i have to admit, The Sirens took me by surprise. going into it, I didn’t have the highest expectations—I was bracing myself for a letdown. b➸ 3 stars.
i have to admit, The Sirens took me by surprise. going into it, I didn’t have the highest expectations—I was bracing myself for a letdown. but to my surprise, I actually enjoyed some parts.
set in australian history, the novel follows the lives of women on their personal journeys. what made it stand out, at least for me, was the blend of magic realism and a touch of mystery woven into the story. that element kept me engaged, making me want to turn the pages to see how everything would unfold because I saw a review of someone saying they only finished the book because it was an arc and I feared I’ll feel the same but I didn’t!
one of the strongest parts of the book was the prose. the author’s writing style was smooth, light, and incredibly easy to sink into. It never felt heavy or overworked, which made for an enjoyable reading experience.
➸ however, where the book fell short—at least in my opinion—was in its characterization. when it comes to women’s fiction, I expect to feel something, even if I don’t personally relate to the characters or their experiences. there’s usually an emotional pull that draws me in as a woman myself, but here, the characters felt two-dimensional. they were present in the story, delivering their lines and moving the plot forward, but they lacked real depth or emotional weight. there were glimpses of inner conflict, but nothing truly transformative. that was disappointing because, with stronger character development, this could have been a much more powerful read.
➸ another thing that left me feeling a bit empty was the overall purpose of the book. every story, no matter how simple or silly, should leave something behind—an idea, a message, a feeling in my opnion. but with The Sirens, I found myself wondering: “What was the point of all this?” It’s frustrating when a book has all the right ingredients—beautiful prose, an interesting setting—but doesn’t seem to say anything meaningful in the end. iwouldn’t call this a bad book, but it’s one that left me conflicted. there were moments I really enjoyed, but at the same time, I wanted more—more depth, more emotional resonance, more purpose. If the characterization had been stronger, this could have been a strong read.
➵ ARC provided by the publisher—St. Martin’s press—and an ALC by the publisher—macmillam audio—for honest review.
The power Rebecca radiated while crafting this masterpiece:
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➸ Babel by R.F. Kuang: A Mind-Blowing, Soul-Crushing Masterpiece: okay, so her➸ ♾️ ★
The power Rebecca radiated while crafting this masterpiece:
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➸ Babel by R.F. Kuang: A Mind-Blowing, Soul-Crushing Masterpiece: okay, so here’s the deal: “Babel” isn’t just a book—it’s an ✨experience✨ This emotionally charged, thought-provoking deep dive into language, racism, and identity straight-up shattered me. Like, my heart, my mind, and my soul are in pieces, and I’m not even mad about it. When I found out my favorite author was releasing a book in my all-time favorite genre (dark academia), I had high expectations, and wow— Rebecca didn’t just meet them; she yeeted them into another dimension. This book isn’t just my favorite of hers—it’s my “favorite standalone novel ever”. Hands down, my first infinity stars, let’s go.
➸ on me Becoming a Devoted Babbler: I’ve read a lot of books and met a lot of authors, but finding a favorite author? That always felt impossible, almost terrifying, because what if I was disappointed later on? But then R.F. Kuang came into my life with “The Poppy War”, and it was like the stars aligned. Now, after “Babel”, it’s official—she owns my literary soul. I mean, I’m already planning to dive into “Yellowface” (it’s sitting pretty on my TBR), and I’ve never felt so proud to call myself a devoted Babbler. You guys seriously can’t understand how finding my favorite author for the first time felt like ...more
Sometimes you read a book/series and you love it so much, you reread it, you recommend it. But sometimes you read a book/series you Some thoughts:
Sometimes you read a book/series and you love it so much, you reread it, you recommend it. But sometimes you read a book/series you love it so much it set a standard for you to point where you start comparing other books in the same genre to it. And that's simply what happened with me and the poppy war. My biggest problem with this trilogy is that it set my expectations way too high for fantasy (my picky taste became MORE picky, everything is possible these days)
I’m not gonna go into a deep analyzes about about this book, but I’m just gonna talk about some certain points at the top of my head that I really loved:
➸ magic system: when I watch anime the only thing in my mind is that why I have never encountered fantasy books with magic systems this unique and extraordinary? if you watch anmie you know what I mean. It's mind blowing. But after reading the poppy war i knew why. It's bc I've never read fantasy by Asian authors before and now i added so much to my TBR. The magic system in here is like the things I only see in Anime, it’s simplistic to be honest but I still found it amazing.
