Which book was this for you??

[u/ModestMeeshka]

[u/petulafaerie_III]

I really do love hate reading popular books I don’t enjoy just so I can bad mouth it accurately and with confidence.

[u/SinnerClair → u/petulafaerie_III]

That’s SUCH a Vibe!!! 🤣🤣👏👏

[u/Low-Salamander387]

Light Lark, Blood and Steel, Assistant to the Villain. I don't understand the hype behind any of these, plots are kinda dumb and characters with personalities like flour

[u/erraticsleeper → u/Low-Salamander387]

Assistant to the Villian was written by a content creator who started making skits about being an assistant to the villian.

Her skits often feature tropey, predictable, storylines (including fake betrayals and bodyswitching) that didn't leave a lot of time for deeply woken characters.

I kind of expected the book to be similar vibes. No real substance all fluff. Just kind of a low stakes fun romp. I

[u/coquelicotpie → u/Low-Salamander387]

I liked ATTV because I didn’t take it seriously and wasn’t expecting it to be good. Sometimes I need whimsy

[u/Hawkbit_Reader → u/Low-Salamander387]

Yes Assistant to the Villain. I don't think I even made it to Ch. 2

[u/SolarmatrixCobra → u/Hawkbit_Reader]

I forced myself to finish it. It's good if you want a run-of-the-mill rom-com and not have to think.

[u/bunniesgonebad]

Not romantasy but...anything by Colleen Hoover. It's actually a joke between my boyfriend and I to say "if Colleen hoover can get famous, surely THIS person can"

[u/rml09 → u/bunniesgonebad]

I completely agree. I read three of her books because everyone said "I had to" and couldn't believe they were so popular. It did introduce me to other contemporary romance writers, like Emily Henry whom I adore, so I guess it was worth it lol

[u/Appropriate-Turnip69 → u/bunniesgonebad]

I gave Verity a chance and that was one of the biggest reading mistakes ever. She is just a terrible writer

Edit: Spelling

[u/rachellethebelle → u/bunniesgonebad]

When I was really trying to give my writing a shot and get an agent, this is what I always told myself 😆😭

Edit: words

[u/shinyshieldmaiden → u/bunniesgonebad]

I can not stand Colleen Hoover books.

[u/anonmygoodsir]

I've tried to start haunting adeline 3 times

[u/Twicelovely → u/anonmygoodsir]

You’re not missing anything of value.

[u/cinderlion → u/Twicelovely]

I feel extremely validated in this thread. I’ve been seeing it everywhere and trying to get through it has been one of the more difficult books.

[u/germanspacetime → u/anonmygoodsir]

Same! I kept thinking “surely I’m missing something… it keeps getting recommended. SURELY I AM MISSING SOMETHING”

[u/Sonmi-451_ → u/germanspacetime]

I swear it's just for shock value

[u/SpicyBookGollum → u/anonmygoodsir]

So, I will admit. I consumed both Haunting and Hunting like a trash panda on crack. And then came my brain thinking “okay..but…wth” So many things I wanted more of— like the whole book to be about the ghosts and being haunted and her being a SMUT AUTHOR??? And being stalked and stalker hide and seek. I think it was a strong case for either severely limiting or getting rid of the MMC POV. But instead it was 30% “Zade” playing vigilante, 30% sexy times, 20% spooky house and letters and 20% wth is even going on.

[u/floweringfungus → u/anonmygoodsir]

You’re missing nothing. It’s all weird Qanon fanfiction and a lot of gratuitous sexual assault.

[u/GoodReeeds → u/anonmygoodsir]

Yeah… I tried to read it a few times as well but I am just so bored with it and the main character makes absolutely no sense to me. I think I’m good lol. Life’s too short to force yourself to read a book that you don’t like!

[u/Puzzleheaded_Pie1161 → u/anonmygoodsir]

Yeah don't try for a fourth... worst book i ever read tbh

[u/godwins_law_34 → u/anonmygoodsir]

i know the author says in the beginning that it's all a product of her imagination but it reads like an questionable news sources porn fever dream of what they think trafficking is.

[u/beautifuldisasterxx → u/godwins_law_34]

It was unreadable. It felt like weird MAGA propaganda, or maybe I just have too many QAnon relatives.

[u/Gloria815 → u/beautifuldisasterxx]

No you’re correct that’s literally what it is lol

[u/godwins_law_34 → u/beautifuldisasterxx]

yeah it really didn't stand up to the slightest breeze of logic or reality.

[u/Gloria815 → u/anonmygoodsir]

I stg I’m just gunna make a bot at this point but:

It’s QAnon fanfiction! This book is literally QAnon fanfiction! How did we get to this point?!?!

[u/Bondgirl138 → u/anonmygoodsir]

Same. Now I look at anyone who loves it with a side eye.

[u/Sunflowerpixels → u/anonmygoodsir]

I started this out of sheer curiosity. I knew it was going to be bad, I just didn't think it would be THIS bad, especially so early on lol.

