![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
rainwatersparkAs I mentioned earlier, I've been frustration-binge-reading M/M fic for lack of anything else to read that's decently written, so here are my rambling thoughts on some of the books I've read.
Enemies of the State by Tal Bauer
So, when I started reading Enemies of the State, I thought I wouldn't stick with it because main character Ethan Reichenbach seemed like a very Alpha Male type of guy, which is not my favorite kind of character to read about. However, I ended up getting really sucked into his romance with Jack Spiers, the president. It had everything to hit my sentimental buttons: pining, loneliness, "I'm not good enough for you," and finally sweet romance together.
I don't like forbidden romance of the "if we get together, we'll literally die/the world will literally end!!" type, and I also dislike forbidden romance of the cheating flavor (i.e. one person is married to someone else & can't/won't leave the marriage—*cough* Scandal *cough*), but since neither of that was present in this book (and Ethan and Jack got together about halfway through), I didn't mind all the angst about "violating regulations" and such.
Upon further reflection, I think Ethan Reichenbach is actually kind of a deconstruction of macho masculinity—he starts off depicted as physically huge and imposing (and "growling" all the time), staunchly uninterested in romance, only interested in no-strings-attached sex, and even described as "Iceman" by his fellow agents—and then his growing feelings for Jack reduce him to an emotional wreck. It's...quite something to watch. Kind of like the equivalent of all the Harlequin M/F romances that feature a masculine brooding Bad Boy who grovels at the feet of the heroine at the end. (Meanwhile, Jack, the ostensibly "straight" guy, is from the start described as emotionally "softer"—friendly, craving companionship, intellectual, humble, kind.)
Plot-wise, I really liked the action part of the plot, especially when it ramped up at the end. Even though this is a book set in the near future (supposedly 15 years from now), the politics seem to be a self-conscious commentary on present-day politics, what with the ISIS-like terrorist group.
But, overall, I disliked the political aspect of the book—in premise, rather than in execution. And the reason why I disliked the politics was that it felt so Euro-centric and oddly Cold-War-like—odd, because, as I mentioned, this book is supposed to be set in the future. The most important world players are the US and Russia. China is relegated to a footnote, South America isn't mentioned at all as far as I can remember, and Africa is only noteworthy as a scene for terrorist attacks.
Speaking as a second-generation immigrant, I just wish the author had done more research into global politics from a non-Western-centric viewpoint. Centering the global politics of this book on the US and Russia once more feels so creatively uninspired, and it's also disappointing considering the meticulous research done on the White House operations (*although I can't comment as to the accuracy because I know nothing about the White House myself).
(Well, also, the idea that torture leads to reliable intel should be buried six feet under by now.)
Although writing style isn't something I usually comment on (unless it's very poorly done), I enjoyed the writing in this book. Some descriptions teetered on the edge of being overwrought, but generally I really liked the description. I do wish the book were shorter than 100k words, though. Some parts of it probably could've been condensed.
In sum: the political aspect of the book is ambitious but disappointingly executed in certain respects, though I did very much enjoy the romance and plot.
Enemy of My Enemy by Tal Bauer
Strangely, I don't have much to say about this book except to echo my feelings about the first book. I enjoyed it; the action scenes were compelling, though the politics remained disappointingly US- and Russia-centric. The romance was still the highlight; I loved reading about Ethan's adjustment to being First Gentleman and Ethan and Jack's struggles with public perceptions of their relationship due to Jack being the POTUS. I have a crushing weakness for romances that just feature a couple happy and in love and tackling obstacles together, instead of serial-style drama that is constantly trying to force the Designated Couple apart. Well, to be fair, there was one major instance of that in the book, but I thought it was well executed and less soap-opera-y than most examples of that plot device.
The true aim of the terrorist cell is revealed, and while some have claimed that it snapped their suspension of disbelief...eh, I bought it. Maybe it's because I'm used to reading fantasy/sci-fi about villains trying to conquer/destroy the world, so that kind of stuff doesn't faze me.
Also, this book ends with a brutal cliffhanger that left me in agony. Ugh.
Wolfsong by TJ Klune
Klune has some very ardent fans on Goodreads, which is why I tried picking up some of his books to read (although this was before I heard about the plagiarism claim against him—I generally don't have good feelings about authors who are subject to claims of plagiarism, even if there's no legal accusation levied). But his recent book, Murmuration, bothered me from a historical point of view, and Wolfsong...didn't exactly wow me, either.
