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liz_ross's reviews
44 reviews
Hidden Bodies by Caroline Kepnes
dark
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.75
Let's put it simple. This book is pointless. You ended perfectly for the kind of book it was; a dark, not completly closed end that left you wondering and I loved it for that. And then Kepnes decides to write Hidden Bodies, trying to add more to a plot and a character that had nothing else to give - they had already been perfectly explored.
The strong advice about the dangers of social media? Lost. It had no impact, because it had already been done. The joy of meeting Joe and getting the chance to be inside his twisted mind? Lost. Joe had given everything he had in the first book, there was nothing new about him and that's exactly what I got - nothing new, just more deaths, revenge, stalking and a toxic obssession to a girl that is nowehere near love.
There was just nothing new and I think Kepnes ended up realizing that as well because for a while all she did was ramble without really adding anything to the plot. It's good Kepnes managed to keep a good pace that allowed the story to flow, otherwise I would still be reading it - and chances are I wouldn't finish it before the end of the year.
And whereas the lack of normal characters was tolerable in the first book, because everything was new and Joe's charm would make up for pretty much any negative thing, it was not tolerable in the second, where Joe is no longer new. Why can't anyone be normal?! Amy has serious issues and I wouldn't be surprised if she was diagnosed with kleptomania, Milo's attempt to win Love back is twisted and wrong in too many ways. Forty should have got himself into therapy. And Love has serious problems and anyone who doesn't see that has problems as well. With characters like these, it's not a surprise you ended up rooting for the psycopath, who in the end of the day is the saner among them.
Full review coming soon!
The strong advice about the dangers of social media? Lost. It had no impact, because it had already been done. The joy of meeting Joe and getting the chance to be inside his twisted mind? Lost. Joe had given everything he had in the first book, there was nothing new about him and that's exactly what I got - nothing new, just more deaths, revenge, stalking and a toxic obssession to a girl that is nowehere near love.
There was just nothing new and I think Kepnes ended up realizing that as well because for a while all she did was ramble without really adding anything to the plot. It's good Kepnes managed to keep a good pace that allowed the story to flow, otherwise I would still be reading it - and chances are I wouldn't finish it before the end of the year.
And whereas the lack of normal characters was tolerable in the first book, because everything was new and Joe's charm would make up for pretty much any negative thing, it was not tolerable in the second, where Joe is no longer new. Why can't anyone be normal?! Amy has serious issues and I wouldn't be surprised if she was diagnosed with kleptomania, Milo's attempt to win Love back is twisted and wrong in too many ways. Forty should have got himself into therapy. And Love has serious problems and anyone who doesn't see that has problems as well. With characters like these, it's not a surprise you ended up rooting for the psycopath, who in the end of the day is the saner among them.
Full review coming soon!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Murder, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, and Stalking
Moderate: Drug abuse and Drug use
Minor: Animal cruelty
You by Caroline Kepnes
dark
informative
mysterious
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
"The only thing crueler than a cage so small that a bird can't fly is a cage so large that a bird thinks it can fly."
Do you know what scares me the most about this book? It is not the fact that Kepnes was capable of writing it from a psychopath's PoV and make it so incredibly credible. It is not the fact that the book shows us how easily we could suffer the same fate as Beck, because we never know who the people we find in a daily basis really are. What scares me the most is the fact that somehow I found myself cheering for Joe, that Kepnes was capable of making me actually like a psycho.
I can't even put into words what I felt while I read, from Joe's PoV, what it was like to gradually take control over Beck's life, without her realizing that. It is fucked up, it is scary, it is insane. And yet it is also... amazing?! Because Beck is not the only one being manipulated, we are manipulated too. He truly believes he and Beck are meant to be together and in his mind everything he is doing is acceptable. And he is so persuasive, everything sounds so natural that many times I found myself, even if just for a few seconds, believing him, his reasons and trying to justify his actions. For me, that is the ultimate proof of what a good writer Caroline Kepnes is.
Joe's twisted personality is also the reason you can't feel boring while reading this book, even if sometimes the pace is a little bit slow. His charm that makes you like him despite all the bad things, his intelligence and his humor make this book not only interesting but also unique as we get a very different kind of main character, engaging the reader.
What I admire the most, though, is Kepnes' talent when Beck is concerned. Her life is told from the second person as it is Joe who describes it. That's probably the most difficult person to use and yet Kepnes does it perfectly. We are really seeing Beck through Joe's eyes and feeling her emotions as Joe interprets them, which makes Beck quite more interesting than she really is (I feel like she would be a really boring and annoying character if it would have been written either in the first or third person).
However, I felt like a part of this book that was unrealistic. I mean, how many people who clearly need help because something's wrong with them can someone put in a book and still make it credible? Definitely not as many as Kepnes put in You. There's not even one sane person around! Joe is a crazy psycopath, Beck has very concerning issues, her friend needs help as soon as possible and her psychologist should rethink his choice of helping others improve their mental health. I am not saying they aren't credible as individuals, but for Beck to be able to surrond herself with so many people like this, even if she is such an attention-seeker?! Very unlikely. The only reason I can think of for all these characters to be like this is the narrator. He is unreliable, so how can you be sure they really are like this? And yet, if they aren't really like this, Kepnes should have put somehting in the book, a clue (no matter how small) that would show us the characters are not quite as Joe describes them and she didn't do it.
But those characters being like that only made it easier for Kepnes to make her advice loud and clear. Being Joe the one who makes the message stronger. Kepnes alerts us to the risks of social media that we all are vulnerable to. Joe got obsessed with Beck since the very first time he sees her. And yet all he needed was a quick check to social media to know everything about her. No following her around for a week or so, just a quick stalk to her social media accounts and he got all the information he needed - where she lives, what she likes, who her friends are. A few minutes on the Internet and Joe got a really good and reliable picture of who was Beck and what her life was like.
Overall, do not come to this book looking for romance. At all. This is not a romance. It is a creepy story told from the PoV of a dangerous, charming and manipulative psychopath you can't help but like, which will make you question your own sanity. But too many troubled characters aside, it is an excellent book and passes a really important message about the dangers we are all vulnerable to in this digital era. And this is without any doubts a refreshing reading for everyone out there who is tired of the typical good and perfect protagonist authors love to offer us.
"Happiness is believing that you're gonna be happy. It's hope."
Do you know what scares me the most about this book? It is not the fact that Kepnes was capable of writing it from a psychopath's PoV and make it so incredibly credible. It is not the fact that the book shows us how easily we could suffer the same fate as Beck, because we never know who the people we find in a daily basis really are. What scares me the most is the fact that somehow I found myself cheering for Joe, that Kepnes was capable of making me actually like a psycho.
I can't even put into words what I felt while I read, from Joe's PoV, what it was like to gradually take control over Beck's life, without her realizing that. It is fucked up, it is scary, it is insane. And yet it is also... amazing?! Because Beck is not the only one being manipulated, we are manipulated too. He truly believes he and Beck are meant to be together and in his mind everything he is doing is acceptable. And he is so persuasive, everything sounds so natural that many times I found myself, even if just for a few seconds, believing him, his reasons and trying to justify his actions. For me, that is the ultimate proof of what a good writer Caroline Kepnes is.
Joe's twisted personality is also the reason you can't feel boring while reading this book, even if sometimes the pace is a little bit slow. His charm that makes you like him despite all the bad things, his intelligence and his humor make this book not only interesting but also unique as we get a very different kind of main character, engaging the reader.
What I admire the most, though, is Kepnes' talent when Beck is concerned. Her life is told from the second person as it is Joe who describes it. That's probably the most difficult person to use and yet Kepnes does it perfectly. We are really seeing Beck through Joe's eyes and feeling her emotions as Joe interprets them, which makes Beck quite more interesting than she really is (I feel like she would be a really boring and annoying character if it would have been written either in the first or third person).
However, I felt like a part of this book that was unrealistic. I mean, how many people who clearly need help because something's wrong with them can someone put in a book and still make it credible? Definitely not as many as Kepnes put in You. There's not even one sane person around! Joe is a crazy psycopath, Beck has very concerning issues, her friend needs help as soon as possible and her psychologist should rethink his choice of helping others improve their mental health. I am not saying they aren't credible as individuals, but for Beck to be able to surrond herself with so many people like this, even if she is such an attention-seeker?! Very unlikely. The only reason I can think of for all these characters to be like this is the narrator. He is unreliable, so how can you be sure they really are like this? And yet, if they aren't really like this, Kepnes should have put somehting in the book, a clue (no matter how small) that would show us the characters are not quite as Joe describes them and she didn't do it.
But those characters being like that only made it easier for Kepnes to make her advice loud and clear. Being Joe the one who makes the message stronger. Kepnes alerts us to the risks of social media that we all are vulnerable to. Joe got obsessed with Beck since the very first time he sees her. And yet all he needed was a quick check to social media to know everything about her. No following her around for a week or so, just a quick stalk to her social media accounts and he got all the information he needed - where she lives, what she likes, who her friends are. A few minutes on the Internet and Joe got a really good and reliable picture of who was Beck and what her life was like.
Overall, do not come to this book looking for romance. At all. This is not a romance. It is a creepy story told from the PoV of a dangerous, charming and manipulative psychopath you can't help but like, which will make you question your own sanity. But too many troubled characters aside, it is an excellent book and passes a really important message about the dangers we are all vulnerable to in this digital era. And this is without any doubts a refreshing reading for everyone out there who is tired of the typical good and perfect protagonist authors love to offer us.
