oglopfabool's reviews
207 reviews

adventurous slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

0.0

Few notes before we start:**unfinished review*

-This review is purely about the book, not about politics. If you cant read books without bringing real life politics into it or cant handle being offended, then maybe reading isn't for you.

-There will be grammar and spelling errors. Iphone update really messed with autocorrection for my phone, so i turned it off. Between my texting habits and dyslexia, there will be errors and i won't always catch them right away. Im going to also be pretty heated, so I might go off on tangents.

-This is going to be a LONG review. I left a massive essay for the first one, but this one will absolutlely be much longer. I dont have a vlog/blog/youtube review channel, but i feel like i have a lot to say about this book, and no one else seems to be mentioning anything. So strap in, and prepare yourself. Time to review this ass of a book.

------------------------------------------------------------

In the beginning, there was a book about a girl and her dragons and then everything changed when the publishers attacked. I have so many problems with this book, but most of them are honestly chopped up to her publisher and editors. Publishers, for over hypeing and pushing for a fast release to make it in time for holidays. Editors, for apparently going on vacation for the year. That doesn't Yarros isnt free of blame for this release though. The lack of editing just made it very hard to digest and get through. I read it faster than Fourth Wing, but i also took a lot of breaks between reading sessions. I read this book, almost every day. I stopped so many times to be baffled, agast, and flabbergasted at the issues i would come across almost EVERY page. Then, what was so upsetting and the most aggrivating thing, was the fucking stealing off other franchises and books. Eragon was absolutely the biggest series that Yarros just straight up stole from. GOT, Twilight, Hunger Games, Divergent, ACOTAR, ect. It was painfully obvious and showed the lack of imagination that Yarros has.

------------------------------------------------------------

Plot:

We start off from where Violet is finally healed and theyre discussing plans. We learn that Andarna is actually a black dragon and now an annoying human teenager. The crew heads back to the school so they can let Andarna sleep to help grow, which really doesnt get talked about. Its constantly mentioned, but never really dived into. Why should we learn this when we can get right to the plot where Violet and Xaden need to have arguments and then fuck after weaponizing sex to get violets way! :D We love toxic women!!!

The story then jumps back to the beginning of the start of the year, because i guess there's no really breaks in between school years. Anyways, the first 25% of the book ends up being the first book, but ooooh now Violet is the observers of the first years going through the parapet!! Then we get to experience the first time on the mats all over again! :DD Because we gatta start off this book of plagerism by plagerising the first book! Since Yarros only had an ounce of creativity in her brain, and she spent it all coming up with "Violence" for Violets nickname. Talking to people who loved the first book, they found this beginning to be boring and a slog, and i completely get it. However, this was the better paced part of the story.

During this time, we rarely get to see the 2nd years actually have unique classes. There's a little bit, but not much. The story is so focused on Violet vs Snape 2.0, Violet vs the second wave of people who hate her, Violet and Xaden having a fight once a week, Violet and her issues with trust while she lies(because yes, exposing very important information is actually a good reason to lie to your fellow soldiers. Violet, were are war. Not everyone can expose god damn secrets!!), and Violet forgetting she has powers during an assassination attempt.(Not the second attempt, she used her powers to save herself, but it also was an offscreen situation).

What i really wanted in this section was actually training. Actual classes. I get the plot was trying to show hoe the School wasn't training their cadets right because they were hiding the truth, buuuuut you can still train....you're still a functioning military. They talk about the surivival test and the torture test, but they never prepare them. They never actually get them ready. Which, leads me to the next part.

The Surival test. I had LOTS of hope for this part. I was expecting an arc where we get to have more bonding between the characters, get to have more of them have their backstories and characters flushed out, and maybe start foreshafowing. No. We didnt get that. We got the kids dropped off in a forest, they walk around for a few hours, they realize they all have different maps and now theyre lost. Oh no! What will they do now!? Nothing. They immediatly get picked up, said they failed, but that's ok. Its just the first test. Ok cool, maybe we can get some classes finally where they get to learn how to surivive and then maybe see them have a bette- No?? We just never mention this again? ok.

This is where i started to see the editors really fuck up. Didn't they say this was going to be a long test? Like days? Did no one make sure Yarros stayed consistent? Did no one tell her to rewrite the chapter and fix the issues of the flow of the chapter??? They were supposed to travel a long distance and possibley stay the night. The book teased monsters and brought how this was going to test the squads loyalty. No, this was barely a chapter and was forgotten. Was there any plot progression? Yes. We had to learn about the serum that cuts off a cadets powers and access to their dragons. YARROS. When you plot out your story, it isnt "Point A to point B to point C". Instead, its "Point A happens, therefore point B happens, therefore point C happens". Stop having scense just to have scenes. Stop going "We have to get to this area, so we can learn this ine thing, then we can leave this scene and go to the next scene where nothing happens."

