sauvageloup's reviews
519 reviews

Writing is definitely aimed at YA, but it's a fun and gripping romp through the myths and I enjoyed it.

pros:
- persephone is fun and fiery, she shoves the story along and doesnt take no for an answer. I like how she comes into her power and acknowledges her own capacity for ruthlessness as a queen.
- the side characters of the nymphs, styx and the other gods were well portrayed and fun/ complicated depending on their role.
- Zeus and demeter felt well represented as well, and I liked how persephone responds to their actions. 
- the plot had some twists I didn't guess

like persephone being the one to cause the famine

, and I enjoyed how the myth was subverted or fitted in alongside the world/ characters Fitzgerald set up.
- I also enjoyed most of the tropes, including marriage of convenience, only one bed, soft boy and ruthless girl, arranged marriage, etc.

cons:
- we got snippets of Hades' past and trauma but I wish there had been a bit more. he mostly felt molded around persephone, which made them a good fit but didnt make him feel 100% his own person .
- sometimes persephone's internal dialogue was a bit dramatic and oblivious or so in denial it felt a bit silly. but I feel that its YA so I'm not the target audience really. 

I want to give this higher but it just didnt quite grab me in.

pros:
- loved the descriptions and worldbuilding, esp. with Mosima, outfits, landscapes and the fae creatures. Really beautiful and vivid.
- the plot twists were interesting and (mostly) surprising and kept you on your toes!

especially liked Yerran getting Pila the obeah

- I liked the depth of the characters, with Yeeran not believing in prophercy like Lettle does and it being a sticking point even as they love each other, and Yeeran's relationships

with Salawa and Furi.

- the side characters, like Komi, Golan, the prince, Furi and Rayan (kind of) were all interesting and explored, and all came into play.
- also enjoyed how different the characters were and their voices, with Lettle being impulsive and lighthearted compared to serious Yeeran. and the obeah's voices were brilliantly done, funny and sweet and a bit alien too.
- the start was gripping and you really feel for lettle, yeeran and everyone in the war. its emotive and worrying for the characters when everything goes to shit for them!
- I also liked that this was more adult and didnt shy from the violence of war and death and adult relationships (quite in contrast to the prev YA fantasy bk I read).
READ).
- It also felt like a new spin on tropes like fae, curses, prophecy, etc.

cons:
- mostly, I just didn't get very gripped overall. I picked it up and put it down and wasn't especially compelled. I cant really say why, maybe the stakes were lower mid and later in the book?
- too many characters a bit. I forgot who people were, incl. the prince and sode characters, Hosta and the guy Yeeran killed.
- some of the plot twists were a bit obvious, or they felt like they were trying to shock but didnt manage it. I didnt feel much about

the queen dying bc we'd already had like 500 elves die bc of yeeran and the fae prince and the prophercy made it seem like it was just *shrug* inevitable

- wasnt super keen on te actual prophercy bits either. loved lettle's character and how she interacted with prophercy but I'm not one to rly enjoy foregone conclusions/tragedies so a bit blah if

Rayan does die like in the prophercy. also thought Rayan would push more about Lettle's completely random toing and froing without explanation??
- also thought Furi and Yeeran moved a bit fast.

but overall, I did enjoy this! esp the feel of originality, the diverse (incl. nb) characters, and the worldbuilding, and I would like to know what happens in the next book.

Bit too short to really address anything in depth, but a good starting point.

pros:
- some interesting thoughts on where modern western misogyny comes from and its portrayal in ancient Greek and Roman texts like the Odyssey, Agamemnon and Lysistrata.
- also a look at how modern female politicians are treated and compared to their male counterparts, and the different types of power.
- also looked at how women tend to lower their voice or wear suits to fit in with men in power.

cons:
- Beard says in the afterword that further she would like to dig into how these power dynamics worked, etc. which I wish had been somewhat included in the text. She didnt really offer how things could be changed exactly, only that power should be reconsidered, not women.

overall, a good read, just wish it had been longer and had more depth!

