Ever the Brave

Hello,

It's me, I was wondering if after all these years you'd like to meet. To go over this book I finished. You liked that transition? I know it sucked. I'm sooooorry.

I finished Ever the Brave, the end of Britta and Cohen's story but not the end of the series. Actually, I'm kind of confused about that, but it's fine. In this book, Britta literally just wants to live by herself in her father's cottage. Unfortunately, the king has other ideas. Britta saved King Aodren from the mysterious Spiriter's influence and is now intent on making her a noblewoman. He also has an unwanted crush. Cohen is out here just being a pain. I forget what he does at the beginning of the book, only that it's annoying. There are also people out there who want to influence Britta to the dark side. Can she resist the temptation? Will she get the quiet forest life she craves? (Spoiler alert: the answer to that last question is no.)


I have to say, I'm a little peeved. In the evidence to the right, Erin CLEARLY says there's a character set up to be some sort of gay. And so, I read this book. Searching, searching. Where's the gay? Where are they? I was so sure it was Leif, because he was blushy around the king, but then he hooks up with Gillian at the end. Aodren likes Britta and shows no bisexual tendencies. Everyone else is tragically straight. So I'm still left unfulfilled. Where. Is. The. Gay? They don't exist. It could possibly be Lirra, but she was too busy being rude and grating on my nerves to show any gayness. Also, she was checking Cohen out in the first one. Not that she could not be bisexual too, but she doesn't show a liking for girls. I've been jebaited and I don't appreciate it. Also, a bunch of annoying female characters were added to this book that I also don't appreciate. Maybe I wasn't reading as I should have, but I thought Gillian from the end was the matronly healer woman. Then it turns out she's a maid? And an annoying tit of a woman. She's the human equivalent of a little yappy dog. She never shuts up or stops nagging. And apparently, Britta's okay with that? Like, Britta's personality does not fit her, and no matter how long they've been living together, I can't see her adjusting to her at all. But Erin makes her. Then there's Lirra, who's just ornery and rubs me the wrong way and ugh. I don't like her at all. Like, go home.

Plots kind of wild. It pales in comparison to the character issues I have, so I guess it's fine. All those other English elements that my professor feels he has to teach me about because I don't remember them from third grade are a thing. I don't are about them though.

If you couldn't tell, characters mean a lot to me. They play a big part in whether or not I like the book. I don't really like the new characters in this book. They annoy me to no end. Can't say I vibe with them. I'll still read the last one though. Gotta do it for the fans.

Ship: :/
Snakes: Jamis, Phelia, Lirra, half of Malam tbh
Babe: Finn (needs protection), Leif

6/10
~Book Panda

Ever the Hunted

Hey Tim,

It's Dew. What's up with you man? Haven't seen you in ages. Hope you're doing well. Call me back so I know you're not dead. Ha. That's a reference to a video game. I don't know what video game, only that they played it on Late Night With Cry and Russ on Twitch. A lovely group of gentlemen, if I do say so myself. Also, I have a paper to write, but I have no clue what it's about so. . . books.

I finished Ever the Hunted by Erin Summerill this morning. It's about a girl named Britta Flannery searching for justice for her father. Circumstances of her birth have made her an outcast to society and the only people she cared about left. Cohen, her friend and father's apprentice, broke her heart when he left after promising to come back. He never did. Her father was murdered two months ago. A brush with the law gives her the chance to find the killer, except the killer is Cohen. Oh, what will happen next?

I liked this book. Britta is both dry and awkward and just wants stability and to be loved. It's a little too real. Of course, I had a few issues. Cohen for example. His whole character irked me. With his track record, you'd think he'd listen to someone? Especially when that someone is clearly better than you. But you don't, because you're dumb. And then he's just. . . ugh. I have so many feelings, but I started reading the next book before I started writing this and I'm listening to Gladys Knight slay my whole life and so I can't focus. I do think it's rude that Erin would give my girl Britta someone and then snatch them away. That's rude and ungrateful. Also, someone on Goodreads asked if there were any LGBTQ characters and/or themes in this book and Erin said a character was set up to be so. So. I was trying to identify the gay the whole time. My guess is that it's either the king or Leif. Oh! I kind of wanted Leif and Britta to be together. I thought it would be good. He's kind of complicit, but I think he's cute. Or maybe Jacinda? She could be gay. Hm. I have things to think about. Now nostalgia is about to take me away, so let me sign off.

I liked this book. Captain Omar is going to be the death of me, but alas, it must be so. If you like magic, woods living, and whodunit's go read this book. Kay bye. I can't live, can't breathe without air.

