Lydia > Recent Status Updates

I fully acknowledge that both this book and the first one are high quality works. That being said, good lord, much of the time it feels like doing homework. While I'm reading it, I'm locked in. Unfortunately, after I put it down, it takes effort to make myself pick it up again. I'm invested at this point but trying to understand the politics of Res is exhausting.

It was hard enough to follow one version of this world, but now I have to understand three of them? I’m not smart enough for this. Talk about sci-fi/fantasy hard mode.

I love what a complex character Samson is, and the budding friendship between him and Abitha. This is the kind of writing I live for!

Right to jail.

I’m conflicted. On one hand I’m really enjoying the long setup. King is doing a masterful job of setting the scene and the characters for what I hope is a really satisfying good vs evil confrontation.

On the other hand there’s so much in here that’s making me uncomfortable. Are 11 year olds this sexual? Are you okay Stephen?
Can we also not have so much detail when talking about animal torture? I feel sick.

WHAT ARE YOU DOING STEP BRO

Girl wtf

MY EMOTIONS

Okay, things are going crazy now 😆

So far this has been a huge info dump and not a ton else. I’m holding out hope that this is setting up for something mind blowing, the way everyone talks about this book.

I’m also a little surprised at the assumption the author makes at the reader’s command of the basics of Japanese. I studied it for 3 years in college so I’m right at home with terms like Kaa-chan without context, but not everyone will be.

How dare you hurt me like this 😭

I don't know why I ever read anything except low-stakes cozy fantasy because this is the genre I need to live in permanently.

I’m really craving books in which 17 year old characters have a NORMAL level of skills for their age, y’know? So many of these types of books feature these kids that somehow have the skills of middle aged veterans.

I wonder if maybe I need to steer clear of contemporary romance for a while. Nothing frustrates me like people who can’t get out of their own way. They shoot themselves in the foot at the first test of trust. Long term relationships are built on trust and THIS is going to make this whole thing fall apart? Please be real.

This has all the elements I should love in a book - bookish characters, a bookshop, Ireland (I’ve been there twice, it’s wonderful).
But I am this far into the book and a whole bunch of nothing has happened.

It’s not bad, there’s potential here, but I’ve got way too many other books to get to to keep pushing through waiting for the plot.

I’m kind of starting to hate Bryce. She’s bootleg Aelin - all of the secret-keeping and acting of her own accord all the time despite having the support of a team around her, but also brat behavior and shit attitude.

Sarah, I love the worlds you create, but I am begging you for LESS information about every little thing guys’ testicles are experiencing. I do not need or want to know. Please leave *something* to the imagination 🫣

I’m REALLY glad her mom died.

I’m glad her mom died, too.

Good lord, where’d this level of spice come from?! 🫣 No thank you

Wow.
At first I was confused by the narrative style but then I started to vibe with it, and then I was entranced by it.
This has all the markers of being unique and excellent.

Trying again. Maybe I just wasn’t in the mood.

“Shit’s about to get real”??

I love the dragons, so far they’re the coolest part and my reason to keep going. Everyone isn’t at each other’s throats QUITE as much as the beginning which is good too…

But I’m really struggling with the juvenile writing style. Usage of modern slang/language in a non-contemporary setting feels very lazy to me.