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Kristy H (1252 KP) rated The Maidens in Books
Jun 24, 2021
A lackluster and dull thriller
Mariana Andros is a group therapist and Cambridge University graduate. She is mourning her late husband, Sebastian, when their niece, Zoe, calls, upset because a friend at Cambridge has been murdered. Mariana and Sebastian raised Zoe as a surrogate daughter, so Mariana heads to Cambridge and St. Christopher's College to be there for her. There, Mariana feels she can help her friend and fellow therapist, Julian Ashcroft, in looking into the murder. Mariana is convinced that Greek tragedy professor Edward Fosca is responsible. He is followed around by a group of female students, deemed The Maidens, who seem obsessed with Fosca and his teachings. When another girl, a Maiden, is found dead, Mariana vows she will do anything to stop him.
"Death was no stranger to Mariana; it had been her traveling companion since she was a child--keeping close behind her, hovering just over her shoulder. She sometimes felt she had been cursed, as if by some malevolent goddess in a Greek myth, to lose everyone she ever loved."
Unpopular opinion time... this book did not work for me. I did not find it engaging nor interesting. I had to force myself to keep reading, as I did not care for any of the characters, including Mariana and Zoe. Mariana is fixated on Edward Fosca from the beginning and seems convinced she should insert herself in a rather serious murder investigation despite not seeming one bit qualified. I'm not sure how her group therapist qualifications lend her any credentials and she lies constantly, much to the annoyance (justified) and detriment of the police. There are basically no sympathetic characters, and there seems to be no reason to care about the murdered women, as we're given no background on them. Some characters (e.g., Julian) seem inserted for no reason whatsoever.
There is a lot of Greek mythology tucked into the story and perhaps I was just over it, as I've read several books revolving around Greek myths lately. It was a lot, though, and sometimes did not seem relevant to our story.
This thriller is certainly atmospheric, with Cambridge playing a strong role in the setting. You definitely feel a part of the academic setting, and I learned a lot about the university while reading. It's dark and somewhat foreboding, but since I was not fully invested in the story, I could only feel so tense. There are some twists, but the big twist came too late and seemed too preposterous to be truly exciting. The author throws in so many red herrings that you find yourself almost rolling your eyes.
Still, this is a very popular thriller for many readers, so chances are it may work for you. For me, it just didn't hold my interest or seem all that, well, thrilling. 2 stars.
"Death was no stranger to Mariana; it had been her traveling companion since she was a child--keeping close behind her, hovering just over her shoulder. She sometimes felt she had been cursed, as if by some malevolent goddess in a Greek myth, to lose everyone she ever loved."
Unpopular opinion time... this book did not work for me. I did not find it engaging nor interesting. I had to force myself to keep reading, as I did not care for any of the characters, including Mariana and Zoe. Mariana is fixated on Edward Fosca from the beginning and seems convinced she should insert herself in a rather serious murder investigation despite not seeming one bit qualified. I'm not sure how her group therapist qualifications lend her any credentials and she lies constantly, much to the annoyance (justified) and detriment of the police. There are basically no sympathetic characters, and there seems to be no reason to care about the murdered women, as we're given no background on them. Some characters (e.g., Julian) seem inserted for no reason whatsoever.
There is a lot of Greek mythology tucked into the story and perhaps I was just over it, as I've read several books revolving around Greek myths lately. It was a lot, though, and sometimes did not seem relevant to our story.
This thriller is certainly atmospheric, with Cambridge playing a strong role in the setting. You definitely feel a part of the academic setting, and I learned a lot about the university while reading. It's dark and somewhat foreboding, but since I was not fully invested in the story, I could only feel so tense. There are some twists, but the big twist came too late and seemed too preposterous to be truly exciting. The author throws in so many red herrings that you find yourself almost rolling your eyes.
Still, this is a very popular thriller for many readers, so chances are it may work for you. For me, it just didn't hold my interest or seem all that, well, thrilling. 2 stars.
Debbiereadsbook (1166 KP) rated Slippers and Songs (Brodyr Alarch #1) in Books
Feb 23, 2024
There is romance here, but it takes time!
Independent reviewer for Archaeolibrarian, I was gifted my copy of this book.
