It's not bad, but the setting requires the characters to play a political game, and... let's just say that if any of them were DNF 112/340 pages read
It's not bad, but the setting requires the characters to play a political game, and... let's just say that if any of them were in the Game of Thrones universe, they would have been killed immediately. They don't play the game well.
Biggest example of things not being thought out: Lara wears a bracelet to her first dinner with her new husband and his sister that has a drug in it that will put them to sleep. Yet when she gets to the dinner, she's surprised that they don't have servants and have to pour their own wine. Of course this gives her an opportunity to drug the wine, but:
1) Why did she bring the drug if she didn't already know that she'd have an opportunity to get it into the wine? 2) Why would she then choose to drug them on her very first night there, especially when it's made clear that neither one of them drink to excess or to the point that they get blackout drunk? 3) Why would Aren or Ahnna allow her to refill their glasses when they already don't trust her?
But it's okay, because Aren and Ahnna are stupid too, and don't put the obvious pieces together. "Gee, we don't usually drink that hard, but the first night we have dinner with a woman we don't trust we both get blackout drunk... probably just a coincidence."
It won't bother other readers, but it bothered me. So it goes. ...more
Exactly the kind of book I'd want to write, if I were interested in trad publishing.Exactly the kind of book I'd want to write, if I were interested in trad publishing....more
(PLEASE READ THE AUTHOR'S CONTENT WARNINGS ON HER BLOG! This is not a book you should go into blind.)
This is more of a 3.5, but I rounded it up. The i(PLEASE READ THE AUTHOR'S CONTENT WARNINGS ON HER BLOG! This is not a book you should go into blind.)
This is more of a 3.5, but I rounded it up. The intensive world-building and development of the characters helped level out the sometimes incredibly sluggish pace and verbose prose. There almost certainly could have been about 100 pages cut or heavily condensed somewhere in the middle, especially to make more room for more emotional beats in the very final act. For all that Yvenne's father looms large as a driving force for most of the story, once you actually meet him, he falls flat. Most of the villains are pretty flat, actually, with the same characteristics and descriptions. In a book where the strength is the core group of characters, that stands out in a bad way.
But honestly, it was nice to read a book where a main character had been abused and wasn't told "you should forgive them so you can move on and live in peace." Hell, no. Yvenne wants vengeance and justice, and this is never criticized by anyone who hears her story. Given how often we see the "abused victim should forgive and let go of their anger" theme in media, seeing it summarily kicked out on its ass here and allowing Yvenne the space to be someone who wants her abuser's heads is wonderful. That fact alone made up for a lot of the qualms I had about the book....more
For the first 100 pages or so of this book, I was on board. Sure, I thought it was a little strange that it was a fantasy world yet used Greek gods anFor the first 100 pages or so of this book, I was on board. Sure, I thought it was a little strange that it was a fantasy world yet used Greek gods and mythology. (The world is very obviously based on Greece and Rome, but it's not an alternate world. It's a fantasy world based on very real countries.) And yes, the modern language that was used was a little mismatched with the setting. (Also, Hades wouldn't have a mortal lover, much less give her Cerberus to protect her circus. Sorry, did we all forget Minthe? Is that not a thing in this world?)
I liked Cat. I liked Griffin, even. I'm all for Mary-Sues and Cat definitely ticks off most of the list -- tragic past? Check. Myriad and amazing powers? Yup. Beautiful, even when scarred? You got it! She has her flaws and an interesting personality to outweigh some of that.
But then we spent nearly 230 pages on traveling. And granted, most of it was full of character and world development, so for most of it I wasn't bored. But was it needed? I'm not sure. It fell into the same pit as Walk on Earth a Stranger -- so much time was spent traveling that it eventually felt tedious.
And then there's the romance. I cringed when I read Griffin described as an "ultra-alpha hero". But when we first meet him, he actually has a personality beyond what those words brings to mind. Cat gives as good as she gets with him and they had a good dynamic (if not one I, personally, care for. Bantering/bickering couples tend to bore me because it's a lazy way for the author to shoe in some supposed chemistry between characters. That wasn't so much a problem here... well, not for most of it.) So hey, he's a good guy, and Cat tends to best him most of the time. I was fine.
And then. Oh boy, and then. The bantering/bickering dynamic falls into the pit of Cat constantly refusing Griffin's advances and expressing disgust at the thought of kissing him. But oh, she's just kidding! Her internal monologue tells us how very much she does want him, and Griffin, of course, totally knows this. He tells her that he knows she wants him, ignoring her protests, and by the time I stopped reading, pushing her up against walls and kissing her and touching her even as she's saying "no." But he can read her body language, doncha know, so he knows she's into it.
