I’ve been wanting to do a tag like this for a long time, so thanks Rachel @ pace amore libri for tagging me!
1.) A popular book or book series that you didn’t like.
First one that comes to mind is The Wrath and The Dawn by Renee Ahdieh. I didn’t absolutely hate this (I gave it a three-star rating, but it was definitely on the lower end of the spectrum, more like 2.5). I thought it suffered from flat characters, meandering plot, terribly written romance, and a protagonist who keeps being referred to as super special. I liked the book enough to finish it quickly, but I remember rolling my eyes a lot and not being the least bit interested in picking up the sequel.
Also, shout out to Alexandra Bracken’s The Darkest Minds and Marie Lu’s Legend.
2.) A popular book or book series that everyone else seems to hate but you love.
I don’t think people hate The Necromancer Chronicles, but I definitely think that they don’t get the love they deserve (and more criticism than I think they should). I love these books. I’m not saying they’re without some technical problems, particularly in terms of pacing and characterization. However, I think they feature some of the best fantasy worldbuilding I’ve ever seen. The world of the Necromancer Chronicles is essentially gender-neutral, with women on equal footing as men, and it was a beautiful thing to read. The magic system is unique. The cities and countries described are based on real countries (and you can guess which) but they’re well-developed and atmospheric. The writing is lush and lyrical and lovely (though some may find it too purple, but I’m known to like that). The second book is the apex of the series, featuring excellent romance, a trans character, polyamory, and political intrigue.
3.) An otp that you don’t like.
Aelin/Rowan. So, Sarah J. Maas’ Throne of Glass series always seemed like it would be right up my alley, and indeed, I loved the first and second books, despite their many problems. However, by the time the third book came along, the books dipped noticeably in quality, and started to lag. Eventually I quit the series. And I think a big part of the reason for that is Rowan and his relationship with Aelin. Maybe it’s because I liked her better with Chaol (a relationship that was so slow burn and then ended like a week after it began), maybe it’s because Rowan’s a territorial weirdo, but I just really dislike them together. I think they bring out the worst in each other and they’re boring, frankly.
4.) A popular book genre that you hardly reach for.
Romance. I’ve never been a huge fan, personally. I tend to dislike it even in my other genre fiction, but I don’t think that’s the fault of romance itself. I really like romance if it’s well-written and well-incorporated into a novel (see: The Shadowed Sun by N.K. Jemisin) but normally romances are terribly written. And romance as a genre tends to be very standardized: there’s a particular formula publishers know will sell, and so the plot keeps recycling itself. I’m not fond of that formula.
5.) A popular/beloved character that you do not like.
I started thinking about characters I don’t like, and I realized there is a very particular type of character I tend to dislike: male YA love interests. So Noah Shaw (Unbecoming of Mara Dyer), Po (Graceling), Dorian (Throne of Glass), Mal (Shadow and Bone), and I could probably keep listing them. Most of them tend to be bland and forgettable, an amalgamation of ideal male traits made to cater to our heroine’s needs and desires. A nice fantasy, to be sure, but it means we end up with an archetype rather than an actual character.
6.) A popular author that you can’t seem to get into.
Terry Goodkind. See, I really loved the TV show Legend of the Seeker, so I thought I’d read the high fantasy series it was based on, Sword of Truth. As it turns out, the TV series has little in common with the books and the books are <i>the worst</i>. Not only do they suffer from comically terrible writing and dialogue, they’re also full of misogyny so horrifically terrible it’s almost satirical – only it’s not. Unsurprisingly, his books are popular with high fantasy fans, as they’re that sort of old school white farmboy misogynistic fantasy that used to be popular. But it’s mediocre bullshit.
7.) A popular book trope that you’re tired of seeing.