"Happiness is believing that you're gonna be happy. It's hope."
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Kidnapping, Stalking, Toxic relationship, and Violence
Moderate: Drug abuse
Minor: Child abuse
Anatomy of Fear by Jonathan Santlofer
adventurous
funny
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
I am not even sure why I bought this book. But I can say without doubts that I don't regret it even for a second. This book is really good!
The surprises started right when I began reading and I guess that's one of the things I liked the most, because it never really stopped surprising me. And I am not talking about the regular surprises you can find in a Murder Mystery like who the next victim or the killer is. I am talking about surprises that you could have found in any genre and that allowed this book to stand out, to be different from every other book.
So, let's start by the first, pleasant surprise, which was also the one that gave me the most joy. I had read the synopsis before starting reading the book and I knew Nate was a police sketch artist and that the assassin was avery troubled artist himself. But I never thought for a second that I would get the chance to see their drawings myself, I just assumed they would be mentioned and I would have to try to imagine them. But I did get to see the drawings. They appear as part of the story, complementing it and making it extraordinarily more realistic, in a way that Santlofer would have never achieved if they hadn't been included. But the joy those drawings gave me wasn't just about how much more realistic they made the story. It was also about that childish fascination and joy I was able to get.
Let me explain. We all have those memories from when we were children that we cherish and love. When it comes to books, they are obviously about those moments when people you love read you this or that story while you delighted yourself with the pictures that filled the book. And when I got this book and saw all those pictures those were the memories that came to my mind and obviously it's not the same thing - please don't show the drawings in this book to any child because of my comparation, I don't want to be responsible for them needing therapy! -, but a part of my brain associated the two things in such a way that I would get incredibly happy just for the chance of seeing those drawings.
So, my happy inner child was somehow not getting traumatized with those drawings while my adult self was delighted with the plot itself, which was really good and also different from the typical (although I can't say it is original, because I've seen other authors do this).
The pace was a bit too slow in the beginning, but the chapters were so short that they would make up for that fact, making sure the book would never get hard to read. After all, I didn't need to bore me to death just in hopes of getting to the next chapter, because when the pace was starting to actually make me feel bored, chances are the next chapter was just a few paragraphs away.
But despite the pace, the plot itself was good. I found myself drawn to the mystey, trying to find out who the murderer was before Nate and Terry and actually enjoying the story. I didn't even get mad I couldn't guess the murderer (it's one of those books where you just can't do that), because everything else was just incredibly great.
And - surprise number 2! - somehow the reason why I got so invested in the story was actually the mix of Nate's first person PoV with other characters' third person PoV. Something that usually doesn't work for me but that Santlofer managed to make me enjoy. It was just so easy to get used to this mix; it was like no other choice wpuld have worked so well for this book. It made the story flow not exactly at the perfect pace but flow nonetheless, allowing me to feel invested in every single side of the story - the main plot line and the side plots -, which together make the story richer and much more interesting.
Of course, having several characters sharing their points of view, even if in the third person, also makes it easier to connect with the characters. And I know, I know, I have said several times that when it comes to Mysteries, specially Murder Mysteries, I don't care that much about whether I like the characters or not. But it's always better when I like them! And I really like Nate and Terry and Nate's grandma is such a lovely old lady! And Terry's chief, whose name I kept forgetting while I was reading and therefore I can't remember right now, is an idiot, but even my dislike for him made reading this book much more interesting!
Specially in the end, when that dislike was such a great asset for picking my curiosity and wanting to read the second book - I want to see that man burn! 🗡🗡Literally Metaphorically speaking, of course.
Speaking of the ending, what a great way to finish a book! And to tell you about it, I need to divide the ending in two parts - the discovery of the murderer and the open ending. The discovery of the murderer and the whole rush against time was P-E-R-F-E-C-T! I loved it and I couldn't put the book down until I finish. And then there's also this open ending side of it, that is more about the characters and the side plot lines. It just left so many questions unanswered and me desperately wanting the next book to get those answers.
After all this you can see why I liked this book so much. There's nothing I didn't like aside from the pace. And I haven't even told you about the last (and most unexpected) surprise!
Magic is such a great element to have in Fantasy books and I would love to see a Murder Mystery happening in a Fantasy world filled with magic, because things would get even more messy, complex and interesting. But while I can't find a Murder Mystery like that, I will stick with those happening in the real world, where there's no magic. Which translated means - inserting magic in a book like that will not work for me, because it will feel too unrealistic; you are in the real world, your character should be ruled by the real world laws of nature.
However, this is theory. And in the real life, there's always some exception to the laws of our theory that completly destroy it. Well, ladies and gentlemen and non-binary people, I have the pleasure to present to you the book that destroyed my theory - Anatomy of Fear!
Santlofer introduced some magical elements in his story and if you read it, there's no way you can deny that fact. But they are so discreet and for some reason feel so right that you can't help but getting along. I think the main reason why it was so easy for me to accept those magical elements was the fact that just like me Nate wasn't buying them at first. And just like Nate, I grew to accept them and believe them, because how else could all these things have happened?!
And this last sentece was what I am talking about when I say it was the most unexpected surprise. Me accepting the magical elements if the rest of the book was good, just so my joy wouldn't be ruined would be a surprise (there are these certain things I am just really stubborn about), but me accepting the magical elements and making sense out of them?! Santlofer has a big talent, that's for sure!
Overall, this is a really great book for any lover of Murder Mystery books, that will fascinate you. It has all the things a good murder mystery book needs - a thrilling crime, a complex murderer and a great plot that will keep you hooked - and even more. It is unique, different from all the other books of the genre and definitely deserves you to give it chance!
The surprises started right when I began reading and I guess that's one of the things I liked the most, because it never really stopped surprising me. And I am not talking about the regular surprises you can find in a Murder Mystery like who the next victim or the killer is. I am talking about surprises that you could have found in any genre and that allowed this book to stand out, to be different from every other book.
So, let's start by the first, pleasant surprise, which was also the one that gave me the most joy. I had read the synopsis before starting reading the book and I knew Nate was a police sketch artist and that the assassin was a
Let me explain. We all have those memories from when we were children that we cherish and love. When it comes to books, they are obviously about those moments when people you love read you this or that story while you delighted yourself with the pictures that filled the book. And when I got this book and saw all those pictures those were the memories that came to my mind and obviously it's not the same thing - please don't show the drawings in this book to any child because of my comparation, I don't want to be responsible for them needing therapy! -, but a part of my brain associated the two things in such a way that I would get incredibly happy just for the chance of seeing those drawings.
So, my happy inner child was somehow not getting traumatized with those drawings while my adult self was delighted with the plot itself, which was really good and also different from the typical (although I can't say it is original, because I've seen other authors do this).
The pace was a bit too slow in the beginning, but the chapters were so short that they would make up for that fact, making sure the book would never get hard to read. After all, I didn't need to bore me to death just in hopes of getting to the next chapter, because when the pace was starting to actually make me feel bored, chances are the next chapter was just a few paragraphs away.
But despite the pace, the plot itself was good. I found myself drawn to the mystey, trying to find out who the murderer was before Nate and Terry and actually enjoying the story. I didn't even get mad I couldn't guess the murderer (it's one of those books where you just can't do that), because everything else was just incredibly great.
And - surprise number 2! - somehow the reason why I got so invested in the story was actually the mix of Nate's first person PoV with other characters' third person PoV. Something that usually doesn't work for me but that Santlofer managed to make me enjoy. It was just so easy to get used to this mix; it was like no other choice wpuld have worked so well for this book. It made the story flow not exactly at the perfect pace but flow nonetheless, allowing me to feel invested in every single side of the story - the main plot line and the side plots -, which together make the story richer and much more interesting.
Of course, having several characters sharing their points of view, even if in the third person, also makes it easier to connect with the characters. And I know, I know, I have said several times that when it comes to Mysteries, specially Murder Mysteries, I don't care that much about whether I like the characters or not. But it's always better when I like them! And I really like Nate and Terry and Nate's grandma is such a lovely old lady! And Terry's chief, whose name I kept forgetting while I was reading and therefore I can't remember right now, is an idiot, but even my dislike for him made reading this book much more interesting!
Specially in the end, when that dislike was such a great asset for picking my curiosity and wanting to read the second book - I want to see that man burn! 🗡🗡
Speaking of the ending, what a great way to finish a book! And to tell you about it, I need to divide the ending in two parts - the discovery of the murderer and the open ending. The discovery of the murderer and the whole rush against time was P-E-R-F-E-C-T! I loved it and I couldn't put the book down until I finish. And then there's also this open ending side of it, that is more about the characters and the side plot lines. It just left so many questions unanswered and me desperately wanting the next book to get those answers.
After all this you can see why I liked this book so much. There's nothing I didn't like aside from the pace. And I haven't even told you about the last (and most unexpected) surprise!
Magic is such a great element to have in Fantasy books and I would love to see a Murder Mystery happening in a Fantasy world filled with magic, because things would get even more messy, complex and interesting. But while I can't find a Murder Mystery like that, I will stick with those happening in the real world, where there's no magic. Which translated means - inserting magic in a book like that will not work for me, because it will feel too unrealistic; you are in the real world, your character should be ruled by the real world laws of nature.
