Fantasy Buddy Reads discussion

July 21st

I'm in! :)

I think that you gals will enjoy this, I did!

just might

I'm super excited for this! I love Kelley Armstrong. Everything she writes is a win for me.

In

10 chapters in. So far this has got a dark, creepy feel and I like it. The forest is making me thinking of Aokigahara forest in Japan where people go to commit suicide, so yeah, pretty dark.

Character-wise, (view spoiler)[ I don't really feel any connection with Ashyn or Moria yet (it speaks volumes that I just had to look for their names on the blurb). But I am interested to see where it goes now they're together with Ronan and scary shit is going down in the forest!
Oh and I hope Ashyn gets her dog back! (hide spoiler)]

Siobhan wrote: "10 chapters in. So far this has got a dark, creepy feel and I like it. The forest is making me thinking of Aokigahara forest in Japan where people go to commit suicide, so yeah, pretty dark.

Chara..."

I didn't think it would be dark, I haven't read the blurb I'm looking forward to going in blind. Starting this tonight, really hoping I love it.

43 pages in, (view spoiler)[ I really like both girls and their otherworldly companions. I love a good magical pet. Both sisters seen to really care for each other, I'm enjoying their relationship so far.

The governor is a disgusting piece of shit who just attacked Tova, I hope he dies in the forest. I can't stomach animal abusers, in real life or in books so hopefully he'll meet a sticky end.

The world is pretty cool. I'm curious about the fortunes/curses. I want to know who makes them and how do they come true. Also why does pinning a curse on a statue cancel it out?

I'm looking forward to seeing what happens in the forest! (hide spoiler)]

11 chapters in.

Yep. Super dark and creepy.

(view spoiler)[ This empire has weird rules. They don't kill people, they exile them to the haunted forest. Twins are cursed/blessed. Because of this strange exile rule, you need to send groups into the forest to send the restless dead to sleep. Seems a bit too complicated for me, I mean why create this problem in the first place? (hide spoiler)]

Arkadeb wrote: "11 chapters in.

Yep. Super dark and creepy.

[spoilers removed]"

Haha yeah it is a bit odd. (view spoiler)[Why not just execute people and have done with it. Maybe they can handle the guilt of turning someone into the forest to die, but not the blood on their hands of killing them directly? It is a strange society. (hide spoiler)]

Siobhan wrote: "Arkadeb wrote: "11 chapters in.

Yep. Super dark and creepy.

[spoilers removed]"

@Siobhan what they do is worse, it would be kinder to kill them quickly.

Haha yeah it is a bit odd. [spoilers removed]"

Arkadeb wrote: "11 chapters in.

Yep. Super dark and creepy.

[spoilers removed]"

I agree Arkadeb, these people create their own problems. The forest really creeps me out, they need to stop sending people there.

Yeah, it would definitely be kinder.

Chapter 30 - (view spoiler)[This is really fast paced and gripping so far. I love the dark and scary elements, of which there are many! YA horror? XD

Shocked at the end of chapter 30! I didn't suspect Wenda of being a secret monster! But apparently nothing is as it seems here.

The worm was horrible! Weird that the monsters are all from Moria's stories, wonder why they're coming to life and who's doing it all! Why kidnap all the village children? And how do they have the power to keep this whole town hostage? (hide spoiler)]

They've just re-entered the forest! That was awful :( (view spoiler)[ Those poor villagers. What a great way to start a book though, with bloody murder. I have no idea how they're supposed to fight these creatures though! (hide spoiler)]

Finished.

In general this book is quite dark and gruesome. Several of my hunches came true. (view spoiler)[ I had my doubts about Wenda (hide spoiler)]

But overall I did not like it. The book felt unfinished and the overall story is strange.

(view spoiler)[ So this outcast general takes random people in some tiny village hostage and thinks the Emperor will just relinquish his throne? In what universe is this a feasible plan?