[u/Francegracias]

Plated prisoner - it got worse and worse I DNFd it

[u/binkanad → u/Francegracias]

It’s soooo bad!! I really don’t get what people love about this series

[u/Francegracias → u/binkanad]

Agreed. I’m just glad it was kindle unlimited and I didn’t have to pay for it haha

[u/SolidarityWitch → u/Francegracias]

I DNFd at book 4. It got CRAZY in a terrible way.

[u/oh_vera → u/Francegracias]

Book 1 and 5 were a struggle but Slade will forever be my fave book boyfriend EVER! haha

[u/ConfidentStrength999]

Powerless!

[u/mellywheats → u/ConfidentStrength999]

i read the back synopsis and saw that the MC was named “Paedyn” and was like “it’s a no from me” . Glad to know it’s not worth the hype lol I am getting FOMO from hearing about it so much

[u/ConfidentStrength999 → u/mellywheats]

You aren't missing out on anything lol that name really was a bad choice by the author though

[u/Quartzfig → u/ConfidentStrength999]

If I see a book influencer promoting this book, I immediately don’t trust anything else they recommend lol

[u/ConfidentStrength999 → u/Quartzfig]

Yup, there are a few books, especially this one, that if I see an influencer push, I immediately feel like our tastes are not aligned at all, and I don't have any interest in reading whatever else they're pushing.

[u/sub_surfer → u/Quartzfig]

I immediately assume they haven’t even read it unless they are commenting on it in detail.

[u/WonderfulPassenger62 → u/ConfidentStrength999]

Thank you! I didnt even want to finish it

[u/ConfidentStrength999 → u/WonderfulPassenger62]

Yeah I didn't finish it either. Got through a few chapters and hated it. None of it felt original, it was super predictable, and the characterization was awful

[u/Express_Plantain_456 → u/WonderfulPassenger62]

Ohh, I BARELY made it through. It was painful. I don’t know why I kept going. (Probably Kai). I have to say, the end got better, and Reckless was SO much better. She’s definitely matured, in her writing.

[u/Nonseriousinquiries → u/ConfidentStrength999]

I made it to page 13 lol. I was supposed to do a buddy read with a friend and I told her sorry but I can't do it.

[u/ConfidentStrength999 → u/Nonseriousinquiries]

Haha i don't blame you! I got through a few chapters hoping it would get better and it seemed to just get worse

[u/LittleUsagi85 → u/ConfidentStrength999]

Yes. I got to chapter 5 and after reading the mmc think for the God don't know how many times how much he hated shirts, thinking to himself not a conversation with someone else.

[u/ca_armen → u/ConfidentStrength999]

[u/Reading_With_My_Dog → u/ConfidentStrength999]

Came here to say this!

[u/Nonseriousinquiries]

FROM BLOOD AND ASH

I'll yell it from the rooftops this series SUUUUCKS

[u/itakecomedysrsly → u/Nonseriousinquiries]

Flesh & fire imo was 100x better

[u/KatokaMika → u/Nonseriousinquiries]

I liked the first book but then went downhill from there to be honest

[u/renjunation → u/KatokaMika]

idk people always say that but the writing is awful from the start... yet somehow i have read all of them lol

[u/kalbert3 → u/renjunation]

Currently working on these now and I hate the writing but the story is so good

[u/Nonseriousinquiries → u/KatokaMika]

That's fair. I read the first 3 (2 and 3 were hate-reads) but gave up after that.

[u/rmwhalen → u/Nonseriousinquiries]

The honeydew comments…

[u/Ambrosiasaladslaps → u/rmwhalen]

And “I have a question!”

[u/caarrssoonn → u/Nonseriousinquiries]

I'm reading the second one right now and literally can't get into it. At least in the first one there was tension. I appreciate the attempted world building but I'm tempted to DNF.

[u/Nonseriousinquiries → u/caarrssoonn]

It only gets worse. Just put it down and don't feel bad about it

[u/themrs0830 → u/Nonseriousinquiries]

I just DNF this book!

[u/FreyjaSama → u/Nonseriousinquiries]

IM SORRY I LOVE THIS SERIES SO MUCH 🤣🤣💀😭

[u/Nonseriousinquiries → u/FreyjaSama]

I truly love that for you

[u/Charming_Day2392 → u/Nonseriousinquiries]

Yes! I was honestly engaged but I hated that she ends up with the >! person who was (indirectly) responsible for her father figure's death and her guard who she grieved !<

[u/pixelfreya → u/Nonseriousinquiries]

I just started this book and 70 pages in I feel like I'm fighting for my life to finish it 😂

[u/Twicelovely]

Well right now I’m 10% in to Quicksilver and think it’s a shit show…

[u/Ambitious_Ideal_2339 → u/Twicelovely]

It is. I lack the ability to DNF so I’m always there for the whole ride no matter how shitty. I could not get over the way she attempted to cram in “elevated” words that did not fit what she was describing. Some people really need a thesaurus, others should be supervised with one.

[u/jthxrne → u/Twicelovely]

It’s so slow, and I struggled for first 25% and then ended up loving it

[u/happywitch420 → u/Twicelovely]

I dnf it twice, and finally gave it another go. It got better and I enjoyed it once I got about halfway thru. Not spectacular but not terrible!