Prince Brenin and his brother are summoned to help solve a mystery, to where Princess Tesni goes at night, and ruins her dancing shoes. She can't remember, and no one has been able to solve the riddle. Given that Brenin and his brothers survived a curse, they might be able to finally let Tesni sleep.
There is a book previous to this, but it's not really necessary to read Sealed with A Curse before this one. It would give you the story of how Brenin and his brothers were cursed, and why one brother still has a swan wing instead of an arm, but not really NEEDED to understand this one.
Brenin is called to help Tesni. (I was reading this as Tensi through the whole book though, so if I slip and type it wrong, I'm sorry!) They kinda clash a bit at first, but they do begin to get on once they start spending time together. There is romance here, but it takes time, and it's CLEAN. And I loved that it was! If you follow my reviews, you'll know I will always say I prefer my books on the spicier side, but here?? Nope, loved that it was clean and no violence.
I loved how I did not see who was responsible for Tesni's plight. Did not see that coming at all! Nor why! So well played there!
It's beautifully written. Full of Welsh myths and gods, and I can't remember their names but those same gods are central to Sealed With a Curse, so maybe you SHOULD read that one before this!
My only niggle, and it really is a niggle. I'm picky like that and it's my review but this won't affect my star rating! The book is told from only Brenin's point of view and I really wanted to know what Tesni was thinking, at key points along the way. When she meets Brenin, when she gets up at night, what was going through her mind, when Brenin solves the riddle, and when Brenin first asks that very important question! I loved her reaction, I kinda expected it, but I didn't expect Brenin to run away! He does come good, with a little help from previously aforementioned Welsh gods whose names I can't say let alone spell!
I'm intrigued by these fairytale retells. They are all Brothers Grimm, but ones I've never heard of! I'm looking forward to reading the next one.
I liked Sealed with a Curse, it was a nice read that I gave 4 stars to. But this one? I LOVED this one! And as such, it can only get:
5 full and shiny stars!
*same worded review will appear elsewhere
Prince Brenin and his brother are summoned to help solve a mystery, to where Princess Tesni goes at night, and ruins her dancing shoes. She can't remember, and no one has been able to solve the riddle. Given that Brenin and his brothers survived a curse, they might be able to finally let Tesni sleep.
There is a book previous to this, but it's not really necessary to read Sealed with A Curse before this one. It would give you the story of how Brenin and his brothers were cursed, and why one brother still has a swan wing instead of an arm, but not really NEEDED to understand this one.
Brenin is called to help Tesni. (I was reading this as Tensi through the whole book though, so if I slip and type it wrong, I'm sorry!) They kinda clash a bit at first, but they do begin to get on once they start spending time together. There is romance here, but it takes time, and it's CLEAN. And I loved that it was! If you follow my reviews, you'll know I will always say I prefer my books on the spicier side, but here?? Nope, loved that it was clean and no violence.
I loved how I did not see who was responsible for Tesni's plight. Did not see that coming at all! Nor why! So well played there!
It's beautifully written. Full of Welsh myths and gods, and I can't remember their names but those same gods are central to Sealed With a Curse, so maybe you SHOULD read that one before this!
My only niggle, and it really is a niggle. I'm picky like that and it's my review but this won't affect my star rating! The book is told from only Brenin's point of view and I really wanted to know what Tesni was thinking, at key points along the way. When she meets Brenin, when she gets up at night, what was going through her mind, when Brenin solves the riddle, and when Brenin first asks that very important question! I loved her reaction, I kinda expected it, but I didn't expect Brenin to run away! He does come good, with a little help from previously aforementioned Welsh gods whose names I can't say let alone spell!
I'm intrigued by these fairytale retells. They are all Brothers Grimm, but ones I've never heard of! I'm looking forward to reading the next one.
I liked Sealed with a Curse, it was a nice read that I gave 4 stars to. But this one? I LOVED this one! And as such, it can only get:
5 full and shiny stars!
*same worded review will appear elsewhere
EmersonRose (320 KP) rated The Blood of Olympus (The Heroes of Olympus #5) in Books
Nov 20, 2019
Alert! Before I begin this review, I need to let it be known that in the case of this particular book I may be a little biased, well maybe really biased! This is the tenth book I have read by this author and the last in the second series I have read. It is safe to say I love these books or else I would not have read this many.
