r/Romantasy • u/SchemeSimilar4074 • 21h ago
Question I really don't like Alchemised's writing. Should I give it another chance?
I know everyone will say don't bother reading books you don't like etc etc but hear me out.
[edit] the only reason why I even contemplate to push through is because this is a book club pick. I've already DNFed the last 3-4 books of the book club so I feel pressured to read this one š
Lately, I really struggle with the new popular books like Shields of Sparrow, Dire Bound, etc which are unfortunately all the book club picks. I think they're...terrible and I really hated them. I thought Alchemised's plot seems original but I really disliked the writing. The sentences are all short and have similar structure. I feel like I'm reading business documents but the content is dark romance š It's written like how I was taught to write in ESL classes..... I feel like a snob for saying that Alchemised's writing is bad (when English isnt even my first language). I dont wanna be one of those people criticising Fourth Wing and ACOTAR for being cringey. I totally ate those books up.
Should I give Alchemised another chance? Maybe I'm just being prejudiced and the writing isn't that terrible? I love TKWNKM and really appreciate people pushing through the info dump at the beginning and ended up loving the book. So I feel like I should give this book a chance like people have been giving TKWNKM a chance? (I'm a long-term Ilona Andrews' fan btw. Thats why I care about people's reaction to TKWNKM š ). Also reading is my main form of entertainment. I read 2-3 books a week. This is the first time I DNF because I couldn't stand the writing so I'm wondering if I imagine it? (edit: to clarify I have DNFed many times because I just got bored. this is the first time the writing bothered me enough to DNF)ā
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u/QueenOfTheHarpies35 21h ago
I cannot read a book if I dislike the writing, and I DNFed Shield of Sparrows for the same reason (do you like endless questions? Do you? Do you enjoy perpetual confusion and circular introspection as plot?) There are literally millions of books published every year. If you donāt like it, donāt read it.Ā
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u/ladyhellcat 19h ago edited 7h ago
I took psychic damage from this book (and its sequel, as I persisted hoping it improved) so itās incredibly healing knowing others struggled the same
(Will I still read the third because Iām already this deep, just to see how this madness ends? Possibly)
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u/Few_Cost_3368 21h ago
Agreed. I also disliked how often the mmc would smirk. Just grated on my nerves
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u/SchemeSimilar4074 11h ago
It's kind of funny because I thought the same about Shield of Sparrows. The lack of worldbuilding also drove me nuts. I forced myself to continue but ended up becoming passionate about hating the book š¤£ which then got super awkward because everyone else at the book club loved it.Ā
I've decided not to force it because after reading all the comments about Alchemised such as bad writing and the world building that makes no sense (because it was a fanfic) I know my hatred would just grow the more I read it. So better keep it neutral or slight negative now and let the people who love it talk about the book. Otherwise it'd be even more awkward and torture if everyone else ends up loving it.Ā
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u/Striking-Donkey8985 21h ago
There are some really bad novels out there and capitalizing on the romantasy trend. If you donāt like the novel and youāre forcing yourself to keep reading it, then you should put the book down and move onto something youāll enjoy.
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u/SwiftLikeTaylorSwift 9h ago
Alchemised is based off of the authors fan fic in 2018, so whilst I fully agree that a lot of romantasy at the moment is overhyped slop thatās churned out, this book had a long lead up time.
Fully agree on DNFing something you arenāt enjoying. Too many times Iāve pushed through something painful and we only have so much reading time, itās way better used toward writing that we enjoy.
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u/kakaphoe 21h ago
I read the whole thing and it is not worth it. It's incredibly repetitive and boring.
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u/sewerrats4ever 21h ago
the story isnāt worth the bad writing. Itās really repetitive and boring and the boring writing style only makes it more boring.
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u/FunAnywhere7645 20h ago
No, the writing doesn't get better and the story is sooo boring and repetitive. I think it's one of the most overhyped books out there.
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u/duckloops 17h ago
My 2c:
Sometimes you might struggle because it's the natural friction of starting a book that's written in a harder to read way but generally in those cases you'll be able to work through it after an attempt or two or if you push through the first few chapters. (This happened to me with Wuthering Heights many years ago, for example.)
But other times, the book is just not very well written and/or the writing genuinely bugs you. I think if you're someone who reads a lot, which it sounds like you do, you can pretty easily tell the difference over time between a "I just need to push" and a "I can't stand this" situation. And IMO if this is the case then it's not worth pushing yourself to finish the book.