Also the whole thing - to have a cursed forest bordered by tiny villages - why? Why not have boundary forts with companies of trained soldiers and Seeker-Keeper teams when available? Why expose the normal people to the danger at all? Why not maintain a zone of quarantine? (hide spoiler)]

Chapter 37 - (view spoiler)[ I like Moria and Gavril together, they're funny. I was creased at him doing her hair! 😅

Those mercenaries guarding Fairview are brutal! The way they killed that woman just to make Moria stop asking for her sister.... God! I hope they die soon. Not a good situation at all. (hide spoiler)]

153 pages in - I think this is the first Kelley Armstrong books I've read where I haven't been hooked. I want to love this but I'm not there yet. I'm a bit confused as to what's happening. The timeline is weird and I'm not sure what's actually going on. So I think (view spoiler)[ It wasn't the shadow stalkers that killed the village, it was those foreigners, they came, killed the adults and stole the children. The shadow stalkers then inhabited the bodies of the dead which is why the twin's dad became all zombiefied?? (hide spoiler)]

Arkadeb wrote: "Finished.

In general this book is quite dark and gruesome. Several of my hunches came true. [spoilers removed]

But overall I did not like it. The book felt unfinished and the overall story is st..."

Finished. (view spoiler)[I agree it felt unfinished. I know it's a series now, but didn't when I bought it. First book was entirely setting up. Don't feel like anything was achieved.

I also don't know why on earth the exiled Marshal would think taking some children hostage and killing everyone in the village would make the emperor give him the throne. Even if his goal is just war, why?! He's going up against an emperor's full army!

I thought it was good overall, it kept my attention. But definitely some plot flaws. And Ashyn was annoying with her constant doubting and self deprecation. Just bloody get on with it!

I liked Moria and the animals though. (hide spoiler)]

Charlie wrote: "153 pages in - I think this is the first Kelley Armstrong books I've read where I haven't been hooked. I want to love this but I'm not there yet. I'm a bit confused as to what's happening. The time..."

Glad I wasn't the only one annoyed by the timeline issues. It was plain confusing at times.

Not her strongest work by far. I remember liking her first YA series, Reckoning was it?

Siobhan wrote: "

Shocked at the end of c..."

233 pages in, really enjoying it now, things are happening! I've been experiencing this thing lately that I'll call 200 page syndrome. I can't really get into a book, find it boring, don't want to pick it up etc but once I reach the 200 page mark I'm invested and I like it much more. I think I just need to give myself time to get into the world.

I suspected (view spoiler)[ Wenda from the start! I'm usually rubbish at that kind of thing but when she first insisted that the Keeper was kidnapped with the children I didn't think it sounded right. Then after she accused the guard of touching her I thought she was definitely trying to get the Seeker to leave her guarded protection.

The worm was freaking awful! It really made my skin crawl. I want to know why the monster from the stories are coming to life. My theory is it has something to do with the curse at the start of the book.

I want to know who behind the attack on the town, why they kidnapped the children and what on earth they want. Also what do they have over the village people to keep them so scared?! (hide spoiler)]

Really looking forward to getting some answers!

Shiiiit (view spoiler)[I forgot all about that curse! This book really doesn't have an ending... (hide spoiler)]
Maybe don't read til you're done...

Oh I'm scared to open your spoilers now! I likely wont be able to read any more of this today since I'm at the wedding straight from work so it'll have to be tomorrow night. I'm really looking forward to finishing.

It was just something your comment made me think of...!

Enjoy the wedding!

Read another 70 or so pages yesterday so I think I'm about 300 pages in now. (view spoiler)[ The gang have been asked to deliver the message to the king and I'm dying to know what it is and how on earth these people are controlling the shadow stalkers and why the mythical beasties are coming alive. (hide spoiler)]

Finished! There's a lot of problems with it and the reveal at the end was pretty ridiculous but regardless, it was a fun read and I really enjoyed it.

But, but, there was no ending! Don't you hate that?
We have to continue the series to have any clue what's going on.

Glad you enjoyed it overall! I thought it was alright.

Yeah it's annoying that the entirety of book 1 was just to intro the world so we'd care about it when it went to hell. They could have told the same story in half the pages and devoted the other 200 pages to an epic war.

Charlie wrote: "Yeah it's annoying that the entirety of book 1 was just to intro the world so we'd care about it when it went to hell. They could have told the same story in half the pages and devoted the other 20..."

Exactly. The whole thing was just set up.
Take Mistborn, obviously you need to read the trilogy, but Final Empire is still an excellent novel in the first instance, definitely not just set up. I know that's a high bar... Haha!

Siobhan wrote: "Charlie wrote: "Yeah it's annoying that the entirety of book 1 was just to intro the world so we'd care about it when it went to hell. They could have told the same story in half the pages and devo..."

I find I've been doing this a lot lately, comparing everything to Mistborn. It's hard not to when it's just so good!