Alright, now that that is out of the way, let me begin. This book is called Blood of Olympus, it is the fifth and final book in the Heroes of Olympus series (if you should ever desire to read these book, I would recommend starting with the Percy Jackson, and the Olympians series as this series is a sequel series. The author of this book is a writer by the name of Rick Riordan. This book is a young adult fantasy novel. It is the final chapter of the adventure of a group of seven young adults who happen to be demigods, modern day children of the ancient gods of Greece and Rome. This adventure, like many great adventures, is a race to save the world.
For me, the initial draw of the book was that it is a fantasy novel, which is one of my favorite genres, and its focus is on Greek Mythology, something of an obsession of mine. The mythology in these books may not always satisfy all mythology nerds because they do take liberties in how the myths are presented in order to showcase how they might have changed to fit in the modern day world. The way Riordan chooses to represent mythology is often fairly close to original stories, showing that he spends the time researching the myths, and they are clever, funny, and entertaining.
As I read the books, I found myself drawn to the relationships between the characters, not surprising as characters are a key draw for me in literature. By this point in the series, the relationships became especially interesting because you have known some of the characters for ten books now while others are just in their second or third book appearances. The central characters have grown into a substantial group that each have their own unique backgrounds, personalities, and even mythologies that create intriguing tension and bonds. Their bonds grow stronger as they work through new struggles and adventures with the added drama of them being a group of teenagers, which obviously means that there is a fair bit of romance involved as well.
For me personally to get into a story the most important aspect is to be very invested in61w3pqVMCZL._US230_ the characters. This does not mean I have to like them, but I do need to be completely invested in what happens to them. If the storyteller can do this, then I will most likely binge the entire thing whether book, movie, tv show, comic…. regardless whether or not the story is good or my normal cup of tea. This was definitely an initial draw in me reading this second series because I was already very invested in both Percy and Annabeth’s characters, who are among the main characters in this series and the main characters in the previous series. The majority of the characters in this book did capture my emotional investment, which kept me reading all five books, but there were a few I found lacking. Maybe I am the only one who felt this, but I thought that Riordan didn’t spend enough time on some of the new characters to pull me into their plots. Unfortunately, this is common in stories that feature such a large cast of main characters, had the time on each character been even plot points might not have been as successful and honestly, I might have been annoyed to not spend as much time on my favorites.
I would be lying if I were to say this was my favorite book in this series but I still greatly enjoyed it. Besides my problem with not feeling emotionally invested enough in some of the characters, I really do not have any other complaints about the book. It was successful in finishing this series story arc while having plenty of plot of its own. And it ended wrapping just about everything up so that I was satisfied, but open enough to still want more. If this were a regular series, the leftover cliffhangers would be dreadful! But Riordan writes series that capture over-arching plots but that connect to his other book series in this same world, so an ending like this simply promising more books about these characters in another series.
Overall I liked this book, if young adult fantasy is your genre, then I would definitely suggest looking at these books. They do what I require of my urban fantasy stories, mix magic into our real world enough that a part of me can almost believe it could be possible. Characters, world, and plot flowing together into an engaging story that obviously captured my interest enough to read ten and counting of these novels.
*This was a review I found while cleaning that I write a few years ago. I have since read two more Riordan novels and counting! I love the way Riordan writes and appreciate how he seems to continually grow as a writer, always tackling new issues and allowing his characters to have growth. Annabeth and Percy especially, they are two of my all-time favorite characters. I highly recommend reading his books!
Alright, now that that is out of the way, let me begin. This book is called Blood of Olympus, it is the fifth and final book in the Heroes of Olympus series (if you should ever desire to read these book, I would recommend starting with the Percy Jackson, and the Olympians series as this series is a sequel series. The author of this book is a writer by the name of Rick Riordan. This book is a young adult fantasy novel. It is the final chapter of the adventure of a group of seven young adults who happen to be demigods, modern day children of the ancient gods of Greece and Rome. This adventure, like many great adventures, is a race to save the world.
For me, the initial draw of the book was that it is a fantasy novel, which is one of my favorite genres, and its focus is on Greek Mythology, something of an obsession of mine. The mythology in these books may not always satisfy all mythology nerds because they do take liberties in how the myths are presented in order to showcase how they might have changed to fit in the modern day world. The way Riordan chooses to represent mythology is often fairly close to original stories, showing that he spends the time researching the myths, and they are clever, funny, and entertaining.
