Comments | failte_aoife: Books I mostly didn't finish

failte_aoife

Books I mostly didn't finish

Aug 17, 2018 16:34

And it wasn't always the books' fault

Aliette de Bodard: House of Shattered WingsWhat the blurb promised: Angels in magical Paris ( Read more... )

books

Comments 8

rinkafushi August 17 2018, 14:46:54 UTC

You might not have enjoyed reading them, but j sure had fun with your recaps xD So thanks for that !

failte_aoife August 18 2018, 09:33:57 UTC

*Bows* I am to please

baka_yu August 17 2018, 20:59:42 UTC

What rinkafushi said xD Reminds me of the short period of time where people did this a lot more in-depth with books. (I particulary remember erynwen's entry about Thor by Hohlbein. It was hilarious.)

And seeing those graphics again <3 But holy smokes, that book still sounds SO BAD.

failte_aoife August 18 2018, 09:41:00 UTC

It was XD SO BAD

ikel89 August 21 2018, 09:55:27 UTC

I was gonna say something along the lines of "i'm sorry you get to read such crap books but also i don't have the heart to discourage you away from them because we get the reviews" but I see rinka beat me to it XD

Added detail on the archaeologist chick give this debacle a new dimension, or possibly twenty. Everything about the rich African culture butchered in the prologue is calling for a funeral, and wow. Trafalgar. Just -- wow. Kissing the maid was another cherry on top of this cake :') That feeling when you know you hate everyone involved before the prologue is over: the story.

I think we established the Poppy War is not meant for you, so, moving on XD

Is the paris thing a translated work? I am vaaaaguely tempted if only to get a feel of how non-English specimen of the SFF genre fares. Worth it for that reason?

failte_aoife August 22 2018, 10:45:29 UTC

It is quite surprising how much fail was in that story in the first two chapters alone...

Bodart is French-American but writes in English and I did read and enjoy one of her novellas before (The Tea Master and the Detective, which is set in a Vietnamese-inspired Sci-Fi world. Caveat: I enjoyed the sci-fi Sherlock Holmes aspect of it (Watson is a spaceship...it makes sense in context) and also because it was on sale for 0.99. The other novellas in that universe feature different characters and cost more and I couldn't be bothered that much). Her prose is definitely...noticeable. I wouldn't call it purple but YMMV.

hamsterwoman August 21 2018, 20:28:15 UTC

I could barely get through Aliette de Bodard's Hugo-nominated novelette, and if it had been any longer, I'm pretty sure I wouldn't have finished. It was about dragons in human form and magical oligarch houses, and yet I was still SO BORED -- I think her style just doesn't work for me.

Not familiar with the rest, although I am intrigued by The Poppy War, from what I've heard from ikel89 and others -- but all of the reviews, especially Treacherous Is the Night were very entertaining to read!

failte_aoife August 22 2018, 11:01:06 UTC

I did read her Tea Master and the Detective which is set in that universe and enjoyed it but as I pointed out to ikel89 above that was helped by the fact that it was Sherlock Holmes IN SPACE. Her style didn't bother me that much but I can see how it wouldn't be for everyone. I do have another book by her lying around (the first in her fantasy Aztec trilogy...because after getting the other two on sale I had that one in a Story Bundle) and want to give that one a try, soon.

I think Poppy War definitely just doesn't work for me. There are glimpses of cool stuff, which is probably the reason why I kept telling myself I should try to read on but the rest of the book isn't my thing.

Thanks...If I have to suffer through something like that book, I at least like to let out all my rage XD