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Sarah J Maas: plagiarism or inspiration

In this post we are going to discuss the various and stricking similaries between Sarah J Maas series TOG/ACOTAR with original books she admited to consume, as well as the use of direct lines from movies, books and tv shows in her books, and where do we draw the line in what we consider to be inspiration vs plagiarism.

As some people know, SJM is a big fan of Anne Bishop's work, especifically her Black Jewels trilogy. Some people already noticed similarities between the two series (and in her TOG books as well) in terms of storyline, races and characters, but it's not nearly talked about enough.

It's good to make clear that the first book of "the black jewels" was published in 1998 and the last one of the trilogy was published in 2000, over 12 years before acotar and TOG was even launched. So Bishop's work was around a long time before sjm started to publish her books.

That being said, let's start with the fact that the beginning of her first series TOG is pratically the same as the beginning of the second book of The Black Jewels, Heir to the Shadows, but with a different character:

"After a year of slavery in the Salt Mines of Endovier, Celaena Sardothien was accustomed to being escorted everywhere in shackles and at sword-point. Most of the thousands of slaves in Endovier received similar treatment—though an extra half-dozen guards always walked Celaena to and from the mines. That was expected by Adarlan’s most notorious assassin. What she did not usually expect, however, was a hooded man in black at her side—as there was now" (TOG, 2012)

"Surrounded by guards, Lucivar Yaslana, the half-breed Eyrien Warlord Prince, walked into the courtyard, fully expecting to hear the order for his execution. There was no other reason for a salt mine slave to be brought to this courtyard, and Zuultah, the Queen of Pruul, had good reason to want him dead. Prythian, the High Priestess of Askavi, still wanted him alive, still hoped to turn him to stud. But Prythian wasn't standing in the courtyard with Zuultah." (Heir to the Shadows, 1999).

So, Sarah's first work begins with a paragraph that is already really really similar to the first one in Bishop's second novel.

Now, let's then move on to the part that shocked me the most and made me sure of doing this post: The extreme and undeniable resemblance between the Illyrians with the Eyriens, a race portrayed in Bishop's Black Jewels books, who one of the main characters, Lucivar (coincidentally or not, Sarah's favorite one) is a part of.

The Eyriens are described to be warriors with tanned skin, gold eyes, and "batlike wings". Eyrien males are trained in hunting camps as children, and the females are forbidden to touch weapons. They are often found in a mountainous territory called "Askavi Terreille", and carry prejudice against half-eyriens. Does all that sounds familiar?

The Illyrians are so much like the Eyriens, it's not even funny. They have bat-like wings, the males are trained in camps, live by the mountains, have their own personalized weapons, and the females are usually mistreated and not allowed to fight. And what does Rhysand suffer from them? Prejudice, because he's half illyrian. Even their physical characteristics are the same: golden brown skin, hazel eyes, black hair. What mainly sets on them apart is their names (which still sound pretty similar) and the fact that the illyrians have tattoos.

"He spread his dark, membranous wings, trying to ease the ache in his back." ( Daughter of the blood, page 12)

"Indeed, it was still Rhysand’s face, his powerful male body, but flaring out behind him were massive black membranous wings—like a bat’s, like the Attor’s" (ACOTAR, page 348)

"Still, it was home, and centuries of enslaved exile had left him aching for the smell of clean mountain air, the taste of a sweet, cold stream, the silence of the woods, and, most of all, the mountains where the Eyrien race soare" (Daughter of the blood, page 16)

"The Illyrians … We love our people, and our traditions, but they dwell in clans and camps deep in the mountains of the North" (ACOMAF, page 165)

"He had never felt this weary, this beaten. Not as a half-breed boy in the Eyrien hunting camps, not in the countless courts he'd served in over the centuries since" (Heir to the darkness, page 13)

“When I turned eight, my mother brought me to one of the Illyrian war- camps . To be trained, as all Illyrian males were trained" ( ACOMAF, page 168)

”She kept resisting because Eyrien females traditionally didn’t touch a warrior’s weapons" (Queen of the darkness, page 151).

“Some camps issued decrees that if a female was caught training, she was to be deemed unmarriageable. I can’t fight against things like that, not without slaughtering the leaders of each camp and personally raising each and every one of their offspring.” (ACOMAF, page 434)

”There are reasons why Eyrien males are the warriors— Lucivar said, his eyes skimming over the women as he paced slowly down the line and back again.— We’re bigger, stronger, and we have the temperament for killing. You have other strengths and other skills. Most of the time, that works out well." (Queen of Darkness, page 156)

“The  Illyrians— Rhys smoothly cut in, that light finally returning to his gaze — Are unparalleled warriors, and are rich with stories and traditions. But they are also brutal and backward, particularly in regard to how they treat their females.” (ACOMAF, page 166)

"She wanted to cut the wings off, raise the boy as Dhemlan maybe. But he said no, in his soul the boy was Eyrien, and it would be kinder to kill him in the cradle than to cut his wings" (Daughter Of The Blood, page 138)

“I banned wing-clipping a long, long time ago, but … at the more zealous camps, deep within the mountains, they do it." (ACOMAF, page 434).

"But they’re good boys, and they’ll carry their weight. And they are full-blooded  Eyriens — he added.

— So they don’t carry the stigma of being half-breeds? — Lucivar asked with deadly control." (Queen of the Darkness, page 39)

"He gave Rhys command of a legion of Illyrians who hated him for being a half-breed" (ACOMAF, page 136)

"Then he called in his Ebon-gray Jewels and the wide leather belt that held his hunting knife and his Eyrien war blade" (Heir to the shadows, page 257)

"I went from physical defense to learning to wield an Illyrian blade, the weapon so fine, I’d nearly taken Cassian’s arm off." (ACOMAF, page 367)

Some people can look at this as simple inspiration, but others consider the races to be almost identical. Their prejudices, the place they live, the place where they train and how they train being the same, with only a few minor key points being changed.

In Bishop's work men and women are adressed and divided as "males" and "females". Their society is based the existence of jewels, where the darker someone's jewel is, the more powerful that person becomes.

The jewels are close to what SJM called siphons, used by the illyrians. They are a representation of the powers of members of the blood, serve as containers, and vary in colors. Siphons, however, are literally jewels who filter Illyrians powers, manipulating magic. Members of the blood can have more than one jewel, and illyrians can have more than one siphon.

"An uncut Jewel is a rare thing, little Sister —   Titian said, removing something from the box.    — Wait until you know who you are before you have it set. Then it will be more than a receptacle for the power your body can't hold; it will be a statement of what you are." (Daughter of the blood, page 71)

"He held up his hands, the backs to me so both jewels were on full display.— They’re called  Siphons . They concentrate and focus our power in battle.” (ACOMAF, page 162)

"The Black-Jeweled ring on his right hand glittered with an inner fire." (Daughter of the blood, page 39)

"Siphons atop his scarred hands flickered like rippling blue fire as he reached for the Attor." (ACOMAF, page 262)

" Your fingers clenched around that Jewel. There was a flash of Red light, and the guards were flung backward." ( Daughter of the blood, page 136)

"Cassian lifted his hand into the air. Red light exploded from his Siphon, blasting up and away" (ACOMAF, page 543)

"Her strength was gone. The Jewel hungaround her neck, dark and empty" (Daughter of the blood, page 399)

"Azriel’s blue Siphons were dull, muted. Utterly empty."  (ACOMAF, page 554)

The Blood possess some ability to sense and mask their psychic scent. The conception of "scent" not only acts as a way for them to recognize each other, but also sense their emotions, and seems to be highlighted between couples, with Daemon for using it in order to fantasize or look for Jaenelle. That matches perfectly SJM's universe where the Fae are able to feel each others scents, sensing their emotions through it, it being stronger between mated couples:

"The psychic scent was almost gone, but he recognized it. A dark scent. A powerful, terrifying, wonderful scent. He breathed deeply, and the lifetime hunger in him became intense".(Daughter of the blood, page 178).

"Like the body that housed it, a witch's psychic scent had a muskiness that a Blood male could find as arousing as the body—if not more so" (Daughter of the blood, page 184)

His  scent  drifted to her, darker, muskier than usual. She’d bet all the money she didn’t have that it was the scent of his arousal. (ACOSF, page 235)

"A room where she had slept would still be strong with her psychic scent, even if it had been cleaned"  (Daughter of the blood, page 182)

"Cassian had flown back up to the House. And found the oak door to the stairs open, Nesta’s  scent  lingering." (ACOSF, page 99)

"No psychic scent of emotions for the guards to play with as they put the sobbing man into the old, one-man boat." (Daughter of the blood, page 149)

"He didn’t need to use a psychic probe to know who was on the other side of the door. The scent of her fear was sufficient." (Queen of the darkness, page 120)

"Their faces were vacant. Not a trace of fear in them, or in their scents." (ACOSF, page 344)

"Those of us who have would notice the similarities in your psychic scents and reach the correct conclusion" ( Queen of Darkness, page 114)

"He didn’t believe me. So he grabbed Catrin, because our scents were nearly identical, you see" (ACOSF, page 652)

The basic unit of Blood society and government is a Queen and her Court. To create a Court, she must be at the age of majority and have twelve males who agree to be in her First Circle. Jaenelle creates hers in the second book, who is  denominated as the "dark court". How is Rhysan's court called? The night court. How is his unity of power named? "the inne circle". Rhysand's court is also referred as "the court of dreams", and Jaenelle is called "dreams made flesh".

"He hoped she'd be pleased to have the use of this place. He hoped he'd be invited when she established her own court. He wanted to see whom she selected for her First Circle" (Daughter of the Blood page 92)

"They’re Rhysand’s Inner Circle.The ones I’d heard mentioned that day at the Night Court—who Rhys kept going to meet." (ACOMAF, page 135)

"The living myth— Saetan whispered.— Dreams made flesh— His throat tightened. He closed his eyes." (Heir to the shadows, page 459)

“And what is this court? — I asked, gesturing to them. The most important question.

It was Cassian, eyes clear and bright as his Siphon, who said — The Court of Dreams.”

Remember Lucivar? The main Eyrien character? Well, it doesn't help sjm's case that he's incredibly similar to Cassian:

Because he's an eyrien, Lucivar was raised as a warrior and has bat wings, together with gold eyes and tanned skin. He also has long black hair and is considered to be well-built. Initially his jewels are birthright red, and later they descent into being ebon grey. Just like his father, he is known as having an explosive temper who often lead him to trouble. Thanks to him not being recognized by Saetan initially, Lucivar is seen as a bastard. This is not at all far from how Cassian is written.

Let's also keep in mind: Lucivar is also responsable for recruting and training Eyrien warriors in the Dark Court, later training the women who live in Ebon Askavi (which, as I will show later, is almost identical to the House of Wind).

Cassian's tragetory is marked by him being underlooked as a "bastard" and not being able to control his temper, and that is further developed in acosf. His appereance is carbon-copy of Lucivar (the only difference being that his eyes are hazel), and his siphons are red. He also happens to train illyrian warriors, and later Feyre, Nesta and the other priestesses from the library. Like Lucivar has a brotherly bond with Jaenelle and waits for her to be his queen, Cassian has a brotherly love for Feyre and respects her as his high lady:

"Unlike the other slaves who couldn't contain their misery or fear, there was no expression in Lucivar's gold eyes" (Daughter of the Blood, page 13)

"Like their High Lord, the males—warriors—were dark-haired, tan-skinned. But unlike Rhys, their eyes were hazel and fixed on me as I at last stepped close" (ACOMAF, page 155)

"She looked so pale against his light-brown skin, and he knew it wasn't simply because she was fair-skinned" (Daughter of the blood, page 19)

"She watched his light brown fingers play against her pale skin" (ACOSF, page 367)

"The man wore a leather vest and the black, skintight trousers favored by Eyrien warriors. His black hair fell to his shoulders, which was unusual for an Eyrien male. [..] A wild joy filled Daemon, even as his heart clogged his throat and tears stung his gold eyes. Lucivar." (Queen of the Darkness, page 45)

"Cassian surveyed Rhys from head to foot, his shoulder-length black hair shifting with the movement" (ACOMAF, page 155)

"Because he was a half-breed bastard, he had no hope of attaining a position of authority within a court, despite the rank of his jewels" (Daughter of the Blood, page 17)

"I can tell you how I hear Eris and Devlon and the others talk and, deep down, I still believe that I am a worthless bastard brute. That it doesn’t matter how many Siphons I have or how many battles I’ve won" (ACOSF, page 434)

"Tears stung Lucivar's eyes. Why, Daemon? What did she do to deserve being hurt like that?  His voice rose. He couldn't stop it. She was the Queen we had dreamed of serving. We had waited for her for so long.  You butchering whore, why did you have to kill her?" (Heir to the shadows, page 31)

"He’d thought about that painting a great deal in the days afterward—how it had made him feel, how close they’d all come to losing their High Lady before they’d ever met her." (ACOSF, page 43)

"Because he was a trained Eyrien warrior and had a temper that was explosive even for a Warlord Prince" (Daughter of the blood, page 16)

"Cassian was lounging in his chair, a glass of wine in his hand, staring at nothing. A brooding warrior-prince, contemplating the death of his enemies." (ACOSF, page 275)

"He could have caught him on the first pass. The young one will have to concede the battle, but it’ll stay in his mind that he put up a good fight. No, Lucivar understands how to train an Eyrien warrior.” (Queen of Darkness, page 103)

"Cassian prayed that the gods were watching over him as Rhys sipped from his tea and said,    

—You’re ready?

He leaned back in his seat. — I’ve gotten young warriors in line before." (ACOSF, page 43)

There's even a line when Lucivar is training the women in ebon askavi that hits very close to one used when Cassian is training the priestesses:

”If you can become half as proficient with this as she is, you’ll be able to take down any male except an Eyrien warrior —  Falonar said slowly. — And you’ll be able to take down half of them as well.” (Queen of the darkness, page 158)

"Cassian continued to train Nesta, Emerie, and Gwyn. The rain didn’t let up, and they were all soaked, but the exertion kept the bite of the cold away.— So this can really down a male in one move? [...] He concentrated on the females in front of him. — This move will knock anyone unconscious if you hit the right spot.” (ACOSF, page 385)

Daemon, his brother, is too very similar to Rhysand. He has the reputation of a sadist, after being tortured and used as slave in the hands of Dorotothea, close to how Rhys was known as a cruel fae who had to serve Amarantha (the way they a called is also pretty much the same, as well, being referred as their "pet" or "whore"). Daemon believes to be destined to Jaenelle, even before meeting her, sometimes feeling her touch, and dreaming or her, just like Rhysand talks about knowing Feyre was his mate, and dreaming of her before they met. He, like Saetan, Jaenelle, and Lucivar, is a black widow: which means he can access people's minds and thoughts, as well as communicate telephatically, exactly how daemanti in acotar have the ability to do.

"His face was a gift of his mysterious heritage, aristocratic and too beautifully shaped to be called merely handsome. He was tall and broad-shouldered. He kept his body well toned and muscular enough to please. His voice was deep and cultured, with a husky, seductive edge to it that made women go all misty-eyed. His gold eyes and thick black hair were typical of all three of Terreille's long-lived races, but his warm, golden-brown skin was a little lighter than the Hayllian aristos—more like the Dhemlan race." (Daughter of the blood, page 24)

"I stepped out of the shelter of my savior’s arm and turned to thank him. Standing before me was the most beautiful man I’d ever seen. Everything about the stranger radiated sensual grace and ease. High Fae, no doubt. His short black hair gleamed like a raven’s feathers" (ACOTAR, page 193)

"I had no answer to that—to the tenor in his rich, deep voice. So I examined the tattoos on his chest and arms, the glow of his tan skin , so golden now that he was no longer caged inside that mountain." (ACOMAF, page 289)

"Daemon smiled that cold, cruel smile. "Now you know what it's like to get into bed with Hayll's Whore." (Daughter of the blood, page 77)

"Lucien interrupted — What do you know about anything? You’re just Amarantha’s whore.

— Her whore I might be, but not without my reasons.” (ACOTAR, page 239)

"In his soul, he knew her. In his dreams, he saw her. He never envisioned a face. It always blurred if he tried to focus on it. But he could see her dressed in a robe made of dark, transparent spidersilk, a robe that slid from her shoulders as she moved, a robe that opened and closed as she walked, revealing bare, night-cool skin. And there would be a scent in the room that was her, a scent he would wake to, burying his face in her pillow after she was up and attending her own concerns." (Daughter of the Blood, page 27)

“Three years ago, he said quietly,  — I began to have these … dreams [...] The images were foggy, like looking through cloudy glass. They were brief—a flash here and there, every few months. I thought nothing of them, until one of the images was of a hand … This beautiful, human hand. Holding a brush. Painting—flowers on a table.” (ACOMAF, page 504)

“I saw you through your dreams—and I hoarded the images [...] I’d wake up with your scent in my nose, and it would haunt me all day, every step." (ACOMAF, page 505)

"There was a bitter taste in Daemon's mouth. The ashes of dreams. After all, he was Hayll's Whore, a pleasure slave, an amusement for the ladies no matter what their age, a way to pass the time" (Daughter of the blood, page 267)

"And he would be at that table in the town house, roaring with laughter—never again cold and cruel and solemn. Never again anyone’s slave or whore" (ACOMAF, page 497)

"You're my Queen,he thought fiercely. His body ached. She was his Queen. But with her family surrounding them, watching, there was nothing he could say or do to help her" (Daughter of the blood, page 360)

"My equal in every way; she would wear my crown, sit on a throne beside  mine. Never sidelined, never designated to breeding and parties and child-rearing. My queen." (ACOMAF, 598)

"He caught her wrists, holding her off with an ease that made her scream. He hit the Black shields on her inner barriers hard enough to make her work to keep them intact, but they wouldn't keep him out for long." (Daughter of the blood, page 302)

"My innate talents allow me to slip through the mental shields of anyone I wish, with or without that bridge—unless they’re very, very strong, or have trained extensively to keep those shields tight." (ACOMAF, page 59)

At some point Daemon is even called Jaenelle's mate:

"He’s here! Jaenelle’s mate is finally here!  Daemon felt as if the wind had been knocked out of him" (Heir to the shadows, page 117)

His position and title of highlord is parallelled a lot by how Saetan is decribed:

"High Lord of Hell, the Prince of the Darkness, the most powerful and dangerous Warlord Prince in the history of the Blood" (Daughter of the darkness, page 266)

"For what it’s worth, I’m the most powerful  High Lord in Prythian’s history" (ACOMAF, page 145)

Moving on to other similarities, Ebon Askavi, known as the black mountain or "the keep", who is put as a sanctuary, keeping a library containing the history of the blood, matches the form in which the house of wind is developed in sjm's books, with the palace also being embedded into a mountain. The Keep is a safe place where the high lord of hell reserves for the demon dead to rest, same as Rhysand turning the library into a home for the priestesses. And the whole Bryaxis situation? A creature who lives in the pit of the library? Well, Ebon askavi used to be the home of the prince of dragons: Lorn, who guess what? Used to reside beneath it. Finally, Bishop literally describes the palace as the place where "The winds meet".

"Saetan limped across the empty courtyard to the huge, open-metal doors embedded into the mountain itself, rang the bell, and waited to enter the Keep, the Black Mountain, Ebon Askavi, where the Winds meet. It was the repository for the Blood's history as well as a sanctuary for the darkest-Jeweled Blood. It was also the private lair of Witch" (Daughter of the blood, page 59)

"Draca led him through the corridors of  Ebon Askavi  toward a large stairwell that descended into the heart of the mountain." ( Daughter of the blood, page 431)

“Her throat closed at the surge of memories and at the sprawling view—the glimmering ribbon of the Sidra far below, the red-stoned palace built into the side of the flat-topped mountain itself." (ACOSF, page 49).

“I made this library into a refuge for them. Some come to heal, work as acolytes, and then leave; some take the oaths to the Cauldron and Mother to become priestesses and remain here forever" (ACOWAR, page 212)

"She still served the Keep itself, looking after the comfort of the scholars who came to study, of the Queens who needed a dark place to rest" (Daughter of the Blood, page 61)

"—  Who was here before them?

  —  A few cranky old scholars, who cursed me soundly when I relocated them to other libraries in the city. They still get access, but when and where is always approved by the priestesses.” (ACOWAR, page 213)

“There is a creature beneath the library. Do you know it?

Amren shut the book.

— Its name is  Bryaxis.

— What is it.

— You do not want to know, girl.” (ACOWAR, page 452).

"Mother Night, Saetan — Geoffrey said, his breathing ragged.  — The Keep is his lair.

He's been here all the time.

He hadn't expected Lorn to be so big. "(Heir to the shadows, page 476)

As for Amren being a unknown creature who was tuned into a faerie and lived centuries before everyone else? Same thing as Draca. She lived by the time Dragons ruled the world and was later turned into something "human", assisting the high lord of hell:

"When only the Queen and her Prince, Lorn, were left, the Queen bid her Consort farewell [...] When the last scale fell from her, she vanished. Some stories say her body was transformed into some other shape, though it still contained a dragon's soul" (Heir to the shadows, page 375).

  "— Why won’t Amren go in here?

  —  Because she was once a prisoner.

  — Not in that body, I take it.

   A cruel smile.

