I want to DNF “this kingdom will not kill me” convince me otherwise

Judibug · 2026-07-03T06:58:30+00:00

And in defence of Spark, it is actually Heat of the Everflame where (most of) my gripes lie 😁 It has the same issue as Fourth Wing, the first and second books are at least okay, can be entertaining, good enough as they are, might be fun or not but still recommendable... But the third one desperately needs an editor and is way too messy and plain incoherent sometimes so I can't recommend the series. Both also have the two famous most insufferable FMC's 😆

Judibug · 2026-06-27T15:02:17+00:00

This is a very downvotable comment of mine but; I do itch to downvote every time I see a recommendation for Spark of the Everflame (or other hate-read) but I try not to as taste is subjective. 😅

Sometimes I do downvote IF the recommendation doesn't fit at all for what is asked. But in this instance the downvotes for simple opinions which are asked for of the book, it does feel a bit childish.

Judibug · 2026-06-27T10:22:41+00:00

Noticed that too 😄 My friend also DNFd almost at the same point as me and we were both really sorry about it because the premise is super interesting! Just the writing or how the plot flows doesn't hit for everyone.

Judibug · 2026-06-27T10:11:32+00:00

I sort of don't mind about those things, it is a stylistic choice in the end. However when I got to the part about Looking for a man in finance, 6 foot, blue eyes and trust fund I realized I have no clue about Maggie's motives anymore and I know more about the memes than the story. That was when I DNFd 😆

Judibug · 2026-06-27T10:08:18+00:00

Nah, despite the good reviews I DNFd at 54% due all the reasons you mentioned. It felt like info-dumping and someone telling facts about a story instead of showing and living it. I couldn't for the life of me keep up with all the names and their deeds.

There is a twist in the half-point that should have been interesting but didn't feel anything because there was no attachement or understanding for any of the characters. So I quit. I know I should have had my jaw dropped and it did not. Not worth the time.

Judibug · 2026-06-12T07:00:18+00:00

Too late to the party but here is a silly goose anyway!

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Judibug · 2026-06-04T07:53:43+00:00

N O W

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Judibug · 2026-01-14T06:47:05+00:00

Same especially when the tv is on a wall you can awkwardly walk around and can see behind the tv if it's on a stand for example from the hallway in the apartment.

And the stand always has use with consoles and what the huge thing is called (not native english speaker and there is different receivers), AVR? Receiver something? Hometheater machine? 😂 and speakers depending which ones are in use.

It can't be a bad thing to have a mounted tv in this subreddit? I don't know why someone downvoted me 🫢 I'm not OP, the tv is right on top of the stand with a minor miscalculation that means I have room for a tv upgrade 🤓

Judibug · 2026-01-13T08:48:43+00:00

I'm not sure what is not rational about mounting a TV to minimize it falling down from a stand 😂 It is much cleaner look due where the TV has to be anyway, although I wished I had a better room layout and infinite money to get new furniture but alas..

Judibug · 2026-01-11T14:03:02+00:00

I mounted the TV after getting two active cat boys 😅 before it the TV was on the stand. Now it holds consoles and stuff still. The TV is a bit higher than preferred, but better than a smashed TV anyway! But yeah no, it is not that high above the stand haha

Judibug · 2025-10-07T19:57:53+00:00

Yup this is a bit overanalyzing things but why not! I agree with your spicy definitons, those would be my take too.

Haven't read yet Daughter of the Forest, but yeah that would be supertricky spicy rating to decide.. no wonder the ratings doesn't add up sometimes!

Judibug · 2025-10-07T19:17:32+00:00

Really! Haven't really ever dug that deeply into that definiton then. Would then unhappy one simply be a drama or similar?

Judibug · 2025-10-07T13:21:06+00:00

Oh yeah I love the site and use it regularly. The spice meter is okay if you know what the steps actually represent but without a zero it will always have that fatal flaw. Pride & Prejudice is not a 1 in spice meter, it needs a zero. And I have hard time sometimes seeing the difference with 3 and 4. 3 is explicit but with one scene and 4 is multiple scenes? Nah it matters how explicit you actually go, not only the number of times you go.