Klune's writing style reminds me of fanfiction, though I don't mean that in a derogatory way—I mean that in the sense that it feels experimental. I thought I possibly abused italics in my book, but Wolfsong *definitely* abused italics in some parts, and it was kind of distracting.
I think the thing is that I'm just not a fan of the idea of "mates" and the kind of overwhelming, intense, "we're destined to be together" "you're the only one for me" "I'd die without you" love. It's kind of hard to explain; I do like books about deep, profound love (hell, Tal Bauer's Executive Office series is exactly about that), but I've spent a lot of time interrogating myself about what makes a loving relationship healthy in the course of writing my own romances, and one of the conclusions I've personally come to is that if a relationship seems codependent, and the couple acts/talks like they literally can't live without each other, then the relationship sets off my "unhealthy" alarm bells.
I don't know whether this is unkind to say, but it also strikes me that this book takes some tropes that show up in YA fiction/romance usually written about (and marketed to?) girls/women and repackages them for a M/M fic. Protagonist Ox is very much a "thinks he's worthless [due to father issues] but is constantly assured that he's not just valued, but he is the Most Special of Special" protagonist. In other words, a certain flavor of Mary Sue. Just an observation.
Cut & Run series by Abigail Roux & Madeleine Urban (Cut & Run, Fish & Chips)
I have to admit I'm kind of surprised that this series has apparently gotten as popular as it is, given that the first book is completely riddled with POV issues. (Like, if you've read my vehement complaints about Throne of Glass having POV problems, they're nothing compared to this book, that's how systemic the issues are.)
I'm fine with antagonistic love interests (*cough* actually, that's a favorite trope of mine), but the belligerent sexual tension between Ty and Zane in Cut & Run was ridiculous, and their mood swings were difficult to swallow at times. Literally, they go from friendly to beating each other to a pulp to (almost immediately afterward) banging each other within ONE evening. For that reason, I wasn't the biggest fan of the romantic relationship.
Also, the mystery in Cut & Run gave me a newfound appreciation for writers to write and sell genre mystery. I mean, I realized mystery was hard to write when I tried to tackle it in my own book, but the mystery in C&R seemed pretty contrived and the "special agents" didn't spend much time thinking about some obvious clues to the murderer's identity. And the medical failure...I mean, I'm not a doctor, but even I know that if you're injured by an explosion, you *probably* shouldn't walk away from the EMTs. I understood their reasoning for avoiding the paramedics (even though I'm not sure how realistic it was), but...still, it felt very contrived.
On a somewhat unrelated note, I enjoyed the third book in the series, Fish & Chips, a lot more. Probably it's because I found the premise (having the main characters assume the identities of a married gay couple on a cruise ship) to be absolutely hilarious, and there was less belligerent sexual tension shenanigans since Ty & Zane were actually a couple by that point.
Mirrors & Man in the Mirror by AJ Llewellyn & DJ Manly
The first thing I have to say is...these books needed a LOT more editing. The dialogue kept using "um" when the authors probably meant "mm" or "hm," and that was really, really annoying to read. Also, the sex scenes, to me, were pretty cliché and at times almost cringe-worthy to read.
There are more issues I have: Nikko Watanabe is clearly Japanese based on his name and Zen garden, and yet he talks about things like chi and yin yangs (facepalm). Also (spoiler? kinda? maybe?) in the 2nd book, it's mentioned that both Aaron and Troy had been sexually abused by their mother, which was a huge "whoa, WHAT?" moment—and yet it's just tossed out in a throwaway line and never explored or mentioned ever again. And I really didn't appreciate Aaron being described as initially asexual but later "turned" gay (although I'll be charitable and assume the authors didn't understand asexuality was a sexual orientation), and I really wanted more on Aaron falling for Dave, considering he initially didn't identify as being attracted to men.
And yet. I think, if these books had been edited more thoroughly and had some parts fleshed out, they could've been really good. The essential premise in the first book, of twins raised in separation and the poor twin (Aaron) suddenly stepping into his rich twin's (Troy's) shoes, was a compelling one. The premise in the sequel, of Troy executing his revenge on Aaron to win back his husband, was chilling and mesmerizing to read. (And it was adorable to read about Aaron and Dave operating a B&B in Hawaii.)