Ship: Britta and Leif tbh

Snake: Tomas, Omar

Cool: Enat, Jacinda

7/10

~Book Panda

Freedom's Slave

Hey what's up you guys?

Yes. So, I finished the book yesterday, but I was very tired, so ya girl just went to bed. In other news, I finished the awful piece of writing I was doing for the magazine I'm working on. It's a fairy tale and it didn't work out how I thought it would. But it's fiiiiiine. Dion's gonna be like, OMG it's so good. And I'm going to be like, thanks, but like the kid who got an avocado for Christmas did. But it's fine.

Freedom's Slave is the final book in the trilogy. So, Nalia and Zarani are helping a whole entire army get through the Eye, a dead space that connects the human world and Arjinna. No one has passed through this way since a long distant ancestor or Nalia's. This one is like, the war is coming to a head. Raif has to try and lead the tavrai while his world is falling apart. There's a resistance of Ifrits that are also working to usurp Calar, and then there's Nalia who's just traipsing around the Eye because the gods are both rude and ungrateful.

This was a good book, but I have a lot of beef with Heather. Starting with Kesmir and Tazlim. Why did she feel the need to create the whole lovely ship, a beautiful ship, made me fall in love with them, and then smash it against a cliff face? Like, what the hell, Heather. And what game is she playing with Raif, the loml? Like, why did she feel the need to almost kill Nalia like seven times so he can break more and more? That's cruel. And. . . I had another grievance. . . OH! Shirin? No. She was literally there just to be a pain in the ass. Raif was never yours, he was never going to be with you, it was never meant to be. Let it go, sis. And she had this

Shirin with Yurik or whatever

wonderful heterochromia-ed male that just wanted to love her forever and she was like, you know, I kind of feel things for him, but I'm going to suppress that. Then with Raif she was like, please destroy my entire self-esteem, thanks. Like, sis. No. ALSO. Why did she get a happy ship when she tried to kill him, but KES AND TAZ DIDN'T?? What world do you live in? God. Get with the program. And the whole "slave to the land" crap? Do not vibe. I understand what you were trying to do, with the whole servant leader thing, but no. Nobody should be a slave to anyone or anything. I call bs.

This is all I can remember from my rant last night. Thanks for coming to my TedTalk,

Ship: Kesmir and Tazlim, Nalia and Raif, Zanari and Phara

Snake: Shirin, Calar, jinn gods

Like: Aisha, Yurik, Touman

8/10
Series: 8/10
~Book Panda

Blood Passage

Hello,

I finished a book in a reasonable time for the first time since January. How are you? I four books on hold at the library and I can't get them until tomorrow, because my anxiety won't let me get on a bus today. Plus I have a meeting. And I have to write three papers. Yay! To the book.

I finished Blood Passage, the second book in the Dark Caravan Cycle series, this morning. In this book, Nalia is physically free but she's still wish-bound to pos Malek to take him to Solomon's ring or whatever. This is a big problem, because we hate Malek and because she made an oath with Raif, the love of both of our lives, to also take him to the ring. This must go on while the Ifrit are still after Nalia, who poses a threat to the empress because she's alive. Unfortunately, we have to read in Malek's point of view as well as everyone else. His past catches up with him and now he feels things. No one feels bad for him except Nalia, and she has no control over that.

This book, once again, slapped. Slapped is a good thing, for my non-American reader(s). Nalia is a victim of life and no one can tell me any different. I just want her to have good things, and by good things, I mean Raif. I wanted her to tell him about his friend as soon as possible so they could get back together as soon as possible. Completely forgot about that one thing, the spoiler thing. That messed me up. Malek was being annoying the whole time and I wanted him to leave. He has no positive traits, not one. I think it's so crazy that he thinks that someone who he unapologetically enslaved and tortured would love him. Like, hello? What world do you live in? Raif can have the moon and the stars. I love him. He does no wrong, none at all. Well, like one wrong, but he got over that relatively quickly so it's fine. Zanari is cool, but she's pretty stubborn. I kind of wanted to shake her a little bit, she also eventually got over that. She also got a present, so that's good.

So I just finished eating lunch, and I guess eating has left me unable to make "intelligent" thoughts and statements. Just know, the book is good. Go read it. Also, unrelated, but it's supposed to be spring, and yet it's a high of 48 degrees Fareheneheit today? Like, who did this and who's going to fix it? Sorry, weather talk is boring. I have a headache. Bye.

