Toi’s Comments (group member since Mar 11, 2017)

Toi’s comments from the The Insecure Writer's Support Group Book Club group.

Greetings book clubbers.

Please provide your answers to as many or as few of the questions as you’d like in the comments below. Feel free to ask more questions if you’d like.
-

1. Do you think the conclusion provided a satisfying end for this short story?

2. How would you classify the romance trope depicted in this story or do you feel it breaks the boundaries of common romance tropes?

3. Would you describe Alessio as possessive, protective, passively intimate, or none of these?

-

Feel free to also share your reviews and or thoughts on the book in your comments.

Better late than never. Here's my review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

I didn’t finish this one but will answer what I can, based on what I read.

1. I think anyone who’s serious about achieving a difficult goal will put in the effort required if that’s what they really want more than anything else.

2. Forgiveness is difficult but not impossible. As far as the mistakes these characters made, I think there’s more to it. One of these characters didn’t just make a simple mistake.

3. Long distance relationships work all the time when people really want them; just look at military couples. It’s not for every relationship but not impossible. I'm fortunate that my husband and I never had to try this.

Greetings book clubbers.

Please provide your answers to as many or as few of the questions as you’d like in the comments below. Feel free to ask more questions if you’d like.

-
1. Lori had a dream of competing in the Olympics, of winning a gold medal, and that dream required a lot of hard work and sacrifices. Would you be willing to do what she did to achieve your dream?

2. Jason and James both screwed up and made a mistake, and Lori forgave them. Would you be able to forgive?

3. Lori and Jason’s relationship and marriage were often long-distance. How often do you think long-distance commitments work? Why did theirs work?
-

Thank you, L. Diane Wolfe, for inspiring these wonderful questions.

Feel free to also share your reviews and or thoughts on the book in your comments.

I haven’t posted my review yet, but for now, here are my responses.

1. Yes. It was interesting to see how some characters were able to multiple gifts at one time based on their calling.

2. When reading the story, I didn’t realize that the men in the Dark Sisterhood couldn’t be sorcerers. I just assumed that all the women were more powerful than the men.

3. Because there was foreshadowing of this in the story it wasn’t too much of a shock, but it did feel a bit odd to have this character introduced, developed, and then killed off in a short span of time in comparison to the overall story. Still, it made sense and fit well with what was happening in the story.

Greetings book clubbers.

Please provide your answers to as many or as few of the questions as you’d like in the comments below. Feel free to ask more questions if you’d like.

-
1. The story is essentially a sword and sorcery book, like many older fantasy novels, except in this case, sometimes the Sword Masters can have power which equals the power of a sorceress/sorcerer. Do you think the limitations (if any) that are set on the powers make sense to the world-building of the novel?

2. In this world, most of the kingdoms allow women and men to choose any career, except those who live in the realm of the Dark Sisterhood (who don’t allow men to become sorcerers). Do you think this is depicted in a way that makes sense to the story?

3. This question contains a spoiler. In this story, one point of view character dies before the end of the book. How do you feel this affects the plot pacing and character development?
-

Thank you, Tyrean Martinson, for inspiring these wonderful questions.

Feel free to also share your reviews and or thoughts on the book in your comments.

C. Lee Mckenzie's Shattered or Double Negative - YA
Jemi Fraser's Reaching for Adventure - Romance, Adult
Tara Tyler's Broken Branch Falls - MG
Wielder's Prize by Elle Cardy (pseudonym of Lynda Young) - YA
You Beneath Your Skin by Damyanti Biswas - Thriller
have all been added to the bookshelves.

Plunge - One Woman’s Pursuit of a Life Less Ordinary has been added to the bookshelves.

I haven’t posted my review yet, but for now, here are my responses.
1. I think this future seems plausible. Never thought of myself as a pessimist, but I don’t see a lot of brightness in the future without a major cost to reality as I currently know it.
2. I’ve always liked the idea of holodecks, to create places and surroundings without having to go outside. I’m so looking forward to fully immersive virtual travel, someday.
3. I’m not sure I would expand this story. Sometimes the simplicity of a short story is what makes it better off. Still, a prequel might not be bad for this.

Greetings book clubbers.

Please provide your answers to as many or as few of the questions as you’d like in the comments below. Feel free to ask more questions if you’d like.

-
1. This story takes place in a far distant future. Do you think this future is plausible or describe a plausible future you’ve read from another book?

2. This story features some interesting advancements in technology such as medical AI and a holodeck. What kinds of advancements do you hope to see in the future?

