Lit Vibes Only
Kelsey and Amanda are two book besties who love to "Lit the Sh*t" out of books they love and hate! In their Lit it or Quit It episodes, Kelsey and Amanda are forced to read the other's favorite books. While Amanda loves to read historical fiction and mystery/thrillers, you'll find Kelsey curled up with just about any romantasy. They discuss the books at length and, in the end, decide whether the book is a "Lit It" or "Quit It"! Every month they'll also give some book recs you just can't miss. Look out for the bonus episodes about bookish topics and books that were adapted into movies/shows.
Listen in and choose whose side you're on, or perhaps find yourself intrigued by a book you wouldn't normally go for. See you on Mondays!
Lit Vibes Only
Ep. 5: Lit It or Quit It: Divine Rivals
Join Kelsey and Amanda as they passionately debate the merits and flaws of 'Divine Rivals' by Rebecca Ross. With Kelsey appreciating the emotional journey and war-torn romance, and Amanda critiquing the lazy world-building and formulaic storytelling, this episode promises a fiery discussion on what makes a fantasy book truly captivating.
Follow us on TikTok & Youtube @litvibesonlypodcast and on Instagram @litvibesonly_podcast. We'd love to hear from you!
See you on Mondays!
Episode 5: Lit it Or Quit It: Divine Rivals
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[00:00:00] A quick note before we begin. While Kelsey and Amanda enjoy debating for your entertainment, we want our listeners to know that Lit Vibes Only is an inclusive community that honors all tastes and respects all readers. Enjoy this episode!
[00:00:19] Kelsey: Welcome to Lit Vibes Only where we lit the shit out of books we love and hate.
[00:00:25] Amanda: I'm Kelsey. And I'm Amanda. And we are so glad that you've joined us for another lit it or quitted episodes. So before we get to that really quick reminder about where to find us on socials, if you're on Instagram, you can find us at lit vibes, only underscore podcast.
[00:00:42] Amanda: If you're on Tik TOK, it's just lit vibes, only podcast, same for YouTube. Lit vibes only podcast. And you can listen to us wherever you get your podcast, wherever you listen to your podcast. , and we are still, we still have our sticker giveaway [00:01:00] going on. So we're still a brand new baby podcast. We are still trying to get ourselves out there and promote what we're doing.
[00:01:07] Amanda: So we need your help to do that. So if you write us a review, A positive review. , we will send you a lit vibes only limited edition sticker. So write that review. , you're going to want to send us a picture of it, just screenshot it. And you can either DM us on Tik TOK or on Instagram, or you can send it to our email address, which is lit vibes, only podcast at gmail.
[00:01:32] Amanda: com. There
[00:01:32] Kelsey: you go.
[00:01:33] Amanda: Get a sticker. Y'all get a sticker. They're amazing. They're so cute.
[00:01:37] Kelsey: They're very cute. You know, I love it. , so we wanted to try out this new thing and see how it goes. Let us know what you think. Do you want to know a little bit more about us or do you just want to only have us talk about books? , so this morning I wanted to share a story, , that, , I wonder if my voice is actually affected by it. It was so bad.[00:02:00]
[00:02:00] Kelsey: I, this morning, my husband was still sleeping and I was feeding the cats and I was walking back downstairs to get my cat because I have to, I have to, , close them off from each other. Otherwise they'll eat each other's food. They're ridiculous. And so he gets the bathroom and the other cat gets the downstairs like living room area.
[00:02:21] Kelsey: So I was going downstairs to go let them out. , cause they had eaten their food and then I wasn't wearing my contacts and I couldn't see very well. And so I was walking downstairs and then I see this black thing move. I'm deathly afraid of spiders. Okay. And so like, I went and go, got my cat and came back out 'cause it was like in front of me. Mm-Hmm. . Mm-Hmm. . And I went back upstairs to go find something to kill it. And then I, what did I do?
[00:02:52] Kelsey: I, I ended up back downstairs somehow. And then it started coming at me and then trapped me downstairs. [00:03:00] And I was like, I was screaming at the top of my lungs and he, well, one, he was still sleeping basically, or like in the bedroom and it's hard to hear from like downstairs to upstairs. ,
[00:03:10] Kelsey: , then I just kept screaming because it kept coming at me and I was just like, and the cats weren't downstairs anymore because normally they would like.
[00:03:20] Kelsey: Try to play with it or try to be like, what is that? And they might kill it. , but I was just screaming at the top of my lungs and I was like, great, lovely. I'm coming into this podcast
[00:03:32] Amanda: with the really,
[00:03:33] Kelsey: , scratch experience.
[00:03:34] Amanda: Yeah. Wait, so what happened? Like who killed it? Where did it go? Oh my God. Okay. So I was,
[00:03:42] Kelsey: normally we don't kill like spiders.
[00:03:44] Kelsey: Right. And so he'll like grab it in a jar or something and like throw it out. And I was like, just kill it. I was wanted to kill it, but I was like too scared. I don't know what that is about. You just like are paralyzed by fear. I feel [00:04:00] And, , then. It actually, he was going to go get something to kill it.
[00:04:04] Kelsey: And he was like, I'll go get the broom. And I was like, why a broom? Get a book, get like something that's like solid.
[00:04:13] Kelsey: And, , then it like left out the garage door.
[00:04:20] Amanda: Oh,
[00:04:21] Kelsey: wait, how did
[00:04:22] Amanda: it get into the garage from your house? Did you sweep it out?
[00:04:25] Kelsey: No, no. The door to the garage is like. Downstairs. Oh, I see. You just opened the door. No, I did.
[00:04:32] Amanda: And it just crawled underneath. Look, girl, you need to seal the bottom of that door. You get one of those, like those door, there's a proper name.
[00:04:41] Amanda: It's not called a door flap, but it's like a little thing you can put at the bottom of the door. It like keeps on drafts and like horrendous looking insects. Get one of those. Yes. I need to do that. I can send you a link. Oh, please
[00:04:53] Kelsey: do. Because yeah, I was. I was like, it's just in the garage now. And he didn't go and kill it.
[00:04:59] Kelsey: Wait, it's [00:05:00] waiting
[00:05:00] Amanda: for
[00:05:00] Kelsey: you. He still didn't go kill it. And I was like, oh my gosh. And then, so I opened the garage door.
[00:05:08] Amanda: I was like, just go outside, please. Yeah, you definitely have to get one of those. Those little, whatever they're called. I don't know why I'm blanking on the name. Flaps. The door flap, get a door flap.
[00:05:17] Amanda: , that actually makes me think though, because literally a couple of days ago I was driving home. Brown, I had gone to see a play with a friend and driving home. It's night I get in my car. And as I'm driving, I noticed like this little like fluttering and my peripheral vision.
[00:05:33] Kelsey: Okay.
[00:05:33] Amanda: And, , I am like deeply, deathly, intensely afraid of moths.
[00:05:39] Amanda: Like, I know it's so irrational. I know they cannot poison you or sting you or bite you, but I like hate them. It's like the erratic movement that really throws me and the fact that they'll just like come at you. , and I know this about myself and I know like I cannot focus. Or drive. Oh no. When I am like, when there's a moth in the car, so I like, I start sweating and my heart's racing and I'm like on the brink of [00:06:00] tears.
