Showing posts with label Romantasy. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Romantasy. Show all posts

Thursday, November 21, 2024

A Touch of Chaos (Hades x Persephone Saga #4) by Scarlett St. Clair REVIEW

A Touch of Chaos by Scarlett St. Clair
3.76 out of 5 Stars


*May contain spoilers*

I forgot how long and hard I could go for these reviews... holy crap. 
Short version -- check it out here or just know that I really liked it! 

Three years after A Touch of Malice, the final book in the Hades x Persephone saga came out last spring and wrapped up this epic retelling of the classical Greek relationship where the characters are still alive and well in a modern day version of the world where New Athens is the seat of the gods and all the legends and creatures are real. I have been WAITING for this book for all three of those years (tragic, I know), but I honestly didn't pick it up until just now because it was so long ago that I read the previous one that I just wasn't itching to read this one. I also have only read one of the Hades books (Hades Saga), which apparently enriches the reading experience, but I thought I was fine without it and still really enjoyed myself. If someone has been reading the Hades Saga though, they would have only waited a year for this to come out because A Game of Gods came out only last year. 

As I'm outlining this review, I'm realizing there weren't as many *sparkling* moments between Hades and Sephy that are causing me to fangirl... not a great thing, but also not the worst. They were still amazing, and I don't think it really takes away from the book at all, but it wasn't like I was pining for more scenes with them. If anything, I felt that way about Ari and Dionysus (more on that later). 

While the majority of the series is romantasy with emphasis on the romance between Hades and Persephone, I would say this installment is actually more fantasy than romance. So for all those complaining about "the spark" between characters is different or there were fewer "spicy scenes," please take a second to remember that romantasy is derived from combining romance with fantasy. And we've clearly been building up to an epic plotline like this one over the course of the other books, so it shouldn't be a surprise that we get to see the characters in action more than in lovey situations in this book. Personally, I really appreciated that. It made the romance more grounded and provided a more realistic feel to the story because not everything can always be about a relationship. Life exists. Life is more than heart eyes. 

Plot
I thought this had a really great plot. It wasn't the most seamless in transitions between scenes, but it wrapped things up and kept moving. It brought satisfaction to the main cliffhangers and resolution to the important points of the story in a way that was excellent. Also, there were some great battle scenes in this book! There wasn't just one epic ending. There was a series of tasks and skirmishes and obstacles and I am so happy that there was so much going on and it was to a level of detail that every character had a critical role. There were also some really funny moments too which broke things up nicely. *Cough Dionysus delivering a baby Cough* 

I think one of the things this book struggled with on the whole though was balancing the multitude of things that were happening (and necessarily so) with keeping all those threads properly tangled or untangled as needed and then weaving them all together and tied up by the end of the book. There were so many subplots that I'm actually a little annoyed that a handful were left dangling because they were good and I wanted more. But at the same time, if I'm thinking critically, I can understand why more time wasn't afforded to those subplots because the book was already almost 600 pages long in paperback format. You're just going to get messy if you give breathing room to too many things when the book is already that large. I don't know what the editing decision would be in that situation -- what could have made that better. I wouldn't have wanted another book. I wouldn't have not wanted the subplots to exist. And there were elements to the subplots that were necessary to put characters into position for them to serve their purpose. So, because I can't think of a solution to this conundrum, I feel like I can't really hold it against the author. 

Maybe we can just get a bunch of bonus scenes or novellas for Christmas based on those subplots. :):):) 

Okay so, one of the bones I had to pick about the plot specifically was that I really wish there was some sort of resolution for Hera's soul. I get that she was an awful bitch and what Theseus did to her was a result of her own actions, but to have her broken like that and wandering forever? I can't. My heart hurts even just remembering that scene where Hades sees her and realizes her fate. Even though she was horrid, and its all fictional, it bothers me so much that she will never find rest. 

Lastly, I want to briefly touch on Theseus's death and atrocities toward Ari. Firstly, I'm okay with Theseus's death being somewhat pathetic because he is pathetic and deserves no epic way to die. There was also something I think very Greek about his downfall being a bit anti-climatic and directly tied to his flaw of hubris. Plus, it was a workaround to an oracle. Secondly, one of the things that I saw repeatedly be mentioned in other people's reviews is how the scenes between him and Ari played out. For me... I have mixed feelings about them. I'm glad they weren't brushed aside and dismissed like they meant nothing, but at the same time, I think maybe they were a tad overdone? I don't think we needed more than one because then you can just refer back to that one somehow... I don't know. I don't really want to dwell on it much further. I suppose I just wanted to touch on it because I don't think it was as poorly handled as I've seen some people describe it. 

