I feel like I need a different title for these things other than "Spoiler Review". Sure, it gets to the point, but its also boring XD
And kinda random, but I'm drinking a smoothie I just made. First I diluted coconut cream into coconut milk (the organic one from Trader Joes) and then I added bananas, cocoa powder, a little bit of the Hershey's Simple 5 syrup, almond butter and protein powder (vegan with "superfoods"). So yeah, if you wanna try sticking all that in a blender, go ahead! :)
So, I finished The Black Key a couple days ago, like maybe Tuesday, so its a bit fuzzy, but I promised myself I'd do this review. So! Overall, I liked this book. Actually... I liked this book quite a lot and I'd say I liked it just as much or better than the first half of The Jewel. At first I thought I wouldn't like it as much, because Violet, herself, kinda annoys me and I feel like she's only smart when the plot calls for it, but she's too emotional and tactless, overall for my taste. Then again... she is only freackin 16 or 17. I seriously need to start reading more adult fiction. I also read Paranormalcy by Kiersten White the other day, and while I enjoyed the world and most of the main character... she still acted, like, well, a teenager... an annoying teenager. Anyway, I might just write a review of that when I finish the trilogy. But I do enjoy picturing Reth as Thranduil wearing suits XD
Ok, so back to The Black Key! The next line will literally be a spoiler!!! 0_o So Beware! Ok... one of the next sentences, but you can't say I didn't tell you so! LUCIEN DIES! See! I knew it! I told ya'll. (Let me live in my fantasy that butt loads of people read this, even though they never comment XD Jk, I just like saying "ya'll". But it would be nice if I knew someone was reading this and not hating it and all.) But yeah, I told ya'll that Lucien would die, because he was just stacking up to be that type of character. I heard other reviewers make him out to be the Cinna equivalent. And while I don't disagree, I don't remember that much about his character in The Hunger Games... whoops.But yeah... even though he was my favorite character, I knew he was gonna die... and I'm ok with his death. I feel like it was justified, for the most part, but because I knew it was coming, it's sorta feels like it lacked pizzazz... I wasn't sad or happy or anything much other than, "yup, I knew it!"Although, one thing I couldn't really figure out, was how old Lucien really was. I'm guessing around 24 ish, because he was 8 years older than Azalea because he said he was 10 and she was 2 when he got castrated (that was really sad, by the way- and to think that genital mutilation happens in many parts of the world for various "religious" purposes and just plain crudeness, makes it even more sad) and then Sil said that Azalea showed up 5 years before the events of The Jewel, right as she showed signs of womanhood that would make her between 11 and 13 ish. So if we take 13 + 5 is 18 plus 8, is 24 at the most... I think. Anyway, I get that Lucien is a prodigy and stuff, but he makes himself seem older. Then again, I'm around that age I feel really old when I talk to anyone 21 or younger... So... yeah. Anyway, I didn't mind his death, but it did feel like it, personally, lacked something, I just don't know what. Also... I know this is a weird thing also to fixate on about Lucien... and I know it doesn't actually matter, but I was wondering if Lucien was gay or not. You're probably expecting me, as a Christian to hate gays, and therefore hate Lucien if he is gay, but thats not true. I do not hate gays. Just putting that out there. I am merely wondering though, because the author first described his voice, according to Violet, as too low for a girl but too high for a man and since he's a lady-in-waiting, they wear dresses, so at first intro, it makes it seem like he's "gay". Then again, I could be remembering the description wrong, and Lucien did say he hated wearing the dress. And he kept calling Violet "honey" and stuff (then again, I admit, I do that to younger people too... I feel like a bartender though...) and he really didn't like Ash at first so I was like, "wait... does he like Violet, despite the age gap? Or does he really just see her as another sister?" I dunno. He was still, literally my favorite character though because other than his lacking pizzazz death, he, as a character, was super smart, funny at times, caring, mysterious, and he just really shone. And he had a terrible back story and had an emotional journey. Violet and Ash... were just plain emotional and hormonal. To me, anyway.
