The Challenge Factory discussion

Ezi, Pepperpot, Sadie, V ~ The Bronze Horseman

checking in

Hello!

Yay hi guys :•)

This is soooo tempting. I loved this trilogy.

c'mon Nichole, the more the merrier

Audio is out on august 4th!!

Whoop!

I think this will wait until after Kate Daniels

I don't get my credit till 13th so I need to wait until then anyway

This is awesome. I am so excited for the audio but I do need to wait like Ezi :). Can I join?

Anna wrote: "This is awesome. I am so excited for the audio but I do need to wait like Ezi :). Can I join?"

don't wait. Start reading, just put spoilers under the tags.
If i don't listen to Kate Daniels, GR people will ruin it for me.

Am I the only one that has started this? I've only read a couple of chapters.

PepperP0t wrote: "Am I the only one that has started this? I've only read a couple of chapters."

I will start this one on monday. I am scared as it's on audio and it is 30 hrs and 6 mins

I'll be starting this tomorrow.

I finished the first part and I'm anxious to hear your thoughts

30 HOURS !!!!!!!!!!

I did not know that lol
Well I certainly won't be using it for capture the flag then haha

I'm starting this right now. But I'll be honest, I started reading this at the beginning of the year. I needed to stop though because I just didn't have time to actually sit down and read the 900 page book and there wasn't an audiobook and I didn't want to go FREAKING INSANE by reading only bits at a time. But yeah PepperPot. The first part is bananas

PepperP0t wrote: "I finished the first part and I'm anxious to hear your thoughts"

are you liking it P? Is it good? you havent posted anything, so I am assuming it's not that good???

Now you listen to me Ezinwanyi. This is awesome. Tatiana and Alexander are adorable they are just anxiety inducing

Anna wrote: "Now you listen to me Ezinwanyi. This is awesome. Tatiana and Alexander are adorable they are just anxiety inducing"

Ok. i have downloaded the audiobook onto my ipad. Let me finish up the book I have now

I need the ENTIRE trilogy to come out on audiobook. Like within the next couple days. Immediately. Because I'm 95% sure this ends on a cliffhanger.

Ezinwanyi~the Impish Angel wrote: "PepperP0t wrote: "I finished the first part and I'm anxious to hear your thoughts"

are you liking it P? Is it good? you havent posted anything, so I am assuming it's not that good???"

I haven't gotten to the good part. I've read the first four chapters, I've got all the books but have been hesitant to read it at all. they are still laying foundation.

I took a break so someone else could start I didn't want to post stuff I nobody was ready to read.

Oh man I've been rushing through the whole first part! I really want to start venting to someone!

vent away!
(view spoiler)[ let's send our son away while the city is being invaded and keep our 16 year old and 23 yeara old daughters and the grandparents with us.

the boy leaves and it's probably the last time mom will see him and she can only say take a sweater?

I'm still waiting on the day I could take so long to do what mom said and not be slapped silly.

I'm okay with a gray hat hero/heroine but seriously? (hide spoiler)]

I'm ready for you ladies to start discussing it, lol. I can't work a 30 hour audio in right now but I've read all 3 books and will chime in :)

How is the narrator for this?

I'm ebook

Narrator is pretty good. Sorta wish they had two narrators for this book in particular. Especially since SO much of it is told from Tatiana's POV. But he's fine

PepperP0t wrote: "vent away!"

(view spoiler)[

It was really hard to connect with these characters at first. The family dynamics- having a normal American childhood, even if we were poor-ish, I have a hard time truly understanding some of the things that are a part of their everyday lives.

And yes, send the boy away but keep everyone else here? Didn't make sense to me either---until you get further in the story and hear some of the horrible things that happened to the Soviets during this time.

Tatiana definitely has her heads in the clouds in the beginning! Luckily, she does grow up! (hide spoiler)]

(view spoiler)[ she has to grow up. I just don't want them to make dasha wicked so the other two can be together. I don't care if their gray hats, just don't sacrifice her to do it.