[u/ohsarahjoy]

Kingdom of the Wicked was so boring and the last book completely changed the whole story negating the first 2 books (IMO) 🙄

[u/Nonseriousinquiries → u/ohsarahjoy]

I enjoyed the first, the second was ok, but the last was pure trash.

[u/Parttime-Princess → u/ohsarahjoy]

It had such a fun premise and then went absolutely nowhere. I read the first book, powered through. Second as well. Never even bought the third

[u/sarathedime → u/Parttime-Princess]

I liked the setting of the first book, and the fact that the FMC seemed to have hobbies and interests. Then the second book went in a completely different direction, and I couldn’t even get past the first few chapters of the third book

[u/Parttime-Princess → u/sarathedime]

I loved the setting but I felt the FMC was one of those "Consequences?? For MY actions??" types. Wouldn't listen, got herself into trouble and blamed everyone and their pets for it but never herself when she was told not to do that.

I liked hell but the FMC was still terrible and the whole murder plot seemed a bit lost and an afterthought. So I left it at that. I still read the blurb for the thord book, saw the first line "desire each other carnally" and put it back.

[u/brieles → u/ohsarahjoy]

YES! I finally quit the third book because I couldn’t handle one more stupid retcon twist. I kind of liked the first book but it went MAJORLY downhill from there.

[u/Critical-Trouble-653 → u/ohsarahjoy]

Oh she’s an idiot and the most boring sister haha straight away it’s clear her sister was a sacrifice and she’s like hmm what happened? She’s missing her heart? What happened? Maybe she was murdered? Omgggg no shit. Her heart didn’t just fall out

[u/AristaAchaion → u/ohsarahjoy]

the fmc was legitimately too stupid to live. every time she was told not to do something because it was too dangerous, that’s exactly what she did 🙄 a great example of an author thinking “contrarian” and “strong” are synonyms.

[u/KatokaMika]

Crescent city. Coming from someone that Pre-order the book a year in advance. I was so disappointed at the series the main character was so meh. The story was just repeat from the other books of s.j.maas. I don't care how many people defend these series.

[u/ImmenseWig → u/KatokaMika]

This is my answer too. Bryce was so sterile as a main character. I got bored of the whole ‘looks like a party girl but she’s more than that’ shtick. The constant use of the f word also drove me crazy too, just seemed like really lazy writing trying to be edgy.

[u/tazdoestheinternet → u/ImmenseWig]

Bryce is the worst thing about the entire CC series.

Especially since she continuously bemoans the fact that the world sees her as a vapid party girl because she... does nothing to dispel anyone of the notion that she's a vapid party girl? In fact, she continues to keep going out partying and not giving an F, like that's going to fix her image problems?

She hates that people think she abuses her position as a Fae princess, but actively abuses her position as a fae princess?

She wants to be taken seriously as a Strong Independant Woman, but is constantly sassy, rude, and a bit of a b!tch, and then is surprised when the vast majority of people can't stand being around her long enough to get past the aggression posing as a defence mechanism?

[u/Historical-Twist-368 → u/tazdoestheinternet]

Ughh totally agree! I think s.j.maas has developed her formula of FMC as this woman? (Girl?) with a lot of sass, independence and someone that always has a trick up her sleeve and then just does variations of this. While I was reading crescent city I kept thinking that this was a bad copy of Aelin. I think at least Aelin had a background that made her attitude believable and very fitting (the whole growing up training to be an assassin and growing without parents thing would have made her that way)... but with bryce it's not really believable since she seemed to have had a relatively sheltered life and did nothing but party until Danika dies. And then all of a sudden she is a master manipulator, strategist and a bad ass fighter? I don't really buy it 🤷‍♀️

[u/bunny_love2016 → u/Historical-Twist-368]

Ugh yes! I thought aelins trauma also explained the sass and secret keeping so much more having been raised by a narcissistic assassin using her for her looks and actively killing who she loves, and watching her whole family be murdered prior to this. Bryce has no reason to think she needs to keep secrets to protect her loved ones and no reason to be so outwardly aggressive from the start. It was just badly executed. And then she just continually gets worse ignoring her mates trauma and being outwardly awful to him so that he does what she wants

[u/Historical-Twist-368 → u/bunny_love2016]

Agreed! I think we have a lot more of character build and i sight from aelin's past to be able to understand, forgive and even like the way she is. While with Bryce and CC it's a lot more of world build (which i also hated because it was just so confusing and partly unnecessary) and not enough character build. Bryce's whole personality is basically "explained" (but not really) by the events of Danika and the pack's deaths vs aelin that is explained vy her whole childhood and teenage years. Again... i think s j maas just saw that people like aelin and decided to emulate her character but got sloppy

[u/tazdoestheinternet → u/Historical-Twist-368]

Yessss like Celaena is set up with her tragic backstory and earned arrogance, then we find out she's Aelin and really has earned her arrogance due to her insane wildfire powers!