➸ FMC in fantasy: are always set into two categories: 1- damsel in distress (even if she's strong and lovable and relatable at the end she always need the MMC to save her) 2- the one that get a new power every fifty pages, become invincible in days (completely shaky constructed) but with Rin it was astonishing. We see this girl who came from NOTHING became the girl who tamed the most powerful god in the Patheon. All of her suffering, all the times she lost and lost. I was screaming at the first book "take control over the power" but deep down I didn't want too. I wanted her to burn with failure so when she became strong? It was fucking worth it. Her character was so well constructed I feel like it might take certain people to understand that her behavior in the first two books was actually really well done. Some people said she's weak for bowing to altan and then Vaisra. And letting them abuse her, But she wasn't weak, with altan it wasn’t love she felt but some type of hero-worship and giving the fact that they’re the last speerlies alive and let’s be real.. power is attractive. And with vaisra it was so obvious what she was doing if you really understood her. She use his cruelty as a form of self-harm like she used to do to herself and as painful as it was my knees buckled from this character. Bc the abuse she endured from her commanders made the time she leashed out with rage delicious THIS IS MY FAVORITE FEMALE CHARACTER SO FAR!
➸ The revenge arc: I won't accept any revenge if it's not executed with the same level of intensity and intricacy that Rin's character embodies. Rin's seething rage and unwavering hatred are so palpable that they become a source of immense satisfaction for me. Her determination to never forgive and never forget adds a depth and complexity to her character that is truly remarkable, making it one of the most captivating aspects of the book. But it's not just the sheer intensity of Rin's vengeance that captivates; it's the way in which she channels her emotions and transforms them into a force to be reckoned with. Her rage becomes a driving force, a fire that fuels her every action. It's as if she harnesses the very essence of her hatred, molding it into a weapon of devastating power. it felt like her hatred is a layer on her skin that she taps with every second she wants. In the end, it is Rin's unyielding commitment to her cause and her refusal to be swayed by doubt or hesitation that make her vengeance truly unforgettable. Her journey becomes a testament to the indomitable human spirit, showcasing the transformative power of a person's unwavering resolve in the face of overwhelming adversity.
➸ The uniqueness: all the other fantasy books I’ve read before takes the idea of war and turns it into this light versus dark aspect, we have the hero’s who do the noble things to the great cause, and the pure evil villains. the Poppy War trilogy goes in a completely different direction from this. Kuang is writing to the devastation and REAL consequences that comes with war, the rebellions in this story 90% of them failed, the main character failed again and again and again … and how does that impact the story that we are being fold here? It gives the ultimate satisfaction for the depths that I’ve never seen before. And It reminded me a lot of (attack on Titan) where we see the protagonist becomes the antagonist due to the sheer injustice that they witnessed since their childhood. Simply put it’s this quote right here:
“War doesn’t determine who is right and who is wrong. War determines who remains.”
The main character that we’re rooting for is killing innocents Left and right because as simple as this “she doesn’t care” the only thing she breath is revenge. And as much as I absolutely adored the first two books, it’s this one that left me speechless. For the first time in the series, I had this element of hope. That maybe they have a chance. But how the author diverted my expectations while also bringing me such a remarkable… excruciating, but remarkable. ending I just can't help but feel like this is such a masterpiece of storytelling, it is something that felt completely unique, the way that the magic system is developed, the way war have been dealt with, the battle strategies, with the politics on both sides I can really just feel her brilliance within the pages, her historical knowledge. and she absolutely nailed the final book ...more
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