[00:06:00] Amanda: I'm like, if I do not pull over, someone is going to die. Probably me, maybe some other poor unsuspecting driver. So, , I'm like, I have a denim jacket in the car that I had been wearing, so I'm like flapping it around like this and like trying to hit it as I'm trying to pull off into a gas station. , it was awful.
[00:06:16] Amanda: I like ended up, I did, I made it to the gas station. And then I jumped out of the car, like opened all the car doors and like tried to get it to leave, which it did eventually. And I'm like, I'm sure everyone in this like gas station, parking lot at like 10 o'clock at night is like, WTF. What is this woman on right now?
[00:06:34] Amanda: Should she even be like operating a vehicle? Oh my gosh. Yeah. I just, I have always hated them. So like, I, I get that primal fear. When it comes to insects, like spiders, moths, whatever. But like, I can't moths. I just can't, I can't do that. I cannot. My, one of my brothers was in Brazil, , a couple of months ago and they were like out in like the rain forest.
[00:06:58] Amanda: And he sent a picture of this moth that was [00:07:00] like the size of a dinner plate. And like, I would just, my heart would stop. I would expire. Like that would just be the end. No, it was a moth. It was a moth. It was not a butterfly. Do you have the
[00:07:09] Kelsey: same fear of butterflies? No, because butterflies are like, I know,
[00:07:13] Amanda: well, they don't have those like weird, freaky, feathery antenna.
[00:07:16] Amanda: And, , they don't come at you the way that moths do, like moths are just like really erratic flight patterns. And I just, I can't handle it. So interesting. That's my, that's my insects, my recent insect
[00:07:29] Kelsey: stories. So actually by the time these episodes come out, it's going to be in October. So it's going to be spooky season.
[00:07:35] Kelsey: So like we should perfect a little
[00:07:38] Amanda: horror, a little real life horror to share or share some
[00:07:41] Kelsey: of our rational fears. I wonder, I bet you that's like a phobia is no, it is moths. Yeah. I bet
[00:07:48] Amanda: you I could look up the name and it has like. Some fancy scientific something, something phobia, another
[00:07:54] Kelsey: thing that just is so random, but, , I, and I looked it up one [00:08:00] time, but like, it's, it's such an, it's an irrational fear, but I clam up and freak out when there's wind in my face, like when there's like a fan going and that feels, yeah, it's so weird.
[00:08:13] Kelsey: It feels like I can't breathe. And, , that's a, that's a fear, like a phobia and actual phobia is like having wind in your face. I have not heard of that one. Yeah. I can't remember what doctor I was at and they were like putting like a fan in my face and I was like, Oh God,
[00:08:34] Amanda: freaking out. Like I get that way in saunas and I don't like saunas cause I feel like I'm suffocating cause they're so like.
[00:08:41] Kelsey: Yeah, they're hot .
[00:08:41] Amanda: Yeah. And all that hot, moist air. Like I, like, I know I, I am breathing and I can breathe, but I feel like I can't. And so like, I hate saunas. I will not go into 'em. Oh, interesting. Like, yeah, it's like that stain, steam, steam. Same, like any hot, moist air. I'm in an inclusive space. Like, no, like I, I was like, oh, it's like relaxing and detoxifying.
[00:08:59] Amanda: Like I feel like [00:09:00] I'm dying. And I
[00:09:01] Kelsey: like, Oh, so interesting
[00:09:04] Amanda: because
[00:09:04] Kelsey: they're weird. We're just, yeah, we're fucking weird. , the other thing that we forgot to do, or I guess we're doing, we're going to do it now. This is a job of the day. Yes. Why don't you
[00:09:14] Amanda: start? Why don't you go first?
[00:09:16] Kelsey: I'm pretty basic today. I just have like a t shirt on, but this is, where did this come from?
[00:09:22] Kelsey: I feel like I got this when I was, , working at a tribal school down South. And so, , it's just like a, yeah, it's a, from one of my tribal schools that I've worked at and then I'm wearing jeans just and a bun, like there's no good hairstyle for this. It's headphone attire. So I'm just like, you just have short hair like me.
[00:09:42] Kelsey: Yeah. Yours looks cute, but there's, yeah, I'm just getting by these days. And then I have a chai latte today from. Diva espresso. One of my favorite coffee shops. Yeah, it is. [00:10:00] I actually have one of their water bottles. , Diva, do you want to sponsor us? Like local coffee spot? , so funny. , So yeah, that is my, Oh, I forgot my book of the day.
[00:10:13] Kelsey: Oh, my mind
[00:10:14] Amanda: is like,
[00:10:15] Kelsey: Oh my gosh, I recognize that name. I'm in Queen of Shadows of the Throne of Glass series. And I've been trying to read the series this entire year. So I'm in Queen of Shadows now. And I got into a book slump in the middle of reading it. The problem was I started as an, it as an audio book.
[00:10:38] Kelsey: I read like the first like two or three as an audio book and then some reason I couldn't find the rest in audio book form. I don't know, someone else knows better than I do, but I can't find them. And , so I started reading the book and the books are friggin thick. Like, they're big. They're very, very [00:11:00] big.
[00:11:01] Kelsey: And, , I know. And when I have a really giant book and I'm just looking at it, it's really hard for me to like get through and like not see like progress, you know, I feel like that's my ADHD brain, but, , I, I recently this week switched to my e reader and I've been like busting through it. And I just think it is like, it's a, it's a mind trick.
[00:11:24] Kelsey: Yeah. Cause you can't see. And, , I'm making like progress and I can see the percentage going up and up and up. Right. And so it's just like, yeah, it's weird. It's a mindfuck. But anyway, that's where I'm at and I'm really enjoying it actually. And I was like, Oh dang, I've been missing out, but yeah, it's just a mental thing.
[00:11:44] Kelsey: No, I was. And, , guess what? You might be on our reading list soon.
[00:11:48] Amanda: Yeah. No, no, absolutely not.
[00:11:51] Kelsey: Amanda, I love how you say no. But, like, you don't get to decide which books they are. Oh, I totally do. I have
[00:11:57] Amanda: autonomy. I'm a grown woman. I have
[00:11:59] Kelsey: free [00:12:00] will. Is that why you read Twilight? Is that why you read Divine Rivals?
[00:12:03] Kelsey: I read those
[00:12:04] Amanda: books because they were one. One and not part of the series. Well, I guess they're part of the series, but I'm not going to read the other. I'm
[00:12:11] Kelsey: not reading the other books. It's just one. Because I'm deciding that we're not,
[00:12:15] Amanda: so. No, so we're, we're going to have a discussion about this later. .
[00:12:18] Amanda: , but if I have to read, like. All of like the ACOTAR series, which is like hundreds and hundreds and thousands of pages, then you have to read like a book, like an 800 page. Historical fiction book. Like, I
[00:12:28] Kelsey: mean, you're of beer. I you're already making me read Horse, which is just, which is not 800 pages.
[00:12:34] Kelsey: It's so, and it's not a series. It's, it's so good. It's way too long, so bad. It's way too long. It's so good.
