Bri > Recent Status Updates

Got this as a gift in 08, never read......think the adult humor might have put me off. I'm ((probably)) old enough for it now though.

Really wish I'd grabbed the special illustrated edition of this before it was gone, I have all the others and it hurts to have to read this as an ebook lol

I have to say, there's a ring of hollowness in me as I continue to progress through these side stories knowing now that Veilguard wasn't the DA game we all hoped for and that the series itself isn't continuing anytime soon, if ever. I'm glad I'm experiencing them regardless, but that anticipatory excitement I felt when starting Stolen Throne a year ago is gone.

I can't believe how much game-changing stuff is in here that most DA fans probably don't even know about. The fate of King Maric. A crazy lore revelation about Calenhad. The actual (kinda) debut of Bianca Davri. Varric fanservice. Isabela's past and her former name. Sten as the Arishok. I knew about that last one, but somehow the rest of it never made it to me through fandom osmosis. Glad I read this.

I liked Those Who Speak much better than Silent Grove -- more immediate drama and stakes, and it felt like a more complete story instead of ending just when things got interesting. Also got some enjoyable angles of Isabela in the panels......

Also, just wanna gripe about one of the writer's annotations on Isabela -- I am sooooo done with creators clutching their pearls about "exploitative" or "oversexualized" portrayals of female characters **already designed with deliberate sex appeal in mind.** Just go all the way with it, ffs. 🙄 Eastern creators don't have this weird hangup, which is why we're blessed with characters like 2B and Eve.

First graphic novel I've touched in......forever, honestly. Art looks really nice and the story so far is up to scratch, though I wish the cast wouldn't banter so much in life-threatening situations. I wouldn't normally want to read something annotated for the first time, but they're not bothersome (yet) and they're helpful at easing me in to a story that's far out of my typical medium.

Great read. Not as many filler scenes (usually battles) as the previous DA books, and vivid in its portraiture of its main characters, their motivations, and their relationships. There were certain important scenes that felt a little compressed and inelegant in execution, and sometimes I didn't have the clearest picture of how the magic worked. But this is easily the best DA book I've read yet.

ngl I wish I knew about these books before I played all the games because imagine reading about the eluvians here not knowing how important they'd be in Inquisition :0

nvm, just learned that he actually did spare that poor Dalish mage and I, apparently, can't read. He's still on thin ice though......

I think it's Good Actually that Dragon Age portrays the fallibility of its most oppressed races instead of making them one-dimensionally sympathetic. Any DA fan who thinks the writers "hate the Dalish" either aren't paying attention or have an alarmingly uncomplicated view of marginalized groups.

I'm starting to see some filler scenes pop up, much like the dragon fight in The Calling and the Fade Archdemon in Asunder. I guess they need to add stuff like this so the books reach a certain page count...not that it's bad or anything, but it does leave the plot spinning its wheels for a bit.

That was a bad call.

Weekes' prior novelist background immediately shows here, and serves to elevate the writing above that of the first three DA books (though Gaider's work got a lot better over time). I already feel like I'm in Inquisition's world. Eager to keep reading.

...but I'm not gonna find out what just yet! Because I need more time to finish this but I want it marked as read before midnight to get the April reading challenge badge! Final thoughts will be in the comments/review! 🙂‍↕️📚

Something big is happening. I know because it says so in the first sentence of this chapter.

They weren't kidding when they said this book gives you a different side of Cole. He's so aloof in Inquisition, not emotive at all like he is here.

I'm praying that Adrian won't become this book's Katriel. If you know, you know...

As much as I love AdRhyan, the book is blatantly pushing a Rhyvangeline slow burn. Humph...

I appreciate Wynne's more hard-nosed, coolly pragmatic characterization and how Gaider was conscious to show how she's changed over the years after the Blight. It imbues a former game companion with a sense of organic agency independent of the player character's actions, reminding us that they're real people with lives beyond just fighting in your party.

Excited to finally experience Cole's story! I like the dynamic between Rhys and Adrian, hope nothing happens to them...

[Not actually done, just marking this as read for 2024. I'll give my thoughts in a comment or a review later on.]

[Not actually done, just marking this as read for 2024. I'll give my thoughts in a comment or a review later on.]

Getting through this. Predictably, the John Green story is better.

Holiday reading. The first story is annoyingly written, like the author tried to infuse quirkiness into every individual beat. The characters all talk and act like theater kids. Maybe I've just outgrown YA...

Also. Look! A plot! It took almost 200 pages, but I'm finally starting to see one materialize.

Wait so Bridge **isn't** dating Dom? I went halfway through the book thinking they were her partner. But I guess they're just best friends??? What???

It's been a long time since I've experienced a story with a more monotonous cadence of plot beats. It's literally just, dream worm, talk about Jo, journal entry, go someplace, dream worm again, repeat. I'm halfway done so far. Praying the rest of the book switches things up. And soon. 😵‍💫

I can tell that the author knew what kind of story she wanted to write. I'm still not sure if she remembered to write a story that people would want to read.