Violet

ahh







shit








that
gods
damned
ending.

I really loved this book. This book had a lot more action and stuff. More stuff happened. More stuff. I am really eloquent aren't I? Book 1 felt slow at times, especially in the first half. Book 1 felt like it was setting up for something for the whole book. That something, was this book.
It really annoyed me how close Arin kept getting to the true motives behind Kestrel's actions. And how close Kestrel kept getting to telling him.
Had Arin just stayed a few more moments at that tavern...
Or maybe if Arin had realized that she was denying him for her father in the music room..
Orrrr if Tensen had delivered Kestrel's letter...



It is so infuriating.
JUST LOVE EACH OTHER ALREADY PLEASE.

The ending was amazing and painful. So very painful. I almost cried - that is a hard thing to get me do for a book- I think I've only cried once: for Brandon Sanderson's the Hero of Ages. I am very exciting for book 3.

if the feminist propaganda of graceling (which I in no way disagree with) was barely noticable, the message of equality (which I also do not disagree with) in bitterblue was like being hit over the head repeatedly with a shovel named feminism, especially in the ending. take what you will from that, but it's a really minor quible for me.

A well handled romance all things considered, although the sex was suddenly thrown in at a moment when I don't think it would have naturally happened. The false sense of complexity at the start of the novel was annyoing. Being inundated with every little slightly off detail, much of which has no relevance, made me feel like bitterblue was paranoid.

A ending which was altogether to happy for my tastes was bearable due to the well foreshadowed and executed plot twists. The characterisation of leck's worst victims was very very good. The revolving door of characters and time skips helped to speed up a suprisingly slow story for its length.