Another cautionary tale with an interesting message:
Remember that to use a thing is not to own it. And should you ever take a bride
|| 3.0 stars ||
Another cautionary tale with an interesting message:
Remember that to use a thing is not to own it. And should you ever take a bride, listen closely to her questions.
I think this was one of my least favourite short stories in the Grishaverse, only because I disliked all the characters and found them all to fall a bit flat.
Will you remain here with the father who tried to sell you, or the prince who hoped to buy you, or the man too weak to solve his riddles for himself? Or will you come with me and be bride to nothing but the shore?
The idea of the story was still really interesting, like all the others have been as well, but the execution didn’t grip me as much. I failed to really develop a connection with any of the characters, and therefore with the story as well.
Oh god, what a ride! The twists and turns, the shocking reveals, the persistent suspense… It all had me in a constant chokehold! I don’|| 4.5 stars ||
Oh god, what a ride! The twists and turns, the shocking reveals, the persistent suspense… It all had me in a constant chokehold! I don’t want to go into the specifics of the plot since I feel like it would give too much away, but I can honestly say I was insanely engrossed with this entire book! The narration flowed so easily while the story itself was mind-blowing enough to keep me on my toes throughout! This book definitely had me in its grip from beginning to end.
I was hired by the publisher to work as a corrector/proofreader for this book, so I don’t think I should post any rating or review online, as it simplI was hired by the publisher to work as a corrector/proofreader for this book, so I don’t think I should post any rating or review online, as it simply wouldn’t be objective. I want to remain entirely honest and neutral on this platform, so that’s why I’m choosing to put this disclaimer here instead of anything else. ...more
This was a true rivals-to-lovers slow-burn with all the feels and angst!
“There hasn’t been a second where I wasn’t wondering what y
|| 4.0 stars ||
This was a true rivals-to-lovers slow-burn with all the feels and angst!
“There hasn’t been a second where I wasn’t wondering what you were thinking and if it was of me.”
The story is about two upcoming authors who are both opposites in the type of genre they like to write and spend most of their college workshops hurling insults at each other. They’re genuinely mean and rude towards each other, and do not hold back. I honestly struggled with this a little bit at first, because aside from her inner monologue acknowledging how handsome he was from the start, I truly could not feel any romantic tension or feelings between them at all. I was afraid their romance was going to fall flat for me. However, I shouldn’t have feared, because once I saw their relationship slowly develop and blossom, I actually appreciated that they started out with so much animosity. They genuinely acted like rivals at first and it was a true slow-burn.
“I know you prefer what’s in your books, and I pretend I don’t want to be like them, but I do. I want to be the person you picture when you’re reading and dreaming because you’re who I picture every single time.”
This was not the only reason I appreciated this romance so much though. It was so much more than just that! It was the way I genuinely got so invested in their relationship that I literally felt my heart pang or beat rapidly in my chest whenever something happened between them, good or bad. You know that feeling, when you are so into it that you genuinely have physical reactions to the story? It could be your gut dropping or cramping, or maybe your chest feeling tight, or perhaps even full-blown butterflies in your stomach? Those were the feelings I got whenever one of them said something that really hurt the other person, or if one of them felt deep pain or sadness, but also when they were being insanely gentle and vulnerable and sweet to each other. Their dynamic was so organic and their interactions felt so real to me that I couldn’t help but feel intense emotional (and physical) reactions to all of it!
“I’m not yours anymore.” “Fine. If you’re not mine, then know that I’m yours.”
And I don’t mean all this in a way like everything was constantly angsty or emotional between them, because they actually had a lot of really cute and sweet moments as well. I’m honestly pretty hard to please when it comes to domestic scenes, because I tend to find them a little uneventful or even boring quite easily, so you must really believe me when I tell you these scenes were adorable and felt really authentic. It never felt forced or over-the-top; I genuinely felt like these two were having these gentle or cutesy moments together because they loved each other deeply and were the perfect fit for each other, which simply made it incredibly sweet to read. Especially since all of those moments were so nicely written too!
“I’ll wait for you, Rosie. I swear it. I’m in it for the long haul. I want all your tomorrows. Every single one you’re willing to give me.”
Moreover, I also really liked the unique premise this book presented where we saw fragments of the book that the two characters were writing together throughout this story. The actual book is written from the heroine’s POV, but these fragments gave us a lot of insight into what the hero was thinking too and it was often incredibly swoon-worthy. I always love seeing the parts in a romance where the hero is pining for the heroine, and these fragments gave us that (albeit second-handedly) in a very refreshing and powerful way!