[00:12:39] Amanda: Anyhow, it's my turn now to do my job. Let's go of the day. So, , I am just wearing a plain black. sweatshirts. It is a beyond yoga sweatshirt, which is like a fancy brand. And I don't normally wear super fancy clothes, but I had an REI gift card a couple of years ago and I got it and like quickly became one of my [00:13:00] favorite sweatshirts.
[00:13:01] Amanda: , and then I've just got some sweat shorts on some gray sweatshorts. So like very comfy, very cozy. , and then my, , drink of the day, wait, did this out of order? I guess it's DOB, not ODB. Anyhow, my drink of the day, can't release. See it, but it's in my little travel mug staying warm. It is a, , oat milk, vanilla matcha latte that I made here at home. It's very yummy. Yeah. I'm like very much getting into matcha. Like it started this summer and now I'm just like a full on matcha girly and I am here for it and it's a nice, a nice warm drink to keep me warm and cozy through these fall and winter months. , yeah.
[00:13:35] Amanda: , and then my book of the day, I don't have it right next to me. It's like over on my coffee table. I can see it from where I'm sitting, but, , I am currently reading all fours by Miranda July. , my book club is currently reading it and it is no spoilers, but it's contemporary fiction. It tells the story of this like 45 year old woman who.
[00:13:58] Amanda: is kind of having a midlife crisis. [00:14:00] Like she basically decides that she is going to drive across country from the West coast to the East coast and ends up only 30 minutes away from her home and ends up staying at this motel for three weeks and has an experience. And, , yeah, it just like explores like womanhood and aging.
[00:14:20] Amanda: And. , relationships and, , she also is queer, , or at least I believe that's implied. She's had relationships with like men and women. And , so yeah, it's, it's, , not something that I would necessarily like pick up on my own. Maybe. , it's a little, you might like, it's a little raunchy to, , Thanks Amanda.
[00:14:41] Amanda: Cheers. Cheers. I mean, like she, there's a lot of like, , her exploring like her sexuality and like, what it means to feel kind of like what it feels like to be a woman in an aging body and like how that affects how we're perceived and how we feel about ourselves and beauty. , So that's what I'm reading right now.
[00:14:58] Amanda: That's my,
[00:14:59] Kelsey: my
[00:14:59] Amanda: job. [00:15:00]
[00:15:00] Kelsey: Thanks. Just to be
[00:15:01] Amanda: clear,
[00:15:02] Kelsey: I don't read erotica just to like read erotica.
[00:15:06] Amanda: I mean, I didn't say that. I'm just saying that there's a lot of that in the books you read. Just to be clear. Okay. All right. We are moving on. Our episodes are going to be so long.
[00:15:21] Kelsey: You guys are going to have to let us know whether or not you like this and how long it is or if you want us to cut it down.
[00:15:27] Kelsey: All right. Go forth. We are, , at the point of the episode where We ask Amanda because it is the, the book I recommended. , we are talking about divine rivals today and by Rebecca Ross Ross. Thank you. There's so many Rebecca's I read. And, , , so Amanda short version, let it or quit it.
[00:15:56] Amanda: , yeah, this is another easy one.
[00:15:58] Amanda: I would definitely [00:16:00] give this book. A quiddit, maybe a slightly softer quiddit than Twilight, because Twilight was just like full on so hard quiddit. Absolutely. This one was like a quiddit. Like, I don't hate it as much. My feelings for it, , are not as strong. So I would just say it's a soft quiddit. And I'll leave it at that until we get to the actual discussion in a moment.
[00:16:29] Amanda: So yeah, self
[00:16:30] Kelsey: quit it. So now please. , share with us the summary of the book. Oh God. Okay, here we go.
[00:16:38] Amanda: , I always get so anxious about this bit because again, ADHD brain, I'm like, here we go. I'm just going to ramble. , but, , this book focuses on two main characters, Iris Winnow and Roman Kitt. They are both, I think in their like late teens, early twenties.
[00:16:55] Amanda: I wasn't entirely sure how old they were and I didn't go back and check cause I don't care. , but. I [00:17:00] don't think.
[00:17:00] Kelsey: It's ever, I could be wrong. It's been a while.
[00:17:04] Amanda: Okay. I think. Yes. Somewhere around that age. Cause I know that they just finished school, , like high school, I think. , although again, that's not really clear in the book if they like,
[00:17:14] Kelsey: yeah,
[00:17:15] Amanda: I know that there are universities in this world, but I'm not clear if they actually went to university.
[00:17:19] Amanda: I think they just finished high school.
[00:17:21] Amanda: ,
[00:17:21] Amanda: and. Iris actually dropped out of high school. Roman didn't. , she dropped out of high school because her brother, Forrest, has gone to, , fight in this raging war that's happening in the land of, I believe, Cambria. And it's a, a war between gods, and I'm probably going to pronounce their names wrong because I read this book and I didn't listen to an audio book.
[00:17:45] Amanda: One of the gods is Enva and she is a sky, a skyward god. And then Dakar or Dakar, I don't know how to say that.
[00:17:53] Kelsey: Dakri.
[00:17:54] Amanda: Thank you. You must have listened to the audio book. I don't know. I don't think I did. No, I didn't. [00:18:00] But you hear it on like tick tock. I must have. Okay. So daiquiri is part of the underling gods.
[00:18:06] Amanda: And yes, they live under the earth because they're underlings, like just great writing right there. , and they're engaged in this war. And so there's folks who are fighting for Dacre, folks who are fighting for Enva. He is fighting for Enva. , so he leaves, he goes off to fight. She's very sad. She ends up having to drop out of school because her mother Aster is also very sad that her son has left.
[00:18:30] Amanda: She has turned to alcohol , , and isn't really able to support them. And so it falls on Iris to essentially get a job and support the family. So she ends up writing an essay. And it's chosen to work at the local paper, one of the local papers, and it is there that she encounters Roman Kitt. And they are both trying to compete , to be a columnist at this newspaper.
[00:18:57] Amanda: And their boss is basically kind of testing [00:19:00] them both out to see, and we'll let them know who's going to win this prestigious position. Iris and Roman don't like each other. It's very clear. And ultimately, , Iris's mother is killed one evening. , it really kind of turns Iris's world upside down. And, , she decides to leave the paper.
[00:19:22] Amanda: And as all of this is happening, all these different events, she has been writing letters to her brother, Forrest.
And
[00:19:29] Amanda: Forrest has not replied to any of her letters. So she's concerned that maybe he's no longer alive. , but suddenly she starts to get, so she's been pushing her letters under the door of her wardrobe because that's what a normal person does.
[00:19:42] Amanda: And, , she has nowhere to send them. She's starting to, she's starting to get like these messages back from like this anonymous sender, , who is not Forrest. , and so they start this like correspondence through her wardrobe door, , spoiler alert. The [00:20:00] other writer is Roman, , and so she heads off. She decides to become a wartime correspondent with another newspaper, another rival newspaper.
[00:20:09] Amanda: They sent her to the front. She gets to the front. She is staying at a home with a woman named Marisol and another. , wartime correspondent, , named Addie, and, , essentially the second half of the book is them in, , you know, on the front, essentially, , helping with the war effort. They're working at a hospital.
