chantaal's reviews
2258 reviews

I just really enjoy this series a lot, especially Aresh and Kondou being dumb dumbs in looooove

So. I'm trying to read more past Hugo/Nebula award winners and I've enjoyed Nancy Kress in the past so I thought this would be a good place to start.

Unfortunately, all I got here was a bunch of ideas thrown together in a way that tried to provide something compelling and thoughtful, but only made me groan. The general climate fiction theme here feels clunky, and everything that had to do with the After sections, I haaaated. I get that it was a very specific point of view, but I hated reading it. The other sections weren't much better.

I don't know. It was whatever. My reading slump to close out the year continues.

So this was a cute idea and for what it's doing, it's great! Fun times! It's a bit silly and anachronistic and not meant to be taken seriously. World building is non-existent. The story exists only to ask the question of what happens after the D&D campaign is over and two of your party are in love and one of them accidentally triggers a magical binding to be the new king and has to find his soulmate or die and how can you make a romcom out of it. It's predictable and fun.

It just went on maybe 100 pages too long for how absolutely goddamn OBLIVIOUS the two main characters were. You fucking love each other, just fucking SAY IT and GET TOGETHER ALREADY.

Literally every trope you can think of that would keep apart two characters who totally love each other but think the other DOESN'T love them is utilized. If that's your jam, I am so happy for you. Go forth! Enjoy this book! It just frustrated me to no end and that frustration ultimately took away from the fun time I was having with the rest of it.  

I….what? What was the point of this existing?