Take a photo of a barcode or cover
xanderrabbit's Reviews (88)
3.5 stars!
I was pleasantly surprised with this sequel. I was so invested the whole time, it painted the first book in a new light (though I'm not sure if that's a good thing or a bad thing, because now I can see where the first book was slow where this one wasn't).
Going into this book, I was mostly just looking forward to having something to read, but I was kept on the edge of my seat. I cannot tell you how many times I spoke aloud to it!
I know I've said before that all the men in this book are trash, but I'm taking that back a bit, because Billy has grown on me. In the first book, I didn't really care for Arsinoe, but now I've come to realize she's a badass and I love her. Mirabella is still nice, but that's really all she is to me. A nice character. I don't see much depth in her. Kinda the same with Katherine, except she's not nice anymore, she's doing her best to be pretty much the wicked queen everyone wants and expects her to be, and if she just had a little more complexity to her character, I'd be so here for it. I mean, I'm not not here for it, I just think she fell a little flat. Ah, Jules! I love Jules. I almost cried when she left!! Not for Joseph, although poor Jules, poor Arsinoe!! Also, loved the bear. Probably my favorite of them all (not joking).
I mentioned in my review of the first book that the worldbuilding was slightly muddy to me, and some of my questions were answered, but honestly, I feel like I have more questions on the mythology and traditions of this series than I have answers. I understand that the readers shouldn't be told everything, but sometimes it gets confusing when there are so many different practices happening at once. I am glad book two had a cast of characters in the beginning, because that was another thing in book one that could be confusing.
Again, I was speaking to my book the whole time I was reading it. "WHAT ARE YOU DOING????" "WHAT, YOU'RE ALIVE???" "WHAT, YOU'RE DEAD???" "WHAT!!! THAT'S GROSS!!!!"
Yeah. Y'all are in for a wild ride. 3.5/5 stars!!!
Tumblr
I was pleasantly surprised with this sequel. I was so invested the whole time, it painted the first book in a new light (though I'm not sure if that's a good thing or a bad thing, because now I can see where the first book was slow where this one wasn't).
Going into this book, I was mostly just looking forward to having something to read, but I was kept on the edge of my seat. I cannot tell you how many times I spoke aloud to it!
I know I've said before that all the men in this book are trash, but I'm taking that back a bit, because Billy has grown on me. In the first book, I didn't really care for Arsinoe, but now I've come to realize she's a badass and I love her. Mirabella is still nice, but that's really all she is to me. A nice character. I don't see much depth in her. Kinda the same with Katherine, except she's not nice anymore, she's doing her best to be pretty much the wicked queen everyone wants and expects her to be, and if she just had a little more complexity to her character, I'd be so here for it. I mean, I'm not not here for it, I just think she fell a little flat. Ah, Jules! I love Jules. I almost cried when she left!! Not for Joseph, although poor Jules, poor Arsinoe!! Also, loved the bear. Probably my favorite of them all (not joking).
I mentioned in my review of the first book that the worldbuilding was slightly muddy to me, and some of my questions were answered, but honestly, I feel like I have more questions on the mythology and traditions of this series than I have answers. I understand that the readers shouldn't be told everything, but sometimes it gets confusing when there are so many different practices happening at once. I am glad book two had a cast of characters in the beginning, because that was another thing in book one that could be confusing.
Again, I was speaking to my book the whole time I was reading it. "WHAT ARE YOU DOING????" "WHAT, YOU'RE ALIVE???" "WHAT, YOU'RE DEAD???" "WHAT!!! THAT'S GROSS!!!!"
Yeah. Y'all are in for a wild ride. 3.5/5 stars!!!
Tumblr
FOUR STARS. WHAT THE HELL.
That ending????? I’m shook. So Shook.
It actually took me a lot longer to get through this one than the first two, but that’s totally my fault and not the book’s, and this has been my favorite one of the series so far. I always love the third book in a series. It’s a pattern.
I think this book was far more interesting plot-wise than the first two. It had a lot going on, but I think that worked in its favor.
Character-wise, Arsinoe is still my favorite, but I grew to like Katherine more than I originally did. I’m still of the opinion that Mirabella lacks some depth. I like Billy and Arsinoe’s relationship a lot, but Katherine and Pietyr’s relationship is wack.I’M SENSING GAY STUFF WITH JULES! If there’s no gay stuff in book four, I quit. I’m serious. Also, Braddock the bear is legit my favorite character. I’d die for him.
Sidenote: Loved the casual mention of polyamory in a non-derogatory fashion. Literature needs more healthy polyamory! Even though the couple in question ended up devastatingly not working out. Glad polyamory is a thing that canonically happens in this universe.
