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Book Review: Behind the Curtain, by W.R. Gingell

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I pre-ordered a copy of W.R. Gingell‘s Behind the Curtain. The drop day snuck up on me, though. So, it felt like a perfect surprise when I noticed it. I read the first three books in the series earlier this year. You can find the reviews here.

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The world Between is full of dangers, shadows, and reflections. Athelas knows the dangers, is one with the shadows—and has finally encountered a reflection could be just a bit too much like himself for comfort.

The house master has come back. Nobody will quite say who he is, or why he owns the house. And to Athelas’ growing irritation, no one will talk about the oddly powerful influence the house master seems to have over Camellia.

YeoWoo knows exactly who and what the house master is—and she knows exactly how much danger Camellia is in. The question she can’t quite seem to answer is: How much safer is it to put Camellia into Athelas’ power than it is to leave her in the house master’s power?

There are nightmares skulking in the corners. Pieces of curse lingering beneath the couch. And soon Camellia will have to make a choice between two evils.

To add insult to injury, the teapot has gone missing…

my review

Last year, The City Between took me by storm, and I binged the whole 10-book series. This year, I’ve been inching my way through the follow-up series, one book at a time, as they become available. It’s torture. But I’ve loved watching Athelas, YeoWoo, Camellia, Harrow, and the crew become a family. Gingell has a way with soft, subtle reveals, and I am here for it.

I’ll admit that there have been times that I wasn’t entirely sure what the subtlety of language was hinting at, or a character would say something along the lines of “I see…” but I do not, in fact, see. These are rare moments, though, and hugely overshadowed by how much I love every one of these characters, especially now that Harrow speaks (and, oh, the things he observes).

I cannot wait for March and the next book. But for a binger like myself, this read, wait, repeat is hell.behind the curtain photo

Other reviews:

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Audio Book Review: Ruwen, by Kate Rudolph

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I picked up a freebie copy of Ruwen, by Kate Rudolph.
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Running out of time…

Ruwen NaNaran knows he’s a goner. The curse of his alien species has put a countdown on his life, and he’ll be dead before the month is out. Unless he finds his denya, the only woman in the universe who can save him.

Down on her luck and lost in space…

Lis Jaynx just wants to go home. Kidnapped from Earth by unknown foes, she’s dropped on a inhospitable planet with little food and no hope. She’ll do anything to find a ship to take her back to Earth, but Polai is hostile to all alien life, and Lis finds herself on the run.

An unexpected chance…

From the moment he sees her, Ru knows Lis is his denya. But she’s already wounded and distrustful of all aliens, even those who claim they want to help.

Will the explosive chemistry between them be enough to topple Lis’s fears? Or will their bond break before it even forms — leaving Ru a dead alien walking — and Lis all alone in the black of space…

my review

I listened to an audio version of this book and came to two realizations, both of which I’ll address here. First, this is not a very good book. It’s shallow and underdeveloped. But it also isn’t erotica; smut isn’t the point. So, there should be a plot to keep readers interested. Failing that, at least well-drawn characters or an intriguing world. This book has none of that. The whole thing is just sketched out, predictable, and too linear to be interesting.

I’ll form the second point with a question. Why, if the primary readers of romance are women and the female character is central, would anyone choose a male narrator? I’ll grant that this is a dual POV, but it is still a book for and primarily about a woman (formed for and of female fantasies). I had a hard time even deciding how I felt about the book because I so very much disliked it being narrated by a man.

If you consider that I was reading (what I hoped would be a) sexy sci-fi romance, it begins to resemble engaging in a sexual fantasy of sorts. Having a male narrator felt, to me, very much like having an uninvited man intrude. The argument could be made that by virtue of purchasing the book, he had been invited. And I’ll accept that. But it was done unwittingly, and I will endeavor not to make the same mistake again.

On top of that, I don’t actually think the narrator did a very good job. Years ago, I read an autobiography of some second-rate Hollywood actor who talked about the things he did to pay the bills before making it. Apparently, narrating a romance novel was one of those things. He ruwen photospoke about the book and author in a very condescending and disparaging way, basically making fun of both (as men do).

I feel like I could sense a similar undercurrent in Michael’s narration. This only added to the feeling of male intrusion. Not only was he there where he wasn’t wanted, but he was also there with his judgment (as men so often are). Of course, I could be projecting. But it all had a real effect on my ability (or lack thereof) to enjoy the book.

Other Reviews:

Scary Mary the Hamster Lady: Book Review Ruwen

Audiobook Review: Ruwen (Mated to the Alien, #1). ⭐️⭐️⭐️