Can’t wait to be a published writer and have Marines drag me all the way back to Cuba. Honestly, I live.

@coin2039

3 жыл бұрын

Same. Imma just send her my manuscript tbh.

@TheArtsy_

3 жыл бұрын

Right? I relate to that feeling lol

@N_Garamond

3 жыл бұрын

I know. I'm like, it would be an honor and a terror in equal measure, and worth it so much.

@rachaelshort1704

3 жыл бұрын

*Marines

@887frodo

3 жыл бұрын

@@rachaelshort1704 thanks, fixed!

No one has described this book in a way that made me want to read it previously but this video made me feel like I need to board up my windows and defend my bookshelves in case it gets in my house and I fall over and start reading it.

"200 year old magic man" IM CACKLING

@JayEllisAlexander

3 жыл бұрын

Me too, it sounds like he walks around dancing with a cane and creepy top hat

I feel like this is a twilight situation where all these tweens and teens will look back later at their "complex and spicy" fave when they're adults and be like "welp" lol

@mynameismarines

3 жыл бұрын

It feels like way, but so many of the tiktokers I see are not teens so I was bamboozled.

@JulianGreystoke

3 жыл бұрын

@@mynameismarines weird. Tiktok is an odd odd place

@BookChats

3 жыл бұрын

The number of not teens of children lately that I've seen still raving about Twilight is non-zero and that makes me sad

@chance1774

Жыл бұрын

@@JulianGreystoke omg i hit that stage with sjm books like 4 years ago and couldn’t believe i’d been so into her. then i revisited twilight recently and was like bruhhh lol clearly my lack of taste went back to middle school, not just high! 😭😭 i’m 24 btw

@trinistar1930

Жыл бұрын

Umm excuse you twilight is amazing ! 👏🏼 it's your issue if you don't like it but alot of us adults love twilight. If you don't like vampire shifter type love triangle romance with some action then idk what type of fantasy books you reading because most are like this. If you don't like shifter romance why would you read different ones with these same plots? Just look for something else not everything is for everyone.

It feels like last decades paranormal romance has turned into fantasy romance except no one ever learned how to world build 🙃

@skinnyrat4277

3 жыл бұрын

THISS

I really enjoyed the repeated emphasis on "because Nancy Drew was made for LITERAL CHILDREN so"

@mynameismarines

3 жыл бұрын

I just wanted everyone to know that there is a REASON the ghost writers at Nancy Drew do this...

So the silver lining is, "At least I got a video out of this."

@mynameismarines

3 жыл бұрын

Always! Like comment and subscribe everyone, for the love of God.

THANK YOU! It is unbelievable to me that this book has such high ratings. It was so awful! The relationship portrayed here is so unhealthy and Poppy is so dumb. I was rolling my eyes every other page.

@mynameismarines

3 жыл бұрын

It was PAINFUL because I just was groaning and rolling my eyes the whole time. I hope my neighbors didn't hear going UUUUUGH OH MY GOD, I HATE EVERYTHING but they probably did.

Marines: "Jennifer L. Armontrout named her one brown character 'Tawney' " Me: *👀 at Serpent and Dove where the only brown character is named Coco*

@mynameismarines

3 жыл бұрын

Someone else also mentioned this elsewhere in the comments and the real joke is that I own a signed copy of Serpent and Dove.

@nootnewt9323

3 жыл бұрын

@@mynameismarines I think that one was me lol. How did you get a signed copy and do you think you’ll read it?

@giveandtake8428

3 жыл бұрын

@@mynameismarines That's just her nickname. Her real name is Cosette.

@ravent3016

2 жыл бұрын

@@giveandtake8428 That makes it even worse.

@justyouraveragelimeenjoyer8675

Жыл бұрын

*in pain*

Why do adult romance novels keep being marketed as commercial young adult? It's so messed up. This sounds like one of those "kink" romance novels that should be marketed as a niche for grown ass women who know what they're getting into and have the maturity to read it as an unrealistic fantasy that isn't actually healthy in real life. These books are setting up young people for some very toxic relationships. It's irresponsible to market it this way.

@CharlesRoger893

Жыл бұрын

because young adult category is currently more popular than new adult or adult category and publishers will use this for their cash grabs.

