Emma D. > Recent Status Updates

I think this will be a DNF. The fact that it’s taking me this long is a major indicator…

Should it be this hard to keep reading this book?

Well, we made it more than 100 pages before compulsively partnering people and others either having sex or really truly desiring it because this is a grim, dark, adult book that needs to have adult urges and desires because there’s nothing else that’s of interest… At least Ive gotten more than 100 pages in…

Well, Joe Abercrombie, let’s give you one last chance. The First Law books weren’t for me, but maybe this one will be…

EVERYONE SHUT THE HELL UP; IT’S TIME

THERE’S AN AUDIOBOOK OF THIS??

Got this because of my work, and I need a short book to read. A change of pace probably won’t be too bad anyways.

As shocking as it may be to those who know me, I remember really enjoying this book back around my high school years. I believe I even read it twice before now. Time to see if my fond memories can still hold up!

Well, the marketing folks can count me as one of their successes. All the hype and expected talk of this book has convinced me to give it a go. No, I don’t think I’ll like it more than Babel. Yes, I know this has romance in it. At the very least, I expect R.F. Kuang to blow me away with how smart this book is. She’s done so with Babel and a little less so for the other books she’s written.

I might expand on this in my review once I’m done, but while Olivie Blake does a few interesting things narratively, like the unexpected narrator (something you learn immediately), something she does here (and in The Atlas Six) is that the focal characters are all focused on sex—getting it, having it, keeping it going. Jury’s still out on the effectiveness, but the resident aroace is already biased against it

Went into this book with a certain, excited expectation, and that is slowly dimming… but we’ll persist for now

Victoria E. Schwab, you beautiful creature. One of the only ways to make me enjoy this series more is to have an aro and/or ace character—and what do we have? Exactly that, albeit only implied, but very strongly supported by the text, and I WILL fight anyone who disagrees

The world-building and magic-as-science are quite interesting; definitely fits the academia I was promised (compared to a couple other “(dark) academia” fantasy books that failed to live up to their promise).

I also think I was promised no romance, but I see those sparks forming…! I could give you analyzed quotes citing a dangerous approach towards that threshold of romance. But we shall persist for now.

I’ve decided to give Joey Abercrombie and his First Law world another chance. One last chance. So far, I have some gripes, and I’ve barely started… Can’t elaborate since I won’t spoil things, but if I do finish this, I’ll be leaving them in my review.

Who would believe me if I said I started this less than 10 hours ago? … cause it’s true. What’s even more unbelievable is that the second book is on hold at the library, just placed 11 hours ago, so who knows when I’ll be able to keep going with this (so far) incredible story…