Rebecca's Reviews > Year of the Reaper
Year of the Reaper
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DNF (roughly halfway through) because all I wanted was a brother relationship for once where the brother wasn’t dead or secretly a jerk or hiding things or secretly falling apart or...I just wanted two relatively happy, healthy brothers being brothers!!! Books about brothers who lie and stuff but you love them anyway are valid, but they are not what I want. Not what I thought I was getting, in fact.
Anyway. I do appreciate a YA fantasy(?) with decent prose, a male MC!!! (a gruff, traumatized male MC, even better), and an interesting and likable love interest. I assume she’s the love interest anyhow. Also love that she’s a historian, and how Cas is always like, “How the heck do you know that? Why the heck do you know that?” I get asked that a lot, okay, when I display my enthusiasm for little-known historical stories. Lena is rELaTaBLe. And also a fun character. I ’preciate it.
The things I dislike are relatively minor, though I don’t want to leave the city. And y’all I just wanted happy bros in a story, is that so much to ask for????
Since the library has this, I’ll very likely pick it up again sometime, but right now not what I want.
Anyway. I do appreciate a YA fantasy(?) with decent prose, a male MC!!! (a gruff, traumatized male MC, even better), and an interesting and likable love interest. I assume she’s the love interest anyhow. Also love that she’s a historian, and how Cas is always like, “How the heck do you know that? Why the heck do you know that?” I get asked that a lot, okay, when I display my enthusiasm for little-known historical stories. Lena is rELaTaBLe. And also a fun character. I ’preciate it.
The things I dislike are relatively minor, though I don’t want to leave the city. And y’all I just wanted happy bros in a story, is that so much to ask for????
Since the library has this, I’ll very likely pick it up again sometime, but right now not what I want.
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August 31, 2022
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August 31, 2022
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come to think of it, it's been quite a While since I've read a great brothers story xD Currently, my reading of Phoenix Heart by Sarah KL Wilson has some GREAT found family/bonding vibes, and it's honestly so sweet and strikes so close to home and hearth :)
HOWEVER, since you like and are currently deprived of brother stories, allow me to rec a few of my favorites, if you will, dearest Tomato:
-I forget if you’ve read James Herriot’s “All Creatures Great and Small,” but if you haven’t, the brothers in that, Siegfried and Tristan, are literally my favorite thing.
-You’ve probably read “The Daybreakers” since you like Louis L’Amour but EXCELLENT BROTHER CONTENT, THAT.
-I find the brothers’ relationship, though it’s not a main focus, interesting and touching in “The Perilous Gard.”
-The brothers in “The Unknown Ajax” (Heyer) are...maybe not wholesome, but funny XD
-Also not wholesome but the brother relationship in Sabatini’s “The Sea-Hawk” (forget if you’ve read that one) is really good imo.
...That’s all I can think of for some reason. Possibly none of them will appeal to you, since your updates of late lead me to suspect that /your/ current reading mood is fantasy, but there’s the list if you want it. If I think of more I’ll tell you, because I KNOW there’s some really good brother story I’m missing. There are clearly not enough of those in the world. (Menelaus and Agamemnon kind of count? But kind of not because they’re not great people. XD)
YAS. It's only this year that I've discovered that I read by MOOD ONLY. lol It took me FOREVER to admit it. But I do. I've abandoned so many books because of that ^_^
So Phoenix Heart is bonding between a phoenix and a girl who cannot speak. xD So there. There's no romance as far as I'm reading rn as well, and they're TOO sweet and delightful together for me to NOT mention to you rn since I'm listening to the audios... so... sorrynotsorry?
-I haven't, actually! I NEED TO THOUGH cuz you said Siegfried and Tristan!!
-YAS. The Sacketts series are brilliant. No questions there.
-I STILL need to get my hands on a copy of THE PERILOUS GUARD.
-"not wholesome"? xD xD noted.
-Oh. I have THE SEA HAWK on my shelf but haven't read it. It's under my copy of CAPTAIN BLOOD which I need to reread though.
I love your lists. I'm lit bookmarking this page so it doesn't get lost in the Goodreads blackhole so I shall refer to this once I get into the mood. <3 Thank you so much!