Gag. This all happens while Cat is still his prisoner, of course, as she repeatedly refuses his offers to join "Beta Team". Even if he's calling her a companion, Cat doesn't think of herself as one. The power dynamic is completely out of whack. For all their verbal sparring (some of it crossing into abusive territory in my opinion) the power dynamic was fine... but once it crossed the line into physical attacks, the bad taste in my mouth got worse. Cat can't give consent. Period. Griffin kidnapped her and held her against her will. Until Cat has the power to leave of her own free will, Griffin is assaulting her.
Then, of course, there's a romantic rival. And of course, she immediately attacks Cat, saying that Cat is sleeping with the entire "Beta Team" (Griffin and his companions). They physically fight twice in both of the rival's appearances. The other women in the book don't fare any better -- Cat's mother is a psychopath bordering on cartoon villainy, and Griffin's sisters are forgettable. Cat shows such disdain for poor Egeria who, while a little naive, has done nothing to earn it. Jocasta may end up being Cat's friend, but I didn't bother reading long enough to find out.
Obviously I'm in the minority on this one. Lots of people loved it. But these problems were just insurmountable for me, after an already rocky interest. I was fully prepared to give it three stars until we got to the girl hate, slut-shaming, and sexual assault.
See more of my reviews at On The Nightstand! I received a copy of this novel from the publisher via NetGalley.
In a kingdom called Rurik lives the PrinSee more of my reviews at On The Nightstand! I received a copy of this novel from the publisher via NetGalley.
In a kingdom called Rurik lives the Princess Ailsbet, daughter of the cruel King Haikor. Haikor has decreed that taweyr, the magic of men, war and death, is more important than the magic of women, neweyr, which can grow plants and help livestock. Haikor keeps the taweyr strong in his kingdom while eliminating the neweyr, and his kingdom (and its inhabitants) are suffering for it.
Ailsbet is unweyr, so she’s left to focus on her one passion: music. However, when she finds out that she may not be unweyr at all and learns of a prophecy that could save both Rurik and the distant kingdom of Weirland, she has to choose between avoiding her father’s wrath and keeping to her own passions, or possibly saving both the kingdoms and the magic in the land.
Princess Marlissa (or Issa for short) lives in Weirland, and likewise has an interest in the prophecy. When the chance arrives for her to be able to make it come true, she decides with some reluctance to take it. Forced to live in a land with an overabundance of taweyr and little to no neweyr, which she has plenty of, Issa must learn to survive in the dangerous court of King Haikor while giving away no hint of her intention to bring both magics together again, as they once were.
When I saw The Rose Throne up on NetGalley, I jumped on the chance to read it. Despite the fact that Harrison’s last venture (Tris & Izzy) wasn’t up to par, I remember loving her Princess and the Hound series when I read it a few years ago. I hoped I’d love The Rose Throne the same way.
Alas, it was not meant to be.
Harrison introduces a lot of interesting conflict in the second chapter, but she never delivers on it. I get that the book is a fantasy romance novel with a much heavier emphasis on the romance. But honestly, if you don’t intend to follow up with the consequences of what the characters did, maybe you should take out those elements altogether. When I finished the book, I literally sat there for a moment, thinking “That was it? That was your ending?”*
Most of the interesting conflict and other elements are brushed over in favour of the romance. Sadly, that falls incredibly short as well. I did not care whether or not Issa and Kellin got together, or the drama surrounding how they could never be together. I was more interested in both girls finding some way to fulfill the prophecy, except that they never do. They take the prophecy at face value and don’t stop to consider that maybe there’s another way to read it. Therefore, most of the novel is just them standing around trying to avoid Haikor’s cruelty and survive in his court. That kind of tension can only carry a novel so far.
There’s also a huge problem I’ve begun noticing in Harrison’s writing. She writes in a very detached, passive voice. There’s little to no internalization or introspection of events where the girls are concerned. A character close to Ailsbet dies, and she literally has one short paragraph dedicated to Ailsbet’s reaction to her death before Ailsbet goes off thinking about politics in the next paragraph. This character’s death is barely brought up again, and we don’t see Ailsbet’s emotions to it again either. Even if Ailsbet and this particular character weren’t overly close, I still think there should have been more of a reaction past a small cry.
Therefore, I had trouble connecting to any of the characters or caring about their problems. If they apparently don’t care enough, why should I?
Truthfully, I only kept reading to see how the prophecy would come into play and how Issa and Ailsbet would set things to right again. Sadly, that never happened, because it was apparently more important that we focus on Issa’s angst over never being with Kellin and the romance than attempting to save an entire kingdom. I’m not against flawed characters or even selfish characters, but Ailsbet and Issa never progress past what they are in the beginning. They stay stagnant and selfish, and it was bitterly disappointing to see them make the choices they do in the end.
