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leurireads's reviews
112 reviews
The Winner's Curse by Marie Rutkoski
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
1.0
Ladies and gentlemen my worst 2024 read so far! Coloniser romance, coloniser apologist, the author showed her white saviour complex very thoroughly!
General spoilers ahead!!!
Reading this book was very much like reading current news and the main protagonist being a coloniser who we should sympathise for and root for because she’s battling her feelings of loyalty to her people or to heart left a very bad taste in my mouth. It starts with her questioning her people's actions while very much benefiting from them (does it not resonate with current life events?)then its her being angry that the oppressed people who she previously sympathised with have fought back and are trying to reclaim their home (again does it not resonate?) Arin the love interest, the slave, the colonised who chose the women he loves over his people??? Again bad taste in my mouth!!
I’m supposed to start sympathising with kestrel & its basically like sympathising with an !srael! :) IK she later on switches sides but for all the WRONG reasons :)
Wdym love can bring peace between the oppressed and oppressor? This is such a poorly executed concept and the fact that the main character is part of the colonisers’ empire is just disgusting. I do not wish to sympathise with her I do not wish to read her horrible thoughts of the oppressed and I do not wish to see how she dehumanises them to the point she’s just exchanging lives with the emperor, it was basically a “listen dont colonise them (the man I love is part of them) but colonise the other side instead” the worse part is that she didnt choose to switch sides out of humanity and morals, no she switched sides because she wants a man!! One more thing I need to add is the fact that ARIN who was a slave and whose home was colonised is the one who keeps APOLOGISING to the coloniser!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
this is such a horribly executed concept, bad writing and lacks depth. I have so much to say about this but mostly, if you as an adult have read this in this day and age and ENJOYED this book then some self reflection is due.
I will not continue this series & I will not recommend it to anyone ever.
General spoilers ahead!!!
Reading this book was very much like reading current news and the main protagonist being a coloniser who we should sympathise for and root for because she’s battling her feelings of loyalty to her people or to heart left a very bad taste in my mouth. It starts with her questioning her people's actions while very much benefiting from them (does it not resonate with current life events?)then its her being angry that the oppressed people who she previously sympathised with have fought back and are trying to reclaim their home (again does it not resonate?) Arin the love interest, the slave, the colonised who chose the women he loves over his people??? Again bad taste in my mouth!!
I’m supposed to start sympathising with kestrel & its basically like sympathising with an !srael! :) IK she later on switches sides but for all the WRONG reasons :)
Wdym love can bring peace between the oppressed and oppressor? This is such a poorly executed concept and the fact that the main character is part of the colonisers’ empire is just disgusting. I do not wish to sympathise with her I do not wish to read her horrible thoughts of the oppressed and I do not wish to see how she dehumanises them to the point she’s just exchanging lives with the emperor, it was basically a “listen dont colonise them (the man I love is part of them) but colonise the other side instead” the worse part is that she didnt choose to switch sides out of humanity and morals, no she switched sides because she wants a man!! One more thing I need to add is the fact that ARIN who was a slave and whose home was colonised is the one who keeps APOLOGISING to the coloniser!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
this is such a horribly executed concept, bad writing and lacks depth. I have so much to say about this but mostly, if you as an adult have read this in this day and age and ENJOYED this book then some self reflection is due.
I will not continue this series & I will not recommend it to anyone ever.
A Deadly Education by Naomi Novik
Did not finish book. Stopped at 0%.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 0%.
The writing is so bad I couldnt
The Wolf and the Witch by Charissa Weaks
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
Neri is officially my favourite character. Now I just need a colden and the prince novella 🙄
City of Ruin by Charissa Weaks
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
the author clearly lost the plot & turned this book into a smut fest. She dragged this book endlessly for no reason whatsoever!!! memory loss( if you can call it that) that literally did not serve the story AT ALL? The only interesting characters were the prince, colden, neri and nephele and they’re why this book gets 2 stars. The fmc was a cool character at first until she was reduced into this horny irresponsible annoying kid. This book could’ve easily been a 5 stars read had the execution been better and the author focused more on the plot rather her horny characters.
The Witch Collector by Charissa Weaks
adventurous
challenging
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
3.75
Damsel by Elana K. Arnold
challenging
dark
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0