The Sword and Laser discussion

(I don't know if we do "protected" threads here, if not, that's okay, I just thought it would be nice to have a place where it's just about posting more positive things about the book)

I just finished Fourth Wing and I THOROUGHLY enjoyed the book! I have no illusions about it's merits as a piece of literature but for me it was really fun - mean REALLY fun! I got sucked in right from the start and I breezed though the whole thing (at 1.7 speed, no less!!) and had a BLAST!

It's not realistic in the slightest, but I didn't have the impression it wanted to be - and I admit, the ridiculous larger-than-life setting and emotions and pathos were all part of the fun for me! Even the modern language and the corny and awkward descriptions during the sexy time added to the appeal!

So, none of the criticisms brought up elsewhere really bothered me. I don't know why, because I am not a romance reader at all -and to be honest I don't read that much anymore these days besides the books for Sword & Laser...

Maybe that's it? I am not reading more (better?) stuff?

Because on TV I also really enjoy the "non-prestige" TV shows like "Once Upon a Time" (anything fairy tale, really) or just recently the completely ridiculous "The Quest" from a few years back, so I don't really expect completely logical plots or worlds.

Or it's because I do tabletop roleplaying games where everything is serving "The Rule of Cool"!

So, yeah, the book made me just very happy and I very much understand the hype surrounding this "popcorn" book, while also recognizing why others haven't enjoyed it.

Just wanted to express that!

You can keep all the extra exclamation marks! :-)

I enjoyed the book for the most part. The language/vernacular was fine with me, and I didn't have any issues with the sexy times. I appreciated the representation of differently abled.

I think the thing with these id-books, brain candy whatever you want to call them, is that they're great for the people for whom the id strikes the same way (Twilight is probably the most famous recent example of this) but for those for whom the buttons aren't being pushed, the very same things that delight one reader grate on every last nerve.

"Id" from the "Forbidden Planet" movie. *Krell music plays in the background*

That thing does not look positive. Maybe protective tho.

I also enjoyed the book and plan to read book 2. I was very ambivalent on the sex scenes but with the kindle edition I could skim most of that (which honestly sped up the back half of the book hahah).

I certainly could not stop reading it. I had a great time even though I could see the issues people had with it. I'll probably read the next.

🧠🍭 !!! Never heard the term brain candy before! And I think you are right! I find it fascinating that all those things others found grating really only increased my enjoyment...

And maybe Andarna just reminded me of Naomi Novik's Temeraire - I don't know. Because I really got somehow "nostalgia" Feelings from the book even though it's brand new. Maybe because of the tropes and borrowed elements.

Thanks for this thread. I really enjoyed it as well, and especially the end, and I have a reminder to look for book 2 when it comes out.

Also, not usually a fan of too much romance in my novels (I gave up on the Outlander series after a couple of books), but while there was a lot of overtones throughout the book, the actual sexy times was pretty limited, and as mentioned, easy to skim on the digital book.

I very much enjoyed it! As a disabled person this book very much spoke to me even if Violet didn't have my particular disability the way she was treated ran a lot of bells for me.

I'm a sex-repulsed asexual so the sex was a little much for me, but I'm an adult and know where the fast-forward button on my audiobook is I really didn't want to read it, and have been reading romance fiction and adult fanfiction for ages. I know how to handle things when it gets too much for me.

I'm looking forward to the next one.