  — No. Not at all.” (ACOMAF, page 185)

"Spiraling? — Geoffrey thought for a moment and shook his head. — No, but that doesn't mean it can't happen. Ask Draca. Compared to her, you're still in the nursery and I'm just a stripling." (Daughter of the blood, page 243)

"In the countless millennia they had existed here in Prythian, Rhys—Rhys with his smirking and sarcasm and bedroom eyes ...And Amren was worse. And older than five thousand years." (ACOMAF, page 145)

"When they had first arrived at the Keep, Lucivar had given him a cryptic warning: Draca is a dragon in human form.The moment he’d seen the Seneschal, he’d understood what Lucivar meant. Her looks, combined with the feel of great age and old, deep power, had fascinated him." (Queen of the darkness, page 252)

"Because even though the short, delicate woman looked like High Fae … as Rhys had warned me, every instinct was roaring to run. To hide. [...] But Amren’s eyes …Her silver eyes were unlike anything I’d ever seen; a glimpse into the creature that I knew in my bones wasn’t High Fae. Or hadn’t been born that way."  (ACOMAF, page 158)

"Draca asked. Her unblinking reptilian eyes revealed nothing" (Daughter of the blood, page 431)

You can also find some of the names of characters and places of Anne Bishop's books in Sarah J Mass ones. For instance: Sarah admited Prythian was a trick on Pryddain from the chronicles of Pryddain but that she couldn't put the original name because it belonged to Phillip Alexander, so she choose Prythian. But one of the high priestesses in Bishop's trilogy is indeed named Prythian.

"Prythian, Askavi's High Priestess, couldn't leash his temper enough to serve witches he despised" (Daughter of the blood, page 16)

If you look at the titles of some of the TOGs books, you realize they are alike Anne Bishop's as well:

The thing is: where do we draw the line when it comes to inspiration in books? It's common to have some similarities between author's works, however, to have that many in lines, places, plots, on top of races and characters who are nearly identical to the ones someone created fourteen years before you? I don't know.

I don't appreciate Bishop's work, in fact, I suffered a lot to go through the trilogy, for problems like: explicit sexual violence, mutilation, and worst of all grooming (Daemon meets his so called soulmate when she's a child, and he kisses her when she's 12), which literally made feel sick, but, is clear Bishop came up with a lot of things a long time before SJM did.

Because her series of books came out by the 2000, most of sjm's target audience doesn't know Bishop's work, making it very easy to avoid comparison. This is one of the reasons why this situation becomes a big problem, because most of her fans think SJM work is totally original, and that she came up with 99% of the concepts by herself.

Besides the black jewels, Sarah was said to have taking scenes, plots and quotes from other original productions/books, like the lord of the rings (which she's also a huge fan):

For example, The White Tree of Gondor and Kingsflame.

The White Tree of Gordon only blooms when the rightful ruler sits on the throne. Coming to later bloom in Aragorn's coronation:

"And so the kingdom of Gondor sank into ruin, the line of kings failed, the white tree withered and the rule of Gondor was given over to lesser men."

Kingsflame, however, it’s a magical flower that first bloomed when Brannon arrived, proof that was a good king:

 "since those ancient days, only single blossoms had been spotted, so rare in their appearance that their appearance was deemed a sign that the land had blessed whatever ruler sat on Terrasen’s throne. (KOA 686)"

Similarly, the flower also blooms after Aelin’s Coronation:

Across every mountain, spread across the green canopy of Oakwald, carpeting the entire Plain of Theralis, the kingsflame was blooming. (KOA 984)

We also have the scene when Haldir arrives at helms deep:

"I bring word from Elrond of Rivendell.  An alliance once existed between Elves and men. Long ago we fought and died together. We come to honor that allegiance."

While Manon says this in KOA:

"Long ago the Crochans fought beside Terrasen, to honor the great debt we owed the Fae King Brannon for granting us a homeland."(KOA, page 693)

And don't forget, Aragorn saying:

"My friends, you bow to no one"

While Rhysand says this in ACOWAR:

"You bow to no one, was all he replied"

Don't forget, the conversation between Theoden and Gamling in the Two Towers movie:

"Theoden: Who am I, Gamling?

Gamling : You are our king, sire.

Theoden : And do you trust your king?

Gamling : Your men, my Lord, will follow you to whatever end.

Theoden : To whatever end... "

Followed by this conversation between Rowan and Aelin:

“—To whatever end? — she breathed.

Rowan followed her, as he had his entire life, long before they had ever met, before their souls had sparked into existence. —“To whatever end, Fireheart.”

We also have other examples, like treasure island:

"Look at you! Glowing like a solar fire. You're something special, Jim. You're gonna rattle the stars, you are!"  (Treasure Island-2003)

"You could rattle the stars," she whispered. "You could do anything, if only you dared. And deep down, you know it, too. That’s what scares you most. "( TOG page 385, chapter 54)

ASOIAF:

A quite similar phrase to "Queen that was promised" was used in GRRM’s ASOIAF,  where an ancient prophecy talked about a "Prince who was promised",  later it being reveleaded that they expected a boy, but the title was said to fall to Daenarys Targaryen (a queen). This is mentioned in " A dance of dragons" which was published in 2011. This prince is also mentioned as being “the Heir of Fire”.

"Westeros must unite beneath her one true king, the prince that was promised, Lord of Dragonstone and chosen of R'hllor" ( A dance with dragons, 2011)

"Perhaps it had all been for nothing. The Queen Who Was Promised" (KOA, page 121, 2018)

"He is fire made flesh, she thought, and so am I."  (A dance with dragons, page 949, 2011)

"Fire - he reminded her of fire made flesh."  (ACOWAR, 2017)

Harry Potter is added to list, as well:

Dumbledore: Do not pity the dead, Harry. Pity the living, and, above all those who live without love. (HP and the deathly hallows, page 705, 1997).

Rhysand: Be glad of your human heart, Feyre. Pity those who don’t feel anything at all. (ACOTAR, page 418, 2012).

"Happiness can be found, even in the darkest of times, if one only remembers to turn on the light." (Harry Potter and the prisioner of Azkaban, 2004)

“Light can be found even in the darkest of hells” (ACOWAR, page 577, 2017)

The movie spirit:

Little Creek: Take care of her, Spirit-who-could-not-be-broken (Spirit, 2002)

Nehemia: I name you Elentiya, ‘Spirit That Cannot Be Broken.' (TOG, page 44)

Shadow and Bone:

The quote "like calls to like" explains one of the most important plot points in shadow and bone, the first book was published in 2012, and Sarah was mentioned in Leigh's acknowledgments as the person who gave her first review. She had used "magic calls to magic" before in throne of glass in 2012, yet the book was published in august, while Shadow and Bone came out before, in june. The principle of "like calls to like" in her books was mentioned by the time ACOMAF came out, in 2016, four years later. It was also used to describe attraction to objects of power, which follows Bardugo's concept.

Shadow and Bone: The grounding principle of the Small Science was “like calls to like" (page 113)

ACOMAF: The box—the Book—was silent. Then it said, Like calls to like  (page 350)

“The Grisha claims the amplifier, but the amplifier claims the Grisha, as well. Once it is done, there can be no other. Like calls to like, and the bond is made.” (page 130)

The movie troy:

"Menelaus : Prince? What prince? What son of a king would accept a man's hospitality, eat his food, drink his wine, embrace him in friendship, and then steal his wife in the middle of the night?

Paris : The sun was shining when your wife left you." (Troy, 2004)

“If you hadn’t stolen my bride away in the night, Rhysand, I would not have been forced to take such drastic measures to get her back.

I said quietly, The sun was shining when I left you.” (ACOWAR, page 396, 2017)

The Land before Time:

"Some things you see with your eyes. Other things you see with your heart." ( The Land before Time 1988)

"Some things you hear with your eyes. Other things you hear with your heart."( Crown of Midgnight, page 168, 2011)

Mulan:

"Shan Yu: How many men does it take to deliver a message?

The other Hun: One.

The Hun proceeds to shoot one of the imperial soldiers with an arrow." (Mulan, 1998)

“But it seems like tonight isn’t really your night, Elide said to the ilken, lifting the hatchet again over a shoulder. The ilken might have been whimpering as she smiled grimly.—Because it only takes one to deliver a message. And your companions are already on their way.

The axe fell.

Flesh and bone and blood spilled onto the stones.” (Empire of Storms, page 455, 2016)

There's more to show about the black jewels, but this posts is already huge, so I'm going to finish by talking a little bit about her new series: Crescent city, which people already pointed out to be similar to another series she also talked about before: The Fever series by Karn Marie Moning, published in 2007. Now, I don't think is the same case as the black jewels, because crescent city does follow a much more different story, but is still have matching characters and main storyline.

Darkfever tells the story of MacKayla, a girl who seemingly had a perfect life. After the murder of her sister, she sees herself obligated to make an alliance with the mysterious Jericho in order find her killer, whilst exploring her sidhe-seer powers. Crescent city, on the other hand, is also about a girl losing people close to her: her best friend and her crush, then deciding to solve their deaths by teaming up with the fallen angel Hunt.

Mackayla is a sidhe seer, a person who can see fae, and ends up in the book series as their queen, while Bryce is half fae. They are both extremely attractive girls, who love to party and take good care of their appereance. Jericho, however, is a handsome, tough supernatural being who resources to Mac in order to find answers, ending up getting involved with her. Lastly, Hunt is a fallen angel, who needs to make sure Bryce cooperates with the investigation, and develops feelings for her.

"My sister's whole body had holes in it, Inspector! Not just her arms! The coroner said they looked like teeth marks! — Not of any person or animal he'd been able to identify, though.— And parts of her were just fora!— I was shaking. I hated the memory. It made me sick to my stomach" (Dark Fever, page 71)

"She knew in her bones it was not a hallucination, what lay on that bed, knew in her bones that what bled out inside her chest was her heart. Danika lay there. In pieces" (Crescent City, page 74)

"Grieving wasn't going to bring her back, and it sure wasn't going to make me feel better about whoever'd killed her walking around alive out there somewhere, happy in their sick little psychotic way, while my sister lay icy and white beneath six feet of dirt" (Dark Fever, page 10)

"Briggs planned to hurt people, and he deserved to be in jail, but—he’d been wrongly accused of the murder.Danika’s killer was still out there" (Crescent City, page 145)

"I think I just finally expelled the last drop of moisture from my body that wasn't absolutely necessary to keep me alive. And rage watered my parched soul. I wanted answers. I wanted justice.I wanted revenge." (Dark fever, page 11)

"She didn’t know where to start.But she’d do it. Find whoever had done this.[...] She ground her teeth. She’d find whoever had done this and make them regret ever being born." (Crescent City, page 164)

Once again, Hunt has the exact same appeareance as Jericho, and their personalities are also pretty much alike.

"He studied me with his predator's gaze, assessing me from head to toe. I studied him back. He didn't just occupy space; he saturated it.The room had been full of books before, now it was full of him. About thirty, six foot two or three, he had dark hair, golden skin, and dark eyes. His features were strong, chiseled." (Dark Fever, page 36)

"An angel who reason and history reminded him was an ally, though every instinct roared the opposite.Predator. Killer. Monster. Hunt Athalar’s angular dark eyes, however, remained fixed on the window. On Bryce Quinlan." (House of earth and blood, page 80)

"Hunt nodded once, his golden-brown face betraying nothing." (House of earth and blood, page 81)

"Then the male leafed through Quinlan’s thin file, his shoulder-length black hair slipping over his unreadable face." (House of earth and blood, page 81)

Darkfever presentd V'lane as a third character, an attractive seelie prince, who rules the Tuatha Dé Dannan, and happens to go after Mackayla as revenge against Jericho. In crescent city, there third main character is Ruhn, Bryce's half brother, and who is he? A crowned prince of the fae. And what is his last name? Danaan.

"Even today, after all that I've seen, I couldn't begin to describe V'lane, prince of the Tuatha Dé Danaan." (Dark Fever, page 134)

"Thinking she’d get a nice, sweaty ride with a Prince of the Fae, she’d be sorely disappointed. He was in no shape for fucking right now." (Crescent city, page 199)

“I got a phone call, Naomi said. From Ruhn fucking Danaan. He’s livid that we didn’t notify Sky and Breath about bringing in the girl." (Crescent city, page 96)

The scene where Hunt goes to watch over Bryce in her apartment follows the exact same patterns of the scene Jericho goes to visit Mackayla in her home:

"A moment later, her phone buzzed on the coffee table. Right as her show began.She didn’t know the number, but she wasn’t at all surprised when she picked up, plopping down onto the cushions, and Hunt growled,

— Open the curtains. I want to watch the show.” (Crescent city, page 84)

"Someone knocking at my door awakened me [...] I glanced at my watch. It was two o'clock in the morning. I was sleepy and grumpy and didn't try to disguise it.

—Who is it?

— Jericho Barrons." (Dark Fever, page 40)

“Open the curtains.

— No, thank you.

— Or you could invite me in and make my job easier.

— Definitely no.

—Why?

— Because you can do your job just as well from that roof.” (Crescent City; page 184)

"Do you intend to open this door, Ms. Lane, or shall we converse where anyone might attend our business? [...]. If he was willing to trade, I had to open that door. Unless…

— We can trade through the door, I said.

— No

— Why not?

— I am a private person, Ms. Lane. This is not negotiable." (Dark Fever, page 41)

"His dark eyes didn’t so much as blink. Striking—that was the only word Bryce could think of to describe his handsome face, full of powerful lines and sharp cheekbones. — You can make this investigation easy, or you can make it hard.” (Crescent City, page 187)

" When I said nothing, he said softly — If you are not with me, Ms. Lane, you are against me. I have no mercy for my enemies.  

I shrugged." (Dark Fever, page 46)

So, I do believe SJM is the type author whose actions we need to discuss. Even if you see the whole thing with " The black jewels" is just an inspiration, you can't deny the fact there some exact lines of movies and books in her work. Plus: it's not just one quote or just one plot, but many.

If you ever try to read The Black Jewels trilogy you'll notice much more than what I brought in this post, and I do hope more people are able to research it. However, if you have any triggers regarding SA, mutil*tion, abuse, gr*mming, or torture scenes, I strongly recommend you do not read these books. They are not easy to go through, and the same thing goes to Dark Fever, although is a lot lighter.

Now, you can find more about the "Lord of the rings" and "Harry Potter" situation in here:

This is not a post trying to "cancel" sjm or simply attack her without reason. But I do believe we have to talk about her work and the problems with it, especially when it involves the work of other writers. If anyone has any more examples, or articles about this matter, quote this post with them if you can. I couldn't put more because you have a limit for tumblr posts, and it would be way too much. Anyway, thank you sticking here until the end.

[snarkformysanity]

House of Sky and Breath Chapters 17-18

Everyone is reeling after Cormac leaves, then Bryce declares she's going back to work, to Ruhn's incredulity.

But she strode across the room, throwing Hunt a glance that had him following. He always got her like that—they didn’t need Ruhn’s fancy mind-speaking to communicate.

Because it's not like proper communication is the cornerstone of a healthy relationship or anything. No. That's for lame people whose relationships are not True Love. Much better to assume he can read your mind, and won't think you're glaring at him because he kept butting in to the conversation or something!

She halted by the front door. None of Cormac’s power lingered—not even a wisp of shadow. Not one ember. For a heartbeat, she wished she had the serenity of Lehabah to return to, the serenity of the gallery and its quiet library.

......dafuq do these two trains of thought have to do with each other? Also, why is Bryce pining for the job with an abusive boss who didn't believe in weekends that she didn't like? I don't like where this feels like it's going, book.

Bryce said [...]“We just had a bomb dropped into our lives. A bomb that is now ticking away. I need to think. And I have a job that I’m contractually obligated to show up to.” Where she could close her office door and figure out if she wanted to run like Hel from that bomb or face its wrath. Hunt put a hand on her shoulder, but said nothing. He’d leapt in front of a bomb for her months ago. Had shielded her body with his own against the brimstone missile.

Your symbolism stops being Deep and Meaningful when you point it out like this, book.

Bryce rubbed at her neck—then straightened. “Any chance that Dusk’s Truth is somehow related to the Lightfall squadron?” [...] Hunt picked up her thread immediately. “Lightfall. Also known as dusk.” “And Project Thurr … thunder god … Could it be related to the thunderbirds?” Bryce went on.

They spend a bit more time talking about how Sofie and Danika definitely knew how dangerous the dangerous Asteri were. Stop wasting my time with this shit, book.

Ithan said, “Can we go back to how the Prince of the Chasm was sitting on my lap?”

The book treats it as a throwaway joke, but you know what, if I was Ithan, I'd be concerned about that too. A literal demon prince just rocked up to my house and was chilling with me, and I was none the wiser? It's kind of a big deal.

Bryce says again that she's going to work, but it still takes a page for her to leave. They decide it's far too dangerous to just go look in the Bone Quarter to see if that's what Danika meant by "weary souls," so I'm sure there actually will be something important there.

[Hunt] jerked his chin at Bryce. She finally met his stare, finding only razor-sharp calculation there. “Grab a gun.” Bryce scowled. “Absolutely not.” She gestured to her tight dress. “Where would I hide it?” “Then take the sword.”

Because... hiding a sword is going to be so much easier...?

Ithan seems to be unhappy that Bryce never gave the sword back to the wolves and... yeah. It's an ancestral wolf weapon, right? What right does Bryce have to keep it?

They agree to meet up and talk more again later (yay...) and then Bryce finally actually leaves, Hunt in tow.

POV switch to Hunt. He's angsting. He spends a bunch of words essentially saying it's too dangerous. Talking mostly about battlefields. Bryce points out that this sounds more like intrigue than battle.

“I’d rather die on the battlefield than in one of the Hind’s interrogation rooms.” I’d rather you die on a battlefield than in her hands. Hunt swallowed. “Sofie was lucky that the Hind dumped her and was done with it.”

First, fuck off, Hunt, you don't get to decide how Bryce should die. Second, book, if you really wanted to make the Hind so scary, maybe you shouldn't have had her just dump Sofie in the water? That's all we've seen her do so far, and it doesn't really make her seem worse than getting your organs ripped out and all the other shit Hunt was just talking about.

Hunt pulls her into an alley, then tells us that Bryce is scared too, because he can smell it. Whatever. They talk about how they could never be normal and etc. It's all very standard.

“You really don’t think Cormac is luring us into a trap with this claim that Sofie knew some vital intel—the bait being that Danika was involved in some way?”

You don't need to point out what the bait is, book. Your readers aren't stupid. We can figure it out.

They talk about all the stuff we already know about the situation without really saying anything new.

Her mouth twisted to the side. “If there’s a chance that we could discover what Sofie knew, what Danika guessed—separate from Cormac, from this shit with that Pippa woman and whatever the River Queen wants—I think that intel is worth the risk.” “But why? So we can keep the Asteri from fucking with us about Micah and Sandriel?”

Er, how about so you can end the fucking war????? Seriously, why does this never seem to be a factor in the characters' decision making when it comes to this information? The selfish bastards can't think any further than their own immediate comfort. Hey, you know what would stop the Asteri fucking with you over Micah and Sandriel? If they were fucking dead because you helped the humans win the revolution!!!

Why are these guys our protagonists again? They're terrible, selfish people.

“Yeah. When I met up with Fury this morning, she mentioned that Danika knew something dangerous about her, so Fury learned something big about Danika in return.”

This comes right after that last line I quoted. Seriously, what is the connection here? Does... does the book seriously think we don't understand the concept of using information as leverage, and need it explained to us? Or does it think that we won't understand that Bryce understands this concept, and so we need it pointed out where she got the idea from? I... I don't really know what to say. Fuck you, book. You are nowhere near good enough to get away with insulting your readers like this.

Or maybe the book just wanted an excuse to repeat Fury's meeting to us, and damn whether it made sense in context or not?

Oh, wait, it seems it's because Bryce doesn't think Hunt understands the concept, because she continues to explain it to him. Well. I'll accept that. But she also goes on to confirm that yes, they intend to use this info for purely selfish ends, so also, yeah, fuck you, Bryce. You are running out of good-will capital from last book.

“It’s not your responsibility, Bryce.” “It is.” He wasn’t going to touch that one. Not yet.

It looks like the book is trying to make some drama out of this, and it could potentially be interesting. Bryce thinking she has to find out what Danika was up to or continue her work or whatever. But I'm also sick of Hunt and his repeated attempts to stall the plot. Fuck off, asshole.

“We find [Emile], too. I don’t give a shit if he’s powerful—he’s a kid and he’s caught up in this giant mess.” Her eyes softened, and his heart with them. Would Shahar have cared about the boy? Only in the way Ophion and the River Queen seemed to: as a weapon.

This would be a lot more meaningful if Bryce's caring about Emile hadn't come right the fuck out of nowhere. Again, we had no reason to think she felt this strongly about random human children before. Unless the book thinks the thing at the end of last book counts? It felt just as random then, too. Because nothing else about her life indicates she has any particular concerns about or interest in children. They are completely absent, and then all of a sudden she cares enough about them to run into a horde of demons/go rebel. Just makes it painfully obvious that she's only doing this for the sake of the plot.

Bryce asked, head tilting to the side, “And what about Cormac’s talk of freeing the world from the Asteri? That doesn’t hold any weight with you?” “Of course it does.”

Bullshit. You were the one narking at Cormac about how it's not worth fighting for freedom if you might die.

He slid a hand over her waist, tugging her closer. “A world without them, without the Archangels and the hierarchies … I’d like to see that world one day. But …” His throat dried up. “But I don’t want to live in that world if the risk of creating it means …” Get it out. “If it means that we might not make it to that world.”

And, yup, confirmation. The world can burn for all Hunt cares, because he's too chicken to risk his life for it. And again, it's a perfectly understandable point of view to have - I'd wager most of us reading this would feel the same. But we aren't protagonists in a book. We're not expected to entertain an audience with our heroic struggles. Hunt and Bryce are. Also, this is like, the third or fourth time they've had this argument now. Move on, book.

And ugh, Bryce agrees with him. Boring.

Then she says she doesn't want to wait for Solstice, and kisses him. Ugh. Also boring. That was like the only redeeming feature of their relationship.

They start making out in the alley, and it's all perfect and whatnot, until Hunt realises that people might take photos of them and that would ruin Bryce's engagement (and therefore, plans) with Cormac. Well done, Hunt! You've actually managed to not only acknowledge, but even help with one of Bryce's plans for once!

