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smartie_chan's review
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
4.0
4 / 5 Stars
Content Warning: Death, Kidnapping, Murder, Blood, Homophobia, Xenophobia
This was a great book, but I personally liked the first book of the series better. Partly, because of personal taste, partly, because of writing/plot choices.
If - for whatever reason - you haven't read the first book of the series yet, or, you don't plan on reading the first book of the series, then I'm happy to report, that this one does a great job in skillfully including information that you would be needing to understand the world, past and context of this one. If you have, however, read and enjoyed the first installment of the series, than the beginning of the book and the slower pace of things, could bother you.
In my case, it didn't really. I tend to enjoy character driven sections.
The book needs a while until someone dies, so if you were hoping for exciting murder mystery, well, that's not really what you get.
We meet new people, interact with old characters, have some character bonding moments, meet the love interest who seduced not only Brie, but also me the second she was on page and then it's a combination of sweet, sapphic build up on the one hand, and xenophobic bigotry on the other.
Someone does die eventually, but since it's not a character we know or care about, the plot doesn't care a lot either. It's only after the second victim, that stuff starts to get out of control: fast.
I kind of don't want to tell you much about Pamela. But I also DO want to tell you much about Pamela.
Who is Pamela? Well, she's Brie's new roomate and a new important side character in this installment of the series. She's also an amazingly written and complex character.
Which is probably the last positive thing you'll hear me say about her. Because: I didn't like her. Yes, she is very well written, but I still didn't like her as a person.
There is one scene in particular, that sealed my opinion on her.
So basically, Brie & Pamela are going to this 4th of July party together. And they brought stuff to eat. And Pamela is giving Brie some of her food she made. Now, that on itself sounds cute and wholesome, right? Well, the thing is, that Pamela PUT SOMETHING INTO THE FOOD. And if Brie knew what it was, she would not have eaten it, which Pamela knew, which is why she didn't tell Brie, that she put it there.
I don't know the correct english vocab to describe what her actions felt like to me. Especially since I feel like assault isn't the word I'm looking for. But then again, maybe it is. The only thing I do know, is, that it's ducked up and not ok in any way, shape or form. Especially since she's not even slightly sorry. Intend doesn't excuse action.
If you look at my CW, you'll find, that I tagged this as "Includes Xenophobia", because the hate and prejudice that the book discussed was directed against another species/cultur and not against their people of colour. Which the book has, by the way. From the way the book was structured, it became clear that there could only be two possible outcomes to the whole xenophobia plot-line:
a) the xenophobia is deserved and the character that was xenophobic was right
b) the xenophobia is not deserved and the chracter that was xenophobic was a bigot
I personally felt like the book was trying to be both, but, just like you can't be "a little bit pregnant", you can't be "a little bit xenophobic". You either are, or you aren't. I guess that's one of those issues that you come across in fantasy settings, when you try to discuss xenophobia in combination with fantasy creatures. Vampires are vampires, so maybe people should be allowed to be xenophobic, right? Well, wrong. If the whole promise is based around vampire prejudice, stereotypes and rights, you can't go and pull the "but they're vampires, so it's ok" card at the end. One could argue, that the "see, she WAS innocent all along" plot-line is overdone, overused and over-predictable. But you know what? I honestly don't care. Who cares if it's been done before? Who cares if it's obvious? I don't see a problem in calling out bigots and assholes, even if 5000 Million other books have done the same. Because, what's the alternative? Admitting that the xenophobic asshole was right? Admitting that the mistreatment of a character JUST BECAUSE they belong to a certain culture was justified? Admitting that "some cultures and people are inherently bad"? If you changed the vampires with ... I don't know, I'm uncreative, let's take jewish people, and the story played out the way it did, well. I can tell you what would happen. People would lose their shit.
I don't mind storys where vampires are evil. But I do mind when we write xenophobia into a story and make it a big part of the plot, just for the book to side with the bigots at the end of things.
Anyways, I was kind of going on a rant just now, so let's get back to the rest of the book.
As in, are there other themes? Well, yes. They are kind of tied to the big xenophobia thing, but I'll try not to overdue it again.
Brie has gone through a rough break-up, see: Book 1, and it's very nice to see that the events of what happend still affect her. Not just when the plot feels like it's convenient, but rather, on multible occasions and I loved that. Brie is an amazing character in this one. I really liked Luci as well. I do have a lot of spoiler thoughts about her, but I don't want to go into those right now. Their love story was cute and I really wanted for them to have a happily ever after. Even though I knew that Brie would be getting a new werwolf gf in the last one, I still hoped that nothing bad would happen with and to Luci.
The ending felt like a punch in the gut. Kind of in a good way, kind of in a bad way.
Some stuff was clearly build up for the big final and I can't wait to get my hands on that one. I felt .... a lot of things when we reached the last chapter and got informed about the twist, that, I feel like I COULD have seen coming. But honestly, even if I could have seen it coming, I wish I hadn't. No context, no more spoilers than you already have gotten, but, man, I do wish the book could have ended differently.
I did have a good time, even though I didn't like how some stuff was handled.
Content Warning: Death, Kidnapping, Murder, Blood, Homophobia, Xenophobia
This was a great book, but I personally liked the first book of the series better. Partly, because of personal taste, partly, because of writing/plot choices.