[00:20:30] Amanda: They're taking turns going to the front to, to the actual front where the fighting's happening to report on it. And at some point. Bye. Bye. Roman shows up because Roman knows that the person who's been writing the letters is Iris, even though Iris doesn't know the other person is Roman. , blah, blah, blah.
[00:20:46] Amanda: They fall in love very quickly. And, , they also go to the front together. Lives are saved. Romance blossoms some more. They get married. And, , Essentially, [00:21:00] the, how do you say it again, Dakri? Dakri? Dakri. Dakri's forces finally get to the home in which they're, the town in which they're staying, which is close to the front, but not exactly at the front, and there's a whole skirmish battle, and she is reunited with her brother, Forrest, , and He kind of escapes with her from Daiquiri's army, but in the process of that happening, , Roman is left behind and he, we find out that he kind of gets taken by Daiquiri's forces and the book kind of ends there with her back in her hometown.
[00:21:41] Amanda: , we don't, she doesn't know what's happened to Roman. We as the reader know that he's been taken captive by Daiquiri's forces and That is kind of it in a nutshell, I think. I don't know if I missed any major points. We'll get into them, I'm sure. But it's definitely an enemies to [00:22:00] lovers trope. I'm learning all of these like romance tropes.
[00:22:03] Amanda: This is an enemies to lovers trope. And, , yeah, how did I do Kelsey?
[00:22:07] Kelsey: You did great. Yeah. Besides, you know, your how uninterested you are.
[00:22:14] Amanda: Yeah. This is one of those books where I'm like, I would at least say for Twilight and it was because it's, you know, it's been around for a while and it's, it's so well known that I had stronger, like not positive feelings, but at least I had strong feelings for it.
[00:22:29] Amanda: This is just like a book that I'm like, yeah, I've already forgotten half of it because it was, there was nothing, there was nothing memorable about it. Like there was nothing that stood out to me. Like, so I'm all, I feel very apathetic about this book. Like. It did not, it did not bring out any strong emotions either way for me.
[00:22:46] Amanda: So,
[00:22:47] Kelsey: so thank you for the summary, but now we need to move into the things that you did like about the book.
[00:22:56] Amanda: Cause we always
[00:22:56] Kelsey: start on a positive note.
[00:22:57] Amanda: Yes. We just love being positive on this [00:23:00] podcast. , yeah, so here's, here's what I will say. About this book that I did like, and I remember texting you about this as I was reading it.
[00:23:06] Amanda: , I don't obviously read a lot of fantasy and haven't read fantasy in a while. And so I was happy to see that there were two characters of color in the book. So two women of color, Marisol and Addie. That made me really happy because I feel like a lot of times I'm hopeful that that's true. Change and is changing, , in the fantasy genre, but it can be very white.
[00:23:25] Amanda: So I really liked that. , I love that Marisol was a queer character as well. So I appreciated that inclusion as, as well. , and in terms of the parts of the book or part of the book that I enjoyed, like, honestly, and again, I texted this to you. The only part of the book where I felt myself getting a bit invested in was like the last, like fourth of the book where they were like, In the war.
[00:23:47] Amanda: Right. And like lives were on the line and like things were happening. It was like much more action packed and fast paced. , and because the stakes were higher, I felt more invested. So I did [00:24:00] appreciate that part of the book, but everything else was like a complete wash for me.
[00:24:03] Kelsey: Yeah, I should have like listened to it again, but I really remember in the beginning, like I was hooked right away when I started reading this book because of the pain that Iris goes through near the beginning of the book with the loss of her brother. She doesn't know where he's at.
[00:24:22] Kelsey: And, , He's possibly dead. And then watching her mother kind of waste away. And then, , I think it's interesting for her character in that. She had, had the opportunity to do and follow the same path as her mom, but she just like, she didn't obviously, and, , chose a different path and it wasn't based on, you know, a man, it wasn't based on anything romantic.
[00:24:50] Kelsey: It was based on the, the need that she had to do something. And, , mostly based on. [00:25:00] Her family. And I remember being destroyed when her mom died. It was so sad. I can't remember, like, it was like February when I read this book just this year. And, , I can't remember what was going on. Cause it really depends on what's going on in my life or me to like, whether or not I feel something in the book.
[00:25:19] Kelsey: , In a book. So, , I just remember being very attached to her as a character, , early on because of the, the trauma that she goes through.
[00:25:29] Amanda: Yeah. I remember reading this book and thinking about you. Cause I, I remember when you were reading it in February and you're like, Oh my gosh, it's so good. And it just like destroyed me.
[00:25:37] Amanda: And I'm like, I don't feel anything for these characters. And although I'm like very big on books that have like a great plot, and that's very plot driven, I also love well developed characters. And if I am connected to a character, I will like, yeah, I will cry. I will scream. I will laugh, whatever. And I just did not care about any of them.
[00:25:59] Amanda: And I think it [00:26:00] was primarily because the character development was really poor. And while we do get a fair amount of like interiority for Roman and for Iris because they're like the main protagonist and like they're writing these letters back and forth, I think because the writing was poor again, like again, it felt like, I know it's YA fiction, but it felt like it was written by a youth and not for youth.
[00:26:23] Amanda: Like it felt like it was like written by a high schooler. , and we'll get to that more in a second, but because their writing was poor, , and even in their letters to each other. Like they used a lot of cliches and a lot of really flowery language and they rambled a lot and it didn't make sense. And so I didn't, it wasn't like I read the letters that they were writing to each other.
[00:26:41] Amanda: I'm like, Oh, I really have a good sense of who these people are and I care about them. It just fell so flat for me. And then the other characters, they all felt like caricatures. Like you have like, The demanding and cold and slightly evil dad. And then you have like these weak heartbroken, like limping mothers.
[00:26:59] Amanda: And then you have [00:27:00] like the chipper and intelligent sidekick. And it was just like, Oh my God. You basically took like these caricatures and these tropes and just plugged them in in some ways like Twilight, but it felt very like plug and play.
[00:27:11] Amanda: Like you need, you need like this kind of dad and you need this kind of best friend and you need this kind of, you know, like, , grumpy, cantankerous boss. Like it was so formulaic, it was so formulaic. So I didn't have that emotional response because. They didn't seem real at all, like it almost felt like a, like a fable in some ways, like a novel that was like drawing me a story.
[00:27:37] Kelsey: Yeah. Yeah. All right. Good story.
[00:27:40] Amanda: Yeah. And that's where like,
[00:27:43] Kelsey: and that's where our tastes like just are different. And I, , I think that the things that you look for are. Very particular.
[00:27:53] Kelsey: ,
[00:27:53] Kelsey: and then for me, it's just, I see books as like [00:28:00] entertainment and, , I can, and it's same for movies or shows. Like I can watch trashy TV and still really like it, , and not have to like critique it.
[00:28:11] Kelsey: And, , That's the same thing with books for me. And you're not wrong in the fact that when it comes to fantasy one, it oftentimes is very white and that's still like the case. And I'm constantly trying to find different books that are, , you know, that are more diverse and like just more representative of our real world.
[00:28:36] Kelsey: Right. But, , but that is often a criticism of fantasy authors. Yeah. , and a lot of them tend to be like white women. And so, , and this is another white woman who, you know, she, she did what she did and, , doesn't make me hate a book, but I'm always striving to look for, other like POC authors or just [00:29:00] more diverse authors that are just, , putting, , more diverse storytelling into their books.