Anyways, we get a good chunk of the story where nothing progresses. Violet and Xaden keep fighting then having make up sex. We learn very little. Andarna is alseep, but somethings wrong. Snape, oh I mean Varrick or whatever, is only teaching so that he can torture Violet specifically, why does he hate her so much? Well you see, Yarros wanted Snape in her story, and so wrote him into the story. Didn't make him unique in any way, and he also didn't really matter to the plot. At one point, Violets jealousy subplot starts with the introduction of Xadens ex gf.(Who actually flirts with Violet at first??? I legitimatly thought Yarros was going to actually toss Xaden out the window and make this a sapphic romance. I really wanted this.) Also, Jack is back. Here, i thought there might even be a romance tease with this one. A true enemies to lovers kinda thing. Not a "I had to hate you and abuse you but i actually loved you from the beginning" bullshit trope. No, he really is non-existent in the story till he saves her once, then at the end where he turns out to be a Dark Wielder. We will get to that. Honestly, i kept having so many moments where I thought Yarros was going to actually have a twist in her plot and make her story mote enjoyable, but that would require her to come up with her own ideas so we get to stick to the same Feryre and Rhysand love plot. Fine, whatever.

We get to what was my finally hope for some actually good plot/character development, the Torture test. Well, again, what was suppose to be what sounded like a week long test, ended ho being a day and a half, and Violet passed out for most of it after being punched in the shoulder. Uneventful and just a rehash of my issues with the Survival test. These could have been very strong arcs, that could have made it alot easier to read and actually develop the plot in a more fluid and natural way. After this chapter, I just looked depressingly at the rest of the 400 pages i was going to have to read. If everything was paced like this first chunk, then omg was I in for some suffering.

We eventually get to part two where the kids(yes, I know theyre adults, im calling them kids), leave the school and head to Xadens house. For some reason half the riders join the rebellion, which if we had spent you know, an arc where maybe we develop the side characters and get to see more instablity with the loyalty, in maybe in like a forest area where they have to survive. idk, im a dumb reader and as long as the plot jingles keys, ill brainwash myself into thinking this was a good plot.

Again, i hoped for more here. Maybe more classes. More training. Character development for the first set of side characters and development for the next batch of NEW characters you just tossed at me. Nah, instead we get to have more Violet and Xaden fights and sex scenes, and then more fighting.

Some dumb shit happens where Violet has to fight dark wielders, she just panics and forgets that shes a trained soldier and just immedielty starts to talk about hoping rveryone can move on when she dies. Then she wins. Woooo didnt have this 50 times already. Was totally at the edge of my seat as everyone was yelling eachothers names and panicking.

Now we get to move the Grypons into Xadens home. Copy pasting my complaints about the survival test and torture test. Only progress in the story is we got a new person to hate Violet. Gatta remind the reader that the world hates small disabled pretty girls that date the pretty boys.

MORE fucking Violet And Xaden fights. ill go into that soon, it needs its own part in my essay. Anyways, ruins, wards, translating books, yada yada. This area of the boom was absolutely trash with pacing and could have been removed almost completely, but we needed angst to make Violet and Xaden seem like theyre a good romance.

Finally fight for the story eventually gets the plot going. Melgren and Violets mommy ask for help from rebels. They say no. They change mind and realize where the enemy will actually go, because we have to make the reader think Violet is sooooo smart for figuring things out when there's no actually build up. Anyways, mom gets made theyre helping. Gets over it. They head to the ward. Jacks a Dark wielder and kills his dragon to knock the crystal over.(Couldnt just tell your dragon to knock it over. gatta just kill her and hope she falls correctly.) He gets captured. Battle starts. They find out theres a 7th breed of dragon, and that Andarna is that dragon. Oh and apparently Andarna is a dragon from Eragon because she litterally just did the same thing as Sapphira, and waited 800 yea- no 600 years(See, she is creative!!!) for Violet. Whatever, wards go up. Xaden got bit by a vampire and next book is all about him turning into one. Cant wait for Renesmee 2.0.

Welp, that was it for the story. Yeah, wasnt that so fun and creative???? :D

-------------------------------------------------------------

The Gryphons:

I love Gryphons and I was really looking forward to learning more about them. Was very disappointed once again. Gryphons are highly underrated. I loved learning more about their culture and the bonds with the fliers. Instead, we got a copy paste of the relationship and magic that the riders and dragons have. Oh, their magic is just weaker, but similiar. Thry name things differently, so therefore theyre different, but they're actually the same thing. Also, has Yarros ever read a fantasy? Does she not know where Gryphons typically live???? Mountains. HIGH mountains!! Why can't they fly at a higher altitude??? fking whatever...next

-------------------------------------------------------------

Inconsistancies:

Ugh, wHYYYYYYY are you using DRAGONS as your size metric system WHEN YOU HAVEN'T EXPLAINED THE SIZE OF THE DRAGONS. I shouldn't have to follow an authors social media to be told important information about the fking writing. There is a fantastic Reddit post that really dives into just how inconsistent the size's of the dragons. Especially Andarna. I wouldnt care as much if she didn't start saying "And the room was twice as long as Tairn." I DONT KNOW HOW BIG HE IS!!!!