As I read the books, I found myself drawn to the relationships between the characters, not surprising as characters are a key draw for me in literature. By this point in the series, the relationships became especially interesting because you have known some of the characters for ten books now while others are just in their second or third book appearances. The central characters have grown into a substantial group that each have their own unique backgrounds, personalities, and even mythologies that create intriguing tension and bonds. Their bonds grow stronger as they work through new struggles and adventures with the added drama of them being a group of teenagers, which obviously means that there is a fair bit of romance involved as well.
For me personally to get into a story the most important aspect is to be very invested in61w3pqVMCZL._US230_ the characters. This does not mean I have to like them, but I do need to be completely invested in what happens to them. If the storyteller can do this, then I will most likely binge the entire thing whether book, movie, tv show, comic…. regardless whether or not the story is good or my normal cup of tea. This was definitely an initial draw in me reading this second series because I was already very invested in both Percy and Annabeth’s characters, who are among the main characters in this series and the main characters in the previous series. The majority of the characters in this book did capture my emotional investment, which kept me reading all five books, but there were a few I found lacking. Maybe I am the only one who felt this, but I thought that Riordan didn’t spend enough time on some of the new characters to pull me into their plots. Unfortunately, this is common in stories that feature such a large cast of main characters, had the time on each character been even plot points might not have been as successful and honestly, I might have been annoyed to not spend as much time on my favorites.
I would be lying if I were to say this was my favorite book in this series but I still greatly enjoyed it. Besides my problem with not feeling emotionally invested enough in some of the characters, I really do not have any other complaints about the book. It was successful in finishing this series story arc while having plenty of plot of its own. And it ended wrapping just about everything up so that I was satisfied, but open enough to still want more. If this were a regular series, the leftover cliffhangers would be dreadful! But Riordan writes series that capture over-arching plots but that connect to his other book series in this same world, so an ending like this simply promising more books about these characters in another series.
Overall I liked this book, if young adult fantasy is your genre, then I would definitely suggest looking at these books. They do what I require of my urban fantasy stories, mix magic into our real world enough that a part of me can almost believe it could be possible. Characters, world, and plot flowing together into an engaging story that obviously captured my interest enough to read ten and counting of these novels.
*This was a review I found while cleaning that I write a few years ago. I have since read two more Riordan novels and counting! I love the way Riordan writes and appreciate how he seems to continually grow as a writer, always tackling new issues and allowing his characters to have growth. Annabeth and Percy especially, they are two of my all-time favorite characters. I highly recommend reading his books!
EmersonRose (320 KP) rated Infinities Gate in Books
Nov 20, 2019
“At the Equinox, a bright blue glow engulfed the entire hill. Above the monument, a vortex opened and sucked them into its eye. When the light faded, they were gone.”
Infinities Gate is the second book in the Tamara Jenkins, Sorcerer series by author John R. Moore. It tells the story of archaeology professor Tamara Jenkins and the magical world of wizards she does not just fall into but becomes one of the greatest wizards and leader against the fight against darkness. In this book, Tamara and her husband mysteriously disappear on their honeymoon, and it is up to their friends to find them. Along the way, they discover the Infinities Gate and realize that they must keep the gate from opening or risk releasing chaos itself. When talking about his book series Moore says it is “In the order of Indiana Jones crossed with Merlin.” This statement perfectly sums up the atmosphere of the book. This was the crossover I never knew I needed. This mashup was an imaginative and clever premise that immediately had me hooked into the first book which continued into the second.
The story begins quickly, showering you with information, questions, and mysteries. This kind of beginning hooked my attention immediately and made it hard to put the book down. This story is filled with mysteries, interesting twists, and exciting adventures. From wizards to Norse gods, Moore delves into the fantastical intricacies of myths and legends while still making the stories his own. You can’t help but root for Tamara as she makes her way through these magical adventures. I really liked seeing her growth in both books and found her to be an interesting and fun heroine to follow on this journey.
The Celtic and Scottish history is something I love learning about so getting to read about it, and the magical side of it was very exciting for me. My love for both Indiana Jones and Arthurian legend fueled this fascination with this story. From the very beginning of the book, it connected itself to these histories and had events taking place in some of the most magical feeling places in the world like Stonehenge and the Isle of the Sky. This setting brought the magic and history into the book beautifully.