3. This is a very short story. If you could, how would you expand it or what short story would you expand if you could?
-

Feel free to also share your reviews and or thoughts on the book in your comments.

I haven’t posted my review yet, but for now, here are my responses.
1. In this story, the faeries were by far my favorite creatures. Other than that, I really like Pegasus, though I’m not sure if they are considered part of the fae.
2. The Marcos transformation was action-packed, but the Thaddeus reveal was shocking. I didn’t want him to be who he was, though I suspected (attempting not to give a spoiler).
3. I do feel like a magic system should have rules, but I do enjoy it when someone is able to break all the rules and come close to being all-powerful.

Greetings book clubbers.

Please provide your answers to as many or as few of the questions as you’d like in the comments below. Feel free to ask more questions if you’d like.

-
1. Many faery creatures appear in this story. Which was your favorite or what is your favorite creature if you haven’t read this book?

2. There are many “Scooby-Do” moments in this story where one character is at some point revealed to be someone else in disguise. Which of these reveals was most shocking to your or describe such a reveal from another story you’ve read?

3. There is a lot of magic in this story, though magic in this world is supposed to be limited. Do you believe a magic system should have no limits or should there be set rules to the use of magic?
-

Feel free to also share your reviews and or thoughts on the book in your comments.

I’m so excited about these last two micro discussions of the year. Here is my review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show.... Here are my answers, a little early due to traveling.

1. Tommy. I can relate to people thinking the worst of you because of who or what you are (what you look like).

2. IDK. Honestly, I think it would depend on whether I knew one or whether one killed someone I knew. It’s difficult to think logically when emotions are involved. There’s no way of really knowing how you’d react until faced with a situation like this.

3. No. Immortality seems overrated. Everything has to end at some point, otherwise, why bother.

I’m so excited about these last two micro discussions of the year. Here is my review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show.... Here are my answers, a little early due to traveling.

1. Yes. Without giving too much away, the “bad boy” has a nice twist that makes the whole enemies-to-friend scenario work well without being too cheesy.

2. I mentioned this in my review. While YA seems the obvious market, I can also see readers of New Adult and Adult fiction liking this, as long as they are fans of the superhero genre.

3. I’d like to see some of the other heroes and villains of this world, as well as learn more about this villain’s henchman.

Greetings book clubbers.

Please provide your answers to as many or as few of the questions as you’d like in the comments below. Feel free to ask more questions if you’d like.

-
1. What character did you identify with the most and why?

2. If you lived in a world where vampires such as Tommy existed, would you think of them only as monsters or believe they retained some humanity?

3. If becoming a vampire meant you forgot your human life, would you do it just to be immortal?
-

Thank you, Patricia Lynne, for inspiring these wonderful questions.

Feel free to also share your reviews and or thoughts on the book in your comments.

Greetings book clubbers.

Please provide your answers to as many or as few of the questions as you’d like in the comments below. Feel free to ask more questions if you’d like.

-
1. Romance novels often feature a “good girl” and “bad guy”. Do you think this book does enough to set itself apart from others that have come before?

2. What demographic do you think this novel is best suited for?

3. What do you think will happen next? Or, what more would you like to learn about the world or the characters in the sequel?
-

Thank you, Kim Elliot, for inspiring these wonderful questions.

Feel free to also share your reviews and or thoughts on the book in your comments.

Tyrean wrote: "Hey, I will suggest a few, if that's okay:
C. Lee Mckenzie's Shattered or Double Negative - YA
Jemi Fraser's Reaching for Adventure - Romance, Adult
Tara Tyler's Broken Branch Falls - MG
Wielder's ..."

Thank you for all these suggestions. I will post an update when they have been added.

Liesbet wrote: "Hi Toi!

Thank you for all you’re doing for the IWSG book club. You are keeping it sparkly and fun! :)

May I suggest adding my own book to the bookshelves of the IWSG and/or the book club?

It’s ..."

Thank you for your suggestion. Yes, adding your own book is a great idea. I will post an update when it's been added.

Juneta wrote: "1. I did not get a chance to read this book but still on my TBR list.

3. I don't really want to travel back in time and not sure I'd want to travel to a future I was not born into, but I like the..."

Like you, I enjoy time travel stories, but I have no desire to travel in time, even to the future. That's all I need, to travel 100 years in the future to realize that society, though advanced, hasn't improved much at all.

Janet wrote: "1. I don't read Westerns regularly, but I enjoy them when I do, and I like stories from other genres with Western settings (romance, suspense, horror). My first novel (which I'm getting ready to qu..."

I love your idea for a western story mash-up. Hope to someday read that.