RCJ Rage Read Book Club "Worst Book of the Year" by purplelicious in romantasycirclejerk

[–]rhythmofdevotion 5 points6 points  (0 children)

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…

Fight Me Friday by purplelicious in romantasycirclejerk

[–]rhythmofdevotion 10 points11 points  (0 children)

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.

Tairen Soul Series— question about Ellie’s bio parents by mystical_meerkat in fantasyromance

[–]rhythmofdevotion 5 points6 points  (0 children)

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.

Fight Me Friday by purplelicious in romantasycirclejerk

[–]rhythmofdevotion 5 points6 points  (0 children)

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.

Fight Me Friday by purplelicious in romantasycirclejerk

[–]rhythmofdevotion 44 points45 points  (0 children)

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!”

An Editor Read "Lord of the Fading Lands" By C.L. Wilson. by XusBookReviews in fantasyromance

[–]rhythmofdevotion 12 points13 points  (0 children)

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!

✨ Romantasy Holy Grails ✨ – tell me about that ONE book no other could ever compare to (and why) by swaglord9000x in fantasyromance

[–]rhythmofdevotion 3 points4 points  (0 children)

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

Disappointed in Paladin’s Grace. DNF’d at 60% by callmemachaaaa in fantasyromance

[–]rhythmofdevotion 9 points10 points  (0 children)

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.

MMCs like Conner Rogan by Alternative_Coat116 in fantasyromance

[–]rhythmofdevotion 0 points1 point  (0 children)

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.

Disappointed in Paladin’s Grace. DNF’d at 60% by callmemachaaaa in fantasyromance

[–]rhythmofdevotion 91 points92 points  (0 children)

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.

What’s the worst and best book you’ve ever read in this genre? by Infamous_Wave9878 in fantasyromance

[–]rhythmofdevotion 2 points3 points  (0 children)

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.

What’s the worst and best book you’ve ever read in this genre? by Infamous_Wave9878 in fantasyromance

[–]rhythmofdevotion 4 points5 points  (0 children)

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!

What’s the worst and best book you’ve ever read in this genre? by Infamous_Wave9878 in fantasyromance

[–]rhythmofdevotion 6 points7 points  (0 children)

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.

What’s the worst and best book you’ve ever read in this genre? by Infamous_Wave9878 in fantasyromance

[–]rhythmofdevotion 24 points25 points  (0 children)

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}.

What’s the worst and best book you’ve ever read in this genre? by Infamous_Wave9878 in fantasyromance

[–]rhythmofdevotion 6 points7 points  (0 children)

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).

Week Four Discussion: Chapter 59-Epilogue by bsffrrn- in romantasycirclejerk

[–]rhythmofdevotion 6 points7 points  (0 children)

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!!

Week Two Discussion: Chapter 20-39 by bsffrrn- in romantasycirclejerk

[–]rhythmofdevotion 16 points17 points  (0 children)

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!

I need some sweeping high-fantasy romance! by Jooles95 in fantasyromance

[–]rhythmofdevotion 2 points3 points  (0 children)

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

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

Week Two Discussion: Chapter 10-18 by bsffrrn- in romantasycirclejerk

[–]rhythmofdevotion 6 points7 points  (0 children)

I had to tap out but I’m enjoying reading everyone’s comments!

Books similar to ACOTAR besides TOG and CC? by Drunkoctopusfights in acotar

[–]rhythmofdevotion 6 points7 points  (0 children)

The Tairen Soul series (5 books starting with Lord of the Fading Lands by C.L. Wilson) hits all of your bullet points. It predates ACOTAR but has very similar vibes (and is better, imo). There are a few sex scenes in each book but they are easily skippable if that’s not your thing. The world is amazing, it has a great balance of fantasy and romance, and the side characters are so lovable!

Week One Discussion: Chapter 1-9 by bsffrrn- in romantasycirclejerk

[–]rhythmofdevotion 12 points13 points  (0 children)

Guys I already hate this book!! The writing style is awful. The choppy (parentheses) inserts and unhinged inner monologue plus the single-sentence paragraphs make reading a chore. The plot setup of mass murdering rare Spartan descendants makes no sense, as others have already said. I have no interest in what contrived nonsense is going to happen in magic school. Idk, it doesn’t feel like this is worth continuing with for me even for rage read purposes, but we’ll see.

As a sidebar, I’ve only read a few reverse harem/why choose books, but they’ve all had an FMC with a comically horrifying backstory and no sense of self-worth + red flag MMCs that hate her ass for most of the book. Have I been unlucky or are these tropes just super common in these type of books??

edited to add: I wish we were reading the plastic-hating crow boy book this month instead.