More Thoughts on A Court of Thorns and Roses (Spoilers)

Again with this book.

With the next one well on it's way in the mail, I have to get all my thoughts and feelings out about this book now before I completely forget everything in favor for the sequel.

Getting right into it, let's talk about the characters.

Feyre.

What is wrong with this girl? I was literally screaming at her (and this book) for the longest time. The first half of the book she's represented as this strong girl with survivor instincts, and yet she makes the stupidest decisions. She never asks any important questions, and she has a sever case of 'I don't know when to be quiet.' Luckily enough, she was never meant to be killed off in the first place so I suppose it never did her any harm. But honestly, this girl has crazy luck. Which is a bad thing.

Off of Feyre, but we may come back to her.

On to Tamlin now.

Tamlin. Although I found him to absolutely adorable, he was just the slightest bit of an annoyance towards the end. With his not doing anything and all throughout the trials after which it was completely unnecessary. I don't know how to feel about Tamlin. His first interactions with Feyre were extremely awkward and forced (it's copy/paste from the movie Beauty and the Beast) and nothing he ever said felt completely, honest. I'm a little indifferent towards him, despite being emotionally attached to Feyre and Tamlin's relationship.

And can we pleeeease talk about Rhysand!?

This guy is a total douche, but I was so done with the book right when he was introduced, that his douchiness was a nice change of pace and I welcomed it. A complete asshole who was servant to an overlord queen. Aloof and more of a follow his own rules kind of guy, he quickly shifts to playing a role of nothing to lose and everything to gain. And by this I mean he's biding his time working for Amarantha. As much as it was 'necessary' for him to haven acted the way he did, I can't excuse the sudden change in his position as a character. He was more prevalent in the second half than Tamlin was, leaving me with a lasting impression of him. Not to mention the whole 'possession' thing and claiming Feyre.

When was Feyre just some prize by the way? She was flaunted around in the last half of the book for no apparent reason at all by Rhysand and he put her under a binding contract because....dickhead. By the end you're supposed to feel like, oh, no he's not a douche. He was just doing because he had to. No. He sucks.

Onto the main villian!!

Amarantha was weak. She was completely useless, and only there to fill her one dimensional role of villain for the first book. Knowing Maas, she won't or will barely be mentioned in the later books. But of course, we needed a first book that followed the main two and she couldn't write a whole book about just that. So out of nowhere popped Amarantha. Amarantha helped fill the quota of retelling, giving a reason and purpose to Feyre being there, and for the story to even be considered a retelling.

Amarantha was just a bitter woman, who was weirdly powerless. I know it's said that she stole the majority of the powers form the High Lords of the 7 courts, but how? And where did she keep them? And why didn't she have them herself? And why was that riddle so ridiculously easy? She really shouldn't have even made that deal in the first place. Plus Feyre should've been smarter than that when making that deal....or just found a different way to do things because for a 'sneaky human' or a 'good huntress who could hold her own' she got caught spectacularly fast.

Continuing with Feyre, why was she so dumb? I don't understand. She was supposed to be smart, or at least have common sense. Whenever someone tells her to not do something, she does it. Maybe the first couple of times when she wasn't entirely sure about the faeries (even though she was led to believe that they couldn't lie) when her decision to break the rules went south, she just repeated her same mistake. Don't go into the forest alone, don't go to festival, don't make a deal and if you do, think about if for a very long time.

Really Feyre? When told to stay in your room twice, and you still come out despite there being consquences the last time you didn't listen and her were told to go back, you still go out? And then have the nerve to say "Don't tell me what to do" like he couldn't just kill you and yours right then and there? Whatever happened to cautious, because that's not it. Not to mention that Maas tosses her talents into our face whenever given the chance.

We get it. You paint. Stop it.
We get it. You hunt. Stop it.
The amount of times that Lucien and Tamlin are left impressed by her is ridiculous. With them knowing that the faerie who she killed was willing trying to get killed, I'm assuming that they were just patronizing her with all the 'faerie killer' and 'don't stab me in the back' and she just didn't know it.

I didn't have a problem with Lucien, but basically everyone else I did. I have plenty more on Maas's writing style too, so wait for that.

But even with all I've had to say on this book, and very little being positive, I still got the next one. Why? I have no clue what-so-ever. You can wait for that one to be coming very soon. Hopefully my book will be in by today.

First Thoughts on King by T.M. Fraizer

This was a book that wasn't originally meant for me. It's making me really question the friends who gave it to my friend. And older friend, yes, but I don't think it's my 'maturity level' that's not making me really enjoy this book so much.

I didn' t like this book so much. Albeit I've only read the first 100 pages of the book, but it was a very fast 100 pages and filled with complete hogwash. I'm more interested in Doe than the oh-so dangerous and ruggedly handsome King. (a matter of opinion really)

Before I get to pumped, I'll get a brief summary in for right now. And just a reminder, I've only read the first 100 pages of the book so far. Maybe it'll get better?? Maybe? Not really expecting it, but maybe?