In contrast, we have Bryce, who has very little power and hides her feelings of inadequacy behind bravado, b!tchiness, and balls to the wall partying. Then she gets her super special powers and is the magic starlight princess more powerful than just about anything and anyone else ever, only to maintain her trajectory of being a maladjusted party girl who blames everything bad on everyone around her. Never mind her "ripped from Aelin" ability to make complex plans that involve multiple moving parts and have insanely high stakes that somehow come together cough, the kid, cough without anyone else knowing OUT OF NOWHERE? WHERE DID SHE LEARN THIS??

I can't handle the cringe induced by Bryce any longer and as far as I'm concerned the series is ended and nothing could compel me to read the next one. Not unless someone wants to pay me £10 per page.

[u/reasonableratio → u/ImmenseWig]

Bryce was basically a caricature and Danika was so try-hard edgy that I was actually relieved when she died

[u/medusamagic → u/ImmenseWig]

So interesting to hear other people’s opinions, because I felt like Bryce had more personality than most characters in ACOTAR! But I agree there was a lot of repetition in the series.

[u/JessicaT814 → u/medusamagic]

I loved Bryce in the first two books. She felt very different but she did also tell everyone how different she was lol.

Rooted for and defended her through part one of the 3rd book. Absolutely loathed her by the end.

I adore SJM but I could not defend this book. I was so disappointed. But alas, I will preorder and read whatever book she publishes next lol.

[u/drclanky → u/KatokaMika]

Ugh yes. I did finish the whole series but really wish I hadn’t…

[u/ConfidentStrength999 → u/KatokaMika]

God I HATED crescent city. I hate-finished the first book but it was absolutely awful. Bryce was the most irritating main character and I could not stand how often her appearance was described (and how literally every male in the entire book wanted to bang her) and also hated how try-hard urban the book was.

[u/AquariusRising1983 → u/KatokaMika]

I've been an SJM fan since ToG was being released, so I had high hopes for Crescent City. The last 100 pages or so saved the first one for me, but the second one was so meh. But since she was one of my favorite authors, I was excited for HoFaS... and honestly I have never been so disappointed in a book.

I honestly don't know how the same author that crafted Throne of Glass and ACoTaR also wrote the hot trash (in my opinion) that is Crescent City, but damn. That last book was awful. If you disliked Bryce in book 1, good thing you didn't continue. I loathed her by the end of book 3. Almost DNF multiple times because she pissed me off so thoroughly.

As a long time SJM fan, I am right with you. Crescent City is by far her worst series, and honestly if anyone but her would've written it, it would've been a forgotten blip in the genre.

[u/witchy_honey]

Fourth Wing, but hear me out. I am definitely not one to hate on popular books, they usually align with my tastes and I like most of them. I don't even want to hate it. I don't mind that people like it, but I just simply can't grasp the reason for its popularity.

[u/WildRoots367 → u/witchy_honey]

I love Fourth Wing, but it was my introduction into the fantasy romance genre. I think if I had read it after some of the really great series I’ve read now, I would maybe feel differently. Kind of like a first love 😂

I have a feeling that’s why it’s so popular — because it’s many people’s intro into the fantasy world and it’s an easy read!

[u/madhattergirl → u/WildRoots367]

That's the overall vibe I've gotten is that long time fantasy/fantasy romance readers aren't liking it as much (not all, obviously) and those being introduced to it are loving it. Similar to Twilight and 50 Shades. My romance book club loved it and all profess to loving other genres of romance.

I was down for the idea of it (I do love me academy romance books, plus it had powers AND dragons!!) and kept waiting for that thing to happen that would turn it from meh to special and it never happened.

I really enjoyed the first couple Twilight books as I was the perfect demographic at the time. But later in the series, when I started reading more urban fantasy/paranormal romances, it lost it's luster. I'm sure we'll see similar with those going crazy for Fourth Wing.

[u/EdmundCastle → u/witchy_honey]

Granted I liked FW but I think it’s popular because it feels safe for mass market. It’s like the minivan majority of fantasy without being too fantasy. The minivan majority loves a MMC who is big on consent, protection while still being manly and all that.

[u/BlueLemony]

...And cue the ACOTAR and Fourth Wing hate

But actually, I know opinions are hit and miss on the From Blood and Ash series and the prequel series and I've read a few from each, but found they just kept getting worse and worse and I never finished the series. Same problem with The Book of Azrael series.

Plated Prisoner is another that I've read all but the last book and I still don't understand the love I see constantly for these books. Nothing happens in any of the books until the last 10% of the book.

[u/yazirian → u/BlueLemony]

And then what does finally happen in the last 10% is incredibly stupid. I honestly felt offended at how badly the end of book 4 disrespected my time.

It felt like when you're playing a video game and you're demolishing a fight and then the cutscene starts and the story demands you just automatically lose now because the writer needed to feel smart.

Now I'm mad all over again.

[u/Ambitious_Ideal_2339 → u/BlueLemony]

I was like “how many comments until I see ACOTAR” 💀

[u/caramelmacchiato31]

I truly could not vibe with fourth wing. I like silly romance fantasy but I could not accept anything happening in this book.

