Samia
Alright, this review has been long overdue, so I'm going to break down why I rated this two stars.
Let me start by saying I really loved Fourth Wing; I was super hyped for the series just from that one book. Then I eagerly read Iron Flame, and it was literally torture to finish, but I thought, “It's okay; maybe I'll give it another chance—sometimes one book in a series is just meh.”
Then this one came out, and I can't believe I wasted my weekend on it when I have so many more engaging books to read. Respectfully, it's awful, lazy, and the writing is horrid. I'm appalled and confused as to why so many people like it, but honestly, you do you, and I'll be me. Here is why I did not like it:
The Writing: I did not like the writing at all. It felt as though many phrases were reused to the point where I felt like I was reading the same thing over and over again. For example, the way Violet's “anxiety” is described is literally the same as saying “my stomach dropped” or “my stomach plummeted.” To me, it became predictable and then annoying.
POV: Being in Violet's POV up until the end of the book was, in my opinion, kind of whack. First of all, it made the story boring; furthermore, we experienced so many changes in Iron Flame that having multiple POVs throughout the book would have made it richer. I wanted to know what Xaden was going through, what the dragons were thinking, and learn about some other characters as well. Having the POV change at the end was off-putting—it again felt lazy.
Fight Scenes: RY's fight scenes are generally just okay, and I had a hard time following some of those in this book. The course of action for different characters did not make sense, and I had to reread many parts to grasp what was happening. In some instances, RY references “a person” and later names a different character—for example, at one point, Violet hears someone shout behind her while she must focus on her fight, and then Dain is mentioned. Wouldn't it have been better to name Dain from the beginning instead of saying “a person”? I don't know—the fight scenes didn't flow as well as I would have liked, leaving me more confused than engaged.
Subplots: There were a TON of subplots in Iron Flame already, and do any of them connect or provide any answers in OS? No, not really. First, we have a “quest” to find Andarna's dragon family; a mission to find a cure for Xaden; and the potential for a full-scale war. Under these topics, there is island hopping for the quest with little to no information on the islands or deeper connections (maybe this extra detail isn't needed, but it seemed that with all the reading, we would have received more insight into the geographic and historical complexities). We have the subplot of the cure while we are on the quest, and then random information—like Xaden's mom being alive (why?)—is thrown in to stir things up without ever fully exploring her relationship with Xaden. Violet is possibly an inductee of a goddess, but this is barely mentioned, inserted randomly, and then never discussed further. And then, why is his grandma suddenly so important—was she important before? It all really confused and annoyed me. After all this hunting and questing, we finally find Andarna's family, and then—BAM—they won't help, and Oh, Andarna just breaks your bond and leaves your rider—what? And no, we don't have a cure for Xaden; too bad, so sad. Then the ending of the book is basically like book two, where he is still screwed and we don't get much out of it, but they get MARRIED—what the hell?
The Characters: If you are going to create a book series with several characters and supposedly complex relationships, maybe include a character dictionary so we can look them up? I swear, I felt like I was going crazy because, for the life of me, I couldn't figure out who some people were. With an ensemble this large, it would help to have multiple POVs or a character dictionary—or something.
Overall, I didn't like it, and I felt disappointed. It doesn't help that RY already mentioned she's had a TV show deal for this since she had Fourth Wing in edits, so it felt like she had just been writing to get the book out and make money. This book, as well as Iron Flame, honestly lacked the detailed, careful writing that made Fourth Wing so good. Again, this is my opinion, and I'm not going to hate on people who loved it, but please don't hate on me because I really didn't. I won't be rushing out to get the next book, but maybe I will read it—let's see.
Wowwowowowowowow I LOVE IT. This series is so good. I will say that it's def a journey to get through the first book considering it's 1,000 pages long but the last 25% of the book make it so worth it. We have so many moving pieces, underdog stores, multiple parallel plot lines, political hierarchies, and s complex system of magic that is yet to be tapped into. I'm very curious to learn more about who Shallan and Kaladin really are and what sort of powers they are going to tap into.
