adam

Genre, pairing, doesn't matter, as far as I can tell, Alexis Hall can do no wrong. Nearly perfect.

I find this series so fascinating and compelling that I absolutely recommend it; that said, I feel like this one—published in the 90s, so no commentary intended the way it might be now re: transness, disability—has a distaste for computer augmentation of the body/brain that kind of rubs me the wrong way. Honestly I think if I met Danlo he would be a TERF.

I hate the (probably necessary for marketing) title, but this was transcendent

Pretty over the top, but so is America. Just two points:

1. I started this yesterday and spent most of today reading it. I was (deliberately) spoiled and interested partly because of that.
2. An emotional read, but really i felt tears in my eyes reading the last....six words? It surprised me how strongly i felt it.

EDIT: I want to leave this, but there were actually two chapters after what i was referring to above. Much more ambivalent about the actual ending

I don't know if it's fair to say I read it, since I didn't go straight through, but I spent several days with this in lieu of actually rereading the series. Man, this series is kind of goofy. So is the guide to it.

I honestly can't understand why this doesn't have across-the-board stellar reviews, I found it life-changing

I don't want to leave a star review. You should not write a book about debt slavery in America without acknowledging existing debt slavery in America and its origins.

I'm sorry, but I think all I can say is that it uses the word “sexyrape” a lot.

This must be the most stoned book of all time

boooooooooring

4/2026: all right let's try this again.

I just finished this in one sitting. I think it was probably good, but I hated it. Not my thing.

I've listened to the Nicholas Boulton recording of this five times now. It's that good.

Pointlessly convoluted and dripping with misogyny and distrust of other women

The best sequels build on the original naturally and inevitably; it seems obvious that magic would be different in America, that Silicon Valley guys are trying to “level up,” that Simon and Baz would not have an easy relationship. My only regret is that it begs a third.

Not only as bad but actually worse than you've heard. Ruined my day.

I love the series so much that I put this one off for a while for a few reasons; first, it's “adding on” to an existing series that was completed, and second, i feel like almost all Women's Rights romances are about a misogynist hero who Learns. I have got to trust Courtney Milan. She did a good billionaire romance, a good duke romance, a good rake romance, and now this–her hand at a hero who really is something of a “bad guy.” But the thing about Edward I liked from the beginning that made him perfect was that he may be a scoundrel, but he's quite pleasant and likeable. He's also perfect for Free, and I can't say how much I loved this book.

The only truly good historicals. They still have dukes, but also labor rights, colonialism, and very few rakes

DNF, wanted to give a chance bc some of the later books sounded interesting, the main character literally won't take no for an answer with the traumatized heroine. Hard pass.

Get ready for several of these bc i got audible escapes for one free month

This series is one of my all-time favorites; the first book has a lot of stuff that's sort of goofy and weak but Dillon's arc across it is amazing and sets up the REALLY good stuff. I probably have read this six or seven times.

Finishing all the stuff I got like 75% through but got distracted

Everything I wanted it to be, basically.

So good and so frustrating. I picked this up for a dollar and chose a cover that wasn't as good as the one pictured, but I honestly didn't want the Titty Cover. Anyway, this is a really fantastic book and achievement of craft, but it has the most boring 60s/70s science fiction sexual politics imaginable, to a degree that almost embarrassing. I couldn't put it down, but I still feel unsatisfied with it. No puns intended.

Perlstein obviously can't have intended this trilogy to be an explainer for Trump—but damn if it doesn't work like one.