Characters
Persephone -- I love this retelling of Persephone. I think her modernity contrasted against all the other gods and goddesses jadedness from years of divinity really makes her stand out. She's strategic and hardworking and in the final stages of discovering who she is as a person as well as a goddess, but there's something really unique about this Persephone being both modern and like a normal woman that I just really love. Plus, I love that she can be equally worried about getting Hades back and pissed that he's kept so much information from her.
Persephone by unsidhe (DeviantArt/creativecommons)


Hades -- From what I remember in the other books, Hades is a suave badass in this retelling. Grumpy and closed off, but he, like, makes deals with mortals at a nightclub. By no means would I think he could ever be described as dusty, but those attributes that are so attractive were a little flat in this book and could kind of hint at dustiness. Which is really unfortunate because I love a great Hades! And this is a great Hades! But it was like he didn't fully show up to the party. 

Hermes -- WE LOVE HERMES AND DIONYSUS!!! Hermes especially though is a favorite of mine. He's so goofy and so loyal and I love when there's a sincere character like that where they, just by being themselves, break up the heaviness of a scene or a story. Apollo served that role a little too, but sadly, we had to say goodbye. Although, thinking about Apollo, if he had had more page time, I think I would have been more upset about his death. As it is, if Hermes had died I would have been crying. But with Apollo, I was just plain said. 

Hecate -- I love Hecate so freaking much. She such a great motherly figure to both Hades and Persephone and I love that she will soundly scold anybody. I'm really glad that she had a good story in this book. It was nothing huge or dramatic, but she remained vital and loved, which makes me really happy. 

Dionysus x Ari -- I don't remember them existing before this book!! Did they exist before this book??? I don't think so?!?!! I really really fell hard for this little ship that is really just a subplot. But I fell for it SO bad that I'm slightly upset. Even if I wasn't obsessed though, I still would have wanted more of the Ari x Dionysus arc especially at the end when Ari emerges with the baby wrapped around her because there is so much there. She had suffered through so much and that I think needs some sort of resolution to that and I think Dionysus is a part of that resolution.

Theseus -- Vomit. Just absolute vomit-inducing filth. Literally one of the worst characters I've ever read. Developmentally, he was alright. I think there were a few times when his character was almost overblown and exaggerated as if St. Clair was really trying to make sure we all understood that this is  a character with no redeemable soul, and it didn't need to be. 

Not specific to any character development, but ummmm... Thanatos and Lexa?? More please???? We get a whole conversation between Lexa and Sephy where Lexa is upset because she kissed Thanatos and then he said it was a mistake and CLEARLY it's just Thanatos being stupid about his job and what he thinks is right versus wrong when it comes to caring for the souls but she doesn't know that and thinks she instead that she did something wrong! Not okay! I need to see Persephone kick Thanatos's ass in line and get him to wake up and realize that he's hurt Lexa and he doesn't need to! Ulghhhh, I need this.... not as badly as I need an Ari x Dionysus spin-off... but I still need this.... 

Writing
I wouldn't say there's anything uniquely spectacular about the writing of this, other than it flows so damn easily. It would feel like I'd blink and 30 minutes had gone by while reading. One of the best things about this book, and really all of Scarlett St. Clair's books, is that it's just so fun and distracting in the best way possible. It is true entertainment where you can turn your brain off, fall into the story, and just live somewhere else for awhile. It's ability to do that is not the most common thing, so whenever a book is able to do that, it gets huge props from me. The simple task of having a story effortlessly draw you in is not so simple of a task at all, and I think it is incredibly underappreciated. Huge, huge props to St. Clair for being one of the authors who can do this. 

It's weird to think that this series is over... I tore through this book within a couple of days and it is so strange that a series that has been on my mind for years is now finished. I think especially for this series it's weird because there was such a large break between this book and the others, but it's such a good retelling of Hades and Persephone. There are so many out there now, and this is one of the ones that I think I'll always recommend to people because it doesn't feel tired or overused to me. I'm going to be sad that there are no more. Also, I will forever believe that this series has some of the best book covers I've ever seen. 