I did see that they are expecting badness near the camp and it fits for later in the book but early in the book it makes you wonder about the parents (hide spoiler)]

(view spoiler)[ Yes, the parents are something else! (hide spoiler)]

@PepperPot So how far exactly did you get? what part because I don't want to ruin anything

Through "Field of Mars"
About Pasha and the family dynamic
(view spoiler)[ I agree about the sending Pasha away. It was weird but it does say something about the society they live in and the family dynamic. Pasha is the sole male child of the Metanova family, therefore there is only one heir. Now, I didn't grow up in a family like this but I do know of people who are really similar. It has to do with having children to carry on the family name and fortune, but it becomes almost a fanatic obsession. I had a friend once, a girl, who was verbally abused by her mother for nothing more than a deoderant stain on my friend's shirt, while her younger brother could do no wrong. In fact, a sect of my family thinks in the same way (without the abuse) to the point where my uncle once told my dad, "I love all of my kids but for some reason I think I just love [eldest son] a little bit more." At which point my dad walked away shaking his head. (hide spoiler)]

About Tatiana and Alexander's first meeting
(view spoiler)[Their meeting was a leetle too insta-love but honestly I got over it really quick. I just can't get over how adorable they are. Tatiana is really pretty airheaded in the beginning, but that is pretty well explained through her being the youngest girl child who was "protected" from the world by Dasha. Otherwise known as innocent to the point of a toddler. But I think we were somewhat forewarned of this with her reaction to her father telling her to go to the store, along with everyone else's reaction to his order. Basically she's a child and she needs to grow up. But the bus! Ok it was totally ridiculous but the fact that they both stayed on the bus for the entire time made the whole thing a little adorable. Him saying "I give up. Where are you going?" was somehow not creepy. However, if anyone did that to me I would have to run to the nearest police station because I would clearly have a stalker/serial killer on my hands. (hide spoiler)]

I will start my rant about Dasha as soon as someone has gotten a little farther in the book. Because she's not made out to be a villain. The entire cast of characters have their natures hinted at in the beginning but they slowly become clearer and clearer. And I feel like the more stress that the family is put under, the more their flawed personalities come to the forefront.

Anna wrote: "@PepperPot So how far exactly did you get? what part because I don't want to ruin anything"

about half. book one, part one, night sank down. (view spoiler)[ grandmother died, book burning, etc. you know depressing stuff where tatia gets to be more of a martyr (hide spoiler)]

Anna wrote: "Through "Field of Mars"
About Pasha and the family dynamic
[spoilers removed]

About Tatiana and Alexander's first meeting
[spoilers removed]

I will start my rant about Dasha as soon as someone ha..."

you're right they do. you're so right about your spoiler. but...

(view spoiler)[ you're right about their personalities but to me the shelter stuff was overmuch and they can't both be right. it was like they made dasha so horrid to justify alexander sneaking to see tatiana<\spoiler> (hide spoiler)]

@ Anna I forgot (view spoiler)[ Dasha died and Dmitri was Dmitri before I put the book down. I didn't read it yeaterday. Maybe I can get to it today. (hide spoiler)]

PepperP0t wrote: "@ Anna I forgot [spoilers removed]"

Ok you just went right past me. I'm at 38%. I only got to (view spoiler)[Tatiana got back from Luga and they met up at the tower thing and decided he needed to have a more indifferent face. (hide spoiler)] But don't worry I knew all that happened. But yeah I can get through Part 2 today I think.

Have you Ladies cried yet? I cry pretty easy, lol. I remember tearing up quite a few times but at one part, in particular, I bawled my eyes out! I think you're made of tougher stock than I am though :)

Nothing for me to cry about yet... I don't think except maybe for (view spoiler)[Pasha (hide spoiler)] but no I haven't cried

I'm done with the book, no tears for me but I did begin to tolerate her better.

