Tarot BLM Book Bingo – Progress Report #1

Posted 28th July 2020 by Sia in Fantasy Reviews, Reading Challenges, Reviews / 0 Comments

It’s been a week since I announced my reading list for the TarotBLMBookBingo, and normally today would be a Top Ten Tuesday. But since today’s TTT prompt was ‘freebie’, I’m skipping it to let you know how my BLM reading challenge is going!

To be honest…it’s not going great.

What Have I Read?

Year of the Witching was a book I really hyped myself up for, but I ended up DNF-ing it. I don’t think this is really the book’s fault, though – it was more of an issue of me going in with the wrong expectations. I didn’t realise exactly how much of a horror story this was going to be, and my tolerance for horror is very low and very narrow in scope. Year of the Witching didn’t fit into that scope, which is not its fault.

There were some really cool tidbits of worldbuilding here and there that had me dying to know more – the ram has four horns! – but ultimately I couldn’t get past the horror-movie vibe, and had to let it go.

I also seem to be the only person on the planet disappointed with A Song Below Water and A Song of Wraiths and Ruin. I finished both, but Below Water seemed too simplistic, with the magical elements more decorative than integral to the story; and Wraiths and Ruin had me right up until the last quarter of the book, which just…felt like a huge let-down. I’ve heard that a few people were complaining it was too complicated, which baffles me, because my issue was that it was too uncomplicated.

The worldbuilding was incredible, though, and I’ll probably pick up the sequel when it comes out.

(Also: what’s with all the hate for ‘Noun of x and y’ titles??? They always sound so beautifully poetic and epic!)

How’s the Bingo Card?

I decided that I wasn’t going to count a DNF as a completed square, so that means just two squares down – MAGICIAN (A Song of Wraiths and Ruin) and JUSTICE (A Song Below Water)!

What Am I Reading Now?

These aren’t all the books I’m reading right now, but they’re the ones that are relevant to this reading challenge!

Since my DEATH square (a book published in the second half of 2020) was left unfulfilled by my DNF-ing Year of the Witching, I have two possible alternates: Master of Poisons and Midnight Bargain. I was lucky enough to get arcs of both, and I’m loving both of them so far! Whichever one I finish first I’ll tuck into my DEATH square.

I’m also in the middle of Changeling and Given (my WORLD and STRENGTH squares, respectively!)

Who else is taking part, and how is your reading going?

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