Random note though before the end of this review in case the author ever somehow stumbles across it... I would LOVE a Dionysus spin-off. Anyone else??? I think there is so much there, and the way he is handled as a character? Fabulous. Absolutely stunning. Can we manifest this for 2025? Send happy creative vibes to the author? Lol, let's be real, I love Scarlett St. Clair so I'm sending those vibes anyway. 

Thanks for reading!
Xo

Wednesday, November 20, 2024

A Touch of Chaos by Scarlett St. Clair SPOILER FREE REVIEW

A Touch of Chaos by Scarlett St. Clair
3.76 out of 5 Stars

*Spoiler Free Review*

If you would like the full review, with spoilers, details, and fangirling, follow this link to the full review!

Three years after A Touch of Malice, the final book in the Hades x Persephone saga came out last spring and wrapped up this epic retelling of the classical Greek relationship where the characters are still alive and well in a modern day version of the world where New Athens is the seat of the gods and all the legends and creatures are real. I have been WAITING for this book for all three of those years (tragic, I know), but I honestly didn't pick it up until just now because it was so long ago that I read the previous one that I just wasn't itching to read this one. I also have only read one of the Hades books (Hades Saga), which apparently enriches the reading experience, but I thought I was fine without it and still really enjoyed myself. If someone has been reading the Hades Saga though, they would have only waited a year for this to come out because A Game of Gods came out only last year. 

While the majority of the series is romantasy with emphasis on the romance between Hades and Persephone, I would say this installment is actually more fantasy than romance. So for all those complaining about "the spark" between characters is different or there were fewer "spicy scenes," please take a second to remember that romantasy is derived from combining romance with fantasy. And we've clearly been building up to an epic plotline like this one over the course of the other books, so it shouldn't be a surprise that we get to see the characters in action more than in lovey situations in this book. Personally, I really appreciated that. It made the romance more grounded and provided a more realistic feel to the story because not everything can always be about a relationship. Life exists. Life is more than heart eyes. 

I think one of the things this book struggled with on the whole was balancing the multitude of things that were happening (and necessarily so) with keeping all those threads properly tangled or untangled as needed and then weaving them all together and tied up by the end of the book. There were so many subplots that I'm actually a little annoyed that a handful were left dangling because they were good and I wanted more. But at the same time, if I'm thinking critically, I can understand why more time wasn't afforded to those subplots because the book was already almost 600 pages long in paperback format. You're just going to get messy if you give breathing room to too many things when the book is already that large. I don't know what the editing decision would be in that situation -- what could have made that better. I wouldn't have wanted another book. I wouldn't have not wanted the subplots to exist. And there were elements to the subplots that were necessary to put characters into position for them to serve their purpose. So, because I can't think of a solution to this conundrum, I feel like I can't really hold it against the author. 

Maybe we can just get a bunch of bonus scenes or novellas for Christmas based on those subplots. :):):)

One of the best things about this book though, and really all of Scarlett St. Clair's books, is that it's just so fun and distracting in the best way possible. It is true entertainment where you can turn your brain off, fall into the story, and just live somewhere else for awhile. It's ability to do that is not the most common thing, so whenever a book is able to do that, it gets huge props from me. The simple task of having a story effortlessly draw you in is not so simple of a task at all, and I think it is incredibly underappreciated. Huge, huge props to St. Clair for being one of the authors who can do this. 

It's weird to think that this series is over... I tore through this book within a couple of days and it is so strange that a series that has been on my mind for years is now finished. I think especially for this series it's weird because there was such a large break between this book and the others, but it's such a good retelling of Hades and Persephone. There are so many out there now, and this is one of the ones that I think I'll always recommend to people because it doesn't feel tired or overused to me. I'm going to be sad that there are no more. Also, I will forever believe that this series has some of the best book covers I've ever seen. 

Random note though before the end of this review in case the author ever somehow stumbles across it... I would LOVE a Dionysus spin-off. Anyone else??? I think there is so much there, and the way he is handled as a character? Fabulous. Absolutely stunning. Can we manifest this for 2025? Send happy creative vibes to the author? Lol, let's be real, I love Scarlett St. Clair so I'm sending those vibes anyway. 

Thanks for reading!
Xo

Thursday, November 14, 2024

Reading the 2024 Goodreads Romantasy Choice Awards (and my own rankings of them)

Reading the 2024 Goodreads Romantasy Choice Awards 
(and my own rankings of them)

This may be absolutely bonkers of me considering how many reading goals I've set for myself going into the end of the year and into early next year (for reference, I started a second blog about traveling via books), but as of writing this, the Goodreads Choice Awards Nominees of 2024 have been released and it has been ages since I feel like I've done a deep-dive into what is out there in terms of romantasy. And I've been reading romantasy since before it was called that! (To the younger readers and newer readers of the genre -- yes, "romantasy" is a relatively newer term.) 

