BLOG TOUR REVIEW: Beguiled by Rashelle Workman (@ginnylurcock)

Venus has become immortal, just as she always wanted. In the process she hurt Zaren, lost Michael, and destroyed her family. 

At least that’s what she believed.

Turns out Ramien, the god of her planets’ underworld, has her parents, and Michael.

To save them, Venus makes a deal. She must complete three trials. They seem impossible. They certainly won’t be easy. Worst of all, someone she loves won’t make it out alive.

GINNY’S REVIEW OF EXILED (IMMORTAL ESSENCE BOOK ONE):

So my husband has been doing this new thing where he asks what book I’m reading so he can look it up… and then mock me mercilessly.  You know, because I read trashy romance novels with tragic covers and even more tragic names that have perhaps the worse plots in history.  Usually because of how horrifically bad they are.

That’s not the reason I picked up “Exiled” though… I actually picked up “Exiled” because the “Beguiled” tour banner was sparkly.

Yes, I know, I have a problem.

Anyways, I’m reading “Exiled” and my husband asks how it is.  Now, by this point I’d already read some truly atrocious prose AND realized that even though most of the book was written as if it was being told by a teenager in the new millennium (you know, because it was) it’s chapter names were the names of pop songs from the 80s.  Dude, it took me 17 chapters to figure that shit out, and not only was I born in ’83, I freaking ADORE 80s music…

Like I was saying, my husband asked how the book was, and I made some rather indelicate comments about the prose.  To which he said “yeah, what I got from the reviews was that it was a good concept but the writing was…”  Well his comment was rather indelicate too.

I’ve got to admit though, I didn’t actually notice that the story was good until he pointed it out, because I was that irritated by the prose.  Which is saying something because when I think about it subjectively, it was a pretty promising idea.  (I’d sum it up here, but the blurb does a pretty good job and anything beyond that would give away some key plot points)

This is probably going to shock you, but 3 stars.  If you ignore the fact that the prose was… err… lacking a certain… uh… yeah.  And the fact that there were several minor plot holes big enough for me to go “the fuck…?” to.  (Me, the girl who ignores 98% of all plot holes when I’m not betaing) Oh, and the fact that, seriously, mutilation and torture are a bit intense for a YA book.  It was actually a decent story.

 

 

GINNY’S REVIEW OF BEGUILED (IMMORTAL ESSENCE BOOK TWO)

So I started “Beguiled” with high hopes.  I mean, “Exiled” was pretty good, so “Beguiled” could only be better… right?

Haha… oh… I can be so foolishly naive sometimes.

Two things:

ONE – FICKLE FUCKING BITCH.  End of book one she seems torn, but you figure she’s leaning in one direction.  Beginning of book two she’s just dating someone else because- get this- she hasn’t seen the first guy in like, six weeks.  I wanted to punch her in the throat.

TWO –  YOU CANNOT CHANGE THE TENSES MID-SERIES.  First book?  Third person shifting perspective.  Second book?  FIRST PERSON?  No.  You picked third person, you stick with it.

And now that I’ve gotten that out of my system, I can get onto the good bits… Which actually means I can complain more.  I was really pissed off the first fucking half of this book.  Really pissed off.  Bad guys were good guys, Gods were monsters.  Up was down.  Cats and dogs were living together.  And the whole thing was progressing at such a break neck pace I felt like I was running instead of reading.

I really hate running.

Then you get past the trials and everything seems to click.  The world is sunshine, rainbows, and puppy dog farts.  I even turned to my husband and said “things are really getting good now.  I think I can forgive that whole bit at the beginning.”

And then like 1% later it all gets skewed again.

But you keep reading, because book one had such potential and surely things will all get cleared up if you just keep plugging on, so you turn the page and…

THE END.

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Fine.  Whatever.  It’s cool.  I’ll just sit over here in the corner and grumble.  You know, while waiting for the third book because fuck if that’s how I’m leaving this world.

2 Stars.  And a frown.  I still want to punch Venus in the throat.  I still don’t know what the hell to think about either Michael or Zaren.  Oh, and that riddle.  Don’t even get me started on that riddle…

I think I need a drink.