He's then got to repeat this realisation in dialogue. Book, what you should have done was have Hunt stop, but not tell us why in the narration. Then have Bryce ask (as she did) and he explains then. It's only some ~20 words difference. But every fucking thing in the book is like this. And 20 words here, 20 words there... it adds up into a truly disgusting amount of padding.

This is why these books are so long. Not because the plots are intricate, or the characters are interesting. But because of bullshit repetition like this.

Bryce peered down the alley, lips swollen from his kisses, and some feral part of him howled in satisfaction to see that he had done that, he had brought that flush to her cheeks and wine-rich scent of arousal to her. She was his.

Gross. And no, the fact that the book tacks on an "and he was hers" after this doesn't make it better. That's one line. This is a fucking paragraph.

But, Hunt manages to make a surprisingly reasonable argument for stopping.

“Are you suggesting we find a seedy motel instead?” Her lips curved, and Hunt’s cock throbbed at the sight, as if begging for her mouth to slide over him. He let out a strangled noise. “I’m suggesting …” Hel, what was he suggesting? “I don’t know.” He blew out a breath. “You’re sure you want to do this now?” He gestured between them. “I know emotions are high after what we’ve learned. I …” He couldn’t look at her. “Whatever you want, Quinlan. That’s what I mean to say.”

And he even manages to deliver Rhys's classic line in a much more subtle way! Apart from that, I don't mind it, though. Everything he said is true.

There's a bit of banter about what they want and so on, and they make vague plans to maybe have sex later. Bryce's star glimmers a bit, but stops as they head back out to the street. Wonder if that means that Cormac is nearby and saw them? Is it sad that I'm more interested in this twinkling star than their relationship?

POV switch to Ithan back in the apartment. He's hanging out with Tharion.

“How long have you guys been doing all this shit?” “You know what happened during the Summit, right?” “Demons wrecked the city, killed a lot of people. Two Archangels died. Everyone knows that.”

There's no dialogue tags or actions on any of this, and I have no idea who is saying what. Nor do I understand the connection between that first question and the one that followed. I think the book just wanted an excuse for more fucking repetition in the form of recapping the last book (again).

Tharion tells Ithan that Bryce and Hunt killed Micah and Sandriel. Of course, he mentions Hunt's kill first, even though Ithan probably cares more about Bryce. Ithan is upset because he figures Sabine knew Micah killed Danika and co, but never told him.

Tharion went on, unaware of the animal within trying to claw free. [...] Claws appeared at Ithan’s fingertips. Tharion didn’t fail to note them.

These lines are like two sentences apart, book. Is he unaware, or did he not fail to notice?

“Micah killed my brother. And Bryce killed Micah because of it.” He couldn’t wrap his mind around it—that Bryce, before the Drop, had destroyed an Archangel. It made no sense. He’d had the audacity, the ignorance, to question her love for Danika and Connor.

I think it was less the love of Danika and Connor and more the convenient presence of a godslaying gun and magic speed+antidote, but sure, whatever. Let's go with that.

We get another reminder that Ithan has given up sportsball. Book, I didn't care the first time you mentioned it, and you're not making me care more with repetition. Do something with it or shut the fuck up.

Tharion says that Ithan was here for this because of fate, or something, then says to hit him up later because he wants to use Ithan's wolf nose to find Emile before the others. Then he leaves.

Ithan angsts a bit, then goes looking for Danika's sword, recapping for us about how much Sabine wanted it and such. He pulls it out and starts going through drills/mock fights with it, jumping all over the furniture, but with a running commentary in his head as if it's a sportsball game. The book spends about a page on this. Then Bryce comes home.

“I forgot my work ID …?” Bryce started, brows so high they seemed capable of touching her hairline. Ithan prayed Solas would melt him into the floor and boil his blood into steam. It seemed the sun god was listening. The coffee table groaned. Then cracked. And collapsed entirely beneath him.

Oh. Bryce isn't done, she just coincidentally came back at this exact time so she could see this. Cool. This isn't a convenient little contrivance at all.

Oh, but it gets even more convenient. Turns out there was a secret compartment full of documents, and all the furniture belonged to Danika so it must have been her who left it here. Bryce reveals that they're her old college papers, and then we POV switch to Ruhn, who is sharpening the starsword. Gotta drag out revealing whatever's in those papers, I guess. Fuck me.

His friends are with him. They banter for a bit, before Ruhn tells them everything that happened at Bryce's apartment. Well. So much for secrecy. The book is clearly proud of this blood oath thing it just made up, because it has Flynn randomly mention it as a thing he's hoping Ruhn didn't do.

We then have another short paragraph summarising Ruhn telling them everything... even though he just did before too...? Anyway, both Flynn and Declan are keen.

“That easy, huh?” Ruhn said, brows lifting. “That easy,” Dec answered.

It doesn't make it any less boring if you point it out, book.

There's some narration from Ruhn about how these guys are his brothers, or something, and then they talk about how they can't tell anyone, not even Declan's named boyfriend (who I'm sure will end up involved somehow).

“You [Flynn] talk when you’re wasted,” Ruhn chimed in. But he knew Flynn was a steel vault when he wanted to be.

Well, how convenient he can be a steel vault even when wasted. Nothing to worry about, then. God, this book wouldn't understand conflict if it came up and slapped it in the face.

They banter a bit more, then Ruhn says he's going to meet with Cormac.

[snarkformysanity]

House of Sky and Breath Chapter 16

Last time, it was revealed that Cormac was not only actually secretly a rebel all along, but was also the Agent Silverbow that was mentioned in the prologue! Dun dun dun! Now, it's time for us to find out if this is a meaningful reveal or if it's actually as random as it feels rn.

Naturally, the book picks up right where it left off, begging the question of why we needed a chapter break. It's also not immediately clear whose POV we're in, but I think it's Bryce's. Everyone is, naturally, very surprised by this turn of events. There is much demanding from all sides to know what's going on, what people know about Sofie, etc. Also, Bryce's star has started glowing again. Just mentioning it because I'm sure it'll turn out to be significant and I'm pretty sure it's glowed every time Cormac has shown up now.

Hunt casually stepped into [Cormac's] path [as he walked towards Bryce]. Lightning danced over his wings. Alphahole to the core, yet it warmed something in her.

Excuse me while I go gag. At least the book's given up trying to pretend he isn't an alphahole, at least. But it does seem to have forgotten that it's meant to be a *bad* thing. Oh well. I suppose, I did predict back in book one that Bryce would eventually be "corrected" for her views on alphaholes. Well, here it is. I'm not happy about it.

They banter a bit. Tharion seems determined to annoy Cormac for some reason.

Tharion smirked at Cormac. “I’m guessing Sofie is your … girlfriend?” Bryce blinked. Cormac let out a snarl that echoed into her bones. “Impressive,” Hunt murmured to Bryce, but she didn’t feel like smiling.

...what's impressive, Hunt? Cormac's snarling? That Tharion randomly guessed Sofie was Cormac's girlfriend?

Bryce tells Cormac that she had no idea who Sofie was until very recently, and asks if they can all sit down and talk. The first thing she asks about is why Cormac's shadows are different from Ruhn's... (she noted them as being more primal or some shit before, idk). And... really? That's the first thing you want to know about? Not why he's a rebel, or what this Agent Silverbow business is, or anything about Sofie? I mean, we all know what the book's real priorities are, but still. At least pretend to care about your own plot, geeze.

Banter, banter, come on book, get on with it. Say something we don't already know.

But Hunt leaned back against the counter, elbows on the stone. Lightning snaked along his wings; his face was deathly calm. The embodiment of the Umbra Mortis. [...] “You have to realize that you’re not getting any other answers or leaving here alive without convincing us of some key things.”

And lots of posturing. Dear god it's insufferable. And we know it's all nonsense talk. You're not going to kill him, Hunt. Stop trying to claim badass cookies for something we all know you'll never do.

I think part of the problem with this scene is that there's quite a few characters present, but the book doesn't really know what to do with them all. So there's a lot of stuff like this:

Bryce glanced at Ithan, but his attention remained on Cormac as the prince breathed, studying his every movement like he was an opponent on the sunball field.

Little asides to tell us "character x was still present, but wasn't really doing anything of importance." Unneeded, unwanted. Also, the book doesn't seem able to let Ithan do anything, even observe people, without likening it to his sportsball days. It's kind of annoying. I don't care about his drama that much, book. Or at all, even.

Bryce might have replied [to Ruhn's mind-speak], but the shadows on Cormac’s arms faded. His broad shoulders relaxed. Then he stalked to the dining table and sat. His eyes were clear—calmer. The star on her chest winked out as well. As if reassured that all was well.

So yeah, her star is definitely linked to Cormac somehow. Interesting. Curious to see where this goes. I dimly recall Aidas infodumping stuff about the fae history from the previous chapter, and all the characters involved in that, but none of the details. But it'll be something to do with that.

Well, the book isn't interested in getting on with anything, because it has Hunt ask how Cormac got in, so Cormac can repeat what Bryce already figured out (it's Aidas's fault). Book. You don't need to repeat this shit. We read it like, a page ago. Since it would make sense for Hunt to ask this sort of question, I'd delete Bryce's earlier figuring-out of it. Absolutely no need for this sort of shit.

Hunt nodded, like this wasn’t a big fucking deal. “And why did you come here, at this exact moment?” He’d gone into full-on interrogation mode.

Calm your tits, Bryce, he's just asking perfectly reasonable questions in a normal tone of voice. "Full-on interrogation mode," my eye.

There's some tepid back and forth that feels like it should be mockable, but is just more of the same, again, and again. Cormac recounts how he promised Sofie he'd look after Emile.

Either he’s an amazing actor, Ruhn said into her head, or he was in love with Sofie. Agreed, Bryce said.

I mean. He said himself he made her a promise as a friend. I know they're right, but it still pisses me off how this is not only the book's first assumption, but how it's presenting it as if this is the only assumption that can be made. Platonic love just isn't good enough. Neither is familial love, or devotion to one's duty, or camaraderie, or basic human empathy, nope. It's gotta be romantic love. Or, hell, not even romantic love with these books, the relationships here are like 95% pure lust.

Also wait, hold up. Was Agent Silverbow meant to be human? Was he lying to Sofie about that? Or am I misremembering, and it was never specified what he was?

Cormac starts explaining how Emile ran because he was afraid of Pippa and... ugh. Looks like Pippa's a fanatic, and her role in the story is to turn the human rebels into evil cartoon bad guys so that our protagonists can fight against them without having to worry that they might look like oppressive bigots. I'm pretty sure I've said already that my hopes for any of the humans getting decent treatment are 0, but they've just shot into the negative now.

Cormac mentions a massacre of some leopards that allegedly made the news over in Lunathion.

Cormac said, “That was Pippa’s idea, carried out by Lightfall. To use those Vanir kids and babies to lure their parents out of their hidden dens—and then kill them all. Simply for sport. For the Hel of it. Because they were Vanir and deserved to die.

Okay, there is a whole lot here that could be a complex and interesting topic, but the way it's presented is just so... I don't know. Distasteful? Yes, killing children and babies is awful and absolutely should not be done. It doesn't paint the rebels in a good light. But remember, the Vanir are the ones oppressing the humans - treating them like animals in pens over on Pangera, according to last book - and all of the people present here are Vanir. All of the people present here are safely part of the oppressor-class. They have every right to be horrified at the murder of their children, but... the meta of it just feels off? And also, like... have you considered just not fucking oppressing them if you don't want them to murder your kids? Like, you guys literally have all the power in this situation. You could put a stop to it. And yet, you don't.

At the risk of lynch mobs from one side or the other (or both, who knows), I can't help but draw a parallel to the Israel-Palestine conflict? Where, yes, there's terrorists in amongst the Palestinians who are doing some horrific shit, but we're all (well, the media is all) just kind of ignoring/downplaying the shit that Israel does? Even though Israel is the one with the oppressive power in this situation, and is using that power to commit atrocities in kind?

Now, it's hardly a perfect parallel, because while the Israel-Palestine situation has centuries of religious conflict and meddling by outside powers and being surrounded by hostile neighbours and etc, etc to inform how it came about, the human-Vanir conflict here kind of exists in a vacuum. We don't know why the Vanir oppress the humans, other than "well, we're better than you, so nyeh." The only real event we know about (the arrival of the Vanir/Asteri) happened fifteen thousand years ago in the book's timeline, which is longer than human civilisation has existed for in our world. Any other events, conflicts, tensions, global powers, and so on that could inform this conflict are just completely absent, even though it's been fifteen thousand years. Are there resources in the human world that the Vanir wanted? Do the Vanir believe they have some sort of right to this land? Is it a religious thing? Is it a scary-growly-dominant compulsion to take shit over? We don't know. There's no sense that the Vanir are fighting for anything here, other than the ability to be oppressive for oppression's sake. They haven't even given a fake reason/excuse to make the war palatable to their people - it's just left to hang there as if of course this is how oppressive regimes work.

Contrast again to the Israel-Palestine conflict, where both sides believe they have a religious right to those lands, an exclusive religious right. They're both fighting to protect what they perceive to be their home that God gave them. What are the Vanir fighting for? We don't know. We know what the humans are fighting for (freedom from assholes), but we don't know why the Vanir decided to turn it into a fight in the first place. Except for the lols, of course.

And with this in mind, it's especially uncomfortable how the book is framing Pippa's fanaticism here. As if "she's a fanatic" is somehow an acceptable explanation for "and therefore she kills children for no reason but the lols." But we know what Pippa is fanatic about. We know what she's fighting for. She's fighting for the freedom of her entire species from a race of oppressive, magically-powerful dickbags. The human rebels aren't just at a disadvantage in traditional ways (resources, manpower, etc) but in magical ways, too. Killing kids is bad, but it's hard to really condemn the rebellion at large when the humans are at such an enormous disadvantage in this situation, even if one of its members is being lolevil. And, ya know, I'm human too, so of course I'm going to be sympathetic to the cause of human freedom.

And yet, and yet, we are expected to side with and feel sympathy for our protagonists here, who are all Vanir and who are all therefore of the oppressor class. And we don't even know what it is they're trying to protect. We have no clue. You can look at Israel in our world and see that, whatever side you're on, whatever you think of their actions or right to do so, from their perspective, they're fighting to defend their home (and power). It's something we can understand even as we condemn their methods and oppressive nature and try to find a solution that doesn't result in war and mass killings. But why are we meant to care what the Vanir want? Why are we supposed to side with them? Because the rebels killed some children? What about all the children in the human cattle pens, book???

Ugh. I need to move on.

And even putting all of that aside, this is yet another fucking character whose motivation for doing evil things is For the Evulz and nothing else. Sandriel and Pollux and all her triarii are the same. Boring, boring, boring.

Cormac went on, “Pippa sees Emile as a weapon. The night of the escape, he took down those imperial Omegas, and she was practically beside herself with excitement. She spooked him with her eagerness to get him onto a battlefield, and he fled on an escape boat before I could convince him that I was there to help.

And see, the lolevilness isn't even necessary! This is exactly the sort of thing a fanatic might do even if they don't kill children for kicks, and it's a perfectly reasonable thing for Emile to be spooked by! Gahhhhh! Just makes it that much more blatantly obvious that the child murder is just to make Pippa (and thus, the rebels, since her group are the only ones we've seen thus far) unsympathetic! So that there's no risk we'll stop feeling bad for our precious little Vanir oppressors over here, I guess.

Cormac keeps explaining stuff that doesn't really need explaining. He saw Tharion looking for Emile, and decided to follow him.

His gaze shifted to Hunt. “You asked why I came here, at this exact moment? Because when the mer kept returning here

...he's been here, like, once before. That's hardly "keeps returning."

They keep talking, hitting all the random touchpoints the book likes hitting - reminding us of Ruhn and Cormac's drama, explaining that Love overrides the fate of the human race, Fae bad (but only in modernly palatable ways for Bryce to shut down with yaaaas gurl tactics), Asteri bad, Hunt's angst, Bryce being sad about Hunt's angst... absolutely nothing of substance for like a page and a half. And also only like a line or two on each thing, so it's a bitch to summarise.

Cormac went on, ignoring Hunt, “Sofie was an Ophion agent because the Asteri butchered her family. Her human family, and her thunderbird ancestors. All she wanted was to find her brother. Everything she did was for him.”

See, more of this. It's not actually as noble as you think, book. The rebels are fighting for the freedom of the entire human race. Which, incidentally, includes Sofie and her beloved brother. But the way this is phrased, we're meant to see joining the rebels as something Sofie was "forced" into doing by outside circumstances, because she would never have joined up with such evil meanipantses otherwise, and all along she was only interested in her brother. That's incredibly selfish of her. Understandable, yes, but selfish. I seriously doubt the book understands this, though, as it seems to have this constant undercurrent that Sofie is a hero "doing what she had to" to find her brother. Instead, she (allegedly) died with potentially war-ending information in her head, so everyone else (including her brother) has to continue suffering the horrors of war because she thought it was more important to blackmail the rebels than end the war. She's not a hero. She's a selfish, short-sighted kid.

More bickering. Tharion growls. Why are even the merpeople growly in these books? There is 0 variation in creature types, I swear.

Bryce recaps her motivation for us, in case we forgot since the last few times it was repeated.

Indeed, the Avallen Prince’s eyes softened a bit—with gratitude. Could be faking that, Ruhn observed to her.

........can Ruhn read Bryce's narration?

Bryce randomly switches the topic of conversation to the Hind, so that Cormac can tell the protagonists about Sofie's war-ending information that she didn't share with anyone.

Across the room, Ithan was wide-eyed. Had any of his training prepared him for this? Had any of hers?

Any of his...... sportsball training? Why the fuck would that prepare him for revolution? And what training have you had, Bryce? Dafuq?

Tharion said, “The Asteri probably sent the Hind to kill her before she could tell anyone else.”

False. Sofie had plenty of time to tell other people, but she expressly chose not to so she could use it for leverage instead. The Asteri got fucking lucky.

The book wanks for a bit over how cool and brave Sofie is, and then the conversation finally gets around to whether or not Tharion found her body. He tells Cormac what he found.

Cormac shot to his feet. “Sofie is alive?” Such raw hope filled his voice. Was it from genuine love? Or hope that the intel she carried lived on?

Porque no los dos? Also, really not a fan of that juxtaposition between "genuine" love and caring about ending the fucking war that decides the fate of the human race. Just saying. Why is caring about humanity framed as opposed to "genuine" love?

Blah, blah, more talking about stuff we already know. Then Cormac turns the conversation to Danika.

Bryce stilled. “What about her?” Hunt gave her another look warning her to keep quiet.

Don't put Bryce's dialogue on the same line as Hunt's actions. Also, butt out, Hunt. She has every right to ask about her friend.

“I do,” Cormac said, his gaze still on Bryce, on the star in her chest that had begun to glow dimly again. “It’s why I agreed to marry Bryce.”

So, Bryce's star is glowing again. Cool. Random POV switch to Ruhn as the conversation carries on as if nothing happened.

Ruhn needed a moment to process everything.

Because this is clearly such vital information that we couldn't wait until a later scene to establish it. No. We had to switch right now to get into Ruhn's head. This book, man. It's utterly fucking interminable.

Anyway, yes, Cormac agreed to marry Bryce so that he could have access to her, because she knew Danika and he needed "access" to her (ew). He also needs access to Ruhn too, apparently.

Bryce glowered. “Forcing me into marriage seems extreme.” “It’s the only currency I have. My breeding potential.”

Speaking of, how come Cormac is allowed to "agree" to marry Bryce, but Bryce is "forced" to marry Cormac? Does the female party not get a say in the matter? Contrary to popular belief, even arranged marriages required at least the nominal consent of both parties before it could go ahead. If Bryce keeps saying "no," loudly and clearly, well, no one is going to marry them...

Cormac needs Ruhn because Ruhn can mind-speak, and that would be useful for the rebels to have.

Ruhn said, “What about your cousins—the twins? They can mind-speak.” “They’re not trustworthy. You know that.”

And Ruhn, who clearly doesn't like you, is? Why aren't your cousins trustworthy? (Also, I bet it's those twins Feyre killed in the third ACOTAR book. No reason. Just vibes)

Well, the book answers neither question, because Hunt butts in. He gives a speech about avoiding the plot because angst, blah, blah, it's stuff we've heard already. He wants to protect the others from finding out the way he did.

It shouldn’t have meant something to Ruhn, for Athalar to consider him a friend. But it did.

Why? Oh, oh I see, you're not going to explain, you're just going to assume the rest of us are on board because Hunt is just that awesome or something. I'm not, book. If it "shouldn't have meant something", then it shouldn't mean anything unless you give me a damn good reason for it!

Hunt threatens to sell Cormac out, while Tharion repeats the possibility that he's an Asteri spy. Fuck, just get on with it already. They've been arguing for several pages now.

Cormac drawled, “Trust me, I don’t bandy about this information to just anyone.” He sized up Athalar. “You might have made foolish mistakes in the past, Umbra Mortis, but I shall not.”

You just did, fuckwit. There is literally nothing stopping these people from selling you out, as Hunt just pointed out.

Cormac laughed bitterly. “You can’t risk your friends and family? What about the countless friends and family in Pangera who are tortured, enslaved, and murdered?[...] But it seems all of you wish to put your own lives before those of others.”

Well... he's not wrong. What about all the people getting murdered in Pangera, hmm, protagonists? I mean sure, it's not unreasonable to refuse to put your life in danger for the sake of people in a far-off war. But it's also not particularly heroic, and we're meant to think our protagonists are the heroes here.

“Fuck off,” Hunt growled. “Did you see what happened here this spring?” “Yes. It convinced me of your … compassion.”

......what the fuck did Hunt do through all of that that convinced you he was compassionate? Sit around in a meeting room watching Bryce on TV?