I also always just love a list of titles for awards because I find it can be easier to read than looking at blocks of book covers, so I wanted to make this list putting them all in one spot. 

Here's to me reading all the romantasy nominations "so you don't have to" (said with saccharine sarcasm). And then I'm going to do a subsequent post, which will likely be finished early next year, where I do my own rankings of these books. I'm going to update that list of rankings though as I go along so that it is as complete as possible. Cheers!

** In the below list of titles, I've noted when the nominee is not the first book in the series. If there is a note only about that, that means I'm up to speed on the series and will be reading the nominee. If I'm not up to speed, I'm only going to read the first book because if I don't like that one, I'm not going to continue with the rest of the series. **

A Touch of Chaos by Scarlett St. Clair
The 2024 Goodreads Choice Award Nominees for the Category of Romantasy
    1. Phantasma by Kaylie Smith
    2. A Touch of Chaos by Scarlett St. Clair (Not book 1) 
    3. A Promise of Peridot by Kate Golden (Not book 1 -- I'll be reading A Dawn of Onyx)
    4. Zodiac Academy: Restless Stars by Caroline Peckham and Susanne Valenti (Not book 1 -- I'll be reading The Awakening) 
    5. Fate of the Sun King by Nisha J. Tuli (Not book 1 -- I'll be reading Trial of the Sun Queen)
    6. Restless Stars -- Zodiac Academy by Susanne Valenti and Caroline PeckhamApprentice to the Villain by Hannah Nicole Maehrer (Not book 1 -- I'll be reading Assistant to the Villain) 
    7. Quicksilver by Callie Hart
    8. Gold by Raven Kennedy (Not book 1 -- I'll be reading Gild)
    9. The Spellshop by Sarah Beth Durst
    10. The Games Gods Play by Abigail Owen
    11. Faebound by Saara El-Arifi
    12. Born of Blood and Ash by Jennifer L. Armentrout
      Blood of Hercules by Jasmine Mas
    13. Born of Blood and Ash by Jennifer L. Armentrout (Not book 1) 
    14. Honey Witch by Sydney J. Shields 
    15. House of Flame and Shadow by Sarah J. Maas (<-- This one's going to win. Calling it now. Not book 1)
    16. A Dark and Drowning Tide by Allison Saft
    17. The Veiled Kingdom by Holly Renee
    18. A Crown this Cold and Heavy by Stacia Stark
    19. When the Moon Hatched by Sarah A. Parker
    20. A Fate Inked in Blood by Danielle L. Jensen


My Hesitations & Concerns:

Lots of other reading goals
I already referred to this in the beginning paragraph, but I started a second blog where I plan on reading books that can mentally take me to places I want to travel to, but can't afford to. I'm really looking forward to that blog as much as I love this blog! Starting up a new blog though, while also returning to writing in this one, is honestly very intimidating. I've kept up reading, so I'm not ~very~ worried about that... but it's the writing these blog posts that can take quite a bit of time and I don't want to skimp on these posts because then that's shit quality and I don't want to be that person. 

     Some of these titles I already know I don't love
Oof... I don't know if people are going to come at me because of this but... I already tried to read the Zodiac Academy once and I just struggled with the first half of it so bad that I put it down and didn't return. But there's a HUGE fan base for it so there must be something there. Maybe at the time I was reading I was just really distracted or simply not in a good place? If a book couldn't hold me through a time like that though, especially a romantasy book, I still hold some reservations about it. 1000% still willing to give it another shot though!

Scared some are just riding the coattails of successful trends, which annoys me
Over the years, this has REALLY become one of my biggest pet peeves -- books where you can tell they're really just trying to benefit off the success of other titles or the tropes in them. And then they're half-baked or over-marketed and heralded as "the next Sarah J. Maas" or "the next Jennifer L. Armentrout." I really, really get annoyed by this and I'm incredibly worried that with the reductive readership of online popularity that there will be titles in this list that I simply will get frustrated with because of a lack of true originality.

On the whole, I'm looking forward to this! I can't wait to see how this turns out! 

Thanks for reading!!
Xo