maises's reviews
18 reviews
Wildwood Dancing by Juliet Marillier
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
“‘He’s dead.’ He said it as if he couldn’t believe it, even though he’d seen it with his own eyes. ‘Costi’s dead. The witch took him. Drăguţa, the witch of the wood. She pulled him under and drowned him.’”
Book club pick for October. I happened to choose this one because I enjoyed Marillier’s Daughter of the Forest so much earlier this year. I also do love a sibling-centered fairy tale, so I wanted to see what Marillier would do with the iconic Twelve Dancing Princesses (minus seven). I wasn’t sure what her writing YA would be like, but I wasn’t disappointed! This review will contain spoilers overall, but I’ll try to use the hidden text for things really specific. It’s somewhat of a mystery, after all.
First of all - elephant in the room: I am sure they don’t actually care because it’s [insert era that was not specified here], but also they are not real people. Please, Juliet Marillier, have mercy on my soul. I just want to read a romance from you that doesn’t have one singular element that makes me squint because your romance writing is so so good. I’m on my knees. Regardless of my own likely popular opinion on this plot point I will just say separately, I do love these characters. They have so much charm to them that I can just rewrite their relationship by the end as something completely platonic if I have to. Sorry. That’s kinda bad.
Apart from all that, I think it was a very beautiful book. It’s one that dips into the Fairy Folk a bit more than the Sevenwaters series does, with a relationship much more genial too. Marillier’s strength really is in her world-building. She made the other world so appealing to five different girls’ interests. Even the look into the evil fae world was compelling and dark which I actually loved.
The sisters were the best. My biggest critique there is only just my personal gripe with how easily Tati pushed aside her love for her sisters in place of lovesick-induced complacency. Jena shouldered way too much of that plot on her own. But I think it’s also too easy to dislike Tati for that - I genuinely did enjoy her insane love spiral with Sorrow, the most pathetic (affectionate) of the story. Sorrow was a character I wasn’t planning on liking at all, especially in the first chapters solely because of the stress it gave Jena and therefore me. But genuinely by the last few chapters I really was on Team Sorrow until the end. Especially loved the parts where He was a legend for that. There’s just something about reading pathetically in-love characters but from a perspective outside of that duo. It really did exude the same energy as a younger sister viewing her older sister fall in love for the first time, which I would know firsthand.
Cezar was a great villain. I feel like when people say this they always mean it like they love his character, but no, I hated his little annoying guts. But I think he was an amazing antagonist that really was victim to the whims of Drăguţa and fate. His descent into a pathetic (insult) and desperate version of himself felt rewarding. I did feel pity for him when I think that he Even though I hated him and the things he did to Jena and her sisters, I know he was also a victim in a way. Doesn’t excuse anything of course, but I really liked that element of him thinking he’s in the right. There’s nothing scarier than a teenage boy with more authority than he should have on a power trip. That in itself is realistic enough.
I don’t really know why I’ve rambled on this long, but I still feel like I haven’t even put down all my thoughts yet. I’ll leave it at all the things I enjoyed while reading: Gogu in general, Gogu slamming himself on the wall that one time Cezar made him mad, the supporting fae folk characters, the fairy dancing balls, Stela and Ildephonsus, the scene on the ice when Gogu turned human, the flashback when Costi died and Cezar made his trade because Costi was his most beloved thing, this Gogu quote - “If a man has to say trust me, Gogu conveyed, it's a sure sign you cannot. Trust him, that is. Trust is a thing you know without words,” the fact that Sorrow and his sister Silence are just named that apparently, pondweed pancakes, Jena and her father, the younger sisters annoying each other but are always ride or die… It was a fun time.
Book club pick for October. I happened to choose this one because I enjoyed Marillier’s Daughter of the Forest so much earlier this year. I also do love a sibling-centered fairy tale, so I wanted to see what Marillier would do with the iconic Twelve Dancing Princesses (minus seven). I wasn’t sure what her writing YA would be like, but I wasn’t disappointed! This review will contain spoilers overall, but I’ll try to use the hidden text for things really specific. It’s somewhat of a mystery, after all.
First of all - elephant in the room:
Spoiler
The cousin end game love is definitely a CHOICE. Not a great one. Yes, Jena’s dad and Cezar & Costi’s dad are cousins so technically they are second cousins who have been romantically linked in the narrative.Apart from all that, I think it was a very beautiful book. It’s one that dips into the Fairy Folk a bit more than the Sevenwaters series does, with a relationship much more genial too. Marillier’s strength really is in her world-building. She made the other world so appealing to five different girls’ interests. Even the look into the evil fae world was compelling and dark which I actually loved.