I agree with every point you made here! Everything about this book was so frustrating, but I think the most frustrating thing was this weird...tone? That the book took with Poppy's freedom. Like her WHOLE THING is that she feels like she has no agency in her life, her body, her choices, and she spends like 600+ pages monologuing about it. And then Some Guy comes along, completely takes away all her agency and choices and uses her under false pretenses, and it's treated as fine and/or sexy??? I haven't been that angry at the end of a book in a long time lol

@N_Garamond

3 жыл бұрын

I haven't read it but this is what would tip the scales for me with "the book may be bad, but still might have fun in the badness" to "bad and I wanna punch someone because this is so f--ked in its whole premise"

Finally I found an intelligent book review channel that’s not just here to sell and grow in popularity. I appreciate you.

Your impression of the male character’s laugh SENT me! 😂

@mynameismarines

3 жыл бұрын

It’s 100% how he sounded in my head 😂

Books like this one and SJM ones are the reason I stopped trusting the majority opinions. Maybe to a lot of new readers this book is good. But not for someone who has any amount of experience with actual good writing and world-building.

@mynameismarines

3 жыл бұрын

In my first TikTok review of it, I said too that I would certainly not recommend this for seasoned readers of the romance, fantasy or urban fantasy genres. 😬

@Randomlywatching

2 жыл бұрын

@unprofessional critic Can you recommend a book? I read from blood and ash and liked it but I’m curious to know what you consider good if blood and ash didn’t do it for you 😄.

@unprofessionalcritic3107

2 жыл бұрын

@@Randomlywatching Depends on your definition of what kind of book "does it" for you. Do you read for mindless smutty scenes only? FBAA it is for you. Do you read for plot, subtlety, beautiful writing and nuanced characterization? There are SOOOO MANY books that do it SO much better. It seems you think FBAA is "good". If you watch this video Marines does make many valid points here and I agree with her. Anyway, despite the difference in tastes I can suggest you some books that actually incorporate coherent plots, well-written characters and have some depth and substance to them. Robin Hobb's Realm of the Elderlings series. Mistborn, Stormlight Archive by Brandon Sanderson The Broken Earth trilogy by NK Jemisin Jade City by Fonda Lee The Lies of Locke Lamora by Scott Lynch. Even YA has books to offer thousand times better than this. The Winner's Trilogy by Marie Rutkoski and The Cruel Prince both has great political intrigue, plot and smart heroines. Strange the Dreamer duology has amazing writing and a complex plot, world-building with gray characters with moral dilemmas.

@Randomlywatching

2 жыл бұрын

@@unprofessionalcritic3107 even though I liked the book I do agree with everything Marines pointed out lol. Something that has the same “theme” fantasy romance type of book perhaps. I been stuck on what to read and I don’t want to read any YA type of books. I’ll definitely check out the books you mentioned though, even the YA! Thank you :) it will be a good start.

Lmao I KNEW SJM's writing would be brought up in this 😂😂😂👏

@mynameismarines

3 жыл бұрын

Had to. I just had to. ♥️

🤣 I love that this book was so bad it made you giggle. That’s something I can relate.

So much applause for you finishing 👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾

@mynameismarines

3 жыл бұрын

Thank you!!! It feels like I should add this to my resume, like a badge of honor. 🥰

I think it was Cam on Twitter who recently was begging people to just read Romance and like, yeah. Listen I am a bad judge of spice truly but often I feel like people need to just read a Romance novel.

@alwaysahollyday4139

3 жыл бұрын

And sadly this author is primarily a romance writer XD

@BookChats

3 жыл бұрын

@@alwaysahollyday4139 I thought that might be true, there's definitely some meh Romance out there but if you read more in the genre I feel like you are a better judge of what's truly spicy? Maybe I am being too optimistic though

Honeydew. That’s. It. No thoughts. Empty head. Zero vibes. Just *HONEYDEW.* BYEEEEEEEEEE

@ellias

3 жыл бұрын

THIS REVIEW I FUCKING LOVE IT!!!

@ellias

3 жыл бұрын

PRINCESS 👑 🥲🙃🤢🤮

@mynameismarines

3 жыл бұрын

OKAY, I saw the honeydew thing EVERYWHERE and when I tell you I expected then to f#%* in a vat of honeydew or something....... Like, not him just saying “tastes like honeydew!”

