Elizabeth Allen > Recent Status Updates

Struggling. Previous chapters became a pain when the author wrote multiple sentences that basically amounted to 'pejorative + fat', amid lines like "[...]where he cowered as invisibly as an obese man could".

The main character isn't particularly likeable or interesting, the group connections are threadbare, the time skip awkward, the plot meandering. This is rough.

Still solid. Pieces all moving into place.

The infamous 'difficult' fantasy read. I usually feel that unassailable books are often due to poor writing, and so far Gardens of the Moon hasn't changed my mind on that. However, it's not nearly as impossible to understand as people make it out to be, and I'm having a decent enough time with it so far.

Will finish tonight, I think.

I expected to enjoy it, and it has done exactly that for me. Still formulating my thoughts, but just about all of them are good.

At this point, The Blade Itself is basically a masterclass on how to write unlikable characters in a way that is still interesting within the wider story. Grimdark without the gratuity.

Confusing opener, but still an easy page-turner.

Some parts have aged poorly, much like the show. But by light novel standards, it's a joy to see how fun and imaginative this book still is. Happy re-read.

A refreshingly addictive read. Reminds me why I love fantasy so much.

The longer lovecraft writes, the worse he gets. It's unfortunate, but I don't think he was made to create anything worthwhile that is longer than 20 pages. I've liked none of his most famous works so far. Shadow Over Insmouth is the last famous one to tackle.

As an addendum to my previous notes: It's quaint that Cthulhu's introduction has him being beaten back, given that people often criticize modern cosmic horror for making it something that can be triumphed over.

Of the 48 stories I've read so far, I'd say only 5 are worth the time, ranging from okay (The Tomb, The White Ship, Cats of Ulthar) to noteworthy (The Music of Erich Zann, Hypnos).

Most of Lovecraft's longer tales are his worst, which is a shame because until now I've found most of his other stories too short to get invested in. After reading Call of Cthulhu, I'm also coming to understand that modern artistic interpretations of the mythos are more responsible for my love of it than Lovecraft's writing itself. Especially since it surgically cuts out the racism of his work.

The prose is somehow both flourished and beautiful while being super easy-going and digestible at the same time. Throw in some greatly realized characters and it's making for a compelling read so far!

Severe case of 'one-more-page-itus', stopped only by a dragging somewhat power fantasy middle. Still enjoyable, and anticipating a read of the second book.

Totally engrossing. While the author fails to describe much about the setting and environments, she's masterful at balancing dark eroticism with political intrigue. Enjoying it a great deal.

Still an incredibly easy read thanks to a stellar balance between pacing, suspense and plot. I'm pleasantly surprised by how wholesome and modern the friendships are!

It is not difficult for me to see why Dracula is so timeless and beloved. Somehow manages to capture horror and suspense better than any visual adaptation has or can.

A few standouts, a surprising number of forgettable ones. Getting closer to the big name stories.

A lot of forgettable poetry lost in overly grand Christian symbolism, but when her best wordplay pop throughs, it really fills me with excitement

I really like how he writes horror. Sometimes veers too much into "THE UNKNOWABLE UNKNOWN WAS UNKOWABLY UNKNOWABLE" empty repetition. The first instances of his racism have begun to pop through and it's far less subtle than I was led to believe.

Written by a ex-military author and it reads like military fiction. Bizarre decision to throw in an attempted rape plot before establishing any characterization.

Compelling and greatly enjoyable (if familiar) school bullying story.

Raw, with characters that feel so incredibly real and alive.

Super unique folklore. Lots of meaty themes to dig into.