The truth was I liked her no matter what she did, no matter what she said.
All in all, I was honestly surprised by how much I ended up loving this book. I have to admit that I thought this book would be kind of silly and perhaps even superficial (I’m not sure why, really), yet it felt much deeper and more emotional than that to me. Whether it was the pretty and easy writing, the pleasant pacing, the well-rounded characters, or the angsty, well-developed, beautiful romance; I loved it all!
**I received an ARC through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review**...more
This is an anti-slavery novel written in the 17th-Century by the very first professional female author; for that reason alone I would a|| 4.0 stars ||
This is an anti-slavery novel written in the 17th-Century by the very first professional female author; for that reason alone I would already consider this to be a historically interesting and admirable piece of writing. However, it is not for that reason alone that I am glad to have read this, as it also turned out to be a surprisingly well-written, easy to follow, thoroughly compelling and emotionally engaging story! I truly felt my heart break and my anger rise during so many moments in this novel: it was so brutal and so tragic!
In the first part of the novel we get to see the beauty and honour as well as the hardships and barbaric customs of the African culture of which Oroonoko is a Prince. Then, after he is tricked into slavery, we get to see how disingenuous Europeans can be in how they betray their promises to Oroonoko time and time again. Yet, the Europeans also show him a tremendous amount of kindness and care that they do not show any of the other slaves. They claim this is because he is “different” and “better” than all the others, but it was clearly just because Oroonoko resembled their own features and customs more than the other slaves; his beauty and haughtiness somehow commanded their respect and admiration…
So as it was in vain to make any resistance, he only beheld the captain with a look all fierce and disdainful, upbraiding him with eyes that forced blushes on his guilty cheeks, he only cried in passing over the side of the ship, “Farewell, Sir, 'tis worth my sufferings to gain so true a knowledge both of you and of your gods by whom you swear.” And desiring those that held him to forbear their pains, and telling 'em he would make no resistance, he cried, “Come, my fellow-slaves, let us descend, and see if we can meet with more honor and honesty in the next world we shall touch upon.”
As I said before, this was a very gripping novel, and I especially felt myself near tears when it came to Imionda’s, even more so than Oroonoko’s, fate… Whereas Oroonoko had a very powerful and self-assured aura around him, Imionda was shy and defenseless and so entirely innocent. Considering Oroonoko himself had sold slaves when he was still an African Prince, I found it more difficult to feel true sympathy for him. I had no such problems with Imionda, and could only deeply admire her for her bravery and loyalty, and thus, my heart genuinely shattered into a million pieces for her from the moment she received the Royal Veil to the moment of her death…
“And why,” said he, “my dear friends and fellow-sufferers, should we be slaves to an unknown people? Have they vanquished us nobly in fight? Have they won us in honorable battle? And are we by the chance of war become their slaves? This would not anger a noble heart; this would not animate a soldiers soul: no, but we are bought and sold like apes or monkeys, to be the sport of women, fools, and cowards; and the support of rogues and runagates, that have abandoned their own countries for rapine, murders, theft, and villainies. Do you not hear every day how they upbraid each other with infamy of life, below the wildest savages? And shall we render obedience to such a degenerate race, who have no one human virtue left, to distinguish them from the vilest creatures? Will you, I say, suffer the lash from such hands?” They all replied with one accord, “No, no, no.”
Personally, I thought this novel showed a very interesting duality in how there were both Africans and Europeans who could either be pure and nobel and worthy of great respect as well as those who could be filled with deceit, dishonour and cruelty. This might not sound like much to today’s standards of racial equality, but for a novel written in the 17th-Century, which was during the very height of the slave trade, I found this to be extremely surprising and perhaps even inspiring to read!...more
I know it’s a fairy tale, and should thus not be taken too seriously, but the pure and utter stupidity of Snow White really got on my n|| 2.0 stars ||
I know it’s a fairy tale, and should thus not be taken too seriously, but the pure and utter stupidity of Snow White really got on my nerves so badly. She genuinely had to have had less than a single brain cell, and her passivity and unwillingness to learn were truly astounding. I’m certain that if she didn’t have her pretty privilege, nobody would have even cared to save her either. Sure, the Queen wouldn’t have had a reason to go after her in the first place, but let’s ignore that for argument’s sake.