Absolutely fantastic! This book had be so enthralled with its complex layered structure of imperialism, colonialism, and exploring what human nature truly is when we are in different environments. There is also such a complex analysis of language and how language is a way in which we try to understand another human soul. There's a lot of irony in this book too because as much as the British “value” the foreign languages they don't value the foreigner themselves and we can see that by being in a bubble at Babel the main characters experience reality quite harshly and see what conditional love and unconditional love truly is when it's put to the test. I could go on and on about all the things this book explored but this is a fantastic historical fiction (I don't usually read this genre) and it really moved me emotionally and mentally stimulated me.
I love this book series and the characters - they're unhinged and I love it! Great second book looking at two of the side characters from book 1. I'm excited for the next installment! This series is great for anyone who likes a lot of dark spicy romance and some humor, as well as exploring new tropes!
Okay it's super long but I swear it didn't take me a year to read I just took a break. The ending is CRAZY how the hell is this going to be 14 books?? I really liked it even though it was quite slow in the beginning the storyline finally started picking up the pace toward the last half of the book so I hope that it stays like that (probably won't but we can hope). Excited for the next one !
Wow that was fantastic. I am LOVING the story of Aefe in here and the exploration of what good and evil mean. We literally see hero's become villains and villains become hero's and I really can't wait to see how this story concludes.
The magical world in this book is also fantastic like I don't fully understand it but honestly that's what makes it so interesting.
We are seeing the past and the present start to catch up to each other by the end of the book and I really didn't expect so many of these twists and turns!!
I'm so hyped for the next one!
Really enjoyed this book! I like the magical concept and the storyline is good. I don't usually read friends to lovers but I did enjoy this a lot. The politics are fascinating and I'm so curious to see what new powers will be in the second book and how everything will unfold. I found some parts slightly confusing, the language a little chaotic which is why I took a start off. It would have been better to streamline some of the thinking. But can't wait to read the next book!
This could have been better ehhh- I do like the storyline but I think it's a little choppy in places and some of the action scenes feel rushed and confusing. I also feel like the relationship between Saraya and Drake feels a little forced. Like I know it's a mate bond but there could have been some more natural convo with them I think I wanted more banter. Will still finish the series because I'm invested enough in the storyline but I really like the psycho beasts series more
So I really tried to understand and get into the character but honestly there wasn't enough context so it was confusing. I understand it's supposed to be confusing but when the reader can't figure out wtf is happening it's a little much. Some things in the book made me feel feelings and resonated with me but overall I was more like wtf is this.
I could cry - a stunning end to an amazing and heart wrenching trilogy that makes you think about love and loss and the structure of society in such a different way. I don't even have words for the amount of hope and joy and feeling of wonder and curiosity this series has brought me. It's also super anxiety inducing and you honestly don't get all your questions answered, but that's kind of the point. Love love LOVED it !!
So since this is a memoir I'm not gunna say yay five stars amazing read cuz it's someone's life- so my five stars is just like wow I really liked it. Joy explains her life in such a way that feels like you're following a show- I guess because she journaled her whole life which makes the book so comprehensive. She really dives into how getting into a cult happened for her, how her vulnerability was exploited and it's wild since she was so famous too at the same time. I actually didn't grow up watching One Tree Hill but now I'm so curious to watch it. It's sad that some of her career got ruined cuz of the cult and I hope she gets some justice and back into exploring her career and dreams. An amazing read if you're into cults like I am- I really enjoyed it!