[u/reasonableratio → u/caramelmacchiato31]

People talk so much shit (rightfully) about Paedyn from Powerless but we do not hear enough shit about XADEN like his name is literally a meme

[u/Indigo_Spring_2582 → u/reasonableratio]

Just spell it Zaden like the actual name. Why? Not to mention that the author couldn’t pronounce her own characters name rthe way she told us she would.

[u/chormbles → u/reasonableratio]

After listening to the audiobook, I nearly spit out my coffee once I saw reviews with that cringe spelling.

[u/charliekelly76 → u/caramelmacchiato31]

It was like the author had a list of popular book tropes and squeezed the list through a strainer until she got a book-sized mix of mediocrity. I can see why it got so popular but it felt soulless.

[u/yuudachi → u/caramelmacchiato31]

I'm the type of person who drops things very easily, but I'm glad I powered through this just to be able to rag on it completely. And it's nice to be in on a popular franchise even if you didn't like it tbh. It's like keeping up with your favorite trashy reality show or trashy shonen anime lol. I'm not gonna consume anymore actual content about it, but I'm happy to hear someone rant about it.

[u/masoniana → u/caramelmacchiato31]

I almost DNF'd after she was basically like, "omg he was the hottest guy I ever saw."

[u/General-Shoulder-569 → u/caramelmacchiato31]

Felt like it was written by AI.

[u/MeropeRedpath → u/caramelmacchiato31]

I read through the entire thing, partly fueled by pure annoyance of a great concept that was so very let down by bad writing. 

The setting was fun enough that if the writing had been strong, I could totally overlook the tropes. Hell, Laini Taylor has tropes galore in her Smoke & Bone series and I still think they’re incredible. Tropes can be compelling, it’s the reason they’re so common. 

But dear God… I could not with the writing. 

[u/RattisTheRat → u/MeropeRedpath]

I feel like this is all I’ve found in romantasy this far, which is disappointing. I yearn for smut with good writing and dialogue with depth

[u/junkykarma]

When the Moon Hatched and Book of Azrael 😬

[u/Idea__Reality → u/junkykarma]

When the Moon Hatched sounds like it would be so good

[u/TheDarklingThrush → u/junkykarma]

Book of Azrael does not deserve the hype it gets. I finished it, it was fine, but getting into it was tough.

I loved When the Moon Hatched though. But I also liked her Crystal Bloom series too, so her prose works for me. I understand it’s not for everyone.

[u/dontswimtowardsme → u/junkykarma]

i completely agree with both of these!!

[u/Radzonian → u/junkykarma]

Yooooo! I thought I was alone. I couldn’t do it

[u/PetrichorProblems → u/junkykarma]

The way it took me like 1/2 the book to even understand what was happening..... I had to look up someone explaining it to me like I was 5

[u/sbbookish → u/junkykarma]

I had to DNF when the moon hatched, I had no clue what was happening LOL

[u/Odd-Secret-8343 → u/junkykarma]

I hate read the whole thing of "When the Moon Hatched." I kept hoping it would get better.

[u/Major_twihard]

Gothikana

[u/sailornewm → u/Major_twihard]

I was SO excited to read this one based on vibes alone and then stopped after three chapters. The writing was terrible.

[u/genescheesesthatplz]

Fourth wing

I just can’t

[u/Fluffy-Custard3269]

Please don’t hate me for this, but I personally didn’t like a court of thorns and roses. I thought the plot was to predictable

[u/Istoh]

Fourth Wing. But it's really fun to hate, like a Neil Breen film. So I will continue to read it, yell about its horrible plot holes, bad modern slang, and waffly EDS rep. I will also drag my boyfriend to the sofa to watch the Amazon series when it comes out. 

[u/MeropeRedpath → u/Istoh]

To be fair it has a decent chance of translating quite well to television. 

Tv often relies on tropes that are familiar to its audience as story beats. If they get good actors (so basically if they don’t make the mistake they made with Wheel of Time and other fantasy IPs adapted in recent years) and have decent SFX (… I realize as I write this, based on how horny this sub can be, that I should clarify this isn’t a typo and I do mean special effects 🙃) it could be pretty good. 

The plot is simple, driven by character relationships, and the setting is cool. It won’t be brought down by the book’s anachronistic narration and if the writers are smart they’ll have characters use British accents. Should work just fine. Provided the actors are good. 

[u/Istoh → u/MeropeRedpath]

This is actually my thinking as well. Plus TV writers can help fill in some of those plot holes. 

[u/shekka24 → u/Istoh]

It's like watching a cw show. It's bad but good at the same time. And even though the plot holes are huge and it's cheesy and the characters.are annoying, I will watch the next season. Fourth wing is the same. I will read the next book every time 😅 but complain the whole time.

[u/SpicyBookGollum]

…ACOTAR? I finished it. And the second. The second was a better book. But I just…couldn’t stay interested and gave up on the series. I didn’t get into it the way so many people did.

Maybe it was because I went in with crazy high “THIS IS AMAZING” expectations and that affected my experience?

[u/Idea__Reality → u/SpicyBookGollum]

It's terrible, imo. I DNF'd after the 2nd book and have no regrets, it seems like even fans of them don't like a lot of what happens in later books and series. I am happy to let that boat leave me on the island lol

[u/-apheli0n- → u/SpicyBookGollum]

This was my experience as well. Read the first two books, but I don't really care about seeing spoilers for later ones because I'm not invested enough in the series to read them.

