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Book Review: Rogue Wolves Prison, by Eva Brandt & Cara Wylde

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I grabbed a copy of Rogue Wolves Prison, by Eva Brandt and Cara Wylde, on one of it’s Amazon freebie days…or maybe it’s a perma-freebie. Either way, I picked it up for free on Amazon.
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Once, I knew what my future was going to be like. I was bound to mate an Alpha chosen by my father, to be his Omega and have his pups. But I changed that future when I dared to fight off my would-be mate. When I killed him and became a rogue wolf.

There’s only one place left for me now – Rogue Wolves Prison. The penitentiary built for the most vicious, unrepentant werewolves alive. It’s not a place where I can expect to survive sane, let alone find love and a soulmate.

But all my expectations, hopes and fears are torn apart the moment I meet Killian Wolfsbane.

He’s fierce, destructive, stronger than any werewolf I’ve seen. He’s the leader of The Killers, the gang that holds almost as much power over the prison as the Warden. He looks at me with yearning and protects me, but can’t seem to bear my presence. I can see myself in his grief.

It’s foolish to pursue the attraction between us. It’s foolish to hope. It’s foolish to expect salvation. But maybe it’s not foolish to believe in him. Rogue Wolves Prison might be hellish, but there might be a future for me here.

my review

I’ll admit that I picked this book up thinking it was another with a similar plot. But by the time I realized my mistake I decided to just go with it. But, ya’ll, this book is a mess. It’s underdeveloped, cheesy, and simplistic.

Angela seemed to develop abilities as needed…in fact, whole plot points that made no sense popped up as needed. The villain that showed up at the prison seemed to be evil for no apparent reason and showed up to be maniacally and actively evil for, again, no apparent reason. I almost got whiplash from the ‘I did this, no, my family did that, no, they’re good after all.’ It made the whole thing feel inconsistent.

Worst of all, that same back-and-forwards left Angela feeling utterly without agency. Sure, not every heroine has to be a strong character, but she’s basically a limp rag. Killian had a little more character, but not much.

All in all, I’m just glad to be finished with it.

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Other Reviews:

A review of “Rogue Wolves Prison: An Omegaverse Romance” by Cara Wylde and Eva Brandt

 

 

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Book Review: We All Fall Down, by Rose Szabo

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I received a copy of Rose Szabo‘s We All Fall Down through Bookish First.

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In River City, where magic used to thrive and is now fading, the witches who once ruled the city along with their powerful King have become all but obsolete. The city’s crumbling government is now controlled primarily by the new university and teaching hospital, which has grown to take over half of the city.

Moving between the decaying Old City and the ruthless New, four young queer people struggle with the daily hazards of life―work, school, dodging ruthless cops and unscrupulous scientists―not realizing that they have been selected to play in an age-old drama that revives the flow of magic through their world. When a mysterious death rocks their fragile peace, the four are brought into each other’s orbits as they uncover a deeper magical conspiracy.

my review

I had a really strange experience reading this book. Whenever I was reading it, I enjoyed it. But as soon as I set it down, I was reluctant to pick it back up again. As a result, it took me an inordinately long time to finish it. And I ended up feeling so-so about it in the same way.

I love the cover; think it’s absolutely stunning. And I had so much fun reading the beginning and picking out who each character is. I thought the writing was really good, easy to follow. I thought Szabo played with the idea and ideals of gender in interesting ways, and I think they tried to do the same with race (both with actual characters of color and metaphorically with the idea of ‘monsters.’) I’m just not sure they were as successful in this latter aspect.

However, I also thought the plot slow and the ending too vague to be satisfying. So, all in all, not bad, but not an all-out winner either.

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Other Reviews:

ARC Review: We All Fall Down by Rose Szabo

Early Review – We All Fall Down (River City Duology, Book 1) by Rose Szabo (4/5 stars)

 

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Book Review: Speak Easy, by E.S. Barrison

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In May, when the SCOTUS leak first dropped, before the Supreme Court actually made their appalling ruling on Roe vs Wade, Charlie Nottingham organized a #ReadForOurRights event over on TikTok. She and several other authors agreed to donate the proceeds from book sales that month to campaigns fighting to reestablish and/or protect women’s rights. I ordered several books from several authors during this event. (Something like 17, if I’m remembering right.) E.S. Barrison‘s Speak Easy was one of them.

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Victors, they say, write history.
Too bad the victors can’t write.

After her father passes away, Nanette hops on a caravan to the neighboring country of Rosada to join her sister. Yet Rosada is in the grip of a deep fog: magic is banished, storytelling is outlawed, and the Order reigns. With her sister grown complacent over the horrors of their new home, Nanette takes matters into her own hands to protect stories, no matter the cost.

With the help of a loud-mouthed cabby, Nanette forms a plan to reignite the storytellers in Rosada. But it’s not safe to tell stories, even in the shadows.

With tensions rising and storytellers vanishing, Nanette must decide: are stories worth her relationship with her sister?

Are stories worth risking her life?

my review

Let me start by saying how stunning I think the cover is. Now, let me move on to the content underneath it.

I have two primary and opposing feelings about this book. On the one hand, I think it’s a really timely read, being primarily focused on the suppression of truth and the rise and destructiveness of propaganda (or ‘state-sanctioned stories.’), And I acknowledge that Barrison added a lot of recognizable, real-world issues. The main character is bisexual. There’s a trans character happily living their life. There’s a diabetic struggling with the cost of his insulin (though they don’t call it that in this magical realm). There’s a government being eclipsed by religious insurgence. There’s police abuse and ongoing experiences of trauma. (Plus more I’m leaving out because it would be spoilery.) So, I think this is a book of the times.

However, I also found the storytelling very straightforward and not overly engaging. There are no red herrings, twists or turns, or unexpected events. Problems crop up and are immediately and easily mended. (I found the sister’s sudden change of attitude and miraculous save toward the end especially convenient and unbelievable!) The story is very linear. This happens, and then this happens, and then this happens. It’s simplistic in the extreme, as is the writing itself. Which is unfortunate, especially in a book about the importance of storytelling.

speak easy photoFor this reason, despite the fade to black sex scenes, I think it would be best for the younger end of young adults—those who aren’t yet looking for too much complexity in a story. I see the book labeled as intended for 18+. But I don’t think that matches the reading experience.

Overall, I’m not sad to have read the book, but it wasn’t a favorite either.

Other Reviews:

https://ashleylcastillo.com/ashleys-reviews/