I was very impressed with Moore’s writing style. His descriptions of the world are beautiful as is his attention to the details of history. His characters have a depth which is integral for me in any book I read. I enjoyed reading this series so much I am excited to look into some of his other work. His interest in science fiction and fantasy stories align very much with my favorite genres to read. I cannot wait for the third book in this series so I can continue my journey with the wonderful Tamara. This was a very enjoyable book that offered a quick read into a magical world. I would highly recommend this book to fantasy readers!
Infinities Gate is the second book in the Tamara Jenkins, Sorcerer series by author John R. Moore. It tells the story of archaeology professor Tamara Jenkins and the magical world of wizards she does not just fall into but becomes one of the greatest wizards and leader against the fight against darkness. In this book, Tamara and her husband mysteriously disappear on their honeymoon, and it is up to their friends to find them. Along the way, they discover the Infinities Gate and realize that they must keep the gate from opening or risk releasing chaos itself. When talking about his book series Moore says it is “In the order of Indiana Jones crossed with Merlin.” This statement perfectly sums up the atmosphere of the book. This was the crossover I never knew I needed. This mashup was an imaginative and clever premise that immediately had me hooked into the first book which continued into the second.
The story begins quickly, showering you with information, questions, and mysteries. This kind of beginning hooked my attention immediately and made it hard to put the book down. This story is filled with mysteries, interesting twists, and exciting adventures. From wizards to Norse gods, Moore delves into the fantastical intricacies of myths and legends while still making the stories his own. You can’t help but root for Tamara as she makes her way through these magical adventures. I really liked seeing her growth in both books and found her to be an interesting and fun heroine to follow on this journey.
The Celtic and Scottish history is something I love learning about so getting to read about it, and the magical side of it was very exciting for me. My love for both Indiana Jones and Arthurian legend fueled this fascination with this story. From the very beginning of the book, it connected itself to these histories and had events taking place in some of the most magical feeling places in the world like Stonehenge and the Isle of the Sky. This setting brought the magic and history into the book beautifully.
I was very impressed with Moore’s writing style. His descriptions of the world are beautiful as is his attention to the details of history. His characters have a depth which is integral for me in any book I read. I enjoyed reading this series so much I am excited to look into some of his other work. His interest in science fiction and fantasy stories align very much with my favorite genres to read. I cannot wait for the third book in this series so I can continue my journey with the wonderful Tamara. This was a very enjoyable book that offered a quick read into a magical world. I would highly recommend this book to fantasy readers!
Survival Arena™ TD
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Build and customize your arsenal of deadly towers, ammunition, and power-ups until other players...
The Career Lattice: Combat Brain Drain, Improve Company Culture, and Attract Top Talent
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Reroute your career path for better, faster, longer-lasting success. "If you've been waiting for...
ClareR (5667 KP) rated The Once and Future Witches in Books
Oct 15, 2020
It’s 1893 and witches are no more since Old Salem was burnt to the ground along with all of its witches. Women’s fights have now taken to the ballot box with the Suffragist movement. In reality, the difference between ‘Witch’ and ‘Suffragist’ is quite blurred for many men. All women with too much power, knowledge or motivation are something to be reviled and controlled. Yes, this is really all about feminism, and this is only one of the many reasons why it’s a top read for me.
As far back as I can remember (and that’s quite a long way), I’ve loved fairytales, myths and legends. The original stories, if you will. Witches didn’t fare well in these stories, but they were always the characters that I wanted to know more about. What motivated them? Why were they ‘evil’? How did they do THAT?! I wanted to be the ‘good’ version! So this book has ticked a lot of boxes for me. They’re witches, they’re good, normal, women, and they want to make ALL of their lives better.
The main three characters reflect the three stages of a woman’s life (maiden, mother, crone) and also reflect the kinds of lives that many women would (and still do) live.
James Juniper, the youngest, wants to come in to her own power - whether that’s as a suffragist or a witch. She believes that you don’t have to choose: she’s a true fighter and is willing to stand up for her beliefs.
Beatrice Belladonna has escaped her life with the family years ago and works as a librarian: knowledge is her greatest power. Finally, Agnes Amaranth is an unmarried mother who wants to protect her unborn child.