When this book was released I very quickly figured from the plot summary that it was not for me but OH WOW thank you for confirming that! Ooooo I do not like the sound of that relationship dynamic at all. I can often bring myself to accept the age differences inherent in magical being / human relationships in fantasy settings, but the author has to make a point of showing the characters on equal footing in other ways AND NOT HAVE THE HUMAN (often female) CHARACTER BE CUT OFF FROM CONTACT WITH PEOPLE AND KNOWLEDGE OF THE OUTSIDE WORLD! It’s like the author was like ‘hey you know what would make this age gap romance even better [creepier]? Write the barely-adult MC like a literal child and isolate her from other people and experiences! Swoon!’ -Side note but that’s the reason I’m so particular about Rapunzel inspired stories because oh boy that original story is gross 😬 Also “200 year old magic man” was equally funny every time you said it 😂😂😂

oooooh calling people by names they don't want to be called is also a real life pet peeve of mine! that was one of the things i remember most about the raven boys too, which was just one reason i disliked the main romance

It sounds like questions the editor maybe told her to think about and she just wrote it in?

@mynameismarines

3 жыл бұрын

I'm dying. Editor: Think about what Poppy is feeling in this moment. JLA as Poppy: "What am I feeling right now?"

I love how you're just laughing throughout this video 😂

Marines I am watching and loving this for the third time and your genuine distress of “I DON’T KNOW!” when Poppy is doing her internal question monologue instead of explaining is getting me 😂 Thank you for suffering through this book to bless us with brilliantly reasoned and also hilarious content

@mynameismarines

3 жыл бұрын

😂😂😂 honestly, she was asking me questions and...!!!! YOU TELL ME!!

I noticed some of those things but not all but now after you mention it I can see it. My main issue was "Hawkes" behavior reminded me of my sexual abuser from when I was kid. It just rubbed me the wrong was so I already didn't like him and then my anger really sky rocketed when he takes her virginity while he is still lying about who he is and his intentions with her. It was.....disturbing. anytime I've mentioned these big issues in reading groups Im part of, the Fandom attacks me for not loving Hawke 🙄 apparently its unfathomable to not like him or find him sexy....

@CharlesRoger893

Жыл бұрын

you're not the only one who thought that way. hawke's behaviour was absolutely godawful. i'm not touching that fandom with a ten foot pole then.

@jacklemm1518

10 ай бұрын

Then JLA did damage control in book two by implying that Hawke was sexually abused when he was held captive🙄. It felt like she was telling her critics, “Hawke isn’t an abuser, he was a victim too!”

why do negative reviews always make me wanna read the book? 😭😭😂

@mynameismarines

3 жыл бұрын

I am laughing a lot in this video but I was ~s u f f e r I n g~ while reading, to be clear.

@HelloSun567

3 жыл бұрын

I'm the exact same way, smh. I end up reading them then dnfing them. And get mad at the book when I should have just listened to everyone. Lol

I paused the video because I had to go work and it was at a point that when I came back I really thought you'd gone on a tangent about the Darkling and Alina, but no, people just love old manipulative men idk. Thank you for reading this so that no one else has to, though xD

I did enjoy this book, but I also agree with everything you said. I did go into it knowing that it was going to be trash, so that was probably the big difference. It allowed me to turn my brain off and not think for a while. I did not enjoy how modern the language was and if those sex scenes were “spicy”, they only used salt.

Also as a person with a name that is easily shortened, I hate being called by a name that’s not yours or you haven’t given people permission to cal you. Only super super close friends can call me Dim, and I hate when people I don’t know we’ll shorten it. 😑😑

@mynameismarines

3 жыл бұрын

It's so rude and condescending and it's like an early indicator that someone has no respect for your boundaries and consent??? And the way it has been made a ~sexy thing~ makes me livid. IT'S NOT CUTE.

Living for all of the exasperated sighs, groans, and laughs. You could make supercut review of this book with just those moments. Loved this video a lot! Wasn't ever going to read this anyway, but I'm now glad to know what it's about.