However, this is theory. And in the real life, there's always some exception to the laws of our theory that completly destroy it. Well, ladies and gentlemen and non-binary people, I have the pleasure to present to you the book that destroyed my theory - Anatomy of Fear!
Santlofer introduced some magical elements in his story and if you read it, there's no way you can deny that fact. But they are so discreet and for some reason feel so right that you can't help but getting along. I think the main reason why it was so easy for me to accept those magical elements was the fact that just like me Nate wasn't buying them at first. And just like Nate, I grew to accept them and believe them, because how else could all these things have happened?!
And this last sentece was what I am talking about when I say it was the most unexpected surprise. Me accepting the magical elements if the rest of the book was good, just so my joy wouldn't be ruined would be a surprise (there are these certain things I am just really stubborn about), but me accepting the magical elements and making sense out of them?! Santlofer has a big talent, that's for sure!
Overall, this is a really great book for any lover of Murder Mystery books, that will fascinate you. It has all the things a good murder mystery book needs - a thrilling crime, a complex murderer and a great plot that will keep you hooked - and even more. It is unique, different from all the other books of the genre and definitely deserves you to give it chance!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Murder
The deaths and murders are literally graphic as there's drawings of the dead bodies
A Clash of Kings by George R.R. Martin
adventurous
dark
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
"People often claim to hunger for truth, but seldom like the taste when it's served"
My little, beautiful paradise of lies, betrayals and political intrigue. And yet, this time paradise isn't as perfect as I found it to be when I read A Game of Thrones.
But I think I should start by remembering the good things, which are actually quite a few. After all, those are the ones that make me happy, made me keep reading and have me wanting to read the third book!
After Martin introduced such a diverse, complex and interesting world in the first book, I thought there was no way he could make it richer. He proved me wrong. In this book, Martin takes us to visit new places, see new cultures, get in touch with new people. And the result is a world even more admirable, even more beautiful and diverse, even more credible, which is a huge compliment when so many fantasy elements can be found everywhere.
In fact, that's something I realized in this book and that made me admire Martin even more - the credibility he managed to make his world have. Although it is filled with things we can't find in our own world (if you ever find a dragon, please let me know, I would give you all my money to see it!), I can't help feeling like there's a chance this world Martin created could have existed, feeling like it might be real. That's how well Martin wrote it.
I believe the main reason for that is the balance he was able to mantain between those fantasy elements and realistic elements - the people and their dynamics. Realistic elements that, we must not forget, are delightful. I was worried that in the second book we would somehow get less political intrigue. Don't get me wrong, I am not stupid, I was aware that with everyone preparing and starting a war, political intrigue was a must, but I was scared that the Court intrigue part would be lost, since now the Court was fully controlled by the Lannister without clear opposition. After all, the Stark and the Baratheon families were gone from Court - for obvious reasons Sansa didn't count. I am glad to admit I was wrong and that it is still a part of the story. In fact, the Lannister family alone has enough intrigue between each others to fill the entire book if Martin felt like that.
The one thing I liked the most wasn't the fact that Martin was capable of keeping Court intrigue as part of the plot, though. Even if I would be sad, I think I would be able to live without it. What I liked tje most was the war strategies and discussions. Martin made them complex and interesting enough that I could understand them and enjoy reading them because they felt believable, but not so complex I would feel like I was getting a crash course in war strategy.
All things together contributed to a plot that was just as interesting and delightful as the A Game of Thrones one. I was just so happy reading those parts.
But unlike the first book, this time my only problem wasn't the way rape was handled (although it remained an issue).
You see, Martin created this whole set of complex, interesting and diverse characters for his first book and they were so many that I wasn't even expecting new ones to show up in the second book. However, Martin did create even more character to populate his fabulous world in this second book. Several more complex and interesting characters with their own traits to interact with all the other characters that already existed (I still can't believe Martin has the capacity to put so many characters in his books without forgetting any of them), creating several new dynamics between everyone that made the whole plot even more intricate and addicting. And I was so happy about that in the beginning, specially when I realized there would be even more PoV's in this book, which meant I would be able to know some of the characters even better.
It turned out to be a disappointment, though. Not because the new characters were bad, I have already said they were just as amazing as the ones I had already met in the first book, but because while in first book Martin worried a lot more about the background and the world, in this book Martin worried about all the characters he hadn't had the chance to develop with all the depth they deserved in the first book.
Of course, I understand the importance of that, but almost none of those characters he decided to use this book to develop died, which means he had no need to develop them so much in this book - he had all the next books to continue that work. And by deciding to develop all the characters in this book, Martin made the whole plot so freaking slow. In the first book, he had to develop the plot in order to develop the world, because he needed to get to a certain point of it to be able to share this or that information about the world, which lead to a fast pace that turned out to be perfect for the book. This time, however, it was the exact opposite. The slower the pace, the more time he had to develop the characters, because if the action was too fast he wouldn't have the time to focus on the characters.
But even if he had to slow down, there was no need for Martin to settle for such a slow pace - I have seen snails move faster! I would read three or four chapters just to realize not even one day was over yet. And every single time Martin decided to do that, obviously he managed to develop the character he wanted, but there wasn't enough things happening to make the chapters that interesting and I ended up with this urge to bang my head against a wall until I pass out, just so I had an excuse to stop reading.
After a while, no matter how much the political intrigue was making me happy, this book started feeling like a chore I had to do, which had the obviously weird result of me not wanting to read it. Weird, isn't it?! 🤔 It started feeling like the book would never end, the political intrigue and the new magic elements being my only reasons to keep going - I may hate Melisandre but all the mystery she added to the book was pretty much one of the only reason I didn't give up which makes me hate her even more.
And then comes Danny and my worst fear is confirmed - Martin chose to ignore everything she went through. The fact that the first times she had sex she was actually raped and the loss of her unborn son were ignored and she was living her life as if nothing aside from Drogo's death happened. And although I was expecting it, because it was already clear in the first book that Martin didn't know how to deal with rape in a world that found it normal, it still made me so angry. Danny deserved better. Both in life and from the man who created her character - she deserved to have everything she went through acknowledge and dealt with.
But because one time wasn't enough, Martin decided to have yet another character raped. This time he decided that she had the right to be affected by what happened, to be left with emotional scars and traumatized. So, he did a good job dealing with it this time, right?!, you may ask. Wrong! Because although he allowed the character to suffer with what happened, he painted her in such a bad light that you can't really say Martin did a good job. He made everyone view her like a dumb, hysterical, fragile and weak girl, which I believe many would do without much effort. My problem is that the only time she showed up on page, Martin did nothing to change that view of the character, isntead he only reenforced the idea that she is weak and useless.
Faced with that reality, I feel obliged to repeat what I said in the review of the previous book - if an author isn't sure that s/he is capable of handling rape well, don't include it in the book. That would be the right, most sensitive thing to do.
Overall, I feel sad for saying that I was glad when I finally finished the book, because with a book that is filled with political intrigue, povoated with so many complex and interesting character and with a world so original and unforgetable that's not how I should have felt. I should have been sad it was over and wanting to read it all over again.
"When you tear out a man's tongue, you are not proving him a liar, you're only telling the world that you fead what he might say."
My little, beautiful paradise of lies, betrayals and political intrigue. And yet, this time paradise isn't as perfect as I found it to be when I read A Game of Thrones.
But I think I should start by remembering the good things, which are actually quite a few. After all, those are the ones that make me happy, made me keep reading and have me wanting to read the third book!
After Martin introduced such a diverse, complex and interesting world in the first book, I thought there was no way he could make it richer. He proved me wrong. In this book, Martin takes us to visit new places, see new cultures, get in touch with new people. And the result is a world even more admirable, even more beautiful and diverse, even more credible, which is a huge compliment when so many fantasy elements can be found everywhere.
In fact, that's something I realized in this book and that made me admire Martin even more - the credibility he managed to make his world have. Although it is filled with things we can't find in our own world (if you ever find a dragon, please let me know, I would give you all my money to see it!), I can't help feeling like there's a chance this world Martin created could have existed, feeling like it might be real. That's how well Martin wrote it.
I believe the main reason for that is the balance he was able to mantain between those fantasy elements and realistic elements - the people and their dynamics. Realistic elements that, we must not forget, are delightful. I was worried that in the second book we would somehow get less political intrigue. Don't get me wrong, I am not stupid, I was aware that with everyone preparing and starting a war, political intrigue was a must, but I was scared that the Court intrigue part would be lost, since now the Court was fully controlled by the Lannister without clear opposition. After all, the Stark and the Baratheon families were gone from Court - for obvious reasons Sansa didn't count. I am glad to admit I was wrong and that it is still a part of the story. In fact, the Lannister family alone has enough intrigue between each others to fill the entire book if Martin felt like that.
The one thing I liked the most wasn't the fact that Martin was capable of keeping Court intrigue as part of the plot, though. Even if I would be sad, I think I would be able to live without it. What I liked tje most was the war strategies and discussions. Martin made them complex and interesting enough that I could understand them and enjoy reading them because they felt believable, but not so complex I would feel like I was getting a crash course in war strategy.
All things together contributed to a plot that was just as interesting and delightful as the A Game of Thrones one. I was just so happy reading those parts.