Oddly enough, I was actually looking forward to reading this original fairy tale (even though I was never a fan of Snow White’s story), but it was exceedingly disappointing to me due to its complete lack of intelligence and rationale. It’s hard for me to root for a character if they don’t even attempt to save themselves and honestly seem to do everything in their power to make the dumbest possible decisions.
Oh, and the fact that she eventually marries the guy who tried to take her dead corpse to his castle because she was just too damn pretty to never look at again was… disturbing, at best.
P.S. The version I read didn’t have any illustrations, so maybe those could have made this more enjoyable or charming....more
This Grecian play is about Prometheus, a Titan who defied Zeus and is now being torturously punished for it. After Zeus overthrew the T|| 3.5 stars ||
This Grecian play is about Prometheus, a Titan who defied Zeus and is now being torturously punished for it. After Zeus overthrew the Titans (with Prometheus’ help), he settled himself as a pure tyrant with nothing but cruelty and narcissism to his name. He saw no use for humans and wanted to wipe them off the face of the earth to be replaced by a new race. However, Prometheus took pity on the human creatures and decided to give them the gift of Fire, and with that gift gave them the knowledge to stay alive and improve their lives. Zeus, furious for being defied, puts Prometheus in chains for this and orders him to be tied to a cliff’s edge for many, many years, where he will feel nothing but torture and misery. Prometheus knew that he would be punished for his selfless act to help the humans, but even he did not imagine his punishment to be so cruel. Thus, the play mostly shows him lamenting his bad fortune and hopeless future to whoever will listen, but yet he never loses his spirit or his belief in his own righteousness. He screams taunts of Zeus’ inevitable downfall, and refuses to offer any help in the future. The play shows us that Prometheus may have lost his freedom, but he did not lose his fiery heart or his desire for revenge.
HERMES: “You think I am to blame for your misfortune?” PROMETHEUS: “To put it bluntly—I hate all the gods who received my help and then abused me, perverting justice.” HERMES: “From the words you speak I see your madness is no mild disease.” PROMETHEUS: “I may well be insane, if madness means one hates one’s enemies.”
All in all, I think this was a very sad story that showed the evilness of the Gods, even towards someone to whom they owe their rule. We see how Prometheus, who acted out of nothing but the goodness of his heart and willingness to teach, will have to suffer dire consequences by the hands of the evil Zeus, who, by tradition, is truly one of the most cruel and disgusting Gods in the whole of Greek mythology. Honestly, Zeus and his weak-minded minions made me want to rage and riot, as per usual. That said, I do think the play itself lacked a sense of action, suspense and urgency. The characters spoke a lot of words discussing the past and future, but we don’t actually get to see any events unfold in the present. Therefore, the story was a little bit stale....more
This was a lovely and undoubtedly sweet romance. It’s about a rare, exceedingly humble beauty and a scarred, disabled war-hero in a cla|| 3.0 stars ||
This was a lovely and undoubtedly sweet romance. It’s about a rare, exceedingly humble beauty and a scarred, disabled war-hero in a classic beauty and the beast retelling in true historical romance fashion.
Philly and Arthur are both exceedingly gentle people, and so all of their interactions were incredibly soft. They were both insanely selfless, and were always preoccupied with making the other person as happy as possible. Philly adored Arthur, and Arthur seemed to think Philly hung the moon and stars. Their love for each other felt very genuine, and I especially liked how enamored Arthur appeared with her. He was protective and possessive, of course, but above all, incredibly grateful for and astounded by his luck to have gotten to marry a woman so beautiful and kind as Philly.
By heaven, but she was beautiful. More than beautiful. She was radiant. Glowing.
Nonetheless, the romance’s overt and excessive sweetness was a little overdone for my tastes. I had reached the maximum of my tolerance towards sugary sweetness at at least the halfway point, and I was desperately waiting for a modicum of angst or drama or some sort of intensity to come along. Granted, there was some suspense with regards to a creepy villain threatening their happily ever after, but the relationship itself was steadfast and rock-solid. They were so… healthy and communicative, it was almost a bit boring. Even more, Philly’s selflessness, naivety, and overall perfection reached certain heights during this book that I just did not deem believable nor did I find it very enjoyable. I honestly felt like I was reading about a Disney Princess, which, in all fairness, was very cute and nice at first, but after a while became a bit repetitive, and dare I say, even slightly annoying. It made her seem like a flat, empty shell of a human being; not real and without true emotions. I wanted her to lash out at east once or otherwise show a hint of tension or genuine feeling, but that never happened. She remained the perfect Work of Art from beginning to end.