Nothing like a well-informed, well articulated, thorough drag of a literary work 😆 this was fun to watch. I will absolutely be avoiding this one.

@mynameismarines

3 жыл бұрын

Thank. you for watching and yeah, not missing out on much AT ALL.

🤣 your enjoyment explaining the density of Poppy and the amateur foreshadowing is cracking me up!

@mynameismarines

3 жыл бұрын

I honestly couldn't stop laughing thinking about it.

@ReadingWryly

3 жыл бұрын

@@mynameismarines 💀

This is one of those books that I KNOW i'm not gonna like but everyone loves it that i'm curious about.

I am binge watching all of your vids and I am LIVING for your analysis. I have a graduate degree in literature which is a far cry from editing but I agree with you 100% on everything, especially your YA reviews. You have earned a sub and my upmost respect. I run when I see books written in first person and those damn dashes 😩. Thank you for saving me from bad YA fiction.

I haven't heard a single person I trust say anything good about this book. So I'm just here to hear more dislike for this book. Also the name "Poppy" annoys me, I don't know why. Lol

@lynn2927

3 жыл бұрын

The thing about the name Poppy that really annoyed me was a) her full name is Penelophe, and while I know you can give yourself any nickname you want...I feel like Poppy instead of Penny was just to add an extra layer of quirk, and b) she outright says in the beginning of the book no one calls her Poppy but her brother...and then EVERYONE proceeds to call her Poppy. The logic! It fails!

I’m sorry you had to slog through this book, but let me tell you, I was highly entertained by the content we got out of it.

I stopped reading YA after the release of Serpent & Dove, so almost two years now? I didn’t like the direction YA Fantasy novels seemed to take post ACOTAR aka “trashy romance novels pretending to be fantasy novels” no shade towards romance I do read romance sometimes although I only read lgbtq ones. I was curious about this book but from what I’m seeing there’s a huge overlap with fans of SJM and I absolutely cannot stand her books, so I skipped reading it. I think I made a good choice. Will be removing this from my list.

Excuse me madam, it is unlawful for you to make me laugh out loud so that I’m literally choking on my waffle as I watch 😂😂😂😂😂. Thank you for saving me from this bc I’ve been tempted but no thanks

@tirill452

3 жыл бұрын

Hasn't this book been on BookCommuniTEA?🤔

@JessOwens

3 жыл бұрын

@@tirill452 I mentioned the part about the POC character briefly but I haven't read it LOL

@mynameismarines

3 жыл бұрын

My line is usually like "still give it a try if it sounds appealing" with most books because I never want people to miss out, but for this one, I'mma go ahead as say NOT WORTH IT.

YES!! ALL of these things bothered me so much with the writing. I DNFd after reading the first couple chapters because the writing was so technically bad. I picked it up again and kept myself sane by counting the ellipses, which are a huge pet peeve of mine and got to 167 ellipses in 157 pages before I DNFd again. I only got through it be reading it via audio.

@mynameismarines

3 жыл бұрын

I wanted to quit at least once a chapter. The struggle was so real. Congrats on making it through, though! GO US!

I actually enjoyed this book and the 2 that come after it but I love your take because you’re not wrong. 😂😂 The her constantly asking questions? In book 2 it actually becomes a running joke in the story. Every time she opens her mouth a side male character calls her out because he knows she’s going to ask another question. Even tho I enjoyed the story I struggled through the first half and the world building was confusing and damn near non existent and you don’t get any answers until the end of the book and in to book 2. Falling off a cliff? She literally almost does that in book 2 and your comment made me cackle. 😂😂 The knowing the plot twist? I don’t think there is a single person on the planet who didn’t figure it out....except for Poppy who continues to remain super dense. 200 year old magic man. I’m dead. 🤣 I’m using that to describe him from now on. In the next 2 books you get more characters of color, but they aren’t main characters save for one who’s a main side character. You should keep reading the series just so we can get more reviews like this. The series is trash, and I love it, but I can recognize its trash. And I love seeing rant reviews that are actually insightful like yours are because you’re not wrong about any of your points.

Leigh Bardugo does the same question narrative with Alina in Shadow & Bone, but she asks the SAME questions in all three books lol. Very Twilight-ish. Nauseating…

@JoelleFaery

2 жыл бұрын

I hated being in Alina's head in the same way I hate being in Poppy's head and now I realize why.