But unlike the first book, this time my only problem wasn't the way rape was handled (although it remained an issue).
You see, Martin created this whole set of complex, interesting and diverse characters for his first book and they were so many that I wasn't even expecting new ones to show up in the second book. However, Martin did create even more character to populate his fabulous world in this second book. Several more complex and interesting characters with their own traits to interact with all the other characters that already existed (I still can't believe Martin has the capacity to put so many characters in his books without forgetting any of them), creating several new dynamics between everyone that made the whole plot even more intricate and addicting. And I was so happy about that in the beginning, specially when I realized there would be even more PoV's in this book, which meant I would be able to know some of the characters even better.
It turned out to be a disappointment, though. Not because the new characters were bad, I have already said they were just as amazing as the ones I had already met in the first book, but because while in first book Martin worried a lot more about the background and the world, in this book Martin worried about all the characters he hadn't had the chance to develop with all the depth they deserved in the first book.
Of course, I understand the importance of that, but almost none of those characters he decided to use this book to develop died, which means he had no need to develop them so much in this book - he had all the next books to continue that work. And by deciding to develop all the characters in this book, Martin made the whole plot so freaking slow. In the first book, he had to develop the plot in order to develop the world, because he needed to get to a certain point of it to be able to share this or that information about the world, which lead to a fast pace that turned out to be perfect for the book. This time, however, it was the exact opposite. The slower the pace, the more time he had to develop the characters, because if the action was too fast he wouldn't have the time to focus on the characters.
But even if he had to slow down, there was no need for Martin to settle for such a slow pace - I have seen snails move faster! I would read three or four chapters just to realize not even one day was over yet. And every single time Martin decided to do that, obviously he managed to develop the character he wanted, but there wasn't enough things happening to make the chapters that interesting and I ended up with this urge to bang my head against a wall until I pass out, just so I had an excuse to stop reading.
After a while, no matter how much the political intrigue was making me happy, this book started feeling like a chore I had to do, which had the obviously weird result of me not wanting to read it. Weird, isn't it?! 🤔 It started feeling like the book would never end, the political intrigue and the new magic elements being my only reasons to keep going - I may hate Melisandre but all the mystery she added to the book was pretty much one of the only reason I didn't give up which makes me hate her even more.
And then comes Danny and my worst fear is confirmed - Martin chose to ignore everything she went through. The fact that the first times she had sex she was actually raped and the loss of her unborn son were ignored and she was living her life as if nothing aside from Drogo's death happened. And although I was expecting it, because it was already clear in the first book that Martin didn't know how to deal with rape in a world that found it normal, it still made me so angry. Danny deserved better. Both in life and from the man who created her character - she deserved to have everything she went through acknowledge and dealt with.
But because one time wasn't enough, Martin decided to have yet another character raped. This time he decided that she had the right to be affected by what happened, to be left with emotional scars and traumatized. So, he did a good job dealing with it this time, right?!, you may ask. Wrong! Because although he allowed the character to suffer with what happened, he painted her in such a bad light that you can't really say Martin did a good job. He made everyone view her like a dumb, hysterical, fragile and weak girl, which I believe many would do without much effort. My problem is that the only time she showed up on page, Martin did nothing to change that view of the character, isntead he only reenforced the idea that she is weak and useless.
Faced with that reality, I feel obliged to repeat what I said in the review of the previous book - if an author isn't sure that s/he is capable of handling rape well, don't include it in the book. That would be the right, most sensitive thing to do.
Overall, I feel sad for saying that I was glad when I finally finished the book, because with a book that is filled with political intrigue, povoated with so many complex and interesting character and with a world so original and unforgetable that's not how I should have felt. I should have been sad it was over and wanting to read it all over again.
"When you tear out a man's tongue, you are not proving him a liar, you're only telling the world that you fead what he might say."
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Gore, and War
Minor: Rape and Misogyny
The Alice Network by Kate Quinn
adventurous
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Do Lili and Violette have more chemestry than Charlie and Finn even though I had no scene of the two fo them alone (or a scene of the two of them together at all that lasted longer than two pages). Yes. Damn, walls have more chemestry than thise two! Does the rest of the book absolutely makes up for that and makes me sure 5 stars is the right rating? Hell yes!
I absolutely love everything about this book. The tribute to such a brave, strong and admirable woman as Louise de Bettignies by including her in the book, letting every single reader know how brave she was. Louise de Bettignies is a true hero who deserves much more recognition, many more people knowing everything she did. Eve and her story, her journey to heal and come to peace with a past so dark, so cruel and so terryfing. Eve is one of the bravest characters I have ever had the chance to meet and I am so glad I did. Charlie (who could be so annoying at times) and her story of choosing to be herself and to make her choices and be happy instead of letting society tell her how she should live a life that is her own to live. Charlie has so much more deep than it seems at first sight. Her need to help others, to get redemption from events she couldn't have changed, because they were not her fault.
I loved how Quinn used Rose and René, making them those ghosts they all chased, the ghosts that were keeping these two strong women from being happy.
I love the ending of this book, although I don't agree with the ending given to René's character. And it's not just a "oh I liked the character and wished he had had a different ending". It's a it's not right he ended like that, because there's no justice and the whole book should have looked for justice. At the same time, it begs the question - would justice actually happen if things had been different?! Also, anyone who likes René is clearly needing therapy. Now.
I love everything about this book and specially thd absolutely gorgeous writing style that made descriptions so damn beautiful (and cruel sometimes) and made the whole book so beautiful.
Full review coming soon!
I absolutely love everything about this book. The tribute to such a brave, strong and admirable woman as Louise de Bettignies by including her in the book, letting every single reader know how brave she was. Louise de Bettignies is a true hero who deserves much more recognition, many more people knowing everything she did. Eve and her story, her journey to heal and come to peace with a past so dark, so cruel and so terryfing. Eve is one of the bravest characters I have ever had the chance to meet and I am so glad I did. Charlie (who could be so annoying at times) and her story of choosing to be herself and to make her choices and be happy instead of letting society tell her how she should live a life that is her own to live. Charlie has so much more deep than it seems at first sight. Her need to help others, to get redemption from events she couldn't have changed, because they were not her fault.
I loved how Quinn used Rose and René, making them those ghosts they all chased, the ghosts that were keeping these two strong women from being happy.
I love the ending of this book, although I don't agree with the ending given to René's character. And it's not just a "oh I liked the character and wished he had had a different ending". It's a it's not right he ended like that, because there's no justice and the whole book should have looked for justice. At the same time, it begs the question - would justice actually happen if things had been different?! Also, anyone who likes René is clearly needing therapy. Now.
I love everything about this book and specially thd absolutely gorgeous writing style that made descriptions so damn beautiful (and cruel sometimes) and made the whole book so beautiful.
Full review coming soon!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abortion, Violence, and Torture
Moderate: Gun violence and Death
Minor: Suicide and Suicide attempt
The Hiding Place by C.J. Tudor
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
"Grief is personal. It is yours and yours alone. A spiked steel ball chained to your ankle. A coat of nails around your shoulders. A crown of thorns. Grief is the worst kind of torture and it never ends."
Do you know what pisses me off the most about this book? Exactly the same thing that pissed me of about The Chalk Man. The total waste of the book's potential. The idea was so good and promissing, that once I got the book all I wanted was to be left alone, so I could start reading it. And then I actually started reading it and got so incredibly disappointed.
It is just a repetition of all the bad things I listed about The Chalk Man.
The pace is awfully slow, making the plot so, so dull that it just had no chance of being able to keep me hooked.
The characters are just impossible to connect with. Joe seems to live in a completly different world, Beth is annoying and the others don't get enough development. The only character I could actually like was Gloria and that just makes everything worst, because you know that a book is really bad when you like a bitch like Gloria more than you like the main character, which you were supposed to connect with. Not to mention that Gloria is not important to the main plotline, which means that liking her or not isn't even that important.
And then, if you manage to make yourself go through the whole book without a real good reason to keep reading, you realize it speeds up near the end as if trying to make up for all the pages it had you almost dying of boredom. But what's the point of speeding up then, if it no longer has a chance of getting my atten tyion or make me care about the characters? The point is pretty much the same of inserting a plot twist I would have appreciated if only I was even if just a little interested in the story - none. I just couldn't care about anything that happened anymore. I was reading the book only because I do not like to DNF books and was doing my best to avoid that. Which I managed to do, so I think I deserve some kind of award for my sacrifice.
Until now, all I did was listing things I had already mentioned in my review of The Chalk Man. I don't even know why I put myself through that when I ould have just asked you to go check it out... Just kidding! But do feel free to check it out! 😉
Anyway, my point is, by doing this, you may be thinking I found the two books just as bad. Wrong. This book is worst. The way it portrays austism is just 100% annoying. I mean I understand that some people may get uncomfortable near an austistic person due to the strange behaviour and all. But there's a thin line that should not be crossed and calling someone "Little Miss Scary" just because she is autistic surely crosses that line. I won't dive into this aspect, because if I do I will just end up writing a whole rant about it, but damn it. Books are supposed to be a way of helping people feel included and to make people realize they shouldn't exclude others for being different. The way the character is portrayed and calling her "Little Miss Scary" even if there's no good reason for this character to be treated like this - if Tudor had included her instead of presenting her as she did, the story wouldn't have changed a bit, except for the fact it wouldn't have annoyed me so much - DOES NOT FREAKING HELP!
