*Minor spoilers and snark*
Superfans of the series look away- actually- on second thoughts- come back!- what with the spoiler warning there’s probably no one left. Ah well, I guess I can say what I want then…
So let’s start at the very beginning (a very good place to start…) At first, I have to say I was a little… disappointed. It was slow to start and there was not much ruin in the opening section– at least not as much as I’d hoped. Call me old fashioned, but I was hoping for some grim and gritty revenge fantasies. Instead we got some minor punking. Not really what I had in mind.
Okay, so now that we have established that my soul is as black as the night, we can move onto the action. Oh no, wait we couldn’t. Because the pace was slooow. I wrote in my notes that it started speeding up around 45%- 45%?!?- in a book this long??? You’ve got to be kidding me.
What gets me more than anything though is that on paper (obviously not the paper this was written on) this should have been good stuff. I mean revenge and planning for war- that’s dramatic, right?! WRONG! They spend *so long* planning for war, plotting who’s gonna be involved, where it’s gonna be at- never mind that going to war was a foregone conclusion. Add some posturing, where the strong masculine manly males show off with their “look how strong I am” poses, and it felt like reading the bickerings of a high school prom committee.
Okay- so not a great start- but now I’ve got to talk something else that bothered me (I swear after this, we’ll get to the good bits- probably…): the writing. Don’t get me wrong, I’m a fan of Maas writing in general. Still as you may be able to tell with how long it took to get to the action, this book felt bloated and like it could have done with a bit of a trim– I usually try not to complain when an author lets their freak flag fly and really goes for it with the word count, but there’s no way of getting round this one: sometimes less is more! Ultimately, while there were some gorgeous points to the writing, I’m kind of bored with being given “what I want” in the form of unnecessarily chunky books and would rather someone took an axe to the boring bits. Plus, even though there were some truly lovely, inspiring parts, there was the occasional corny line that can get under my skin when I’m in a crankier mood:
“Leave this world… a better place than how you found it.”
(Yeah sometimes I’m not into that level of cheese)
Okay *deep breath* that’s over- let’s hope I never have to critique Maas again, cos that was not fun. Let’s get onto what I liked- the characters! Now unlike Throne of Glass I’ve always found the characters in this to be a mixed bag– some I love, some I’m meh about. I’ve often found I’m a bit uncertain about Nesta and Elain, cos let’s face it, they can be whiny and difficult. Funnily enough Nesta, for all her prickliness, is growing on me more. On the upside, I’ve forgotten why I disliked Feyre in the first book, cos I really liked her in this. Of course a lot of my babies from the Night Court were back and some magnificent new additions from the other courts. And, major plus, I have a new favourite in Helion.
I have seen criticism from people that she shoehorned in the LGBT part- but I will say that I disagree cos it makes sense for the character she spent a book building up. Although I didn’t guess it, I had been wondering about what was up with them. To be honest when people complain about stuff like that, it just feels like a no-win situation for a lot of authors- damned if you do, damned if you don’t. (And for the record I never would have even thought of this non-issue, if not for seeing it in a ton of other reviews).
In terms of world building- well the aforementioned additions in terms of characters, and consequently courts, were some of the best parts about this book. Not only did Dawn and Day add an interesting dynamic to the story, we also got hints of things going on beyond the realms of the story. I felt like details such as the the Nephelle Philosophy added interesting layers and, while Nephilim are old hat for a lot of people, this will be a slight change for Maas. Plus despite the fact I’m not usually a fan of off-topic myth building, I did thoroughly enjoyed all the little Easter eggs for the rest of the series and I like the sound of where it’s going (possibly swan lake?).
In terms of the conclusion, however, I don’t want to hold too much stock in this being the first Maas ending I’ve read. It was good and shit went down, but it was only an ending of sorts and a lot was left hanging. I’m going to hold onto that feeling that it’s not really over- because to be honest, the ending was not as dramatic as I wanted, because *spoiler warning* it was a mirror image of the ending to book 1. And because of that, it didn’t feel like there were any real stakes and was far too predictable. As exciting as it got, I was never too worried about what would happen. It was just not the hammer blow I wanted it to be.