Oh boy, idk if the book was spicy but this review definitely was! Honestly, the second I saw this book on Goodreads, I got the ACOMAF vibes instantly. And as someone who has had the misfortune of going through the entire ACOTAR series, I made sure to remain far away from this one. Also it's sooooooo long. But appreciate you taking one for the team. Because honestly, this review was so fun to watch. Reading the book would've probably infuriated me.

@unprofessionalcritic3107

3 жыл бұрын

This is just ACOTAR-2 with the inverse correlation of the amount of gushing praise and actual quality.

@nootnewt9323

3 жыл бұрын

Sadly, most stories published in the fantasy romance genre since 2016 have been ACOMAF knock offs in some way. I don’t have much good to say about SJM’s writing but she has inspired a generation of writers for better or for worse.

@BookChats

3 жыл бұрын

@@nootnewt9323 honestly though, it's entirely possible Sarah was inspired by authors like this. That's kind of the ACOTAR thing, Sarah wrote it like the adult romances she was reading but it was published into YA so people thought it was unique and different. Edited to clarify my words.

I agree with EVERYTHING you said! I think what annoyed me the most is that she literally did not care that he manipulated and lied to her. Like her "anger" lasted 2 seconds and then it was back to "omg I love him bc he is the only one to treat me like this". Tried to read book 2 bc they said it got better but nope, nope it did not.

Yes, omg all of this! Thank you for articulating what I struggled with.

I could’ve listened to you rant about this for another 20 minutes! I have to confess that I use ellipses quite a bit in texts/social media, but it also bothers me to see them all over the page in books. Those excerpts were painful, but also I love story time 😂

I am living for your rant reviews!

I guess I'll skip this one. I wanted to read it, but I heard it was like ACOTAR and I wasn't able to finish that... Thanks for the thoughtful review, Marines!!

IIRC there's an em dash and an ellipsis on the first two pages and I noped out so fast. Strong Sarah J. Maas fan fiction vibes. I hope you treated yourself to something nice after finishing this.

@mynameismarines

3 жыл бұрын

My next read was Scythe for the House Salt book club, and I gave that 3.5 stars and had fun lol. ♥️

Your description of this book is so entertaining, I'm here watching it for the second time 😂

@mynameismarines

3 жыл бұрын

Omg, thank yo9u so much! ♥️

@WildeBookGarden

3 жыл бұрын

I have also watched it twice 😂

You have the patience of a saint. My friend wants me to read this for her spicy book club, and I am struggling. I have been taking angry notes on my kindle, and it slows me down so much. But when I tell myself I’m going not take notes, I can only go a handful of pages before I can’t take it any more, and have to make another note about how mad it’s made me. It’s a struggle and a slog, and I will give you all the props for finishing it.

Lol the end of this video 😂😂 I mean you said the writing was bad and I believed you but now I believe you believe you. 😂

i’ve been waiting for you to review this for so long!!!! you articulate criticism so well. i was also criminally curious and regret wasting like 8 hours of my life on it 😂

@mynameismarines

3 жыл бұрын

It was such a waste! TikTok led me so wrong.

This is such a shame. The way you described it at the start of the video sounds so interesting but it sounds like it unravels hella quick. Like pg 1. Off topic, but you saying "just shut up and let the scene play out" hit me just right. It's probably the best bit of writing advice I've ever heard. So, thank you for that!

I only picked this up because it won the GR Choice romance award and I was salty about it. The reading experience made me saltier than Lot's wife. So bad. So, so bad.

@mynameismarines

3 жыл бұрын

I even missed it won in the romance category, but it doesn't surprise me because the GR winners are always The Worst.

"everyone kept saying this was so spicy, but it's really vanilla" LMAOOOOOO

@mithzelluque4754

3 жыл бұрын

alright.... i've read it.......... and they were right 😐

@CharlesRoger893

3 ай бұрын

There's just plain vanilla het sex taking place in this book. Nothing spicy here. I have no idea how TikTok considers this spicy.