Overall, this book is just not good. Once again C. J. Tudor disappointed me. The story is dull and almost bored me to death, the characters are impossible to connect with and the way the autistic character is portrayed pissed me off more than anything else.
"Broken hearts don't mend. Time just takes the pieces and grinds them to dust."
Do you know what pisses me off the most about this book? Exactly the same thing that pissed me of about The Chalk Man. The total waste of the book's potential. The idea was so good and promissing, that once I got the book all I wanted was to be left alone, so I could start reading it. And then I actually started reading it and got so incredibly disappointed.
It is just a repetition of all the bad things I listed about The Chalk Man.
The pace is awfully slow, making the plot so, so dull that it just had no chance of being able to keep me hooked.
The characters are just impossible to connect with. Joe seems to live in a completly different world, Beth is annoying and the others don't get enough development. The only character I could actually like was Gloria and that just makes everything worst, because you know that a book is really bad when you like a bitch like Gloria more than you like the main character, which you were supposed to connect with. Not to mention that Gloria is not important to the main plotline, which means that liking her or not isn't even that important.
And then, if you manage to make yourself go through the whole book without a real good reason to keep reading, you realize it speeds up near the end as if trying to make up for all the pages it had you almost dying of boredom. But what's the point of speeding up then, if it no longer has a chance of getting my atten tyion or make me care about the characters? The point is pretty much the same of inserting a plot twist I would have appreciated if only I was even if just a little interested in the story - none. I just couldn't care about anything that happened anymore. I was reading the book only because I do not like to DNF books and was doing my best to avoid that. Which I managed to do, so I think I deserve some kind of award for my sacrifice.
Until now, all I did was listing things I had already mentioned in my review of The Chalk Man. I don't even know why I put myself through that when I ould have just asked you to go check it out... Just kidding! But do feel free to check it out! 😉
Anyway, my point is, by doing this, you may be thinking I found the two books just as bad. Wrong. This book is worst. The way it portrays austism is just 100% annoying. I mean I understand that some people may get uncomfortable near an austistic person due to the strange behaviour and all. But there's a thin line that should not be crossed and calling someone "Little Miss Scary" just because she is autistic surely crosses that line. I won't dive into this aspect, because if I do I will just end up writing a whole rant about it, but damn it. Books are supposed to be a way of helping people feel included and to make people realize they shouldn't exclude others for being different. The way the character is portrayed and calling her "Little Miss Scary" even if there's no good reason for this character to be treated like this - if Tudor had included her instead of presenting her as she did, the story wouldn't have changed a bit, except for the fact it wouldn't have annoyed me so much - DOES NOT FREAKING HELP!
Overall, this book is just not good. Once again C. J. Tudor disappointed me. The story is dull and almost bored me to death, the characters are impossible to connect with and the way the autistic character is portrayed pissed me off more than anything else.
"Broken hearts don't mend. Time just takes the pieces and grinds them to dust."
Cilka's Journey by Heather Morris
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
"Everyone affected by war, captivity or aggression reacts differently, and away from it people might try to guess how they would act, or react, in the circumstances. But they do not really know."
There are already so many, many books about WWII. So many books about Auschwitz, about its horrors and what the prisoners there went through. Stories of courage, of survival. And love, because love can be found even in the darkest and cruelest places. But they are still not enough, they will never be enough. Because no matter how many books about that time exist, they will never be enough to remeber every single soul that was tortured, destroyed, broken during that time. There will always be stories, people that will be forgotten, no matter how hard people try to find them. Stories of courage, survival and love that will never be remembered, that we will never know about.
Cilka's story is one of them. We will never know everything about her, we will never really now her story because she never got the chance to tell it herself. Morris did an amazing work, which I admire, searching for all those informations about her, about everything she went through. But this story is still not Cilka's. There are parts missing, parts that didn't happen exactly like it's described in this book. And yet, isn't it better to have this story, even if incomplete and probably not that accurate, than do not have her story at all? I believe it is, because even if the story isn't exactly like this, we have enough here to see Cilka as she was. A fighter, a survivor, a courageous person who lived a life no one deserves. Cilka's Journey is a story of courage, sacrifice and love that uncovers some of the most terrible mistakes that were made once the war was over.
Cilka chose to live, to survive in Auschwitz. Cilka chose to do not give up, to keep fighting, believing that one day the nightmare would be over and she would be free. No one can blame her, or anyone living under such cruel conditions, for doing what is needed to survive. And yet, once the war was over, the USSR looked at her and decided that she should be punished for wanting to live. She was raped again and again, but all the militars saw was someone who slept with the enemy. And because of that she was punished, sent to the coldest place on the face of Earth, from one hell to another. She was punished for being raped. And we would be stupid to think she was the only one. Many like Cilka suffered a destiny like her's, were punished for wanting to live.
That's one of the things that touched me the most. That after surviving in a place like Auschwitz, Cilka still had to pay for doing so. It wasn't the pnly one that touched me, though, and through the book I found many things, little details that touched me. The courage of all those women, the little sacrifices they were willing to do for each other. Those are the things that touched me and that make this story so beautiful.
But to be honest, I can't say that I appreciated this book since the beginning. However, it is not the book' fault. It's mine. When I read The Tattooist of Auschwitz, Cilka was one of the characters I couldn't connect with. She hadn't enough development. I do not really blame Morris for that, because after all it was Lale's story and he didn't really know Cilka during that time and what she went through to offer Morris enough details. But, when I opened this book, the idea I had from Cilka was one of a character that I couldn't connect with. And then I discovered that unlike Lale's story, Cilka's wasn't told by her, that it relied the most in documents Morris could find. And no one can truly believe that official documents will ever make justice to all the horrors those people in the Gulag went through.
And the result was me refusing to allow myself to even try to connect with Cilka. I simply didn't want to connect with a character that was meant to be a real person but without really being her (if that makes any sense). And because of that, everything I was reading even if touching, wasn't affecting me as it should, because I didn't connect with Cilka. I needed days to reach the 50% mark because of that. And then an event that happened near that mark and that didn't have the impact it should made me realize how stupid I was being. I was stopping myself from enjoying the book. So I took a deep breath and restarted the book. But this time I made an effort to forget that Cilka was not really Cilka, I told myself it didn't matter. And Cilka became real, the story became much more touching and heartbreaking. Things started to matter. And I started actually enjoying the reading. And in one day I read the entire book. Finally I was seeing Cilka as I believe that Morris wanted the readers to see her - not as one single woman but as a personification of all the women who suffered a destiny similar to Cilka's. She and the friends she made were not just people but a way for us to see different ways to survive in a place meant to kill you, different forms of courage and sacrifice.
The only complain I really have is the same I found in The Tattooist of Auschwitz. This story is meant to be based on real events and real people. So, please stop offering me love at first sight romances. It really doesn't work like that and even if it is undeniably beautiful to see that love can survive and exist even in places like Auschwitz and the Gulag, they make me cringe just to think about them. That's not how love works!
Overall, this book is definetly an emotional reading that has the power to make us see how unfair some of Auschwitz survivors were treated. But more than that, it is a story of friendship and courage that makes sure that one more survivor is remembered.
"She is just surviving. There is no one way to do it."
There are already so many, many books about WWII. So many books about Auschwitz, about its horrors and what the prisoners there went through. Stories of courage, of survival. And love, because love can be found even in the darkest and cruelest places. But they are still not enough, they will never be enough. Because no matter how many books about that time exist, they will never be enough to remeber every single soul that was tortured, destroyed, broken during that time. There will always be stories, people that will be forgotten, no matter how hard people try to find them. Stories of courage, survival and love that will never be remembered, that we will never know about.
Cilka's story is one of them. We will never know everything about her, we will never really now her story because she never got the chance to tell it herself. Morris did an amazing work, which I admire, searching for all those informations about her, about everything she went through. But this story is still not Cilka's. There are parts missing, parts that didn't happen exactly like it's described in this book. And yet, isn't it better to have this story, even if incomplete and probably not that accurate, than do not have her story at all? I believe it is, because even if the story isn't exactly like this, we have enough here to see Cilka as she was. A fighter, a survivor, a courageous person who lived a life no one deserves. Cilka's Journey is a story of courage, sacrifice and love that uncovers some of the most terrible mistakes that were made once the war was over.
Cilka chose to live, to survive in Auschwitz. Cilka chose to do not give up, to keep fighting, believing that one day the nightmare would be over and she would be free. No one can blame her, or anyone living under such cruel conditions, for doing what is needed to survive. And yet, once the war was over, the USSR looked at her and decided that she should be punished for wanting to live. She was raped again and again, but all the militars saw was someone who slept with the enemy. And because of that she was punished, sent to the coldest place on the face of Earth, from one hell to another. She was punished for being raped. And we would be stupid to think she was the only one. Many like Cilka suffered a destiny like her's, were punished for wanting to live.
That's one of the things that touched me the most. That after surviving in a place like Auschwitz, Cilka still had to pay for doing so. It wasn't the pnly one that touched me, though, and through the book I found many things, little details that touched me. The courage of all those women, the little sacrifices they were willing to do for each other. Those are the things that touched me and that make this story so beautiful.
