Overall Rating: 2 stars
I do want to start by saying that overall that book was good, the action for the most part was really well written but this became a two because of several issues that I had with the book, which I will fully address below.
I have to start that I had some issues with the first book, and most of them revolved around the female characters, specifically Leesa. I liked her as a character but I hated the certain things were portrayed. The way everyone kept telling her to stop being a prude and just have sex (generally with duchebags). And feeling bad about drugging a man so he wouldn't rape her(really?) or thinking that maybe she should have just let him have his way with her just so she wouldn't be a virgin anymore. And then after being brutally raped, the fact that the first thing she wants to do is have sex with another man. The author justified the decision on two different occassions but the reality of women is a lot more complicated than that. A lot of women that have been raped take years before they want another man to touch them. And throughout the whole book there is a general rape culture. That men deserves to take their dues from women's bodies just for being men, or protecting them. That it's all just a part of life and nothing to cry about. And maybe the author is trying to paint a desperate world where bad things are considered okay, but it is addressed so casually that it just makes me want to yell and rant everytime I read about it. Anyways, there were just a lot of issues with females in the first book. Still, I was excited for this book and was looking forward to the action and hoping for some improvement with Leesha since she has now moved past that "horrible" stage of being virgin.
So, imagine my surprise when I start reading the book only to find that the entire first third of the book revolved wholly and completely around Jardir (you know, the Krasian deliverer that appeared briefly the last book when he tried to kill Arlen). While I understand the purpose behind some of the history, especially with Arlen, most of it seemed pretty irrelevant. Much of it revolved around the past and that past was once again rife with rape. And it was all painted as just part of the process of growing up and becoming a man because being raped by another man just makes you stronger (really?). And of course the man who raped him then becomes his right hand man, because of course once Jardir proved himself dominate none of the past mattered anymore. And none of the training history really affected the present action and I was getting really tired of reading about the past when I really just wanted to know about the present. And not just the Krasian present but with Arlen and Leesa too. I just didn't care enough about Jardir's past to really want to keep reading about him, especially for that long. And while the history does explain a few things, none of that justifies his actions, because really, this guy is a narcisict and a sadist.
Then when it finally got around to including Arlen and Leesa I did not like anything that happened.
Leesa's romance was as always ridiculous. She allows her mother to convince her to throw herself at the man who had previously tried to rape her! I'm sorry but that is so ridiculous that I really just wanted to slap some sense into her! And then she starts her little romance with Jardir. I understand the purpose of this plot wise. Leesa getting into the city and what she learned there was important, but she originally went with the idea to pretend to court him for the purpose of gaining information. But then she really started to fall in love with him. She was willing to consider being a 15th wife, just because she found him attractive! I'm sorry but he is egotistical and cruel and yet she ignores everything she believes mostly because she just wants to get laid. That drove me more than a little crazy.
And then of course Arlen. My biggest frustration was him pushing Leesha away when there is obviously a good thing going there. But in this book he starts to open up more. He goes back and visits his family and he starts to let people in again. There is a lot of progress with his character in a number of different ways which was good. And then Renna is reintroduced. I like Renna as a character and I especially like her strength as she learns to defend herself and fight alongside Arlen. But I still liked Leesa better as a love interest. One of those reasons is that Renna has been holding out hope that Arlen would come back for her for years. On her part, she has let herself think of him as her savior for years and when he finally did save her she wanted to marry him right off the bat. I just feel that most of the romance is associated with her trauma rather than real love for him. Arlen had a good relationship with Renna without having to introduce romance into it and I had hopes that she would find someone in Cutter's Hollow while he finally renewed things with Leesa. And then in one line it was all ruined. There is no real romance, no kissing, no build up, he almost dies and then they just decide to get married right then and there. I could have understood if in the passion of the moment things changed between them, but getting married right then and there? And what about Leesa?
Had the romance with Leesa and Arlen had a satisfying ending, I would have been okay with this change but I just feel like there are way too many love triangles going on all at the same time. Leesa and her childhood boyfriend (can't remember his name right now...), Leesa and Arlen, Leesa and Jardir, Rojer loves Leesa but now has two potential wives, Jardir and the drama between his 14 wives, Renna and Corbie, Renna and Arlen...It's all just a little too much.
No comments:
Post a Comment