5:59, Oh my gosh, I just realized somethings else about the Shadow and Bone trilogy when you said this. Alina does a lot of that and it really slows down the story, drags out the word count and makes Alina far more dramatic than she needs to be as a character. I know that’s way off topic, but it made me think of that. And from the premise it sounds like it’s a similar concept to Shadow and Bone.

Loved the review. I've yet to actually like one of these books with that identical flowers+metal thing+black background cover and I think it's safe to say I wouldn't like this one either 😅

I think comparing Poppy to Nancy Drew is so on point, given the average age of book tiktokers. It's probably their 1st times experiencing epic fantasy/romance books and I love that for them. But it also makes sense that Millenials are less easily pleased. Now though, I cant help myself to see Nancy Drew as the Maiden being all very propper dating Hawk on a roaster with some other guards with perfectly parted hair and going from places to places in the Kingdom with her vintage convertible. 😂 Wait a minute, is this book a fanfic of The Darkling × Alina? A lot of that plot sounds so familiar!

I have seen Salty Marines before but this was nearly Wrathful Marines and I’m here for it.

@mynameismarines

3 жыл бұрын

😂 In these reviews I tend to get increasingly more angry or annoyed and then I'm watching myself back while editing like 😳

LOL thank you. i felt very similarly and idk if new adult is for me because of this. i'll keep trying but i think i'm gonna stick to bipoc written content for a while. i usually like it more.

I am having a similar experience with boneless mercies by April Genevieve Tucholke. There's an unbelievable amount of info dump in it too.

@KD-CD

3 жыл бұрын

Same but I like that book 😂

Thank you so much for giving your review I felt the same , but after the second book it gets better in my opinion. I totally agree with you on this book though 🤣🤗 if I were you I would get the audiobook because it really brings the book to life , you might like the books that way.

thank youuuuu!! After reading I honestly couldn't believe it was all the rage on booktok

Loves this review. You’re so freaking funny😂

I miss TikTok. 😭 It's been banned in my country.

Ooh boy im ready for this, I haven’t read this book but this review reminds me of my own feelings for Bone Crier’s Moon 😂🙃

@ReadswithRachel

3 жыл бұрын

SAME

Okay okay okay I'm back and I have now read and really enjoyed this book... And agree with a lot of what you're saying. I'm wondering if listening to the book instead of reading it made it better? I did find myself thinking that the fight scenes dragged a little and maybe it was because of the weird switches between nothing happening and the HUGE FIGHT SCENE!

@HSPaisley

3 жыл бұрын

Adding as I'm watching. I AM DYING!!! 🤣🤣🤣 You are so right and so funny! The questions hahahah I think I didn't notice as much on 1.3 speed. Poppy is dense.

@mynameismarines

3 жыл бұрын

I imagine listening would smooth over some of the writing stuff, make it easier to just let the story wash over you, but it wouldn’t really lessen my issues with the characters, the icky relationship or the racism. I this this was just a fail for me!

@mynameismarines

3 жыл бұрын

I saw this second lol. Yes speed read this only!!

@HSPaisley

3 жыл бұрын

@@mynameismarines I dont know how the name choices got past an editor... or a beta reader... or literally anyone. Kieran I could see as an unfortunate choice, its a cool name... But Tawny isn't even a name.

I would love to be a fly on the wall while you read these books. Your reactions must be hilarious 😂

this made me giggle so much !! u have such an infectious laugh, this review was fantastic

@mynameismarines

3 жыл бұрын

Thanks for watching! Happy to spread a little joy 🥰

Phew love this video. I just finished this book and wow- the last 100 pages were absurdly ridiculous. This book was predictable from the start, so none of the “big reveals” really hit in any sort of emotional way. Also why does every series have to be 3-5 books long? I’ve heard this series just decreases in quality even more over the next few books. Someone needs to tell authors they don’t need to write 5 books worth of fluff

I got this book from the library after seeing it all over Bookstagram. I got to the end of page 4 or 5 and returned it immediately. I never got far enough to meet Tawny but how in the fuck did she have all the names in the world to choose from and as many as she could make up, but she named her only brown character "light brown" ?

This is so funny! I wanted to read this because of the popularity, but I'm so glad I haven't read it yet, and now I won't. This doesn't sound like my cup of tea. Great review!

