The Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard
It only just occurred to me recently that this book should be on my ‘did not finish’ shelf on my reading apps. I was always very stubborn and would never start a book without finishing it, but I literally did that with Red Queen multiple times. So basically I’ve been in denial for years.
Unfortunately, I just could not get into this, but I don’t know why. Maybe it’s the writing or it just isn’t the book for me. I kept saying to myself that I’d give it another go and I still haven’t so it’s officially DNF’d. I’ve even given away my physcial copies at this point, so I don’t think I’m ever going to pick this up.
There is a part of me that wants to read this book purely because of the plagiarism case with Powerless right now. I can’t comment on that too much as I haven’t read either book, but apparently it’s very obvious from what I’ve seen online – do correct me if I’m wring though.
Synopsis: This is a world divided by blood—red or silver. The Reds are commoners, ruled by a Silver elite in possession of god-like superpowers. And to Mare Barrow, a seventeen-year-old Red girl from the poverty-stricken Stilts, it seems like nothing will ever change. That is until she finds herself working in the Silver Palace. Here, surrounded by the people she hates the most, Mare discovers that, despite her red blood, she possesses a deadly power of her own. One that threatens to destroy the balance of power. Fearful of Mare’s potential, the Silvers hide her in plain view, declaring her a long-lost Silver princess, now engaged to a Silver prince. Despite knowing that one misstep would mean her death, Mare works silently to help the Red Guard, a militant resistance group, and bring down the Silver regime. But this is a world of betrayal and lies, and Mare has entered a dangerous dance—Reds against Silvers, prince against prince, and Mare against her own heart.
Saint Death’s Daughter by CSE Cooney
This was my first official ‘did not finish’ and oh boy it was a struggle. I used to force myself to finish every single book, but after trying this I realised that is a stupid thing to do. Who actually has the time to spend reading books they’re not enjoying? I definitely don’t.
My biggest issue with this book was what was clearly trying to be a complex plot paired with pretty juvenile writing. The characters also had ridiculous names. Now I’m no stranger to fantasy, I know authors like to get a silly with the names, but one character was called Abandon Hope and that got confusing/annoying very quickly.
Synopsis: Lanie Stones, the daughter of the Royal Assassin and Chief Executioner of Liriat, has never led a normal life. Born with a gift for necromancy and a literal allergy to violence, she was raised in isolation in the family’s crumbling mansion by her oldest friend, the ancient revenant Goody Graves.
When her parents are murdered, it falls on Lanie and her cheerfully psychotic sister Nita to settle their extensive debts or lose their ancestral home—and Goody with it. Appeals to Liriat’s ruler to protect them fall on indifferent ears… until she, too, is murdered, throwing the nation’s future into doubt.
Hunted by Liriat’s enemies, hounded by her family’s creditors and terrorised by the ghost of her great-grandfather, Lanie will need more than luck to get through the next few months—but when the goddess of Death is on your side, anything is possible.
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I really struggle to DNF, I have 1 or 2 I’m part through as I fell out of love but hoping I can come back too. Only 2 I simply could not finish but I do need to get better at moving on!
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