New paragraph! Even though I think it was rash for Violet to go undercover in The Jewel as a maid to rescue her sister (like, seriously, I felt that was just as dumb as her and Ash's relationship in the first book), it turned out well for the story and was interesting to read. I like the espionage bit. But it made me think a couple things. One, Violet could have used the Auguries for Ash again, because she does it to herself, therefore making her excuse for not doing him a moot point. And two, I think its sooooo dumb that she spent an entire train freacking ride and didnt think up an alternate identity and back story. She made the girls memorize the plan for the Auction every day so they wouldn't fail, so yes, that was smart, but then she just makes up a name and identity on the spot when asked by other maids??? Not smart. Like I said, I felt like she was smart when she needed to be and dumb when she needed to be. Or rather, when the plot needed it. Also, three, if this series ever got made into a movie, or two or three, it'd be interesting to see either one, how different they'd make the Violet actress look to pass a maid, or two, if they'd hire a different actress. I think that would be interesting, because one, actors are paid to show their face on screen, so if an actress spends most of a movie in disguise, then that actress is not on screen and most people don't go for that. Even if its in prosthetics. That's why with superhero films or stuff like Harry potter, they minimize times in the script where the lead actor or actress aren't there. Like, there are so many more times Harry, Ron, and Hermoine use polyjuice potion, but the don't like it in the movie, because then the actors can't be on screen. Actually, the movie doesn't care, but the actors and their agents care. Or even look at whats her name as Mystique in X-men. In First Class and Days of Future Past, Mystique as blue Mystique had more screen time than the plain actress, but in Apocalypse, she's barely blue because she didn't want to do it. WOW! Anyway, that's another long tangent, but I still had to say it. I'd honestly be curious as to how a movie would handle it.
Another paragraph! I really liked... actually, all the characters besides when Violet and Ash are being too dumb. But other than that, I liked Sil, I liked Garnet, I liked Coral, and on and on. Carnelian was a nice surprise too. Besides Lucien, I liked her the best and I had fun imagining her blue ribbon dress. Oh, speaking of Carnelian, she kills the Duchess of the Lake! I quite liked that too. So far, every book I've read recently that has had a death of the villain, I've actually been quite surprised about who kills them. But, even though I am surprised, I think its almost an unfair surprise. Sometimes it seems like its a surprise just to make it a surprise, not because that character actual "deserved" to kill the villain, ya know. But, I think with Carnelian, she really did deserve to kill the Duchess. Besides Garnet, she had been tormented by her and by other royals the longest and probably had actually the most personally at stake by the Duchess' death. Plus, she was just crazy enough to do it. Violet... I think could have done it in self defense, but her as a character, was just too nice, I think, to actually take her life. I feel like Violet would have chosen life in prison, if she had the choice. But Carnelian... yeah, it made sense for her to do it.
Hmmm... I think I've hit most of the points... Oh! The aftermath. I didn't hate the aftermath, though as the book was coming to an end and it hadn't been adressed yet, I was slighly worried the new government and stuff wouldn't be. But it was, and oh my gosh, its a representative democracy! At least I think... I don't 100% remember... But I think most books go for that. And heck! Look at us, it does work.. well when it works. When the people are actually listened to and when the representatives actually put the needs of the people above the needs of their reelection. Burn. Just saying. But yeah, while it wasn't much of a surprise, I'm glad it was addressed. The book, of course, ends with the main cast climbing the last outer wall and looking at the ocean, and I thought that was a nice touch. It would be very interesting to know what the rest of the world was doing while all the Lone City stuff was going on, but alas.
So, I think I'm finally done! And props to you if you got through this whole thing! Sometimes I have a lot of thoughts, and then my thoughts have asides, and when it all gets written down it does become quite long... But yeah! Thanks for reading and taking the time out of your day or night and God bless! Toodles! ^_^
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