That was my biggest annoyance with the consistencies, but there were just so many. The signets powers are not consistent. The Lore itself isn't consistant. Scene's are very inconsistent. It's all over the place.

------------------------------------------------------------

Violet and Her dog:

I knew this would happen. I really wished it wasn't going to happpen, but god dammit, she did it. STOP MAKING MALE LEADS NOTHING BUT THE FEMALE LEADS PUPPY. He isnt a character anymore. Xaden is just a blank, horny, bland, and dry male lead. He barely affects the plot except to serve as plot armor. To save the damsel in distress gorl boss and to make her look tough. Rhysand had this happen to him in Wings and Ruin. They went from being a character, to being the female main character's puppy dog. At least With Rhysand, he judt became an empty character. Xander became abused. It is genuinely concerned with everyone thinking this is a healthy relationship. Violet was abusive as hell. Demanding Xaden to open up before he was ready. Turning him into a villian because he had to keep things a secret. You know, because he is leading a rebellion, and you have a friend who can see your memories. Maybe you're in war Violet. Hmmmmm, Violet! Ever thought of this logically and like you're in the middle of a war, and your're boyfriend, the son of a rebel, IS LEADING A REBELLION. JESUS FUCKIING CHRIST! He even says that he can tell her once he knows she can shield Dain. Violet, part of trusting someone means you trust them without knowing everything. THATS THE POINT OF FUCKING TRUST.

-------------------------------------------------------------

Daggers:

Their weapon of choice is daggers......no balista's. No crossbows(one finally made an appearance at the end) No spears. No Long bows and arrows?? Just daggers??? ooooki

------------------------------------------------------------

Chapter endings:

3 chapters ended on the word "fuck". Most of the chapters end in one liners. This isn't good writting. Who is telling her that this is good writing. "Talk-like-this" isn't good writing. its immature. If it wasn't for the cringy sex scenes, I would have considered this a YA book.

------------------------------------------------------------

Plagerism:

This is why im so heated about this book. With the bad writing and a bad plot, I can still enjoy a book. When I see the bad writing is because most of your book is taken from something else, then all enjoyment goes out the window. There's a huge difference between being inspired and sharing themes, names, ideas, scenes than just straight up taking those things. You have to build upon those ideas. You can go "Oh, Eragon was heavily influenced and inspired by Star Wars". What isn't ok, is just copy pasting your favorite books/shows and then thinking all those pieces together make a good book. Out of EVERYTHING that was just taken from for this book, learning that Andarna waited for Violet before she hatched just pissed me off the most. You stole from fucking Eragon and assumed most of your fans never read the series. WE PICKED UP YOUR BOOK BECAUSE WE LOVE DRAGONS. OF COURSE WE READ ERAGON!!

Things like the signets behaving very much like the vampires powers in Twilight, Dragon Riders are just Divergent, names being ripped off from other books, copy pasted Feyre/Rhrysand, and tried to play politics and brutality like Game of Thrones. There's so much more. It's probably why the whole book is so inconsistent with things. You can't take a puzzle piece from another puzzle and expect it to fit into yours.

-------------------------------------------------------------

Fourth Wing? More like Fourth Wall:

I sometimes feel bad for leaving such long angery reviews, but then i remember how Yarros kept breaking the fourth wall to remind you that she is aware of blaring issues and she is laughing at you. I wish i could bring up a specific moment, but my gawd my brain is already dumping this book out of ny brain. Im ready to be done.

-------------------------------------------------------------

Publishers failed Yarros:

This book was hurt from rushing this book. They hyped it up. Talks of a tv show already. All 5 books are already up on Goodreads to review. You know why Brandon Sanderson gets to do that? BECAUSE HE IS ON BOOK 4 ALREADY. Yarros doesn't seem like she has a developed story. Let her develop it. Not only was this the second book released in the year, but from the hype of the first book, she has been busy so there was even less time for her to flush out her book. Which may be why she stole so much from other books and filled the book with so much repetitive fluff. Maybe she chould have built on her story more. maybe she could get a better editor that could help her stay consistent(and fix the grammar errors, yikes). I know the 3rd is expected for next December, but i really hope it gets delayed.

-------------------------------------------------------------

Overall, this book felt rushed, unimaginative, and like filler. Ill read book 3. I really want this series to turn around. I want her to actually focus on developing the story. I don't want to hate this series, but I don't know if I can handle another book like this.

Nineteen Claws and a Black Bird by Agustina Bazterrica

Go to review page

dark fast-paced