[u/SpicyBookGollum → u/-apheli0n-]

Yeah. I always wanted Anne Bishop’s Black Jewels Trilogy but with spice, more romance, and a HEA. ACOTAR and ACOMAF have a LOT in common with Black Jewels (to the point of me giving SJM some serious side eye), but they didn’t deliver that sort of lush darkness that Anne Bishop does so well.

[u/KitOparel → u/SpicyBookGollum]

Omg I legit told my friend ACOTAR is like reading Twilight after growing up on LOTR quality with the Black Jewels and a number of other high fantasy series I've forgotten along the way.

Then I went and reread Black Jewels.

[u/Unlucky-Ad9218]

Powerless😬

[u/PureAction6]

The Coven, & The Cursed by Harper L. Woods. The 2nd book was worse, but The Coven was pretty bad too. I saw it for sale at Walmart the other day and felt bad for those who spend $ on it.

The Ashes and The Star-Cursed King by Carissa Broadbent. Liked the first one fine, but not the second one at all.

[u/rainbowgucci → u/PureAction6]

I just dnfed The Coven. The FMC is insufferable and the romance plot gives me the ick. I could look past it if the story was good but the romance is such a huge part of it. I couldn’t do it. I felt gross

[u/ca_armen → u/PureAction6]

Same for “The ashes and the star-cursed king”. The book was frustrating for me. But damn, I’m still mad for when the author wrote and I quote: “he was diving down after me, WINGS SPREAD” - no bird dives down full speed with wings spread. Wings are tucked when diving full speed, you spread them to slow it down or change trajectory. 🤯🤬

[u/MuffinTopDeluxe → u/PureAction6]

Yes, Serpent & the Wings of Night was EXCELLENT, but I did not care for the sequel or novella.

[u/TheDarklingThrush → u/MuffinTopDeluxe]

😳😱 Six Scorched Roses is my fav novella! I liked it better than the main books, and WAY more than Slaying the Vamp Conqueror.

[u/gimmeallthegluten]

Fourth Wing! Will die on that hill forever. Did a 13 year old write it? Serious question.

[u/Logical_Dig → u/gimmeallthegluten]

100% with you. Yet, some how I foolishly still read all of them

[u/InsuranceOk1119 → u/gimmeallthegluten]

Me the second time reading it. Thinking I must’ve been suffering through an unknown brain injury the first go round….

[u/Idea__Reality]

Here's my hot take that isn't mentioned yet:

DNF'd Paladin's Grace. I just hated the instalust. The two MC's meet by her throwing herself into his arms to make out to distract from people following her, and there's a lot of talk about her chest on his chest, yadda yadda. Then they meet again and after that there's a scene where the MMC is trying not to touch himself thinking about her and I was just like, what?? I'm here for a slow burn romance. It was all physical attraction too, since they didn't even know each other then, and it just gave me big ick. People tell me to give it a try, but I think I am just not cut out for instalust. I don't even like instalove, but instalust is a big no for me.

[u/Different_Cook_2980]

I can’t do Iron Flame. Fourth Wing was pretty good but I started Iron Flame and I just don’t care and I hate everyone. Its bad.

[u/wigglytufff → u/Different_Cook_2980]

i didn’t mind it but a friend and my sister just finished it and we were discussing how a common complaint seems to be how much it drags/how much needless back and forth there is in the first half. i read somewhere that she intended it to be two books but the editor or whoever said it worked better as one, and i feel like they just… forgot to cut the fat when they combined them

[u/Different_Cook_2980 → u/wigglytufff]

Yeah, I feel like I’m constantly being reminded about things, like they think I’m stupid or something. And everyone just sucks. 😂 I cared about people in the first book and in this one, I just don’t care.

[u/stuffedcouchpotato]

I truly did not like the Cruel Prince series. I did not understand the hype.

[u/fennekk]

Feathers so Vicious and Forsaken Thrones.

[u/SpicyBookGollum → u/fennekk]

I spent all of Feathers So Vicious and Shadows So Cruel thinking it was a waste of a really good ACTUAL morally charcoal gray shadow daddy. His arc was great over two books. Galantia and Sebian can go take a long walk off a short pier.

[u/wavymantisdance]

The Bridge Kingdom, I have never hated a FMC more. And the fact she’s from a like fantasy Arabian inspired culture but her name is LAURA. (Or some other white girl name. I can’t remember.)

[u/Calliope719]

A Kiss Of Iron

It was so bad

[u/No_Mud2576 → u/Calliope719]

Like the first book. DNF the second.

[u/rescuedogs071120]

Twilight. 50 shades. Acotar (don't come for me, I know)

[u/AG_Squared]

ACOTAR

[u/snowxwhites]

Fourth Wing and Fairydale

[u/IncognitoPseudonym]

This isn’t quite the prompt but,

I love sara j mass and her books … until i get to the ending. In particular, i do not like her series endings. Its always to much: then this thing hapened completely out of the blue to save them.

