Eric > Recent Status Updates

Idiot mercenary does no reconnaissance despite losing lots of people. If this had been the MC I would have quit the book. I notice a contradiction in myself: I can't stand when the author uses foolish choices of the MC to force the plot. But I'm okay with the author using non-MC fools. I am also okay (surprisingly!) with amoral and arrogant but powerful and successful MCs if the author doesn't punish their mistakes.

Our sociopathic buddy goes and vandalizes his neighbor, breaking his security system. The main reason for this is that the neighbor is on his enemies list.
Then we find that the mercenary group that's supposed to deliver him is headed by another murderous human. This one pulls guns on people who don't knock and knifes people for being a-holes.

In the first paragraph the sociopathic protagonist is already contemplating killing his parents.

He's in his sociopath/serial killer phase

I've been putting off listening to this. the MC needs to put more points into intelligence. It is painful to read about his actions.

I can't believe it! Earthworm, Jim!

Finally! I was pretty sure if I just endured until the time skip, he'd get better.

The MC has been an unsympathetic prick for most of the book so far. However, Zack is now revealed as the time traveler we knew had to be there. So, hopefully our "hero" will start his redemption arc.

The main character is entirely dislikeable so far. He whines about everything and his family is pretty bad. This seems like a pattern in books I've been reading: the MC frequently starts out pretty mentally unhealthy.

I stopped several times because I felt uncomfortable reading about betrayal and the minds of the villains.

Another trauma stop: triggered by Marcus getting drunk on coffee. Is the trigger: people losing control, people acting foolish (my current best guess), or people using drugs/being drugged.

Now it's back to the MC. Two instances of "dumb": 1. He still hasn't accepted his alien nature and death. "Home is on earth with his friends." 2. He's getting beaten by goblin hybrids because of their capabilities. But he doesn't eat the dead and produce his own units with those capabilities.

Pronounces Marquis as "mar-kwiss". Dagobert as DAG-o-beart

My discriminatory upbringing raises its head again.

Once they got to the non-human part it became much better. The character is a bit dumb, but OK. However, they've now shifted to a human POV character for several chapters, and the human has an annoying, incompetent friend named Felix. And she's a bit of a mess, too. And there's a mustache twirling villain money lender. This part is significantly worse.

Chapter 87 on Royal Road. I had to trauma-stop for several days. But finishing the chapter was worth it. It will be interesting to see where they go with this now.

I've had to trauma-stop three times so far and the book is in its third scene. I wonder if I'll be able to finish.

The Deltans are orcs

Really enjoying this so far.

The book is now irritating. Part of that is the narrator. But part is the wooden dialog, toxic relationships, and posturing. The book would be much better dramatized because the author is always adding "he exclaimed" or "she shouted miserably" after every line, chopping the book up unnecessarily. And don't get me started on the immature view of sex and relationships. This might be a teen writer.

I don't like the main character or his companion yet. However, this book is explaining to me the assumptions that underlie other "cultivation" novels. It's so good to finally have the background that other authors assume.

The colonization and abuse feelings are pretty harsh. I get pretty tense reading this.

They are at the brothel. This entire scene has been hard for me to read. And nothing much is happening yet. This book looks to be a very slow burn.

I still hate the protagonist. I'm hoping he'll get better but I'll quit the book at 33% if I still hate it. I'm disappointed, since the author knows how to write. He's just writing the wrong story for me.

It's a strong homage to Sherlock Holmes. The titular angel is reads as modeled on autism. Very pleasant book.

He's a technically skilled writer, but his protagonist and his world grate on me. I'm having trouble listening to more than a few minutes at a time. It's less space opera and more "whiny teen rebels in foolish ways."

Three cries now. Page 100 - choosing Shizuka's childhood violin was the third.

I already feel this is going to be a 5-star book. I've cried twice. Not what I expected from "The Long Way to a Small Angry Planet" meets "Good Omens." There's no snark here. Just people dealing with a messed up world. It uses aliens as an excuse to tell about the trials of Vietnamese refugees in a bigoted new world.

Ryka is such a better writer than the author of the owner series. I was expecting more comedy, but it's actually dealing with some pretty difficult subjects in a nuanced and kind way. While still having someone who's out to collect souls for the devil.