⭒August 2025 BotM - Black: The Birth of Evil [General Discussion]⭒

[Sharon, ⭒botm leader⭒]

Let us know your thoughts before, during, and after you read! Just be careful to hide your spoilers, or at least give a fair warning.🚨🚨🚨

Are you excited about this one??

Are you enjoying the story? Finding it well-paced or slow?

What do you think of the characters?

Are you confused about anything?

Enjoy guys! 😊

[Elisabeth (Bets), ⭒assistant mod⭒]

Yessss!!! I’m so thrilled!!

But now I have to find a way to fit this book in 😂🤣🤦🏻‍♀️

[Jessica]

I just got it out of the library, but I have another book that I have to read first XD. I'm not sure I'll like this one, but I'll give it a try.

[Elisabeth (Bets), ⭒assistant mod⭒]

Same. I also don’t know if I’ll like it.

But I’ve had it recommended by two irl friends and I’m borrowing it from one of them (borrowed it back in February…) so I needed motivation to read it 🤭😂😂

[Angela]

I AM SO EXCITED 🤙 such a cool blend of genres. Christian, fantasy, thriller.

I started it yesterday 😂 I've read it at least twice before and every time God uses it a different way in my life.

I also always forget it takes a few chapters to get to the fantasy bits, so if you're confused... Hang in there 😏

[Elisabeth (Bets), ⭒assistant mod⭒]

The thriller part is the part that scares me. I don’t read thrillers. They scare me.

So I’m nervous but excited 🤩🤩

[Elena]

I just put this on hold at the library, but I don't know if my library will get to it before we suspend all holds for a couple of weeks. I work at the library and we are currently preparing to switch the system our entire county uses, so there are a lot of changes going on right now XD

Super interested in the book though! I haven't read much that sounds similar to this, so I can't wait to see if I enjoy it :)

[Chloe W]

Just reserved it from the library! I'm excited for this one :)

[📚 Alana (professional book nerd)]

I read a different book by him and really enjoyed it, so I'm excited for this one! I have it on hold on Libby and it should come in soon. :)

[Sharon, ⭒botm leader⭒]

I requested it from my library, but I don’t know how I will fit it in.😬 But at least if I do have time, it will be here waiting for me.

[Angela]

👏👏👏

[Elena]

Just got it from the library! I have some other books to finish first, but I should get to it soon :)

[Jasmine (Jazzie)]

My hold from the library just came in recently! 🤭 But I won't be able to pick it up and start the book until next week because my library is closed most of this week... 🫤

[Clare]

I have it as an ebook on Libby right now but it's second in line on my list of books I need to read, so hopefully I can start by the end of the week🤞

[📚 Alana (professional book nerd)]

@Clare
Sameeeeee 😅

[Clare]

I'm starting!!! This may be my first time actually reading the Botm during the Month it won in...

[Sharon, ⭒botm leader⭒]

Clare, I am usually the opposite, reading the book within the first week.🤭

[Becky]

I had it on my shelf. I read it years and years ago but don't remember any of it. So I'm excited to see if I like it/remember it/etc now.

[Clare]

I'm very intrigued by the fact that the green one can be the end OR the beginning

[📚 Alana (professional book nerd)]

Wait what??

[Elisabeth (Bets), ⭒assistant mod⭒]

the whole series goes in a circle and from what I've heard you can technically start with any book and still have it chronologically correct.

[📚 Alana (professional book nerd)]

WHATTTTTT THATS SO COOL

[Jasmine (Jazzie)]

Oh, that's so neat!!

[Elisabeth (Bets), ⭒assistant mod⭒]

I mean I haven't read it but that's what I heard. I also heard that it is still best to read it in the "correct" order. 🤭

But yeah I thought it was pretty neat!

[Sharon, ⭒botm leader⭒]

I cannot imagine trying to write a series like that!

[Clare]

I know!! it's giving my brain a workout just trying to comprehend how it will work!

[✧Bella✧]

Elisabeth (Bets) wrote: "the whole series goes in a circle and from what I've heard you can technically start with any book and still have it chronologically correct."

Oh dang, that sounds confusing lol. How does one WRITE that?

[Elisabeth (Bets), ⭒assistant mod⭒]

I have no idea. Guess we’ll find out when we read it. 😂😂

[Jasmine (Jazzie)]

Well, I was able to go to go to the library sooner than I thought I would, so I now have Black checked out! 🙃 I'll probably start it this weekend.