[00:29:05] Kelsey: , but yeah, , those things though, that you mentioned, like, don't destroy a book for me. I'm also not looking for them and it's just like, Yeah. But like, I just,
[00:29:14] Amanda: I find, and, and this is honestly, and we can talk about this when like, you're reading more of the books that I read, but like, I just feel like if a book feels formulaic, then I check out because like, I like unpredictability.
[00:29:30] Amanda: I like being surprised. I like the quirks and idiosyncrasies of humans. And when they're just, Drawn in really kind of two dimensional flat ways. Like I check out, like, even again, I was texting with you so much as I read this, like another thing that just felt so cliched and hackneyed was the fact that.
[00:29:51] Amanda: They had all of these moments in the book that are straight out of any number of rom coms or romantic books. [00:30:00] So like her dropping the pencil at Roman's feet and then having to pick it up in front of him or him like yanking, her out of the way of like the oncoming tram so she doesn't get killed and saving her life or the freaking scene where like She has to run out to the field to save him from the aetherals, aetherals, aetherals, I don't even know.
[00:30:20] Amanda: Aetherals. Aetherals, another reason why I hate fantasy books, we all have a weird jargon. , aetherals, and she has to run and save him at the last minute. Oh, oh my gosh, they end up laying on top of each other for like ten minutes so she can protect like Aylas. It was just like, really, dude, this was the best you could come up with.
[00:30:38] Amanda: , did you even try? , this is such lazy writing, like so incredibly lazy and cringe. And , I know I'm not alone in this because I read a lot of one star reviews, but it's like, she didn't even try it even more so. And I'm surprised that this was not an issue for you because. You like fantasy. So one of the big things with fantasy, or so I've [00:31:00] heard, is that like world you're learning world building is like a really big deal.
[00:31:06] Amanda: Like if you're going to like create this story, then one of the things that is going to carry the story as a world that is intentional and well crafted and well considered, , the reader understands The rules of this world and, , and can engage with them and understand them. And this was like horrible world building, like so bad, first of all.
[00:31:31] Amanda: You start off, you really have no idea where and when this is happening from right from the jump. So it's very disorienting as a reader. And even though I hate when a book, I hate when fantasy books like you open, it's like, here's like five different maps. And like, here are like all of the houses of the different characters.
[00:31:47] Amanda: And it's like 20, 000. It
[00:31:49] Kelsey: was not like
[00:31:51] Amanda: that, but at the same time, I kind of wish it was a little bit like that because I, for the first couple of chapters, I'm just like, Where, and when are [00:32:00] we, I don't know how to orient myself in relationship to these characters, to this plot. I couldn't tell, like, are we in the 1800s?
[00:32:09] Amanda: Are we in like the 20th century? What technology do or do they have? Do they not have? How does magic
[00:32:16] Kelsey: function?
[00:32:17] Amanda: So they have typewriters, but they also have like elevators and they also have like, like indoor electricity. And so it was very jarring. I was like, what is happening? It's just like, A magical realism world where it really is just our world with like touches of magic, but then you have like this whole relationship with gods and mythology, which was horribly incorporated and horribly explained.
[00:32:40] Amanda: And then you have magic, but the magic is explained in such a lazy way. So I'm just, cause I love like reading excerpts from things. So there's, I'm just going to read like a couple sentences. And it just, I think this excerpt really shows how magic is so like kind of freely and [00:33:00] randomly wielded in this book, but with very little explanation as to why and like how.
[00:33:04] Amanda: So this is, , I don't remember what page, but this is, , a part of the book. Where we're learning about how these magical typewriters work and why Roman and Iris can communicate with each other. And it literally says this. The legends claim the typewriters were constructed in a magical house on a magical street of Oath by a man with a magical monocle that could discern magical bonds who soon vanished by the way.
[00:33:30] Amanda: That's literally the only explanation we get as to like how these typewriters came to be and like how they work like that is it just magic, magic, magic with like no explanation as to how or why and where and when this magic came from. Like you did not take any time to consider what you wanted or how you wanted to craft your world.
[00:33:54] Amanda: And it's so glaringly obvious. And so. As someone who doesn't read fantasy was obvious. And so [00:34:00] for someone who does read fantasy, like you, I'm surprised that didn't bother you for it to be like, so slapdash and like, just stuck together with like very little attention to detail and very little intention.
[00:34:13] Amanda: Lazy writing
[00:34:14] Kelsey: doesn't bother me. It doesn't, or even plot holes won't bother me. Depends. But, , when it's really well done, love that. Love that. Like actually Sarah J. Mass Moss. I actually don't know how to say her name. , does a really great job of that. It just doesn't, I don't know.
[00:34:35] Kelsey: I don't know. It's entertainment. That's all.
[00:34:37] Amanda: But like lazy writing aside, like there's no true world building in this book. And if you like that about the genre and it's not there.
[00:34:46] Kelsey: I like many things about the genre, but it's not the only thing I like about the genre. And also this was more of like, sure there, the war was going on.
[00:34:57] Kelsey: And also I have more context because I read the second [00:35:00] book and she does explain like where the typewriters came from and stuff, but that's later on. , I'm not going to have us read the second one because actually one, the things that you're saying are in line with like how people who love fantasy and love, , normally love fantasy and romanticy, , you, they have the same criticisms because it was really divided.
[00:35:20] Kelsey: , I would say like in half within the community of whether or not you like this book. And, , it was similar criticisms, like the world building was lazy, dah, dah, dah, or I didn't have any connection to Kit or, , Iris. , it's very similar, but it just, I don't know what it is. I told you I'm a mood reader and sometimes, you know, I am in the mood to read this and sometimes I'm in the mood to read that.
[00:35:47] Kelsey: And it really just depends on like how I'm feeling at that moment. , I, I feel like early on this year I DNF'd The Will of the Many and, , I just like hated it from the [00:36:00] get go, but so many people love that book. I am willing to like give it another try later on and see if I actually do like it. And it's just like, because.
[00:36:11] Kelsey: I am such a sporadic like reader, like it, it just depends on how I'm feeling at the moment, whether or not I'm going to like something. So, , , that's how I, how I go about my life. I think
[00:36:24] Amanda: I'm similar. I can be a mood reader in that. So for example, I rarely will read like three or four like thrillers in a row.
[00:36:32] Amanda: Like I need a palate cleanser. So I'm like, let me read like some contemporary fiction. Or like if I read a really heavy book, right. Then I'll read something like, you know, cute and twee. Like I balance out my reading. So I, I think I'm a little bit.
[00:36:46] Amanda: Of a mood reader. , and I do the same thing with like TV shows, right? Like if I'm watching something super heavy that I'm like, I need to watch like a funny little sitcom to just like switch it up. , so I think we're similar in that way. And yeah, you're going to interact with a [00:37:00] book differently based on where you're at with your life and what's going on in your life and like what you read before.
[00:37:05] Amanda: So I think those are all factors that are probably true for a lot of readers. , but yeah, this book, I think regardless of how I'm feeling, If a book is written. Yeah. And it, cause I think also, so this is definitely a me thing, but it almost feels like disrespectful to the reader to serve up garbage.
