Shachar Haad
This book was extremely tedious.
Most of the book focuses on a dull, conflict-free relationship, failing to meaningfully explore PTSD despite introducing it. Instead, Grayce adds therapists in a single scene and promptly drops the subject, leaving no insight into the condition or its effects on anyone. The story gets sidetracked by inconsequential details, and the main characters, Essie and Farrendel, lack significant development until the last 15%.
The subplot about Melantha, married into the troll royal family, offers actual conflict and character growth, but Grayce repeatedly shifts attention back to Essie and Farrendel's flat romance and trivial pursuits. This undermines the stronger elements of the book and weakens the impact of Melantha's story.
The book fails to give enough time to develop Melantha’s adaptation or her relationships. Instead, both relationships either lack substance or abrupt jumps in dynamics, ultimately making the story unengaging.
Another issue is with how juvenile Essie and Farrendel’s relationship is. Nothing exists in their relationship outside of the sickly-sweet interaction; no conflicts, no inspection of their relationship, no development - just random nonsense about hot chocolate (what initially started as a cute quirk, now becomes something akin to a person knocking at your door, asking you to accept hot chocolate as your savior) and other extremely boring interactions.
I doubt I’ll continue past this point, as I don’t think Grayce has anything to say about the world or the characters in it.
This book was extremely tedious.
Most of the book focuses on a dull, conflict-free relationship, failing to meaningfully explore PTSD despite introducing it. Instead, Grayce adds therapists in a single scene and promptly drops the subject, leaving no insight into the condition or its effects on anyone. The story gets sidetracked by inconsequential details, and the main characters, Essie and Farrendel, lack significant development until the last 15%.
The subplot about Melantha, married into the troll royal family, offers actual conflict and character growth, but Grayce repeatedly shifts attention back to Essie and Farrendel's flat romance and trivial pursuits. This undermines the stronger elements of the book and weakens the impact of Melantha's story.
The book fails to give enough time to develop Melantha’s adaptation or her relationships. Instead, both relationships either lack substance or abrupt jumps in dynamics, ultimately making the story unengaging.
Another issue is with how juvenile Essie and Farrendel’s relationship is. Nothing exists in their relationship outside of the sickly-sweet interaction; no conflicts, no inspection of their relationship, no development - just random nonsense about hot chocolate (what initially started as a cute quirk, now becomes something akin to a person knocking at your door, asking you to accept hot chocolate as your savior) and other extremely boring interactions.
I doubt I’ll continue past this point, as I don’t think Grayce has anything to say about the world or the characters in it.