I’m also glad some history of this world was finally given!! I was so curious!! The blue queen plotline is really interesting and I can’t wait to see how that’s followed up on. Personally, I love cliffhangers (not even love to hate them. Straight up love them) so I can’t wait to see how some of the issues the characters were left with are resolved in book four.
As mentioned in the beginning of this review, the ending of this book? WILD. I’m actually sad. Can’t believe I have to wait a whole year for the next book.
4/5 stars!!!!!
Tumblr
That ending????? I’m shook. So Shook.
It actually took me a lot longer to get through this one than the first two, but that’s totally my fault and not the book’s, and this has been my favorite one of the series so far. I always love the third book in a series. It’s a pattern.
I think this book was far more interesting plot-wise than the first two. It had a lot going on, but I think that worked in its favor.
Character-wise, Arsinoe is still my favorite, but I grew to like Katherine more than I originally did. I’m still of the opinion that Mirabella lacks some depth. I like Billy and Arsinoe’s relationship a lot, but Katherine and Pietyr’s relationship is wack.
I’m also glad some history of this world was finally given!! I was so curious!! The blue queen plotline is really interesting and I can’t wait to see how that’s followed up on. Personally, I love cliffhangers (not even love to hate them. Straight up love them) so I can’t wait to see how some of the issues the characters were left with are resolved in book four.
As mentioned in the beginning of this review, the ending of this book? WILD. I’m actually sad. Can’t believe I have to wait a whole year for the next book.
4/5 stars!!!!!
Tumblr
“You are ridiculous, Khalid Ibn al-Rashid. I am just one girl. You are the Caliph of Khorasan, and you have a responsibility to a kingdom.”
“If you are just one girl, I am just one boy.”
4.5 stars!!
(I actually changed my rating for this several times, but in the end, 4.5 came out on top. A more accurate rating for me would be around 4.3, but I'm gonna round up to 4.5 because I don't know how math works and I'm not that technical of a person.)
Let me start off by saying I had really, really high expectations for this book. I will be honest and say it did not QUITE meet my expectations, but it did surprise me, and that always counts for something.
Okay, The Wrath and the Dawn is a retelling of One Thousand and One Nights, which automatically had me excited. I have to admit I am always 100% down for a retelling, especially one with such a GORGEOUS cover!!! Shahrzad's best friend is murdered by Khalid, the Caliph of Khorasan, who takes a new bride and has her murdered every night. Shahrzad volunteers to be the next bride of the Caliph in hopes to not fall victim to him and "end his reign of terror". Obviously, this does not go as planned, and she discovers that things in the palace are not all as they seems, and she finds herself having unplanned feelings for her new husband.
This started off a little weird for me. I have to admit I wasn't into it, but not because I thought it was slow. The writing just seemed to get better as I got deeper into the book. The writing, itself, it reminded me majorly of Red Queen, but better. I loved the pacing, and it always kept me interested and on my toes. There were SO MANY MOMENTS where I felt the tension literally wafting off the page, and I was SO STRESSED. SO. STRESSED.
I really liked the romance between Khalid and Shazi. Sometimes it did feel as though it developed really fast, but I'm not too strict about things like that. A liiiiitle unrealistic, maybe, but it's fiction, and it's entertaining, and I liked it, most of the time.
There were some things I didn't like. For instance, (TW)why did Khalid have to sleep with Shahrzad before they had feelings for each other? Like, literally, when he thought she was going to die in the morning, and he ADMITTEDLY "saw hate in her eyes"? And Despina later revealed that he hadn't gone to see any of the other girls before they died (by his order). That's not romantic. Honestly, that's sexual assault, even though the book doesn't seem to consider it such.
I haven't read the sequel yet, but I am planning to!! Hoping there are some LGBT characters but I will live without.
4.5/5 stars.
“If you are just one girl, I am just one boy.”
4.5 stars!!
(I actually changed my rating for this several times, but in the end, 4.5 came out on top. A more accurate rating for me would be around 4.3, but I'm gonna round up to 4.5 because I don't know how math works and I'm not that technical of a person.)
Let me start off by saying I had really, really high expectations for this book. I will be honest and say it did not QUITE meet my expectations, but it did surprise me, and that always counts for something.
Okay, The Wrath and the Dawn is a retelling of One Thousand and One Nights, which automatically had me excited. I have to admit I am always 100% down for a retelling, especially one with such a GORGEOUS cover!!! Shahrzad's best friend is murdered by Khalid, the Caliph of Khorasan, who takes a new bride and has her murdered every night. Shahrzad volunteers to be the next bride of the Caliph in hopes to not fall victim to him and "end his reign of terror". Obviously, this does not go as planned, and she discovers that things in the palace are not all as they seems, and she finds herself having unplanned feelings for her new husband.
