Tammy > Recent Status Updates

I’m STILL looking for something that can replicate the high that the “Harry Potter” series gave me many years ago. The librarian recommended an immersive experience with “Sword of the Seven Sins.” Don’t fail me now, Debbie!

Oh, no, the average rating does not bode well. I hope that I’ll like it!

Paedyn, I’m rooting for you, girl.

OMGGG…you know, I love Kai Azer. The only fictional man who’s ever made me squeal and kick my feet (WTF…), but his brother—Kitt? Yeah, I’d like one of those, too, please.

If I had known this was a Dramione fanfic and the first in a series, I wouldn’t have bought it. I will finish the book, but—unless it’s incredible—I probably won’t continue with the series.

Recommend a heartwarming romance that’ll make me believe in love again! ❤️ Must end with a happily-ever-after.

HOLY.SHIT. 😳

Sybel, baby, WHAT ARE YOU DOING? This can’t end well; there are fewer than 120 pages left. Nooo! Damn, old-school Fantasy was hardcore.

After having read a barrage of Fantasy and Romantasy, where the MMC breaks the FMC’s heart by choosing crown/kingdom/revenge over her, it’s SO RARE to see the MMC in this book putting his foot down and refuses to let his bloodthirsty older brothers use and exploit her (well, her powers) as a weapon of war.

Sybel blinked at the broken pieces in her hand. Then she said, “I will bring you bones, if you wish. I will bring you a grinning skull, if I can find the brain beneath it.”

I can’t put this down. Power is the overarching theme that is explored and investigated from so many different angles.
Such a breath of fresh air—we get themes and character arcs. Nobody starts out perfect. The author doesn’t care that you don’t like them immediately.
Modern books have tropes, old-school books have themes.

I am CAPTIVATED and UTTERLY CHARMED.
People who complain about the speech being “stilted” are misinformed. They’re so used to crappy Fantasy with poor world-building, where characters speak in 21st century lingo, that when they see REAL Fantasy speech, they call it “unnatural.”

Straight from the golden age of Fantasy. They don’t write like this anymore, that’s for sure. It’s so good! Different from what’s out there today. Published in 1974, this was Patricia A. McKillip’s debut novel, which was released when she was only 26 years old. It went on to become an award-winning and influential Fantasy.

Romance in YA: love is cosmic. Once-in-a-lifetime. “You’re my only one. Forever. Meeting you changed everything. I will choose you in every lifetime.”

Romance in Adult: “Let’s dismantle the idea of a soulmate. Be practical. How about you do the dishes and I take out the trash?”

You know what I’ve noticed?

MMCs in YA and NA/Adult are written very differently.

MMCs in YA: Make you kick your feet and giggle.
MMCs in NA/Adult: feel like guys you might meet in real life. And real-life men rarely make you kick your feet and giggle.

People have criticized that “this isn’t a true enemies-to-lovers story,” but it actually is. Paeden and Kai are *ideological* enemies. A lot of people there’s only one type of enemies, but there are many. Two people can like, or even love each other, for example, and still be enemies because their outlooks are at war.

YA literature: Destiny! Yearning! Transformation! Rebellion!

Adult literature: a post-divorce middle-age woman, who’s on non-speaking terms with her adult daughter, moves back to her hometown. I don’t care, Brenda.

Romantasy pretends to be about epic, eternal love.
But eternal love requires stable identities.
If a character can be rewritten every book, then…👀

That’s why a lot of readers say “I love Book 3 Ronan!”
Because Book 1 Ronan ≠ Book 2 Ronan ≠ Book 3 Ronan.

SJM teaches a whole new generation of Romantasy writers that
you can build one love story…then tear it down and replace it.

That’s why I don’t start new series ‘til it’s complete, so I’d know for sure that a beloved couple who fights every forces to be together in Book 1, won’t break up in Book 2 because the MMC is suddenly “abusive.” I don’t play that way. 🥲

Low-stakes romances are like beers with 0% alcoholic content.

Somebody graduated from the Sarah J. Mass School of Smut Writing.

On a more positive note, I’m pleasantly surprised. Yes, I’m aware of the similarities it has to the other works that came before it, but…I find “Powerless” to be a much more pleasant read.

Zero romantic or sexual tension. A lot of times when people say “tension,” they mean chemistry (banter, flirtation, etc). I’m taking TRUE tension, which stems from risks. Tension is what happens when both parties have something to lose if they get together. These two have nothing to lose. They’re mutually attracted to each other, and nothing is stopping them. 🤷🏻‍♀️

1) The book has no business being this long.
2) 41% in and still nothing of note has happened.
3) The FMC is unlikable and stupid—not because she’s written that way intentionally as part of her character arc, but because the author did what she thought would make a “cool, fierce, badass female lead.”
Ewww.
4) How this book has nearly 4.5 stars is beyond my understanding.

Stg, if I see one more contemporary romance that quotes Taylor Swift songs…🙄. Like, okay, I’m a fan of Taylor; been one since her very first album! But this is giving me secondhand embarrassment. It’s not quirky, it’s not cute, it’s just…so try-hard.

It’s one of the books listed on this season’s reading challenge. A re-read, but it’s been a few years.

As if my “currently reading” shelf isn’t bloated enough.

Wow, wow, wow.
How anyone can find this book boring is beyond me. It is so layered and cleverly written!

Aha! I know what this reminds me of now. The vibe reminds me of Patricia C. Wrede’s “Dealing With Dragons,” not because of plots or anything like that; the two books are completely different in that respect. However, they share the same magical humor and domesticity vibes.

What sequel-trope(s) do you hate the most? I hate the book-2-breakup! And I hate love triangles—they waste the reader’s time, because there’s a 99% chance that the original couple will stay together anyway.

So, here’s the thing: there are only 91 pages left and we still haven’t come close to solving anything. 🙄