Ship: Nalia and Raif, Phara and Zanari
Snake: Malek

8/10
~Book Panda

Exquisite Captive

Hi,

It's me, finally recovered after two days. That last post? It was a mess. This? This will be great. Tea will be spilled, then cleaned up because I'm at my house. We can't have my parents yelling at me, can we? And now, here's the tea. I reread a book I read in the 10th grade.

It's called Exquisite Captive by Heather Demetrios and it's about genies, or jinn as they are called in this book. Nalia is the royalty in the jinn world but on Earth, she's a victim of the Dark Caravan. She's been a slave to one of the most powerful men in the world, Malek. She's hidden her caste for this long, but the leader of the revolutionary over in Arjinna seeks her out, asking for her help. Then Malek, the dirty pig, is treating her as something more than a slave. Lot's of issues, but Nalia will do whatever she can to get back to her brother, even sell out the entire jinn race.

So. I have feelings. First of all, I don't understand why this book only has 3.8 stars out of five on Goodreads? Like, it's so good? I didn't read the reviews, because I try not to do that, but I'm truly confused. The dynamic between Nalia and Malek? I hate it. It's the worst thing, but it's understandable. It's clear that Nalia is a victim of Stockholm syndrome and an abusive relationship. She just wants love, leave her alone. Raif? The love of my life. He is a babe, and I love him. I normally have an issue about people falling in love too fast [insert rant about that free Kindle book I read Friday here], but they aren't people. They're jinn. And they're clearly soulmates. They can fall in love however fast they want to. Malek can eat rocks, as can Haran. Haran is an insane jinni that road the team too much bus, but it's fine. Everything's fine.

I liked that enough time passed that it was almost like reading an entirely new book, I'd call this a successful reread, and I encourage you to go to your nearest American bookstore and see if you can find it. I like it a lot. Unfortunately, I won't have Blood Passage until tomorrow evening, because I only brought Exquisite Captive home with me. AND THEN I won't be able to read it until Monday, because I have homework to do tomorrow night, because my professors are rude and ungrateful. But it's FINE. I LOVE  school. College is great.

Ship: Nalia and Raif
Snake: Malek, Haran, Jordif
S'friend: Zarani, Leilan

8/10
~Book Panda

Rook

me rn

Hi, it's me,

Exhausted. Instead of having a BREAK for my spring break, I went to D.C. and Columbus, OH to advocate for a university I don't like. But. I finished a book somehow in all the zero free time I had. So, let's get started.

I finished Rook today, by Sharon Cameron. It's basically about a girl, Sophia, who moonlights as a character she created called the Red Rook and saves people from being wrongfully imprisoned and executed. As a normal girl of the Commonwealth, she is engaged to this pompous idiot. Of course, in this dystopian western Europe, no one is as they seem. Wow. I explained something correctly.

Anyway, this book starts in a very confusing way, especially when that person is an introvert in an airport and trying to drown at the voices and presence of the people around her. But, it's pretty good. Sophia kind of sways from strong to not a little erratically, but that also may be because I was out of it most of the time I was reading this book. I never liked Spear. He was always too much and I wanted him out of here. Dad Bellamy needs to get his crap together. Maman Hassard can also leave the area. René is a babe, and no one can tell me any different. Anyone who can be pompous and basically a pirate is my favorite. Though, he's not really a pirate. . . you know what? It's fine. Everything's fine. This book is very interesting. You should go read it and find all the interest. Bye, I need to stare at a wall for three hours and blast Kehlani and Ariana and Waves by Normani on repeat for a good thirty minutes.

Ship: Sophia and René, Jennifer and Tom
Snake: LeBlanc, people who also change later

7/10
~Book Porter

All the Wandering Light

Hi, it's me,

I gotta travel tomorrow and I still need to do things like shave my legs and do a whole assignment, so. I have to make this quick.

This book was all right. Lusha being a bit of a main in this book was a minus for me. I hate her. She has no redeeming qualities. I feel like I was supposed to feel bad because all these people depend on her and stuff, but I don't. I just feel animosity towards her at all times. There has not been one second where I felt one drop of pity or sympathy towards her. She deserves Elin, who's also a dick. They deserve each other. I still ship Tem and Kamzin more than River and Kamzin, but whatever. I'm okay with this ship, despite it never really being a thing. All they did was kiss a few times.

Overall, I wasn't really impressed with this series. It was all right. It wouldn't make me jump to read this author's other books, but I think it was also her debut. People on Goodreads gave it a 4.1 out of 5 stars, so take my opinion with a grain of salt. I'm just a single person with a silly opinion. Go read it, if you wanna. Or don't. I don't control you.

Okay, I gotta go shave my legs now. Bye!

5.5/10
Series: 6/10
~Book Panda