Thank you to my dear friend Dab for recommending this book to me!...more
Well, I officially can’t stand Adrian anymore. He’s a weak, pathetic excuse for a boyfriend. Sydney was being tortured for months and t|| 3.5 stars ||
Well, I officially can’t stand Adrian anymore. He’s a weak, pathetic excuse for a boyfriend. Sydney was being tortured for months and this dude never actually did anything to save her; he was partying, laughing, flirting, drinking, and even kissing other girls. In what world is this supposed to be someone I like, let alone someone I’d swoon over? He’s a self-pitying, petulant, selfish loser and I don’t respect him at all. Sydney deserves a million times better than that sad excuse of a man. It genuinely broke my heart to see Adrian’s chapters of partying be alternated with Sydney’s chapters of bravely fighting through pure agony and torture, while constantly believing Adrian would come for her. I got angry every single time I saw how much pain and sorrow she was going through, only for her boyfriend to be a sad waste of space, with no genuine plan to save her. He disgusted me, and I don’t think the last book could do anything to change my opinion of him after what he did here.
Sydney, of course, was still as admirable as always. Her cleverness, compassion, and bravery never fail to inspire admiration in me, and my respect only flew higher at seeing her character continue to stay strong in that torture camp. She was a true hero, for herself and others, unlike her pathetic boyfriend, or anyone else for that matter. After the amount of times she saved everyone around her, it physically hurt me to see how idle and useless everyone else was when she was in danger. The only person who ever did anything substantial was Magnus, and not any of her so-called friends.
This felt like a very flowery love letter to nature.
It tells the story of a child who is completely enamored by the wild life around h|| 2.5 stars ||
This felt like a very flowery love letter to nature.
It tells the story of a child who is completely enamored by the wild life around her, and who would give up a fortune to protect it. However, she later wonders if she made the right choice and if saving a bird was worth more than money and the chance at friendship with another human....more
A cute, fluffy, angst-free read that’ll make you smile more often than not! It took me a little while to get into this one, but once I || 3.0 stars ||
A cute, fluffy, angst-free read that’ll make you smile more often than not! It took me a little while to get into this one, but once I did, I really had a great time with it.
Oh… This was actually quite sad. Depressing even. Definitely tragic.
Amberly was clearly such an insecure, naive, desperate and dumb gi|| 3.0 stars ||
Oh… This was actually quite sad. Depressing even. Definitely tragic.
Amberly was clearly such an insecure, naive, desperate and dumb girl, but the most awful thing about that was that Clarkson chose her exactly because of this. He wanted someone he could control and would blindly adore him no matter what, so that’s the only reason why he decided Amberly, as the biggest doormat imaginable, was perfect for him.
It was truly heartbreaking to see Clarkson propose to her with words that only portrayed calculation and manipulation from his side, yet having Amberly receive it with nothing but heart-eyes and love.
I really just witnessed the beginning of an abusive relationship, and the most painful part about it is that Amberly was so incredibly happy and grateful to be in one.
Bully romances are already the least romantic thing in the world to me, but I wouldn’t even call this that. This was just plain bullying|| 1.0 star ||
Bully romances are already the least romantic thing in the world to me, but I wouldn’t even call this that. This was just plain bullying. No romance. Just cruel, unnecessary, childish, ridiculous bullying.
Oh, and of course, this was also written like it came straight from Wattpad. It kind of reminded me of some sort of awful Harry Potter fanfiction written by a 16 year old with an obvious masochism kink.
So, if you feel like reading a stupid, immature book that seems to be about nothing more than a whole school randomly abusing two girls, who, of course, do nothing but take it over and over again, then I’d say give this a go. If you’re interested in actual romance, a well-developed fantasy story, or just a remotely good book in general, then I’d recommend giving this book a wide berth....more
Pfew, wow, so much to unpack here… I’m not sure what to say, but this was certainly a depressing, shocking, emotional, powerful and int|| 4.0 stars ||
Pfew, wow, so much to unpack here… I’m not sure what to say, but this was certainly a depressing, shocking, emotional, powerful and intense story.