[00:37:26] Amanda: And expect us to be like, yes, thank you. More please. Like, I'm like, I, I did say
[00:37:31] Kelsey: more, please.
[00:37:33] Amanda: I appreciate a well told story and well crafted characters. And if you are going to serve this book up and if it's going to be a , number one, New York times bestseller, like I'm expecting a certain level of quality from the book.
[00:37:48] Amanda: And it's almost like as a teacher, right? It's like when you have your kids. Do an assignment and there's the kids who like half asset and they can't really put time and effort. Like this feels like a really bad homework [00:38:00] assignment. I was like, Hey, I want you guys all to write this, fantasy novel here, like the parameters.
[00:38:04] Amanda: And like, this is what she turned in. I'd be like, okay, like maybe like a B minus at best. , I can tell you really didn't take the time. You didn't do your research. Like I told you to, like, you didn't really consider the implications of what would me to have this like ongoing war were really lazy and the way that you gave us backstory and context, it was so obvious.
[00:38:23] Amanda: It was like, let's take a moment and let me tell you the story of Dakri and Enva. And like, let me tell you the story about this, you know, it was not subtle. It was not well considered. It was just like, Oh, I forgot. I need to incorporate this information. So you have it. So here it is.
[00:38:42] Amanda: Like, that's exactly what it felt like. And so, yeah, I, if I were her teacher, I'd be like, go back. And I want you to actually try it this time.
[00:38:50] Kelsey: We're just, we're just different readers and I'm, I don't pay attention to those things sometimes,
[00:38:56] Amanda: most
[00:38:57] Kelsey: of the time. And I'm, I'm [00:39:00] mostly in whether or not I'm invested in the characters is what matters to me.
[00:39:04] Kelsey: So like right now, and I've been posting this on my socials because God, , so there's this. Love interest kale in the assassin blade series or throne of glass series. And I hate him. I hate him with a passion. And, , I was every time he comes up in the book, I'm like, I want to chuck the book across.
[00:39:28] Kelsey: The room, because I'm just like, I'm so over him. I can't do not make me read anymore about this man because he is just so awful. And , some people really love this character and some people really hate this character like me. And it really affects my reading when I don't like a character. So that is kind of maybe that gives more insight into like.
[00:39:51] Kelsey: Me as a reader, but, , but yeah, I think it's mostly driven on characters by my reading.
[00:39:58] Amanda: Which is so interesting though, because in my [00:40:00] opinion, the characters in this book are like, so poorly conceived that you just can't connect, like, even the way that they're described, like, oh my god, I know this is like, also a romance thing, but like, their physical descriptions, and the fact that, what's his name, Roman, she always is like, Like multiple times throughout the book, she's like, and he smelled like spice and evergreen.
[00:40:19] Amanda: . Did I forget to tell you? He smells like spice and evergreen. Like we get it is there anything else you can tell us about him? Like, it's just so again, the characters just felt like, So two dimensional. And so it surprises me that you're like, I really felt for them and I connect with them and I have this strong connection where it's like, it felt like they were only half there.
[00:40:40] Amanda: It's like just the outline and they never got shaded in. So that's really surprising to me.
[00:40:45] Kelsey: I do. Yeah. , so I, again, I haven't read this in a while, but I just remember being attached to Iris mostly because of the things that she had been through and I didn't need to [00:41:00] like, I don't know if you're talking about like the choices that she makes or, , more about like her personality or who she is, , really was around.
[00:41:11] Kelsey: If I remember correctly, it really was around like the experiences she like had in the beginning of the book. , and that's what kind of drew me in. And so, so yeah,
[00:41:23] Amanda: well, I think cause one of my other comments about the book, which does it ties into both characters. And plot is that, and I understand that this is a white book, so it's not going to be like super long.
[00:41:34] Amanda: , but the pacing was breakneck and normally like I like. Fast paced book. I, again, I like thrillers, you know, I like things that are, you know, clipping along at a good pace and keeping me invested. But because it moved along so quickly and jumped so quickly through the story, you really didn't get a moment to sit and get to know the characters.
[00:41:56] Amanda: , it's like you show up, you like gave them a handshake and then, you know, like [00:42:00] five pages later, you know, the mom's dead and you're like, well, wait, I literally just met you. Right. And even when she goes, , when she quits her job at. At the Oath Gazette, I think it is. And she goes to the Tribune, like she, , the interview lasts like 0.
[00:42:15] Amanda: 5 seconds. Like she shows up to this place. , I'm going to become a wartime correspondent.
She
[00:42:19] Amanda: has like a three sentence interview and the boss like, great. Okay. Sending you to the front. Bye. And I'm like, Whoa, wait, like this is a huge, Shift like this is a huge point in the plot or it should be and it took all of like a half a page And so there wasn't a lot of time to just be like hold on hold the phone like how is this impacting the character?
[00:42:38] Amanda: Why are they making the choices that they're making? What does this mean for their relationships with other characters? And I feel like she was like, well You know, I'm giving a lot away in the letters that they're writing, right? Between Roman and Iris. Like those are the moments where you can like really get to know them.
But
[00:42:53] Amanda: again, which was kind of ironic, like, it's like, Oh, these are to journalists and their letters suck. Like the writing's horrible. [00:43:00] And there were like multiple typos in this book, which again, very ironic for a book about writing. , you just, you just didn't really get a moment to like, Hey, who the heck is Iris?
[00:43:11] Amanda: And like, who is Roman? And we get like little tidbits, like, Oh, like, you know, his sibling died and that was really heartbreaking and like, Oh yeah. And her brother's gone, you know? And so you get these things, but they're not earned. Like, you can't just throw sad things at us and be like, Oh my gosh, okay, now I feel connected to the character because, something bad happened to them.
[00:43:29] Amanda: Like, you have to, like Actually, that's
[00:43:30] Kelsey: exactly how I felt.
[00:43:32] Amanda: For me, I'm like, no, it just seems, it seems so cheap. It seems so cheap to be like, I'm not actually going to put the work in. So what I'll do instead is throw in some, trauma for you and use that as a cheap way to, , get audience investment.
[00:43:43] Amanda: It's like It's like clickbait. It's like trauma clickbait. You didn't earn this moment and you didn't do enough work to like connect me with this person and make me care.
[00:43:53] Amanda: So yeah. I don't care . about them .
[00:43:55] Kelsey: Amanda. Heartless. Yeah. We definitely connect with books. In a very different way, [00:44:00] different. Yeah. Can't wait to read. Talk about this book. You're making me read. Oh, that's
[00:44:04] Amanda: so good. But like the other thing too, now that I'm talking about pacing before I forget, like even the piece of their relationship, like once they realize Oh my gosh, we went from enemies and now we're lovers and now we're getting married.
[00:44:16] Amanda: And, I understand it's like wartime . But again, it just felt so. breakneck, like the pacing just felt like I'm holding on for dear life and we're just zooming through this story because if it's too long.
[00:44:29] Amanda: Maybe our, young adult readers are not going to stick with it. So let me just like, zip right through to the end.
