u/xmononoke444

This might be a long shot, but after seeing how many people are in this community I thought I'd try 😭

I posted in r/Rennes looking for a book club because I love fantasy/romantasy but don't really have anyone around me to talk about books with.

I found someone else in exactly the same situation, but apparently finding a casual fantasy/romantasy book club in Rennes is harder than expected 😂

We were thinking that if a few people are interested, we could just meet in a café on a weekend and talk about what we've been reading. Nothing super organized or school-like, no discussion sheets or assigned speaking turns 😂 Just a small group of people having coffee, talking about books, exchanging recommendations and probably complaining about fictional characters.

So... very specific question: is anyone here in or around Rennes and interested? 👀📚

Salut !

J’adore lire, surtout de la fantasy et de la romance, mais malheureusement je n’ai pas vraiment de personnes autour de moi avec qui parler de mes lectures 😭

Je me demandais donc s’il existait des clubs de lecture ou des petits groupes à Rennes où on peut se retrouver, discuter de nos lectures, découvrir de nouveaux livres, etc.

Et s’il n’y en a pas, peut-être qu’il y a d’autres personnes ici dans la même situation que moi 👀

Merciii 📚✨

I'm looking for something new to read, so I thought I'd list what I've loved and hated so far and see what you guys recommend

Here's what I've read so far:

LOVED

• The Cruel Prince / The Folk of the Air
• Captive Prince
• Alchemised
• Fourth Wing
• Reign & Ruin

Liked / enjoyed

• The Winner's Curse
• Early ACOTAR
• Throne of Glass
• From Blood and Ash book 1

Didn't like / DNF

• A Deadly Education — DNF
• Sorcery of Thorns — DNF
• From Blood and Ash book 2 — DNF
• Shatter Me series (not counting Aaron Warner 😂)
• ACOSF — DNF (was REALLY not my cup of tea)

I think what usually gets me is good tension between the characters, political schemes, competent characters, actual plot outside of the romance, and YEARNING. I love romance, but I don't want the entire book to exist just for the romance or spice.

I also really don't like endless miscommunication, excessive inner monologue, or characters suddenly making stupid decisions just because the plot needs them to.

Based on this, what would you recommend? I'm open to fantasy, romantasy, or even something outside those genres if you think it fits!

Can someone explain to me when exactly Jacks fell in love with Evangeline?

We’re told he was genuinely in love with Donatella, literally obsessed with her, and then somehow Evangeline becomes more important than basically anything.

But where did that happen?? 😭

I kept waiting for the moment where I’d understand what made Evangeline so special to him, and I genuinely never felt it. She just seemed like a normal teenage girl to me, and then suddenly Jacks was completely gone for her??

What scenes or actions of hers were supposed to make you think, “Yep, this is where he fell for her”?

I really loved the first From Blood and Ash book. I was completely into it and had so much fun reading it, so I went into the second book expecting to love it too.

But I'm now about halfway through A Kingdom of Flesh and Fire, and it just isn't pulling me in the same way. I don't necessarily dislike it; I'm just... bored? I keep putting it down and then not really feeling the urge to pick it back up.

For people who have read the series: should I push through? Does the second half of book 2 pick up, and are the later books worth continuing for?

No spoilers please!

I’ve read Alchemised but not Manacled, and I’m really curious about this.

I know Alchemised was originally inspired by/reworked from Manacled, and I’ve seen people talk about Helena and Hermione, but having read the original Harry Potter books, I honestly can’t see much of Hermione’s personality in Helena at all.

So for people who have read both: how was Hermione actually written in Manacled? Was her personality already very similar to Helena’s, or did Helena change a lot when Alchemised became its own story?

I’m especially curious because when I think of book Hermione - her stubbornness, bossiness, confidence in her own intelligence, how outspoken she can be, etc. - she feels VERY different from Helena to me.

I don’t mind Manacled spoilers.