But to be honest, I can't say that I appreciated this book since the beginning. However, it is not the book' fault. It's mine. When I read The Tattooist of Auschwitz, Cilka was one of the characters I couldn't connect with. She hadn't enough development. I do not really blame Morris for that, because after all it was Lale's story and he didn't really know Cilka during that time and what she went through to offer Morris enough details. But, when I opened this book, the idea I had from Cilka was one of a character that I couldn't connect with. And then I discovered that unlike Lale's story, Cilka's wasn't told by her, that it relied the most in documents Morris could find. And no one can truly believe that official documents will ever make justice to all the horrors those people in the Gulag went through.
And the result was me refusing to allow myself to even try to connect with Cilka. I simply didn't want to connect with a character that was meant to be a real person but without really being her (if that makes any sense). And because of that, everything I was reading even if touching, wasn't affecting me as it should, because I didn't connect with Cilka. I needed days to reach the 50% mark because of that. And then an event that happened near that mark and that didn't have the impact it should made me realize how stupid I was being. I was stopping myself from enjoying the book. So I took a deep breath and restarted the book. But this time I made an effort to forget that Cilka was not really Cilka, I told myself it didn't matter. And Cilka became real, the story became much more touching and heartbreaking. Things started to matter. And I started actually enjoying the reading. And in one day I read the entire book. Finally I was seeing Cilka as I believe that Morris wanted the readers to see her - not as one single woman but as a personification of all the women who suffered a destiny similar to Cilka's. She and the friends she made were not just people but a way for us to see different ways to survive in a place meant to kill you, different forms of courage and sacrifice.
The only complain I really have is the same I found in The Tattooist of Auschwitz. This story is meant to be based on real events and real people. So, please stop offering me love at first sight romances. It really doesn't work like that and even if it is undeniably beautiful to see that love can survive and exist even in places like Auschwitz and the Gulag, they make me cringe just to think about them. That's not how love works!
Overall, this book is definetly an emotional reading that has the power to make us see how unfair some of Auschwitz survivors were treated. But more than that, it is a story of friendship and courage that makes sure that one more survivor is remembered.
"She is just surviving. There is no one way to do it."
Content Warnings
Graphic: Antisemitism, Death, Rape, Sexism, and Sexual assault
Moderate: Gun violence
Minor: War and Pregnancy
Vision in Silver by Anne Bishop
adventurous
funny
reflective
relaxing
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.75
You know how I complained about how for most of the first book it felt like it was leading to nowhere? And then I realized it was because Bishop used that book to develop the world and once it was done, the plotline became something you could follow and it no longer felt like I was going through the book with no reason to do so. And then I read the second book and it had a clear plotline and I actually liked it and it made me so freaking excited to read the third.
And now I have raead the third and I don't even know what rate I should give it, because a part of me wants to throw the book out the window, another part wants to scream and yet another one wants to give this book lots of love for the amazing writing style and for the dynamics between characters that are absolutely lovely.
It felt like the first book all over again when I started it, because I had no idea where the plot was leading me. But I thought to myself "let's keep reading, it is just like the first.". No, it isn't. I couldn't see the plotline in this one BECAUSE IT DOESN'T EXIST. Bishop spends the entire books setting the background for a war I am sure that will happen in the next books. The problem with that is IF SHE SPENT THE BOOK SETTING THE BACKGROUND I GOT NO ACTION. I mean, there are some minor events that were solved in a few chapters, but it happened so fast I was not even sure what exactly was the solution to some of them until they are casually mentioned again at the end (I am glad to know the babies weren't forgotten, thank you! I am still trying to understand what happened to Theral's abusive ex-boyfriend, though.), while the background for the war was continuously being developed, but with so little action that I felt like dying.
The only thing I could actually call a plotline (obviously war-related) was a kind of mystery that was so damn obvious my brain hurt just to see how much time the characters needed to solve it.
Then there's also the fact that it feels like Bishop didn't care for any character aside from those she did develop in the first book. All the others are flat, two-dimensional and have literally no personality trait. Merri Lee is just the courageous human who doesn't remind Simon of a bunny. Ruth is Kowalski's girlfriend (wife?! I am not even sure!) and kind of Others' teacher for human things. I don't even know Theral and I had no idea McDonald existed until half the book was gone.
But this last thing was bearable (it was in the second book) if it wasn't for the fact that this book felt so sexist without even trying to be like that. I haven't seen anyone complain about it and it bothers me a lot, because I get unsure if it's not just in my head. Maybe it is. But the way it's always men solving everything, the way how Tess is mostly left out or just a background figure even if she is technically mkre powerful than any of the other characters, the way Nyx, who would make a hell of a character, just happens from time to time when the skies are about to fall on us, bothers me. A LOT. It feels like all the use Bishop gives to female characters is being the emotional supporters of Meg after she cuts herself and go shopping and being Meg's female pack. WHY??
All this bothers me so much, but at the same time, I can't help enjoying the book. It is so easy to read you don't even notice when you finish the chapters. I lost count of the number of times I told myself I would just read one chapter before going to sleep and ended up reading at least 5 before even realizing it. And then read 2 more, because I couldn't stop there. And the ending was lovely, filled with hope and made me smile.
Bishop's writing style is amazing, delightful, extraordinary and I love it. And Simon and Meg are one of the bestnot-yet couples I have ever read about and their dynamic is just so good. It's so funny to see them together and the way Bishop managed to mescle human and wolf in Simon's personality is just unbelievable. (Just like happens with all the Others who are Animals).
Anyway, this is getting too long and I still have no idea how to rate this book. 2.50 is too little. 2.75 doesn't sit right with me. Neither does 3.00. But 3.25 is too much. It pissed me off so much. But Meg and Simon are so cute... Ugh! 3.00 is not right. Not with how much it bothered me. But 2.75 just breaks my heart. 😢 I guess, I will have to deal with a broken heart, because even if I tell myself 2.75 doesn't sit right with me, 2.50 is definitely too little and I can't force myself to write down 3.00 stars, because that is definitely not right.
But this is getting way too long for a review that isn't a full one yet. Let me write down a reminder, so I don't forget to talk about Hope. She deserves at least a little love from me. Oh, and also a reminder for me to complain about Jane, because where the hell did she go??
Full review coming soon!
And now I have raead the third and I don't even know what rate I should give it, because a part of me wants to throw the book out the window, another part wants to scream and yet another one wants to give this book lots of love for the amazing writing style and for the dynamics between characters that are absolutely lovely.
It felt like the first book all over again when I started it, because I had no idea where the plot was leading me. But I thought to myself "let's keep reading, it is just like the first.". No, it isn't. I couldn't see the plotline in this one BECAUSE IT DOESN'T EXIST. Bishop spends the entire books setting the background for a war I am sure that will happen in the next books. The problem with that is IF SHE SPENT THE BOOK SETTING THE BACKGROUND I GOT NO ACTION. I mean, there are some minor events that were solved in a few chapters, but it happened so fast I was not even sure what exactly was the solution to some of them until they are casually mentioned again at the end (I am glad to know the babies weren't forgotten, thank you! I am still trying to understand what happened to Theral's abusive ex-boyfriend, though.), while the background for the war was continuously being developed, but with so little action that I felt like dying.
The only thing I could actually call a plotline (obviously war-related) was a kind of mystery that was so damn obvious my brain hurt just to see how much time the characters needed to solve it.
Then there's also the fact that it feels like Bishop didn't care for any character aside from those she did develop in the first book. All the others are flat, two-dimensional and have literally no personality trait. Merri Lee is just the courageous human who doesn't remind Simon of a bunny. Ruth is Kowalski's girlfriend (wife?! I am not even sure!) and kind of Others' teacher for human things. I don't even know Theral and I had no idea McDonald existed until half the book was gone.
But this last thing was bearable (it was in the second book) if it wasn't for the fact that this book felt so sexist without even trying to be like that. I haven't seen anyone complain about it and it bothers me a lot, because I get unsure if it's not just in my head. Maybe it is. But the way it's always men solving everything, the way how Tess is mostly left out or just a background figure even if she is technically mkre powerful than any of the other characters, the way Nyx, who would make a hell of a character, just happens from time to time when the skies are about to fall on us, bothers me. A LOT. It feels like all the use Bishop gives to female characters is being the emotional supporters of Meg after she cuts herself and go shopping and being Meg's female pack. WHY??
All this bothers me so much, but at the same time, I can't help enjoying the book. It is so easy to read you don't even notice when you finish the chapters. I lost count of the number of times I told myself I would just read one chapter before going to sleep and ended up reading at least 5 before even realizing it. And then read 2 more, because I couldn't stop there. And the ending was lovely, filled with hope and made me smile.
Bishop's writing style is amazing, delightful, extraordinary and I love it. And Simon and Meg are one of the best
Anyway, this is getting too long and I still have no idea how to rate this book. 2.50 is too little. 2.75 doesn't sit right with me. Neither does 3.00. But 3.25 is too much. It pissed me off so much. But Meg and Simon are so cute... Ugh! 3.00 is not right. Not with how much it bothered me. But 2.75 just breaks my heart. 😢 I guess, I will have to deal with a broken heart, because even if I tell myself 2.75 doesn't sit right with me, 2.50 is definitely too little and I can't force myself to write down 3.00 stars, because that is definitely not right.
But this is getting way too long for a review that isn't a full one yet. Let me write down a reminder, so I don't forget to talk about Hope. She deserves at least a little love from me. Oh, and also a reminder for me to complain about Jane, because where the hell did she go??