The sisters were the best. My biggest critique there is only just my personal gripe with how easily Tati pushed aside her love for her sisters in place of lovesick-induced complacency. Jena shouldered way too much of that plot on her own. But I think it’s also too easy to dislike Tati for that - I genuinely did enjoy her insane love spiral with Sorrow, the most pathetic (affectionate)
Spoiler
non-vampireSpoiler
he was undergoing the trials set by the fairy queen except off-screen and you didn’t know exactly what he was up to only that he was suffering whilst doing Indiana Jones-esque feats while Jena and Costi were eating pancakes.Cezar was a great villain. I feel like when people say this they always mean it like they love his character, but no, I hated his little annoying guts. But I think he was an amazing antagonist that really was victim to the whims of Drăguţa and fate. His descent into a pathetic (insult) and desperate version of himself felt rewarding. I did feel pity for him when I think that he
Spoiler
made his wish as a dumb old child and was forced to stick with it.I don’t really know why I’ve rambled on this long, but I still feel like I haven’t even put down all my thoughts yet. I’ll leave it at all the things I enjoyed while reading: Gogu in general, Gogu slamming himself on the wall that one time Cezar made him mad, the supporting fae folk characters, the fairy dancing balls, Stela and Ildephonsus, the scene on the ice when Gogu turned human, the flashback when Costi died and Cezar made his trade because Costi was his most beloved thing, this Gogu quote - “If a man has to say trust me, Gogu conveyed, it's a sure sign you cannot. Trust him, that is. Trust is a thing you know without words,” the fact that Sorrow and his sister Silence are just named that apparently, pondweed pancakes, Jena and her father, the younger sisters annoying each other but are always ride or die… It was a fun time.
Content Warnings
Spoiler
Second cousin-cest is kinda not fun at the end of the day…
The Woman in Me by Britney Spears
emotional
informative
inspiring
fast-paced
I love you, Britney Spears.
The Red Palace by June Hur
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.25
“He moved my hand into his, and as our fingers intertwined, it occurred to me that love wasn’t all that I’d feared it to be. I had imagined that it was a wildfire that incinerated everything in its path. Instead, it felt as ordinary and extraordinary as waking up to a new day.”
September book club read! The Red Palace’s biggest strength was its simplicity. I don’t necessarily think it needed more than it gave in a narrative sense - every plot beat for beat was enough to keep the story going. The mystery unraveled very cleanly and the writing was extremely solid; Hyeon was a reasonable protagonist and I did like her and Eojin. I think my one downside to all of this was how calm and flat some scenes could be, especially when they called for something with a bit more flourish or passion. At the end of the day, I think this was a well written fiction based on historical events, but as a mystery drama/romance lacked the kind of umph that gets my heart racing!
September book club read! The Red Palace’s biggest strength was its simplicity. I don’t necessarily think it needed more than it gave in a narrative sense - every plot beat for beat was enough to keep the story going. The mystery unraveled very cleanly and the writing was extremely solid; Hyeon was a reasonable protagonist and I did like her and Eojin. I think my one downside to all of this was how calm and flat some scenes could be, especially when they called for something with a bit more flourish or passion. At the end of the day, I think this was a well written fiction based on historical events, but as a mystery drama/romance lacked the kind of umph that gets my heart racing!
The Goblin Emperor by Katherine Addison
challenging
hopeful
inspiring
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
“Thou art emperor, as Setheris told thee. And at this juncture, truly, thou canst be emperor or thou canst be dead. Which dost thou prefer?”
This is probably my very first “court intrigue” heavy novel as of yet. While at the start it was easy to get bogged down by a lot of the world-building, I thought there was payoff a quarter into the book, once things begun clicking. I’m reminded a bit of Ursula K. Le Guin’s Earthsea big but quiet world possibly just because I expected a lot more war and violence coming into a story about a monarchy. But avoiding the task of a war plot really does save the more subtle and domestic issues of Maia’s court. I enjoyed this way more than I thought I would, maybe because I only seriously had to focus on what the inner workings of Emperor Edrehasivar’s daily life was like. Which isn’t even to say it was boring—TWO coups in a month!