Omg thank you so much. I just read this travesty of a book for my bookclub and i was alone in my hatred for it. This review was DEEPLY satisfying to listen to.

Doesn’t tiktok also stan We Were Liars? It feels like early booktube all over again over there.

Hahahaha I'm dying! The best thing about this book is your review tbh 🤣🤣🤣. Thank you! You made it worth the read.

Love this video. I have read the book and was bored most of the book but intrigued enough to continue the series because of the ending. I have a love hate relationship with the book. I also agree with the fact that the book is too long.

@mynameismarines

3 жыл бұрын

It is needlessly long. I don't understand why authors think Fantasy = long and then make their books long for no reason. Upsetting.

i've had the ebook on hold for so long because i just keep pushing it back and pushing it back, so thank you for freeing me from the "but what if it's as good as people say it is?" trap in my brain

@mynameismarines

3 жыл бұрын

I understand the curiosity but if can be satisfied, please know, it is NOT as good as people say it is.

i had the same experience of never being able to get past a few pages when i got the library ebook and having to return & put another hold on lol...guess i don't need to try again haha

@mynameismarines

3 жыл бұрын

Listen, lots of people LOVE THIS but I cannot in anyway encourage you to give it another try 😂

It was definitely the writing for me as well. I liked a lot about this book, but man, the writing had me questioning a lot and just left me confused. It took me seven months just to finish this book. But the best thing that came out of this book was when and how the Duke died.

I thought the reason why the author's world building in the beginning is so haphazard is because we are seeing it from the Maiden/Poppy's limited views of it. She doesn't fully understand it either and on top of that, she's somewhat resistant to her role in the world she lives in. So I thought that's why it was a bit "this is the way because it is the way" type description was because it was from her narrowed viewpoint/understanding.

Marines' laugh is so infectious, this video had me laughing while she described how absurd this book sounds. Definitely not interested in picking this up.

my god i can't stop looking at these shelves, they are so pretty

I just read Obsidian by Armentrout which came out 10 years ago and I see she hasn't changed lmao

@mynameismarines

3 жыл бұрын

I read a lot of things out of curiosity, but I draw the line at JLA’s old stuff. Wont.

@giveandtake8428

3 жыл бұрын

She basically writes the same characters with a different background/paranormal creature. But hey: it works for her. Her books sell like hotcakes.

@tamalito97

3 жыл бұрын

@@mynameismarines no yeah I would've never picked up that book if it wasn't bc me and my friends found the summary hilarious and got curious about how bad it could to be 🤣

@tamalito97

3 жыл бұрын

@@giveandtake8428 I can see, while watching the description of the two mcs relationships in this vid, I was surprised how little her writing has changed in TEN years

The only thing better would have been to actually watch you reading this cause I'm in tears right now😂😂

Have you considered doing a video or vlog on how you do reviews? The back end stuff. For KZread, Goodreads, TikTok, and everything else. I'm just in a couple of book clubs and I sometimes struggle to collect my thoughts. Do you take notes? Highlight? Do you have any tricks, since you're basically an expert?

hahaha i felt exactly the same the writing style and the relationship dynamic was almost unbearable! I do get why people like it though it reminded me a lot of twilight and I unironically enjoyed twilight back when it was big. I read the second one because I thought it would be better and it was ever so slightly but not really

@mynameismarines

3 жыл бұрын

I'm at the point where I'm like ???? about people liking it because I had such a bad time with it. It's like my brain... can't compute...

Ohhhh I have been meaning to read this. It's in my audible library.

@HannaHsOverInvested

3 жыл бұрын

Oh man.... I commented before I started watching. I'll be back after I've read it, but now I'm worried 🤣🤣

@mynameismarines

3 жыл бұрын

l o l GOOD LUCK. Listen, lots of people love it so maybe you will too!