Full review coming soon!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Self harm and Hate crime
Moderate: Death, Emotional abuse, and Death of parent
Minor: Slavery, Trafficking, and Child death
A Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
"Never forget what you are, for surely the world will not. Make it your strength. Then it can never be your weakness."
You know what this book has granted since the start? The love of all the readers out there who enjoy political intrigue. I have never read a book so full of political intrigue and where it is so well done as happens with this one. For lovers of political intrigue there's no better book than A Game of Thrones.
But it's not only lovers of political intrigue that will like it. The book has so many good aspects that there's no way you won't find at least one thing you like about it. It is a true, extraordinary masterpiece.
There's just so many things Martin deserves to be praised for in this book that I don't even know where to start. I guess I will choose the one I believe he deserves the most praising for - his unbelievable set of characters. It is just mind-blowing how Martin managed to insert so many characters in one book and give every single one of them complexity, depth and even at least a bit of backstory, making all of them unique. It's the characters who set the pace for the entire book, who give life to it and make it as interesting as it is.
They are dynamic, complex, credible characters that are so finely created you can't help but react to their presence. Whether hating, disliking, adoring or absolutely loving. Truth is, just like people in real life, I am pretty sure few are the characters in Game of Thrones that everyone feels the same about. But, no matter what you feel, the point is you feel. You can't stay indifferent when you read about them. AND THEY ARE SO MANY. More than anything, it's the massive amount of characters, all with their own traits, that proves of much Martin cares about the story. It's the ultimate proof of his effort and the time he spent working on the book, because otherwise more than half the characters that showed up would have been forgotten or two-dimensional. They are not.
It gets better. This set of characters, with complex lives and even more complex personalities, is used to populate an extraordinary world that may seem like your standard fantasy world in the beginning, but that has so much backstory to it that you quickly start feeling like it is one of the most original and unforgettable worlds you have ever had the chance to see.
And the best part about it is that even if you get a lot of information about the world, it never feels like that information is being dropped on you for the sake of it. Martin found such a perfect way to insert those informations in the plot that it feels like the scenes wouldn't even make sense if the information wasn't there.
With such an amazing world and characters so complex as Martin's, it's not a surprise that the plot is just as perfect. An intricate plot of conspiracies, court intrigues, lies and games of power that bring a new meaning to the expression "nothing is what it seems". I found myself in my own personal, dystopic paradise while I was reading this book. So many betrayals, people that cannot be trusted, lies and conspiracies!! 🤤🤤 It is just perfect for me.
But it also has its fair share of violence and gore, which makes it not such a good choice for some people, which is perfectly understandable. However, for someone who doesn't mind the violence, which is my case, I think it even adds more realism to the world. We are talking about a world that is crude, medieval and merciless. If it didn't have its share of violence, would it even be believable?!
However, and no matter how highly I am willing to praise Martin, there are things in this book that he did not handle well. Rape and forced marriage are not handled well. If you ask me if I have any idea why Martin chose to include them, I will tell you yes, I do. For the same reason he included gore and violence. If you ask me if I think it was really necessary, my answer is no, not really. But I don't think I have ever had or ever will have a problem with these matters being included in any book, whether I think it had a reason to be there or not, for as long as they are handled well. I don't think Martin did handle it well, but at the same time I think he is aware of that and wished he could have done more.
Let me try to explain. Most times when these matters are not handled well, I think the authors don't even realize that or care about it. I don't think that's the case with Martin. I think he included them because they were sort of commom in the world he created and he felt like he had no other choice. But even if he felt that way, I still think he could have done things differently. Let's take the girl whose forced marriage we witness in the book (let's try to avoid spoilers) as an example. All the first times when she had sex can and should be considered rape, because that's what it is. Rape. And Martin dealt with that so lightly, making her embrace, start enjoying and wanting and welcoming the sexual relationship with her partner that by the end of the book, I am sure many people have probably forgotten how it all started. But then, I don't think it was Martin's intention to dealt with it so lightly. I don't think he saw that as something normal or correct or that should be forgotten. He was the one who made sure to remind the readers she was only 14 when most readers probably no longer remembered that. And he did it in a way that left me with no doubts it was his way to show us he didn't agree. His way of screaming it was wrong, without really putting it into words. And later he does it again, with other character who was also raped; his new way of reminding us rape isn't right.
So, no, I don't think he didn't handle it better because he didn't care, but rather because he didn't know how to do that in a world that thought all of that was normal. And even if that makes him a better person, I don't think it justifies the way he handled things. It is still wrong. And if he didn't feel like he could handle it right, he shouldn't have included it.
Overall, I had the upmost pleasure of reading one of the most extraordinary masterpieces of nowadays, the number one book for anyone who likes political intrigue. An excellent book with an unforgettable world povoated with the most exquisite and complex set of characters whose dynamics result in an intricate and rich plot that will delight any reader. If only Martin had handled rape in the right way, this book would have got all the 5 stars.
"Can a man still be brave if he's afraid? That is the only time a man can be brave."
You know what this book has granted since the start? The love of all the readers out there who enjoy political intrigue. I have never read a book so full of political intrigue and where it is so well done as happens with this one. For lovers of political intrigue there's no better book than A Game of Thrones.
But it's not only lovers of political intrigue that will like it. The book has so many good aspects that there's no way you won't find at least one thing you like about it. It is a true, extraordinary masterpiece.
There's just so many things Martin deserves to be praised for in this book that I don't even know where to start. I guess I will choose the one I believe he deserves the most praising for - his unbelievable set of characters. It is just mind-blowing how Martin managed to insert so many characters in one book and give every single one of them complexity, depth and even at least a bit of backstory, making all of them unique. It's the characters who set the pace for the entire book, who give life to it and make it as interesting as it is.
They are dynamic, complex, credible characters that are so finely created you can't help but react to their presence. Whether hating, disliking, adoring or absolutely loving. Truth is, just like people in real life, I am pretty sure few are the characters in Game of Thrones that everyone feels the same about. But, no matter what you feel, the point is you feel. You can't stay indifferent when you read about them. AND THEY ARE SO MANY. More than anything, it's the massive amount of characters, all with their own traits, that proves of much Martin cares about the story. It's the ultimate proof of his effort and the time he spent working on the book, because otherwise more than half the characters that showed up would have been forgotten or two-dimensional. They are not.
It gets better. This set of characters, with complex lives and even more complex personalities, is used to populate an extraordinary world that may seem like your standard fantasy world in the beginning, but that has so much backstory to it that you quickly start feeling like it is one of the most original and unforgettable worlds you have ever had the chance to see.
And the best part about it is that even if you get a lot of information about the world, it never feels like that information is being dropped on you for the sake of it. Martin found such a perfect way to insert those informations in the plot that it feels like the scenes wouldn't even make sense if the information wasn't there.
With such an amazing world and characters so complex as Martin's, it's not a surprise that the plot is just as perfect. An intricate plot of conspiracies, court intrigues, lies and games of power that bring a new meaning to the expression "nothing is what it seems". I found myself in my own personal, dystopic paradise while I was reading this book. So many betrayals, people that cannot be trusted, lies and conspiracies!! 🤤🤤 It is just perfect for me.
But it also has its fair share of violence and gore, which makes it not such a good choice for some people, which is perfectly understandable. However, for someone who doesn't mind the violence, which is my case, I think it even adds more realism to the world. We are talking about a world that is crude, medieval and merciless. If it didn't have its share of violence, would it even be believable?!
However, and no matter how highly I am willing to praise Martin, there are things in this book that he did not handle well. Rape and forced marriage are not handled well. If you ask me if I have any idea why Martin chose to include them, I will tell you yes, I do. For the same reason he included gore and violence. If you ask me if I think it was really necessary, my answer is no, not really. But I don't think I have ever had or ever will have a problem with these matters being included in any book, whether I think it had a reason to be there or not, for as long as they are handled well. I don't think Martin did handle it well, but at the same time I think he is aware of that and wished he could have done more.
Let me try to explain. Most times when these matters are not handled well, I think the authors don't even realize that or care about it. I don't think that's the case with Martin. I think he included them because they were sort of commom in the world he created and he felt like he had no other choice. But even if he felt that way, I still think he could have done things differently. Let's take the girl whose forced marriage we witness in the book (let's try to avoid spoilers) as an example. All the first times when she had sex can and should be considered rape, because that's what it is. Rape. And Martin dealt with that so lightly, making her embrace, start enjoying and wanting and welcoming the sexual relationship with her partner that by the end of the book, I am sure many people have probably forgotten how it all started. But then, I don't think it was Martin's intention to dealt with it so lightly. I don't think he saw that as something normal or correct or that should be forgotten. He was the one who made sure to remind the readers she was only 14 when most readers probably no longer remembered that. And he did it in a way that left me with no doubts it was his way to show us he didn't agree. His way of screaming it was wrong, without really putting it into words. And later he does it again, with other character who was also raped; his new way of reminding us rape isn't right.
So, no, I don't think he didn't handle it better because he didn't care, but rather because he didn't know how to do that in a world that thought all of that was normal. And even if that makes him a better person, I don't think it justifies the way he handled things. It is still wrong. And if he didn't feel like he could handle it right, he shouldn't have included it.