I enjoyed how Maia’s growth as an emperor didn’t compromise his compassion for people. It’s just refreshing sometimes to follow a protagonist who still had insecurities and faults but whose morals were unfailing. Maia was so likeable in a Ghibli boy character kind of way, if I can be silly here. His rise into “the Bridge-Builder” was gradual and maybe even predictable, but that doesn’t take away the satisfaction of it.
Maia was just such a good kid. I was pretty protective of him and his nohecharei and Csevet at certain points and am glad everyone—including Idra and his little sisters—got well-wrapped endings. If there’s one critique I did have with everything was just Chancellor Chazares/Shevean and also even Tethimar’s coup/assassination attempts just felt a bit weak and non-threatening, considering those were the biggest immediate troubles Maia faced as emperor all through the story. Also kinda wish we could’ve seen Maia’s wedding to Csethiro, but narratively I know it wouldn’t make too much of a difference. I don’t know how to squeeze this in here but the Great Avar is also my favorite type of old grandpa. We (formal) had fun.
This is probably my very first “court intrigue” heavy novel as of yet. While at the start it was easy to get bogged down by a lot of the world-building, I thought there was payoff a quarter into the book, once things begun clicking. I’m reminded a bit of Ursula K. Le Guin’s Earthsea big but quiet world possibly just because I expected a lot more war and violence coming into a story about a monarchy. But avoiding the task of a war plot really does save the more subtle and domestic issues of Maia’s court. I enjoyed this way more than I thought I would, maybe because I only seriously had to focus on what the inner workings of Emperor Edrehasivar’s daily life was like. Which isn’t even to say it was boring—TWO coups in a month!
I enjoyed how Maia’s growth as an emperor didn’t compromise his compassion for people. It’s just refreshing sometimes to follow a protagonist who still had insecurities and faults but whose morals were unfailing. Maia was so likeable in a Ghibli boy character kind of way, if I can be silly here. His rise into “the Bridge-Builder” was gradual and maybe even predictable, but that doesn’t take away the satisfaction of it.
Maia was just such a good kid. I was pretty protective of him and his nohecharei and Csevet at certain points and am glad everyone—including Idra and his little sisters—got well-wrapped endings. If there’s one critique I did have with everything was just Chancellor Chazares/Shevean and also even Tethimar’s coup/assassination attempts just felt a bit weak and non-threatening, considering those were the biggest immediate troubles Maia faced as emperor all through the story. Also kinda wish we could’ve seen Maia’s wedding to Csethiro, but narratively I know it wouldn’t make too much of a difference. I don’t know how to squeeze this in here but the Great Avar is also my favorite type of old grandpa. We (formal) had fun.
Love, Theoretically by Ali Hazelwood
funny
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
2.75
Read this as the first book club read since restarting. I thought the pacing at the start was fine and was satisfied that the ending wrapped all plot points with a bow. Unfortunately, I’m not sure I loved any of the characters involved that much. I just thought the constant pop culture references took me out of the immersion only because there were so many. Plus the author talking down In The Mood For Love did make me unreasonably angry, especially since the book revered Twilight so much that the entire thing was an ad for it. Sorry that I don’t give a shit about books that make a mockery of real life indigenous people and don’t applaud white mediocrity in that way but I’m just another loser anti-girl hater apparently. Not liking Wong Kar-wai movies doesn’t mean you’re a bad person, but it might just mean your idea of compelling romance is stale (opinionated and harsh but only because Elsie got to be).
To be fair, I didn’t take off a star just for that. But I can list what I did like: certain parts of the romance scenes that had actual substance to them was nice. I thought the window into the science community and the jargon were interesting. If you ever want to do a drinking game regarding this book, take a shot every time Elsie describes Jack as “big” and “huge” and you will be rightfully messed up.
To be fair, I didn’t take off a star just for that. But I can list what I did like: certain parts of the romance scenes that had actual substance to them was nice. I thought the window into the science community and the jargon were interesting. If you ever want to do a drinking game regarding this book, take a shot every time Elsie describes Jack as “big” and “huge” and you will be rightfully messed up.
Son of the Shadows by Juliet Marillier
Did not finish book. Stopped at 42%.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 42%.
Daughter of the Forest set the bar too high. The pacing of Son of the Shadows in comparison is drastically different, and the characters are fine but not as interesting to me as the first cast. I think it doesn’t help this is more of a build-up book/necessary for plot for going onto the next book, therefore it probably is less interesting than what the climax would be. This is also a minor factor but I’m just not the biggest “next generation of main characters” fan. It’s giving nepo babies… like I’m supposed to support you guys? I don’t know you like that I just know your parents…
Anyway, I say all this but realistically will probably pick it up again when I have the time! And then my mind will probably change completely. Just wasn’t fair of it to come right after Daughter of the Forest, since that one came out swinging.