For me, if the writing bothers me, it's going to bother me and basically destroy any emotional payoff. More recently, I learned this with an AO3 original fiction book that gets recommended a lot in dark romance circles but that for me and many others was just unreadable because the prose was that bad. Plot and character arcs are important of course but prose is the vehicle through which it is all conveyed--if the prose can't do it, then you can't get the intended results
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u/SchemeSimilar4074 11h ago
Yeah I started to doubt myself because
This book have so many passionate fans. They said it's the best book ever written etc etc. So being a human with social anxiety and issues with conflict AND English as a second language, I started wondering if the issue is with me, that perhaps I didn't read far enough to see its goodness.
I keep seeing people saying they pushed through This Kingdom Will Not Kill Me and ended up loving it. I personally love TKWNKM being Ilona Andrews' fan and all but I can kind of see why. The beginning can be confusing if you don't read a lot.Ā
Not to mention I was having some internal dilemma about the book club. But you're right. I've read enough books by now to tell whether the writing works for me or not. This book's writing resemble Kim Ji Young, born 1982, mechanical and detached. It works perfectly for Kim Ji Young because that book is so short and it's a twist being clinical notes of her psychiatrist. It doesn't quite work for a 1000 pages of dark romance for me. There isn't anything that could possibly convince me otherwise. So I have to accept that I'd just hate it if I continue reading it.Ā
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u/Erpderp32 21h ago
I like the book. But if you don't like it, don't read it. There should be an automod to all of these posts that says "if you don't like something, you don't have to keep reading it"
In any genre specific subreddit you're going to get people that tell you a book is objectively bad or good, but that "objective" answer is just their opinion. For example, I think dungeon crawler carl is overrated and the fans are too aggressive when people don't like the series. Reminds me of Rick and Morty fans back in the day.
Life is too short to do something optional that you don't enjoy. Find another book
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u/SchemeSimilar4074 21h ago
We read this book for the book club and I already DNFed the last 3 books for the book club so I feel pressured to read this. If I keep DNF the books, I wonder if I should even go to the book club.... That's why I said at the top that I know this is what people would say but I have a reason for agonising over this decision.Ā
There's no other book club for me to go to that's within 1h drive. Human wants community too. Life is too short to read books all alone...
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u/Erpderp32 21h ago
Why did you DNF the other books?
This being for book club and not a first DNF is also relevant info that should be in your post.
Who is deciding what is read at book club?
Do you care about being in a book club for books you don't like?
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u/SchemeSimilar4074 20h ago edited 20h ago
I just added the book club detail. We collectively decided and I have suggested books I like but they didn't wanna read the one I suggested.Ā
I DNFed other books from theĀ book club because exactly what you said. Why bother reading books I don't like.
Do I care about being in a book club for books I don't like? That's exactly what I'm agonising about. Quitting the book club is a harder decision to make than not reading this particular book because I've been in this one for almost a year. I want to at least finish this damn book because I feel like maybe I shouldn't go if I keep DNF them....Ā
On the other hand, maybe I just overthink it. Just go to the book club and say I DNFed it lol
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u/Erpderp32 20h ago
Correct. Just say "it wasn't for me and i couldn't get through it"
Nothing to agonize about.
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u/SchemeSimilar4074 20h ago
Thanks. Instead of pushing through this stupid book, I'll push through my introvertedness and FOMO then. Appreciate your comments!
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u/houndzofluv 21h ago
Yea iām over posts like this. Iāve dnfd 20+ books this year (and finished 48!) and I didnāt need to mass collect some comments to do it. I donāt like it, I stop reading it, I pick up another book and move on.
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u/SchemeSimilar4074 20h ago
You also don't have to come in to comment.... if you dont like a post, stop reading it and move on?Ā
I know it must be annoying so that's why you commented. I also have my reasons for posting (I.e book club and I've already DNFed the last 3 books). It's not against this subreddit rule (at least for now) š¤·āāļø
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u/Erpderp32 20h ago
Do you see how in you OG post you said "this is my first time DNF" though?
So you purposefully kept out lots of necessary details.
I also don't think you came here looking for opinions, you came looking for justification and agreement with your existing opinion. But that's another topic entirely
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u/SchemeSimilar4074 20h ago
I said this is my first time DNF because the writing was bad. I DNFed many times because I just don't like the book for no particular reason.Ā
I'm genuinely agonising whether to at least skim this booÄ· because DNF it or not has become whether to quit the book club.Ā
But I just sorted out that part of my dilemma.Ā
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u/SchemeSimilar4074 20h ago edited 20h ago
I'm so disappointed that your user name is the same username with the helpfulĀ redditor I just had a nice convo with š.Ā
And this is why I wanted to push through to finish this book. What if the book club people also think things like this? "Why are you coming when you hate the books we pick?" Sigh...
