Amelia Halgren > Recent Status Updates

“Life is a series of false hopes. We all have misplaced hopes until we learn better.”

Compelling opening!!!

I found this article helpful to get some context for the world building. I wanted to understand if I was reading historic fiction/fantasy… or what it turns out this book actually is: speculative fiction not based strictly on history but perhaps inspired by it —more like Game of Thrones.

https://www.tor.com/2020/07/20/take-a...

Meh… I’m done. Love the concept but I’m just not latching onto this book. Maybe not enough character development for my taste? I was also hoping for something atmospheric but this reminds me more of a quest oriented story.

Really? First thing she does is *faint*???

I think I’m going to have to bail on this book in spite of it being absolutely *incredibly* written (that’s the only reason I even gotten this far). There’s just too much violence against innocents for me to be able handle this book. It’s not gratuitous, but it just hurts too much.

“We all have ways of showing our patriotism and mine is holding our count to account.”

If it’s the body the aliens inhabit that’s at issue with defining their “personhood” —would it be possible to put their minds in a human body???

“Your parents are the ones to train you what to expect from relationships. They teach you how love works and train you how to expect others to treat you. That’s true for everyone regardless of who your parents are.”

Surely the CIA has mental health professionals with clearance to provide care to personnel who need their services….???

I usually find action scenes in literature dull. But THIS, this is how to write compelling action!!!

“The paradox of anti-government hysteria is that it tends to lead to authoritarianism.”
…I’m going to have to think about that. My gut impulse is to believe it leads to anarchy and/or fascism…

“It is a terrible sin to betray one’s child for a new love.”

Did MC always spend so much time evaluating the appearance, attractiveness, even sexiness, of his female characters? Am I just forgetting that?

SPOILERS


…positive now that Daniel did it but let Justin think that Justin’s responsible. I also believe Daniel is the baby daddy which is how he knew how Lexie would have reacted to being kissed. This gives him a double motive.

I bet Justin *thinks* he did it… but D actually finished her off…

Updated theory…

***SPOILERS***

Ok — back to thinking that Rafe is the baby daddy. Justin could still have stabbed her accidentally/in a passion. But with Daniel testing her so hard and knowing now that she intended to sell her share… could have been him? It’d explain why he’s so suspicious. I still think she told them she was leaving… maybe tried to talk them into selling too?

OK new theory…

**Spoilers!**

Justin did it but it was an accident. He had a knife on him because he had been cooking dinner. Lexie told them all she was leaving and he was upset about his family breaking up.

Of course that doesn’t account for everything being wiped clean…

And it’s looking like the guy from the village instead of Rafe as baby daddy.

An undercover operation seems like a pretty thin reason not to do a paternity test. Surely they could come up with an excuse why they need DNA…

Ooooh…. I bet Rafe is the baby daddy

I suspect the academic supervisor did it, I just don’t know why yet… unrequited love? He found out she was pregnant by someone else? Or maybe he’s the father???

Is the message supposed to be that forgiveness will set you free? Letting go? Trying to sort out messaging…

Hmmm…. I have concerns about this… the implication that the thing between this brilliant black woman and success is, her sense of fight?

***SPOILERS***

“…once you stop fighting… you wont feel the pain, the white supremacy. You’ll …go to work.. without… that heavy anvil of genetic trauma… You’ll swim to the top and be free.”

But isn’t Richard’s support also part of the equation?

Ugh… 🤦🏼‍♀️

Note to self, when someone does you the favor of providing their perspective in the form of some constructive criticism, don’t get so defensive you can’t absorb what they’re saying.