Top 5 Wednesday: Most Disappointing reads for 2018
Hello readers!
Today's top 5 Wednesday topic is my most disappointing reads for 2018.
I've already done a recap of best and worst for 2018 that you can read here, however there were still some disappointing books outside of that list for the year. Not all of these books were just overall terrible, some of them I had expectations that weren't met, which is normal with reading.
- City of Bones by Cassandra Clare: I included this as an un-honorable mention for my 2018 wrap up, and most of it was based on my own disappointment. Everyone I know has read these books and almost all of them loved them. So fast forward to me reading through City of Bones and getting to the ending. Utterly confused thanks to the last... 100 pages? I like a plot twist, and from my understanding the weird sibling love match between Clary and Jace is sorted later in the series. However I closed that book with my first and only reaction being "What?"
- A Court of Frost & Starlight by Sarah J. Maas: This book was a disappointment for a few people, and I think it's 100% because of the hype they built up in their head for what they wanted vs. what they got. I think the book delivered what was promised, a novella set in Velaris to bridge the ACOTAR series with the continuation series. However, I was really looking forward to seeing more growth from Elaine and Nesta in a recovery aspect. Part of me really liked the route that Nesta's character went, just because the story added a variety of how to cope with the aftermath of war, but her nastiness towards Cassain is what really upset me. Elaine felt like a left over character in the novella despite the build up from ACOWAR with the love triangle between Lucien and Azriel. I'm hoping their recovery and characters are just taking a longer time than not addressing any of their plot-lines at all. Rhysand's interaction with Tamlin was also slightly disappointing, not because I want to defend Tamlin but I just had more respect for Rhysand than to kick a man down.
- One Dark Throne by Kendare Blake: Three Dark Crowns was a whirlwind of characters and plots and I was really hoping to get some clarity and work on some closure in One Dark Throne but man, that just swung so many new doors open. The main reason I feel disappointed with book two was just because I needed some more definition around the sisters and their roles. Mirabella now feels like an extra character since leaving the island. As I've mentioned before, Arsinoe and Katherine feel like good guy vs. bad guy which is an interesting dynamic, especially considering we still don't have a clear answer to what Katherine's power is. I have high hopes for book 3, which I hope to get to eventually, but the way the story is written it takes me a while to get through each book.
- War Storm by Victoria Aveyard: Maven was one of my favorite villains in this series. His demented hold on Mare really made books 2 and 3 interesting and readable for me, and part of the reason I kind of shipped the two. So when Maven gets beat by his wife and reduced to chains, I was over it. Then it was my sole torch for Evangeline that pushed me through the series, thank you for giving her a peaceful ending. I ended up actually liking Cal in War Storm, specifically because he was reunited with his Uncle and I had just read Cruel Crown with his mother's POV and my heart melted a little bit for this exiled King. Overall, after book 1 it was a steady downhill slope for me and nothing about War Storm restored my interest for the series.
- The Name of The Wind by Patrick Rothfuss: I want to start off by saying I really liked this book. I've heard great things from a few people who's opinions I trust on books. However, I expected a lot more of it as well, especially for the size. There was a lot of what I would consider, filler scenes and chapters, and I would have appreciated more action. I haven't read the second book, but I'm hoping the slower pace of Name of the Wind leads us into an epic series.
That is my list for today guys. Let me know your disappointing reads below, from last year or even what you've already finished for 2019.
Back when I first read City of Bones, it took me forever to get through. The second I put down for a while before picking it back up again. I didn't love it either, but it was entertaining enough. It wasn't until book three that I truly fell in love. Hot take, but The Infernal Devices and The Dark Artifices are vastly superior series. You could easily read those without reading The Mortal Instruments.
ReplyDeleteSPOLERS AHEAD:
Also, when I first read them, I had a box set of the first four books. I read the summary on the back of City of Ashes that called Jace Clary's "infuriating new boyfriend" and then the summary on the back of City of Fallen Angels that said Clary could "finally call Jace her boyfriend" and I was like EXCUSE ME?!?! I texted my sister who had read the books and she told me they weren't really related so I already knew when I read the series. Made it a lot more bearable.
SPOILER:
DeleteGoing into City of Bones I was aware that Clary and Jace were an item, but I had no idea that there was a part of the story that pinned them as siblings. Having known that little bit of information made the fact that Jace and Clary were brother and sister super weird and extremely unnecessary.
Your experience makes me feel better about how I disliked City of Bones and despite that fact I'm going to try to finish the series this year.