The Agony and the Ecstasy: Finished with new Twilight and new Artemis Fowl books!

[sherrilina]

Okay, so I've actually been finished with the new Artemis Fowl book (The Time Paradox) since July 17, and with Breaking Dawn since this past Monday--I've just been too lazy/busy doing other stuff in the fandom (like reacting to these two books elsewhere) to bother writing reviews here yet, though I've been really meaning to (especially with the AF book).  Though considering that the new AF book only just came out in the UK this week (and stupid Borders has only begun to really promote it and have it prominently on display this week) perhaps it's as good a week as any to finally write my review!

Sorry for the cheesy title, I can't resist them, especially when "the agony and the ecstasy" so well describes my reactions to these two books:           

Breaking Dawn, with its epic fail overwhelming all remotely likeable aspects of it, was agony to read overall, especially given how effing LONG it was--longer than even Deathly Hallows! And the whole time I was reading it I was desperate to finish so I could run online and see what everyone else thought....though to be fair some parts were more enjoyable than others, and were actually fun to read. But the serious bullcrap that occurs in it and the especially badly written parts overshadows the good.....

Whereas in contrast my reaction to  Artemis Fowl: The Time Paradox was definitely one of ecstasy--it made me deliriously happy because of certain shippy things that happened against all odds as well as other things, and was quite an adventure to read in spite of some lame aspects it still has (it wasn't as good as the last book, IMO, and is not one of my favorites in the series in spite of holding my favorite moment of the series).

I'll be back when I have more time to post more detailed reviews of each, in which I will explain my reactions and the things I liked and disliked that I allude to here....;)

These two books also mark the end of the big summer book releases for me, with the first one being Kushiel's Mercy in June.  Of course I didn't even know then that a new Artemis Fowl book was coming out this summer! (I only found out about the release the day of in fact!)  As it turned out I had one per month, though in some ways I wish the new AF book had come out August 7 like it did outside of the US, so that I would have had more time to focus on Twilight before that new book came out, and so I would have had something to cheer me up afterwards....

Comments

[http://users.livejournal.com/_artanis_/]

I didn't even know there was a new Artemis Fowl book - I'll have to check that out.

My favorite Artemis Fowl book is still the first one.

You know my feelings on the Smeyer. No more needs to be said.

[sherrilina.livejournal.com]

ROFL yes I know how you feel about SMeyer, but have you read the spoilers for the latest book?! It's such epic fail that there's a new facebook group called "Breaking Dawn=Epic Fail," a "Don't burn it, return it!" campaign, and wonderfully scathing reviews (including in the Washington Post--woot!)--in other words, a lot of fans hated it as well! It's more laughingly bad than usual....if you need a good giggle read cleolinda's recap of the book (and of the two before it while you're at it)--but not in a public place or you might get funny looks for laughing out loud! ;) She only reads them for the lulz....

http://cleolinda.livejournal.com/2008/08/02/

[sherrilina.livejournal.com]

And yeah, I didn't know you read AF! The new AF book came out here in July--have you read up through the fifth one? You probably should, or at least through the fourth one.

And I think my fave is the third one--I think that was the tightest plot-and-writing wise, and the most excitign and hilarious.....

[http://users.livejournal.com/_artanis_/]

I've read through the one with the Demons.

I might read Smeyer just to write a scathing review.

[sherrilina.livejournal.com]

Well then you'd be fine to read the new AF book, sicne the demon one was book 5....

And yeah, it's floating around online, go for it! There are many lulz to be had.....

[julygreen.livejournal.com]

Hey, just thought I'd randomly comment. BD was so cracktastic, I actually really enjoyed it. Edward the pillow-biter! Her birthing Rosemary's baby! Psychic werewolf drama! Seriously, I don't know how this got published.
You are right though, it could have used a major edit. That last part with the Volturi was deadly boring.

[sherrilina.livejournal.com]

Heh, well yes, it is awesome from a "cracktastic" standpoint, and almost worth it for all the fantastic parodies and recaps (like cleo's!) and macros that have resulted....but I cannot take the Jacob and J/B assasination lightly....:(

[julygreen.livejournal.com]

Well, I love Jacob and Bella together, but I never thought it was going to happen. I can see how more hardcore shippers would have been disappointed, though.

I actually thought that Jacob was awesome in BD. The snark, the lone voice of sanity, the awesome pwnage of Rosalie! It made up for the fact that he was kind of a douche in Eclipse. But the imprinting ... yeah. Total killer.