You are correct, milady! I've been in a fantasy-romance-epic-adventure mood for the past um, two years?
The found family thing appeals to me a bit more because of My Life. ;) But hey, there are plenty of blood brothers that don't act like they're family and that annoys me so I love brothers who actually love each other like brothers.
(Um. No. They're not. I agree with you there. xD)
Ha. Yeah, don’t be sorry! I’m glad to know of another lovely book to check out sometime. I’m just very grumpy right now because I want a brother story and no one is giving me one. Humph. XD
Oh but SPEAKING OF LISTS, I randomly stumbled back across the one we made on...I think it was my review of “The Perilous Gard”? Anyway, I’d listed a bunch of my favorite tropes, and you’d listed how many of them showed up in the City Between series...and rereading that list, no WONDER I loved City Between. XD I was also flabbergasted by how UNIQUELY some of those tropes were done in City Between!
Totally get specific tropes being one’s favorite because of One’s Personal Life. Pretty sure that’s why sisters-who-would-die-for-each-other-and-also-would-die-before-admitting-it, and the One Woman Formula, are some of the tropes that get me Every Single Time. Sort of the top tier of favorite tropes, as it were.
It’s very true that a lot of brothers don’t act like they’re family. That really is what’s awesome about good brothers, that they’re different. The world is broken, but not wholly. ;)
Hm. Yes. I know that feeling! I'd just finished thinking about how poorly parents are usually featured/portrayed (usually, they just Don't Exist) in fiction in general. I COMPLETELY understand why: they're usually hindrances to the MC and his/her journey/adventure. But honestly, there NEEDS to be more parents, who are there, training their kids, flawed though they may be - they must be desperately loving. And then when I do get a book that does portrays a father-daughter relationship (like the Serpent/Wings of Night one I just posted about), it's not wholly perfect or ideal but it's raw and real and it's kind of like what I've experienced and I just... give points out for that. (I'm also not really supportive of parents who just ignore or coddle their kids... so...)
Speaking of which, do you have some good books to rec that feature either great parent/s, or at least they're there and there's an Actual Relationship even though it may not be necessarily all Good? I'd love those. And, The Story Sponge is great at nailing some of these for sure. But still love to know if you have anything to rec though!
<3 <3 <3 100% yes and your mentioning this IS MAKING ME SO HAPPY. I'm lit smiling like an idiot over here. :D Oh my goodness, yes. Gingell's twists are Actual Twists and most everything else PALES in comparison for certain. And I think I've already told you how I can't watch/read similar genre/tropes again without thinking about CB, right? xD :insert happy clap:
Oh. YES. Totally. But - I don't recall what the One Woman Formula is...?
I think for me, anything about someone doing something wonderful without wanting to admit it is a Go-To. xD Another similar spin-off is someone thinking about someone else and doing stuff for them without talking about it or admitting it as well. (Ahem, this is featured very, very nicely in LADY OF WEEDS come to think of it.)
Why is Dostoevsky's Brothers Karamazov coming to my mind when I read your last line? Probably because you just summed up that entire story. <3 I spent so long reading it (likely the translation just really bugged me for some reason) but I love it. Dostoevsky is such a Master.
Well, the first thing that comes to mind for good parents is N. D. Wilson. Specifically the 100 Cupboards trilogy: Mordecai and Hyacinth are the BEST parents, though they don’t show up till...book 2, I think? Hyacinth is in general one of my favorite female characters of all time. Uncle Frank and Aunt Dotty are also great parents to their daughters and great adoptive parents to the MC. N. D. Wilson’s parents are always great in one way or another and nearly always important to the story. Even in the Ashtown Burials series (which I feel Iike you might especially like??), although the parents aren’t present, they’re super important in a really cool way imo.
Other good-or-at-least-complex-and-interesting-parent(s):
-Princess Academy
-Spinning Silver
-By These Ten Bones
-the Safe Lands trilogy
-Romanov
-All the Crooked Saints (especially love this one)
-Peter Pan (I think you’ve read this, right? Mrs Darling <3)
-and I was trying to do all fantasy, but I also have to mention the Betsy-Tacy series, especially the books where they’re in high school, because the PARENTS. It is one of my favorite families.
