RECIPE:
Take choice snippets from mythology and legends, regardless of compatibility
Add Dark Brooding Alpha Male (TM)
Add Endearingly Stubborn Sexy Virgin (TM)
Season with Pirates of the Caribbean
Blend well
Serve in Historical Fiction vessel.
If you want you can go back and look at all the snarky bitching I did about this book. I didn't complain about everything that bothered me, but I will say I think this book is better read than listened to. The book is just... overwritten to me, everything is overly dramatic and sometimes hilariously extreme. The narrator of the audiobook goes for an "intense" voicing that well... just made everything that I would likely have skimmed over stand out prominently. Though, regardless of how I consumed this, I can't get past the literal sex fireworks. There was a lot eye rolling and snerking on my part with this.
This book definitely will have it's audience, and many people who are not me will love it. But I'm not one of them.
I love the idea of a love story between a captain and his ship, but all the plot with Cameron seemed shoe-horned in, even if that was technically the reason they were on this specific mission/adventure. I like a little more consistency in character motivation, and not have every changed motivation be followed by a surprise reveal of some secret to justify it that seems more of an excuse rather than actual character building. The power levels and abilities of the Dark Brooding Alpha Males (TM) got a bit ridiculous, and honestly leaves little level for those characters to grow (but I know more powers and secret backstory details will be shoehorned in on later books).
I'm wondering if the author has hit "uneditable" with her publishers? She's such a big name in the PNR field that whatever she publishes is guaranteed good numbers. I have read a few other books (I think one and two of a series) by her in the past, and didn't really feel them, but they didn't grate nearly as much as this one did.
Toying with a 'dubious honor' shelf of "better than 50 shades"... maybe also a "lol wut" shelf.
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