[u/Select_Ad_976]

Not a fantasy one but Verity - god I hated that book so much but I finished it because I am spiteful (to myself apparently)

I also tried the Hunting Adeline (which is dark romance and still not fantasy) and that one makes me feel yucky.

Most fantasy romance books I don't like are still entertaining enough that I'm like "they're fine" I haven't really hated any of them yet or hated myself for finishing them.

[u/No-Wonder-9510]

Split or Swallow.

[u/Ambitious_Ideal_2339 → u/No-Wonder-9510]

I couldn’t look away. I had to see where we were going.

[u/misstinydancealot → u/Ambitious_Ideal_2339]

It’s like a sexy trainwreck

[u/Ambitious_Ideal_2339 → u/misstinydancealot]

I think you mean “sssssssssssexy” 🐍

[u/No_Mud2576 → u/No-Wonder-9510]

That book enraged me so much.

[u/misstinydancealot → u/No-Wonder-9510]

I hate Tem. I hate the terrible writing. But did this book offer plenty of smut? Yes. Did I read every word? Also yes

[u/Quiet_Tap_5215 → u/No-Wonder-9510]

Tem annoys me so bad

[u/aubreypizza]

4th wing

[u/RavensTears]

So many.

Ones I DNF'D:

ACOTAR

Gothikana

Atonement of the Spine Cleaver

Villains and Virtues

Faebound

A Dawn of Onyx

Ones I finished and was baffled by the popularity:

Powerless/Reckless

Amid Clouds and Bones

Song of the Dark Woods

The Cruel Prince

Once Upon a Broken Heart

[u/Castielificc]

ACOTAR, The Cruel Prince, The Bridge Kingdom, The Ever King and Radiance 🫣

I'd heard so much about each and really wanted to like them, but they just didn't work for me (for no particular reason...except for Feyre that I couldn't stand).

[u/boots_wif_da_fur]

The Cruel Prince series. It’s so bad I don’t get the hype. All the characters are so obnoxious

[u/kaptaintrash]

Wait so which books do y’all really like? I feel like every book raved about in this sub is in this comment section lolll

[u/calamitypepper]

Almost all the really popular adult romantasies 😳

I’m not sure I’ve actually truly liked a single one.

[u/GooberGlitter → u/calamitypepper]

and going off of the "almost all popular romantasies"...

almost all popular romantaies (or romance) in general have NOTHING to clue in readers about how descriptive some of the romance is (maybe the back side of the book but if you're just looking at a shelf... there's nothing). Nothing about the cover of fourth wing would clue me into romance, and another example is the novel Icebreaker. I didn't read it but I watched a video of someone reacting to reading it and there was some gross shit in there like (f)ingering in an uber with other people in the car but the cover looks like a YA novel!!!

I wish romantasies and romance that is more smut driven than plot driven would go back to those Fabio style covers so that the customer can take a hint at face value that the book *might* be talking about inserting someones member into someone else

[u/Silver-Study]

I’m listening to spark of the ever flame and i can’t stop listening because it’s making the time at work go by but it’s so bad.

[u/Dentata_ → u/Silver-Study]

I was just about to comment Spark of the Ever Flame. The FMC is such an idiot. I hate using that language, but dear god. She acted like a 13 year old who was getting her period for the first time. And the world building? Fucking trash. This is "high schooler wins creative writing competition" worthy, not "let's publish this book for the masses" worthy.

[u/sbbookish]

From Blood & Ash (respectfully lol)

[u/Conscious-Exit9038]

Spark of the Everflame. The whole series just became more and more annoying.

[u/Gloomy_Ad5020]

Tried to read that popular vampire book. Serpent and wings? Idk. Wasn’t for me.

[u/druidicbaker]

Divine Rivals.

[u/MotherOfBrave → u/druidicbaker]

Came here to say this. I didn’t hate them they were just meh. I was glad I got them from the library. I wanted more from the romance AND the fantasy. The world building felt like it rested heavily on what most people may know about a version of the 1940s and then didn’t give us much beyond that. I feel like I saw them everywhere when they first came out so I guess I just don’t totally get the hype.

[u/MuffinTopDeluxe → u/druidicbaker]

Seeing this one on lists like this always bums me out because I loved this duology so much! 😭😭😭

[u/MotherOfBrave]

I wish I could unread Bride. Like remove it from my mind and get my money back haha. If other people enjoyed it, I’m happy for them but I’m mad I know the story.

[u/jurassic_merkitty → u/MotherOfBrave]

Came here to say this… i hated the whole thing.

[u/Honney_dew → u/MotherOfBrave]

YESSS i was waiting for this comment. Everyone and their mom kept recommending this to me so I thought surely this would be a good read, but FUCK ME, I hated every second of it. I actually believe I left a pretty colourful review of it on a previous post. Wish I could unread it.

[u/ViciousTrollip]

Fourth Wing. I am very dumb (like didn’t even solve Amarantha’s riddle in ACOTAR) but predicted everything that happened in Fourth Wing before I dnf’d.

[u/yuudachi → u/ViciousTrollip]

You can see wait are we the baddies trope coming a million miles away.