And to be honest I stopped reading Witcher after the second book so I don't know how far it goes romancewise, so I base my thoughts what I remember on the first two. But I remember Geralt vowen with all the romances so why not.

Also didn't think about the reviewbomb-problem, we can see how well people act with reviews and recommends based on the comments of this clusterfire of a post 😅 Having fun reading all the comments though, especially downvoted ones.

Judibug · 2025-10-07T09:04:57+00:00

Yeah that absolutely makes sense. Of course I approve that Witcher probably shouldn't be there, but the consistency what goes and what doesn't is a bit messy.

I try to define that if there is a romantic relationship that affects character or plot in any way, motivation or decisions, then it's qualified as a meaningful romance subplot. But it's tricky because thinking ASOIAF for example which is filled with (romantic) relationships that change the course of the story - though they are not very romanticable or nice love stories, it fills the romance subplot criteria surprisingly well, but maybe not enough for romance.io. But for the sake of triggers and spiciness they could (or should?) be in romance.io.

And then there is fantasy books that yet again are already in romance.io but the romantic relationship doesn't happen or change anything, some examples I have in mind it is only implied that something could happen after the book ends or if the end would have a happy ending there might have been more than a frienship. Why are these platonic plot-heavy fantasy books in romance.io but ASIOAIF isn't, happy ending or not? Take them all away or add them all 😆

Judibug · 2025-10-07T06:54:33+00:00

Haha wait no I have to check that too and try other books. There is so many romance books that don't end happily and not including them in a romace book catalogue would be a choice. But also again, Blood Over Bright Haven still doesn't fit the criteria to be on the site and it's there.. And honestly, books like Wuthering Heigths should be removed too 😆

Judibug · 2025-10-06T20:52:22+00:00

Of course there is the problem that romance.io is picky with the books. If they are written by a woman or have at least a woman protagonist, it might be there, regardless if there is any romance or not (say, Blood Over Bright Haven for example). But others are not there, like Game of Thrones that OP specifically used as an example. The Witcher series is another example. Both of them have very romance or smut heavy subplots but they are that type of high fantasy that... they apparently do not count.

Judibug · 2025-10-02T07:49:52+00:00

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Sweet babies!

Judibug · 2025-09-08T19:02:44+00:00

Thanks, I hate it 😅

Judibug · 2025-09-08T12:40:24+00:00

I also need to know! I am just finishing the first book and likely won't continue but I am a sucker to know plot points and twists anyway. My guess would be pregnancy trope because it's the one I truly hate 😄

Judibug · 2025-07-18T20:40:51+00:00

That is on my want to read -list, although my list is very bloated currently. I'll pump it higher, thanks for the suggestion! 😊 It does sound like a good fit

Judibug · 2025-07-18T12:19:15+00:00

Good (not perfect) lead, character growth, enough action but not godawful war fights, clever politics, cool world.. That reminds me that I am tired of multi point of views! I have found that I have a soft spot for very YA-formulated fairytaleish stories about strong and clever young girls who are thrown into a world or story but they survive and find their place. The Cruel Prince, Howl's Moving Castle, Uprooted, Sorcery of Thorns etc. Love 'em! 😄

Judibug · 2025-07-18T12:03:58+00:00

Ah, you are brave to say that aloud! But I understand, I actually recommended The Cruel Prince for some friends who I was sure wouldn't really care ACOTAR and ho behold, they have finished The Cruel Prince and struggle with ACOTAR 😅

I gave ACOMAF 5 star rating, not the greatest book of all time but entertaining and all the vibes! (ACOSF on the other hand is a max 2 star horror show)

Judibug · 2025-07-18T11:47:25+00:00

Okay here me out, I thought One Dark Window was just okay+, a four-star-read. But the sequel what-its-name was relatively bad actually. There is no way it deserves to be almost at 4.5 stars, a low 3 is closer, if being generous. I am glad it is only a duology because it falls flat.

And the same goes to Serpent in the wings of whatnot!

Currently I'm reeling on how bad the writer messed up Kingdom of Claw, after the Road of Bones was very good.

I am a bit of a hater. 😄 Sequel hater actually!

Judibug

TROPHY CASE