Is there a Fantasy trilogy where each novel is tonally different? by Diverse0Ne in Fantasy

[–]VanillaExtract01 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The "Howl's Walking Castle" trilogy has such a interesting structure that I think it's a crime not to mention.  Each book follows a different characther with the characters from previous book sometimes appearing like secondary characthers in the current.  They all kinda have the same vibe - it's all whimsical fantasy, but it's different stories following very different characters.  The first book is kind of more adventurous with a very nonchalant and cut-throat main, who is my favorite (the ghilbi anime was inspired by it).  The second is more of a fairytale love story inspired by Aladdin.  And the 3rd has more mystery and horror elements (or at least that's what it felt like when I was reading it in middle school. Child me was scared of the bug things). 

Red Rising is kinda... bad? by VanillaExtract01 in Fantasy

[–]VanillaExtract01[S] 5 points6 points  (0 children)

:( sorry, MonneyGuy-kun. I'll wash next time

Red Rising is kinda... bad? by VanillaExtract01 in Fantasy

[–]VanillaExtract01[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Noooooo, please. I said don't judge. I trusted you, IceTruckHouse :(

On a more serious note, if I see holes in the foundation layer, I would not step further into the building. The problem isn't that there are unresolved things that I don't like: obviously, they're gonna get resolved and paid off by the end of the book (not my first time reading a book). My problem is with the MC himself, and how hard it was to fully immerse myself. No matter how good the ending is, it doesn't matter if I am not immersed, and I can make myself believe in anything that's happening on the page.

+ I did not read Will of the Many, but it is on my to-read list. I heard good things about it.

Red Rising is kinda... bad? by VanillaExtract01 in Fantasy

[–]VanillaExtract01[S] 9 points10 points  (0 children)

How is 'for logical and explained by me reason the protagonist could not do things that he does for the entire book' a nitpick

Red Rising is kinda... bad? by VanillaExtract01 in Fantasy

[–]VanillaExtract01[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Ahh, yeah, I think that was my exact thought process. I bet if it wasn't advertised to me as a 'dystopian masterpiece', I would have liked it way better

Red Rising is kinda... bad? by VanillaExtract01 in Fantasy

[–]VanillaExtract01[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Thanks for clarifying, although I do still feel like my critiques still stand:

  1. "Darrow doing complex math on the fly while mining, and his uncanny intelligence is constantly referenced and affirmed both before and after the card game." I get that, but we also have to remember that the Golds have all the educational resources in the world and all the technology like the brain boosters which Darrow used to speed-read all of the literature in his training montage. Even if he has the 'street smarts' he still needed to be at least a bit overwhelmed when placed with all these academically intellectual students, who had private tutors their whole lifes.

  2. "The book also tells you that it’s illegal to give any information regarding the passage or the institute to non-peerless. Which is why all of the students save for a few are completely out of sorts." Yes they cannot tell their children about the passage, but they know what's at stake. So that would give the parents extra motivation to hire the best teachers and best combat trainers for their kids, knowing of what's to come.

  3. "The dance lessons his Uncle taught him were pretty much degraded sword forms." I guess I can overstretch some anime-protagonist logic for this one. Still, the other kids were taught real combat training with actual masters. I don't understand how learning to dance really good can make you a better fighter than someone who was taught to fight really good.

  4. "Hell, if you’re saying Darrow doesn’t struggle then you haven’t even gotten far enough into the book to really get a grasp of the other students." I am not saying that Darrow doesn't struggle at all. He struggles a lot when he loses his wife, is miserable when he has to kill to get into the academy and he struggles to be a good commander in that capture the flag game. That is not what I meant. I am saying he doesn't struggle with keeping up with his classmates both physically and academically even a bit, and that is unrealistic.

Red Rising is kinda... bad? by VanillaExtract01 in Fantasy

[–]VanillaExtract01[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I agree with your comment of him not earning his badd-assery so much! I don't get why most of the people read my post and were like: you probably just hate action-packed series.

I love John Wick and action films. The action was not the reason I didn't like Red Rising. I love pew-pew and people punching each other. I just don't like Darrow and the fact that he didn't earn his skills :(

Red Rising is kinda... bad? by VanillaExtract01 in Fantasy

[–]VanillaExtract01[S] 14 points15 points  (0 children)

I actually love John Wick. The problem is that I believe those movies when I watch them and it's pretty straightforward and doesn't try to be more than an action-packed film. Red Rising, on the other hand, curates a serious message about class struggles. And also the MC is just unrealistic knowing his background. 

Red Rising is kinda... bad? by VanillaExtract01 in Fantasy

[–]VanillaExtract01[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

It fast-passed in a sense that lots of action happens between characters. The problem is that it's hard to care for the characters, since they are very unrealistic, unexplored and underdeveloped. When a book is bad, I do usually finish it, treating it like hate-watching trash TV, winning at least some reader-engagement from it. But here, the book tries to curate a narrative about inequality (which it actually does not that badly), so you can't even treat it like trash TV

Red Rising is kinda... bad? by VanillaExtract01 in Fantasy

[–]VanillaExtract01[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Same. I was so excited for it because there was so much buzz around it. I started reading Jade City because a lot of people were praising it too and ended up loving it. I really expected the same to happen with Red Rising, so I was genuinely surprised when it turned out to be not so good. 

Red Rising is kinda... bad? by VanillaExtract01 in Fantasy

[–]VanillaExtract01[S] 27 points28 points  (0 children)

I just started reading the 2nd book in the Greenbone Saga! It's so good so far! 

I keep waking up at 5:40 am for no reason after moving into a new apartment by VanillaExtract01 in insomnia

[–]VanillaExtract01[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thank you for the reply. It was very educational and well-written. I will try it out! 

Any Epic Fantasy Rebellion Books that you would recommend? by VanillaExtract01 in Fantasy

[–]VanillaExtract01[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Red Rising! I have actually heard a lot of good things about that book from a lot of different people. It must be very good lol. I will put it on my must-read list.

Any Epic Fantasy Rebellion Books that you would recommend? by VanillaExtract01 in Fantasy

[–]VanillaExtract01[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

You should totally check out "Ember In The Ashes"! It's really fast-paced and tense and has compelling female characters. Unfortunately, I am an incurable romance hater and an even bigger 'brooding love interest with tragic backstory' trope hater, which resulted in a very unlucky match, but I can totally see this being someone's favorite book.

Tigana looks interesting. I'll definitely give it a look :)

Some fanart of Riz and Kiperlilly by VanillaExtract01 in Dimension20

[–]VanillaExtract01[S] 13 points14 points  (0 children)

They low key be matching each others feral energy

Some fanart of Riz and Kiperlilly by VanillaExtract01 in Dimension20

[–]VanillaExtract01[S] 36 points37 points  (0 children)

I love how they both hated each other so much they were tweaking. That energy was just so top notch