They’ve all been damaged by their abusive father, and this story is as much about them rebuilding their relationship as it is about women coming in to their own power.
The Once and Future Witches has a lot to offer all ages of reader. It makes you think about not just women’s rights, but also race, LGBTQI+ rights, survival, and just standing firm for what you believe in. It shows through the example of the three estranged sisters, that we are all stronger if we stand together.
I didn’t want to stop reading this - I inhaled it, couldn’t put it down, went to bed early two days in a row just to read it, and thought about it in between times. And I’m still thinking about it. If you like witches, you’ll like this. If you like a good story, you’ll love it. If you want to read a book that encompasses all of this and has relevance to our lives today, here’s your book.
This is going to remain a firm favourite for me for a long time. Perhaps I’m one of the future witches?
Many thanks to Little, Brown and NetGalley for my copy of this book.
As far back as I can remember (and that’s quite a long way), I’ve loved fairytales, myths and legends. The original stories, if you will. Witches didn’t fare well in these stories, but they were always the characters that I wanted to know more about. What motivated them? Why were they ‘evil’? How did they do THAT?! I wanted to be the ‘good’ version! So this book has ticked a lot of boxes for me. They’re witches, they’re good, normal, women, and they want to make ALL of their lives better.
The main three characters reflect the three stages of a woman’s life (maiden, mother, crone) and also reflect the kinds of lives that many women would (and still do) live.
James Juniper, the youngest, wants to come in to her own power - whether that’s as a suffragist or a witch. She believes that you don’t have to choose: she’s a true fighter and is willing to stand up for her beliefs.
Beatrice Belladonna has escaped her life with the family years ago and works as a librarian: knowledge is her greatest power. Finally, Agnes Amaranth is an unmarried mother who wants to protect her unborn child.
They’ve all been damaged by their abusive father, and this story is as much about them rebuilding their relationship as it is about women coming in to their own power.
The Once and Future Witches has a lot to offer all ages of reader. It makes you think about not just women’s rights, but also race, LGBTQI+ rights, survival, and just standing firm for what you believe in. It shows through the example of the three estranged sisters, that we are all stronger if we stand together.
I didn’t want to stop reading this - I inhaled it, couldn’t put it down, went to bed early two days in a row just to read it, and thought about it in between times. And I’m still thinking about it. If you like witches, you’ll like this. If you like a good story, you’ll love it. If you want to read a book that encompasses all of this and has relevance to our lives today, here’s your book.
This is going to remain a firm favourite for me for a long time. Perhaps I’m one of the future witches?
Many thanks to Little, Brown and NetGalley for my copy of this book.
How to Hypnotise Anyone - Confessions of a Rogue Hypnotist
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The number 1 Amazon kindle bestseller on hypnosis is now available in paperback! Finally the hidden...
Amy (7 KP) rated Goddess of Troy in Books
Jan 17, 2018 (Updated Jan 17, 2018)
Terrible. Total destruction.
Contains spoilers, click to show
The premise is one that P.C. Cast recycles throughout her work which is of taking modern women and dropping them into the worlds of myth and magic.
A brilliant idea, occasionally well done in her other novels...not unfortunately for this one.
The problem begins with the plot the goddesses send the women back to end the war...okay, but why not do it themselves? The flimsy excuses just don't hold up. The plot is weakly manipulated and transparently executed to make the neccessity of the modern women going back possible.
Problem 2-is the blatant racism of making the indipendant modern black woman into a white slave girl.
Problem 3- problematic sex scenes which read as thinly disguised rape scenes. A male character is hypnotises and the main female character has sex with him....this is made okay by him giving her consent afterwards. Which is not how consent works. This book being intended for young women just becoming sexual is at best concerning and at most incredibly damaging whilst promoting male rape under the guise of female empowerment.
The dialogue when more old fashioned from the warriors is charming and engaging...from the modern women we are forced to deal with censored cringy curse words, way too much teenage level gossip, and not a smidge of maturity in sight...from grown ass women.
For thirty plus successful women the character profiles should have engaged and fascinated, unfortunately those profiles were ignored during in-story application and replaced with twittering, childish teens who giggle over the word penis and lose their minds over the most vacuous and senseless things.
