A.N.G. Reynolds > Recent Status Updates

I get why some people find this book to be incredibly controversial and difficult to read. However, for me I think it's got a few too many layers to take at surface value. It's not "pro-fascism" it's "pro-soldier" while taking a look at what it might cost to make a true utopia.

Not saying I agree with the book entirely, but I think there is some depth that's missing in most of the arguments about it.

The camel's name is "Burke".

I wasn't going to add this to my Currently Reading pile because I bought it on a whim and it's so far outside my usual I wasn't sure if it'd stick.

However, I have to ask (even if it ends up rhetorical), is the second-person POV narrator talking to a freaking camel? Because I think he's talking to a freaking camel.

(which is delightful, tbh, but feels way out of left field.)

Since there's a gap between the third and fourth Sun Eater books, I'm going to take a little break and see what all the fuss is about (then I'm going to watch the movie).

This book feels like its heading for a TPK.

I'm behind on my GoodReads reading challenge but it's because I decided to start reading/listening to not one, but TWO hecking chonky, 1000-page/+30 hour books at the same time and then I'm caught in a mood reading cycle for any of the smaller books I also chose to start. And then put down.

And then pick up again.

And then put down.

#sigh

This is how you write a "cinematic" novel.

I would dearly love to be inside the minds of some of these side characters when Hadrian Half-Mortal keeps doing weird Half-Mortal stuff and blowing his Weird Tragic Prisoner of Fate reputation out to cosmic proportions.

Is there like, a soldier among his troops going "Gosh dangit. How long did he disappear from this time? Any weird markings? Did he say he died and came back to life? Again?? Gah, this guy."

This series oscillates from "oh, that's a cool adventure" to "OHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH" in a fluid and almost seamless transition.

This has so much stuff that would usually be an instant DNF from me but the way it's written and the overall context are saving it...for now...

(I'm also enjoying the juxstaposition of the two main "sides"; Blackthorne and his gang and Omi and his samurai. Nobody's a saint, but there's a lot of good moral debates to be had.)

An only 1% update because I had to announce the fact that I, alllllllllllll the way in Book 3, finally understand the title of Book 1.

I probably should listen to Chapter 62 again because I was half asleep the first time and it's only **vaguely** significant to the plot but the audiobook is like 30hrs long and I don't have time to backtrack.

This book has such a stream-of-consciousness style of writing.

It breaks nearly every modern writing rule, but is one of the easiest books to read I've ever encountered.

(page count from earlier)

I had the perfect opportunity to read this evening and I left this book at the wrong house.

I'm so excited for this book, I can't even tell you.

Yes. Yes. Yes. And yes.

Although I do feel Prince Alexander is an entirely unter utilized character. He and Hadrian have so much potential as supremely obnoxious frenemies to each other.

There are two truths:

1. This is written like a YA.
2. This should not be YA, given how intense so many of its themes are.

"She spoke sense, and yet I didn't want to listen."

This is the one time in Hadrian and Valka's difficult relationship that I wholeheartedly agree with her and his assessment of the situation.

Everyone's talking about "Chapter 42" but I'm willing to bet it's going to make me less upset than Chapter 27.

Just sayin'.

- I believe it's been a while since we got one of Hadrian's infamous "it wasn't my intention"s. Maybe he is actually growing up.
- I've been buying hardcopy paperback versions of the books for my shelf and forgot they have *glossaries*.
- Hadrian was tall in my head until Princess Cynthia's "he's shorter than I expected" comment and now he's short again.

I'm really enjoying this story. I didn't think I'd like it as much as I do when I first started reading.

The writing style took a minute to get into, but now that I'm familiar with it I'm really enjoying the book. It reads a lot slower than most of its contemporaries, but I find I'm enjoying that too. It makes me slow down and enjoy the story, not just inhale it in one go.

Started this book because I needed scifi+comedy.

Now I'm having a crisis because I'm 90% sure I've read it before, 83% sure I didn't finish it, and 0% sure as to WHY I didn't finish it...

There is a chance Lorien will be able to fill the hole in my heart from The Character I Miss. Excellent, blunt, and un-dramatic personality counterpoint to Hadrian.

I have many thoughts.

- They keep mentioning the Character I Miss who left in the previous book. I'm not happy about it. :(
- The time/event skip gave me whiplash.
- I had a brief image in my head of Hadrian at his actual (tall) height. We'll see if it sticks or if he's going to be short forever.
- I'd like to revoke Hadrian's Talking to Aliens and Other Cultures license. He is a nuisance.

3 thoughts:

1. Hadrian needs business cards that say "it wasn't my intention" to hand out every time one of his plans turns into a massive, nuclear fireball.
2. I cannot, for the life of me, picture him as tall as he is. He has short king energy. He will remain this way.
3. I'd say this series has jumped the shark but I'm not even sure we're near any amount of water larger than a puddle. 11/10.

I'm getting a little whiplash going from heavy adult space operas to YA historical fiction, but I am enjoying this book all the same (it also helps that I'm rewatching 'Captivating the King', so all the Joseon Era court drama and aesthetics are fresh in my mind, hehe).