At this point it probably sounds like I didn’t like it, but I did. I know, I know, I’ve just spent this entire post moaning. There were some really exciting bits and I couldn’t fault it for grabbing my attention at times. Yet… looking back on this “trilogy” as a whole, I still feel like Throne of Glass is the more cohesive story and I find the twists more convincing. And yes, I shouldn’t really be comparing this so much to throne of Glass, but ah well. I guess I may only ever be a TOG Superfan…
Rating: 3½/5 bananas
Hope you enjoyed that- even if I did peeve some of Maas’ fans This actually turned out to be an appropriate book to review tonight, given that it’s the summer solstice and magic is in the air, so my question tonight is- WHAT’S THE MEANING OF STONEHENGE?
Drat! I knew I should have borrowed this from the library instead of buying the $10 Kindle eBook.😞
LikeLiked by 1 person
Oh don’t worry- it’s really not *that* bad- I just didn’t like it as much as book 2 and when I wrote down everything I wanted to say about it, it came across a bit more negative than I intended!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I definitely liked bk 2 more than bk 1 so I was hoping bk 3 would continue on that positive note. Oh well. At least you didn’t hate it.😊
LikeLiked by 1 person
Ah yes I felt the same way- I also hoped it would continue on the upward trajectory- ah well- hopefully it will get better. Yes! Still better than book 1
LikeLiked by 1 person
TOG is how we were introduced to Maas and it’ll forever be our fave series (even though it’s not finished yet😉)!
To be honest – when ACOTAR came out it was a bit of a let down compared to what we had received from her other books, soooo we concluded that Maas’ first books are more of an intro to a new world she will explore! ‘cuz 2nd book = 😍👌🏻❤❤
It’s crazy…but we totally agree that the first quarter of ACOWAR was a drag… And finding out about Mor was a surprise and we were only put off ‘cuz AZRIEL!!!
And Helion😍😍😍….and Lucian😉
As always awesome post!👌🏻❤
LikeLiked by 1 person
Ahh I get that- I’m so in love with the characters in that series that I’ll always love it, no matter how it turns out!!
Yes I felt the exact same way about book 1 but book 2 more than made up for it!!! It was just so awesome!!
Ahh I totally get that- someone else said that- I guess the only reason why that didn’t bother me was cos I wasn’t shipping them and just wanted an explanation as to why she’d behaved like that to him when she wasn’t interested.
Ahhh yes!!!! I really want to see where that goes!!
Thank you so much!!! 😀 ❤ ❤ ❤
LikeLiked by 1 person
Totally agree!! We were there since she debuted and we sooo could not forsee the effect it would have on us in just a few years!!
Book 2 was 👌👌👌 until the end if you know what we mean…😭😭
We were more annoyed she did that to Azriel rather than the fact they didn’t get together (though we did want that to happen but can understand) – plus Azriel still does not know so…💔💔
They will be an epic fam- uhh pair…😅 but it is a bit weird that Mor and Helion…you know….and Mor and Lady of the Autumn Court..uh…let’s just stop…we still haven’t figured out the age thing with everyone…uhh this is an awkward paragraph…
You’re welcome 😊💖
P.S. sorry for the weird ending that you had to painfully read..😅
LikeLiked by 1 person
Ah I know right!!
Ahh yes totally agree with you- but even then I liked the drama of it and how it pretty much ripped me apart!!
I totally totally get that!! But at least she had a good reason for acting as she did- it made the character make more sense to me.
haha yes!! Ahh yes!!! So true!!
hahaha no worries!!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Well who doesn’t like to be RIPPED apart!?! 😉 😉
Yes we agree – it does make sense why it took 500 years? But how long will it take for Azriel to know the truth – another 500 years? But that’s character development for you!!