Overall, I had the upmost pleasure of reading one of the most extraordinary masterpieces of nowadays, the number one book for anyone who likes political intrigue. An excellent book with an unforgettable world povoated with the most exquisite and complex set of characters whose dynamics result in an intricate and rich plot that will delight any reader. If only Martin had handled rape in the right way, this book would have got all the 5 stars.
"Can a man still be brave if he's afraid? That is the only time a man can be brave."
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Gore, Incest, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual assault, and Violence
Moderate: Ableism and Misogyny
Minor: Domestic abuse, Slavery, and Animal death
The Time Of Contempt by Andrzej Sapkowski
I complained about this when I reviewed Blood of Elves, but it wasn't as clear as it will be now, because I wasn't sure if that was the problem and I actually ended up blaming the impossibility to know where the plot was going for not liking the book. Which was absolutely true, but now that I have two books to base my opinion on, I know for sure that the plotline problem is the result of a much bigger one.
Sapkowski's writing style is definitely not the best out there to write a novel. It is quite good if he is writing a short story, but for a novel... it is not a good choice. It makes the story weird. Sapkowski jumps from place to place, character to character, leaving you completly lost on what's going on, which is the reason why you have absolutely no idea where the plot is supposed to be leading you.
The saddest part is that everything about his descriptions is absolutely perfect, no matter if we are talking about people, places or situations. You can perfectly imagine it all, which means that if he wouldn't jump from character to character more often than not, the book would have everything to be amazing, becausd I am 100% sure that if that didn't happen the plotline would be much more clear and therefore easier to follow.
I am not saying it would be a 5 stars book, because that's not the only thing I dislike about this book, but it would get a higher rating. But let's not follow Sapkowski's example and keep jumping from place to place because I know from experience that it doesn't work.
So, confusing plot because we keep jumping from place to place like some mutant kangoroo. It was so frustrating that I felt like giving up after reading only 2 chapters. But the book was so short that it felt like a waste to just give it up. Which turned out to be a quite good decision.
If you ask me to tell you when did the plotline started to make sense, I won't be able to tell you. I have no clue. All I know is that I was reading and suddnely I realized I wasn't jumping from place to place so often and I was starting to actually see the path the plot was taking. Which made things better, sure, but for a while wasn't enough.
And the reason for that was the political intrigue. When I said I wasn't jumping from place to place so often, it doesn't mean it didn't happen sometimes. It did. And some would say that since the reader has to put up with that, then at least the reader should be allowed to get some advantage out of that. Sapkowski doesn't agree. I love political intrigue, but only when it is done right. Having to walk blindly and getting backstabbed by both sides because I have no clue of what's going on is not at all my definition of political intrigue done right.
What does that has to do with the jumping from character to character? It's a smart question. The answer, EVERYTING. You see, this book has this character, which I can't decide if I like or not, because I do admire her, but at the same time it sometimes feels like she only exists so Sapkowski can say his books aren't mysognistic, which pisses me off. Her name is Yennifer and she is right in the middle of the political intrigue that is going on, which would make her Sapkowski's best choice to introduce us to the political intrigue. Instead, everything related to it is presented to us when it's Gerald's story that we are following. The same Geralt who would rather be neutral and doesn't give a damn about politics. It doesn't take a genius to understand why using a character that doesn't care about politics to introduce us to the political intrigue is not a good idea. I WOULD HAVE LIKED TO AT LEAST HAVE ONE CLUE OF WHAT WAS GOING ON. ONE clue and I would have been happy, or at least better than I was walking through all that completly blind.
Of course, that could have been Sapkowski's objective, to make us know as much as Geralt (which was nothing), but for me that doesn't work. Even if the reader doesn't know everything, there's a minimum of information that the reader needs to have access to in order to make some sense out of what's happening.
Eventually, after being backstabbed more times than I would have liked, the political scheme became clear. And that, along with the fact that I no longer felt like a mutant kangoroo, allowed the story to be incredibly good. It got much more action (and trust me, if there's one thing Sapkowski absolutely knows how to do, it is writing an absolutely phenomenal fighting scene) and I found myself fully invested on it.
Truth is, that only happened in the last two or three chapters, but that's the good thing about short books, sometimes two or three really good chapters are enough to make up for all the others. That's the case with this book. I absolutely loved these last chapters and now I can't wait to read the next book to know what will happen to Ciri and Geralt.
But my desire to know what will happen isn't just innocent curiosity to know what will happen next. It's also the need to make sure that important matters are approaced in the right, serious way that they should be. Sapkowski chose to make all that happen too close to the end to give him room to adress those matters in any way, but the way he mentioned them felt way too casual. I am hoping that feeling of casuality is wrong and that adressing it in the end of a book wasn't a mistake Sapkowski made and that he will talk about it again in the next book.
Overall, I still think Sapkowski's writing style is not the best for a novel, but as the story develops and the several characters cross paths, making the jumpings less frequent, things get better and it's even possible to enjoy the story.
adventurous
challenging
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
"But do you know when stories stop being stories? The moment someone begins to believe in them."
I complained about this when I reviewed Blood of Elves, but it wasn't as clear as it will be now, because I wasn't sure if that was the problem and I actually ended up blaming the impossibility to know where the plot was going for not liking the book. Which was absolutely true, but now that I have two books to base my opinion on, I know for sure that the plotline problem is the result of a much bigger one.
Sapkowski's writing style is definitely not the best out there to write a novel. It is quite good if he is writing a short story, but for a novel... it is not a good choice. It makes the story weird. Sapkowski jumps from place to place, character to character, leaving you completly lost on what's going on, which is the reason why you have absolutely no idea where the plot is supposed to be leading you.
The saddest part is that everything about his descriptions is absolutely perfect, no matter if we are talking about people, places or situations. You can perfectly imagine it all, which means that if he wouldn't jump from character to character more often than not, the book would have everything to be amazing, becausd I am 100% sure that if that didn't happen the plotline would be much more clear and therefore easier to follow.
I am not saying it would be a 5 stars book, because that's not the only thing I dislike about this book, but it would get a higher rating. But let's not follow Sapkowski's example and keep jumping from place to place because I know from experience that it doesn't work.
So, confusing plot because we keep jumping from place to place like some mutant kangoroo. It was so frustrating that I felt like giving up after reading only 2 chapters. But the book was so short that it felt like a waste to just give it up. Which turned out to be a quite good decision.
If you ask me to tell you when did the plotline started to make sense, I won't be able to tell you. I have no clue. All I know is that I was reading and suddnely I realized I wasn't jumping from place to place so often and I was starting to actually see the path the plot was taking. Which made things better, sure, but for a while wasn't enough.
And the reason for that was the political intrigue. When I said I wasn't jumping from place to place so often, it doesn't mean it didn't happen sometimes. It did. And some would say that since the reader has to put up with that, then at least the reader should be allowed to get some advantage out of that. Sapkowski doesn't agree. I love political intrigue, but only when it is done right. Having to walk blindly and getting backstabbed by both sides because I have no clue of what's going on is not at all my definition of political intrigue done right.
What does that has to do with the jumping from character to character? It's a smart question. The answer, EVERYTING. You see, this book has this character, which I can't decide if I like or not, because I do admire her, but at the same time it sometimes feels like she only exists so Sapkowski can say his books aren't mysognistic, which pisses me off. Her name is Yennifer and she is right in the middle of the political intrigue that is going on, which would make her Sapkowski's best choice to introduce us to the political intrigue. Instead, everything related to it is presented to us when it's Gerald's story that we are following. The same Geralt who would rather be neutral and doesn't give a damn about politics. It doesn't take a genius to understand why using a character that doesn't care about politics to introduce us to the political intrigue is not a good idea. I WOULD HAVE LIKED TO AT LEAST HAVE ONE CLUE OF WHAT WAS GOING ON. ONE clue and I would have been happy, or at least better than I was walking through all that completly blind.
Of course, that could have been Sapkowski's objective, to make us know as much as Geralt (which was nothing), but for me that doesn't work. Even if the reader doesn't know everything, there's a minimum of information that the reader needs to have access to in order to make some sense out of what's happening.
Eventually, after being backstabbed more times than I would have liked, the political scheme became clear. And that, along with the fact that I no longer felt like a mutant kangoroo, allowed the story to be incredibly good. It got much more action (and trust me, if there's one thing Sapkowski absolutely knows how to do, it is writing an absolutely phenomenal fighting scene) and I found myself fully invested on it.
Truth is, that only happened in the last two or three chapters, but that's the good thing about short books, sometimes two or three really good chapters are enough to make up for all the others. That's the case with this book. I absolutely loved these last chapters and now I can't wait to read the next book to know what will happen to Ciri and Geralt.
But my desire to know what will happen isn't just innocent curiosity to know what will happen next. It's also the need to make sure that important matters are approaced in the right, serious way that they should be. Sapkowski chose to make all that happen too close to the end to give him room to adress those matters in any way, but the way he mentioned them felt way too casual. I am hoping that feeling of casuality is wrong and that adressing it in the end of a book wasn't a mistake Sapkowski made and that he will talk about it again in the next book.
Overall, I still think Sapkowski's writing style is not the best for a novel, but as the story develops and the several characters cross paths, making the jumpings less frequent, things get better and it's even possible to enjoy the story.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape, Sexual assault, and Violence
Moderate: Gore, Misogyny, and Sexism