If - for whatever reason - you haven't read the first book of the series yet, or, you don't plan on reading the first book of the series, then I'm happy to report, that this one does a great job in skillfully including information that you would be needing to understand the world, past and context of this one. If you have, however, read and enjoyed the first installment of the series, than the beginning of the book and the slower pace of things, could bother you.
In my case, it didn't really. I tend to enjoy character driven sections.
The book needs a while until someone dies, so if you were hoping for exciting murder mystery, well, that's not really what you get.
We meet new people, interact with old characters, have some character bonding moments, meet the love interest who seduced not only Brie, but also me the second she was on page and then it's a combination of sweet, sapphic build up on the one hand, and xenophobic bigotry on the other.
Someone does die eventually, but since it's not a character we know or care about, the plot doesn't care a lot either. It's only after the second victim, that stuff starts to get out of control: fast.
I kind of don't want to tell you much about Pamela. But I also DO want to tell you much about Pamela.
Who is Pamela? Well, she's Brie's new roomate and a new important side character in this installment of the series. She's also an amazingly written and complex character.
Which is probably the last positive thing you'll hear me say about her. Because: I didn't like her. Yes, she is very well written, but I still didn't like her as a person.
There is one scene in particular, that sealed my opinion on her.
So basically, Brie & Pamela are going to this 4th of July party together. And they brought stuff to eat. And Pamela is giving Brie some of her food she made. Now, that on itself sounds cute and wholesome, right? Well, the thing is, that Pamela PUT SOMETHING INTO THE FOOD. And if Brie knew what it was, she would not have eaten it, which Pamela knew, which is why she didn't tell Brie, that she put it there.
I don't know the correct english vocab to describe what her actions felt like to me. Especially since I feel like assault isn't the word I'm looking for. But then again, maybe it is. The only thing I do know, is, that it's ducked up and not ok in any way, shape or form. Especially since she's not even slightly sorry. Intend doesn't excuse action.
If you look at my CW, you'll find, that I tagged this as "Includes Xenophobia", because the hate and prejudice that the book discussed was directed against another species/cultur and not against their people of colour. Which the book has, by the way. From the way the book was structured, it became clear that there could only be two possible outcomes to the whole xenophobia plot-line:
a) the xenophobia is deserved and the character that was xenophobic was right
b) the xenophobia is not deserved and the chracter that was xenophobic was a bigot
I personally felt like the book was trying to be both, but, just like you can't be "a little bit pregnant", you can't be "a little bit xenophobic". You either are, or you aren't. I guess that's one of those issues that you come across in fantasy settings, when you try to discuss xenophobia in combination with fantasy creatures. Vampires are vampires, so maybe people should be allowed to be xenophobic, right? Well, wrong. If the whole promise is based around vampire prejudice, stereotypes and rights, you can't go and pull the "but they're vampires, so it's ok" card at the end. One could argue, that the "see, she WAS innocent all along" plot-line is overdone, overused and over-predictable. But you know what? I honestly don't care. Who cares if it's been done before? Who cares if it's obvious? I don't see a problem in calling out bigots and assholes, even if 5000 Million other books have done the same. Because, what's the alternative? Admitting that the xenophobic asshole was right? Admitting that the mistreatment of a character JUST BECAUSE they belong to a certain culture was justified? Admitting that "some cultures and people are inherently bad"? If you changed the vampires with ... I don't know, I'm uncreative, let's take jewish people, and the story played out the way it did, well. I can tell you what would happen. People would lose their shit.
I don't mind storys where vampires are evil. But I do mind when we write xenophobia into a story and make it a big part of the plot, just for the book to side with the bigots at the end of things.
Anyways, I was kind of going on a rant just now, so let's get back to the rest of the book.
As in, are there other themes? Well, yes. They are kind of tied to the big xenophobia thing, but I'll try not to overdue it again.
Brie has gone through a rough break-up, see: Book 1, and it's very nice to see that the events of what happend still affect her. Not just when the plot feels like it's convenient, but rather, on multible occasions and I loved that. Brie is an amazing character in this one. I really liked Luci as well. I do have a lot of spoiler thoughts about her, but I don't want to go into those right now. Their love story was cute and I really wanted for them to have a happily ever after. Even though I knew that Brie would be getting a new werwolf gf in the last one, I still hoped that nothing bad would happen with and to Luci.
The ending felt like a punch in the gut. Kind of in a good way, kind of in a bad way.
Some stuff was clearly build up for the big final and I can't wait to get my hands on that one. I felt .... a lot of things when we reached the last chapter and got informed about the twist, that, I feel like I COULD have seen coming. But honestly, even if I could have seen it coming, I wish I hadn't. No context, no more spoilers than you already have gotten, but, man, I do wish the book could have ended differently.
I did have a good time, even though I didn't like how some stuff was handled.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Xenophobia
Minor: Abandonment, Blood, Homophobia, and Death
comicbae's review
4.0
A wonderful continuation of the series, though I am as yet undecided whether I like the apparent format wherein she meets a new love interest with each book. Let the poor girl love!
Otherwise, the series continues its fun blend of mystery and authority-defiant shenanigans, though this time around she's allowed to breathe and expand into the world more, creating worldbuilding that should pay off in later volumes.
Otherwise, the series continues its fun blend of mystery and authority-defiant shenanigans, though this time around she's allowed to breathe and expand into the world more, creating worldbuilding that should pay off in later volumes.
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