Glad we didn’t scare you away! 😉 XD
LikeLiked by 1 person
hahaha yes!! 😉 😀
Oh you are totally totally right- I kind of forget how long the stuff goes on for in these books cos of how young they seem and how they all seem to chat about things as if it was “last weeks’ drama”. Maybe Maas should have gone into why it took so long/maybe it shouldn’t have been that long.
hahaha no problem!! course not!! XD
LikeLiked by 1 person
Sometimes we to forget what’s going on and have to search things up!😂😂
Sitting there thinking “we didn’t know he was over 500 years old? How can we not know this?!! And we call ourselves fans!!”😅
Perhaps she’ll get into that in the novellas?? Hopefully anyways!!🤞🏻
LikeLiked by 1 person
hahaha that happens to me too!!!
hahahaa I’m the same 😀
Ahh yes!!!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Nesta grew on me too. The first two books go around I wished she would killed off, she was so annoying. I was also disappointed overall. 700 pages and we got 650 pages of buildup and 50 pages of war and it didn’t even end! I saw the ending coming because you’re right, it was mirror image to book 1. I didn’t understand how all of sudden Feyre was a badass with her powers yet when it came down to the nitty gritty she couldn’t really save anybody…? I don’t know, maybe that’s just me. Mor was a super surprise but it still made me upset because she’s always been so mean to Azriel! Loved Helion though and would love to see a Lucien and Elaine spin off. We better get a Nesta and Cassian spin off or I will rage!
LikeLiked by 1 person
hehehe yes!!! I was the same!! YES!!! I totally agree with you there- there was wayyy too much buildup and it all ended up feeling like we were robbed of a proper conclusion because she wanted to continue the series
And yes- when I got to that point I was a bit miffed to be honest, because it took all the drama out of the conclusion, cos I knew exactly what was gonna happen and it did. No- it’s not just you- I really agree with you!! Oh I get what you mean about Azriel- I really liked him and was so sad about how he was treated- but at the same time I was waiting for some justification from her character- and that had left me wondering from the previous book- so I was glad we got a logical explanation. Oh gosh yes!! I really really wanted to see more of Lucien in this boo, especially with that reveal about Helion- I want to see where that goes! Oh gosh yes!!!
LikeLiked by 1 person
“it felt like reading the bickerings of a high school prom committee.”
This is a serious question I am about to ask, with NO snark intended. The above quote typifies YA in the majority of reviews I see by lots of people who read YA. So, why do you keep going back? My guess is that it is not a big enough problem but I am really interested in a reasoned answer to the problem of irrational drama.
As for Stonehenge. That’s a real stumper. My guess is that some guys just got bored and were like “hey, lets put some big stones up dude. It’ll be so much fun. And chicks like that kind of thing, right?”
LikeLiked by 1 person
Great question! It’s gonna be a pretty long answer, so *cracks knuckles*.
Firstly, if this had actually been a prom committee bickering, I wouldn’t have complained about it- my complaints are generally genre specific- so since this *wasn’t* the kind of place I’d expect to read high school problems (given this is actually a New Adult series and they were discussing a war) I got cranky about seeing that in this context- because it should have been more “rational” drama.
With YA contemporary (or even sometimes fantasy), where this kind of thing comes up a lot, I take it as a “get what you paid for” sort of thing- and I don’t tend to review those books anyway if I read them. There is also the fact that every single “bookish problem” can be done well somewhere (there are books that I’ve read that I’ve thought “wow this is a walking cliché but it’s done so well that I love it and don’t care”). I let my emotions lead my choice of books, so if a book genre can still make me feel excited, then I’ll keep going back to it. As you said, it’s just not a big enough problem to give up on an entire genre and to be honest, sometimes silly problems can be entertaining to read (like I said, this wasn’t supposed to be a silly problem though)
The main reason why I keep going back is that books aimed at a younger audience can be so much more imaginative than adult books- and that is something I value very highly. So even though a lot of YA is plagued by a lot of similar problems they can be worth reading anyway. Besides, all genres have “genre specific” problems- so if I was going to hold a flaw against an entire genre, I’d have a lot of trouble finding anything to read.
And finally, there are always those books, in any genre, that somehow manage to avoid tropes and clichés altogether- so I’m always on the lookout for those.
