It’s hard to figure out where to start out when you have a blog. I’ve
read thirty seven new books in the last month, along with a few older books that
I couldn’t help rereading.
As of late, I am currently in the middle of two series. Of
Poseidon/Of Triton (The Syrena Legacy series) by Anna Banks and The
Lux series by Jennifer Armentrout.
A few days ago I finished both of the books that are currently in Banks’s
popular mermaid series. The first one, Of Poseidon, was unique, funny,
and interesting. The main character, Emma, starts out on vacation with her best
friend when she, quite literally, runs into a man named Galen (who is actually a
Syrena- or merperson for those that speak The Little Mermaid). If I had to
choose one word to describe it, I would pick charming.
It just fits. There is humor, angst, romance, lust, a mystery, supernatural
creatures; everything a YA reader could ask for. And the ending- oh
my, what a cliffhanger.
So I continued on to Of Triton only a day later, expecting the
same sort of voice that comes out in the first one. It’s lacking. Not only is
this novel short, but it’s just missing all of the fundamental charm that made
the first one so great to read. Okay, fine, I couldn’t put it down and read it
in one sitting, but it only took me about an hour and a half to read it. The
plot was really small, as well. It’s actually kind of two plots, one about
Emma’s mother (no spoilers, I promise) and the next about the Syrena
government/royalty. But even with two plots, it’s only 246 pages. The angst
level was also lower in places that needed it to be higher and higher in places
that needed it to be lower. There was a pretty big death in the first one, and
since the death only occurred three months before the second books starts, it
should be a little more fresh in the protagonist’s mind rather than always on
the backburner until she runs out of topics to speak/think about.
The last book comes out next year, and the author has stated several
times that readers of her series will be in for a shock, so I will be checking
it out at the library when they get it.
The Lux series: I read Obsidian about two weeks ago and started
Onyx today. Currently, I am on page 115. The first novel was, simply put,
wonderful. Daemon was a great male character and Katy (or Kitten) was a fresh
voice amongst most female YA protagonists. There was one thing that bothered me
in the first novel (and it’s not a spoiler, so keep going) and that was that
this super shy, “I don’t want to talk to the neighbors or say hi” girl has a
blog. It just doesn’t seem to fit her personality, but it’s such a small
question of her character that I let it slide.
Now, as I just put down the second book in Armentrout’s series, I feel
let down and disappointed. I know I didn’t get very far, and I know that there
are a lot of loyal fans, but…it’s just not doing it for me. I am not intrigued
(which is crazy because the entire supernatural premise is incredibly exciting).
The whole book thus far has been Katy playing ping pong in her head.
“I hate Daemon. I like Daemon. I like Blake. Blake is nothing like
Daemon, but in a good way. Or is it in a good way? Daemon sucks but I want to
climb him like a tree…” And on and on it goes. I really don’t remember Katy
being this whiny in the first book. She still blogs, but it’s worse this
time.
You know when you read really cheesy fanfiction and in it the main
character just happens to be obsessed with fanfiction? That’s what this book is
like. Katy is constantly talking about her books, about her love of books, she
even comments on how cheesy ‘insta-love’ is. Which would be cute, but it doesn’t
feel legitimate. It sounds like a forty five year old woman trying desperately
to sound ‘hip’. At one point, Katy says the word “heart” in replacement for
“love” or “like”. As if heart is a verb. And then just pages later she says
“cumbersome” in a conversation. Okay, Ms. Armentrout, you have to pick one.
Katy can either be an intellectual or she can be a normal, run-of-the-mill teen.
Neither one is bad, they’re just very clashing mindsets.
That was my main rant, which is crazy, because I am a person that loves
nearly everything. I promise, if you visit this blog again, my review or
discussion will be more positive. I guess I just had to get that off of my
chest!
I will put up an updated chat for Onyx when I am totally finished
and will be writing all about other books and shows in the days and weeks to
come. So stay tuned and leave me some feedback!
read thirty seven new books in the last month, along with a few older books that
I couldn’t help rereading.
