Updated review: Driven by my sometimes misguided sense of curiosity, I decided to finish reading this novella, despite my earlier abandonment of it. U Updated review: Driven by my sometimes misguided sense of curiosity, I decided to finish reading this novella, despite my earlier abandonment of it. Unfortunately, the story, the plot, and the level of the grotesque only devolved the more I read. In approximate order of appearance, the following are used as plot points in this novella of fewer than 100 pages.
- Drug-facilitated sexual assault - Killing and mutilation of chickens - Attempted rape - Kissing and making out following disruption of that attempted rape, complete with rapey thoughts from the male protagonist about how it's hard for him to control himself around her - Poisoning and killing of two horses - Incest between daughter and father, including reveal that said daughter has been seducing father since the age of 13 and blackmailing him since - Reveal that father accidentally raped "good" daughter once by mistakenly going to the wrong bedroom - Killing of litter of puppies by breaking their necks - Threats of one sister to kill the other - Double murder (possibly murder-suicide) - Reveal that "evil" sister had also been sexual coercing plantation workers into sexual acts - Mutilation of a corpse - Suicide
The intent of the novella seems to be to set up the full-length books in the series, but I can't imagine wanting to read more. Before anyone thinks that I am being squeamish or delicate, let it be known that I understand using violence as a way to develop a plot or its characters. However, such violence must serve a purpose in the story. None of this did, other than being used as a weak set-up for a curse that appears in other books. The paranormal aspects of the story don't even appear until the final 10 - 15% of the story, and they are then not even explained or fleshed out. (view spoiler)[It's just, "Oh, her eyes turned black once, and now she's a ghost who can haunt me. What about that weird lady who visited the house? Hmm, no matter." (hide spoiler)]
As the prequel to a YA paranormal romance, I doubt this story will do little to draw in readers. When the love story does appear, it is unbelievable with no build and a substantial focus on the couple's lustful intent toward one another, complete with statements about how the male protagonist can barely control himself around the chosen girl and how she doesn't want him to be able to. On top of all those things, the writing is poor, with frequently anachronistic dialogue and situations, and there is little characterization or world building.
This title comes from a newer digital-first press from Kensington, which makes me think they are more willing to take risks with which books and authors to sign, but this wasn't a good choice, especially as a promoted title on NetGalley. It makes me leery of the quality of their other offerings.
Initial review: DNF at 31%, which is saying something because this novella is only 100 pages in length. Rape or attempted rape was used twice as a plot device in the first 30 pages, the dialogue and behavior of the characters was historically inaccurate, and the story simply doesn't engage me at all. When requesting it from NetGalley, I had not realized that this is a prequel novella for a YA paranormal romance series, but this should be able to be read as a standalone. Despite that, I'm sure the author's and publisher's intent is to entice readers to read the rest of the series, but that won't be the case with me.
Note: This review refers to an advance review copy provided free of charge by the publisher.
Merged review:
Updated review: Driven by my sometimes misguided sense of curiosity, I decided to finish reading this novella, despite my earlier abandonment of it. Unfortunately, the story, the plot, and the level of the grotesque only devolved the more I read. In approximate order of appearance, the following are used as plot points in this novella of fewer than 100 pages.
- Drug-facilitated sexual assault - Killing and mutilation of chickens - Attempted rape - Kissing and making out following disruption of that attempted rape, complete with rapey thoughts from the male protagonist about how it's hard for him to control himself around her - Poisoning and killing of two horses - Incest between daughter and father, including reveal that said daughter has been seducing father since the age of 13 and blackmailing him since - Reveal that father accidentally raped "good" daughter once by mistakenly going to the wrong bedroom - Killing of litter of puppies by breaking their necks - Threats of one sister to kill the other - Double murder (possibly murder-suicide) - Reveal that "evil" sister had also been sexual coercing plantation workers into sexual acts - Mutilation of a corpse - Suicide
The intent of the novella seems to be to set up the full-length books in the series, but I can't imagine wanting to read more. Before anyone thinks that I am being squeamish or delicate, let it be known that I understand using violence as a way to develop a plot or its characters. However, such violence must serve a purpose in the story. None of this did, other than being used as a weak set-up for a curse that appears in other books. The paranormal aspects of the story don't even appear until the final 10 - 15% of the story, and they are then not even explained or fleshed out. (view spoiler)[It's just, "Oh, her eyes turned black once, and now she's a ghost who can haunt me. What about that weird lady who visited the house? Hmm, no matter." (hide spoiler)]
As the prequel to a YA paranormal romance, I doubt this story will do little to draw in readers. When the love story does appear, it is unbelievable with no build and a substantial focus on the couple's lustful intent toward one another, complete with statements about how the male protagonist can barely control himself around the chosen girl and how she doesn't want him to be able to. On top of all those things, the writing is poor, with frequently anachronistic dialogue and situations, and there is little characterization or world building.
This title comes from a newer digital-first press from Kensington, which makes me think they are more willing to take risks with which books and authors to sign, but this wasn't a good choice, especially as a promoted title on NetGalley. It makes me leery of the quality of their other offerings.
Initial review: DNF at 31%, which is saying something because this novella is only 100 pages in length. Rape or attempted rape was used twice as a plot device in the first 30 pages, the dialogue and behavior of the characters was historically inaccurate, and the story simply doesn't engage me at all. When requesting it from NetGalley, I had not realized that this is a prequel novella for a YA paranormal romance series, but this should be able to be read as a standalone. Despite that, I'm sure the author's and publisher's intent is to entice readers to read the rest of the series, but that won't be the case with me.