He said to Bryce, “I saw that you raced to Asphodel Meadows. To the humans.” He glanced at Ithan. “You too. I thought it meant you’d be sympathetic to their greater plight.”

Well, more fool you, Cormac. No one in this room is even remotely sympathetic towards the humans. Unless it's to show off how much better they are than the cartoon villains around them. Alas, no cartoon villains are present, so none of them give a fuck.

Blah blah, we repeat he knew that Bryce and Danika knew each other. Apparently Danika is the one who sent Sofie in to find her war-ending intel, but she died before Sofie found it. Then, Bryce starts to show some of the thinking skills she demonstrated last book, and figures Aidas wouldn't have brought Cormac here/let him come here for no reason. She asks him what he knows about Starborn powers, and Ruhn repeats that he told her Cormac knows a lot. Because we need more fucking repetition here. I'm losing my mind.

Cormac admits that he does know a lot about Starborn stuff.

Her lips curled upward. “Rebel prince and bookworm.” Athalar looked at her like she’d lost her mind. “I’ll make a deal with you.” Hunt growled his objection, but Ruhn’s mind churned. This was the Bryce he knew—always angling for the advantage.

Shut the fuck up, Hunt. You spent all last book watching Bryce figure stuff out, and yet you can't recognise when she's figuring stuff out? See, Ruhn has faith in her, why can't you, Hunt? I thought you totally trusted her?

Can I trade this love interest out for a new one? He's rude and I don't like him.

Fuck, even outside of Hunt's head, we can't escape his reaction to Bryce doing shit. Ruhn makes sure to point out every time he shudders as she runs her finger across the countertop or whatever.

Anyway, Bryce says that, though she wants the marriage ended, she's pretty sure her dad will just send along someone else if the engagement ends too soon, so she'll play along while they find out all the stuff. It'll end when she says it ends, and Cormac will teach her about starborn stuff. If he doesn't play along, she'll point Pippa and co in his direction. Cool.

Hunt smirked.

Shut the fuck up, you were just getting all possessive-growly a second ago. You don't get to be pleased about Bryce's bargaining now.

“Fine,” Cormac said. “But the engagement will only be broken once my work here for Ophion is done. I need the reason to be in Valbara.” Ruhn expected Bryce to object, but she seemed to think it over. “We do need the cover to be seen together,” she mused. “Otherwise, anyone who knows what a piece of shit you are would wonder why the Hel I would stoop to hang with you. It’d be suspicious.”

Well, Bryce has made her plans already, but Hunt decides that they actually need to talk about it first. As if they haven't just been talking about it for far too many pages already. Probably so he can trample all over Bryce in private. Unfortunately, Ruhn agrees, and they tell Cormac to leave. But, he wants them to swear a blood oath that they won't tell anyone, which is apparently a big deal?

I do like some of Bryce's lines. Of course, this one is ruined by Ruhn updating us on what Hunt is doing again. I don't give a fuck, Ruhn. Get him out of the room.

Ruhn barked a laugh. “I’m not making a blood oath. You can trust us. Can we trust you?” “If I can trust cowards who like painting their nails while the rest of the world suffers, then you can trust me.” Bryce said wryly, “Going in hard with the charm, Cormac.” “Swear a blood oath. And I’ll leave.” “No,” Bryce said with surprising calm. “I have a manicure in ten minutes.”

........you're really not doing much to convince me that Cormac is the bad guy here. No, I don't care how many times you describe his dead shark eyes.

Cormac uses thinly-veiled threats to try get Ruhn to discuss using his mind powers with him later, and then goes to leave.

“Beyond Sofie, beyond Emile … This world could be so much more. This world could be free. I don’t understand why you wouldn’t want that.” “Hard to enjoy being free,” Hunt countered darkly, “if you’re dead.” Cormac opened the door, stepping into the swirling shadows. “I can think of no better reason to yield my life.”

..........yeah. Still not convinced Cormac is the bad guy here. Again, not wanting to die in The Revolution is perfectly understandable. It's just not very heroic, and therefore not very interesting to read about. Maybe Hunt should leave, and then Bryce and Cormac can go about finding Emile and helping the rebels? I'd much prefer that.

[snarkformysanity]

Kaze commission from Etsy!

Pre-orders for the standee are up until the 15th!

[snarkformysanity]

House of Sky and Breath Chapter 15

We're with Ruhn this time, who is meeting Bryce in preparation to go back to her apartment for the meeting. Gotta see every step of the journey, god damn it! Bryce doesn't like the staring now that everyone knows she's the star princess, and Ruhn tells her to get used to it. Pretty sure we already went over this in, like, the first chapter? Several times?

“So Tharion’s back at the house?” he asked as they headed toward her apartment. “Yep. Already grilling Ithan.” Which was why she’d asked him to come as backup. A fact that gave him no small amount of satisfaction.

Bad book, don't put Bryce's dialogue on the same line as Ruhn's thoughts. Also, don't get me wrong, I'm all for Bryce wanting Ruhn for backup instead of Hunt, but... why does Tharion grilling Ithan require backup? What is the connection between these thoughts?

He wryly nodded to the angels and witches soaring overhead, the little otter in his yellow vest scooting by, the family of some sort of equine shifters trotting between the cars.

I think I've whinged before about the use of "the" vs "a" in paragraphs like these. Using "the" isn't technically wrong, but it does feel weird. "The angels and witches" is fine, because it's a plural, and "the otter" can get away with it (though "an otter" would probably be better, since we didn't know there was any otter there at all until now, let alone a specific one), but, the equine shifters... the way it's phrased ("the family of some sort of equine shifters") makes it sound as if it's referring to some relatives of the equine shifters (who may or may not be equine shifters themselves), and the relatives are crossing the road right now. Instead of what it actually meant, that it is a family of equine shifters who are crossing the road right now. "A" was absolutely needed in this case.

But, I digress.

Bryce wants to discuss something with Ruhn on the way to the apartment. He assumes it's Cormac, but it's actually Danika. Bryce tells Ruhn that she's a bloodhound, and this is a Big Deal for some reason (the fact she told Ruhn, not the bloodhound thing itself. I don't think). They muse on the same things everyone mused on when Tharion first revealed this to us. Enough, book. If Bryce and Ruhn have nothing new to say, skip to the apartment.

They do eventually reach the apartment, but we have to follow them all the way up, too.

Ruhn waited until the [lift] doors had shut before he said softly, “I know Athalar already said this to you last night

Book, pointing out that you're repeating yourself doesn't actually make it better.

Ruhn does sort of try to do some character arc stuff.

“You’re a power player now, Bryce, whether you like it or not. [...] The Bryce before this spring might have searched for Emile with few repercussions, but the Bryce who exists now? Any move you make will be politicized, analyzed—viewed as an act of aggression or rebellion or outright war. No matter what you say.”

It's couched in a lot of repetition even within the same paragraph, but it is trying to be something. We'll see if the book remembers this. It already lets its royal children wander around without any escorts - I have absolutely no faith its politics will be executed any better.

Ruhn might have stepped inside to grab a piece of that pizza had Bryce not gone still. A Fae sort of stillness, sizing up a threat. His every instinct went on high alert, bellowing at him to defend, to attack, to slaughter any threat to his family. Ruhn suppressed it, held back the shadows begging to be unleashed, to hide Bryce from sight.

Dafuq? Ruhn, calm your farm, there.

Well, turns out what freaked Bryce out so much was the appearance of a white cat, who is of course Aidas in disguise (yay!), but the book decides to draw out the "reveal." Also, Ithan doesn't find it suspicious that he didn't smell any cats at all before now, and yet one has suddenly appeared. I guess super noses are only super when it comes to sex things?

POV switch to Hunt, because that was way too much progress for the book. Gotta stall a bit more. Well, not too much longer, fortunately.

Hunt arrived at the apartment just in time to hear Bryce’s words through the shut front door. He was inside in a moment, his lightning gathered at his fingers. “Oh, calm yourself,” the Prince of the Chasm said, leaping onto the coffee table.

Aidas agrees with me, there's no need for all the posturing. And no need for the POV switch. No reason Hunt couldn't have burst through the door behind Bryce. But no. We had to add just a couple of extra lines of padding. Was it worth it, book? Really?

Also, I think this is the second time Bryce has interacted with Aidas, and both times, we've been in Hunt's POV. Why is this, book? I'm much more interested in what Bryce thinks of him than what Hunt thinks of him. They have a history, after all.

Anyway, everyone goes into Stab mode.

But Aidas said to Hunt, little fangs glinting, “I thought we were friends, Orion.” “It’s Hunt,” he gritted out, lightning skittering over his teeth, zapping his tongue.

I really don't know why the book keeps pointing out that Hunt doesn't go by his given name. I don't care. You've done nothing with it, book. Stop waving it around as if it's Deep. Also, he zapped his own tongue? Why? It's such a stupid image.

Oh, and Hunt is assuring us that he could totally take Aidas in a fight, by the way. In case we were worried or something.

One move and he’d fry the prince. Or try to. He didn’t dare take his focus off Aidas to check on Bryce’s positioning. Ruhn would make sure she stayed back.

But he totally trusts Bryce and respects her as an equal, you guys. Definitely not a controlling jerk who thinks he knows best.

But Bryce, damn her, walked forward. Hunt tried to block her, but she easily sidestepped him, her chin high as she said, “Good to see you again, Aidas.”

Hunt hardly breathed as the cat trotted up to her and wended between her legs, brushing against her shins. “Hello, Princess.” Hunt’s blood chilled. The demon prince purred the word with such intent. Such delight. Like he had some sort of claim on her. Hunt’s lightning flared.

Yeah, shut the fuck up, Hunt. Bryce showed she was clearly able to deal with Aidas before, right in front of you. She's also dealt with him at other times in the past. Maybe just let her talk instead of assuming she needs your protection here?

Also, lol, Bryce "easily" sidesteps him, but he expects me to believe he could take a literal demon prince in a fight. Sure, Hunt.

Lol. But he's totally not a jealous, controlling asshole. No, sir. Not Hunt. And yeah, sure, Aidas may well be being a creep, but he's a demon. I'd be disappointed if he wasn't being creepy, honestly. But if it's anything like last book he'll still manage to be more considerate of Bryce than Hunt is.

I also really hate that this is the sole reason we're in Hunt's POV right now. Bryce is the one that's actually relevant to what's going on here. But the book shoves us in Hunt's head so we can listen to all his jealous posturing. I don't want to. Get me out.

Aidas asks Bryce why she doesn't know how to use her power yet. Er, presumably because she just acquired it? And no one taught her? She's inherited the star power of someone Aidas liked, while Ruhn inherited the star power of someone he did not like. Because apparently that's how it works, even though they're siblings with the same ancestors. Eh, it's magic. I suppose it can work that way.

“Theia was dead by that point,” Aidas said flatly. “Pelias slew her.” He nodded to the Starsword in Ruhn’s hand. “And stole her blade when he’d finished.” He snarled. “That sword belongs to Theia’s female heir. Not the male offspring who corrupted her line.”

And who, pray tell, would the starsword belong to if Theia's female heir had only sons to pass it on to? I don't necessarily object to this, but apparently this happened thousands of years ago. There would surely have been at least one instance where there were no eligible female heirs.

Anyway, Aidas is saying that the (alleged) first starborn prince, Pelias, only got the title because he forcibly married Theia's daughter and declared himself prince.

Aidas laughed coldly. “Your celebrated Prince Pelias, the so-called first Starborn Prince, was an impostor. Theia’s other daughter got away—vanished into the night. I never learned of her fate. Pelias used the Starsword and the Horn to set himself up as a prince, and passed them on to his offspring, the children Helena bore him through rape.” That very Horn that was now tattooed into Bryce’s back. A chill went down Hunt’s spine, and his wings twitched.

Seriously, why are we in Hunt's POV for this? Either Bryce or Ruhn would be much more interesting, given this is actually about them. Also, taking bets on that vanished daughter being randomly relevant at a critical moment.

“Pelias’s craven blood runs through both of your veins,” Aidas said to Ruhn. “So does Helena’s,” Ruhn shot back, then recited, “Night-haired Helena, from whose golden skin poured starlight and shadows.” Bryce clicked her tongue, impressed. “You memorized that passage?”

........it's not particularly long, Bryce. Or complex. And it's not even in the old fae language or something, either. But, Bryce's concerningly low bar for being impressed aside, Ruhn is right. Well, based on what we know, he's right. Taking bets on some bullshit way that Bryce is going to end up a descendant of the missing daughter and not Pelias.

Bryce asks Aidas why he's telling them this, and he says it's because he couldn't help Theia and co back then. He asks her what she's doing to stop "this endless war", because apparently the current human rebellion and the fae (?) war 15000 years ago are the same war.

Aidas didn’t take his eyes off Bryce as he said, “It is the same war we fought fifteen thousand years ago, only renewed. The same war you fought, Hunt Athalar, in a different form. But the time is ripe again to make a push.”

.......fuck the what? Hunt is a reincarnation of a Significant Figure from back then? Ew. Bet it's whoever Theia's husband/lover/whatever was.

Also, why the fuck does Hunt need to be involved in it? He doesn't. Butt out. Bryce and Ruhn are allowed to have something that doesn't involve him.

Aidas tells everyone that the world's history might be fake propaganda, because even though we, the audience, worked it out long ago, none of the book's characters have? I thought this was revealed last book?

Aidas leapt off the counter, trotting to the coffee table again. “The Asteri fed their lies to your ancestors. Made the scholars and philosophers write down their version of events under penalty of death. Erased Theia from the record.

See, my problem with this is, when this was revealed last book, it was treated as a bastion of human knowledge, about the world of humans before the Asteri arrived. Theia is fae. Not human. The fucking special people are swooping in again to steal humanity's thunder. Because I guess the human race just isn't good enough? Fuck you, book. Believe it or not, every single one of your readers are human. Maybe don't tell them they're trash just for not being faeries?

Aidas starts asking some interesting worldbuilding questions, but Bryce isn't interested in that. Nor is she interested in learning anything more about her power, apparently.

“The war approaches its crescendo. And your power isn’t ready.” Bryce flicked the length of her ponytail over a shoulder. “How fucking cliché..." [...] “People died so you could have this power. People have been dying in this battle for fifteen thousand years so we could reach this point. Don’t play the reluctant hero now. That is the cliché.”

Aidas is telling nothing but the truth. The Reluctant Hero is a cliche. You see it in every single YA/NA book where the heroine whines about her power and how she doesn't really want it. Which is all of them, pretty much.

Bryce seemed at a loss for words, so Hunt stepped in.

No, fuck off, Hunt.

He asks why the demons killed people, Aidas says they were just pets running amok. Idk.

“A lot of people died,” Ithan growled. “Children died.” “And more will soon die in this war,” Aidas countered coolly. “Hel’s armies shall strike at your command, Bryce Quinlan.”

Both Ithan and Aidas are right here, tbh. I approve. Also, apparently Bryce can command the armies of hell. That is certainly... a thing.

“Bullshit,” Ruhn said, face crinkling as he snarled. “You’re waiting for the right moment when we’re all at war with each other, so you’ll be able to find a way into this world at last.” “Not at all,” Aidas said. “I already know the way into this world.” He pointed with a paw to Bryce and inclined his head. “Through my lovely Bryce and the Horn on her back.” Hunt suppressed a growl at the word my as all of them looked to her.

Ugh. Every character in this scene is concerned with how the demon might be tricking them. Everyone except Hunt, of course, who is too busy being a growly, possessive jerk to pay attention.

The Prince of the Chasm said, “It’s your choice in the end. It has always been your choice.”

Oh no. No, no, no. Don't start this bullshit again. Rhys wouldn't recognise a legitimate choice if it jumped up and slapped him in the face.

...also, please don't tell me Aidas is somehow Rhys.

Also, yes, Bryce was overheard when she was chatting to Fury, by Aidas. Called it. Book, it would have been brilliantly subtle if you just hadn't pointed out so many times that Bryce was sure she wouldn't be overheard. Mentioning it once is perfectly natural - mentioning it three+ times only draws attention to it, which makes it obvious you're going to do something with it later.

Aidas basically tells her to join the rebels, and also says he knows nothing about the connection between Danika and Sofie. Bryce complains that she doesn't know any rebels to ask to join.

Aidas stretched out his front paws, back arching. “That’s not true.” Hunt stilled as the demon yawned. “There’s one right behind you.” Bryce whirled, Hunt with her, lightning poised to strike. Cormac Donnall stood in the doorway, shadows fading from his shoulders. “Hello, Agent Silverbow,” Aidas crooned, then vanished.

Dun dun dun!

Just in case we were worried Cormac was going to be a legitimate threat to Bryce/Hunt, I guess? Gotta make sure he's the same guy who's getting shipped off with Sofie.

[snarkformysanity]

House of Sky and Breath Chapter 14

Here we go. We're with Hunt, who is with Isaiah. They're watching soldiers... training? At least, I think it's meant to be training, but they're beating each other bloody and uh. Contrary to popular belief that's not actually all that conducive to learning things.

The pair they're watching are a man and a woman.

The female was faster and cleverer than the male she faced, but the male had a hundred pounds on her. Each of his blows must have felt like being hit by a semitruck.

If someone's been hit by a semitruck blow, or even a less than semitruck blow, then the fight is over. No, really. Was "one punch can kill" ever a campaign that ran in America? Human bodies are not meant to fight for hours, or even minutes on end. A few punches tops and most human fights are over. And yet, the book says "each of" his blows as if there's been a lot of them, and they're all connecting. The fight is over. Or at least, it should be.

“My money’s on the male,” Isaiah murmured. “So’s mine. She’s too green to hold out much longer.”

Ugh, of course it is. The book's trying to pretend it's because she's "green," but we know the real reason.

See, going back to the whole "one punch can kill," there's only a finite amount of strength required to deliver such a blow. That amount of strength is achievable by both men and women. Yes, men are likely to get there more easily, but women can absolutely kill with their fists. Brute strength is still an advantage in hand-to-hand combat, but mostly with regards to things like grabs and grappling, not with just punching. And things like speed (as it's pointed out the woman has) will absolutely help negate the advantage of strength because it will be a lot harder for your opponent to catch you in any sort of hold to begin with.

I've done martial arts for many years, and though I don't practice as much now as I should and have a pretty small build, I'd still be very confident in my ability to take on a random dude if the need arose. Why? Because I'm fast, and because I'm trained. Yeah, I'd be in a world of hurt if he actually landed a blow on me - but him hitting harder means jack shit if I can hit him five times before he can even swing his fist, or even just hit him once with enough precision to put him down. The blows don't have to be the strongest. They just have to be strong enough to get you out of trouble, as long as you hit first. Trying to be the strongest is wasteful - you're putting extra energy where it's not needed, when you could be spending that energy on hitting first and therefore winning.

“Won’t really matter in the long run,” Isaiah said as the male landed a blow to her jaw with the pommel of his sword. Blood sprayed from her mouth.

But who am I kidding, this book doesn't even know how to spar properly. Why the fuck do they have weapons for this kind of drill? You're going to injure all your soldiers too much to fight, book.

But yes, anyway, back to the story. Such as it is. Hunt is angsting.

Hunt said nothing. He’d barely slept last night. Hadn’t been able to calm the thoughts that circled over and over. He’d wanted to talk to Bryce, but that acid in his veins had surged every time he’d gotten close, and dissolved all his words. Even this morning, all he’d been able to say was that they needed to talk. But Bryce being Bryce, she’d seen all of that. Knew what haunted him. And held his hand as she said yes.

Yes, luckily, Bryce is psychic, so Hunt doesn't need to learn how to communicate to make this relationship work. Are you sure she was thinking what you were thinking, Hunt? I suppose, we have evidence of his psychic powers from last book, from all the times he'd magically know what Bryce was thinking whenever the book inexplicably POV shifted away from her during action scenes.

Isaiah is worried they'll be sent back to the battlefield.

“I hope not,” Hunt said, blocking out the images of those muddy massacres: the mech-suits smoldering with their pilots bleeding out inside them; heaps of broken wings piled high to the skies; some shifters going feral and feasting on the carrion alongside the crows.

This book has a thing about the wings. Or perhaps I should say this author, because it was all through ACOTAR as well - the idea that any sort of war crime involving winged people would involve cutting off their wings and displaying them/otherwise desecrating them. And sure, I'm sure that would happen. The first time I read it I remember thinking "oof, that's pretty fucked." But it just keeps coming up again and again, in the same way, without a whole lot of variation. Like the author had this one idea she thought was good and fixated on it to the exclusion of all the other battle atrocities people could be committing. Just a weird vibe all around. Not really sure how to explain it, but something is off.

Hunt takes a moment to angst about Shahar (his dead archangel lover) before returning his attention to the fight.

The female ducked and slammed her fist into the male’s gut. He went down like a sack of flour, and Hunt chuckled, memories and dread shaking loose. “A pleasant surprise,” he said

Oh, shut the fuck up, Hunt. If women are regularly involved in your armies and training, it should not be "a pleasant surprise" that some of them are actually able to win fights. Especially not against big, slow opponents like the archetypal Maas-male, who has a muscle instead of a brain. I'd run rings around those guys all the time. It was the other small, fast ones I needed to watch out for.

He turns his attention to the other soldiers around the place.

Sweat gleamed on bare skin, wings white and black and brown and gray rustled, and blood shone on more than a few faces.

Okay, accidents happen, but if people are regularly getting bloodied up in training, then you're training wrong. Injured soldiers can't fight, book. Why do you and so many other books fail to understand this?

Hunt tells us he's trying not to look at Pollux and Baxian, all while describing to us what they're doing and what they look like.

It felt wrong to have those two pieces of shit here, instead of Vik and Justinian.