It tells the story of a woman of unknown origin who’s rejected by her husband when their baby turns out brown. He assumes she must have a Black heritage and therefore loses all love for her, which leaves her absolutely shattered to pieces. The end gives such a twist, though, that it puts the whole narrative on its head!...more
This tells the story of a group of children who live in a colony on Venus where the sun only comes out for an hour every seven years. A|| 2.0 stars ||
This tells the story of a group of children who live in a colony on Venus where the sun only comes out for an hour every seven years. All the children hate the constant rain and the lack of true warmth on their skin, but Margot is suffering most of all. She has grown sullen, ashy, quiet and sad; it’s like she has been slowly losing her life force, or perhaps even her very will to live. The other children tease her relentlessly and, worst of all, lock her in a closet when the sun is finally shining again after seven years. She misses that little hour of sunshine she so desperately needed…
All in all, I wasn’t very impressed with this story. It felt a little aimless, and although I’m sure some sort of meaning could be attributed to what I’ve just read, I didn’t really see it. To me, it seemed insubstantial and perhaps even a bit random....more
This story is about a woman who receives the news of her husband’s death in a rather… unexpected manner. Instead of grief, she feels in|| 3.0 stars ||
This story is about a woman who receives the news of her husband’s death in a rather… unexpected manner. Instead of grief, she feels intense joy, gratitude and relief for the freedom his death will now grant her. Not because she hated him or because she didn’t love him, but purely because, without a marriage, she felt she would finally be able to genuinely live life without being held back and without restrictions. She would be able to live life for herself.
This story clearly displayed the very sad reality of the stifling and oppressive nature that marriage used to have not so long ago, and also how very little autonomy and liberty a woman had when she was legally tied to a man.
Oh, but that ending? Such a twist! I definitely didn’t see it coming!...more
Although it may sound slightly contradictory, this book was somehow way too smutty and way too sappy all at the same time. The result e|| 2.0 stars ||
Although it may sound slightly contradictory, this book was somehow way too smutty and way too sappy all at the same time. The result ended up being pretty boring and far from engaging.
This managed to be so much more disappointing than I could have ever imagined. I was really hoping the author would write the emotions, || 1.0 star ||
This managed to be so much more disappointing than I could have ever imagined. I was really hoping the author would write the emotions, depth and angst well, especially after where she left off with the previous book, but she managed to do everything exactly wrong.
First of all, I found it so off-putting that they kept on bantering with each other in every single situation, from beginning to end. They’re supposed to feel immense betrayal, yet they just keep on quipping quirky little one-liners towards each other? It’s not what I was expecting or hoping for. I wanted to feel the intensity and the angst between them; not this silly bit of almost-anger that hardly seemed to matter to either of them. Their entire relationship was just so superficial, it made me lose all interest in it.
Even more: Where was Kai’s guilt? Where was his desperation to win back her forgiveness and affection? Sometimes his inner-monologue seemed like he cared, but he treated her so callously and cold. Like he didn’t even care that she hated him now… He didn’t fight for her whatsoever. And she didn’t even seem to mind that he didn’t grovel or beg or show remorse; she weakly kept lusting after him anyway.
Furthermore, I absolutely despised the fact that Kai seemed to act like he had any right to anger. Like he was the one who should feel betrayed or hurt. He acted like she wronged him instead of the other way around. The hypocrisy of it all pissed me off so badly.
She’s alluring in the way most deadly things are. It’s captivating. No. No, it’s terrifying. It’s supposed to be terrifying, still thinking of her as something I’m trying to deserve. Still deeming her worthy of my desire. But she’s not. No matter what has already happened between us. She’s my prisoner and my mission. She is nothing to me.
Worst of all, the fact that Kai kept putting his “mission” above saving her, loving her, earning her forgiveness, was insanely unattractive. Him acting like an aimless lapdog to his father and now to his brother was just pathetic. I mean, this dude has been slaughtering innocents for years because… what? Because he couldn’t say a simple “no” to his evil daddy? PATHETIC. And now he’s willing to do the same thing to the girl he “loves” for the new king, his brother, just because he’s told to? PATHETIC. There’s seriously nothing less attractive than a man who’s willing to throw the girl he loves to the wolves because it’s his “duty” to listen to his king. I mean, where is his duty to her? Where is his sense of courage or protectiveness?? Absolutely nowhere.
“One landmark closer to my death.” I look away to the street below us, not wanting to think about the possible truth in her words. I hate that I don’t know what Kitt plans for her. Or worse, what he plans for me to do to her.
Is it bad of me to say I almost want her to end up with Kitt now? At least he was somewhat interesting and seemed to have actual emotions that went further than teasing and bantering. Most importantly, at least he never intended to murder her and give her up for his “duty”. Nope, he’s just straight up going to save her and all the other Ordinaries by marrying her. Like, I’m sorry, but am I supposed to pick the guy who never fought for her and was willing to let her die (and even killed lots of other people just like her) over the guy who’s going against everything and everyone to have her as his bride and do what’s right? Because I think not. I’m going with Kitt here.
