Ashley > Recent Status Updates

The politics is so much more engaging than the action. Still into it tho.

I am fucking crashing out now lmao this shit is great

This book certainly something, lol. A repetitive spiral of ME, ME, MEEEE. The Devil calls to her and instead of getting fucked, she chooses her assigned milquetoast cardboard cutout. Booooo

After this, I never wanna see pastels or smell anything fruity or floral for a while 😩

Its steady pacing has paid off as we approach the climax with the gears clicking upward. It been a while since I've had to pry away from a book at ~3am.

Suspense and intrigue? Nawww, let’s show our cards in chapter two. The pacing is Sonic the Hedgehog and its floral-pop aesthetics take precedent over actual structure. Sooo…..I’m having a good time so far! Lololll

Ok, I've fully warmed up to Elena's POV now. Despite not being 100% absorbed in this, it's defo waaaaay better than book 1. Look at that, a book 2 that manages to avoid Second Book Syndrome. Honestly, big accomplishment.

A slow crawl through a technically solid book….but a dry one. Love Samson and his interactions with Elena (even though she’s still bland). But scenes are written out like stage directions and how Verma would envision them in a movie adaptation. Leading to the dryness…..

Don’t have a lot of desire to push through ebooks in general, but I like what I’m able to read so far. I can tell Samson’s gonna steal the show. I mostly hope Elena will become more interesting because she was pretty milquetoast in book 1

I forgot how much this author likes similes. Only 2% in and I’m already clocking it in as “too much.”

This is a good book overall, but I still don’t see why it haaaaad to be written

Books like this make me dislike 1st person POV more and more. We’re too trapped in the FMC’s head and she bombards us with every minute thought and visual detail to repetitive degrees. Girlypop, these could’ve been emails.

Another distraction from the Nazi-fucker. Praying I’ll like the main pairing, I’ve gotten nothing but duds this year. Please, I am starving at this point.

figures when Arin and Essiya are back together, the falloff has started. I'm disinterested.

Holy hell, this really is a slow build. But I've been engaged and it's been a hot minute since a book has solidly held my attention. Even if almost all the characters are static (Arin being the sole exception) and conflict resolves so easily.

THE MAN, THE MYTH, THE LEGEND.
Let’s see how long I’ll last before I’d want to kill myself lol

I can see why people think this is boring. It's really taking its time setting itself up. Not a bad thing yet since I'm just 22% in

With the cavalier way Wren regards the Secret Police training sessions, I've started calling this book My Nazi Academia.

This is so derivative and soulless, it makes Fourth Wing look like a masterpiece in comparison.

Also, I'm not really down with "both siding" Nazis. Especially given this current political climate.

After 100+ pages of obnoxious horniness, Hitler Jr calls out how obvious Wren has been.
Wren—math equations, contemplative meme: ‘I…might be attracted to him.’

WHAAAAAT?! NO WAAAAAAAAYYY!!!!!!!!

The moment Wren finds out the guy who gave her coochie tinglies is Hitler Jr, that’s what turns her off. Not the fact that he was a blanket Nazi to begin with! Nazi is fine but son of Nazi Supreme? No thanks~

Ugh.

Ya know, I feel most of these problems could’ve been avoided if Wren stopped trying to fuck these Nazis.

The exposition has already contradicted itself. Twice.

I read the first two pages and already laughed my ass off. “I grew up in pure, unceasing, suffocating darkness.” Excellent. No notes lmaooo

However, “I grew up petrified on the daily so being bombed is less scary than having an awkward conversation!” Is deeply unserious. I think Palestinians and Ukrainians (among others) would beg to differ.

I just started and I’ve already made over a dozen notes lolol Chang has become one of my new favorite bad writers frfr

The worst thing about this is the unnecessary attraction stuffed in the story. Something serious or contemplative would happen and then the MMC would walk in shirtless or robed and dripping wet---his toned body on full display. Or the repressed FMC would be so compelled to kiss the MMC in frustration. Booooo, these speed bumps are so annoying

I kinda struggle to get completely engaged with this one, but I still like it. But c’mon girl, you didn’t even try to NOT make Kadra a Ben Barnes Darkling copy lmao

I’ve hit the point where I cannot get over the tonal dissonance between atmospheric, fantastical setting and story foundation … with the quips akin to the later seasons of game of thrones

Not to mention, the themes of power hungry corruption within religious institutions isn’t exactly unique … nor subtle

So far so good overall

Still enjoying it despite being too busy to sit and give it the full attention it deserves. At least I don't regret preordering Owlcrate's SE set lol