The plot centres around a boring, romance, and changes the original relationship of Achilles and Patroclus from its canonical implied romance to one of cousins...this at best is a misguided deviation from the canonical Iliad relationship they had.
It could easily be read as a blatant attack and hideous misuse of the original content, that could given the sheer overwhelming heteronormaty we are forced to endure be at its worst an erasure of rare LGBT representation from historical content.
The relationships are forced, and their happy endings so saccharine it hurts to read.
The siege of Troy is horrifically rewritten to make the main female lead the deciding factor that ensured victory and removed nearly all canonical battle events.
Throughout the novel not much happens, and by time something does you just want the novel over with.
It doesn't read as mythology inspired, the myths and characters are used as cheap prop and staging whilst removing the deep themes, and messages that ensured their endurance throughout time.
The vocabulary is below pre-teen level, the grammar is sub-par, and the pacing and plotting absolutely abysmal.
How this book ever made it to print in this state is a large and curious mystery for me.
I cannot urge you to skip this book enough, Margaret George's 'Helen of Troy' is a far more valuable use of your time if you are in want of mythology inspired fantasy...and does so without annihilating the entire original stories.
A brilliant idea, occasionally well done in her other novels...not unfortunately for this one.
The problem begins with the plot the goddesses send the women back to end the war...okay, but why not do it themselves? The flimsy excuses just don't hold up. The plot is weakly manipulated and transparently executed to make the neccessity of the modern women going back possible.
Problem 2-is the blatant racism of making the indipendant modern black woman into a white slave girl.
Problem 3- problematic sex scenes which read as thinly disguised rape scenes. A male character is hypnotises and the main female character has sex with him....this is made okay by him giving her consent afterwards. Which is not how consent works. This book being intended for young women just becoming sexual is at best concerning and at most incredibly damaging whilst promoting male rape under the guise of female empowerment.
The dialogue when more old fashioned from the warriors is charming and engaging...from the modern women we are forced to deal with censored cringy curse words, way too much teenage level gossip, and not a smidge of maturity in sight...from grown ass women.
For thirty plus successful women the character profiles should have engaged and fascinated, unfortunately those profiles were ignored during in-story application and replaced with twittering, childish teens who giggle over the word penis and lose their minds over the most vacuous and senseless things.
The plot centres around a boring, romance, and changes the original relationship of Achilles and Patroclus from its canonical implied romance to one of cousins...this at best is a misguided deviation from the canonical Iliad relationship they had.
It could easily be read as a blatant attack and hideous misuse of the original content, that could given the sheer overwhelming heteronormaty we are forced to endure be at its worst an erasure of rare LGBT representation from historical content.
The relationships are forced, and their happy endings so saccharine it hurts to read.
The siege of Troy is horrifically rewritten to make the main female lead the deciding factor that ensured victory and removed nearly all canonical battle events.
Throughout the novel not much happens, and by time something does you just want the novel over with.
It doesn't read as mythology inspired, the myths and characters are used as cheap prop and staging whilst removing the deep themes, and messages that ensured their endurance throughout time.
The vocabulary is below pre-teen level, the grammar is sub-par, and the pacing and plotting absolutely abysmal.
How this book ever made it to print in this state is a large and curious mystery for me.
I cannot urge you to skip this book enough, Margaret George's 'Helen of Troy' is a far more valuable use of your time if you are in want of mythology inspired fantasy...and does so without annihilating the entire original stories.
Sophia (Bookwyrming Thoughts) (530 KP) rated Gates of Thread and Stone (Gates of Thread and Stone #1) in Books
Jan 23, 2020
<b><i>I received this book for free from Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.</i></b>
Much as I actually read the synopsis once when I first saw it months ago on Goodreads and then again before I clicked "Read Now" on Netgalley, I ended up forgetting the synopsis <i>entirely</i> by the time I started.
Except for one word: Labyrinth. Needless to say, I actually thought for awhile that <i>Gates of Thread and Stone</i> would be about a labyrinth. <i>The</i> Labyrinth of the Greek myths, per say, and when I actually read <i>Gates of Thread of Stone</i>, I checked the synopsis again to set myself on the right track (because when there's no one being sent as sacrifice, you know there's something wrong).