As of late, I am currently in the middle of two series. Of
Poseidon/Of Triton (The Syrena Legacy series) by Anna Banks and The
Lux series by Jennifer Armentrout.
A few days ago I finished both of the books that are currently in Banks’s
popular mermaid series. The first one, Of Poseidon, was unique, funny,
and interesting. The main character, Emma, starts out on vacation with her best
friend when she, quite literally, runs into a man named Galen (who is actually a
Syrena- or merperson for those that speak The Little Mermaid). If I had to
choose one word to describe it, I would pick charming.
It just fits. There is humor, angst, romance, lust, a mystery, supernatural
creatures; everything a YA reader could ask for. And the ending- oh
my, what a cliffhanger.
So I continued on to Of Triton only a day later, expecting the
same sort of voice that comes out in the first one. It’s lacking. Not only is
this novel short, but it’s just missing all of the fundamental charm that made
the first one so great to read. Okay, fine, I couldn’t put it down and read it
in one sitting, but it only took me about an hour and a half to read it. The
plot was really small, as well. It’s actually kind of two plots, one about
Emma’s mother (no spoilers, I promise) and the next about the Syrena
government/royalty. But even with two plots, it’s only 246 pages. The angst
level was also lower in places that needed it to be higher and higher in places
that needed it to be lower. There was a pretty big death in the first one, and
since the death only occurred three months before the second books starts, it
should be a little more fresh in the protagonist’s mind rather than always on
the backburner until she runs out of topics to speak/think about.
The last book comes out next year, and the author has stated several
times that readers of her series will be in for a shock, so I will be checking
it out at the library when they get it.
The Lux series: I read Obsidian about two weeks ago and started
Onyx today. Currently, I am on page 115. The first novel was, simply put,
wonderful. Daemon was a great male character and Katy (or Kitten) was a fresh
voice amongst most female YA protagonists. There was one thing that bothered me
in the first novel (and it’s not a spoiler, so keep going) and that was that
this super shy, “I don’t want to talk to the neighbors or say hi” girl has a
blog. It just doesn’t seem to fit her personality, but it’s such a small
question of her character that I let it slide.
Now, as I just put down the second book in Armentrout’s series, I feel
let down and disappointed. I know I didn’t get very far, and I know that there
are a lot of loyal fans, but…it’s just not doing it for me. I am not intrigued
(which is crazy because the entire supernatural premise is incredibly exciting).
The whole book thus far has been Katy playing ping pong in her head.
“I hate Daemon. I like Daemon. I like Blake. Blake is nothing like
Daemon, but in a good way. Or is it in a good way? Daemon sucks but I want to
climb him like a tree…” And on and on it goes. I really don’t remember Katy
being this whiny in the first book. She still blogs, but it’s worse this
time.
You know when you read really cheesy fanfiction and in it the main
character just happens to be obsessed with fanfiction? That’s what this book is
like. Katy is constantly talking about her books, about her love of books, she
even comments on how cheesy ‘insta-love’ is. Which would be cute, but it doesn’t
feel legitimate. It sounds like a forty five year old woman trying desperately
to sound ‘hip’. At one point, Katy says the word “heart” in replacement for
“love” or “like”. As if heart is a verb. And then just pages later she says
“cumbersome” in a conversation. Okay, Ms. Armentrout, you have to pick one.
Katy can either be an intellectual or she can be a normal, run-of-the-mill teen.
Neither one is bad, they’re just very clashing mindsets.
That was my main rant, which is crazy, because I am a person that loves
nearly everything. I promise, if you visit this blog again, my review or
discussion will be more positive. I guess I just had to get that off of my
chest!
I will put up an updated chat for Onyx when I am totally finished
and will be writing all about other books and shows in the days and weeks to
come. So stay tuned and leave me some feedback!
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