I also wasn't into tik tok for a long time🤣 I need to start trying to make content This book is soooo hyped - I'm sorry I spent your money on it😭 I haven't read it... i still might read it just for fun like a guilty pleasure hehe

Wow, I love this review! For anyone thinking of reading this book, I'd urge them to watch this video first because I agree with all the criticisms here. Conversely, I enjoyed this book when I read it last summer. In the moment, I felt like this book was doing something different structurally. I guess I didn't read the early world-building as world-building because those sections fail to answer integral questions about what's going on. I kept wondering, WHY is Poppy kept secluded and venerated? WHO is Hawke? WHAT are the true implications of the Ascension? I was incentivized to keep reading so I could get answers and even when half my questions went unanswered and half were answered in obvious or predictable ways, it didn't fundamentally alter my enjoyment as I read because those world building mysteries aren't definitively solved until the book is almost over. For me, the genre mash-up and sub-genre scarcity also played a part. I'm primarily a romance reader and the sub-genre of ADULT fantasy romance isn't widely available. Aside from Sarah J. Maas's ACOTAR series (and I'd argue only the 1st and 2nd books operate within genre convention), I can count on one hand the number of fantasy romances by traditional publishers in the last 5 years. Then, From Blood and Ash comes along and it's this eclectic mix of epic high fantasy, paranormal creatures, dystopian society, dark romance, and tons of supernatural horror, and it was an exciting change of pace! Anyway, I could 100% see myself giving this 1 star, for all the reasons you've mentioned. I ended up giving it 4. If anything, the sequel is much, much worse (with Q-Anon world-building and a romanticized story of intimate partner murder). That's my 2 cents.

“I’m criminally curious” ME

The tiktok reviews stuff is interesting to me, ill have to venture over there at some point.. I have assumptions so ill have to check it out. Great video as always M

@mynameismarines

3 жыл бұрын

BookTok is wild. I mean, I'm having a blast, but it reminds me so much of like 2012 BookTube.

@FIT2BREAD

3 жыл бұрын

@@mynameismarines cool. I didnt even know booktube existed way back in 2012 (no shade...). Im just picturing it as like just dumping super fast hit and run book reviews without much editing...

Your video really came just in time. Tik Tok was 🤏 *this* 🤏 close to convincing me I should buy it.

I haven't read this book but I've read her Wait for You series, and I like to call it a "potato chip" series: It's not very good but you can't seem to stop at just one!

@mynameismarines

3 жыл бұрын

I definitely have had series/experiences that way, but this one was so painful. If I read on in the series it would be STRICTLY for views and at great personal cost.

Never had an interest but I’ve seen so much hype that I needed someone to explain it to me and if all the things you listed are what they’re hyping up....I have ALOT of questions

I've been following you on tiktok and came to youtube to find someone talking about this book because I recently finished it. And I appreciate your reviews so much because I completely agree with you on all points on this book. **spoilers** The internal monologue questions in books DRIVES ME MAD. I feel like there was a way we could experience poppy's questions without her blatantly asking herself the questions. It leaves no mystery for my own brain. I recently started the 2nd book because sometimes books get better after the first one but gosh I'm so annoyed at being in Poppy's head I'm not sure if I can do it. I had a hard time with how slow it moved, it felt like nothing was happening the entire time. Like you said, even the moments of action felt like nothing happened. Maybe because of how info dumpy it was without immersing me in the world. It left me feeling underwhelmed and not really feeling the full gravity of what was happening when it was clearly important to the characters but felt bland to me. I also agree with the banter thing because it makes me feel like it's for kids but the spice and gore say otherwise. And the "princess" name gave me the ick so bad. I didn't like how even though it was supposed to have implied poppy to be this strong women who knows how to fight despite her sheltered life, it still felt like everything happening to her and around her was due to the decisions of the men. I was also like omg poppy why are you being aroused when you just found out he killed people you care about. it was weird.

Honestly 😂 I want to read this now. Sounds like the lifetime movie of books 📚

I tried the first book of the Lux series by Jennifer Armentrout. I will not read anything by her until I forget that experiment. I do like some popular trash books but I cannot abide her characters and writing.

When I was reading this spice at the end I honestly thought that I skiped some chapter or two by mistake. And then I understood it's seriously just like that I couldn't not laugh at it.

...this is what happens when you feed SJM after midnight.

I just checked this book out yesterday from my library and started reading it today. I am two chapters in and I'm already annoyed with the first person point of view and I dislike Hawke. I'm returning it to the library and sticking to the book I was currently reading. Also, I'm glad I stumbled upon your video and saved myself from continuing to read this book.