It feels wrong to have you here when those two were killed (or essentially killed) immediately for the exact same crime, yet here we are. Life isn't fair, Hunt. One would think with how much you angst, you would know this, and yet...

So wrong that he did look at them after all.

You were already looking. That's how you were able to describe them to us. Dear god, this book is awful.

Anyway, Baxian comes over, prompting much posturing from Hunt.

“I thought you were doing something far more interesting here in Valbara, Athalar. I’m surprised you haven’t dropped dead from boredom.” Isaiah took that as a cue to check on the male who’d fallen, winking at Hunt as he left. Traitor.

...........what? Why the fuck is Isaiah winking? Last time Hunt faced one of these guys, he got in a fistfight. I thought you had more sense than this, Isaiah.

Unless this is meant to be another "subtle" clue that Baxian's actually not that bad. I dimly recall flagging something to that effect when he first appeared.

They argue over whether Hunt really wanted peace all along, whether Baxian enjoyed serving Sandriel, etc, etc. It's all pretty stock for this kind of situation.

Baxian laughed, low and lifeless. [...] “You were always a literal sort of bastard. Couldn’t read between the lines.”

“You never asked me why I was in her triarii, you know. Not once, in all those decades. You’re like that with everyone, Athalar. Surface-level.”

Guys, if this keeps up, I might have to like Baxian.

It seems that Celestina has paired up Hunt and Baxian, and left Pollux to Naomi. To show the new recruits the ropes, or something to that effect. Baxian's chances of redemption just skyrocketed. Especially since he also called Pollux a prick. Isaiah will be escorting Celestina around the city.

Across the ring, Isaiah was now checking his phone, frowning deeply. He glanced to Hunt, face lit with alarm. Not at the honor of escorting the Governor, Hunt knew.

Isaiah, if you were that worried about Hunt being left with these guys, why did you walk away winking before?

We then spend a page talking about who may or may not be fucking the Hind, with a random reminder that the Harpy exists. Oh, the book is trying to paint it as Hunt probing for information about whether the Hind is after Emile but 1) we know what the book's real priorities are and 2) does Hunt even know the Hind was involved in all the stuff with the thunderbirds?

Apparently Baxian and the Harpy were a thing.

Baxian let out another one of those low laughs that skittered over Hunt’s bones.

.......isn't this how the book normally describes love interest laughs? I wouldn't be opposed to this. Bryce deserves better than Hunt, so ship him off with Baxian and she can find someone else.

There's also apparently a hawk shifter called the Hawk. Really stretching yourself with those names there, book.

“Doing what he does best: trying to outdo Pollux in cruelty and brutality.” The hawk shifter had long been Pollux’s main rival for power. Hunt had steered clear of him for decades. So had Baxian, he realized. He’d never seen them interact.

Yes, tell us more about all these ways that Baxian has totally been a good guy all along. Book, it's boring if all your edgy characters end up actually being squeaky clean through increasingly contrived circumstances. Why can't Baxian have interacted with the Hawk? Why can't he have had a pragmatic approach to whatever he was doing that involved playing nice with his deranged colleagues? Or even legitimately enjoyed their company? It's just oh so convenient that this new character you want us to like who has allegedly spent his time working with the lolevil bad guys has conveniently never interacted with any of the really bad ones. Let him be dirty.

They speak briefly about Bryce. It's pointless. Well, no, it's not pointless, it's probably setting up for Hunt to be all "it's too dangerous for us to be together" or something, but other than that it's pointless.

“Here’s the first rule of getting adjusted: don’t fucking talk to me unless I talk to you.” As Isaiah’s Second, he outranked Baxian. Baxian’s eyes flared, as if realizing it. “I’m taking this assignment seriously, you know.” Hunt gave him a savage grin. “Oh, I know.” If he had to help Baxian adjust, he’d happily drag him into the current century. Hopefully kicking and screaming. “So am I.” Baxian had the good sense to look a little nervous.

...probably because that's kind of a deranged way to act? I mean, based on what we've seen of him (or at least, what I remember seeing of him), Baxian has been perfectly cordial and hasn't done anything particularly last-century. Or at least, no more so than any other character in this book does on a regular basis. And here Hunt is flashing savage grins seemingly out of the blue at him. I'm sure we're meant to think this is cool and badass. I do not. Mostly because the book has spent this whole time setting Baxian up as Secretly Not A Villain, so I'm not entirely sure why we're meant to think Hunt acting like this is a good thing.

Switch to Tharion's POV as he arrives at Bryce's apartment. He'd like to own it, apparently, because it's a very nice apartment. And this is why I'll never believe the book's attempts to paint Bryce as poor/one of The People. Sure, she may not have bought the apartment herself. But instead, she had it handed to her through absolutely no effort of her own. She's not just rich - she's rich off handouts.

Ithan answers the door, because Bryce isn't back yet. We see a flirty/skeevy text conversation between Tharion and Bryce, and some random posturing from Ithan, then he lets Tharion in.

Hmm... weirdly, despite a lot of the "flirting" Tharion does being way over the top to the point it should be creepy, I find it doesn't bother me that much? Like:

I’m at your apartment and ready to go through your underwear drawer. She’d written back immediately, You’re early. I’ll be there in ten. Don’t leave drool stains on the lace ones. Or worse.

Bryce is happy to hit back and roll with it, and has neither said nor expressed in her narration that she wants him to stop. Unlike, say, with Hunt, where she spent half the first book actively wanting him to fuck off and butt out of her life. And to our knowledge, Tharion hasn't acted on any of this. It's very skeevy flirting, but hey, if they're both into it...

The book is still weirdly preoccupied with Bryce's white couch, by the way. It's been expressly mentioned in narration in every scene in Bryce's apartment thus far. This would normally signal that it's going to be important somehow, but I cannot for the life of me imagine how a couch would be important to the plot.

Anyway, Tharion and Ithan spend another page establishing that Ithan doesn't know anything. But, Ithan does raise a good point:

“You’re an idiot if you don’t see the risk in spreading this intel about your queen searching for Emile.”

It is pretty dumb of Tharion to go around spreading that his mistress is involved with rebels. He keeps talking about his orders after this, so I assume the queen ordered him to get Bryce/other people involved? But still, seems a massive risk for dubious payoff.

Tharion is also convinced that Ithan has a crush on Bryce. Didn't Fury mention this too? I seriously doubt he's going to be any sort of threat to Bryce/Hunt, unfortunately, but who knows. He's also making a big deal out of the "Ithan quit sportsball" thread, but I really, really do not care.

They talk a bit about Danika, but don't really say anything we don't already know. Then Tharion suddenly feels sorry for Ithan being all alone and offers to watch sportsball with him. Cool. And that's the end of the chapter.

Is there any reason we couldn't have started this scene when Bryce got home? We learned absolutely nothing new or of value, not about the plot, or Ithan, or Tharion. It was all stuff we already knew, just repeated in slightly different ways. The very definition of filler.

See, scenes in a story should fulfill at least one of two main purposes. They should 1) move the plot forward and/or 2) move a character arc forward. If you can completely remove a scene without fundamentally changing anything about the story, it should go. If the state of both the plot and the character arcs are exactly the same after the scene as they are before it, the scene should go. There's only so much space in a book, and it really should not be so frivolously spent on pointless things.

In this case, we already knew Tharion was going to go to Bryce's house, because he told us so earlier. We don't need to see him arrive. We won't be confused if we see him at the apartment when Bryce gets home. We'll assume he arrived somehow. The only reason to show the Tharion arrival scene would be if something were to go awry, and cause the plans to change or adjust. Say, he finds a note taped to the door that says "we know." Now he starts getting nervous about who it's from, and what it is they know. He shares it with his fellow co-conspirators, and they start thinking about how to adjust their plans and maybe work out who left it.

It's a pretty dumb thing to happen, but it shows what I mean by something "changing" as a result of the scene. But as it is, after this scene, Tharion's plans continue completely unaltered. He's still going to meet with Bryce, to discuss the exact same things they were going to discuss before this scene. Everything is hunky dory. And this is why this book is such a tedious slog. It's repetitive, and most of all, it's pointless. We don't need a blow-by-blow of every little thing.

[snarkformysanity]

House of Sky and Breath Chapter 13

We're with Bryce to begin with. She's all aflutter because Hunt is sleeping beside her, but mercifully we only have to endure it for a paragraph.

They hadn’t spoken about Tharion’s visit. Or about her decision to find Emile. So any fight on that front was likely still on the horizon.

Because when I think "good and healthy relationship", I think "lying awake at night anticipating the fights to come." Romance for the ages, right there.

Anyway, she gets a phone call from her mum, but the book draws out her reason for calling for about half a page, where we learn such important information such as what Bryce is (or isn't) wearing and that Hunt's making coffee. Of course, she's calling about the betrothal. Congrats Bryce. Your scheme gave you like an extra day before having to deal with it, maybe. I still don't understand what not telling them was supposed to accomplish.

Bryce tries to play it off like it's nothing/she doesn't know what her mum is talking about. And then...

Her mom fell silent. A wave building, cresting, about to break. “Is this engagement some scheme to prompt Hunt to finally confess his love for you?”

What the everliving fuck is this? I mean, I'm pretty sure I've complained already this book that half of what her mum is saying is just nonsense to force the ship (taking over Lehabah's role from last book, basically), but this is ridiculous. Why the fuck would this be your first assumption? Trick question, it wouldn't be, and that's why this ship-forcing is so insultingly transparent.

And ugh, seems like mum knows all the details of the actual arrangement anyway? So why lead with that? It is neither funny nor cute, book.

Bryce and her mum start arguing about whether it's a real engagement or not. I'd argue it's neither a real nor fake engagement, it is a betrothal, but that's kinda splitting hairs, because they technically mean the same thing. But "engagement" kinda has the connotation of "one party asked the other to marry them," while betrothal has the connotation "the families of the parties arranged this." Which is more accurate to Bryce's situation here.

And turns out mum knows all the details, including that Bryce and Cormac spoke yesterday, just so Hunt can be all !!!!! Book, get over yourself. I don't care about the ship drama. Bryce has no interest in Cormac, and thus, neither do I. Go back to the missing thunderbird children.

Anyway, they argue some more, and Bryce goes off at her mother. But Hunt, naturally, is not concerned that Bryce ended the call with her mother on bad terms. He's got more important things on his mind.

Hunt said into the sudden, heavy quiet, “Cormac came by the archives?” Bryce opened her eyes. “Only to swing his dick around.” Hunt tensed, and Bryce added, “Not literally.”

Is Hunt autistic, book? Is that why he doesn't understand that "swinging one's dick around" is very, very rarely used in a literal sense, and needs to have it explained to him? Because I'm autistic, and I understand that. Stop trying to shove in unnecessary jealousy drama where no sane person would need it. Unless of course this is meant to show that Hunt is still a jealous, possessive dickwad like he was last book, in which case, carry on.

At least Bryce calls him on it, which is nice. Hunt argues that she shouldn't keep things from him, because they're "a team." As I've probably said before, this would all be fine and dandy if he wasn't such an ass all last book. But, alas, he was, so all I can think is that this is the latest manipulation tactic he's pulling, trying to guilt Bryce into telling him things she doesn't want to with this "team" talk. He's already proved himself both willing and capable of saying whatever Bryce needs to hear to make her do what he wants. Show, book, don't tell. It ruins it when you try to show contradictory things later.

Moving on. Bryce has a work meeting, apparently, so she goes to get ready for that. And tells us that she was jealous her dog hung out with Ithan all yesterday. Whatever. Priorities, book. The dog is not as interesting as you think it is. Especially since you continually refuse to remember that you made Syrinx intelligent and thus he is technically a slave.

Hunt follows her to the lift, because he has work too, I guess. How convenient. Naturally, now that Bryce is cornered in the lift, he asks about why things are so weird between them. It's UST Hunt, pay attention. And also exactly why it was a good idea for you two to take some time before rushing into a physical relationship, but I'm sure the book sees it as the opposite. They touch on all the topics - Cormac, Hunt's fight, the rebellion. Just a line or two each, which makes it a PITA to summarise. But they don't really say anything we don't already know, and this is why the book is so long.

They reached the corner where Bryce would go right, Hunt to the left. “I mean it, Hunt. No more fights. We need to keep a low profile.” [...] “Fine. Only if you call me the moment Prince Asshole contacts you again.”

I feel like these two things aren't quite the same. But then, that's nothing unusual for these books, and this relationship. Hunt is totally Not An Alphahole when he starts trying to to dictate when Bryce can go jogging and whether or what she eats, yet Bryce is the Real Alphahole when she dares walk around her own home without a bra. Same old, same old.

But then, they talk for more than a line or two about the rebellion, and the book makes a valiant effort to show Hunt being sensible about it.

“I know you want to help, and I commend you for it, Bryce. But I think we really need to weigh everything before we jump in.” [...] “Tharion threw me off last night,” he went on. “It dragged up a lot of old shit for me—and worries for you. But if you want to move forward with this … let’s talk it through first.”

And if it weren't for the entire last book, this would be awesome. Hunt has every reason to not want to get involved in rebel stuff again. But, unfortunately, the entire last book does exist, and as a result I don't like Hunt, I don't care about his wangst, and also he got off pretty light the last time he tried rebel things, so what's he so afraid of this time?

I feel like that could summarise this whole book so far. It would be fine, but unfortunately the previous book exists, soooo ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Oh, apparently Bryce doesn't have a work meeting, she's going to meet with Fury. Cool. She meets Fury and Juniper at a cafe, which for some reason needs a paragraph of description. Juniper's only stopping by on the way to dance practice, though.

For a moment, Bryce allowed herself to look at her friend—really look at the beauty that was Juniper. Graceful and tall and thin, certainly not the wrong body type.

Ahhh, we're doing this again, I see. I already went over why I thought this was a vague cop-out last book. But since then, I've learned that the author is pretty cagey over whether or not Bryce is actually fat, so yeah, this is absolutely a vague cop-out. She wants her ally cookies for having a wrong body type protagonist, without actually having to commit to it and make her protagonist (in her eyes) "ugly." She's got plausible deniability no matter what the audience imagines - anyone who draws Bryce skinny isn't "wrong" according to the text, as nothing is explicitly stated. But she's cashing in on the inclusivity credit all the same. Cheap and scummy, tbh. Especially cheap considering everyone and their dog still finds Bryce hot - she'll angst about how she can't dance because wrong body type, but that wrong body type doesn't seem to impact anything else in her life.

For clarity, I'm not saying that Bryce is ugly or that other characters shouldn't find her hot if "wrong body type" is indeed meant to mean "fat." I'm saying that whatever her "wrong body type" is should come up in more instances than just dancing angst, unless it's something dancing-specific (e.g. the shape of her hips). If it is something dancing-specific, that would be nice to know. But of course, we shan't know, because then the book can't claim credit for a non-skinny heroine that it hasn't earned. It's fake inclusivity.

Well, we spend another three paragraphs on dance angst, and honestly, the angst itself isn't too bad. It's just the wrong body type stuff that bugs me, and that's for meta reasons. Probably doesn't need to be three paragraphs, though.

Bryce asks Juniper what they're rehearsing, and we learn that Juniper doesn't have the lead role, allegedly because the costume doesn't fit.

Bryce and Fury swapped a look. No, she wasn’t [fine with being a soloist]. But after the disaster this spring, the CCB had put a hold on any “new” changes. Including June’s promotion from soloist to principal.

Wait, I'm confused. Wasn't the performance (that we didn't get to see) at the start of the book Juniper performing a lead? Or they were convinced she'd be made lead after it? If all this stuff has been on hold since the events of last book, why would they have thought she'd get promoted after the last show?

The book is trying to tell us now that it's because Juniper was the only one in her bomb shelter who insisted they keep the door open for humans, and all the other people there were stinky racists who wanted to shut the door. Because of course they were. The book doesn't know how to make its main characters look good, so it just makes everyone else a lolevil caricature so the characters can look good by comparison by doing perfectly normal things.

[Juniper didn't think] Of what it might mean for the first faun to ever grace the stage of that theater to curse out those patrons, to condemn them to their faces for their cowardice and selfishness. Well, this was what it meant for her.

Idk, she didn't get demoted, either, which is more what I would expect if it was really rich assholes being rich assholes. And we don't really have any information about what else is on hold at the dance company, save that the held things only "included" Juniper's promotion. Implying that they are, in fact, holding other things, and therefore that maybe the reason they gave is legit? Idk. Maybe Bryce is just biased because Juniper is her friend. Pretty sure that's not what the book is going for tho.

For some reason, we're still talking about this a page later, even though Juniper is meant to be going to practice? Apparently she's had offers from some smaller dance companies to be their principal, but doesn't want to take them because they're technically a step down.

Bryce nodded. She got it. She really did. For a dancer in Valbara, CCB was the pinnacle. The distant star to aspire to. And June had been so close. Close enough to touch that glimmer of principal dancer. Now she was in free fall.

Oh, fuck off with the melodrama. Free fall? Really? Just last page you were saying she'd just have to wait another year for a shot. She hasn't been fired, or demoted. She hasn't suffered a crippling injury. This is a weirdly large amount of focus for something which I'm pretty sure will be unimportant to the greater story. But the weirdly large amount of focus suggests it will be important.

Or maybe it's just particularly egregious padding. Particularly egregious because we already knew this about Juniper. We already knew she was a skilled dancer who was repeatedly passed over for principal due to dubious, probably-racist reasons. We have learned nothing new from this whole conversation, just pointless details that don't really matter.

Anyway, after dwelling on this for two pages now, Juniper reminds us that she's girlfriends with Fury and then leaves. Now Bryce and Fury will have their meeting. But they can't just discuss the important bits, oh no. We have to have half a page of interminable small talk, first.

Bryce glanced sidelong at Fury. “You’ve got it bad, huh?” Fury snorted. “You have no idea.” “How was date night?” Bryce asked, waggling her eyebrows. Fury Axtar sipped delicately from her tea. “Exquisite.” Pleasure and happiness quietly radiated from her friend, and Bryce smiled. “What are you drinking?” “Chai with almond milk. It’s good. Spicy.” “You’ve never been here?” “Do I look like the kind of person who goes to tea bars?” “Yes …?”

Seriously, is any of this shit going to be relevant to anything? Why do we care that Fury is drinking chai with almond milk? Why do we care how their date night was? Why do we care that Fury's never been here? Again, trick questions. We don't - Bryce does. But just because Bryce would care about these things doesn't make them interesting or necessary to read about. Small talk is a necessary evil in real life. But the great thing about books is that they aren't real life, and you can just summarise it as "they exchanged pleasantries" or something and then move on to the actually interesting bits.

Oh, we have to know what Fury's wearing first. It's the same thing she usually wears. Thanks book. We really needed that aside.

Fury asks what this is about.

Bryce waited until she’d ordered her matcha latte with oat milk before murmuring, “It’s about Danika.”

For fuck's sake, we don't need to know what Bryce is ordering. Just answer the damn questions. All I'm learning from this is that Bryce is a hipster, but several years after hipsters were cool.

Anyway, Bryce determines they're not going to be overheard (after telling us that the barrista and another patron are there, but eh, whatever), but obviously this is moving too quickly for Fury. She asks about Ithan (which she found out about ~*~somehow~*~) and tells Bryce that Ithan always had a thing for her (Bryce). Fury, not important. Stop adding to the padding.

Bryce swallowed. And so quietly only Fury could hear, she told her [everything about the plot so far].

So, my money's on someone overhearing that. That's two or three times now it's been mentioned that no one else can hear. Or on Fury herself being a traitor. I'm still not convinced she wasn't involved in the shit last book.

They spend far too many words saying that Fury doesn't know anything about this. Then Fury tells Bryce that Danika was a bloodhound, which apparently gives her the power to smell the secrets in bloodlines. Idk. I guess there weren't enough random threads in this book yet.

More vague hints that Fury is something ~mysterious~, and that being a bloodhound is dangerous, because everything in these books is dangerous. Apparently the bloodhound power came from Danika's father's side, and she never talked about her father.

Bryce then spends half a page verbalising the motivations we already know she has aaaand... that's it. Yeah. Still way too much padding in these books. It doesn't even have the excuse of setting up the setting this time. It's just unnecessary, pure and simple.

[snarkformysanity]

the only reason Feyre thinks Rhysand is a good high lord is because she's uneducated.

No good leader of a nation would focus all his energies on 1(ONE) city, allowing the majority of the population to remain corrupt, sexist, and violent to build a negative public image of the court as a whole in order to protect the one secret city he's actually invested in.

"permanent divide" as if he couldn't have spent the last 200-odd years working to incentivize honest work in the CoN, save the women from the abuses they suffer, rehabilitate those willing to change. put on his scary high lord mask and bring them to heel until they're willing to see a better way. be the truly morally grey high lord everyone claims he is and use those blasted daemati powers to manipulate the leadership towards better morals.

Worse, he uses their terrible reputation to keep every other court at bay. He's not even pretending to try to improve the lives of the unfortunate people who live there (you cannot tell me that everyone in HC or CoN or Illyria is evil beyond repair and that there aren't people desperate to escape). He keeps Velaris cut off from the world and sticks to dreaming of a better future for everyone instead of actually doing something.

(also isolating from the rest of the world is not good? just in general. The most isolated countries in the world [N. Korea comes to mind] are not wealthy, not well-thought of, and generally have corruption issues if they're forcibly keeping their citizen within their borders.)

What good is being the so-called "most powerful high lord in Prythian's history" if you can't even bring about change in your own court?

idk that i'm strictly anti-Rhys, because he has the potential to be an interesting character (and actually was interesting in acotar) but he kind of feels like a nepo baby who says he wants to do activism and stuff but is really performative about it.

[snarkformysanity]

Twilight Chapter 15

We open the morning after Edward stayed over, where Bella once again demonstrates that theirs is a love for the ages by being afraid she "crossed a line" by showing basic affection. But Edward thinks her confused-ness/hesitation is funny, so apparently that makes it okay.