This started off a little weird for me. I have to admit I wasn't into it, but not because I thought it was slow. The writing just seemed to get better as I got deeper into the book. The writing, itself, it reminded me majorly of Red Queen, but better. I loved the pacing, and it always kept me interested and on my toes. There were SO MANY MOMENTS where I felt the tension literally wafting off the page, and I was SO STRESSED. SO. STRESSED.
I really liked the romance between Khalid and Shazi. Sometimes it did feel as though it developed really fast, but I'm not too strict about things like that. A liiiiitle unrealistic, maybe, but it's fiction, and it's entertaining, and I liked it, most of the time.
There were some things I didn't like. For instance, (TW)
I haven't read the sequel yet, but I am planning to!! Hoping there are some LGBT characters but I will live without.
4.5/5 stars.
3 stars...?
I’m not sure. Definitely not one I devoured in one sitting, but I think there’s not always a problem with that.
I think this book is a bit of a rule breaker for me, because in my rating system, I define 3 stars as ‘This was okay. Had flaws, probably had a harder time getting through this one”, which, I definitely agree with myself on that one. However. I also define 3 stars as ‘Neutral on recommending’. And I absolutely recommend this.
I think as many people as possible should open themselves up to reading this book. Maybe it won’t be your style of poetry (honestly, most of the poems weren’t mine), but because of the point of view in these poems, you should definitely give it a go.
I liked about a third of the poems, and there was about four in there that really hit home. But I am reading from the perspective of a trans boy (so, not a woman), a white person, and not a sexual assault survivor. Also, I haven’t been in very many relationships. Poetry is subjective, and so is reading it. I can’t expect to understand where Rupi Kaur is coming from on a personal level half the time, but that doesn’t mean her poetry isn’t fantastic.
3/5 stars.
I’m not sure. Definitely not one I devoured in one sitting, but I think there’s not always a problem with that.
I think this book is a bit of a rule breaker for me, because in my rating system, I define 3 stars as ‘This was okay. Had flaws, probably had a harder time getting through this one”, which, I definitely agree with myself on that one. However. I also define 3 stars as ‘Neutral on recommending’. And I absolutely recommend this.
I think as many people as possible should open themselves up to reading this book. Maybe it won’t be your style of poetry (honestly, most of the poems weren’t mine), but because of the point of view in these poems, you should definitely give it a go.
I liked about a third of the poems, and there was about four in there that really hit home. But I am reading from the perspective of a trans boy (so, not a woman), a white person, and not a sexual assault survivor. Also, I haven’t been in very many relationships. Poetry is subjective, and so is reading it. I can’t expect to understand where Rupi Kaur is coming from on a personal level half the time, but that doesn’t mean her poetry isn’t fantastic.
the thing about writing is
i can’t tell if it’s healing
or destroying me
3/5 stars.
2 stars.
This book felt... entitled.
Because I just wanted it to be over, it drudged on forever. It took me two days but it felt like two months.
Some of the poems were just SO haughty. I felt yanked between two extremes while reading this. Half the time, the writer missed the lover desperately, and would do anything to meet them again. The other half, it’s like, The only reason I hate you now is because I loved you then.
The blurb was right. I don’t get it. I don’t want to get it. When sending these poems to my best friend, I received the response, ”Remind me to never be that type of ex.”
And you know what, I think that pretty much sums it up.
2/5 stars.
This book felt... entitled.
Because I just wanted it to be over, it drudged on forever. It took me two days but it felt like two months.
Some of the poems were just SO haughty. I felt yanked between two extremes while reading this. Half the time, the writer missed the lover desperately, and would do anything to meet them again. The other half, it’s like, The only reason I hate you now is because I loved you then.
The blurb was right. I don’t get it. I don’t want to get it. When sending these poems to my best friend, I received the response, ”Remind me to never be that type of ex.”
And you know what, I think that pretty much sums it up.
2/5 stars.
4.5 stars. I felt like I was looking in a mirror as I read this. Beautiful and tender. I hope to reach this level of being able to unreservedly put myself out there in my poetry one day.
4.5 stars.
I wish I could accurately put into words how reading this made feel. How MANY things I felt while reading this.
Raw, unapologetic and extremely powerful. McKibbens evokes the sensation of diving into the ocean during a storm. I felt my face hit the water. And I felt my lungs gasp for air when I broke the surface again.
Read this!!!!
4.5/5
I wish I could accurately put into words how reading this made feel. How MANY things I felt while reading this.
Raw, unapologetic and extremely powerful. McKibbens evokes the sensation of diving into the ocean during a storm. I felt my face hit the water. And I felt my lungs gasp for air when I broke the surface again.
Read this!!!!
4.5/5