I am FLOORED. This was so good I wasn't expecting it at all. First of all the entire book is a red herring which is so jarring to me it's insane and I feel like I need to go learn Greek mythology and read it again cuz WOW. I found the surprise of who the killer was crazy and what's great is that the book doesn't have an actual conclusion cuz it leaves you to speculate and honestly it feels like the book is a random connections of thoughts through a grieving woman but there's so much more there that you don't even think about. All the little red herrings and the pondering of why and it's beautiful and I enjoyed it so much. There's more than one villain in the story too which makes it even better. As with The Silent Patient, I think it starts out a bit dry but there is a point to everything.
This could have been a 100 pages shorter it was dragging a bit but overall I'm very happy with the ending of this series!! The multiple POVs weee don't beautiful and although we have some HEA, not everyone had one and I think it makes the books more realistic. The surprises in the series really got to me and I totally freaked out in THAT part of the book.
Wonderful dark romance series with a bright HEA!
True crime addicts this one is for you!! This is such a good book, not as riveting as Mindhunter but Douglas explores so many other types of killers that we don't typically consider and delves in deep to the WHY. I was. Captivated and enjoyed. I listened to the audiobook which is narrated by the main character of Netflix's Mindhunter series which made it even more amazing and with a special interview with Douglas.
Stop it this was such a great crime thriller book!! I think the storyline was great without getting to bogged down in mundane language. The serial killer angle and the intersection of race, policing, and structures of the old south was done beautifully. You can tell Cosby did his due diligence in looking at the structure of making a serial killer (s) and hooking us in with a very riveting beginning. He pulled together the elements of a small town and the way they handle something as crazy and disastrous as murders and the fight of the South. Really great super engaging I couldn't put it down !!
If you are genuinely interested in true crime and the psyche of those that do the most depraved things- this is your book. I was literally obsessed reading this- not just because of the cases- but also because of John Douglas and how he worked so hard at something that was frankly considered stupid and ridiculous back in the day- something that has now become pivotal in the law enforcement around the world. This is a great introduction into the world of criminal profiling and I really enjoyed it - which says a lot about me considering there's so much dark content in here but you get the gist!
Very nicely done!! I have 4 stars because there were some parts that did drag? I don't think it needed to be thing long, however I'm really excited about the ending and to see where we are going next!!
Auren and Slade haven't been together for too long and it's making me so sick !
Multiple POVs was nice because I honestly didn't see some of the things coming.
Diving into the last book right now !!
FATHER ROMAN TAKE ME
Oh my actually God what an amazing book!! I loved the storyline and the spice and the ending was great. This a super dark super spicy romance which I totally needed with enough lightness in the details and a great HEA. Highly recommend if you wanna explore your sinful side and repent ;).
So this book was okay and for several reasons.
1. I did like the historical context and the representation of the batshit crazy small town nonsense. The religious zeal and isolation of anyone who is different from traditional strict gender roles was spot on.
2. I liked the thought process of Leslie.
3. The story was set up with a lot of good potential
But this where it ends for my liking because even though the set up was good the ending was.. weird?? I didn't really like the setup for the romance for starters it felt forced and awkward- like they don't really set up a reason for interest it was just strange.
The horror portion could have been amazing maybe if we had some other context for it like I have so many questions about HOW the creature of the night came to be ? ?
It was a decent read but I wouldn't read it again for sure. Glad it was a novella and short.
Imposter Syndrome by Kathy Wang is a super entertaining, multi-POV story that follows Julia, a powerful Russian spy-turned-tech exec in Silicon Valley, and Alice, a Chinese-American immigrant struggling to find her way in the tech world. As their lives cross paths, the book digs into what power and success really mean, especially for women who are trying to balance it all.
What I loved about this book is how Wang shows two totally different kinds of women. Julia seems like she has it all—money, power, a career, family. She's untouchable and even kind of god-like in how she views herself. But then there's Alice, who's so relatable for anyone who grew up as an immigrant kid, trying to live the American Dream in tech but feeling totally lost. The contrast between these two women is so sharp. Julia works harder because she's a woman in a man's world, while Alice is just trying not to disappoint her family and figure out what she even wants in life.
