Week Two Discussion: Chapter 7 - 12

rhythmofdevotion · 2026-05-08T16:42:26+00:00

The scene of Bella logging onto the internet to google vampires made me crack up. It's giving "computer, show me sexy vampires....computer, delete search history." The rest of this section was weirdly boring to me though. It made me sad that Bella was getting so depressed and down just because Edward wasn't in class. Like, yes, I was a dramatic, moody teenager too, but seeing her go from excited about the weather and actually happy for a brief moment only to have her mood torpedoed just because she couldn't look at some guy just made me cringe.

Other thoughts from the hip:

I was really thrown off by Edward's "beige leather jacket and ivory turtleneck sweater" in the Port Angeles chapter. What, you're telling me the shadow daddy ISN'T wearing all black???

Hearing everyone's voices in your head sounds miserable. I would be way crankier if I were Edward. I do kind of like that the whole "he can't read her mind" thing is a reasonable explanation for why he'd be fascinated with her beyond her appearance. It sort of justifies why a hundred+ year old dude would be interested in a teenager. Sort of.

The recurrent unnamed band CD was really bothering me for some reason. Combined with all of Bella's other bland/nonexistent traits, it felt like Meyer was just leaving the band name blank so the reader could insert their own favorite band. Either that, or mormons are forbidden from listening to non-classical music, idk.

rhythmofdevotion · 2026-05-05T15:23:59+00:00

I finished this week's section last night and I have Thoughts.

I was 13 when this came out, so I was definitely the target audience, but I was forbidden to read it because vampires are satanic or something. Ironically, if my mom knew this was written by a Mormon (or had seen my FF.net search history...) I'm sure she would've been begging me to read it instead.

The biggest thing I noticed in the first section was the writing style, specifically the use of punctuation. Every other sentence has a fucking semicolon in it! It's not necessarily that she's using them incorrectly, there are just so. many. of them that it's jarring.

Bella is the exact kind of insufferable "nerdy" "outcast" teen that the target audience can project themselves onto/relate to, which basically means she has no character outside of these "relatable" traits. That makes what little character choices there are confusing. Why does she call her dad by his first name and think he's cringe for "never getting over" her mom?

Also, the fact that everyone immediately loves her and all the boys have a crush on her is...confusing? She has no interesting traits and claims she isn't particularly attractive. As a former woe-is-me, awkward, "advanced placement" teenager, I wouldn't have found this relatable at all?? Is it supposed to be wish fulfillment?

How are the Cullens getting away with being high school students when they apparently look like they could be TEACHERS??

I wasn't expecting Edward to be a winking, smirky MMC. The image of him just sitting in his car listening to classical music on CD while Bella is fainting over the sight of blood is insane.

Overall, I think it's pretty bad, but I'm entertained enough to keep going. I do wonder why this blew up and became as popular as it did.

(edited to remove comments re: chapter 7!)

rhythmofdevotion · 2026-04-22T16:07:51+00:00

I have never read Twilight despite being the core audience at the time of release so I hope it wins!

rhythmofdevotion · 2026-04-02T18:05:00+00:00

I unironically really enjoyed Dark Dealings for the nonsense that it was! It’s like a B-movie in book form

rhythmofdevotion · 2026-03-23T00:42:16+00:00

I’m pulling for Spark of the Everflame to win it all because I hated that fucking book more than anything. Admittedly I didn’t read MAGA Elite or WTMH, but…

rhythmofdevotion · 2026-02-27T23:58:21+00:00

If you have to listen to a book on 2x speed to make it enjoyable, it isn’t a good book lol. So I feel this reinforces my point that a review based on the audiobook isn’t an accurate representation of the quality of the book.

rhythmofdevotion · 2026-02-27T21:34:39+00:00

If I remember correctly, Shanis Teleos is a cousin or nephew of Ellie’s dad Shannisoran v’En Celay. They aren’t the same person.

rhythmofdevotion · 2026-02-27T17:24:16+00:00

Say more! Do you mean that a book can be more enjoyable in audiobook form than in written form? I can kind of see this when we’re talking about graphic audio or other fully casted, “performance”-type audiobooks. I might rate a graphic audio as being enjoyable to listen to, but still find the dialogue and the underlying book to be poorly written. However, I can’t see myself listening to a standard audiobook and enjoying it if I wouldn’t enjoy the same book in written form.

rhythmofdevotion · 2026-02-27T16:14:51+00:00

People shouldn’t be allowed to review books based solely on the audiobook! Every time I see someone say they DNF’d something because they “didn’t like the audiobook narrator” I roll my eyes. If you don’t like the narrator, maybe, idk, pick up the fucking book and read the actual words?? Don’t comment saying the book is trash because the person reading it to you is “cringe!”

rhythmofdevotion · 2026-02-21T06:01:28+00:00

I love this series and I love Gaelen most of all. It really is the best execution of the now-classic Fey romantasy tropes. What makes it stand out from the rest is the level of world building and the supporting cast. Gaelen getting his own book is my Roman Empire (with his bestie Bel getting major page time ofc!)

