The Gauntlet Thrown

DNF - PG 141

Why?

I like the idea behind this book - though the synopsis is severely misleading. Really, it's a fairly typical fantasy series about a quest with a slowly growing group. That's all good. I love those type of fantasy stories.

And while I could wish that the story was a little more...driven, no real complaints on it. (Besides the friendship that was WAY too quick to build.)

But both the guys are kind of slimeballs when it comes to women.

Not only are we treated to a lascivious description when we are first introduced to them, but every time after that that the women are doing anything, we have to be reminded of how gorgeous they are. The guys have a very odd fetish for their eyes, legs and especially hair. The woman always have beautiful hair.

I survived the scene where one of the guys had to lace up a woman's shirt. (Accidentally touching her in the process, natch, and noting how a blush was rising up her chest. Even though she was tied up and their enemy at the time.) I survived a guy walking in on a woman while she was bathing and, instead of apologizing or even just walking away, he starts immediately fantasizing about her and getting a hard-on. I even survived the guy that has a fiancee back home (and who claims to be so upright and honorable) nearly having sex with his prisoner because, as far as I could tell, she was willing. And had pretty hair.

But then I realized that I was bracing myself for the next scene that would make me angry, the next scene that would make we want to take a shower. That's the moment I realized that the book is not for me and, were I to keep reading it, I would just have a worse headache.