Did Not Finish Explanation
Received: ARC from publisher
Read pages: 136 of 389
This hurts to write. I mean, not only did I have high hopes for this book, but I even requested it! And now I feel all guilty and sad and like I need to go find some rock to crawl under.
Look, it's not that Cinders & Sapphires is a BAD book. It's a fine book. It's written in a fluffy, straight forward style that makes reading a breeze. It was almost like reading a large type book where I feel like I can award myself "Fast Reader" points because I can fly through a bunch of pages in a really short amount of time. So if you're at all scared off by the large page count, don't be.
I can see readers looking for something light and entertaining devouring Cinders & Sapphires. There will be a large audience for this book, of that I have no doubt.
Except I'm not part of that audience. Ok, I just need to muster up my courage and spit it out already. There are two main reasons I DNF-ed Cinders & Sapphires.
Lay back and think of England, not Oxford
First, this is not a historically accurate book. Ruby and I were talking one night about what makes a historical fiction book something we like and we both agreed that character realism was a must.
If I'm reading about some old timey setting, I don't want the characters spouting off modern ideas that no character in that time period would ever even think about let alone righteously endorse. (*cough*)
So that was strike number one against Cinders & Sapphires. The characters felt entirely too modern in their values, thoughts, and approach to life. If I wanted contemporary characters, then I would read contemporary novels. I can't get lost in a book when I'm being constantly torn out of the time period by anachronisms.
This goes double when the characters are little more than cardboard cutouts with nothing but ridiculously unrealistic thoughts and actions. I didn't even have a believable basis for how the characters' background and experience would ever lead them to act the way they did. They just didn't make any sense.
Don't sell me on Buffy and then give me Dawn
Strike two came about because of comparisons. I know comparisons can be great marketing tools (hey, tell me something is the next Crown Duel and I'll be all over that in a heartbeat), but it can also cause massive eyerolling and lots of disappointment (which is why I pretty much refuse to read anything billed as "The Next Harry Potter" or "The Next Hunger Games").
I've heard Cinders & Sapphires described as Gossip Girl meets Downton Abbey, and, yeah, I totally see that comparison. Except, instead of being "inspired by" or "in the genre of" or some other allusion like that, Cinders & Sapphires reads more like unoriginal fan fiction.
And if you're going to write fan fiction, you'd better offer up something inspired. If we're pulling from Gossip Girl, then the scandals had better be way jucier than those in GG. If we're drawing on Downton Abbey then the sprawling period details need to be just as rich (they're barely even there) and, again, the scandals need to be even more shocking (yawn).
So when Mary (spoiler for Downton Abbey season 1) has such phenomenally fantastic unwedded sex with a Turkish man leading him to DROP DEAD IN HER DEVIRGINIZING BED, I'm not going to be very impressed with a few forbidden kisses with a boy from India. Even if he is a revolutionary (just like Tom from Downton!)
And the comparisons don't stop there. Most characters and events beg direct comparisons from either source material...and pretty much every trope in the genre. And they fall short in every instance.
I don't want to read a book and think, "Oh look, that's O'Brian, but less devious" or "Oh, that's Thomas (in C&S's case, the "token gay romance"), but without any character nuance" or "That's Chuck, but he's more like a flimsy shadow" or "That's Blair, without any depth, skill, or flair."
If I had never seen Gossip Girl or Downton Abbey, then Cinders & Sapphires might have been more appealing. As it was, I couldn't stop making comparisons, and Cinders & Sapphires never once came out ahead. A better comparison might have been the Luxe series (which left me with similar complaints).
Bottom line
So, definitely for some readers (a lot, if Goodreads is any indication), but not for me.
Do you have any questions about Cinders & Sapphires that I haven't addressed?
Feel free to ask in the comments!
Feel free to ask in the comments!
Well thought out post. Your reasons for not finishing and being slightly annoyed with such contradictions are very understandable and you expressed your opinion very respectfully. I know it's hard and I hate doing it ughhh. But give yourself a little pat on the back for this one because I've seen some nasty reviews out there! :)
ReplyDeleteThank you! I appreciate that :)
DeleteToo bad. My favorite thing about Downton Abbey IS the historical accuracy. The "gossip girl" aspect of this one is not something I would enjoy. I think I'll have some of my teens read it and see what they think...
ReplyDeleteI love the historical aspects of Downton Abbey too! The setting is like a character in its own right that grows and develops across the series.