So it's frustrating, to me, because these books could've been really good, if not great, and yet the lack of strong editing really held them back.
Enemies of the State by Tal Bauer
So, when I started reading Enemies of the State, I thought I wouldn't stick with it because main character Ethan Reichenbach seemed like a very Alpha Male type of guy, which is not my favorite kind of character to read about. However, I ended up getting really sucked into his romance with Jack Spiers, the president. It had everything to hit my sentimental buttons: pining, loneliness, "I'm not good enough for you," and finally sweet romance together.
I don't like forbidden romance of the "if we get together, we'll literally die/the world will literally end!!" type, and I also dislike forbidden romance of the cheating flavor (i.e. one person is married to someone else & can't/won't leave the marriage—*cough* Scandal *cough*), but since neither of that was present in this book (and Ethan and Jack got together about halfway through), I didn't mind all the angst about "violating regulations" and such.
Upon further reflection, I think Ethan Reichenbach is actually kind of a deconstruction of macho masculinity—he starts off depicted as physically huge and imposing (and "growling" all the time), staunchly uninterested in romance, only interested in no-strings-attached sex, and even described as "Iceman" by his fellow agents—and then his growing feelings for Jack reduce him to an emotional wreck. It's...quite something to watch. Kind of like the equivalent of all the Harlequin M/F romances that feature a masculine brooding Bad Boy who grovels at the feet of the heroine at the end. (Meanwhile, Jack, the ostensibly "straight" guy, is from the start described as emotionally "softer"—friendly, craving companionship, intellectual, humble, kind.)
Plot-wise, I really liked the action part of the plot, especially when it ramped up at the end. Even though this is a book set in the near future (supposedly 15 years from now), the politics seem to be a self-conscious commentary on present-day politics, what with the ISIS-like terrorist group.
But, overall, I disliked the political aspect of the book—in premise, rather than in execution. And the reason why I disliked the politics was that it felt so Euro-centric and oddly Cold-War-like—odd, because, as I mentioned, this book is supposed to be set in the future. The most important world players are the US and Russia. China is relegated to a footnote, South America isn't mentioned at all as far as I can remember, and Africa is only noteworthy as a scene for terrorist attacks.
Speaking as a second-generation immigrant, I just wish the author had done more research into global politics from a non-Western-centric viewpoint. Centering the global politics of this book on the US and Russia once more feels so creatively uninspired, and it's also disappointing considering the meticulous research done on the White House operations (*although I can't comment as to the accuracy because I know nothing about the White House myself).
(Well, also, the idea that torture leads to reliable intel should be buried six feet under by now.)
Although writing style isn't something I usually comment on (unless it's very poorly done), I enjoyed the writing in this book. Some descriptions teetered on the edge of being overwrought, but generally I really liked the description. I do wish the book were shorter than 100k words, though. Some parts of it probably could've been condensed.
In sum: the political aspect of the book is ambitious but disappointingly executed in certain respects, though I did very much enjoy the romance and plot.
Enemy of My Enemy by Tal Bauer
Strangely, I don't have much to say about this book except to echo my feelings about the first book. I enjoyed it; the action scenes were compelling, though the politics remained disappointingly US- and Russia-centric. The romance was still the highlight; I loved reading about Ethan's adjustment to being First Gentleman and Ethan and Jack's struggles with public perceptions of their relationship due to Jack being the POTUS. I have a crushing weakness for romances that just feature a couple happy and in love and tackling obstacles together, instead of serial-style drama that is constantly trying to force the Designated Couple apart. Well, to be fair, there was one major instance of that in the book, but I thought it was well executed and less soap-opera-y than most examples of that plot device.
The true aim of the terrorist cell is revealed, and while some have claimed that it snapped their suspension of disbelief...eh, I bought it. Maybe it's because I'm used to reading fantasy/sci-fi about villains trying to conquer/destroy the world, so that kind of stuff doesn't faze me.
Also, this book ends with a brutal cliffhanger that left me in agony. Ugh.
Wolfsong by TJ Klune
Klune has some very ardent fans on Goodreads, which is why I tried picking up some of his books to read (although this was before I heard about the plagiarism claim against him—I generally don't have good feelings about authors who are subject to claims of plagiarism, even if there's no legal accusation levied). But his recent book, Murmuration, bothered me from a historical point of view, and Wolfsong...didn't exactly wow me, either.