 Doe is a girl who woke up a few weeks ago with no memory of herself. She doesn't even know her real name. She has blonde hair, blue eyes, pale skin and is around 17 or 18. King (Brantley King) just got out of prison after 3 years. He's back, a notorious dealer known in his area as the big man and you don't fuck with him. Ever. Unless that is you wanna pay him pack in a combination of a few things. I'll let you guess what the 3 things are.

The book begins and we are then met with these fucking 12 year old kids (11 in Preppy's case) who drop everything and make a successful drug dealing business. All made on a whim, one afternoon, at random. Okay fine. Whatever.

Despite being met with at least, 6 significant characters in the 100 pages that I read, I could barely get myself to like King. I didn't really like Doe either, switching from being sheepish and meek to a loud mouth with a case of 'can't shut the fuck up' when the time is most convenient. And by most convenient, I mean whenever King is around and can take that as a sign of 'wow, she's super hot right now'.

I'm not bothered by sex scenes. No. I couldn't be if I read this book. The author tosses them around every 10 pages and sex is mentioned at least once in every 3 pages. In my opinion, it's sort of trashy and not very well written in the least. The author takes every even minuscule opportunity to mention sex or something sexual. Is it really necessary? No? Okay, then stop.

Doe, against her better judgment at the very least, goes from being totally afraid of this very, very dangerous man to being madly attracted to him at a switch of light. No way is this real, by the way. Since every other guy she's been around, which has been at least 3 not including King, she's been guarded, timid, and mildly scared whenever they even somewhat force them self on her. That includes her first interaction with Bear and Preppy.

But with King! Oh with King. She'll try to keep herself hidden and then he just forcefully and sadistically does shit to her, and bam, attraction. No. It's creepy. King is completely and utterly barbaric! Not to mention their stupid ass names. Nicknames or not. Samuel Clearwater? Brantley King? Please.

If it wasn't already hinted enough that he's top dog, make his name legally King why don't cha? We weren't given enough time to see Nikki or really find out about there relationship together before she was killed off. Hell, as soon as she gets free from tyrannical killer, who she assumed was going to murder her, she was wanting him to come back.

I can already tell that he's going to be wishy washy personality wise with, I don't want to hurt her (entirely against his character and it will never be excusable no matter how many times you say, 'he hasn't been himself lately') to I'm going to choke you and defile you so hard that he says stuff like, "I would've already fucked you into next week." or something like that.

Right after I said it, even Doe asked, what the hell was that supposed to even mean?

Without getting enough time with Bear, I'm left with only really liking Preppy. He's an adorable little sweet heart with sexual, sadistic, and mental problems, but hell, he's as clear cut as it gets compared to the rest of them. He's not overly rude as hell, despite being a drug dealer and foul mouthed, and he's not just the sex-crazed lunatic we're told he's supposed to be. Nah, Preppy plays himself up quite nicely.

Already hating the relationship with King and Doe, and already seeing signs that it's only going to be erotica from here on out about her relationship with the past dude, to the new relationship with the present dude, I just can't. I'd only read it to find out about sweet & cute Preppy.

Also, this doesn't have anything to do with the book, but what's with the author and beards? Every male character thus far has had some kind of beard. Even the weird guy Ed. Not to mention the cliche-ness of the sadist; masochistic route that this is so obviously taking. The blue eyed, blonde girl named Doe? This will never be slick nor clever. It's the most obvious thing I've ever seen in the world. Ugh, and the character descriptions. Every person in this book that is somehwat main part is described as being ridiculous handsome, attractive and alluring. It's annoying.

But that's it. It could get better, more in depth, better focus on the whole drug dealing thing later on or something, but from what I read, which is a little less than half the book, I didn't like it. I actually just flipped it back open and (MAJOR SPOILER) found out that Preppy ended up DYING and no. Not reading it anymore. I'm done. Bye T.M. Fraizer. Never again.

Thoughts on A Court of Thorns and Roses: Part 1

So I will say that this book is what really drove me to make my blog. Not because it's some riveting piece of literature that inspired me to tell people about it's amazing-ness, but just because I had to get stuff out about this novel that has been consuming my thoughts entirely since I finished reading it two days ago.

Not even kidding. I finished reading the book in school. Got home, and immediately went to go order the second book off of Amazon.

So we're definitely going into spoilers on this post. I might even make numerous posts on this book alone or just put all my thoughts about this series in this one. We'll find out later. For now though, a quick summary of the book.

Feyre is a poor girl, who is hunting in the forest far from her home in search of food for her family. She spies a ridiculously large wolf about to snag a deer. The deer is a valuable food source that could feed her family of 4 for at least 2 weeks. Knowing the beast could be a faerie, who are invulnerable to everything but ash trees and iron (lol), she kills the beast in cold blood. Even if it was a faerie, she feels little to no remorse about the beast. Later though, Tamlin, a high fae, roars into her home to claim the life she took with her own. She had killed his friend, and now she is either to die or be forced to live in Prythian with Tamlin for the rest of her life.