[EllieJellyBean :D, ⭒assistant mod⭒]

And I will once again not be joining 😂😭
I’ve already read it, plus it’s not a great time for me to read it.

[Sharon, ⭒botm leader⭒]

EllieJellyBean :D wrote: "And I will once again not be joining 😂😭
I’ve already read it, plus it’s not a great time for me to read it."

Well, maybe you can still participate in the discussions since you read it before? Not sure how good your memory of it is. My book-memory is sorely deficient.

[Angela]

Its so cool how it goes around and around! I also recommend starting with Black though...

[Clare]

I'm about to start chapter 3! spoiler 🚨 I thought I read on the back that the world he enters in his dreams is perfect but so far they definitely don't seem so, but I guess I'll just have to wait and see🤷‍♀️🚨unspoiler

[Jessica]

I'm starting to fall into a reading slump trying to read this book. 😅 I hope I don't have to dnf but I might have to ...

[Sharon, ⭒botm leader⭒]

Jessica wrote: "I'm starting to fall into a reading slump trying to read this book. 😅 I hope I don't have to dnf but I might have to ..."

Oh dear! What's the issue? I hope it gets better, whatever it is.

[Jessica]

Sharon wrote: "Jessica wrote: "I'm starting to fall into a reading slump trying to read this book. 😅 I hope I don't have to dnf but I might have to ..."

Oh dear! What's the issue? I hope it gets better, whatever..."

I think it's just not my type of book, as thrillers tend to ... not thrill me lol? The characters are making me cringe so badly too, which doesn't help matters. 😅

[Sharon, ⭒botm leader⭒]

Oh, that’s 2 pretty big strikes.😬 I hope it gets better for you!

[Jessica]

I hope so! 😂

[Clare]

how far through are you?

[Elisabeth (Bets), ⭒assistant mod⭒]

Hey guys!!

I started this on our camping trip this last weekend, I’m read for chapter 6.

I hope I love it! So far it’s… interesting. lol. It’s definitely not the type of book I normally read but I’m excited to see how it goes.

I’m not just loving it so far but hopefully that changes soon!

[Mary Emma]

I feel very guilty for skipping this one, because I own the book. 🫣
But I really disliked the last book the author added to the series. It kind of soured me on the whole series.

[Elisabeth (Bets), ⭒assistant mod⭒]

Green?

[Mary Emma]

Elisabeth (Bets) wrote: "Green?"

Yep.

[Clare]

I'm kinda having the same problem as Jessica...

[Clare]

I'll power through in hope of the light at the end of the tunnel!

[Sharon, ⭒botm leader⭒]

That’s what I usually do, Clare—power through. I rarely dnf in hope of a turn for the better. Sometimes it pays off, sometimes not.🤷‍♀️

[Jasmine (Jazzie)]

Y'all, I just realized that my library's copy of Black has the full graphic novel included. Like, I was trying to figure out why it was so thick and somehow missed where it mentioned the graphic novel, lol. Lowkey if I like Black enough I might just read the graphic novel too just for the extra points, haha!

[Jessica]

Clare wrote: "how far through are you?"

I think partway through chapter 14, but I could be wrong.

[Jessica]

Jasmine (Jazzie) wrote: "Y'all, I just realized that my library's copy of Black has the full graphic novel included. Like, I was trying to figure out why it was so thick and somehow missed where it mentioned the graphic no..."

Ooh, there's a graphic novel??? Lowkey I think this story would be easier for me in the graphic novel format XD.

[Becky]

I don't know what's going on with my Goodreads, but now I'm getting ALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL the notifications again. (I was getting none and I didn't change a thing.)

Anyway, I own the first 3 books (didn't know about book 4 until I picked it back up for this BOTM.) I read it a loooooong time ago and I'm starting to remember why I never read it again. I'm halfway through it and still struggling. I'll probably finish because I feel like I wasted time if I don't... but this one is such a struggle.

On an up side, it's neat (?) to see that he used Elyon as the name for God too like I did in my upcoming book. I probably knew this at one time because I did read the books once, but that was soooooooooo long ago that I'd totally forgotten until I saw it again in the re-read. For those who don't know, "Elyon" is Hebrew and means "Most High" so that's cool. :)