(Sorry for the super long response- I probably went into a lot more detail than you intended for your pretty innocent question!!)
Hahaha you’re probably right about Stonehenge! Though my theory pretty much comes down to the idea that they were playing a prank on future humans…
LikeLiked by 2 people
Your response is actually exactly what I was looking for. I don’t understand, but you explained it and the fact that you have reasons for going back is enough. I understand that 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
ah I’m glad- tbh I could have just said “I’m a girl, we like irrational drama” and left it at that 😉 (but don’t quote me on that 😉 )
LikeLiked by 1 person
Haha. Yes, it does seem like you didn’t like it but then you did! 😛
I plan to read this soon. I have mixed thoughts about ACOTAR and ACOMAF but I really want to see how it ends
LikeLiked by 1 person
haha I know right!! Ah yes I get that- I had mixed feelings too- but in the end I just wanted to know what happens. I hope you enjoy it!!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I’ve been wanting to read this, so I sort of scrolled pass what you wrote. Is it good to read?lol
LikeLiked by 1 person
Hehe yeah it was hard to do this one without spoilers, sorry bout that. Overall I liked it, though I had more issues with it than the last book. Hope you like it if you try it!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I have to admit, I didn’t read the review because I was worried about the spoilers,lol…I thought maybe I could ask if you liked it or not, because it’s definitely a book that I want too read.
LikeLiked by 1 person
oh totally fair enough- that’s what spoiler warnings are for 😉 Hope I covered everything in my reply and you enjoy it!!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I actually fingered this book in a bookshop the other day.. I was like whooaaa that book is thick! I haven’t read anything by Maas and doubt I will.. it’s the commitment to aaalll those pages that makes me run away 😀
LikeLiked by 1 person
haha yes it was mentally long!! I totally get that!! And her books just keep getting chunkier and chunkier!!!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I had to pull a skimmer with this one because I have yet to start the series, but from what I noted a friend of mine expressed similar thoughts. I am honestly, a little hesitant.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Ahh totally fair!! Well I really did enjoy book 2, so I’d still recommend the series just for that 😉 But maybe not top priority, unless you’re already really into Maas’ books!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I have read ToG haha. Plan on starting the 2nd soon. I am so bad with series anymore 😛
LikeLiked by 1 person
Ah aweosome!! hahaa I’m the same!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Nice one
Wonderful post
Visit mine
http://shivashishspeaks.wordress.com/
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks! No problem!
LikeLike
I’ve been meaning to read this. I’ll probably get to it after I finally go through Empire of Storms. I hope I like it although I haven’t been a fan of Maas’ writing lately. I guess we’ll see. Great review by the way!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Ah yes, I think the second one is definitely the strongest in the series and this one was still good, just not as good as book 2. I hope you enjoy it if you get to it. Thank you!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I feel like I mostly read these books for all the ships anyway lol. And thanks, hopefully I’ll get to it soon!
LikeLiked by 1 person
hahaha so true!!!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Oh drat… I can smell the disappointment. I liked how you go through the bad stuff first and then TRY to spill some good stuff about this book. Sounds like the size and pacing of this one were a big con for this sequel. Definitely enjoyed every single bit of criticism you had for this adventure. 😀
LikeLiked by 1 person
heehehehe that obvious huh? 😉 Yeah it did have a lot of issues, but I think I was invested enough to just enjoy it, even if I wasn’t crazy about a lot of it (if that makes sense) 😀
LikeLiked by 1 person
I actually love the ACOTAR series so much and this book actually disappointed me SO MUCH. I kept wanting more and SJM refused to give, haha. I agree when you say it was slow and the ending was a little anticlimactic. I did enjoy the book, a lot like you, but not as much as I would’ve liked!
LikeLiked by 1 person
ahh I get that!! YES!!! And yeah I totally agree about the ending. Yes, I feel like this review might sound gripey but I did enjoy a lot of it, cos I was already invested in the characters, but it didn’t blow me away
LikeLiked by 1 person