I
[00:44:34] Amanda: also felt like I love mythology actually, and I enjoy reading about it. And I actually like when it's incorporated into fantasy . But again, like she could have done so much more with building out the mythology with the gods and again, giving a bit more weight and gravity to this conflict that they had And I think again, because it was a lot of telling versus [00:45:00] showing that all kind of fell apart.
[00:45:01] Amanda: Like it was just like, let me tell you another story. Let me give you a bit more background information. , instead of showing us through the story, the ways in which these gods and their rivalry and their wars were impacting and had impacted humanity. , it just felt like she was trying to cram too much into the story.
[00:45:17] Amanda: It was like, it's a romance. It's a war story. It's also about mythology. It was like a mashup of a bunch of different things. And like, she didn't do any of them. Well,
[00:45:27] Kelsey: , you're definitely not alone in that criticism. , and I remember I remember feeling a tinge of that , , when they were getting married, but I was like, Oh yeah,
[00:45:42] Kelsey: it's fine. , I like, yeah, I, I get what you're saying. And , There are just some things I just, yeah, like I, I just can't.
[00:45:53] Amanda: You're more forgiving than I am.
[00:45:55] Kelsey: Yeah, totally. Just, I don't care if it's bad writing. I don't care if there's [00:46:00] errors in it. I don't care if there's like, yeah, if the writing style is, I don't know.
It's funny because I actually have criticism for a book that, , I thought I was going to love and it's. similar where it was like, I think this is for like 10 year olds and it wasn't marketed to 10 year olds. It's marketed to like, well, I think it's more young adult, but it was like, Oh my God, this is like so young.
[00:46:33] Kelsey: , and I didn't end up liking it, but I don't know that I will ever say like the book that it was because I still have respect for the author and, , yeah, it's just interesting. That's the only time that writing has ever bothered me was in that book. Typically writing doesn't, it just, I don't know.
[00:46:54] Kelsey: Yeah. I just,
[00:46:56] Amanda: and it doesn't, for me, it like doesn't have to be like, [00:47:00] Super. What's the word I'm looking for? Like, it doesn't have to be very literary, right? Because sometimes I read books like that. I'm like, this is so dry or so overwrought. And I'm like, get over yourself. Like we get it. You can write well.
[00:47:12] Amanda: , so I have my own thoughts about that, and I appreciate, you know, like a good beach read, right? Where like the writing might not be , spectacular, but maybe the plot really grabs me or really, I find the characters charming and quirky or whatever. And I just didn't really find that at all with this book.
[00:47:30] Amanda: I mean, similar to Twilight, I will say like, it was easy to get through, right? It's YA fiction. Yeah. Plowed right through it in two days. Like it was not a difficult book to get through in that regard. , and I could see, again, someone picking this up, in an airport, if you just, , needed something to get you through a flight, , but I think the thing that made me sad about this book is that I do actually like the concept of, two young lovers in, a war torn [00:48:00] time, communicating through magical typers.
[00:48:02] Amanda: Like, there's a lot you could do with that. And you can take the fantasy element completely out of it, actually, like, this would be like a really cute like historical fiction, like slash romance, maybe. And it would have been so good. But like, again, it was like, we have these magical typewriters, we have these young lovers, and then we have like, You know, this weird, poorly explained war happening between these guys that we don't really know fully about and their impact on the world.
[00:48:30] Amanda: And, , I think I wanted her to just choose something and like stay in your lane, you know, stop trying to do all the things. , yeah. It's like that saying Jack of all trades, master of none. It's like you tried to do so much in this book and then you just ended up doing them all really poorly.
[00:48:45] Amanda: Whereas like there actually were a lot of good ideas that you could have run with and done something spectacular with and instead you tried to do everything and just like fucked it all up. So I think that's like all I have to say about this book.
[00:48:59] Kelsey: Well, [00:49:00] Amanda, we are near the end of our time talking about this book and, , it's very clear where we stand, but we want to share with our audience.
[00:49:10] Kelsey: What is your final recommendation?
[00:49:12] Amanda: Yeah. So in terms of like our final recommendations, , what I recommend this book. , You know, I would say if you are a young reader, right? There's like an 11 or a 12 year old out there who's like, Oh my goodness. I'm like, maybe experimenting with like, am I a fantasy person?
[00:49:28] Amanda: Am I a romantic person? Yeah, like this is like age appropriate for like a middle schooler and like, you know, it's kind of dipping their toes in the water of a little bit of I mean, this is not like Roman or Greek mythology, but like mythology and the ways that it might work in a world, you know, there's like, , a little bit of how work can impact individuals and how it can tear families apart.
[00:49:49] Amanda: So I would recommend this to like my seventh graders if they were like, Oh, miss Mac, what would be a good fantasy book for me to maybe try out if I, I want to experiment with that genre. But overall, as a book for a fully [00:50:00] grown adult, like you can do better.
[00:50:02] Amanda: Like this is just, you're going to be bored and you're going to feel like. , you're getting talked down to the entire time. Like it's just watered down so that you can like easily digest it . So for my adult readers, no, there are better, I'm, I'm sure there are better fantasy books out there for you.
[00:50:20] Amanda: What's your recommendation?
[00:50:22] Kelsey: Kelsey. Oh, 100%. , yes, I would recommend this book. , as a fantasy romance lover, , if you like the enemies to lovers, , and if you like the setting of war within your fantasy book, yes, I would recommend this book. Not everybody in the fantasy community feel the same and that's okay.
[00:50:43] Kelsey: But That's how I feel. I loved this book and I love these characters. And it is a duology and, , some of the things that you were annoyed about, the more details are in the second book. I'm not going to have us read the second book because, , those [00:51:00] who really liked the first book tended to not like the second book as much.
[00:51:05] Kelsey: And, , I didn't like the second book as much. , I really loved the first one. And then the second one just, you know, wraps everything up. And, , similar to what you said, it was kind of done quickly and, , I would have liked there to be more. So that's why we're not going to read the second book.
[00:51:22] Amanda: Wonderful. Best news I've heard all day. Thrilled. , , well, let's turn to the good people at Goodreads to see what they had
[00:51:30] Kelsey: to say because, , I just love this part.
[00:51:32] Amanda: Yeah, I do too. To be honest. I think just reading. So for, again, for those folks who may be a bit, , it might be new to Lit it or Quit it, if this is the first Lit it or Quit it episode you're listening to, what we're going to do, Kelsey and I have both found one in five star reviews.
[00:51:46] Amanda: , that reflect and support our point of view on this particular book. So I'm going to be reading one star reviews from Goodreads. Kelsey is going to be reading five star, just a couple. , and then we'll wrap things up. So do you want to start with a five star one? [00:52:00] Oh, I will. Okay. All right. Well,
[00:52:02] Kelsey: I'm debating how much I'm going to read of this second one, but, , Okay.
[00:52:07] Kelsey: First five star read of divine rivals by DK. Thank you, DK. I am sobbing and in pain again after that ending. I swear this might be the most beautiful book written this year. It's all things good and all things pure. If you haven't read it, trust me, you are missing out on something special. Crying emoji. I don't, I don't trust you.
[00:52:28] Kelsey: Roman carbon kit has my heart. Everything he does is sheer perfection, and his love for Iris speaks volumes. Book boyfriend material? Heck no. He is book husband material.
