Damsel by Elana K. Arnold, a book review

 

Damsel by Elana K. Arnold
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The ultimate MUST READ
This fantastic work of literature is an absolute gem. Sadly, very underrated by the narrow-minded on whom the books metaphorical narrative and symbolism is totally lost & those who are put off by its feministic message. This novel is ultimately about gaslighting. Many people (not just women) could find themselves in the situation of this Damsel & with a bit of brain power, one can clearly understand how kings, dragons, castles, and so on can easily translate to our modern & mundane lives. People silently suffer decades of abuse and manipulation so well-crafted that it takes too long for the victim to realize what is happening to them & do something about it before every bit of their self-confidence & self-worth is carved away until they might no longer recognize themselves.

I highly recommend this book to every adult.
That being said, please be aware of several trigger topics, especially sexual assault/abuse. This isn't a book for children or anyone who could be triggered by such topics.

Narrative:
It starts from the golden hero prince's perspective, intentionally akin to classical legends & fairytales. But it wonderfully switches to the Damsel's perspective [as somewhat unreliable narrator due to her amnesia and loss of all memories from the time before her rescue].

In terms of prose:
Every line is precious & beautiful. This book reads like the gorgeous work of literature that it is.

Pacing:
It's quite good. In fact, I was getting anxious at the end when the story had me figuratively at the edge of my seat & only few pages were remaining. I was keeping hard from biting my nails! But fortunately, the ending is complete, no cliffhangers as this is a standalone book.

Negative aspects:
My only qualm is the way the book keeps referring to the prince's/king's genitalilla as his "yard", which is too humoristic for some of the very serious scenes, including one involving sexual assault/abuse.

View all my reviews

Shadow & Bone Season 2: A Quick Review

 After a too long wait, the second & last season is here.

 

Shadow & Bone Season 2: A Quick Review

Pros:

• The visual effects are gorgeous, better quality than the first one by far.
• The cast are magnificent & the act the hell out of every scene.
• Ben is not only more dashing with the scars, he finally succeeded in inserting all the Darkling's best lines into the show.
• No more insufferable Mal toxic masculinity and slut-shaming scenes.
• No more miscommunication trope as a plot device.
  

Cons:  

• The screenplay appears as if someone who has never read any of the books threw every Grishaverse Fandom (https://thegrishaverse.fandom.com) pages into a blender, then poured the over-smoothed dough into 8 molds to bake a version of the stories.
• Every single character is a much much better person than the original version in the books. One might think this a positive trait, yet the results lack the "edge of one's seat" level of interpersonal friction and irremediable conflicts, making the stakes rather artificial.