My life is not my own. And, for that reason, she can never be mine.
Anyway, this entire book was just a giant disappointing mess that didn’t even come close to living up to its potential. The whole thing was nothing but repetitive and silly banter; there was no actual plot or any form of development. Everything stayed the same from beginning to end, and we basically saw the same scene play over and over again. It was annoying, superficial and boring.
The 'Powerless' trilogy: 1. Powerless - 3.0 stars 2. Reckless - 1.0 star
Oh, this was such a pleasant surprise! It wasn’t what I expected it to be at all, but that actually turned out to be good thing.
This w|| 3.5 stars ||
Oh, this was such a pleasant surprise! It wasn’t what I expected it to be at all, but that actually turned out to be good thing.
This was about a romance between a motorcycle club member and a tattoo-artist, but their relationship was super gentle and sweet. Of course, their interactions could also get rough when they fought, but their relationship was extremely soft and delicate under normal circumstances. It was oddly endearing.
“I want to be everything to you.”
I also really liked both of the main characters. They were both strong and independent, but also surprisingly vulnerable. Both of them managed to stood their ground when it came to their boundaries, yet they were willing to change for the other as much as possible.
I do want to give a quick warning that this book was pretty smutty, which, if you know my tastes at all, is not something I enjoy reading, but it was actually not so bothersome to me in this case. I think it’s because all of their intimate scenes held a lot of emotion and depth; it wasn’t just sex, it was them opening up to each other in the most vulnerable way. These scenes were always very gentle and meaningful, which took the crassness out of it for me.
P.S. I wish everyone in that motorcycle club had died a fiery and painful death, and it actually makes me sick to my stomach that they got away with everything they did.
'SEX & MAYHEM' UNIVERSE:
Hounds of Valhalla MC: 1. Road of No Return - 3.5 stars
This was very unlike what I expected it to be, or at least, parts of it were. The book is divided into two parts, and the first part di|| 3.5 stars ||
This was very unlike what I expected it to be, or at least, parts of it were. The book is divided into two parts, and the first part did fit exactly what I thought the whole book would be like. We see Dr. Watson and Mr. Holmes meet, we see Watson being in awe and wonder at Holmes’ peculiar and genius personality, we see Holmes get involved in a mysterious and strange murder-case, and finally we see him easily solve the case with his own brand of deduction skills. Opposingly, the second part completely abandons these two characters and dives into the past to give a detailed, intricate and tense backstory of the murderer and why he has decided to commit his crimes. It is only at the very end that everything is tied back together again and we find out the full story at the same time as Dr. Watson.
Personally, I thought the first part was a little simplistic and nowhere near as smart or distinctive as I thought it would be. I wished we could have seen more of Sherlock’s actual deduction work, but considering the story is narrated by Watson, and he only gets short and simplified summaries of Sherlock’s deductions after the fact it has already taken place, this wasn’t the case at all. It was still fun and easy to read, but not as special as I was hoping it to be.
When I got around to the second part of this book I was honestly quite mystified and confused. At first, I didn’t have a clue as to what was happening or what I was even reading. However, once I started to realise that I was reading the backstory to the crime of the first part, I became more interested and eventually found myself very intrigued. It was actually a really good story that tug on my heartstrings more than once. I especially found myself feeling the highest respect for John Ferrier and his perseverance in wanting to protect his adoptive daughter against the horrors of Mormon culture and against having to become one of the many brides in a polygamous harem. He would rather die than have his little girl be tied to these monsters, and it was admirable to say the least. Jefferson Hope, of course, also acquired my respect for all that he did and I honestly couldn’t help but feel that the men who were murdered didn’t quite get enough compared to all that they were guilty of. I’d have wished to see them die more gruesomely if it were up to me. All in all, it was actually quite a tragic story with no happy ending for any of the good people involved.
All this said, I do think it is important to note that I believe this is one of those very rare cases where the tv adaptation is far better than the original text. I mean, the BBC’s Sherlock is seriously one of my favourite tv series of all time, while this was certainly not one of the best books I’ve ever read. Sure, it was still really good, and all the credits for the premise of the story and the idea of the characters should go completely to this, so I am glad I have read it, but still, the BBC’s adaptation just does it so much better. Therefore, if you’re only interested in exploring one version of Sherlock’s adventures, I’d recommend watching that instead. For die-hard fans (like me), however, this felt like an extra little bonus to read!...more