3/14/2020 Complete.
What follows is a painful recording of my thoughts of a book that has been heavily anticipated, fanatically praised/criticized by readers, and one that has sat on my mind for a long while now. Please understand that this is just one persons point of view.
Sorry if it doesn't match yours homie, but leave your hate at home, cause no one has time for that.
Oh sweet mother of mehh....
Up until this point I had previously forgotten that I had even pre-ordered The Darkest King, with the best of intentions of just 'giving it a chance.'
I like to think I'm a second chance kind of girl, plus being that this is a series I had been heavily invested in up until the PUCKY incident, I felt somewhat obligated to buy this book.
Well, it came in the mail in February....and I literally let it sit on my shelf as a conflictedly tried to not get my hopes up.
I know that this book wasn't going to be what I (Yes, I. Don't AT me homie) had dreamed for William.
Or in other words, Gilliam.
Which, I knew was not happening. I know this, yet my brain is still finding it hard to process.
I understand that this is Gena Showalters world. These are her characters, her story, and she can do what ever the Freesia she wants with it. Was I a part of the pack of WTF HAVE YOU DONE when we first learned that G and W would NOT be a thing? Yeah. It's what I equate to the worlds most painful bait'n switch to ever happen in a romance novel.
Because as much as i respect her writing enough to understand that she was 'wanting to go a different route', you can't fault your readers for being upset about something that was hinted at and sculpted over a majority of the series.
It can't be helped.
And to expect much less upset from your fans, wouldn't be giving yourself credit girl. I think the fact that readers got so upset was because we were so invested and in love with your characters.
So when I finally talked myself into just doing it, I picked up this book and read it. And as I sit here trying to sum up the conflict I'm feeling in my soul, I feel like I have to explain something.
Gena Showalter was an author I found in a very difficult time for myself. One who showed me that love ain't perfect. That someone out there will love you for just what you are, scars and all. And to say her Lords of the Underworld series became a balm to me would be putting it lightly. And I will be the first to admit that books are an escape. An escape to go to a world where fate has a man in store for you, who will help you heal your soul and will love you through all eternity.
(so now moving forward from my emotional Mumbo-jumbo shizz)
The reason I feel I need to say this, is because from first finding Gilly in the series, we see someone broken. William was also broken. From the encounters, gazing and otherwise anticipation being built, I along with others, were lead into the belief that they were meant for each other and that it was their destiny to heal one another.
Fast forward past Puck and TF switches and all that jazz to now.
Post-The Darkest King.
Do I think I would have genuinely enjoyed this read if I wasn't feeling disappointment about the direction that was chosen? Yes. Without a single doubt in my mind.
Sunny, was entertaining. She was funny, cooky, bad-a$$ and I really enjoyed her. Even though at this point I'm sorta over William cause just the constant "I sleep with anything that moves" is just sooooo not my thing And I honestly would have loved this book, and the pair of William and Sunny.
But.....I just found I really couldn't get into it.
I just, IDK, felt like I was trying so hard to like these two together. That I wanted so badly to be roped in by the story line or the building of the world, to be able to forgive that fact that a shipped couple was no longer intact. I wanted this so bad, and I tried so hard guys.
But, I just couldn't.
The story literally goes no where. We are so focused on hell, sex, "don't fall in love with me or I'll kill you", enter sex puns galore, enter unicorn puns GALORE, daddy/family issues abound and it all just felt like a was reading a side quest.
You know. Like in video games where you wander away from the main storyline to play this side quest that has no purpose what so ever, except to make the game go on longer.
Guys, I don't know if you can tell, but this review is freaking painful for me. And GOYD DAYM there were times in this book that physically pained me to read.
Like (but not limited to):
-EVERY SINGLE GAHDAM MENTION OF GILLIAN. PERIOD.
-"To him, women were like spices. Some days you wanted sweet, some days you wanted spicy. Or salty. No reason to stick with the same flavor."
-Constant referencing to how he usually only slept with married women, this woman, that woman, 'I'm a HUGE manwhore, yadadada OH PISS OFF WILL YA. WE GET IT ALREADY YA SKEEZ.
-The killing of a Fruggin Puppy you GAHDAM Sadistic Monster.
-All the times I found myself tripping over the choppy context and strange wording that made me have to read, re-read and try and figure out what the heck it was trying to say.
-Cash money grab-bag of every freaking character listed together at a shindig together at the end. (cause showing me all the past couples I enjoyed ((and some who I honestly don't really remember)) is not going to put a band-aid over Puck and Gillian dancing steamily on the dance floor).
Gah. What a mess this has seriously left my mind here. While I want to continue on with the series, and the possible characters being hinted at, I find my heart not nearly as interested. I think the issue lies in that I can't really put my heart onto any characters anymore; seeing as they may or may not actually happen.
My enthusiasm is so low right now. And I want so badly to like this guys. But I think that's where I need to step back here. Because I shouldn't have to force myself to like something that was once just second nature to love.
So, with no little amount of heartache I'm feeling at this moment, I'm stepping back to say this. If you are to pick up this book without having previously read any other in the series, than I am more than sure you will enjoy it.
I'm sorry to say, it's leaving my heart in a state of mehh.
Which, in case you were wondering, feels kind of like poo.
There was just so much potential to really hit a home run.
And then in one moment..
There wasn't.
So yeah. That's all I suppose.
2 the-escape-readers-emotional-nightmare stars🎇