The One Woman formula is like...there’s a group of guys and only one girl, and she’s sort of the heart of things? Not necessarily in a plot way. And she sort of alternates delightfully between being just one of the guys and (an instantaneous change if necessary) A Lady Whom We Must All Protect With Our Lives. Lucy in The Voyage of the Dawn Treader is an example.
Yessss the don’t want to admit what you’ve done/are doing, I love that one.
Dude, I think fate is telling me I need to get around to actually reading The Brothers Karamazov! This is the third time it’s come up recently.
Noted and noted! {When you said Hyacinth, my brain said that I’m already partial to that name ;) you know why – and how much I need to kick myself for not finishing the Webtoons YET and that I need to read ND Wilson now due to those Oh So Wonderful quotes I’ve discovered from him and have even printed them out and put on my desk for writing inspiration. I read that quote about “The world is rated R. …” and every time I do it strikes me anew and how much I agree with it and he puts it so well and THAT’S the reason why I want to write good, solid, and real stories. :)
Thank you so much for the list. I STILL need to snag a used copy of By These Ten Bones (because it looks like it’s not really in print anymore? Like, no new copies but I’m good with it – it’s just that I’ve not really bought much from Thriftstores.com this past year in general.) And most of these I’ve heard of multiple times!
I’ve read King’s Folly by Williamson and was very impressed with the truly epic and multi-layered plots – also have read her Blood of Kings and it was good too – not AS good as King’s Folly - still good.) And I think I’ve seen you talking about the Betsy-Tacy books here via your reading updates!
Yes, I LOVE good/interest/complex parents (or yeah, even parents who are just…. THERE in the story and having an effect on the MCs, you know?). Mrs. Darling is SUCH a darling mother. I don’t think I’ve read Peter Pan (or it just might be too long), but I’ve seen the movie and love her every single time I rewatch it.
Speaking of parents, I just wanted to throw it out there that I love Action Mums, as Gingell puts it. xD Also, I learned of this kdrama series this year about a dad who turns 18 (!) and follows his daughter to her school and yeah… sorta saves the day I guess. Or something along those lines. It’s sounds too fun to ignore – I’m going to try to convince my library to buy the show for me. Dunno if you follow Lemon Duck’s blog but she talked about it in one of her last blog posts. I think it’s called 18 Again (and is kind of a remake? Of the American movie/show. But I just know that the kdrama version is probably better due to the clips I’ve seen thus far are so Golden lol)
All this talk is also bringing up memories of a younger me being bored and so I started planning in my head a series featuring awesome and active parents. And how that morphed into developing the futuristic thriller series I’ve been wanting to write forever about Cas who starts off a rookie at her job and getting trained (which is like a Mission Impossible equivalent :P xD), to her getting older and forming a family, and her as an actual MOM. And then I’d also write a spin off about her kid/s. It’s like the story I’ve always wanted to read/see/watch but have never found one like that. (Plus, we’re talking about lots of world saving and explosions and criminals, no less, on TOP of all of that.) Yeah, it’s my Secret & Most Beloved Passion Project that’s been brewing my head for about ten years now and I NEED to write it before I die.
Oooh got it! That’s cool and I like it! Reading your explanation gave me some similar vibes to the “Flower Garden” trope Gingell talked about. Except that one’s more romance-centered I guess. But it certainly doesn’t HAVE to be. I only glanced/skimmed over the blog you gave me the link to so far, and it looks REALLY good. I need to read it though, still. Lady of Dreams has Ae-jung at the centre of the boys. But it’s just SO INTERESTING because Gingell didn’t focus on her as the heroine, but rather Clovis, who’s more of an observer at the first part of the story…? But then, she’s also NOT merely observing. XD So it’s a bit of a debate as to who’s the actual One Woman, but technically, since Clovis doesn’t really have relations with the writer dude and only her brother Jessamy and the musician Yong-hwa more (um, that’s more due to Yong-hwa’s own reasons, I suppose, and… fates? xD), I think Ae-jung remains the One Woman.