An engaging fantasy read with good writing and pacing.

pros:
- what set it apart the most I think was the Nigerian cultural influences, and how Yoruba and the gods made the magic and the worldbuilding different and interesting. There was hints of a larger world which was interesting, but it made a great change to be set in fantasy Africa.
- the writing was solid, imaginative and emotional and the dialogue was good. I didnt enormously connect to the characters, but I did like them and appreciated their complexities and back stories.
- I did like the romance between Tzain and Amari, that felt more natural, and I liked Amari's character and how she develops. 
- I also liked that magic was shown through hair (as well as the usual eyes), which I think emphasised the importance of hair in Black peoples culture and how they have been the subject of racism and oppression because of it.
- Adeyemi draws attention to the parallels between the oppressive tyrant in the book and the police brutality in real life and I did feel that resonance in the book.


cons:
- throughout, I felt it very strongly had the YA revolution, fantasy, romance tropes going on. maybe it was fresher at the time, but

the romance felt shoved in there for extra drama (esp between Zelie and Inan, Amari and Tzain's felt more natural), and I did roll my eyes a little at some of the plot points (getting a "quest" for a magic stone and scroll, the bad guy flicking back and forth in alliances, Zelie randomly losing her magic for maximum effect, magic being lost to the realm, having to do a ritual on one special day, dead parents fuelling all motivation, etc.). other things were tropes, like everyone being badass with a weapon and them riding giant beasts, but those were more fun.
- also, character motivations felt weird. why did Inan fluctuate so much in his loyalties? I couldnt rly understand that. Zelie too made some odd decisions which seemed to just serve the plot. 
- the last line also confused me, not sure if it was meant to or not? clearly magic wasnt lost but why was it so shocking that Amari had magic.

overall, a bit mixed, maybe just because it was written nearly 10 years ago now so didnt feel as fresh. still want to read the 2nd one.

Maybe the star rating is harsh but I found this so misogynistic and Antony's actions completely loathsome in places.

pros:
- Quinn does write with aplomb, the book rolls along and meets the romance and emotional beats, with Antony and Kate's personal fears and baggage being dealt with.
- and she is creative in assigning their reasons for not getting together/being in love/past traumas, it's not the usual love triangle or a misunderstanding they could just talk through, they do have deep seated reasons to hold back.
- we saw a bit more of side characters, in Edwina and Mary, but not much.

cons:
- my main issue is Antony's actions and how the story validates them.

He refuses Kate her 'reprieve' when she's terrified of having sex for the first time and is so beastly in his "desire" for her that he's basically willing to rape her. Rape fantasy is common, but it's the way this is set in an otherwise cutesy and romantic story, as if pushing a scared virgin woman, who he has total power over as her husband (which he reminds her of with the "marriage debt"!!), is a normal and okay thing to do. Its gross.

- Kate is also supposed to be this spunky, defiant woman who defends her sister and stands up for herself, but she's often quiet and 'hesitant' around Antony, because he's a brute with anger issues. I couldnt stand him, and Kate's inner narrative basically blames herself for whatever he does, which was uncomfortable. 
- also the narrative repeatedly says how 'good and kind and strong' he is (hes not) and how she brings out the best in him. where does he bring out the best in her? why does she have to "improve" and fix him of his anger issues whereas her only issue is believing she's not pretty.
- the spice scenes feel pretty bland and flowery.
- unlike the show, the cast of characters is very restricted, which brings it down.

overall, Antony's actions made him thoroughly unlikeable and, like the first book, the author waves it away as romantic because the characters cant act with respect as they're so driven by love that they cant think straight or ask consent, apparently. anyway, I wont be reading any more Bridgerton books.

I just didn't vibe with it, unfortunately. 

pros:
- it did pick up at the end, in the last third or so when Sean finally got his life together a bit, and that was satisfying. 
- the writing is good, straight forward but creative at times.
- I did feel for Sean.
- it was a different sort of read anyway.

cons:
- it just felt like being on groundhog day for like the whole first half. Sean does the exact same thing of getting drunk and off his head with his mates over and over, and it was just sad and frustrating and boring.
- it felt like a lack of plot to me too, too much aimlessness. I get that that's the character but it was becoming unreadable to me.

so i didn't click with it, though I guess im glad I stuck it out as the bit at the end was the best and it was good to see Sean get himself together.