YA is full of tropes that I can’t stand. I think the one that takes the cake is when you have a heroine who is established as super special and better than other girls, who are obviously beneath her. I don’t know why this is so popular considering YA is a genre mostly written by women (haha just kidding I totally know why), but so many YA fantasy novels fall into this trap of isolating their heroines from other women. Not only is it misogynistic, it’s also unrealistic considering most of these fantasy novels take place in psuedo-medieval times when relationships between women were varied, complex, and important! No, instead these books would rather give the heroine a pasty cardboard dude to fall in love with while all other girls are evil/shallow/vain/insipid. From what I’ve been seeing, though, YA writers seem to be taking steps away from this!
8.) A popular series that you have no interest in reading.
Shatter Me by Tahera Mafi. People seem to love this, but I’m really not interested. Aside from my general disinterest in YA dystopia, the weird writing format is really throwing me off (random sentences are crossed out) and I know I won’t be able to get into it. Plus the summary sounds suuuuuuuper generic. (I am purposely using the paperback cover here because the hardcover version is…Y I K E S.)
And shout out to anything Cassandra Clare has written. I actually really enjoy the TV show Shadowhunters based on her work, but I would never read it.
9.) The saying goes “the book is always better than the movie,” but what movie or tv show adaptation do you prefer more than the book?
This is probably a weird answer, but I’ve always kinda liked the Twilight films? I read the first book when I was a teenager and didn’t like it, but when I watched the film I remember enjoying it. Probably because I didn’t have to suffer through the writing. This is a terrible answer but I can’t think of anything else! The book really is always better than the movie!
I’ll tag: Anne Reads Them, Perspective of a Writer, and She Reads at Past Midnight!
What do y’all think of my answers? Agree, disagree? Let me know in the comments!
The Queen of Blood by Sarah Beth Durst: This rich adult fantasy set in what appears to be Avatar the Last Airbender’s Spirit World. Spirits inhabit nature and select women have the ability to control them. These women train and then compete for the chance to be the next queen. One of these women is Daleina, who loses her entire village at a very young age to an attack of spirits. She is not particularly talented, but she is especially determined, and her progression from young girl to competent woman is something to see. Now, there is a relationship in this book, but it features so little it’s almost tossed in as an afterthought. Much of the book focuses on Daleina’s growth and training. The most prominent relationship is between her and her trainer, which is kind of a father-daughter dynamic.
A Taste for Monsters by Matthew J. Kirby: This is an interesting historical fiction novel about Joseph Merrick, more popularly known as the Elephant Man, an Englishman who exhibited severe deformities. The novel is written from the perspective of Joseph’s nurse Evelyn, who also suffers a deformity. The two develop a powerful, touching friendship that becomes the crux of the novel. While this book does become somewhat repetitive after a while, it writes very descriptively of nineteenth century London and features many interesting and layered characters. I also think it’s quite a refreshing idea, fictionalizing a short time period in the life of a man who was known only for his appearance in freak shows. It humanizes a historical figure through the eyes of a similarly anguished female character.
The Girl in the Road by Monica Byrne: I barely know how to describe this book. It follows a young Indian girl named Meena, who decides to return to her birthplace of Ethiopia by traversing The Trail, a strange energy-type bridge that connects India to Africa over the Arabian Sea. Her perspective is interspersed with that of Mariama, a young girl from Western Sahara who journeys across the Sahara with an enigmatic woman named Yemaya. This is a very strange book set in a very odd future. There is no romance whatsoever because the plot is entirely focused on these two women and how their worlds come to intersect. The end left me absolutely reeling. I feel like I have to go back and re-read this book twice in order to fully understand it and comprehend all the symbolism and analogies.
Dreams of Shreds and Tatters by Amanda Downum: In an homage to weird fiction, this horror novel brings forth Carcosa and the King in Yellow. Liz Drake, a woman with prophetic dreams, journeys to Vancouver to rescue her friend Blake from the clutches of the Yellow King. In her dreams, which are quickly becoming real, she must journey to the mysterious Carcosa to pull Blake out. This novel is thrilling and bloody and will send shivers down your spine. Liz is in a relationship, but it’s a minor point in the book. More prominent is Liz’s friendship with Blake and her increasingly disturbing dreams of Carcosa that are swiftly transforming her reality into a phantasmagoria she can’t seem to escape.