Overall, I wish I could have loved The Rose Throne. It had the bare bones of everything I love in a story, but the narrative choices that were made, the writing style and the characters kept me from liking it. I still have hope Harrison can recreate the magic that I saw in the Princess and the Hound series, but I’ll be more hesitant to try her works in the future.
(MAJOR SPOILERS FOR ENDING UNDER CUT!!)(view spoiler)[In the ending, Issa brings some neweyr back to Rurik and then immediately leaves for Weirland again, after promising Kellin they’d be together one day. Ailsbet likewise leaves for another kingdom. Haikor still lives and both girls legitimately do not care that he will continue to make Rurik suffer after they’re gone, or that they’ve left the throne without an heir, or that Edik, Ailsbet’s thirteen year old brother, was killed by Haikor for standing up for his sister.
But hey, who cares about a dead thirteen year old boy or a possible civil war when Issa has the possibility of getting together with Kellin one day, eh? Or that Ailsbet can focus solely on her music instead of taking up responsibility and doing something to save her kingdom? Clearly that’s not important at all. (hide spoiler)]...more
I’ll just say it right off the bat: I really loved this book. A large part of my love comes from the fact that there are very few YA books that represI’ll just say it right off the bat: I really loved this book. A large part of my love comes from the fact that there are very few YA books that represent me. Most YA books that have gay main characters usually deal with the coming out issue, or having the main characters dealing with their sexuality. It’s always an “issues” book. I’m not saying those books are bad--far from it, I think we need those books if they help gay teens--but we also need books where the sexuality of the main character is nothing to really be commented on, and their life doesn’t completely revolve around it. The fact that a book exists that accomplishes this and is also a retelling of one of my favorite Greek myths? Consider me estatic.
I loved how Diemer expanded on the myth of Persephone and Hades, offering a version that could have happened but got misrepresented and misunderstood throughout time. Persephone’s myth is a little tricky to properly retell: Once you get her to the Underworld, what are you supposed to have her do? The original myth pretty much glosses over all that with a simple “she got homesick so she went back home for a bit”. Persephone does get a little homesick in this book, but it doesn’t force her home. It was a realistic reaction to being underground in a relatively dark place but she didn’t let it rule her. Diemer expands on Persephone’s time in the Underworld, having her learn how things work, taking an interest in the kingdom around her. She shows why Persephone will make a wonderful Queen of the Underworld by Hades’ side. Diemer doesn’t just expand on the Persephone myth, but also other various features of Greek mythology, right down to the Elysian Fields. It’s all believable and obviously well thought out.
As for characters the one I loved the most was Persephone, which is fitting. She’s a goddess who’s been sheltered her entire life, but she’s also compassionate and loving and, though she doesn’t think so, incredibly brave. Through her courage she changes the world she knows, from the Underworld to Olympus, and it was beautiful to read about. Her journey as a despairing woman who feels she has no control over her own life to a woman who reclaims herself--her agency and power and life--was very wonderfully done, and it was empowering as hell to read. All the main cast are wonderfully written, and Hades is no exception, a kind and compassionate goddess of the Underworld who loves her subjects even though they hate and fear her in return. The chemistry between Persephone and Hades was incredible, and you can see why they’d obviously work well together and be wonderful Queens. Also of note was how Demeter was changed from a controlling, selfish mother to one who couldn’t escape Zeus’ rule, so did her best to protect her daughter from the worst of it. There were quite a few scenes between Demeter and Persephone that made me tear up.
The writing was smooth and beautiful, the description vibrant. Though I admit I can see it not working for everyone--sometimes it does swing a little too close to purple prose--I was never particularly bothered by it, and in fact I rather loved it. I could easily envision myself in the Underworld, or the Immortals Forest, thanks to the clear description and atmosphere Diemer creates. The pacing was steady throughout with hardly a slow moment and Diemer packs a lot of stuff into a 250 page book, but none of it hardly ever felt rushed, save for the ending. The ending was a bit rushed and I do rather wish the resolution could have been fleshed out more, but the rest of the book more than makes up for that, by a longshot.
The Dark Wife was a beautiful, moving tale of a goddess finding herself in an unfair and cruel world, and reclaiming herself in the face of it. It’s definitely a must read for anyone interested in well done retellings, or a reader who’s looking for representation in a genre that only represents us a certain way. It’s a new favorite book of mine and I will eagerly devour anything else Sarah Diemer writes....more