Klune's writing style reminds me of fanfiction, though I don't mean that in a derogatory way—I mean that in the sense that it feels experimental. I thought I possibly abused italics in my book, but Wolfsong *definitely* abused italics in some parts, and it was kind of distracting.
I think the thing is that I'm just not a fan of the idea of "mates" and the kind of overwhelming, intense, "we're destined to be together" "you're the only one for me" "I'd die without you" love. It's kind of hard to explain; I do like books about deep, profound love (hell, Tal Bauer's Executive Office series is exactly about that), but I've spent a lot of time interrogating myself about what makes a loving relationship healthy in the course of writing my own romances, and one of the conclusions I've personally come to is that if a relationship seems codependent, and the couple acts/talks like they literally can't live without each other, then the relationship sets off my "unhealthy" alarm bells.
I don't know whether this is unkind to say, but it also strikes me that this book takes some tropes that show up in YA fiction/romance usually written about (and marketed to?) girls/women and repackages them for a M/M fic. Protagonist Ox is very much a "thinks he's worthless [due to father issues] but is constantly assured that he's not just valued, but he is the Most Special of Special" protagonist. In other words, a certain flavor of Mary Sue. Just an observation.
Cut & Run series by Abigail Roux & Madeleine Urban (Cut & Run, Fish & Chips)
I have to admit I'm kind of surprised that this series has apparently gotten as popular as it is, given that the first book is completely riddled with POV issues. (Like, if you've read my vehement complaints about Throne of Glass having POV problems, they're nothing compared to this book, that's how systemic the issues are.)
I'm fine with antagonistic love interests (*cough* actually, that's a favorite trope of mine), but the belligerent sexual tension between Ty and Zane in Cut & Run was ridiculous, and their mood swings were difficult to swallow at times. Literally, they go from friendly to beating each other to a pulp to (almost immediately afterward) banging each other within ONE evening. For that reason, I wasn't the biggest fan of the romantic relationship.
Also, the mystery in Cut & Run gave me a newfound appreciation for writers to write and sell genre mystery. I mean, I realized mystery was hard to write when I tried to tackle it in my own book, but the mystery in C&R seemed pretty contrived and the "special agents" didn't spend much time thinking about some obvious clues to the murderer's identity. And the medical failure...I mean, I'm not a doctor, but even I know that if you're injured by an explosion, you *probably* shouldn't walk away from the EMTs. I understood their reasoning for avoiding the paramedics (even though I'm not sure how realistic it was), but...still, it felt very contrived.
On a somewhat unrelated note, I enjoyed the third book in the series, Fish & Chips, a lot more. Probably it's because I found the premise (having the main characters assume the identities of a married gay couple on a cruise ship) to be absolutely hilarious, and there was less belligerent sexual tension shenanigans since Ty & Zane were actually a couple by that point.
Mirrors & Man in the Mirror by AJ Llewellyn & DJ Manly
The first thing I have to say is...these books needed a LOT more editing. The dialogue kept using "um" when the authors probably meant "mm" or "hm," and that was really, really annoying to read. Also, the sex scenes, to me, were pretty cliché and at times almost cringe-worthy to read.
There are more issues I have: Nikko Watanabe is clearly Japanese based on his name and Zen garden, and yet he talks about things like chi and yin yangs (facepalm). Also (spoiler? kinda? maybe?) in the 2nd book, it's mentioned that both Aaron and Troy had been sexually abused by their mother, which was a huge "whoa, WHAT?" moment—and yet it's just tossed out in a throwaway line and never explored or mentioned ever again. And I really didn't appreciate Aaron being described as initially asexual but later "turned" gay (although I'll be charitable and assume the authors didn't understand asexuality was a sexual orientation), and I really wanted more on Aaron falling for Dave, considering he initially didn't identify as being attracted to men.
And yet. I think, if these books had been edited more thoroughly and had some parts fleshed out, they could've been really good. The essential premise in the first book, of twins raised in separation and the poor twin (Aaron) suddenly stepping into his rich twin's (Troy's) shoes, was a compelling one. The premise in the sequel, of Troy executing his revenge on Aaron to win back his husband, was chilling and mesmerizing to read. (And it was adorable to read about Aaron and Dave operating a B&B in Hawaii.)
So it's frustrating, to me, because these books could've been really good, if not great, and yet the lack of strong editing really held them back.
