Kenz
As George Straight said “I ain't here for a long time, I'm here for a good time”.
These books are cute and quick. I just find the relationships to form really really quickly though. I always feel like they barely know each other and then they are saying “I love you”. I still think they are adorable, but ultimately not memorable.
Final rating: 3 stars ✨
Blood Over Bright Haven is a well written and highly regarded book. The story follows Thomil and Sciona working together to solve a vile problem that nobody seems to care about. They team up and have to work through their differences with each other in order to succeed. Sciona is the first woman in a decade to be tested and allowed into the high magistry. She is a strong, motivated woman, who will not let any man stop her from achieving her goals. Thomil is a man trying to recover and build a new life in a city who does want him there. He is determined to be the best man for his niece and Tribe.
I really enjoyed taking my time with this read, slowly learning about Sciona and Thomil. This is a heavily feminist and female focused book. The quote “a woman in a man's world” kept running through my head so much while reading this. There were times though where the characters would constantly bring up that she is “a woman in a man's world”.. It felt repetitive and unnecessary because as the reader you know and understand the hardship Sciona is going through. I was starting to get annoyed because it seemed like half way through the story focused in on her having to constantly remind us that she is better than the men. I wish it was just a bit more subtle and not the main focus of the plot.
I felt like this also suffered from not being long enough. I could read a prequel novel about Thomil and his Tribe before they decided to endure the crossing. I could read a sequel novel about what happened after the ending of Blood Over Bright Haven. I just wanted so much more than this book gave, but I still appreciate everything that M.L. Wang was able to create in just one book. This is the second book I've read from M.L. Wang and I think that her stories are so strong and gripping. Her ability to create such unique and intriguing plots is truly remarkable.
I recommend this book to just about anyone who is looking for a standalone fantasy that is slightly grim dark but still heartwarming. The setting is dark academia and perfect for a chilly fall day.
Final rating: 3.5 stars ✨
I laughed my way through this book. Exactly what I needed after finishing a long series..
Final rating: 3.5 stars ✨
I just knew this was gonna be my favorite of the series.. literally no notes. This is perfection. Beau and Bailey are perfect for each other
After watching the movie based off of the book a couple nights ago, I had to find out what happened to Lucullus. This is so much better than the movie! So much more gore and detailed descriptions of the gruesomeness that occurred over the months. My biggest issue was the descriptions of women, especially Lucia, she deserves better.
I will continue reading the series because I have to know if Lucullus survives this and where everyone ends up.
Final rating: 4 stars ✨
“... How we could make him aware of his responsibility without, at the same time, damaging his childish innocence.” I'm baffled but the complete ignorance these parents have.
My rating doesn't stem from the parents or the crime that occurred. It's from the writing style. Since this is a translated book, I'm hoping something got lost in translation. The biggest problem I had while reading was the timeline transitions. We'd be at the dinner table one minute and in a memory the next without a noticeable indication, or at least I never noticed it while reading. I think with this type of narration perhaps an audiobook would be the way to go. I, however, read this physically so I cannot say for certain.
⚠️ I'm going to go into spoilers now, fair warning. ⚠️
I detest these parents, but I have a feeling that's what the author was going for. The way these parents acted towards their children, you'd think they were quite young, like 5-7 years, not 15 years! I was baffled by the way these parents were speaking about the situation, as well. Treating murder like dropping a glass dish, oops sorry!?!? I wanted to throw my book away! The way the children treated the homeless was not an accident, not something to be kept quiet. They murdered one out of hatred and arrogance. Threw trash and objects at them and then set them on fire! Then physically assaulted another one, without any prior antagonizing. These 15 year old boys knew what they were doing. This was never an accident, nor should it ever have been treated like one. Serge was correct in saying they needed to bring this to light. They don't have “childish innocence” anymore when they intentionally physically assault others.
Paul and Claire are vile parents. I'm not shocked their child turned into a murderer. I'm guessing that Paul was diagnosed with psychopathy, so I figured Michel would have it too. The way Claire was just so nonchalant about her child murdering someone was what shocked me the most. But after reading the ending with the documents, it all made sense. I can appreciate a person who sticks by their partner, no matter what. One thing I can say with certainty is that Claire loved Paul. But dear god they were terrible parents. I mean, Paul was constantly showing Michel violence is okay. On three separate occasions, Paul recounted physically beating, or threatening, a person in front of Michel. It's a great thing Claire and Paul decided to only have one child.
Honestly, I wish I would have loved it because it was giving the same vibes as the show Adolescences. It just didn't quite hold up as strongly because of the age of the boys. I just hated how young the parents were making them seem. They are closer to be adults than they are to being elementary age. If they were younger, I think I would have believed why the parents wanted to keep it quiet more.
Anyway, I'd still recommend checking this one out, but maybe give the audiobook a chance. It was still very entertaining, I read it in one sitting.
Final rating: 2.5 stars ✨