@Nichole, maybe it was Tatiana, I didn't like her at first and never learned to like but accepted.

I'm topping out at a 4.25-4.5 stars for it.

I actually like Tatiana. Somehow, she pulls off (for me) being too nice and yet likable. I think this is a really good exercise in exploring what happens when people are pushed past their limits in a communist society. I'm really loving it.

I liked her too. It took a little bit and she made me want to pull my hair out sometimes but I admired her strength. She was so stubborn, like a dog with a bone, once she decided something there was no changing her mind!

I didn't like her until (view spoiler)[ after the tower and it may have been her strength and stubbornness that finally wore me down. (hide spoiler)] As I said, I didn't really like her but I did grow to accept her and not cringe when she appeared on the page.

I agree with both of you that the circumstances did seem to fuel her on and a lesser person would crumble. I'm the '4' area so I didn't hate the book and I have every intention of reading the next installment when you ladies are ready. For me she was one of those characters that grow on you.

What are your thoughts on Dasha and Dmitri?

Dude she's on every page lol.

Tatia is sort of brave and strong to the point of being stupid and reckless but you have to admire her tenacity.

As for Dasha I have mixed feelings about her. I liked that she was never portrayed as the "evil sister" caricature but she had significant flaws, just like everyone else. However, (view spoiler)[she was incredibly selfish and blind to the point of being stupid. I think the contrast between Tatiana and Dasha is important because at the core Tatiana is strength and life, while Dasha, when stripped down to nothing, is only able to depend on others to survive, not contributing anything to her own survival. That said, she is starkly human and you can't really fault her for it because I don't know that many of us would be Tatia when put in that situation. (hide spoiler)]

For Dimitri I NEVER liked him. I thought he was creepy, selfish, and he disturbs me. (view spoiler)[Plus he's borderline rapey so I really wish he had just shot himself in the head instead of the foot. He's a dick and I hate him. (hide spoiler)]

Anna wrote: "Dude she's on every page lol.

Tatia is sort of brave and strong to the point of being stupid and reckless but you have to admire her tenacity.

As for Dasha I have mixed feelings about her. I like..."

now do you get my frustration? I agree and her tenacity beat me down. Love your observation o Dmitiri

(view spoiler)[I think more of us would be Dasha than Tatia when it came down to it. But to me it seemed she was purposely deliberately contrast and the parents with their slip of the tongue, did they orget the walls were so thin? (hide spoiler)]

Of course they were purposely contrasted. All of the supporting characters are foils for Tatiana and Alexander to show how completely different they are from everyone, especially with their love of life. I'm just being introduced to the old ladies now and I swear to God I would punch someone. I don't understand Tatiana's patience.

As far as the walls go (view spoiler)[the girls were supposed to be asleep. However, even if she hadn't heard that I think she still would have gone. Its not as though she didn't already know how they felt from the way they treated her. (hide spoiler)]

That's the perfect description for Dasha! (view spoiler)[ I was pretty angry with both Tatiana and Alexander for continuing the charade. Hurting all 3 of them in the end. It was soooo frustrating to read about that whole love triangle. I just wanted to shake them. And Dasha, living in the clouds the whole time!

Dmitri was a creepster. And it was like he just kept winning! Grrr. Just like Game of Thrones where the bad guys always win.

Yes, Tatiana plays the Matyr a little too well. It's almost like she punishes herself for loving and being loved by Alexander. (hide spoiler)]

I agree with both of you and she did play that role too well, I felt punished and annoyed because she wouldn't stop!

(view spoiler)[ they were pretending to be the brady bunch and were actually something else but still I was a bit surprised with the slap. Yes they were supposed to be asleep but maybe the walls weren't so thin they didn't know when Dasha wasn't there. (hide spoiler)]

do you plan to read book two?

I didn't get to read much of this because I went to see Ricki and The Flash tonite. I'll do better tomorrow.