DeleteNot so with C&S, unfortunately. It's just window dressing.
Your teens may like it, especially if they like the Luxe series. I think it will appeal to the same type of readers. It's a book that definitely has its place (that place just isn't with me).
Actually, the Luxe series is one of my favs, so I still may give this a try. I just won't be hoping for Downton Abbey when I go in...
DeleteI had heard interesting things about this one, but I'm really picky with historical fiction so I was unsure whether or not to read it. Your review has decided for me. The plot sounds tired and the characters seem less than spectacular. Thank you for the thoughtful review!
ReplyDeleteYes on both counts. If you're into historical fiction with a heavy emphasis on the historical, then this definitely isn't for you. I don't know if you'd like the characters, but I definitely did not.
DeleteWhat a shame....having that historical accuracy should be an important goal and part of the research involved in any book with a historical setting...otherwise why choose that setting??
ReplyDeleteI agree! I could give it a pass if I really loved the characters, but they were just as bad for me. :(
DeleteYou've already told me what you thought of this one, but I'm still devastated to read your review. Will we never find a teen historical that will live up to our expectations? When will publishers realize that setting does not a Dowton Abbey read-alike make? And why on Earth haven't you read Eva Ibbotson yet?
ReplyDeleteBecause she isn't in my library! *sob* I'm dying for a good historical fiction book! I want more Stephanie Dray—dynamic characters AND historical depth and accuracy! Why is that so hard to find??
DeleteSorry this didn't work for you! I found it absolutely delightful and enjoyed flying through its easy writing style.
ReplyDeleteThe writing style was definitely easy. I kept wanting to read the book because it was just so easy and that was appealing. I was so disappointed that I didn't like it, especially after hearing how much you enjoyed it. I'm glad you liked i though! I'll be looking forward to reading your review of the next book.
DeleteI'm sorry, I'm with you on the old-timey thing, I don't mind historical-lite (hell, I love writing it) but if you're a historical fiction fan it's not going to cut it, and even so, anachronisms put me off, even if the story is meant to be fluffy and sweet and I'm not supposed to think much about the setting, I'm a historical romance reader, I WILL NOTICE if you're totes anachronistic.
ReplyDeleteAnyway, I'm sad you didn't like it, I was hoping it was good, but as a huge DA fan and GG fan (yes, I even watched the last season) I don't think I'll enjoy it as much.
I don't mind historical-lite either, just so long as I can love the characters (which didn't happen here at all). But, yeah, anachronisms are near impossible to overcome.
DeleteI'm sad too :( I would say give it a try because if you like the characters then you might not mind the rest as much. For me, the characters were the deal breaker.
(and I watched the last season of GG, too! :D)
Great explanation, very fair on why this didn't work for you. I almost requested it from NG, but because its advertised as historical fiction, I didn't. Now I'm glad. It was a long read and I don't have the time for long reads that I'm not enjoying. Thanks for the honest DNF "review". I always learn a lot from them.
ReplyDeleteThe thing is, it's a long read, but it's a very, very quick read. The chapters are short, the font is large, the margins are wide, and the writing style is very readable. I could be wrong, but I don't see you loving this one very much.
DeleteJust saw this one in the library and thought "sounds like it might bridge the gap while I wait for the next DA season." Maybe I'll just reread some Ibbotsen instead.
ReplyDelete:( I'm so sorry you didn't enjoy this one! I doubt I'll be reading it, though it did seem like it could be fun.
ReplyDeleteSadly, it seems that character/setting inaccuracies are running rampant in the historical genre these days. Putting your MC in a big, poofy dress & saying she's at a royal ball in Victorian England does not make it so. There are times when I can roll with it and enjoy a book, but when it's so blatantly obvious the author did little to NO research, that's when I really struggle.
& oh, the comparisons. SO. MANY. TIMES. I've fallen for something hailed as the next HP only to see absolutely NO similarities apart from maybe a ~chosen one~ aspect or a goblin or two. I still get a little excited when I come across one, but these days I hold off buying it until I see a review or hear something from a friend.
I completely agree with all your points! There were so many modern ideas running rampant in this one. I finished it, simply because it was so darn easy to get through. However, I was mostly annoyed by what you said about it being pretty much point by point a rehash of Downton. I haven't read/watched Gossip Girls, but I can easily imagine it being fan fiction of that too. Just disappointing, I thought.
ReplyDelete