<i>Gates of Thread and Stone</i> is really about a girl named Kai <i>living</i> with her "brother," Reev, in a place called the Labyrinth, named so by its maze-like structure, and where the lowest of the lowest in Ninurta live out their daily lives. But one day, Reev disappears just like many others and Kai is determined to find her brother.
There's something about <i>Gates of Thread and Stone</i> that I really like. It's definitely not the world, even though I highly enjoyed Lee's world-building each section (East Quarter, White Court, Void, Outlands, etc.) in Ninurta were set apart from one another and most even had their own nicknames (East Quarter = Labyrinth, North Quarter = Purgatory). It's most certainly not the amount of possible f-bombs in here as well, or what I'll assume as f-bombs, because "drek" by itself is certainly not sounding like crap or hell.
The characters were tolerable Kai is a determined and persistent character who has an admirable strength and may sometimes be a little feisty. Irra is perhaps one of my favorite characters by far, being a dramatic yet eccentric advisor in assisting Kai and Avan finding Reev. In fact... he's a bit of an oddity compared to the other Infinites, who seem to be similar to gods and goddesses based on their description.
The plot was a little predictable and I was just waiting for a couple of parts to play out (I really should stop being Sherlock Holmes and just enjoy reading the book, but I can't help myself). While the end is similar to the end of <i>Senshi</i> and the beginning of <i>Shinobi</i> and doesn't seem to have a bigger plot that spans over to the sequel or more books.
Now that I actually took the time to write all that down, maybe it's the world-building that I liked the most. With the ending of <i>Gates of Thread and Stone</i> seeming to be a solid ending, I may read the sequel just to for the pure fun of seeing what Ninurta will be like.
<a href="https://bookwyrmingthoughts.com/review-gates-of-thread-and-stone-by-lori-m-lee/"; target="_blank">This review was originally posted on Bookwyrming Thoughts</a>
Much as I actually read the synopsis once when I first saw it months ago on Goodreads and then again before I clicked "Read Now" on Netgalley, I ended up forgetting the synopsis <i>entirely</i> by the time I started.
Except for one word: Labyrinth. Needless to say, I actually thought for awhile that <i>Gates of Thread and Stone</i> would be about a labyrinth. <i>The</i> Labyrinth of the Greek myths, per say, and when I actually read <i>Gates of Thread of Stone</i>, I checked the synopsis again to set myself on the right track (because when there's no one being sent as sacrifice, you know there's something wrong).
<i>Gates of Thread and Stone</i> is really about a girl named Kai <i>living</i> with her "brother," Reev, in a place called the Labyrinth, named so by its maze-like structure, and where the lowest of the lowest in Ninurta live out their daily lives. But one day, Reev disappears just like many others and Kai is determined to find her brother.
There's something about <i>Gates of Thread and Stone</i> that I really like. It's definitely not the world, even though I highly enjoyed Lee's world-building each section (East Quarter, White Court, Void, Outlands, etc.) in Ninurta were set apart from one another and most even had their own nicknames (East Quarter = Labyrinth, North Quarter = Purgatory). It's most certainly not the amount of possible f-bombs in here as well, or what I'll assume as f-bombs, because "drek" by itself is certainly not sounding like crap or hell.
The characters were tolerable Kai is a determined and persistent character who has an admirable strength and may sometimes be a little feisty. Irra is perhaps one of my favorite characters by far, being a dramatic yet eccentric advisor in assisting Kai and Avan finding Reev. In fact... he's a bit of an oddity compared to the other Infinites, who seem to be similar to gods and goddesses based on their description.
The plot was a little predictable and I was just waiting for a couple of parts to play out (I really should stop being Sherlock Holmes and just enjoy reading the book, but I can't help myself). While the end is similar to the end of <i>Senshi</i> and the beginning of <i>Shinobi</i> and doesn't seem to have a bigger plot that spans over to the sequel or more books.
Now that I actually took the time to write all that down, maybe it's the world-building that I liked the most. With the ending of <i>Gates of Thread and Stone</i> seeming to be a solid ending, I may read the sequel just to for the pure fun of seeing what Ninurta will be like.
<a href="https://bookwyrmingthoughts.com/review-gates-of-thread-and-stone-by-lori-m-lee/"; target="_blank">This review was originally posted on Bookwyrming Thoughts</a>