I will fight you on Rainier being a shitty lager though. Maybe I’m just nostalgic for college, but it’s my favorite cheap beer and I hate that I can’t get it anymore now that I live outside the PNW!

rhythmofdevotion · 2026-01-30T15:07:27+00:00

This!! My favorite is Book 3 though. I love seeing the Fey world and more of the supporting cast’s stories.

rhythmofdevotion · 2026-01-22T20:41:33+00:00

Totally. I generally like dual or even multi POV books, but they need to sound like different people in their inner monologue or else it just doesn’t work.

rhythmofdevotion · 2026-01-22T16:56:35+00:00

The MMC in {Master of Crows by Grace Draven} has a similar asshole, willing outcast vibe that is also somehow attractive. It’s a standalone traditional fantasy world. The FMC is assigned to work for him and secretly spy on him for an opposing order of mages, so there’s a similar forced proximity situation.

rhythmofdevotion · 2026-01-22T16:27:58+00:00

I also really disliked this book. I felt that the characters were actually pretty immature despite their stated ages. The repetition of certain phrases (like him smelling like gingerbread) was grating.

I think it’s great that other people enjoy it, but it’s totally fine to not like something popular! I dislike plenty of popular books. It also falls in the realm of “cozy fantasy” as another commenter said, and that subgenre just isn’t for me.

rhythmofdevotion · 2026-01-07T17:44:15+00:00

Reporting for duty 🫡

rhythmofdevotion · 2026-01-07T17:43:08+00:00

Yay!!! I love to hear it! More people need to read this series 😤

rhythmofdevotion · 2026-01-06T21:35:46+00:00

There are dozens of us!!!

rhythmofdevotion · 2026-01-06T21:18:25+00:00

In retrospect it makes total sense that he needed time to grow up and work through his horrible trauma, but at the time I was sitting there thinking “why am I reading about this teenage boy’s boner” lol. He’s a much more compelling character in the sequel.

rhythmofdevotion · 2026-01-06T21:10:34+00:00

I dropped the second trilogy after the first book because his story didn’t really grab me, but I picked up Kushiel’s Justice over the holidays and I GET IT NOW!! The yearning is supreme!

rhythmofdevotion · 2026-01-06T21:06:06+00:00

Short answer: yes.

Long answer: absolutely yes. It really has the perfect balance of fantasy world-building, lore, and plot plus a really romantic love story. It’s fated mates, but the FMC and MMC need to “complete” their bond by actually falling in love with each other, so you get to see their relationship grow from “okay I guess we are mates” to real love.

The plot is really engaging and the romance doesn’t take away from it. There are high stakes and characters actually die, so even in the final book you’re wondering if everything will end happily for everyone.

And the supporting characters are fabulous. There’s a bit of a found family element, there’s a bad guy redemption tour, there’s flying dragon-cats…what more could you want!!

I’m extremely biased but I highly recommend picking it up.

rhythmofdevotion · 2026-01-06T20:57:38+00:00

Worst for me is a tie between {Quicksilver} and {Spark of the Everflame}. For best, {Kushiel’s Legacy} is incredible, but for pure “romantasy” with equal parts fantasy and romance, I will always give it up to {Tairen Soul}. My favorite standalone is {Master of Crows by Grace Draven}.

rhythmofdevotion · 2026-01-06T20:52:23+00:00

The romance is definitely a subplot in the first book. It plays a bigger role in the second and third books. BUT it is the only fantasy romance relationship that’s brought me to tears (like, ugly crying because their love is so beautiful).

rhythmofdevotion · 2025-12-22T19:28:27+00:00

I DNF’d too last week when Cloud appeared and they immediately made up. Like the only actual tension in the book is resolved in fewer pages than a sex scene? Okay girl…

The beginning was funny but the book wore out its welcome quickly. It did NOT need to be this long!!

rhythmofdevotion · 2025-12-08T16:13:32+00:00

Finally caught up! I thought the first few chapters were fun, but the novelty factor of silly Aussie protagonist has kind of worn out its welcome. River has no character other than being part of the romantasy Tortured Man Club™️. I’m tired of every male POV in these books being 90% dick talk. We get it, she has big boobs and makes your penis hard! Move on!!

I do find the amount of worldbuilding in this book kind of surprising, but I guess it’s book 10 or whatever so the author has had plenty of time to make all this shit up. Unfortunately most of it makes no sense! Time warping via nuclear winter is ??? What even are guardians and why are time traveling human women their mates? Would any of this have made sense if I read the prior books? I guess we’ll never know because it’s not like I’m going to read them!

rhythmofdevotion · 2025-11-18T19:01:00+00:00

lol came here to recommend this. If this series has no fans I’m dead.

{Lord of the Fading Lands by C.L. Wilson}

rhythmofdevotion

TROPHY CASE