[Edward]“[Charlie] left an hour ago—after reattaching your battery cables, I might add. I have to admit I was disappointed. Is that really all it would take to stop you, if you were determined to go?”

Er......... I went back and had a look, and I couldn't find anything mentioning "battery cables?" A ctrl+f of my ebook revealed nothing either. And Bella shows no particular reaction this statement. Edward, what are you talking about, and why do I feel like I'm not going to like it?

We're treated to the thrilling saga of Bella brushing her teeth, being worried Edward is a dream, and then being sulky because he left to get a change of clothes during the night. This girl has priorities.

“I love you,” I whispered. “You are my life now,” he answered simply.

Look, I know they haven't known each other long, but they're teenagers. I can forgive a premature "I love you." But "you are mu life now?" Edward, chill. You barely know the girl.

The, Edward says it's time for breakfast.

So I clutched my throat with both hands and stared at him with wide eyes. Shock crossed his face.

“Kidding!” I snickered. “And you said I couldn’t act!” He frowned in disgust. “That wasn’t funny.” “It was very funny, and you know it.” But I examined his gold eyes carefully, to make sure that I was forgiven. Apparently, I was. [...] He threw me over his stone shoulder, gently, but with a swiftness that left me breathless. I protested as he carried me easily down the stairs, but he ignored me. He sat me right side up on a chair.

It's nice to know that the assholery goes both ways. I mean, it's still a horrifically imbalanced relationship, what with Edward being an immortal vampire and all, but Bella's just as willing to disrespect his wishes to not casually joke about nomming her. So... there's that, at least.

There's some banter about breakfast, and then Edward suggests that Bella meet his family.

“Are you afraid now?” He sounded hopeful.

I mean...... does anything need to be said? He's hoping she's afraid of him.

Bella is afraid, of course, but not of going to a house full of vampires. No, it's just standard meeting-the-family angst. Boooooooring. And look, for all that I complain about Edward wanting to kill her and all that jazz, my main gripe there is that it's treated a bit too blase for what it is. The horror is unintentional, so to speak - monsters should be monstrous, otherwise, what's the point of having a monster romance, right? The problem is the text never acknowledges/explores this and just treats it like a quirky little thing, which, uh. It isn't.

But this one? Going to a house full of vampires and the most scary thing is that maybe they won't like you, just like if they were a human family? That's just lame. Again, what's the point of making them vampires if the story would play out exactly the same if they were human?

And honestly, it's a bit of a problem in paranormal romances. A lot of the *actually* monstrous things are either handwaved away (e.g. burning changed to sparkling in the sun) or treated like nbd (how badly he wants to kill her).

“Oh, they already know everything. They’d taken bets yesterday, you know”—he smiled, but his voice was harsh—“on whether I’d bring you back,

See, this is a little more like it - the family of monsters treating a human's potential imminent demise as something to bet over. But, again, the book doesn't really delve into that. It just kinda throws it out there like it's a joke and leaves it hanging. It should be horrifying. Or, for a more hypnosis-type angle, the fact that Bella *doesn't* find it horrifying should be horrifying. Alas. She has about as much reaction to it as she has to anything else, which is to say, none at all.

At any rate, we don’t have secrets in the family. It’s not really feasible, what with my mind reading and Alice seeing the future and all that.” “And Jasper making you feel all warm and fuzzy about spilling your guts, don’t forget that.”

Speaking of things that could be interesting if explored, but never will be, and thus we can only lament the missed opportunity. How do things change when you live in an environment where secrets are impossible?

We hint at Alice saying something about Bella, but naturally we don't get to know what. Then, we start arguing about whether Bella should tell Charlie that Edward is her boyfriend, and then whether he actually is her boyfriend or not.

[E]“It’s a loose interpretation of the word ‘boy,’ I’ll admit.”

Pointing it out doesn't make it better, book. Nor has this gotten better with time - if anything, the age gaps seem to be getting *worse*. E.g. Rhysand being like 500 years older than Feyre in ACOTAR.

Bella goes to get ready, and then we're treated to some delightful victim blaming when Edward says she's being too tempting, or something.

“Shall I explain how you are tempting me?” he said.

No. Shut up. Leave. It's your responsibility to not be a dick, not Bella's responsibility to not dress "too nice".

He kisses her, she feels faint. We spend too long bantering about it.

“Look, I’m trying really hard not to think about what I’m about to do, so can we go already?” I asked.

Is there a name for this kind of behaviour? Where you just kind of rush into things you don't want to do without thinking, because you know saying you don't want to do them will be ignored, so why bother? Like she's dissociating or something? I don't know. But it's not good, whatever it is. Also, in many books like this, it's a sign that the protagonist is just doing something because the plot needs them to, but Twilight would actually have to have a plot for that to apply here.

They leave, and naturally Bella points out that she has no idea where he lives. So he is once again taking her to an undisclosed location where he could do anything he wants to her, but don't tell the book that. It's quite a ways out of town, by the sounds of it.

And then, after a few miles, there was some thinning of the woods, and we were suddenly in a small meadow, or was it actually a lawn?

Idk, Bella, you're the narrator. Why are you asking me?

Well, they arrive, and we get a solid page of description about the house, both exterior and interior. Carlisle and Esme are waiting for them inside. This is the first time Bella has seen Esme, so we get a description of her too.

Something about her heart-shaped face, her billows of soft, caramel-colored hair, reminded me of the ingenues of the silent-movie era.

The perfect Mormon woman, I'm guessing.

Well, there's introductions, it's all kind of dull. Carlisle and Esme are trying to be as un-vampire-y as possible to put Bella at ease, but then Alice and Jasper appear and Alice throws all that out the window, running to Bella with super speed.

“You do smell nice, I never noticed before,” she commented, to my extreme embarrassment.

Not gonna lie, as much as the smelling can drive me batty sometimes (see my Crescent City snarks), I weirdly don't mind this so much. It feels like the kind of thing vampires might say to each other as a compliment when they meet? An equivalent of "I like your perfume", or something. Just inhuman enough to feel monster-y without being too overbearing and creepy.

But then, Jasper comes to remind us that actually, no, Twilight is creepy, because all of Bella's unease suddenly vanishes.

“Hello, Bella,” Jasper said. He kept his distance, not offering to shake my hand. But it was impossible to feel awkward near him.

Don't frame that like it's a good thing, Bella. It means he's mucking with your emotions. Without asking, I might add.

There's some fairly tepid banter, and then Bella looks at the nearby piano.

I suddenly remembered my childhood fantasy that, should I ever win a lottery, I would buy a grand piano for my mother. She wasn’t really good—she only played for herself on our secondhand upright—but I loved to watch her play. She was happy, absorbed— she seemed like a new, mysterious being to me then, someone outside the “mom” persona I took for granted.

Woah, look out, a sign Bella actually loves her mother! Yes, I know it's just clumsy setup so we can find out that Edward plays, but I'll take what I can get.

But, yes, Esme spills the beans about Edward knowing piano, and then of course we are treated to him playing. He's awesome at it, of course. He starts off with a piece he wrote that is apparently Esme's favourite, then segues into a more lullaby-like piece.

“You inspired this one,” he said softly. The music grew unbearably sweet. I couldn’t speak.

See, if he wasn't such a creepy stalker, this actually would be sweet. Serenading your love and all that. Alas.

The others give them some privacy, and Bella notes that Rosalie and Emmett are absent, and assumes this means they don't like her.

He frowned. “Don’t worry about Rosalie,” he said, his eyes wide and persuasive. “She’ll come around.”

Yeah, don't worry, Bella, she's a Mean Girl archetype, and thus it is her destiny to be thoroughly corrected in her disdain for Mary Sue. Either by converting, being punished narratively for not converting, or both.

Oh, and of course, Rosalie is jealous of Bella. Again, she's a Mean Girl archetype. They're never allowed to hate the protagonist for legitimate reasons. But all the other Cullens like her.

[E]“[Esme and Carlisle] Are happy to see me happy. Actually, Esme wouldn’t care if you had a third eye and webbed feet. All this time she’s been worried about me, afraid that there was something missing from my essential makeup, that I was too young when Carlisle changed me. . . . She’s ecstatic.

Oh, hello, ace erasure. I didn't realise you went here as well, but I probably shouldn't be surprised. I'm not happy to see you.

Blah blah, more hints about Alice, and then Bella asks if Edward is going to tell her what Carlisle was mind-speaking to him about earlier.

“I have to [tell you], because I’m going to be a little . . . overbearingly protective over the next few days—or weeks—and I wouldn’t want you to think I’m naturally a tyrant.”

Dear god, no. I hate this trope so fucking much. And as if he wasn't bad enough already.

But, yes, we learn there's going to be other vampires in the area soon, then we banter more about the house, then Bella starts crying because Edward finishes playing her song and it's just so beautiful, you guys.

He touched the corner of my eye, trapping [a tear] I missed. He lifted his finger, examining the drop of moisture broodingly. Then, so quickly I couldn’t be positive that he really did, he put his finger to his mouth to taste it.

The OG tear-licker. Seriously, what is it with the tears in books like these?

Then, it's time for a tour of the house, mostly so Bella can discover a giant crucifix and Edward can give her backstory about Carlisle. He was born in London in the 1640s, son of an Anglican pastor who was right into hunting evil things, like vampires. Carlisle was turned when he and his human buddies fought with an actual vampire. Not deliberately, looks like the vampire just bit him during the fight and ran off with another victim before it could finish him. Notably missing is any indication that 1) Carlisle knows Edward is telling Bella his Tragic Backstory and 2) that he's okay with that, but eh. I suppose the book had to tell us somehow, it went to all the trouble of coming up with it, after all. But, that's the chapter.

[snarkformysanity]

House of Sky and Breath Chapter 12

This is an absolute monster of a chapter, guys. Even longer than the prologue. I can only nope there's a reason it's so long, and it's not just pointless padding. Pray for me.

We start with Hunt, reminding us once again that the book has a weird fixation on wings and chairs. He's... uh...

Bryce sat beside him, pistachio ice cream melting down the sides of her cone, and Hunt tried not to stare as she licked away each dribbling green droplet. Was this punishment for his fight with Pollux? To sit here and watch this?

Watching... Bryce eat ice cream...? Why would that be punishment? You got off easy for that fight, considering you're the one who started it. Unless he wanted ice cream too, and Bryce's punishment for him is that he not only doesn't get any, but he has to sit there and watch her eat it too. I mean. I know that's not what it's about. The book is clearly referring to the licking and the alleged UST they've got going on. In which case, shut the fuck up, Hunt, you started the damn fight, and you got off so easy it's laughable. Being horny because your girlfriend is licking an ice cream is not even remotely close to punishment.

Sweet Jesus, this is still the first paragraph.

And oh, turns out Hunt does have his own ice cream after all. Yeah, just sex drama. Again. *sighs*

Bryce says her bike was making a funny noise, and Hunt offers to fix it. This segues into how his lightning powers apparently make him a good mechanic. Okay, I don't know what the prevalence of EVs is in Bryce's world, but there's a reason we call people who fix cars mechanics and not electricians. It's because cars are, for the most part, mechanical, and not electric. I fail to see how lightning powers would give someone any sort of advantage in diagnosing and fixing mechanical problems.

Well it doesn't really matter, because it's just a way to segue into yet another angst sparkle for Hunt's hat - the humans have anime mech suits designed to help them fight Vanir, and Sandriel used to make him sabotage them and send them back to the humans.

He couldn’t look at her, especially when she remained silent as he added, almost confessing, “I learned a lot about how machines work. How to make them not work. Especially at key moments. A lot of people likely died because of that. Because of me.”

Why is this a confession? Both we and Bryce already know about your 2000+ kill count, Hunt. You spent all last book angst-bragging to us about it. This isn't new.

Sandriel ordering him to take apart and mess with the suits had nothing to do with [the suits being effective against Vanir], though. It had been about pure cruelty and sick amusement

Porque no los dos? Why does Sandriel enjoying watching humans blow up preclude the possibility of her doing it for practical reasons, as well? Just makes her look like a lolevil moron instead of an allegedly scary battle commander.

Bryce laid a hand on his knee. “I’m sorry she made you do that, Hunt.” “So am I,” Hunt said, exhaling deeply, as if it could somehow cleanse his soul.

Uuuuggggghhhhhhhh, it begins. The wangst is here, people.

Bryce then changes the subject to what they're going to do about Pollux and Baxian, leading to a conversation about whether Celestina is really nice and whether the Asteri sent them there on purpose to mess with them and etc. It's nothing we haven't already heard, but it goes on for over a page.

A moment later, soft fingers tangled in his hair, idly brushing the strands. He nearly purred, but kept perfectly still as Bryce said, “We’ll keep our guards up. But I think … I think we might need to start believing in our good luck.” “Ithan Holstrom’s arrival is the exact opposite of that.”

First, dear god, don't start purring please. Especially not in a context like that. Like, I can kind of get using purred as a dialogue tag to denote a specific tone of voice, but just on its own like this? Humans literally can't make that noise, and I'm struggling to think what non-speaking noise they might be making that could be described as a purr.

Also... he "nearly purred, but kept perfectly still." Which part of purring means you have to move? What? I just reached out and patted my cat now, and she started purring without moving a muscle. They aren't contradictory actions. Does this author know what purring actually is?

Second, yes, the segue really is that random. They go from Bryce saying maybe they should just believe they've had some good luck (regarding Celestina) to Hunt randomly bringing up Ithan, as if either of those things have anything to do with each other. This book is awful for things like that.

They argue a bit about Ithan, then tell us that the gates are now used to make announcements, since Bryce reminded everyone last book that they can be used for communication. We then randomly segue into Lehabah, in case we forgot about her Heroic Sacrifice since the last time the book reminded us, before ending up back at Pollux.

See what I mean? It's fucking interminable.

Bryce leaned her head against his shoulder. “I know Pollux is a monster; and you have every reason in the world to want to kill him. But please don’t do anything to make the Governor punish you. [...] Watching Micah cut off your wings … I can’t see that again, Hunt. Or any other horror she might invent for you.”

Fuck, don't remind me of that absolute narrative travesty. They fucking grew back, Bryce. Even faster than he said they would. That whole "Living Death" shtick tips well over beyond wangst and into something else entirely.

They're about to leave, when Bryce sees something, and Hunt immediately goes into protecc mode.

He swore. This was not an opponent he could fight against. No one could.

Well so far, Hunt, the only things we've seen you fight is the kristallos, who kicked the shit out of you, and Sandriel, who despite being so scary-scary powerful was killed easily without even a semblance of resistance. So I am both simultaneously not surprised and disinclined to believe you. You'll be unable to defeat it until the plot needs you to defeat it, then you'll be fine.

“Let’s go,” Hunt murmured, folding a wing around her as the black boat neared the quay.

Folded his wing-dick around her, remember. Also, what black boat? I went back through the whole previous page, there was no mention of a boat. As such, it should be a black boat, not the black boat. There is no specific black boat we can yet talk about. Every time after its first mention, it can be the black boat, because we know which one the book is talking about. But right now? I'm just here like wait, what boat is this?

Anyway, there's a reaper on the boat.

Clothed and veiled in billowing black that hid all indication of whether the Reaper was male or female, old or young. Such things did not matter to Reapers.

But they matter to the book, so we still have to hear about it anyway.

The reaper is Very Scary™ and completely ignores them as it walks past. It goes into the city with nothing further happening. But we got a half-page of description assuring us of how scary it is, so I'm sure it'll be important later.

Reapers, it seems, are truly immortal, as opposed to Vanir, who can still die of illness/be killed. Reapers were once humans or Vanir who offered themselves to the Under-King rather than die.

The cost: to live forever, unaging and unkillable, but never again to be able to sleep, eat, fuck.

Ngl, sounds like a win-win-win to me. I could spend literally all day doing things I actually want to do, instead of have to do because I'll starve otherwise or whatever. Of course, the book is trying to present it as a cursed half-life. I'm not buying it. I'll need to hear about the erosion of souls or something first, not this piss-weak curse.

Anyway, they start to leave again, but are once again distracted. Awesome. It's going to be one of those chapters.

He was about to turn them from the river when the roar of a wave skimmer’s engine sounded. He turned toward it on training and instinct,

Book, it's a loud noise. You don't have to be "trained" to turn to look at a loud noise. We won't be confused if Hunt just turns to look at it, honest. Most people are capable of that without any training at all.

“Tharion?” Bryce asked, seeing the direction of Hunt’s focus as the mer male gunned for them

Well, no, apparently the book really does think you need to be trained to look at loud noises, because Bryce doesn't look to it herself, she follows Hunt's gaze. Dafuq? Book, believe it or not, it doesn't make Hunt look like a badass to have his "training" make him react to sounds. We piddly, mortal humans in the real world can already do that without any special training. You're just making Bryce look like an absolute fucking moron. Especially since she allegedly has fae super-hearing and thus should be able to hear the noise even better than Hunt.

Tharion ignores Hunt (yay!) and tells Bryce they need to talk. POV switch to Bryce back at her apartment. They spend about a page bantering about pointless shit (with Ithan included), before Bryce sends a message to Ruhn telling him to get over there as well.

More banter.

Bryce glared at [Hunt], but said to Tharion, “It’s been a while.” The mer was as attractive as she remembered. Perhaps more so, now that he was slightly disheveled and muddy.

Yes, mud is well-known for making people look more attractive, after all. That's why, in our world, the English men whinged about how often the Vikings took baths, because they felt their mud made them too attractive for the Vikings to compete... except wait, no, it was the exact opposite, they whinged because the baths made the Vikings too attractive, and they (the English) couldn't compete.

It's especially funny considering this book keeps pretending to be a Nordic-inspired setting. For my sanity, I'm just gonna pretend Bryce has a mud kink. Buckle up, Hunt.

A short bit of more banter, and Tharion finally (finally) gets to the point. He asks Bryce if Danika ever mentioned someone named Sofie.

Bryce’s mouth scrunched to the side. “Sofie who?” Before she could ask more, Hunt demanded, “What the fuck is this about?”

Maybe if you shut the fuck up and let Tharion answer the question, Hunt, you'll find out.

Banter, banter.

Tharion sighed at the ceiling. “There’s a cold case I’m working on, and Danika—” “Don’t lie to her, Tharion,” Hunt growled. Lightning danced along his wings.

Hunt, he was literally just starting to explain. How do you know any of that is a lie? Literally the only word that could be construed as a lie is "cold," and given how Sofie seemed to have vanished without a trace...

But no, Tharion has come to talk to Bryce, and Hunt has to pretend he's relevant to the scene somehow, so he keeps butting in with stupid posturing shit like this. Fuck, I hate him.

Anyway, Tharion spends a page telling them the abridged version of the prologue and everything he's done up until now, interspersed with reminders that thunderbirds are totally myths and that Bryce likes My Little Pony. You know. The important stuff. He tells them about the emails he found between Danika and Sofie.

Hunt rose from the table and stalked to Bryce’s side. His power shimmered up her body, electrifying her very blood at his nearness. “Is the River Queen insane? Are you insane? Searching for rebels and not turning them in is a one-way ticket to crucifixion.”

Unless you're Hunt, of course, then you can literally become a rebel (again) and you just get sent to work for your old boss like it's nbd. No, I will not let this go. He should have been crucified with Justinian. They committed the exact same crime.

Tharion tries to leave, but Bryce gets up and jumps in the way, demanding to know what he meant about Danika being in contact with a rebel.

Bryce held her ground. Was surprised and delighted that Hunt let her fight this battle without interfering. “Do you even care that this oh-so-powerful thunderbird is a kid? Who survived a fucking death camp? And is now scared and alone?”

First, lol, surprised and delighted that Hunt didn't interfere. Truly, a love for the ages. Second, which part of anything he said made it seem like he didn't care about Emile? I thought you were stopping him because of Danika's emails with Sofie?

See, this is what happens when you throw a bunch of shit at the wall to see what sticks, and then don't edit any of it out later. Your scenes just end up sounding like a weird, disconnected checklist of plot points instead of an actual conversation.

Anyway, they argue for a bit.

Bryce tapped her foot, her blood at a steady simmer. Hadn’t Philip Briggs said something similar when she and Hunt had interrogated the former leader of the Keres rebel sect in his prison cell? That Danika was a rebel sympathizer? “What did the emails say?”

Yes, this isn't the first time you've heard about this, Bryce, Briggs did indeed say that Danika was sympathetic towards the rebels. And as for your question, not one page ago, Tharion said this:

"...I found some emails between Sofie and Danika talking about a safe place in this city for Sofie to lie low should she ever need it.”

Have you forgotten what happened just a page ago already, Bryce?

Tharion drops a few names from the emails, "Dusk's Truth" and "Project Thurr," to see how Bryce reacts to them. Then, he tells her not to get involved, because the Asteri will kill her for being involved with rebels, and Hunt backs him up, to Bryce's annoyance. She wants to find Emile, and is stinging a bit that there's even more about Danika she apparently didn't know.

Tharion's about to leave again, but then, Ruhn shows up, and we spend a half page recapping everything that just happened for him. A bit of back and forth, including a little reminder about Hunt's angst. Tharion even apologises for talking about rebel shit in front of him. Fucking hell.

They spend like two pages talking about stuff we already know without really saying anything. Mostly arguing about whether Danika was a rebel or not and how dangerous everything is. Fury is randomly brought up so we can be told this is her and Juniper's date night so Bryce totally can't call her right now. Idk. The book is very proud of its lesbians, but so far they haven't really done anything but exist. Then Tharion gives them a printout of the emails and stops to pat Bryce's dog on the way out.

[Tharion] opened the front door. “Don’t put anything in writing. I’ll be back around lunch tomorrow.”

You... just gave them a printed stack of emails tho...?