Lucy! I love her. And that story in general. ;) I also liked how the post mentioned Leia from Star Wars. SW is not my fav in general but she’s a great example nonetheless. (Oh, and yes, my Cas I mentioned above also would fit the One Woman Formula… since she works with mostly guys. And, yeah. I think that speaks for itself how much I DO like it as a trope. ;)
The “don’t want to admit what you’ve done/are doing” tend to work SO WELL because you can keep the reader guessing without even doing that much. It builds up mystery and intrigue about the character and WHY they’re doing this or that, or about the facade in general, just on it’s own legs. (Ahem. Ahem. Bruce Wayne. And many masked heroes in general. Oh and don’t forget my very favorite, The Scarlet Pimpernel. <3)
Dude. What are you waiting for? xD It’s brilliant (personally not as much as Crime & Punishment for me but that’s me), but HEY IT’S DOSTOEVSKY. (If you do read it, I would not necessarily rec’d that version that I read :P the Constance Garnett translation might be better to get through despite any translation accuracy questions?? This is solely off of my personal taste though. But thinking about the version I own and read is giving me… bad/sad vibes. :P It took me neigh six months to a year to finish that one.)
2. Honestly can’t wait to hear about what you think concerning her tropes videos!
3. So. Rebecca my friend. YASSS. But I’ll have you know that it’s safe to say that I shall NEVER emerge from my epic fantasy reading mood. xD Most of my reads tend to be fantasy. Despite how often I’ve told myself I NEED to read more thrillers or scifi for book reasearch purposes (obviously, due to above), it just… hasn’t happened yet. So, yeah. I won’t read LotR without you, my friend. <33 Thanks for reminding me anyway though! It fills my heart with warmth that you recalled my request. My goal before the end of this year is to finish Frederica with you first. Hmph. I need to FINISH it.
Wilson has some great quotes! I still need to read Notes from the Tilt-a-Whirl, which I’m pretty sure that one is from. I also love the one about how Columbus was the first to discover America because Vikings don’t count and neither do the people who were standing on the shores waving when they got there, and Niffy’s speech about love and courage from Empire of Bones.
Ooh, I haven’t read any of Jill Williamson besides the Safe Lands books and Replication, but I’m a huge fan of how she writes about people and sin and grace. It’s just very…unpretentiously good.
I don’t remember what Mrs Darling is like in the movie! She’s probably good though. I love her mind like a puzzling box from the East and her mouth with a single kiss on it, just out of reach, and her love for her children! Peter Pan is in general an amazing book and the writing style gives me LIFE.
I remember her talking about Action Mums! (I’ve watched the tropes videos now) I honestly can’t think of a single story I’ve read that has them, but I think the idea is fabulous.
That series idea sounds AMAZING, CC!!!!! You MUST write it, and I will read it, and it will be my first real experience with the Action Mum trope, and I will be your first and most devoted fangirl. PLEASE write this. XD
Interesting! I think the One Woman Formula is much easier to define in a situation that’s not just daily life, like the Flower Garden trope. I for sure think that it doesn’t apply so much when romance is the main thrust—romance as a side thread, sure, but it seems different than the Flower Garden to me in that regard? Also it seems like almost all the guys in Lady of Dreams interact significantly with more than one female character (Clovis and Ae-jung for Jessamy and Yong-hwa, Seri and Ae-jung for the writer whose name I can’t remember, and Clovis and Seri for Carlin), and Clovis’s hostess lady whose name I also can’t remember (even though I loved her!) is a significant character too. So…I guess I think the One Woman Formula just doesn’t quite apply? I dunno. I appreciate the love octagon in that book a LOT and even more so after hearing Gingell talk about her issues with the Flower Garden thing.
Ooh, you’re so right it works super well with the masked hero. (ZORRO.) even though it’s different because the masked hero /can’t/ and in the purest version of the trope the hero /won’t/ and it’s a different dynamic, a bit…but both are delicious.
I am reading The Brothers Karamazov as we speak!! Thanks for the prodding, lol. I have the Constance Garnett translation, so yeah, hopefully I’m all set!
Haha, I don’t think I’ve seen that quote yet about Columbus lol. I’m sure you’d be on the top of my list of people to bookrant to once I get around to reading his books!