Anyway, I say all this but realistically will probably pick it up again when I have the time! And then my mind will probably change completely. Just wasn’t fair of it to come right after Daughter of the Forest, since that one came out swinging.
The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas by Ursula K. Le Guin
challenging
fast-paced
4.5
“I will be good, ” it says. “Please let me out. I will be good!”
Just needed to reread this one before bed. I’ve been thinking about it a lot lately.
Just needed to reread this one before bed. I’ve been thinking about it a lot lately.
Daughter of the Forest by Juliet Marillier
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
"They were a part of We, and I of them. Now I was alone, and I must manage without them, for to fail in this task was to lose them forever."
This Six Swans retelling was a journey, and it was definitely more than arduous, but I enjoyed it so so much. Sorcha’s entire journey was extremely difficult. Maybe it could have felt a little excessive, especially when every next struggle hit her as soon as she felt the last one, but for some reason I could ride through it because I knew how this would end from the start (I realized a bit too soon that this was a Hans Christian Anderson retelling rather than a Grimm one when there weren't any baby-eating accusations, thank u sm).
Overall, I think this retelling was an interesting exercise that reflected on suffering for a loved one. Needless suffering is huge in classics like this, since old fairy tales specifically reward suffering like penance. But every hardship Sorcha endured never really had any rhyme or reason to it, and I think that just made the payoff from her pain actually feel like a relief has been lifted from my own shoulders, just as a reader. I don’t recall feeling so enthralled at a climax I knew the exact outcome of before! Also the villain(s) were pretty villainous. I appreciate when fiction has bad guys so bad that I want to dive into the pages and choke out somebody.
Overall, I think this retelling was an interesting exercise that reflected on suffering for a loved one. Needless suffering is huge in classics like this, since old fairy tales specifically reward suffering like penance. But every hardship Sorcha endured never really had any rhyme or reason to it, and I think that just made the payoff from her pain actually feel like a relief has been lifted from my own shoulders, just as a reader. I don’t recall feeling so enthralled at a climax I knew the exact outcome of before! Also the villain(s) were pretty villainous. I appreciate when fiction has bad guys so bad that I want to dive into the pages and choke out somebody.
I was actually extremely touched at how realistic the Sevenwaters siblings felt, both as characters and in their relationships with one another. By the time Sorcha sets out on her quest to save them, it doesn’t feel at all strange that she would go through so much for their sake. There were a few times during the book that some brothers’ actions did annoy me though, but I think most of the time they were good.
Characters I really loved: Sorcha. “After all, I was but fourteen years old” and immediately I wanted to kill every man in this book. Finbar, kinda. I shed a tear when Finbar said he had a swan wife and kids he had to abandon. Let him see his bird babies! I liked Red okay but yeah she was kinda too young for him ummm… Red’s two besties were the best characters in that little town. They deserved the best and yet… And that one chef lady who stayed at Sevenwaters all that time. I liked the other brothers enough. I loved their love for each other and their sister, even if the ending spelled out the worst for a lot of them… Doomed sibs are the best. Sorry.
AND OK! I did actually gasp at Simon’s last scene with Sorcha! Sorry to be a second lead syndrome girl but they should have had a chance!!!! “Don't leave me. What cruel game had they been playing with all of us? What twisted path had we been following, like blindfold puppets in some wild dance? Had we no will? Had we no choice?” Like what was thatttttt! She nursed him to health and he only thought of her in the fairy folk world are you joking!
So I do not really think I am all that interested in the rest of the Sevenwaters books, firstly because I think this is already a strong standalone Six Swans retelling (and I think the only retelling in this series?), and secondly because I am not the biggest fan of second generation main characters… However, I do have Son of the Shadows so if it comes to that…! In any case, I may be browsing Marillier’s backlog soon to try out something else.
So I do not really think I am all that interested in the rest of the Sevenwaters books, firstly because I think this is already a strong standalone Six Swans retelling (and I think the only retelling in this series?), and secondly because I am not the biggest fan of second generation main characters… However, I do have Son of the Shadows so if it comes to that…! In any case, I may be browsing Marillier’s backlog soon to try out something else.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape and Sexual violence