Well, Tharion leaves, and then Hunt and Ruhn immediately tell Bryce not to get involved. Ithan, however, agrees that they should find Emile.

“It’s Tharion’s business. Leave it alone, Bryce,” Hunt warned. “I don’t even know why you had to ask about any of this.”

Hunt, you were the one getting stroppy and showing off your lightning powers while you demanded Tharion stop lying and tell you what's going on. Gaslighting asshole.

Hunt pushed, “Is this really about finding the kid, or is it about learning something new about Danika?” “Can’t it be both?” Hunt slowly shook his head.

Why can't it be both, Hunt? You know humans are allowed to have more than one motivation to do something, right? We're kinda complex like that. Not that you'd know it from reading this book.

Ruhn said, “Let’s think this through, Bryce, before deciding to act. And maybe burn those emails.”

Ruhn understands the stupidity of having nothing in writing but also having a stack of printed incriminating emails. Read them first, though.

Bryce couldn’t stop the light from shimmering around her. “He’s thirteen years old. He’s not a rebel. The rebels just want him to be.” Hunt said quietly, “I saw kids his age walk onto battlefields, Bryce.” [...] “I’m not saying it isn’t,” Hunt countered. “But the Asteri won’t care if he’s thirteen or thirty, if he’s a true rebel or not. You stand in their way, and they’ll punish you.” Bryce opened her mouth, but—a muscle flickered in his cheek, making the bruise there all the more noticeable. Guilt punched through her, warring with her ire. “I’ll think about it,” she conceded, and stalked for her bedroom.

Given how Hunt was manipulating her last book to get his way, how am I supposed to read this as anything but more manipulation? He's subtly redirecting her to focus on his pain, so she's less inclined to argue with him.

Anyway, Bryce goes off to cool down and think things through. She's mostly thinking about Emile.

She hoped Sofie was alive. Not for any intel or amazing powers, but so Emile had someone left.

Er, is the book aware that no one here should know that Sofie has amazing intel? We know, but Bryce sure as fuck shouldn't.

She spends time thinking about Emile and how no one wants to protect him, just to use him. Idk. It's nice to see the protagonist motivated, but it does strike me as kinda random that she'd feel this strongly about it. Nothing from last book indicated that she had a particularly altruistic streak, or any specific interest in protecting kids. I'd accept that she's mostly just curious about Danika and this is how she's rationalising it to herself, but she also mentions being curious about Danika as a separate motivation and is in no way trying to hide that from herself. So idk.

Bryce reminds us that Hunt will be taking this Even Harder than her, and then we switch into his POV. He's taking a shower.

Of course Bryce wouldn’t have been able to drop it once she’d heard. He knew it was irrational to be pissed at her about it, because part of why he adored her was that she was the kind of person who would want to help, but … fucking Hel.

Again, if he weren't such an ass last book, this would be a perfectly fine bit of drama. But alas, he was such an ass, so instead I can't help but read it as more abusive, assholish tendencies. He's pissed that Bryce wants to do something that he doesn't want her doing. I do not care that he himself was a rebel - he used up all his angst credit with me last book. He's just a controlling dick who gets mad whenever that control is challenged.

And it's a shame, because yeah, this would be a perfectly valid place for him to be angry, because he did suffer for being a rebel himself, and our brains are irrational like that. Ah well. Book should have been written better.

It's a mercifully short scene. But, we do get a bit of classic melodrama:

And couldn’t help but think that warm water felt an awful lot like blood.

Can't forget the melodrama, after all.

Skip to thirty minutes later, and... I think Bryce's POV? They ordered pizza, and it's arrived.

“Carnivore’s Delight,” Bryce said with forced cheer to Hunt

Because "meatlovers" is too pedestrian, I guess.

He offered a smile, but it didn’t quite reach his eyes. She didn’t ask about that haunted gleam, though. Not with Ruhn and Ithan here. Not when Hunt had already made it pretty clear what was going through his head. They’d undoubtedly have it out the moment they were alone.

Yeah, he won't go off at her in front of people, but once they're alone... seriously, how is this supposed to read as anything but abusive?

Anyway, they eat pizza. Then Ruhn and Bryce have a psychic conversation about Ithan. And honestly, I don't mind it. Ruhn is concerned about the political implications of the Starborn Princess harbouring an exiled wolf, and how Sabine might take it. But, he has a workaround (well, the book considers it a workaround, I don't really see how it's any different) - if he hires Ithan for a top-secret investigation, Sabine won't be able to do anything about it. Or something. So, it's fine if the Starborn Prince harbours an exiled wolf, but not the Starborn Princess?

Idk, I like it less for how much sense it makes and more for how it's presented. Ruhn isn't trying to tell Bryce what she should or shouldn't do, and knows she wants to help Ithan. So he's offering a solution that (according to the book) is win-win.

All right. But … give him a few days. I don’t want him to think I’m kicking him out. Why not? He was a dick to you. There were five years before that when we were close. So? He was a dick to you when you needed him most. And I shut him out when he needed me most.

Even this bit. It's a legitimate bit of conflict, where they both have reasons to think the way they do. I like it. Ruhn and Bryce's interactions throughout the series have generally been pretty good so far.

Of course, Hunt's still here, and thus we can't have nice things.

The angel drawled, no hint of his previous haunted discomfort, “Some might consider it rude to have a silent conversation in front of other people.”

Hmm, very convenient how the haunted discomfort just disappeared when he needed to drawl. Almost like he was bunging it on to make Bryce feel bad or something.

Also, Ithan was able to work out they were having a psychic conversation because he's good at sportsball. Idk.

They banter a bit, including a random segue so that Bryce can flashback about the stuff with Micah, before Flynn and Declan randomly show up. Apparently they stole Ruhn's fingerprints, and that's how they can get into her apartment. Um, yikes. It's treated as funny banter though, because of course it is. Since when has this book treated stalkerish tendencies with any kind of delicacy or self-awareness?

Both Flynn and Declan continue to be asses. Bryce demands their stolen keys back.

Flynn only slid it into his pocket. “Come get it, babycakes.” Hunt shot the Fae lord a glare, and Declan snickered. “Careful, Flynn,” Dec warned.

Yeah careful, her boyfriend isn't house trained. But seriously, I was kinda meh on these two guys before, yet this scene seems determined to make sure I end up hating them.

They continue to be dicks, and then, it's time for backstory about Ruhn's ordeal. Even though I'm pretty sure we've already heard it. And indeed, it's mostly just details about shit we already know - Cormac was involved, the specifics of how they were ordered there, etc. About the only new thing is that there might have been a girl involved who both Ruhn and Cormac were meant to marry, and Cormac had two unnamed friends to parallel Ruhn and co.

“Starting blood feuds,” Bryce said to Declan, raising her hand for a high five. “Nice work.”

That's generally not considered a nice thing by decent people, Bryce.

More talk about how totally dangerous and scary the ordeal was. Ruhn was disarmed, but luckily the sarcophagus with the starsword was right nearby, and the rest is history. History that we already know. We literally just spent two pages expanding this backstory without learning anything substantially new or different about it. Gotta reach that pagecount somehow, I guess.

Bryce lifted her brows at her brother. He smiled, lip ring glinting. “Not such a loser after all, huh?” Bryce waved him off. “Whatever.”

Book, don't put Bryce's actions on the same line as Ruhn's dialogue. It makes it very confusing to work out who's speaking.

Flynn then randomly segues into whether Ithan is going to keep his neck tattoo or not. More banter ensues. Then, Declan declares that it's going to be a sleepover, and asks who's sleeping where.

Bryce couldn’t help glancing again at Hunt, who kept his face wholly neutral as he said, “I’m bunking with Bryce.”

Naturally, he didn't ask Bryce first. But Ithan's cool with it, because apparently Bryce snores. Bet she doesn't snore when Hunt is there.

Hunt makes a joke about earplugs and... that's the end of the chapter. Fucking finally. Well, at least it got our protagonist involved in the plot. Shakily, but, it's better than nothing, I guess.

[snarkformysanity]

[snarkformysanity]

House of Sky and Breath Chapter 11

We're back with Tharion! We might actually be able to progress the plot! Only took eleven fucking chapters.

Well, he opens by telling us how he doesn't understand how he got his job because he was super average and only graduated by shmoozing, and how his favourite subject at school was lunch.

Maybe that had primed him. People were far more inclined to talk over food. Though anytime he’d tortured an enemy, he’d puked his guts up afterward. Fortunately, he’d learned that a cold beer, some mirthroot, and a few rounds of poker usually got him what he needed.

Please tell me I'm not the only one struggling to find the line of coherent thought in this paragraph. Was the book freaking out because we hadn't had a mention of vomiting yet, and just had to shove one in there, sense be damned?

This isn't boding well for my hopes about the plot.

Tharion tells us again that his sister was murdered. Great. Got that the first time. I can only assume this is going to be relevant. The book also still has a hard-on for those messenger otters it mentioned last book.

He's going through Sofie's email with a magic hacking system that Declan made (because of course, he's the only hacker in the city, I guess), and spends a whole page telling us about why he lives in a dry underwater building instead of the water and how the River Queen doesn't understand computers and oh my god, is any of this shit relevant? Read the god damn email. You already told us you got in.

Tharion skimmed through Sofie Renast’s email archive. Evidence of a normal existence: emails with friends about sports or TV or an upcoming party; emails from parents asking that she pick up groceries on her way home from school; emails from her little brother. Emile.

I don't know about you guys, but I have literally never used email for any of those things. I message people about those things. My email is mostly full of spam, and I largely ignore it.

The book is trying to drum up tension by saying Tharion has to get into the water soon or he'll cease to be a merman, but he's too busy reading emails to get up. I mean. I'd say this is nonsense and there's nothing stopping him from just getting up, ducking into the water, then coming right back but uh. I find myself in literally these exact situations all the time. Well, not literally, given I'm not a mermaid, but you get the idea. Something would take me like five seconds to do, but I won't do it because I'm stuck doing something I could easily get back to. Not sure if it's the ADHD or the autism and at this point I'm too afraid to ask.

He spots an email with "Dusk's Truth" as its subject line, which says some vague and strange things that might be alluding to Sofie getting into the prison/finding something out there. Sofie's reply is dated three days ago, apparently. Given we have absolutely no idea how much time has passed since the prologue, I don't know if this is meant to be mysterious or if this timeline tracks.

The person Sofie was emailing is called BansheeFan56. Further proof that these are messages and not emails. He does a search for that username, and finds an email from them.

Subject: Project Thurr

Fuck, will you just get over Thurr already, book? I'm not in the mood.

Anyway, more searching of the inbox, with signs indicating that Sofie may have conveniently come to Lunathion. Then Tharion does a search for BansheeFan56's address... how? Well, hacking magic, I guess.

And the address is Danika Fendyr.

No, really, that's how the book phrases it.

Tharion opened a search field within Declan’s program and typed in the sender’s address. He started as the result came in. Danika Fendyr.

Do you understand what emails, addresses and usernames even are, book? Danika is a person, not an address.

And then he runs out to submerge himself in water, and easily makes it with enough time. Wow. That was a pointless bit of non-tension.

Danika Fendyr had known Sofie Renast. Had swapped emails during a six-month window leading up to Danika’s death, all relating to something about Dusk’s Truth and this Project Thurr, except that one detailing a secure spot.

......wait, you said the last email that Spofie sent was three days ago though. Danika's been dead a lot longer than three days.

..................okay, I just went back and checked, the email was sent three years ago, and my mind just substituted years for days, I guess. All is well.

Tharion decides that Sofie would have arranged to have her brother brought to Lunathion.

The trouble now was finding them somewhere in this city. Where the weary souls find relief from their suffering, apparently. Whatever that meant.

The graveyard? That's generally what things like that mean. And is also where Danika is right now. We'll see how long it takes Tharion to get there.

Tharion leaves the... water tank (?) and returns to his office. Then he gets a report from somewhere. Apparently a small boat was discovered, with an "adolescent-sized" lifejacket from the Bodegraven in it and the lingering scent of a human male.

Firstly, are adolescent-sized life jackets really that substantially different from adult-sized life jackets? And secondly, wow, that's kinda lame. Emile just delivers himself to the most convenient location, so even the one character who is engaged with the plot doesn't have to do any work to find him. Boring.

Anyway, Tharion muses on some stuff, and then tries to make us curious about his undoubtedly tragic backstory.

...but he had little choice in following this lead. He supposed he’d forfeited the right to choices long ago.

Tharion, it's your fucking job to follow the lead. Spare me the melodrama about choices.

Tharion sets out to try find this boat. He tries to convince us that Emile might have been eaten by a crocodile, but I'm not worried. He checks out the boat, which has a bunch of rubbish in it, then freaks out because he smells blood. But it's adult blood, apparently, which makes it okay. He finds an arm from the crocodile's victim, which apparently belonged to someone from the Lightfall squadron of Ophion (the ones led by Pippa).

He smells more smells, human ones. Decides it meant that the rebels sent a bunch of people on foot to come get Emile. Then he goes back to the boat and starts looking through the rubbish.

There. A marked-up map of the Valbaran coast. With these marshes circled. These marshes … and one other marking. Tharion winced. If Emile Renast had fled on foot from here to Crescent City …

Then........................? No? Not going to finish that thought?

I don't pull them out much, but there's so many ellipses in this book. It's kind of annoying.

Anyway, he calls someone, and tells them to send people to search the marshes, and then ends the chapter on a Dramatic Line once again trying to convince us that Emile will be eaten by a crocodile. Idk. The book hasn't really given me a reason to care about Emile. I vaguely care about Sofie, because she had that war-ending info in her head. Unless she told Emile somehow, I really don't give two shits about him just because the book wants me to. You have to earn our engagement, book.

[snarkformysanity]

House of Sky and Breath Chapter 10

We're still with Hunt, because yay cheap cliffhanger chapter endings. He starts off by describing the Hellhound to us. He's pretty and has wings, but also has a scar on his neck.

Hunt knew that scar—he’d given it to the Helhound thirty years ago. Some powers, it seemed, even immortality couldn’t guard against.

Well, he's not dead, sooooo.... I'd say immortality guarded him from your lightning just fine?

See, if he'd said something like "some injuries, it seemed, even immortality couldn't guard against" it would be fine. Because he's talking about a scar i.e. an injury that being immortal didn't stop. But no. He's talking about the powers. But if your powers worked, Hunt, he'd be dead. So shut the fuck up.

Then he describes Pollux to us and tries to assure us that he's both scary and an asshole. And then he... randomly tackles Pollux? And we get a scene break, so we're going to have to wait to find out what's up with that. Because this book doesn't understand how to maintain narrative tension properly, so it has to resort to cheap tricks like this instead.

Then, we switch to an Ithan POV, because that's just what this book needed, more characters to play musical POVs with. He's hanging out in Bryce's apartment (her bathroom, specifically), thinking about how it seems just like her apartment. Idk.

He’d had little to distract himself today, sitting alone with her chimera—Syrinx, Athalar had called him—on the couch, nearly dying of boredom watching daytime TV.

So, let me get this straight, book. You switched away from a (potentially) exciting scene where Hunt has just attacked someone, in order to make us watch Ithan sit around and be bored? Why? Fucking why?

See, this is what I mean about the book not understanding how to (properly) maintain narrative tension. It only seems to ever employ the cheap kind, i.e. arbitrarily withholding information in order to keep readers reading. There's absolutely no reason we needed switch away from Hunt right now. We could have finished his scene until it got to a natural exit point, and then switched to Ithan, if this scene of his is so desperately needed. But no. The book would rather drag out that fight scene by breaking it up with other irrelevant POVs of characters being bored, because it knows we'll want to keep reading to find out what happened to Hunt. So it shoves the boring bits that might make you put the book down otherwise between the exciting bits.

But here's what the book is failing to understand: good stories don't have to do this. Good stories don't have boring scenes that you need to trick readers into reading through, because they also understand the law of conservation of detail and don't stuff their stories full of irrelevant padding. Good stories have every scene drive either the plot or a character arc (or both!) forwards, so we're always interested in reading them because there's always something interesting happening.

This is not a good book. This is a book that doesn't even understand that your main characters need to be involved with the plot. Hence why Tharion is off looking for thunderbird bodies and we're here, slogging through Ithan's boredom so that maybe we can find out how that fight went later, maybe. Utter amateur trash.

Anyway, Ithan is bored. He ignores notifications on his phone about the new archangel, and then muses about how he might be meeting her if he was still in Sabine's pack. Riveting. I don't care. Go back to the fight.

Then, he shifts into wolf form to... go to the bathroom? Because he was in the bathroom when we opened this scene, but this book literally cannot resist flashbacks, so he was flashing back to being on the couch while in the bathroom. I think. But oh no! He's too big to fit. Wait, he's not going to the bathroom to use the toilet, he's going to the bathroom to look in the mirror. Fucking hell. Again, why were we pulled away from a literal fight for this?

Well, he's angsting about not having a pack anymore. He almost immediately shifts out of wolf form, then gets a message from Perry, asking if he's alive.

Wolves were social creatures. A wolf without a pack … it was a soul-wound. One that would cripple most wolves. But he’d been struck a soul-wound two years ago and had survived. Even though he knew he couldn’t endure taking his wolf form again anytime soon.

You just did take your wolf form though?

Also, he keeps making out this lack of social pack thing as if it's Deep Wolf Pain, but, uh. Humans are social creatures too. Social creatures who suffer deep and crippling pain when lonely. Seriously, it lights up the same parts of the brain that light up when people are physically tortured.

Now, I'm not necessarily objecting to including something like this in a novel. It's probably very relatable for a lot of people - we are in a loneliness epidemic at the moment, after all. I'm just objecting to the idea that it's a special wolf pain that we mere mortals could never hope to understand. We all know this book's attitude towards humans, after all. I have no confidence that it understands that humans are actually like this as well.

Ithan then muses about how Bryce was a wolf without a pack after Danika's death, even though she still had Juniper and Fury, but they don't count because otherwise he couldn't make this parallel. That's not me being narky, he literally points out (and dismisses) their existence himself.

Then he stands there and angsts some more about stuff that's happened, and decides he just has to put one foot in front of the other... sure? Whatever? I'm still confused about why we're here. He offers to take Syrinx for a walk. But Syrinx wants a belly rub instead, so they don't go for a walk. End scene.

...yeah, seriously, what the fuck? There was no point to that whatsoever. This fucking book, man.

Oh. And it looks like we don't get to see the fight after all. It's a bit confusing who's POV we're in, but I think it's Bryce. She's visiting Hunt in a holding cell, where he was placed after randomly attacking his new coworker. Looks like Pollux beat him up pretty good, as Bryce comments he looks as bad as Ithan did. Hunt asks who called her here.

“Your new boss—she filled me in. She sounds nice, by the way.” Bryce pressed her face through the bars. “Definitely nice, since she hasn’t kicked your ass to the curb yet.” “She did put me in this cell.” “Isaiah put you in the cell.”

Hunt put himself in the cell, by randomly attacking Pollux. This book does understand that attacking people is not a natural, unavoidable course of action, right? Hunt does have the option of not doing that?

Anyway, they bicker a bit, because Hunt doesn't want her there. And... I think Pollux is in a cell, too? The narration isn't really clear. See, Hunt? Your new boss didn't even single you out for punishment, even though you started it!

Anyway, yeah, Pollux is there. He snarks at Bryce and Hunt. Baxian (the hellhound) shows up. More bickering. Bryce does mention that apparently Baxian never tortured anyone though, so I fear a redemption attempt may be imminent.

Pollux crooned from his cell, his pretty-boy face as battered as Hunt’s, “Why don’t you come a little closer, Bryce Quinlan?” Hunt growled. “Don’t talk to her.” Bryce snapped, “Spare me the protective alphahole act.” Before Hunt could reply, she’d stalked over to Pollux’s cell.

I always appreciate someone telling Hunt to shut up.

While she and Pollux snark at each other, Bryce walks over there and shoves her face through the bars to bait him into grabbing her neck. Which he tries to do so, but she flashes her star power at him, almost blinding him. Well, it is nice to see her showing off a bit.

She and Baxian banter.

The Helhound’s dark eyes gleamed. He turned on his heel and said before entering the elevator, “Glad someone finally put a bullet through Micah’s head.” Bryce stared after him in stunned silence. Had he come down here for any reason other than to say that?

Mm, yeah, definitely a redemption imminent. Well, we know basically nothing about Baxian other than that he served Sandriel, so it's hard to say if I want to roll my eyes or not yet. He was Sandriel's spy-master, apparently.

......between this and the black wings, I'm kind of getting Azriel vibes. But I suppose I shouldn't be surprised the author is recycling archetypes.

Anyway, Celestina announces over the intercom that Hunt is free to go.

Pollux growled from his cell, “And what of me? I didn’t start this fight.” [...] Celestina answered coolly, “You also didn’t do anything to defuse it.” “Forgive me for fighting back while being pummeled by a brute.”

Hmm, yeah, I'm with Pollux on this one. He didn't start it, and he really shouldn't be punished for fighting back, especially if Hunt is now free to go. Protagonist-centred morality at its finest. Unless maybe Celestina knows about Hunt's history with Pollux? I'm more inclined to go with the former, though, even if the latter is true as well. But, yes, they leave.

[snarkformysanity]

House of Sky and Breath Chapter 9

I took a break because I was annoyed by the Thurr thing last chapter, but this one opens with Hunt and Bryce bantering on the phone. And, because this book is this book, it can't just let a joke go, no, it's got repeat it a few times just to make sure we get it, so of course they're bantering about Thurr. Or rather, the photo of Thurr that Bryce sent, because we've got to be reminded yet again that they do that.

I'm just... I'm so very tired. I'd also like to remind everyone that we've yet to see any semblance of a plot. Or, no, I tell a lie (and forgot about this for last chapter). Tharion, a quaternary character from the previous book, is currently off engaging with the plot. We are watching Bryce and Hunt be all wuv-wuv with each other, and must sit and wait politely for the book to deign to spare us another crumb of plot.

