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Popular Books that Let Me Down–The Disappointing, The Heartbreaking, and The “Huuuh?”
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book reviews, spoiler warning!

Popular Books that Let Me Down–The Disappointing, The Heartbreaking, and The “Huuuh?”

November 9, 2020November 9, 20207 Min Reading

With hype comes expectations; with expectations, sometimes come disappointments. Sadly, these disappointing books didn’t satisfy that hype.

‘I Love You, But Why?’ My Unfiltered Thoughts on A Reaper At The Gates’ Relationships
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‘I Love You, But Why?’ My Unfiltered Thoughts on A Reaper At The Gates’ Relationships

September 29, 2020November 3, 20205 Min Reading

Is it really necessary for the two characters who have been through hell and back, to take out the L-word and run with it?

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skimmingspines

⚔️ A book that finally got me back to high fan ⚔️ A book that finally got me back to high fantasy ⚔️

The Justice of Kings was a highly, highly entertaining read. It definitely brought back my old energy when it comes to reading as I always found myself eager to pick it up whenever I have free time.

The world itself is addicting, and if you’ve played The Witcher 3 or watched the series on Netflix, it resembles that atmosphere a lot. There are barons and priests, far-flung towns with dubious practices, and strange powers that illicit both envy and fear. We follow a not-so-welcome Justice — his reputation moreso an effect of his title, and not of his personal characteristics — as we read through the POV of Helena, his clerk (think: secretary or apprentice). They go from city to city to make sure the Emperor’s law is being practiced, and find themselves managing a case on the far reaches of the Empire that seems simple at first, but is actually so much more.

The case alone is incredibly engaging to follow already, and truly pans out as a mystery as we go from interrogating witness to suspect, and figuring out how everything connects with one another. But add to that the greater plot (which I won’t spoil because it’s part of the fun!) and the writing (narrated by Helena from many many years later, with comments that allude to the future) and you have a highly addictive and very promising first book to a trilogy!

So that’s an a+ on worldbuilding (I swear, it’s giving The Witcher 3 video game), a+ on plot (a side quest with the main quest? YES), and a++ on characterization and narration (the writing in this is so accessible despite the high-stakes plot, it’s really so easy to read compared to other high fantasies out there. PLUS, Helena, Volvant and Brassinger’s group and personal dynamics are so entertaining haha).

Verdict: Loved it! High praise, and even more highly recommended!

I haven't posted on here in a while, and after finishing this, I just knew I had to rave about it to you guys. ⭐️
Divine Rivals by Rebecca Ross ✍ LOVED this! The Divine Rivals by Rebecca Ross ✍

LOVED this! The plot wasn’t overly complicated, and the storytelling itself was beautiful and very easy to follow. It was exactly the quick, “romantasy” book I needed that focused more on characters, without sacrificing the fantasy plot.

This follows two characters who are rivals at work, but unknowingly writing vulnerable letters to each other at home. The story is mainly that — how these two individuals found each other thanks to a “transcendent connection, a divine threshold” (iykyk) — while a war between gods unravels around them.

Most war-ridden fantasy books have protagonists who are right smack in the middle of all the conflict as the ones causing it, or the ones destined to end it. But in Divine Rivals, we look at the civilians and the war correspondents in the sidelines; we also look at distant cities content in pretending that the war isn’t happening. For some reason, these stories of “side characters” in war are slightly more heartbreaking than seeing the carnage from the frontlines. We see families left behind by soldiers, communities piecing together fragments of normalcy, volunteers helping in the infirmary, friends found and loves broken. It’s so so so so endearing!

Was it fun?
👉🏼Yes, very. The banter was funny, the dark parts were moving, the found family was charming, and the romance was SO, so lovely. The fantasy elements were also really gripping, and the way the lore was revealed truly felt like old legends being passed on through generations.

Was it good?
👉🏼 Yes! The writing was v easy to follow, and the overall reading experience never felt dragging or like I needed to force myself to read more. It’s an objectively good book based on the technical writing. But also since it was written in such a way that it felt so light and storybook-like, I found myself just enjoying every minute and every page I read.

Do I recommend it?
👉🏼 Very much so. If you’re a fan of light fantasy and a slow burn type of romance, this is really such a gem. It was never cringe in the romance department, and the “lack of action" doesn't really feel like it since there's plenty of focus on the remains and in-betweens of war.
Let’s talk about Babel by RF Kuang I’m v late Let’s talk about Babel by RF Kuang

I’m v late into this party, mostly because of all the mixed reviews I’ve been hearing – that it was dragging, v academic, and could be difficult to read. Things I agree with, but I still rate this as a top tier, objectively brilliant, book.

Was it fun?
☞ Not exactly. The magic system was interesting, but with words being its main fuel, there’s not a lot of spectacle to look at. It was fun in a sense that we have a protagonist who’s going through SO MUCH, and having to deal with these questions of identity and morality in such extreme circumstances. It was fun to see scholars take action in their unique, seemingly subdued, way.
☞ But the first part WAS extremely dragging~ perfectly drawing that line between the “before” and “after” of the events that spiraled everything out of control. The after was definitely FUN as it was explosive, intense, and full of tension that really pushed me to keep on reading. 

Was it good?
☞ RF Kuang is really just a phenomenal writer. I can’t imagine how much research went into a fantasy book anchored on languages and history. This book was rich with context-building that is reflective of our own world, and it’s both what makes this novel so interesting, and also boring at times (lol) because of how academic it reads when it explains so much. 
☞ Book V got me teary eyed multiple times. I loved Robin with his friends, and (in contrast) the complicated dynamics he had with the man that uprooted him from his home to “live a better life.”

Do I recommend it?
☞ Yes, but you have to be ready for huge chunks of nothing in the beginning, lol. My strategy in tackling this was to read at least 50 pages at a time, and to read a fun book on the side. From around p. 200 onwards, I found myself reading more and more in one sitting bc I was finally invested!

I’ve also concluded that the reason why RF Kuang, despite her brilliance, is not among my favorite authors, is because I’m always uncomfortable when I read her books. She doesn’t sugarcoat or shy away from difficult topics; she often paints reality in the most painfully real way~ and that's not fun, haha. But it /is/ necessary. Kuang definitely delivers. ☆
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Hi, I’m Pauline ✌🏼

I'm a storyteller and self-proclaimed story analyst based in Manila, Philippines. You'd often find me raving about the latest fantasy books, K-Pop comebacks, and other bits and bobs of contemporary storytelling.

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