Scan barcode
cheesebagel's reviews
218 reviews
Pet by Catherine Chidgey
4.0
ooooo this was spooky as hell!!! like Anne of green gables meets lord of the flies. such a success on all counts. magnificently written and plotted. wowowowowowowow
Intimacies by Katie Kitamura
4.0
this so lived up to the hype. I loved existing in this space. would read again just for the vibes
Marilou is Everywhere by Sarah Elaine Smith
4.0
3.5 this was so good?? I would totally read more from this author. v impressed
Milk Teeth by Jessica Andrews
2.5
tbh I don’t really like books that are narrated like this. this book had some good moments but was mostly filled with repetitive imagery and the toneless complaining of a tiresome protagonist.
Iron Flame by Rebecca Yarros
2.0
the way I feel about this book is a lot like the way I felt about Fourth Wing, which is kind of surprising because based on some of the hate for it that I saw on social media compared to the fanaticism for Fourth Wing, I thought this book was about to be complete trash.
actually, I don't think it was much different or worse than the first one. in fact, the things I disliked about it are pretty much the same, but I'll repeat them because I made notes while reading and I want them to go somewhere lol.
I think the biggest compliment I can pay Iron Flame is that I really saw a ton of potential for a halfway decent fantasy novel. a lot of the skeleton of a solid story is there: Yarros has created a pretty compelling conflict, setting, and group of secondary characters. there's even some genuine tension. but the problem is that she's so tirelessly indulging her reader (and herself) that it's effectively too easy.
as a reader, you're handed everything you think you want on a silver platter. Violet is the perfect character to imagine yourself as (read: gets a fuck ton of attention but is just cool enough not to notice or seem like she wants it). all plot points work in her favour, with some minor setbacks that have no or very convenient consequences, and nothing bad happens to anyone important, the biggest problem with this being that it makes the book so incredibly predictable.
there are so many dynamics that I think could have been more deeply explored, which is sort of an insane thing to say given that I think this book was ludicrously long. what was Yarros doing in all those pages? maybe cutting out 50% of the cliché lines would've left space for some more fruitful things! (don't worry Rebecca, you can keep some of them, I know how you depend on cliché) ((honestly if I ever read some variation of the words "strengthen my shields" again it'll be too soon)).
like, for example, Violet's relationship with her mother. so woefully shallow that I couldn't care less when she died. a fraught mother-daughter relationship is so interesting and offers so much room for depth and meaning, and Yarros just took none of the bait at any time.
other things I thought made this book weak include the like, 5 seconds afforded to any engagement with lesser magic, which basically becomes a convenient filler in empty space with zero explanation. also, the poor distinction between each character's voice - everyone feels like a poor replica of Violet. Rhiannon, the boys (all of whom sort of mesh into one kinda corny sidekick guy), even Xaden feels like man-Violet lol.
which I suppose brings me to Cat, anti-Violet with redeemable Violet-like qualities. the whole chunk of the novel dedicated to fleshing out a ridiculous conflict between these girls over Xaden. quite literally two girls bitch-fighting over some guy (aside: Cat admits that actually what she wants is to be Xaden's queen - lowkey doesn't make a ton of sense politically given that he's not a king and the kingdom is ruled by a council that votes... also she's in line to her own throne... also this plot device is literally never mentioned again and she massively chills out when Yarros gets bored of the conflict).
speaking of Xaden (king of clichés maybe lmao), I can't put my finger on exactly why their romance felt so empty and forced. maybe it's because every interaction between Violet and Xaden has two flavours: soft porn or fighting like children over something dumb. I also find Xaden's signet really nonsensical. he wields shadows. you know, those dark patches in the corner where the light doesn't reach? most certainly not a tangible thing that can like, strangle people and stuff...
this is long, so the last thing I want to decry is the final action scene of the last 50-ish pages. my god, I've never read a more boring action sequence in my life. maybe this was just me desperate to finish the book and put it out of my mind, but I was dragging myself through each sentence half asleep.
all this being said, while I honestly think this book would've been better if Yarros had decided to write real fantasy, I can't exactly fault her for writing precisely what her fanbase has proven that it wants. which I suppose brings me back to some of the hate I've seen for it online that I don't understand at all when it comes from people who rated Fourth Wing 5 stars. Iron Flame is the same thing just longer.
actually, I don't think it was much different or worse than the first one. in fact, the things I disliked about it are pretty much the same, but I'll repeat them because I made notes while reading and I want them to go somewhere lol.
I think the biggest compliment I can pay Iron Flame is that I really saw a ton of potential for a halfway decent fantasy novel. a lot of the skeleton of a solid story is there: Yarros has created a pretty compelling conflict, setting, and group of secondary characters. there's even some genuine tension. but the problem is that she's so tirelessly indulging her reader (and herself) that it's effectively too easy.
as a reader, you're handed everything you think you want on a silver platter. Violet is the perfect character to imagine yourself as (read: gets a fuck ton of attention but is just cool enough not to notice or seem like she wants it). all plot points work in her favour, with some minor setbacks that have no or very convenient consequences, and nothing bad happens to anyone important, the biggest problem with this being that it makes the book so incredibly predictable.
there are so many dynamics that I think could have been more deeply explored, which is sort of an insane thing to say given that I think this book was ludicrously long. what was Yarros doing in all those pages? maybe cutting out 50% of the cliché lines would've left space for some more fruitful things! (don't worry Rebecca, you can keep some of them, I know how you depend on cliché) ((honestly if I ever read some variation of the words "strengthen my shields" again it'll be too soon)).
like, for example, Violet's relationship with her mother. so woefully shallow that I couldn't care less when she died. a fraught mother-daughter relationship is so interesting and offers so much room for depth and meaning, and Yarros just took none of the bait at any time.
other things I thought made this book weak include the like, 5 seconds afforded to any engagement with lesser magic, which basically becomes a convenient filler in empty space with zero explanation. also, the poor distinction between each character's voice - everyone feels like a poor replica of Violet. Rhiannon, the boys (all of whom sort of mesh into one kinda corny sidekick guy), even Xaden feels like man-Violet lol.
which I suppose brings me to Cat, anti-Violet with redeemable Violet-like qualities. the whole chunk of the novel dedicated to fleshing out a ridiculous conflict between these girls over Xaden. quite literally two girls bitch-fighting over some guy (aside: Cat admits that actually what she wants is to be Xaden's queen - lowkey doesn't make a ton of sense politically given that he's not a king and the kingdom is ruled by a council that votes... also she's in line to her own throne... also this plot device is literally never mentioned again and she massively chills out when Yarros gets bored of the conflict).
speaking of Xaden (king of clichés maybe lmao), I can't put my finger on exactly why their romance felt so empty and forced. maybe it's because every interaction between Violet and Xaden has two flavours: soft porn or fighting like children over something dumb. I also find Xaden's signet really nonsensical. he wields shadows. you know, those dark patches in the corner where the light doesn't reach? most certainly not a tangible thing that can like, strangle people and stuff...
this is long, so the last thing I want to decry is the final action scene of the last 50-ish pages. my god, I've never read a more boring action sequence in my life. maybe this was just me desperate to finish the book and put it out of my mind, but I was dragging myself through each sentence half asleep.
all this being said, while I honestly think this book would've been better if Yarros had decided to write real fantasy, I can't exactly fault her for writing precisely what her fanbase has proven that it wants. which I suppose brings me back to some of the hate I've seen for it online that I don't understand at all when it comes from people who rated Fourth Wing 5 stars. Iron Flame is the same thing just longer.
Swallowing Mercury by Wioletta Greg
5.0
my favourite kind of book. how nice to round off the year with it :,)