City of Stairs by Robert Jackson Bennett: Shara Thivani, a spymaster posing as diplomat, journeys to Bulikov, a city that ruled the world before its Gods were killed, in order to investigate the murder of a historian. Her search leads her to suspect that perhaps Bulikov’s Gods are not as dead as they seem. City of Stairs debuts an incredible female character in Shara, and the world-building is dense and original. In particular the focus on religion and Gods was intriguing and chilling.
Severus Snape (Harry Potter): I had to start out with the apex of unlikable characters, didn’t I? Snape is a horrible person. Abusive, borderline racist, selfish, bitter, just an all-around terrible person. I wouldn’t even want to be in the same room with him, let alone be his friend. And yet Snape is undeniably fascinating: he has spent nearly all of his life regretting and attempting to atone for getting the love of his life killed. None of his intentions were honorable – he thought he was getting another family killed, and even when he realized it was Lily he didn’t give a damn about her husband and infant son dying. He just wanted to save her, and whether his feelings for Lily were love or obsession is, I think, irrelevant. Lily died anyway, and Snape switched sides to atone. He also – and this is just my personal headcanon here – isolated himself and did everything he could to make other people hate him, because he believed he deserved it. He kept fighting not necessarily because he believed in the cause, but because he felt he owed it to Lily. Like I said, fundamentally not a good person, and that’s not even getting into how horrible of a teacher he was (he was Neville’s worst fear for God’s sake!). But so, so multi-layered, complex, and fascinating.
Adelina Amouteru (The Young Elites): Adelina grew up with her sister and abusive stepfather. With a parent like that, it is no surprise that Adelina is reserved, wary, and bitter. However, as her powers begin to manifest and the friends she thought she had abandoned her, Adelina swerves sharply into villain territory. She sets out to get revenge, abandoning any and all morality in the process. She wants revenge and she wants power, and she will do anything she can to get it, even as she struggles not to lose her mind. Being in Adelina’s head is one hell of a trip; the girl is half insane at this point. She’s such a compelling, dynamic character. I’m excited to read the final book in this series!
Isyllt Iskaldur (The Necromancer Chronicles): I don’t know if Isyllt would be considered widely unlikable by everyone, but I find her an unusual female character. She reminds me a bit of a noir detective. She’s taciturn, pragmatic, and no-nonsense. After spending her teens in the streets, Isyllt was taken in by the King (sort of) and turned into a kind of spy/necromancer/magician (in other words, she’s super cool). She’s kind of closed off in a way that female characters usually aren’t, which makes her super intriguing.
Nassun (The Obelisk Gate): Essun’s daughter Nassun is not necessarily unlikable, but pitiable. After experiencing the unimaginable trauma of witnessing her father murder her brother, and then being kidnapped by him as he struggles not to kill her for simply being who she is, Nassun transforms from an ordinary young girl to an unbelievably cold, cynical young woman. By the end of the book she has veered into such strange, nihilistic territory that being in her head becomes pretty uncomfortable.
Petyr Baelish (A Song of Ice and Fire): This is kind of cheating, since I don’t know that I would call Petyr a protagonist, necessarily, but whether we like it or not he is essentially the lynch pin of the entire series. He set most of the events in the series in motion. Some thing he did just to create chaos, to see what would happen, in true chaotic neutral form. Petyr is sneaky and subtle and brilliant (forget TV show Petyr, I’m talking about book Petyr, who is a fundamentally different person). He’s one hell of a strategist and he’s incredibly ambitious, but like Snape, he is also caught up in a past romance which pushes him from “ambiguously motivated” to “supremely creepy” territory. Despite that, the dynamic Petyr has with Sansa Stark, his lost love’s daughter, is the most fascinating in the entire series. The pair of a somewhat disturbing dynamic, but I love it all the same, just as I am fascinated with Petyr Baelish.
Hadeer Elsbai 