Here's a writing pro-tip for you. If your main characters don't have any reason to engage with the plot, then they shouldn't be the main characters of your story. Period. Full stop. Our main character for this book should be Tharion. Bryce and Hunt are, thus far, completely irrelevant to whatever is going on with the rebellion and that thunderbird stuff. Hell, they barely even manage to be relevant to their own archangel/marriage subplots.

Hunt and Bryce continue to banter for about two pages, where the only new thing we learn is that Bryce is apparently jealous of Celestina, because she's pretty. Yet more evidence of her and Hunt's relationship being doomed that the book will stringently ignore. Then, Bryce's star-scar starts glowing again.

“I, uh …” Bryce frowned down at the glowing star between her breasts, visible in her low-cut dress.

Bryce, if you don't like it glowing everywhere, then why do you wear low-cut dresses that let it glow everywhere? I don't understand. This strikes me as a rather easy problem to address, even if you haven't yet worked out why it glows. (I mean, portals, obviously, but we'll see how long it takes Bryce to get there)

And, lo, it's Cormac. He and Bryce banter and bicker. He says that an Oracle (not necessarily the Oracle from last book, because there's apparently twelve of them now) told him that their marriage was predestined.

Cormac glowered. “The Oracle of Avallen said I was destined to unite with a princess who possessed a star in her heart. That our mingling would bring great prosperity to our people.”

Cannot wait for whatever bullshittery happens to twist this into still being true but not mean Bryce.

And honestly, it's not that I even remotely ship Bryce and Cormac. Cormac has done nothing whatsoever to endear himself to me so far. But he's such a stock evil cliche that it's almost hard to hate him? He would have to have a personality for me to hate him, and he doesn't. He's just a grab-bag of generic villainous traits. And to add to that, we're not expected to like him. The book has made it abundantly clear that we're meant to find him evil. So I'm just here like, yup, evil character being evil. That tracks. Perfectly neutral response.

Contrast this to, say, Hunt, whom we are expected to like and ship with Bryce despite abundant evidence from the previous book that he's actually the most colossal alphahole of them all. That's when I tip from neutrality into hate.

Hmm. Looking at the prophecy again, the words used are "unite" and "mingling." Bryce and Cormac have just decided that that means sex, but they're actually pretty broad words. They could just team up to fight a greater evil or something and still technically be fulfilling the prophecy. Boring.

Cormac studied the small torso of Thurr on her desk.

Okay, it's not just to rage about Thurr again, I promise. The way the statue has been described a few times - mostly the rippling abs Bryce and Hunt were talking about - makes it sound more like a Greek statue to me than anything Norse? Like, the Norse didn't really make statues, or at least, none that stood the test of time, because they used mostly wood. The Greeks (and Romans) used marble and such, so fragments of theirs have survived. And.......... is the author seriously just slapping a Norse-derived god onto Greek artistry?

I mean. There's arguments (many of which conflict) to be made for the common origins of many Indo-European gods, including parallels between Thor and Zeus (with Jupiter being the Roman version of Zeus - Bryce mentioned a planet named after Thurr as well) but it's all just a bit... blegh. The rest of the world is so slapdash and Generique American Fantasy that I have absolutely no faith that this is on purpose. This book doesn't really go any deeper than the names of stuff when it comes to mythology. Case in point - the world is called "Midgard," but I'll be damned if we aren't set in Random 21st Century American City No. 247. Or the "sobeks" that are literally just saltwater crocodiles. Skin deep "inclusion."

“I wanted to see where my betrothed works. To gain some insight into your … life.” “You say that as if it’s a foreign thing for females to have jobs.” “In Avallen, it is.” He leaned against the doorjamb. “My people have let the old traditions remain untouched. You will need to adjust.”

Holding back my groan at yet another Stock Villain Trait added onto the pile (and at how utterly random that segue is. Why does him wanting to gain insight into Bryce's life make it sound like he thinks it's strange for women to work? It's perfectly normal to be curious about someone else's job. Literally one of the first questions people ask when getting to know someone is "what do you do for work?"). How's this for you, Cormac? Women have worked for vast swathes of history. They had to, otherwise the harvest wouldn't be done in time and everyone would starve. They were working in the various factories during the industrial revolution, because if they didn't, their family wouldn't have enough money for food. The whole "women don't work and stay in the kitchen" thing is actually a relatively recent development in human history, during a flash-in-the-pan golden age when one person's income was actually enough to support a family. But because that period is still in the living memory of today, and the earlier times are not, that's the "old days" that people refer to.

Now, it is true that trophy-wives have been a thing amongst the wealthy for longer than that, because again, they have plenty of money to get food with. But the idea of women (in general) working still shouldn't be foreign to them. A bunch of their servants would be maids, after all - what are they doing, if not work?

And actually, the concept of "work" and "a job" as we understand it is a relatively recent development, too. I think the industrial revolution is where we started seeing codified "jobs" like that (time-based, rather than task-based). But I digress.

Anyway. Both Bryce and Cormac continue to be boring, uninspired cliches. "I don't wanna marry you!" "You don't have a choice!" Etc, etc.

Actually, come to think of it. Have we been given any indication that Cormac has a choice? He's too busy being a stock "stay-in-the-kitchen" asshole to tell us anything about what he actually thinks of this marriage.

Switch to Hunt. The archangel has finally arrived. He is extremely baffled by how nice she is. And, honestly... if these books were better-written overall, I probably wouldn't mind this. Hunt has been through a lot of shit, the bulk of it at the hands of archangels - it's understandable that he'd be wary. But, alas, these books are not better-written overall, and when paired with descriptions like this:

...the voluptuous, lush-bodied Archangel had taken her time, pausing to greet the malakim who stepped forward, asking for their names, saying things like I’m so very happy to meet you and I look forward to working with you. Cthona spare him, but Hunt honestly thought she might be serious.

I can't help but think of the likes of, say, Ianthe in ACOTAR, who was also a totally-nice-you-guys woman with a sexy body (who was secretly evil). Celestina isn't quite as obviously villainous as Ianthe was, but, the warning signs are there, and I have absolutely no faith the book will let Hunt be wrong about his assumption. I'm gonna go out on a limb and say Celestina will try to seduce him, and he'll almost fall for it (or we'll be led to believe he falls for it), only for her to suddenly be revealed as evil and Hunt's and Bryce's relationship will be saved!

Anyway, Celestina has called a meeting with the remnants of Micah's triarii.

None of them replied. Hunt didn’t dare mention Vik—or beg the Archangel to pull her out of Melinoë’s inky depths.

Why not? Isn't this archangel supposed to be nice?

To spare her from a living Hel. It had been months. Odds were that Vik had gone insane. Was likely begging for death with each moment in that box.

Uh. That sounds like even more reason to pull her out? Or is the book trying to tell us that insane people aren't worth the hassle of saving? Fuck you, book.

We get more descriptions of Celestina.

Where Micah had radiated dominance and might, [Celestina] shimmered with feminine strength and beauty.

Why can Celestina not just radiate strength, book? Why does it have to be "feminine" strength, specifically? None of Micah's traits are specifically flagged as "masculine." Is that because you assume that dominance and might are inherently masculine, while strength isn't feminine, and thus must be specified so? You know dommy mommys exist, right? Also, you were tripping over yourself to tell us how hot Micah was last book, does he not radiate beauty as well?

Just. Fuck this book. Fuck it to hell and back. It wants to preach at us about how women aren't just breeders while it's constantly pulling shit like this. Hypocrite.

She keeps trying to introduce herself to the triarii, but they're all suspicious of her, and... honestly, again, Hunt's train of thought here isn't bad. It fits with what's happened to him. And feels proportional, unlike his usual flavour of angst.

Hunt kept his face bland, even as he wished that she’d be equally as forthright as Micah. He’d always hated his owners who’d disguised their dead souls in pretty speeches. This could easily be part of a game: to get them to trust her, come limping into her soft arms, and then spring the trap. Make them suffer.

It's just a shame I hate him so much.

Isaiah still has his tattoo, by the way.

Isaiah was the better male, the better leader—and still a slave. Rumors had swirled in the months before Micah’s demise that the Archangel would free him soon. That possibility was now as dead as Micah himself.

Here's a question - can Celestina free them? I presume Micah had the authority to do so because he was archangel. Well, Celestina is archangel now. Why can't she do it?

Celestina keeps reciting lines from an "emotional support 101" handbook, and Hunt starts angsting about being tortured. Ahh, there we go, I was wondering when this would start up again. He also notes that both Naomi and Isaiah seem to believe in Celestina's niceness and is flabbergasted by this, so my suspicion that she's evil just skyrocketed. No way the book can pull off Hunt actually being wrong about something like this.

We also get a reminder that Hunt's real name is Orion, and I don't care, because so far that little detail has had 0 impact on anything except to make him just that little bit more Tragic-er Than You.

Ah, looks like neither Celestina nor Micah technically have the power to free the slaves, but Micah had been petitioning the Asteri on Isaiah's behalf. Celestina says she'll do the same. Cool.

And then, it's revealed that there will be more triarii coming - Sandriel's old group is being split between Celestina and the guy who's taking over from Sandriel, since old mate already has a full contingent and half of Micah's old group are dead.

Roaring erupted in Hunt’s head. Sandriel’s triarii. The actual scum of the universe.

Yeah, what scum, what with all that... sneering they did, last book.

Look, book, if Sandriel was their boss, she was presumably worse, right? And she's already dead. I really don't care.

And, lo, one of them is Pollux. And some other dude who's name I don't remember. Dun dun dun!

Hmm. There was potential for good drama in this situation, even if I didn't think the book could pull it off - Hunt being unable to deal with the concept of a nice archangel, and all the tension that would come out of him trying to reconcile that fact with what's happened to him. Conflict with the other triarii as they try to convince him she's nice, and he tries to convince them she's not. Him panicking because he thinks she's tricking them all, and doing something rash because of it. Could be some good stuff. But then we have these absolute cartoon villains rock up at the end, with a big reveal like it was the whole point of the chapter, and all my hope for that just went out the window. Nope. We're just gonna get same-old, same-old, totally-scary-you-guys sneering, cackling cartoons. Oh well. I suppose I shouldn't be surprised.

[snarkformysanity]

I am sorry to inform you that the gross pro-slavery vibes do *not* get better in the later books. The second one cranks it up to eleven, straight-up making the only actually human character a cackling cartoon villain in a feeble attempt to justify its "both sides" argument. And the third book (which I'm about 3/4 of the way through atm) really highlights a vibe I was getting all throughout and throws it into sharp relief - that, so far as the book's concerned, there's nothing actually *wrong* with oppression, see, it's just that the wrong people were doing it. As soon as it's the protagonists at the head of whatever problematic institution, everything is suddenly a-okay.

Do SJM’s works feel like they’re pro-slavery to anyone else or is it just me?

She did make one of her main characters say “neither side is innocent” when according to the text itself only one “side” enslaved the other who eventually fought back...

Another example of sjm's extremely questionable morals is her crescent city series. Now, I only ever tried to read the first book a year ago so I could be wrong and my memory of it is a little hazy but I remember being very baffled at how the narrative treated humans rebelling against supernatural beings, who treated them as second class citizens at best and a meal at worst, as this very horrible crime. Like there's this passage I remember, where our extremely insufferable and privileged protagonist admires one of her fae friends for keeping the “bars and cafés and clubs” safe 🥰 while the rebels were called “fanatics” now idk about you but knowing who SJM is and looking at what's happening rn in the world, in Palestine, i can't help but find it very similar to how the pro iof Israelis pink wash Tel Aviv as this city where people ✨ DANCE ✨ and ✨ SING ✨ while painting Palestinians as these evil, savage "terrorists". It's nauseating. Idk if it gets better later in the series but sjm sure is obsessed with adding slavery in all of her worlds and always paints the side that rebels against their oppressors in a negative light.

[snarkformysanity]

If you take a moment to look into benevolent sexism you will understand why SJM was never a feminist and has no empowered protagonist written in ACOTAR.

Rhysand is the absolute embodiment of benevolent sexism.

[snarkformysanity]

House of Sky and Breath Chapter 8

We're with Hunt today. He's getting ready to go to work and meet the new archangel, I suppose. Bryce is there too, and they banter a bit. She's already gotten rid of the parents, while I continue to be baffled on why so much fuss was made over it in the first place. She offers to go with Hunt to see the archangel, but he turns her down. There are shmoopy thoughts. It's all a bit trite, tbh. Unobjectionable, but, I'm not invested in these two, so I don't care.

Then they start talking about Ithan, and Hunt demonstrates how much he trusts Bryce by telling us that every little sound woke him up. Ithan gets up too, he looks better. Banter about coffee. Trite, trite, trite.

Then Ithan and Bryce have a moment sharing memories, and Hunt gets Jealous, because of course. He just trusts Bryce that much, you guys.

Bryce goes off to get ready for work.

[Hunt] found Ithan watching him carefully. “What?” Hunt said, not bothering to sound pleasant.

I mean, do I even need to say anything? Is anyone surprised by this turn of events?

Hunt threatens to gut Ithan if he brings trouble to Bryce. Notably missing is any indication of what Hunt would consider trouble, so for all we know it could be breathing the same air as her too long. Ithan has the only appropriate reaction:

Ithan’s mouth twitched upward. “I’m shaking, Athalar.”

They get all snarly and start arguing over who's known her longer, while the book keeps interrupting to tell us Syrinx has had multiple breakfasts. Idk. It's all rather pointless. Scene closes with Ithan warning Hunt that it took Connor five years to get Bryce to even agree to a date with him.

Cut to Bryce at work, who is telling us all about why she wears earbuds at work. Only pertinent, relevant information gets relayed in this book, clearly.

It wasn’t that it was loud, exactly—the archives had the usual hush of any library. But so many people visited or studied or worked in the cavernous atrium and surrounding stacks that there was a constant, underlying roar.

Book, do you not realise that "hush" and "constant, underlying roar" are kinda antithetical to each other? Anyway, this is why Bryce wears earbuds. Would anyone have been confused by her doing this without the explanation? Does anyone care about the specific reason why she does it? No, they don't. It's a perfectly normal thing to do, depending on the workplace. This is just yet more padding and we don't even have a fucking plot yet.

Seriously. There's a new archangel coming, and some random new guy is apparently engaged to Bryce. That's it. That is all we have so far. The immediate thought would be that our plot will be Bryce getting out of the betrothal, but she's already palmed that off to side characters. So what are we left with? Just watching the book attempt to convince us that Hunt and Bryce are cute together?

Bryce is moping about missing her old job. You know, the one where Jesiba treated her like shit and she constantly fantasised about leaving? Yeahh. Oh, and it gets better [bold mine].

Lehabah was gone, too. No incessant chatter about the latest episode of Fangs and Bangs. No whining about wanting to go outside. No dramatic monologues about Bryce’s cruelty.

I'd like to remind everyone that Lehabah sacrificed herself so Bryce could save her fucking dog. And this is how she remembers her? These are all negative words, book. They aren't things you say about people you're remembering fondly. They're things you say about people who annoy you.

She wondered if Syrinx even remembered Lehabah.

Okay, much as I like to joke about Syrinx being a dog (bc let's be real that's all the book treats him as). I distinctly remember Lehabah saying that she could speak with Syrinx (i.e. Syrinx was able to communicate with her in an intelligent manner) and that the two were friends. I reckon he probably remembers her. I'd also like to remind everyone that Syrinx, as a "lower" creature (in this book's world), is technically a slave here. The book treats him like a pet, but pets are animals, book. As soon as they can communicate, they're intelligent creatures and it becomes slavery. Bryce is literally a slave owner here.

Bryce had gone over it, again and again. [...] She always arrived at the same conclusion: there was nothing she might have done to stop Lehabah’s death.

Getting real "I tried nothing and I'm all out of ideas" energy from this. You tried nothing, Bryce. The events literally went "oh noes, I can't run fast enough while carrying my dog" > "don't worry BB I'll sacrifice myself" > "cool :) I mean oh no, there was nothing I could do to save Lehabah how tragic :'("

Fucking disgusting. Especially since Lehabah's sacrifice was one of the few cool scenes that kinda worked. Well, until the book started wanking off over it by having everyone in the conference room salute, as if we missed how great the moment was in the moment and needed it pointed out to us.

Anyway, Bryce muses a bit more over Lehabah's death, mostly to show off how good she and Hunt are for each other by telling us she talked to him about it, and then she calls Jesiba over an artifact she's got at work.

Bryce drummed her fingers on her glass desk. “I’ve got a nine-thousand-year-old Rhodinian bust of Thurr here.” Basically a broody male who was supposed to pass for the nearly forgotten minor storm deity. All that remained of him in their culture was the behemoth of a planet named after him. And Thursdays, apparently.

This makes me kinda sad, honestly. Stuff like that is so cool to me. And it's obviously a thinly veiled reference to our world's Thor, who is indeed still around in English-speaking culture via the word Thursday. Or rather, the Anglo-Saxon version of Thor is, but a lot of the specifics of their pre-Christian faith has been lost, because they didn't really write stuff down pre-Christianity, and the Christians, of course, were not interested in preserving the details of any nasty heathen faiths.

Okay, going to go on a tangent here, because I really do love this stuff.

Most of what we "know" about the Anglo-Saxon faith is by drawing parallels to other Germanic faiths from around the same era, specifically the Norse gods, as the Norse lucked out with having some guys who did try to preserve their old lore even in the wake of Christianity, through the sagas and stuff. Really, so much of the original "English" culture has been lost. Christianity took the gods, and the Normans did a number on the language, to the point that Old English is pretty much completely unintelligible to speakers of modern English. Seriously, it all but disappeared from the written record for a few hundred years and then reappeared as the thoroughly French-i-fied Middle English.

Hell, we couldn't even keep the letters that fit the sounds of our language, like thorn (þ) and ash (æ), because when the printing press was invented, England couldn't afford to make its own letters, and it was too much of a backwater for anyone on the continent to bother making letters for it, and that's (part of) why our spelling is such a mess. We were forced to standardise it with a bunch of letters missing. #bringbackthorn

And yet, against all the odds, tiny fragments of that Old English culture survive in the modern world in things like the days of the week. Things so deeply ingrained and so long remembered that we don't even think to question them. Old words. Our first words. Words like father (fæder), mother (mōdor), brother (brōþor), sister (sweostor). The "were" in "werewolf" being the last remnant of the Old English word for "man" (wer). Still with us. And what does this book do with this incredibly cool and wondrous thing?

Bryce had already sent a photo of [the Thurr bust] to Hunt, with the comment, Bryce Quinlan Presents: The Original Alphahole Smolder.

Uses it as a lame throwaway joke and an excuse to remind us yet again that Bryce and Hunt are so totes cute you guys because they send each other funny messages.

Just... I know the culture of white people, and English-speaking ones especially, are considered Acceptable Targets in today's world, but this still makes me really, really sad. I love this stuff. I'm actually learning Old English, slowly. Finding little parallels that still exist in the modern language fills me with delight.

But hurr durr Thor an alphahole you guys, hahaha, so funny right? Ugh. And the book probably thinks it's horrifically clever for this. I need to move on. I'm going to break something.

Bryce and Jesiba banter. Jesiba seems to know about her pending engagement.

Bryce truly wasn’t sure if Jesiba was serious [about turning people into animals, because we really needed yet another reminder of that]. She sighed again. “I don’t suppose you have any insights as to why the Autumn King suddenly decided to ruin my life.” Jesiba tsked. “Males will always try to control the females who scare them. Marriage and breeding are their go-to methods.”

Something about this just comes across as so very... disconnected? from its context. Like, Bryce's "ruin my life." That sounds like something a melodramatic modern teenager would say about their father grounding them for the weekend so they can't hang out with their friends. But that's obviously not what's happened here.

And as for Jesiba's response... hmm. It feels a bit disingenuous to say "oh, they were all totally scared of the uber-powerful girlbosses around them, so they controlled them with marriage and breeding." Like, trying to shove a square peg in a round hole, sort of thing? Only the peg is a modern 21st century earth outlook on life and the balance of power between men and women through history, and the hole is the perspective of literally any society where arranged marriage is a normal and expected part of it.

Like, men through history didn't sit around cackling to themselves and plot about how they were going to oppress the womenz today. Their entire outlook on life and perspective of how the world worked was different from ours. In their mind, what they were doing wasn't oppression - it's just the way things worked. I'm not condoning that viewpoint, mind. Of course I'm not. I'm just highlighting how this book is completely unable to conceive of any viewpoint other than that of a modern 21st century earthen one, even when it's expressly trying to write a different setting. Very jarring, and very amateur. But who needs a willing suspension of disbelief, right? Historical people were just modern people who all agreed to be assholes, amiright?

Ugh. I don't know. I'm tired today. Probably none of this is making sense.

Bryce and Jesiba keep talking about how the Autumn King is totes scared of Bryce.

“Maybe.” Bryce doodled on a piece of scrap paper beside her computer. A little heart that said BQ + HA.

Yes, wank a little harder over how perfect they are together, book. I don't hate the ship enough yet.

Bryce and Jesiba continue to talk, but in a really annoying way where they do like one question and answer each about a whole bunch of topics, which makes it a pain in the ass to summarise. Mostly just rehashing points from the last book and/or this one.

Jesiba let out another soft, wicked laugh. “A word of advice, Quinlan: think through the advantages of a marriage to Cormac Donnall before you decide to be a cliché and refuse.”

Ah, I forgot Jesiba had some great lines. Thank you, Jesiba. I mean, I'm sure the book expects us to disagree with her here but, uh. I don't. Bryce *is* being a cliché right now. A 21st century american cliché.

Then Jesiba hangs up and the chapter ends.