[00:52:42] Amanda: Oh, this is like so weird and creepy on multiple levels.
[00:52:46] Kelsey: Do you know that phrase? Like, book boyfriend? No, but I feel like I can, like, I feel like
[00:52:52] Amanda: I can parse it out.
[00:52:53] Amanda: Oh my goodness.
[00:52:54] Kelsey: That is a big, like, deal in the book community. Okay. Amanda. All right. [00:53:00] Fantasy book community. , really it is. All right. Fantasy, dark romance.
[00:53:03] Amanda: All right. Well, well, we'll leave it at that. , I guess I'll learn more because I know we're going to, we're going to be doing some upcoming episodes about romance tropes and fantasy tropes.
[00:53:14] Amanda: Okay. So first one star review from Goodreads. This is from Cosmina. , You know those books that are trying to be both a fantasy and a romance, but they're not showing big brain energy in the fantasy department. So they end up being half romances with a very uninteresting and low fantasy system. Like they try to be both things and end up being none because the execution is terrible and both of those things are underdeveloped.
[00:53:36] Amanda: Outrageous. Honestly, I would have enjoyed it more without the fantasy elements at least, and that means a lot coming from me because I hate world war romances or anything related to man wars or history. It makes more sense in my opinion to focus on a romance between two people writing letters to each other during the war than to add some fantasy world building only for the magical typewriters part.
[00:53:58] Amanda: It bored the [00:54:00] shit out of me. Thank you, Cosmina. I appreciate you.
[00:54:02] Kelsey: I was wondering why he's like, did you say their name? I did. Thanks, Cosmina. , I am also, I'm gonna read a part of this, not all of it.
[00:54:12] Kelsey: So like, I also didn't rate it a five star. It wasn't a five star for me. Okay. But these people are like five fucking stars. And so, , it's hilarious. Amen is the name of this, , reviewer. Did I finish the book? Or did the book finish me?
[00:54:27] Amanda: Oh my God.
[00:54:28] Kelsey: My God. Perfect. Perfect. Perfect. Everything down to the last minute detail.
[00:54:34] Kelsey: Minute detail. Sorry. This book felt heavenly. It was deep down soul touching and had a demonic possession over me. Iris and Roman had my whole body creased and shivered from their banter, rivalry, letters. Like, God damn, they were made for each other. So perfectly the way Roman literally dropped everything to be with her, [00:55:00] his dream job, his engagement, his family. He is the motherfucking standard. Oh my, like
[00:55:07] Amanda: do
[00:55:08] Kelsey: people
[00:55:08] Amanda: write these reviews? Like I just really want to know a bit more about them and like their own hang ups and because like to have that level of obsession over A fictional character. It's a little, it's a little unnerving and I'm pretty sure this is probably a grown adult writing this.
[00:55:27] Amanda: Amanda,
[00:55:29] Kelsey: I'm about to open your world up. I'd rather it stay shut on that front.
[00:55:33] Amanda: Too bad. We've already crossed that line. Okay, give us another one star. Okay, another one star. Here we go. This is from Eris. Okay. The writing was stilted, the dialogue horrendously cheesy, and the world poorly built. Amen. There was no proper development of the rivalry the book promises, and where there was, the stakes were non existent, which made it hard to believe these two characters were truly working to outdo one another.
[00:55:59] Amanda: The [00:56:00] plot also felt far too rushed, it really did, and left no space to soak in the character's emotions. Yes. Yes. Yes. And yes. Thank you.
[00:56:10] Kelsey: Okay. This next one by Sarah. It's a short one. Oh, how I absolutely adore this book exclamation, exclamation, exclamation, and on and on and on.
[00:56:24] Amanda: Is that it? Yes. That's all.
[00:56:26] Amanda: That's it. Okay. So she did a short one. I'll do one of my short ones. So this is a short one star from cat W that says, The writing was pretty, but I'm also pretty. At least I have something to offer. Yes. That's for you, Kat. I love it. Succinct and cutting. Excellent. Well done.
[00:56:49] Kelsey: It reminds me of none of this is interesting.
[00:56:51] Kelsey: Just like
[00:56:52] Amanda: those one liners of zingers. I love it. Good.
[00:56:56] Kelsey: Okay. This one's a little longer.
[00:56:58] Amanda: Okay. Is this your last one? I've [00:57:00] lost. It's my last one. Yeah. That's my
[00:57:01] Kelsey: last one. Okay. This one is by Chloe. This period book period academic rivals to lovers with the cutest, purest, most wholesome man. While there is a violent war raging between God's absolute perfection.
[00:57:15] Kelsey: Roman C kit has my entire heart. The letters he writes to Iris via typewriter. I mean, come on, are enough to make him one of the best book boyfriends of all time. I adore this man. Let it be known that there is so much more to this story than the romance. The writing is beautiful too. Inject every word of this book into my veins.
[00:57:37] Kelsey: I would also like to drink copious amounts of tea and work on a typewriter in a smoky dim office. Now, please, as they say, the vibes were immaculate.
[00:57:48] Amanda: Why all of your reviews always like slightly creepy, like injecting pink, like why are they just all like slightly unhinged? Like I don't understand. Like
[00:57:58] Kelsey: it's just, it can be [00:58:00] unhinged.
[00:58:00] Kelsey: The romance fantasy community can be unhinged
[00:58:09] Amanda: sometimes, like obsessing over book boyfriends and injecting things into their veins. Dark
[00:58:13] Kelsey: romance community. Very different. A whole nother
[00:58:16] Amanda: level. Okay. , I'll do one more as well. I will choose the shorter since I feel like we've been talking for a while. So this one is from Lemon Lime.
[00:58:29] Amanda: Okay. And says, respectfully, this might be one of the worst books I have ever read. The idea behind the story had potential. The concept of connection and times of war through letters was a strong one. It was just brutally executed, which is so true. Like I think that there was like. A con, a strong concept there and she just like majorly dropped the ball, which is really sad.
[00:58:53] Kelsey: Oh, so there we are divine, divine rivals.
[00:58:58] Amanda: We're very
[00:58:59] Kelsey: [00:59:00] much at odds with each other with this one. Unsurprisingly, it was, it's really the first one that we've like just not agreed. At all. ,
[00:59:10] Amanda: yeah. 'cause at least we, we did end up agreeing a little bit on Twilight. Like there were things we were like, yeah.
[00:59:14] Amanda: End on. None of this is true . Yes, I did come around. You're right. Yeah. This is like the first one. We're just like at, at odds with each other. And I love it. I love it so much. , Do you wanna, do you wanna do the social since I did them at the beginning, let folks know where to find us one more time.
[00:59:30] Kelsey: Sure.
[00:59:31] Kelsey: If I butcher it, I am so sorry. Okay. Our Instagram is the one that, and only that is different. It is lit vibes only underscore podcast.
You can
[00:59:43] Kelsey: also find us on Tik TOK and, , YouTube. At lit vibes, only podcasts, you may also email us. If you ever want to at live vibes, only podcasts at gmail.
[00:59:55] Kelsey: com. We want to hear from you. So comment, like, follow, [01:00:00] subscribe, write a review, all the things we can't wait to see you next Monday.
[01:00:06] Amanda: Awesome. See you next Monday. Bye. Bye.