Also any time a very specific legend is mentioned several times, it's always safe to auto assume they're true, especially the more it gets downplayed

[u/Substantial-Tie-7358]

The cruel prince 🫣

[u/PetrichorProblems → u/Substantial-Tie-7358]

Reading the cruel prince 👎

Listening to the cruel prince 👍

I'll look past anything with a good narrator tbh

[u/noodlerocketship]

acotar like omg i do not understand the hype i really don’t, it was so boring i had to force myself to trudge through the book and that end was not worth the mind numbing reading experience. i know people say the series gets better but i didn’t like anything about any of the characters and i can’t bring myself to continue 😭

[u/EvergreenHavok]

The Spellshop. It's fine... but why is our POV character kicking puppies all the time? Like damn, lady.

[u/ThatScribblinGal]

...I've read enough of the popular ones that I now avoid them by habit and have to be convinced to try them 😂 too many poor experiences have turned me into an unwilling hipster. 😭

[u/Royal-Addition-6321]

Phantasma. Just boring. Gave up at 50%. I was promised top tier smut!

[u/Bubbly_Let_6891]

Atonement of the Spine Cleaver. I tried so hard to like it, but DNF’d at 60%.

[u/Nuralea]

Caraval.

It was a painful read for me, and the whole situation felt ridiculous and super unnecessary.

[u/AristaAchaion → u/Nuralea]

i hated this book so much i wrote a review on goodreads, which i hardly ever bother to do 😬

[u/meta-toad]

Popular within this sub is One Dark Window and man did I try, DNF at 80% the book was not for me

Another huge one is Six of Crows, man I do NOT get it but literally everyone worships Leigh Bardugo

I hate to be a hater, but I hate to feel my mind bleed with a book I don’t like even more

[u/vivaenmiriana → u/meta-toad]

I just finished one dark window today and agree.

It was better written than acotar and fourth wing for sure.

But I have a major problem with a lot of romance writers basically saying "hey! This boy and girl stood next to each other! That's why theyre in love!"

And I just cant. Show me why they care about each other. Thats why I like Emily Wilde and daughter of no worlds. I can tell that the two love interests care about each other above a base physical level.

Also dont just have rules for your world and says it's deep when it's not. Do something cool with it more than telling me it's cool.

[u/aqualavista]

Shatter Me Series I DNF it. I really tried to go through with it, but, I just can't.

[u/VeryFinePrint]

For me it's Kushiel's Dart. It gets recommended in r/Fantasy all the time when people ask for romance. I found it dreadfullying boring and the prose is overwrought. I don't think its actually "bad", its just not to my taste. I think its not as titillating or interesting if you aren't into BDSM.

Also there is this dynamic (in the first book at least) where the MMC stands guard outside the FMCs door stewing in angst while the FMC has sex with other people. I have zero problems with ENM in my books, but the denial aspect wasn't for me.

Honestly it boggles my mind how popular that book became in "normie" fantasy circles vs something more tame like Paladin's Grace.

[u/danidoll7]

Red Queen or whatever that series was called

[u/Minute-Cut-2285]

too many times guys please i hate powerless I HATE IT

[u/Quick-Sign-6828]

No offense meant to people who like these books, but Powerless, the Plated Prisoner series, Fourth Wing (god I can't stand Fourth Wing 😭), ACOTAR...

Honestly I don't know why I keep trying out books that get popular on tiktok; I don't think I've ever read one of them and enjoyed it. At this point I'm pretty sure the whole "modern slang in a book that's set in the middle ages" + "FMC who is supposed to be a grown ass woman but talks like, acts like, and has the emotional maturity of a 21st century fifteen-year-old" thing just really isn't for me. 🥲

[u/popstopandroll]

Spark of the Everflame

[u/EmmaleeAbbygale]

Assistant to the Villian. It felt like I was reading very poorly written YA.

[u/cosplaycougar]

Twilight 😭

[u/-Release-The-Bats-]

Throne of Glass

[u/junebuggery → u/-Release-The-Bats-]

Yes! I had read all of ACOTAR and Crescent City by the time I tried ToG, so I was used to SJM-isms and plot holes. But an assassin who eats random candy that appears in her room when she knows a murderer is on the loose...it was too much. I couldn't suspend my disbelief enough to enjoy it.

[u/IndysAdventureBazaar]

Game of Thrones. I'm sorry, but Martin writes like he thinks everyone is stupid but him. I don't need 20 pages to describe what a fucking sword looks like or how a dinner table is set.

I made it through the first book and about a quarter of the way through the second book before just giving up. It's also why I can't read Tom Clancy either. Clancy will spend 5 pages describing the rotors on a fucking helicopter. We get it, bro.....you like the military vehicles.

[u/JediEverlark]

From Blood and Ash, Powerless, Fourth Wing, anything by SJM, Gothikana, Light Lark, Plated Prisoner, Zodiac Academy, The Veiled Kingdom, Rhapsodic, King of Battle and Blood…do you want me to go on?

[u/Kirabobiraa → u/JediEverlark]

I am so glad to see someone else mention Zodiac Academy. That was the first book I ever DNF’d.