It’s funny that I’ve read Williamson’s fantasy books but not her sci-fi xD. But hey, I ordered a Thirst ARC due to a killer sale from her last week so can’t wait to get my copy. :D Oooh you said it SO accurately! She IS good about that and I greatly appreciate it.
I’m talking about the 2003 Peter Pan movie. :) It has the most wonderful cast and action and characters and visuals and I’m not entirely certain if it’s 100% to the book but it feels so RIGHT. Those are such wonderful traits for a mother! Oh is that so?? I should read it at some point, I know. But now that you’re talking about the writing style I know I must.
Niice! Yeah, I’m afraid mums in general are NOT featured much in stories. :( :( (I think this is a bit of a subpoint to our previous discussion about older female heroines, right??) Come to think of it, I haven’t, either. Gingell gave me some kdrama recs that explored this trope and I’ve added them to my to be watched list so I can learn more about it (and I’m also telling myself it’s for my “book research”).
Aww I feel SO honored and blessed by your enthusiasm, Rebecca!! You’re one of the Privileged Few who knows about this Project ‘o mine, and for sure I’d be letting you know about it once I get some writing done for it. (Last time I checked it was supposed to be like 10 books, and not counting the spin off regarding some of the side characters and second gen. xD And being the perfectionist I am/try to be, I can be the first to tell you it’s a special torment to worry about not being able to plan things out correctly and perfectly and sometimes when I obsesses about that I simply want to dump all of my perfectionist tendencies and simply write whatever I have and have other people – aka readers, like you – let me know all the plot holes and issues.)
Oh! You’re so right! All of the relationships among each of the characters in Lady of Dreams are so different and complex it was HARD for me to comprehend and analyze. TBH, I was somewhat overwhelmed by how well Gingell does it. But, true, it doesn’t QUITE apply. I think I was simply scouring around my brain for something I’ve read in the past year that had this trope lol
Does Pet count as the One Woman Formula, though?
ZORRO. YAS. Again, you’re correct. A different spin, for sure. And I love both as well.
Sounds wonderful! Lol you’re welcome. XD <3 My best wishes on getting through it!
Ooohh didn’t know there was a live action Peter Pan I don’t think?! Fascinating. *Spock voice* Also girl yes, if you like unique (good) prose, READ PETER PAN.
(Definitely!!) Yes, there just need to be more moms. And watching k-dramas totally counts as book research!!! XD
ACK. <3 Well. Let me be the first to advise forgetting about perfection and just WRITING IT so I can READ IT. XD <3
Pet ABSOLUTELY counts as the One Woman…especially in the first half, but honestly the whole way through imo. I love how it’s done and I’ve actually been wanting to write a blog post about it.
Thanks, pal! ;)
Yes - one of the more interesting mysteries of life... xD
(For a sci-fi person, I actually have not read a TON from the genre. But I do watch quite a few films from it, so... yeah. Just full disclosure.)
I'd love to know what you think of it (even just go and watch some clips rn!). ;) Again - noted!
100%! They've got some of the best woven plotlines and characters (and characterizations) and backstories. Honestly, I applause.
IKR I need to get to writing those stories...
Oooh a post about it would be so lovely! You really should. I've been too far behind on reading blog posts, but I've been keeping an eye out on yours (and hey, when I do click "Like Post" that means I HAVE skimmed it for later reference/proper reading).
You're very welcome!
I’ve never watched a k-drama but I rather want to at some point. Or…maybe some of the historical c-dramas I remember Becky (the Smol Moth) used to talk about. Those always looked fun to me. I just never have time to watch things, it seems like. It’s sort of like…I can either watch the stuff I wanna watch, or I can actually write my stories. When time is finite and sleep a necessary occurrence, one must make unfortunate choices.
Seriously, please tell me when you start writing them. I’d even love to be a send-it-to-me-as-you-finish-a-chapter type of reader, depending of course on if that’s helpful or harmful for your writing process. :)
I would like to! I did just write a City Between post (sort of), but not that one. Lol. It’ll happen. I feel you! I’m behind on comments and probably won’t catch up honestly. :P
I really enjoyed this last year though. xD Probably because I didn't really HAVE that expectations about the brothers...? How far did you get?