just something not very special about her. Even so, that was my issue as much as Beckett.
There was literally no real reason for her to have liked him other than her childhood crush and then him being hot when they're older.
Beckett if anything was a bit of bully. He beats up younger kids, older men and during sexy time, he was very bullyish and it wasnt always that sexy. What also annoyed me is that there was no reason given why. He was just very aggressive and posessive for no reason. No back story, no reason for his return to Darling Lake, no real look into his past relationships etc. It was just all physical and then that physical was minimal.
So yeah, overall, not the best for me.
There was literally no real reason for her to have liked him other than her childhood crush and then him being hot when they're older.
Beckett if anything was a bit of bully. He beats up younger kids, older men and during sexy time, he was very bullyish and it wasnt always that sexy. What also annoyed me is that there was no reason given why. He was just very aggressive and posessive for no reason. No back story, no reason for his return to Darling Lake, no real look into his past relationships etc. It was just all physical and then that physical was minimal.
So yeah, overall, not the best for me.
Hans by S.J. Tilly
adventurous
emotional
funny
lighthearted
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
This was probably my least favourite of the four but thats not to say I didnt have a good time.
The opening scenes were cute. I love the sunshine/grump trope and it was done really well. Where this wasnt my favourite is that this didnt have enough smut for me and in smut book, i need a good balance. there was a ton of plot and back story which i didnt really need.
however, when Hans finally got in dat ass - literally - it was amazing!! haha
An issue I had with this was the DDLG/Daddy kink but only because Hans is basically a mercenary against human traffickers so why he would want to sort of infantalise and have a daddy kink felt a bit odd to me!? i dunno, it wasnt the best with the context but the breeding kink daddy stuff was very fun.
As ever, i liked the bromance banter with the other alliance guys lol Nero is actually insane and it was fun to see them altogether.
also, not to tell people how to write their books but i feel like there was a missed opportunity for everyone to tell Cassandra how terrible her food was and then hans have to admit he was only eating them because he loves her lol could have been cute!
A solid series for me and i'll defo check out some more S.J. Tilly and see if it lives up to this excitement.
The opening scenes were cute. I love the sunshine/grump trope and it was done really well. Where this wasnt my favourite is that this didnt have enough smut for me and in smut book, i need a good balance. there was a ton of plot and back story which i didnt really need.
however, when Hans finally got in dat ass - literally - it was amazing!! haha
An issue I had with this was the DDLG/Daddy kink but only because Hans is basically a mercenary against human traffickers so why he would want to sort of infantalise and have a daddy kink felt a bit odd to me!? i dunno, it wasnt the best with the context but the breeding kink daddy stuff was very fun.
As ever, i liked the bromance banter with the other alliance guys lol Nero is actually insane and it was fun to see them altogether.
also, not to tell people how to write their books but i feel like there was a missed opportunity for everyone to tell Cassandra how terrible her food was and then hans have to admit he was only eating them because he loves her lol could have been cute!
A solid series for me and i'll defo check out some more S.J. Tilly and see if it lives up to this excitement.