Note: This review refers to an advance review copy provided free of charge by the publisher....more
Though FALL OF WRATH AND RUIN is substantially less bloated on page length and word count than the author's From Blood and Ash series, Armentrout fail Though FALL OF WRATH AND RUIN is substantially less bloated on page length and word count than the author's From Blood and Ash series, Armentrout failed to deliver anything better with this, a traditionally published book, and in many ways, it was worse. It felt as though the author simply pulled character types and plot points from her other series and then threw in *every* currently popular sexual trope seen across the dark romance genre (view spoiler)[primal play, praise kink, dubious consent, exhibitionism, and a possible knotting to come (hide spoiler)], hoping that combination would make this novel into a winner. Instead, for me, all those things made the story trite, predictable, and often uncomfortable. The fantasy aspects were also uninspired, with a FMC who is, of course, the most special of the special but never knew it, a MMC who is huge and hulking but kind and non-threatening only to the FMC, and worldbuilding that was slapped together, with a main combat scene that was eerily reminiscent of her first FBAA book. In all, a very mediocre effort, with squicky sexual content from the jump. I'll definitely be skipping any future books in the series....more
Read it in order to be prepared for the next season of the Netflix adaptation, which will focus on this couple. Of the four books in the series I've r Read it in order to be prepared for the next season of the Netflix adaptation, which will focus on this couple. Of the four books in the series I've read thus far, this had the least objectionable content, though the hero was still a jerk at times and physically punishing to the heroine *and* there's continued fat-shaming. However, this book was the most tedious to read of them all because it was dreadfully thin on plot and character development. So many pages saying nothing with no significant conflict or obstacles to overcome. I'm curious to see how the producers and writers at Shondaland will change the plot to mesh with the changes they've already made to the series arc....more
A quick and easy read, even more so than the first two books, but whooooo doggies, Shondaland is again going to have do some major editing from the or A quick and easy read, even more so than the first two books, but whooooo doggies, Shondaland is again going to have do some major editing from the original to make the hero and some major aspects of the plot more palatable. ...more
Read it in order to compare/contrast the novel to the Netflix adaptation. Not as appalling as I expected, but still horrible and superficial with implRead it in order to compare/contrast the novel to the Netflix adaptation. Not as appalling as I expected, but still horrible and superficial with implied condoning of sexual assault. The producers and writers at Shondaland did make it better, but they stayed surprisingly close to the text in ways that they didn't for season two and its respective book....more
For a plot line so thin, I have no idea how the author managed to stretch this out to over 350 pages. From an unbelievable character arc for the hero For a plot line so thin, I have no idea how the author managed to stretch this out to over 350 pages. From an unbelievable character arc for the hero to constant head hopping and changes in POV to the incessant reuse of certain words, I found myself perplexed by why others have enjoyed this novel. I had to drag myself to get through it.
My thoughts and prayers go to the writers at Shondaland who had to rework this into a serviceable script for season two of Bridgerton. ...more
I've been in such a reading slump during the pandemic that I haven't read a novel to completion in six months, so I thought I would try something indu I've been in such a reading slump during the pandemic that I haven't read a novel to completion in six months, so I thought I would try something indulgent and easy. I've read two prior books from Mia Sheridan with middling results, so when this one popped up as a Kindle Unlimited recommendation, I decided to try it.
Pros: I finished it.
Cons: It was so bad. Very little happened in the plot, what character development happened didn't seem plausible, there was no real connection between the love interests, and lots of convenient fixes popped up near the end, all held together with weak, repetitive writing that didn't move the plot forward and never made me feel anything for the characters.
Here's to hoping this gets me out of my reading slump, though, and leads me to greener reading pastures....more
This is the first thing I've been able to read to completion since we went on lockdown for the pandemic, and that in itself tells you this didn't take This is the first thing I've been able to read to completion since we went on lockdown for the pandemic, and that in itself tells you this didn't take much mental effort. Not recommended. ...more
I was excited to read Christina Lauren's newest offering, My Favorite Half-Night Stand, because it focused on love among academics at a university and I was excited to read Christina Lauren's newest offering, My Favorite Half-Night Stand, because it focused on love among academics at a university and because it would be my first experience with this extremely popular author duo. Unfortunately, this book was a considerable let-down on many fronts. I almost put it down in the first 10% when the story got significant info wrong about graduate degrees and academic tenure and the characters' subsequent ages, but I plugged on. The pace only picked up in the final third, and that couldn't make up for the reality that the characters all came across as childish and immature, there was little to no chemistry between the H/h, and the plot was simply too unbelievable as a set-up....more
This could have been some mindless fun in the form of a Christmas romantic comedy romp, but the author ruined it with her shallow attempts at humor usThis could have been some mindless fun in the form of a Christmas romantic comedy romp, but the author ruined it with her shallow attempts at humor using dated and offensive transphobic and homophobic stereotypes (just make the aunt/uncle a drag queen, for goodness sake, instead of showing your utter ignorance about trans people and gay people and sexual fetish and everything in between). Also, having your brother call you a slut is not funny....more
1.5 stars. So much meh in terms of character and relationship development and so much questionable content, especially in light of the #metoo movement1.5 stars. So much meh in terms of character and relationship development and so much questionable content, especially in light of the #metoo movement....more
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