A nice, chill, solid read that wasn't groundbreaking but a relaxing ride.

pros:
- sweet characters with individual personalities and a cute relationship.
- I did enjoy the worldbuilding, with the different cultures/religions, magic, landscapes, dragons and so forth.
- I liked the nice cozy tropes in there, plus the periods of angst and danger that spice it up.
- I enjoyed the vivid imagery of the magical plants, books and tea.
- also the storylines with the griffins were delightful.

cons:
- I thought their backgrounds were pretty flat and under developed. no real friends at all for either of them? no living family at all? they seemed a bit unrealistically isolated for 2 grown women even with the in story explanations.
- though she did get magic drain, kianthe seemed pretty unrealistically powerful.
- I would have liked a bit more exploration of the worldbuilding, like with the dragons magic, what exactly the Stone is, what normal magic is like for other mages, and about the different types of magic.
- I thought the talk with the queen/solution was a bit anticlimactic.
- the pacing also felt a bit off throughout, with the high drama bits like the dragons happening rather randomly and Kiathe just whipping out massive magic in the middle of the book should have been nearer the climatic end.
- of course it depends what you're after but I thought it a shame we didn't even get a fade to black romance scene between them. it wasnt really even implied which is fine but I thought there might be more than kissing so felt a bit let down that there wasn't, I guess!

but overall, a sweet, easy and fun read.

I won't put a star rating as i don't really want to make J.K.'s book look good. But a compelling if somewhat slow read.

pros:
- the cult setting was extremely well done, very frightening and sinister and the traumatic effect on Robin and the others was obvious in their reactions. It definitely made you think about the horrors of cults.
- sadly J.K. is a talented writer and the pacing and characters are very good, with the complicated plot coming together and the characters growing throughout, to a degree.

cons 
- the plot did feel too complicated towards the end as I struggled to keep straight who certain people were, including Graves and Abigail and some others. Would probably reward a reread.
- Strike was a bit annoying in this book, as he seemed naive/careless about the torment Robin went through (which though well addressed as it was happening and immediately after, seemed to be forgotten as the plot came together at the end), his jealousy towards Murphy is tiring, and his lack of action towards Robin gets frustrating.
- J.K. is clearly also making a point about how the law hesitates to go against people for PC reasons and overly tip toeing around sensitive issues, like religious freedom and people living differently. Strike snidely says 'live and let live' to criticise the cult. I think she is doing a subtle dig here towards trans people and their rights.

but overall another compelling Robin and Strike novel, probably the one that gripped me most so far with the scary cult plot.

A solid, pretty gripping read

pros:
- it flows along really well, and the story progresses nicely. there was more chemistry than the show with her feelings being described, and I liked how the brothers were more involved with trying to protect her.
- violet also shines as a great character, except for when she wont tell daphne about sex.
- I did like that the couple had real issues, and it wasnt just that they needed to have one conversation, but did need real resolution

(which could have happened without the rape scene...)

cons:

- unfortunately, as in the show, Daphne rapes Simon, though it's not called that or even really acknowledged in the book. but since she starts touching him when he's asleep, and then deliberately prevents him from pulling away/stopping when he finishes when he tries to, in order to get the child she wants and he doesn't (to the point that he was willing to die earlier in the book), its abhorrent. he's more upset that he stammers afterwards than her actions, but I completely hated her after that, and she doesn't even feel regret.

- the book does also completely focus on the pairing, daphne doesnt have friends involved and there's no bigger cast really at all (such as eloise, Penelope, the queen, etc. in the show).
- also, the descriptions weren't especially vivid beyond the characters and I couldnt visualise much. 
- also the blatant fatphobia against Penelope is gross, but I knew to expect that.

overall, pretty well written and compelling, just shame about the lack of morality/issues not being dealt with in the narrative.

An interesting and informative book, pretty dense at times.

pros:
- there were definitely parts that were new and interesting to me. I was especially interesting in aromantism as I feel I understand that the least, in comparison to someone being agender or asexual, and the chapter that focused on it was interesting.
- overall, the addition of poetry was interesting.
- I liked the discussion of splitting attraction into romantic, aesthetic, platonic, sexual, sensual, emotional and intellectual. I related a lot to sensual attraction and the "cade studies" they gave.
- the exploration of the colonial impact on society and queerness was especially interesting in regards to the victorians and indigenous peoples, as I knew very little around that topic. 
- I also enjoyed the exploration of the patriarchy's influence throughout, on men and women, and the suffering women especially have gone through under it.

cons:
- very dense at times, with some terms not being explained. definitely written as an academic book for people who already have a baseline layer of understanding.
- that being said, I felt a lot of the start of the book was nothing very new, though Paramo does bring it all together very nicely.
- the poetry was perhaps a little overused at times.
- I also thought there was more focus on agenderism and asexuality than aromanticism, but that may be just my perception. 

overall, an informative and well written book that was just a bit difficult at times.

pg.52 - 'we may consider how splitting attraction can inspire us toward creating interconnected futures in the s p a c e s that such an act creates.'