Intense stuff huh? Murder in the first few pages.

A Court of Thorns and Roses is a retelling of the fairy tale, beauty and the beast. I didn't know this before I began reading it, but it was so very obvious only a little ways into the book. Although I personally didn't like the beginning because it was leaving me with so many questions and so little answers, they were all answered by the end of the book where the story really picks up anyways.

No joke though, for me, it felt like there wasn't a clear plot for at least 280 pages. I mean that specifically.

(Okay, warning. Spoilers from here on out. You've been warned.)

The budding romance between Tamlin and Feyre was the obvious focal point of the story for at the very least, the first 280 pages of the book. Her family was quickly cast as a second thing and you heard nothing about them other than 'they're cared for' from Tamlin for over 280 pages. Most likely more. 

Not to mention the exposition character there for telling you everything about everyone whenever deemed most convenient. *Cough* Alis *cough*. There was a ton of things left standing in the wind that I felt would never get answered, but were sure damn well brought up like they were the most important things and should be focused on. Things like the blight, why the borders were failing because of this blight, the monsters being sent over from other courts, the 'her' who just turned out to be a love sick, revenge stricken, older sister. 

What really irritated me was that the entire ruse about the blight turned out to be a complete lie anyway! With a good reason, but still. Despite all of the question being answered in the second half of the story (even though a lot of them told by our sweet and always there exposition character I couldn't care less about, Alis) it doesn't excuse the fruitless search for plot I found myself doing in the first half of the book. Hell, no one was even given a legitimate reason as to why they didn't just kill Feyre that night, despite her having murdered their friend. Not to mention how Feyre never really questioned it either. Although I love Tamlin and Lucien, they were shady as heck for a very, very long time.

But if I give Maas anything at all from this first half, it's the romance. If she does anything well, it's romance. (we can talk about Rowaleana later..) The romance was enticing and so adorable to read about. A lot better than trashy love triangles that don't go anywhere or an out of nowhere, no development bad boy that falls for the main girl because.....plot?

As always, though, she killed the romance between Tamlina and Feyre. Albeit, following a little too closely to the characters of her last story's, Chaol and Celeana, but different enough as it later developed to be something of it's own. (yaaay smut!)

Despite all of the bleak/blandness of the first half, the second half of the book is where it really gets good. Plot pops out of nowhere and it brings meaning and purpose to my life and Feyre's. Her sisters get the (limited) screen time they were warranted, and Feyre gets a little more development in the second half than the first. Weird considering she was wandering around, brooding and breaking rules for the entirety of the first half. You'd think she'd have time to think about her sisters and what living like that did to them. How she really felt about killing all those animals and people. The fact that she was the only one forced to grow up in an unfortunate situation. Hell, the emotional and psychological impact that her relationship with Isaac should've have been more fleshed out as well!

But we are only giving glimmers of what could've been hundreds of pages of extreme, well fleshed out character growth. Somehow, Maas summed up the most poignant parts of their true character in a small revelation from Feyre in about maaaaybe a paragraph. Rysand doesn't count because he has the whole next book to be talked about. Plus her dad wasn't even talked about at all. Especially that thing he said before she left the first time. Can we address this? Please?

Even with taking care of the climax and wrapping up all of the loose ends (everything, everything was loose ends) in the second half of the book, we were introduced to another (let's face it, it's true) love interest. I leave this to another post though. I digress.

Back to Feyre. Feyre really blossomed in the second half with her risk it all attitude, but still scared for her life. The way she ran back to Tamlin like that and faced up to Amarantha. Not to mention the amount of blood that she got on her hands to save Tamlin and her family. Frankly, if not for the whole Rysand thing (bullshit!) the story could've been wrapped up and saved under another fairy tale reboot with a strong main female lead and hot fae boys with a nice ending. 

But Sarah J. Maas doesn't run like that. She's out of the reboot story mode and into her own, wow look at that mountain of story that's going to be coming. The calm before the storm.

And I love it....Sadly.

Trust me, I have more to say about this book and Maas. Until the next post.

My New Blog! ~ First Post

Oh wow, so it's finally been done.

My new blog.....

Lol, what am I talking about. I did this off of a whim literally seconds before this is posted and just so I had a reason to vent my issues about books that I read. And since it's my blog and nobody has to actually read it if they don't want to, I can let my unwanted opinions fly right off the handle.

So now, instead of writing unread Tumblr posts, I shall have an outlet for my casual reading obsession and love.

This blog is an extension of my last blog, Ookami's Blog!, where I pretty much just talk about everything anime, manga Vocaloid, etc related. I made this after having another set of intense feelings about books and wanting to shove my opinion down someones throat, but knowing that this is rude and not actually doing it.

Low and behold, I have found a medium for the constant sense of stress garnered from being too emotionally invested in books.

So anyway, enjoy this. It's going to be like my previous blog, but with books. Enjoy I suppose!!

But really, this is just my book journal, so please read it! <3