Onyx and Ivory: Pre-reading thoughts

[Stephanie]

This is a thread to contribute your thoughts, hopes, fears, and expectations prior to reading Onyx and Ivory. It could be interesting to look back on what we thought we were about to "get into" after we've finished the book! Please contribute to this discussion as much or as little as you feel comfortable.

[Megan]

Thank you, Stephanie, for doing all the work of providing a framework for the discussion! I am looking forward to Onyx and Ivory because it sounds like it will be pretty action-packed and have interesting characters- I sure hope I’m not wrong, since I was the one to suggest it in the first place!

[Jen]

Thanks again, Stephanie, for managing the discussions.

I'm looking forward to trying this one out. Just from reading the blurb, I'm hoping it might have a few new twists on some of the standard YA fantasy tropes. Otherwise, I'm trying not to go into this with too many expectations. I'm just looking for a fun buddy read with the group, and some interesting characters and magic.

[Cindy]

I, too, am looking forward to this to being a fun read!

Hopefully I can start the book soon (I’m on my librarys wait list), and can balance reading it with participating in CampNaNoWriMo this month.

[Stephanie]

Hello All,

I have mixed feelings about starting this book. I do like the high fantasy genre, but the description of it seems...a lot, both in terms of reading like a book already precedes it (which I don't think it does) and in terms of having "all the things"--it seems like a high fantasy and YA bucket list of all the things that could be included in both of these genres. I'm worried that the author won't really show any restrain, I guess, haha. I hope to be proven wrong!

[Jennifer]

Thanks for doing the discussion again, Stephanie! I really enjoyed how it worked for the last book.

I'm going into this book pretty blind. I might have read the description, but it's been a crazy few weeks, so I honestly can't remember. I love fantasy and strong female protagonists, so I have a feeling I'll enjoy the book. At the very least, I' looking forward to finding out!

[Sarah]

This sounds like a great book, and I'm looking forward to it. I'm usually pretty jaded against cookie-cutter plot/character/trope YA fantasy books, but the plot summary of this one sounds different enough to seem like something I'll likely enjoy. I hope so- you guys have me excited to try it!

Unfortunately we found the one book that my library doen't have. I'll need to wait for an interlibrary loan to get a copy, so it'll be a few weeks before I'm able to join in the fun.

[Cindy]

Phew! I get to start reading tonight! My local library got the book delivered today (from another branch) and I was able to pick it up before they closed.

[Sheri]

I'm looking forward to reading it, i do like a good fantasy. I know I skimmed the description but I can't actually remember what it said! I don't like to do too much research before I start reading, a lot of times blurbs and reviews give too much information. Sometimes I'll pause while reading and go back and read the blurb again or reviews if I'm confused/not liking something/trying to see where it'll go.

I'm doing audio book which isn't my favorite, because that's what I could get digitally from Hoopla. Hopefully it's a good reader, or I'll have to see if the library can get a physical copy.

[Cindy]

I’ve started, and just got to chapter three - I won’t spoil anything, except to say I’m enjoying it and I look forward to learning more about the world.

[Jinglebat]

I got lucky, my library only took a week to get it for me so I'm already on the 2nd section. I'm enjoying it so far.
I also ordered the runner up because it sounded interesting so I need to pick that one up this week

[Katie]

I’ve got the paperback preordered (no luck with the library). I feel bad about left hand of darkness, I had said that I don’t remember it after reading it in university and as soon as I started it again I remembered why...it was terrible. I gave up on the re-read, not worth it. Looking forward to this new one though.

[Susan]

I am the same as Jennifer. I read the description weeks ago, I have traveled to 3 different places in the meantime and have forgotten anything I knew. I am looking forward to a good fiction read. I was only 'eh' on the last book.

[Daisy]

I haven’t read the blurb so I am going into the book completely blind based solely on it being the chosen book here, so I have no expectations 😄

[Sheri]

Hi! Just as a note: Stephanie was very busy this week and didn’t have a chance to write up additional questions for the rest of the book. She’s out of town for the week and limited internet so new ones won’t be posted until she gets back. Just wanted to keep everyone posted! (I haven’t finished yet so I can’t step in, sorry!)