I also got a kick out of how funny this book is, especially with Julia's inner thoughts. She's such a boss on the outside but in her head, she's ruthless and hilarious. As someone who works in AI, I found the tech references on point, and the way Wang pokes fun at tech culture added to the fun.
And just when you think you know where the story's going, the ending throws a curveball—Julia actually does get to “have it all,” which I didn't expect. It's a really clever twist. Overall, this book is way different from what I usually read, but it was a great time. Definitely one to bring to book club for a lively discussion.
Out of all the Ted Bundy books, I find this one the most dense and almost boring, but then also inversely the most intense and unsettling. This is the accounting of conversations with Ted Bundy while he is on death row and he talks about his cases, only, its not him who does anything, its this other person. Bundy truly was quite brilliant which is what is so jarring because as you listen to him you realize with stunned horror that the things he is describing this other person doing is really all just him and it's crazy how he can compartmentalize this information and speak in such a realized and self absorbent manner is crazy. This is definitely a book that I would read again because it provides a fascinating psychological insight into Bundy and how he was able to get away with so many crimes and horrors.
WHAT A CLIFFHANGER!!
This book felt like a really informative filler book in which we get a very in-depth understanding of who Slade is exactly and finally see his kingdom and what he looks like as a King.
We also now explore the repercussions of Aurens actions from Book 3, something which she has such a hard time coming to terms with, not only internally, but externally as well.
This series really explores the downfalls of being a beautiful woman- of not having the power to stand up for yourself and when you attempt to not only do men put you down but OTHER WOMEN. The internalized misogyny explored here is fascinating.
I felt like I was on an emotional roller coaster the entire book because although we switch POVs, everything is quite charged as Auren decides what kind of woman she is going to be now that she's free.
I was excited to also see the unfolding of the politics surrounding this entire world and the cliffhanger left me SHOOK- I'm already dashing to the next book right now!
I gave this four stars because there were a few sections of the book in which there was repetitive language that I don't think was necessary and kind of added to the length of the book without the substance.
Excited for the next one this is such a great series!
This book was...incredibly disappointing.
I've been following the author for a while and was so excited to get this as an ARC read because from what I had seen from her promotions and the description of the book, it should be something I totally love. Right??
Wrong. I was so so wrong.
Let's start with the storyline first. I totally the book begins by talking about a war that occurred and the set of tomes that were written to document everything. These are altered but it feels like we are being set up to look at the unraveling of the period after the Wars.
As the book progresses it's harder and harder to figure out what the actual PLOT is ? It's said that there is a child being hunted that has magical God like powers but then why are people coming to find this child so randomly ? Is this prophecy part of the wars? What was the point of the wars again? Even though there are mildly decent fight scenes there's a bunch of random stories that don't flow together at all and it leaves you feeling lost like what did I read?
The main characters 1. There are a TON, 2. This book would have done better with multiple POVs because looking at it from out FMC was exhausting the whole time and 3. Even as the main characters progress I have no idea how this is related to the plot.
The main FMC is literally the worst. She's whiny and meek and that's fine and all but her character development is terrible. She's supposedly in an abusive relationship which is poorly represented and as she “asserts” herself it's only because there's another man there that's caught her eye. The love triangle that is formed is super cringe and uncomfortable and doesn't make much sense. It seems to me she's just latching onto this new guy who treats her somewhat better and dumping all her trauma on him.
The side characters could have been more relevant as well and again this goes back to the wish for multiple POVs. It felt like she was setting all of them up for something but never executing it either.
The main male character who is supposed to be the love interest? GAG. There's literally no generation of chemistry and he's supposedly a King and it makes no sense. It's such a turn off for me that I barely could stand the spicy scenes.
Overall with the books ending it feels haphazard and unsatisfying. I'm deeply disappointed because I really want to support this author but I can't put out a fake review or be like yay you tried. Like you did and props to her for publishing but it just wasn't for me at all.