I Thought Rhun Was The Love Interest. I Was Very Confused

Having a hard time getting into new book after fourth wing and acotar.

I’m currently reading the bridge kingdom and so far it’s good (I’m about halfway through), but I keep getting distracted. Not feeling like I have to know what happens next.

Tried started four different book before landing on this one. Hopefully this feeling will go away soon. It happens after books I’ve been particularly invested in.

Life’s been a little rough lately and I wanted a comfort read, but also to crochet so I thought, I’ll get the audio book. The book in question being Red, white and royal blue. Listened to the preview and my god that is the worst choice of narrator I’ve heard in a while.

The dude sounded like he was bored out of his mind and way too old. I was expecting someone to sound like they were Alex’s age, but no, some middle aged sounding dude is what we got?

I was so disappointed, like I couldn’t even sit through the dull preview because the voice annoyed me so much.

Fourth Wing - Graphic audio|I have some.. thoughts

So I’ve been listening to Fourth Wing and will do Iron Flame too in preparation for the Onyx Storm release next week and I chose the graphic audio version since it sounded like a cool concept and I also didn’t vibe with the narrator of the normal audiobook from the sample.

Overall I’m really enjoying it, but there are some things that definitely takes me right out of the story every now and then

- Xaden’s voice actor is not great. He has moments where lines are delivered very well, but mostly he sounds kinda obnoxious and flat. Like he said “I’m on my way” or something to that effect in which the narrator says he had an edge of panic in his voice right after and he definitely did not. Like he had no emotional inflection in his voice at all and this tends to happen often.

Xaden is supposed to be cocky and arrogant, yes, but he’s also charismatic and confident and the voice actor doesn’t really pull that off. Like I said he just aounds obnoxious a lot of the time, like one of those trustfund baby stereotypes… makes me cringe a lot. He does have some moments here and there that he really delivers a line well though, so it’s not all bad

- The excessive moaning when they’re just kissing. And Violet low key sounding like she’s being tortured when they’re doing the deed.

I was so taken aback when I got to their first kiss because the moaning was just too much. The second the kiss started they sounded like they were about to finish if you know what I mean… it just was so weird to me.

And their first time, as mentioned Violet mostly just sounded like she was in pain. She did have some parts that sounded like she was enjoying herself, but mostly it sounded like a torture scene and that made things very weird for me

- Lastly, Tairn. I’m disappointed in his voice. I wish it was grittier, like a bit more like the voice actor for Professor Kaori (don’t remember if that’s the correct spelling), but at least he delivers his lines pretty well. Like my only issue is the sound of the voice, not the voice acting itself.

All this being said, I still am enjoying it a lot (I’m almost at the end now) and I will be doing the graphic audio version of Iron Flame too.

Have you listened to the graphic audio version? What did you think about it?

Every writer is different. Every writer creates as they wish. If everyone wrote the same way or made the same artistic choices, then we would have nothing but copy paste stories that don't shine with the vibrant colors of their authors.

What I'm trying to say is that trying to police a writer into adhering to some standard you have set in your head is like trying to stop the flow of coursing water.

It goes where it wants to go and water will erode any stone or metal, even if it takes a long time.

Writing is as much an art as painting and music and all the other art forms in which we so openly accept innovation.

Let writers create the way they feel is best. If their style does not appeal to you, move on. Find someone whose style does and pay them the compliment of your kind words instead of lashing out to those who don't fit your mold.

Every time Violet says full disclosure I get so angry😂

I’m in the trenches with sick kiddos. We’re going on two weeks and it turned out they have strep throat. Not been able to read too much cause I’ve been in caretaker mode, but they’re on antibiotics now so fingers crossed for a speedy recovery now!

Seen a bunch of this recently where people complain about the amount of romance in the empyrean series (fourth wing) and I’m like… it’s a romance fantasy?

Like it’s marketed as romantasy is it not? Idk. I just always got the impression that it’s a romance book in a fantasy setting even before I read it, so I was going in expecting all the romance🤷🏻‍♀️

Ridoc is precious and must be protected at all costs!🥺❤️

Anyone else feel so hard for Ridoc when he felt the need to mention twice that just because he's the "funny friend" it doesn't make him any less capable for standing for the squad and also doesn't make him any less smart?

It actually absolutely broke me both the times he mentioned it

So I just finished Heat of the Everflame…. Wtf? Just happened?😂 I’m so confused by the ending. Like where was the loophole? I can’t wait for the next book!

Book Rec - The Renegades Series by Cara Dee

The renegade series by Cara Dee

I just read through the whole series in like three days. I couldn’t put them down. Cara has a way of making me care deeply about her characters. They’re become so real to me.

If you love a good steamy M/M romance with a good dose of action on the side, this series is for you.

All the feels. All the excitement. All the love.

I’m obsesses with her BDSM series which was how I was introduced to her writing and I’m now branching out to her other books. I want to read them all. Everything I’ve read from her so far has been great.

Have you read this series yet?

Have you read other books from Cara Dee? If you have which is your favorite?