Fantasy Buddy Reads discussion

This is a Buddy Read for The Unbroken by C.L. Clark starting on November 10, 2023.


Happy Reading!

Thank you!

I don't know if we're still doing a buddy read of this, but I'm a hundred pages in, struggling, and seriously thinking about marking it up as a DNF and moving on. I'm finding it so boring.

Oh, shucks... I was going to pick it up, I'm just running pretty late due to trying to cram in all the GR Choice awards. I still want to give it a try though. Sorry it's going so boring! Please, rant on!

I've made it to page 300 but think I'm going to TNF here. I just can't read any more.

A lot of people like this book, so I think these are 'me' problems, and my opinion should be taken with a hefty pinch of salt.

What I didn't like: (view spoiler)[ the characters: I found both the main characters unlikable. And they seemed to be kind of stupid.

And sending a bunch of conscripted soldiers back to their indigenous homeland to potentially fight against their own countrymen seemed really, really dumb.

The actual style of writing: I've always believed in 'show, don't tell'. Well, this author is very much a writer who tells, not shows. One of the most glaring examples (view spoiler)[is when it's revealed that the princess (who's lamed in one leg) has a rapier concealed in her cane. How do we know this? Was there a dramatic reveal when the princess was attacked and she drew her sword and killed her attacker? No - we're straight up told in the narrative that she has a sword concealed in her cane! Do you hear a whimper? That was potential quietly exploding in corner. (hide spoiler)] (hide spoiler)]

A lot of people love this book, and I still think the cover looks great, but it's not for me.

I'm still planning on jumping in next week--so I'll let you know if the end gets any better....

I gave it another try and it didn't work for me as well.

Well, I'm burning through the book on audio, but I have to admit even with the relentlessness of audio making me go forward, I can't stop thinking "am I there yet?" I mean, I'm curious, but it takes forever for things to get around to a point... kinda wish the book had been cut down by half.

Reminds me a bit of The Bone Shard Daughter series--it was interesting, but never really quite hit the right notes with me... also had a young woman taking over from a tyrranicalish father-figure emperor... and a romantic interest caught up in a rebellion...

Nirkatze wrote: "Well, I'm burning through the book on audio, but I have to admit even with the relentlessness of audio making me go forward, I can't stop thinking "am I there yet?" I mean, I'm curious, but it take..."

I was not a fan of Bone Shard either so I am kind of glad I called it on this one.

Finished. The story picked up in the latter half, but the biggest issue with me was probably not being invested in the characters. I just don't really like them that much, which made even the exciting parts feel boring. Still, I'm curious about the world system. I'd be willing to continue, but it's definitely low priority.

That was one of the biggest problems for me: if I don't like the characters or at least find them interesting, there's a good chance I won't finish the story.

No worse feeling, imo, than wanting to love a book/series more than you actually do, and trying to stick it out, anyway...

I say that as someone who has stuck out the Dark Hunter BR thread solo, to the bitter end, through 25-30 Dark Hunter books, 8 Chronicles of Nick books, and now the last 3 Deadman's Cross books, this year...

It's why I stuck with the Kara Gillian series (because I knew it was an Apocalypse-in-the-Middle series)...

And some other rough series over the years...

True... the series that stands out to me as being the most annoying was Elizabeth Haydon's Rhapsody: Child of Blood and Sara Douglass's The Wayfarer Redemption... they start off so strong... then have a lot of uncomfortable wallowing in the middle... though I did really enjoy how Haydon's series ended... Wayfarer Redemption got kind of weird by the end, left me unsatisfied...

Then this year, there was Sue Lynn Tan's Daughter of the Moon Goddess--which I loved (was my vote for Debut novel last year, I think)--and was followed by a book I gave 1 star to.

Though I just realized that a key issue in EACH of those book series is that they had sort-of love triangles, and I HATED the choice the author went with, and totally thought the other person was the better person, not just the better love choice. Haydon redeemed the series in having the MC reject the asshole and actually turn to my favorite character in the end... but it took like nine books. Douglass tried, by giving the rejected woman her own arc... but it was really weird... (view spoiler)[involving being turned into a deer and losing time, then having the son of the lover she rejected falling in love with her... while she her own son--with that guy's father, nonetheless--turning evil... (hide spoiler)]

Oh, I hated the first Rhapsody book! The two thief/mercenary guys were promising but I hated the main character, and that orphan kid she picked up (Ash, I think her name was?) was the worst!

LOL I agree--I found Rhapsody really annoying for most of the series and pretty much read for the two thief/mercenary guys. Orphan sister--I think her name was Jo? Ash was the love interest... was also annoying but she did eventually get better... or maybe she was just fun to rant at? I enjoyed the story and the world and wanted to know what happened... so I kept going to the end. The almost-last book, The Hollow Queen, I think, made me happy--(view spoiler)[Rhapsody did something that like, took away her emotions? And finally started acting badass instead of emo and mopey, and it was a lot of fun to see her realize what an annoyance she'd been the whole series. (hide spoiler)] Not one I think I'll reread though... well maybe one day.