Really bad writing quality, I can’t believe the ratings are so high on goodreads. I’m just expressing my opinion, so unless you also didn’t like it I’d not keep reading this post, because I hate when people talk shit about my favorite book lol… Anyways, the main character, Violet is the most annoying insufferable whiny girl I’ve everrrrr read about. The “chosen” trope was honestly very overused, Violet apparently has a bone Illness but Rebeca never mentioned it on the book. So her fans and her thinks that I have a crystal ball to guess?! I just thought she was very ANNOYING. She could at least actually train and improve instead of waiting for her 7ft boyfriend to save her or poisoning her enemies please. Also the thunder thing while they have love is very cringy sorry, I hated it. The world building is horrible and the plot is messy. I wanted to know more about the school system but the author just skipped through it. The best part of the book is for sure the dragons. The characters are very basic with no personality or depth…they felt like exactly what they are (fictional). I like books that makes me feel like I personally know the characters. That’s more of a rant than a review. And apparently the second book is even worst according to some of my friends… And the author is very problematic, honestly Sarah just Maas 2. But to call her Sarah j Maas is actually an insult to Sarah because I actually like almost all of her books…
I have not read much of this book, but I suffer from many of the same issues Violet does due to her EDS (I have something called HSD which is basically the same thing) and let me just tell you that I could never, ever be put through a military school or be a dragon rider. My shoulder joints hurt when I pick up a big bottle of water, by knees hurt when I stand up or walk up and down stairs, my kneecaps dislocate by walking. It is immense pain every day and I’m extremely limited in how much I can move my body without The Big Pain and exhaustion hitting me. I’ve been prescribed rest, meditation, meds and very, very easy exercises (like without any weights easy) to strengthen by body.
To me, the toxic perseverance trope in this book is nothing but ableist. Disabled people can’t just push through their pain and be okay. If we did that, we’d crash and become more sick.
I’d me way more interested in reading a book about a girl with EDS who really, really wanted to become a dragon rider but couldn’t due to her condition and therefore found another passion in life, like being a scribe maybe.
Oh I didn’t know this. That’s really gross on the authors part, you can’t push through severe pain that your only body inflicts on you
Maybe it’s to show Violet as young and stubborn? I’ve done really stupid shit through chronic pain but only realised just how stupid that was looking back on it.
She and I are the same age, 21
I have chronic pain due to a different chronic illness, so not the same but it came across as more wish fulfillment than ableist to me. Like yeah sure you can just keep training and not cripple yourself - pure fantasy irl but a common trope in media. Apparently the author actually has EDS, violet is probably at least somewhat of a self-insert. I can’t say I don’t wish I could just push through all my limitations. I can’t but it would be nice if it were possible.
Your pov is valid though, not trying to discount that. I think I just didn’t take the book seriously enough to even consider it being realistic in any way.
Well, that’s you. Maybe there are other people (like the author herself, who has EDS) who would like some escapist fantasy that shows them being the hero and being able to do things that they can’t do in real life while still having their condition and physical limitations (such as how Violet has to use a saddle to ride her dragon, and she use other modifications and strategies to complete the tasks that other riders do). I don’t think anyone is reading popular fantasy novels to get a realistic idea of what EDS is in real life. It’s a fantasy world, not reality. Also it is made very clear in the book that Violet never set out to be a dragon rider, she was forced into it by her mother. Her entire life goal was to be a scribe.