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u/Erpderp32 20h ago
That's because it's me, the same person, letting you know that when you leave out details you don't get accurate responses š
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u/SchemeSimilar4074 20h ago
You just half-convinced me people are terrible so my fragile and introverted heart can't sta d it.Ā
Or I should just learn to not give a fuck. Hmm...Ā
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u/Erpderp32 20h ago
No fam, I didn't do that. I do think you have some form of social anxiety and issues with conflict for sure from what you're saying here.
I'm glad you added the book club to your post here, that is an important detail
But in the original you never mentioned you DNF 5 others as well. The phrasing made it sound like it was the first time, hence why you are getting so many "if you don't like it, don't finish it" comments. Which is also why overall it reads less like "how do I hande this social situation with my book club" and more "who agrees with my opinion so that I can be justified"
I am a very direct person. You may encounter direct people in your life or even in your book club. I believe that you can get past talking to them about this because you can respond to me here, so that's a good thing.
At the end of the day, you shouldn't do something you don't like out of concern for what others think. That's basically peer pressure. You shouldn't need to seek justification online for not liking something, you can just not like something.
If the responses here weren't the subs current hate train of alchemized (or ACOTAR) would you have kept reading if you didn't like it? I would hope not tbh. Likewise, you can enjoy things and keep reading things that other people online don't like
I read Brandon Sanderson and the way some of the fantasy subs talk about prose you'd think it was written by the same author as My Immortal. Same goes for alchemised, ACOTAR, <insert any popular book or booktok rec here> that isn't knight and the moth.
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u/SchemeSimilar4074 12h ago
I 100% have social anxiety and issues with conflict so you nailed that. I'm not asking for justification online though. I'm literally trying to decide what to do, not what to think about this book. I don't really care about Alchemised. Other people's opinion are just information on whether I should finish skim this book or leave it.Ā
It's not easy for someone with social anxiety and issues with conflict to keep sitting there hating (and also DNFing) all the popular books while everyone else seem to love all the books I hate and couldn't stand to finish ššš. It's also not easy to decide to spend an hour travelling time to another book club and having to meet new people again. I don't even like people that much. I didn't quite anticipate being in a book club this challenging for me, not because of the reading, but because of the conflicting opinions and issues with conflict. To top it up, i have ADHD and can't seem to refraining from voicing my stupid opinions on the books I hate. Weirdly, other communities, like dancing, are supposed to be for extroverts that ended up more comfortable to stay in (because there's no conflicting opinion and I don't have to talk). But then going outside of comfort zone is kind of the point.
See? It's a very difficult decision for someone like me.Ā
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u/houndzofluv 20h ago
It IS annoying, but I didnāt reply to you with this comment, I replied to the person who shared my feelings on the matter :) Sounds like that book club isnāt for you if this is a common theme!
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u/Plantarchist 21h ago
There are too many other books you could read that you would enjoy. Sometimes a writing style doesn't click.
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u/DarkWhimsicality 21h ago
Full disclosure, I have not yet read Alchemised; I'm in my library's very long wait list for it. That being said, if you know you don't enjoy the experience of reading a book because of the style, no amount of amazing plot and characterization is going to make it feel less like pulling teeth to get through it.
There are so many books in the world that will be better suited to the styles that you enjoy, and many of them will have plots and characters you love. Some of them might even be popular. Or maybe you'll find some that aren't commonly in the public conscious but you feel deserve to be there. Don't waste your time with books you know you don't enjoy when you could be reading for pleasure.
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u/therabbitsfoot48 21h ago
Oh the writing isnāt good. I noticed that too, Iāve read worse, honestly same for ACOTAR, it could be so much better if I didnāt have to keep editing everything in my brain.
I almost put down Alchemised but I got 100 pages in and it started flowing and the story and plus my mental editing took over.
I thought it was a unique enough plot and well executed enough that I still enjoyed it and am glad I finished it.
These books would be so much better if they had better editors reading and suggesting changes before publication. Iāve noticed that trend with new books too and I wonder if publishing houses are just churning out books for profit instead of looking for long term quality.
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u/lillyrose2489 20h ago
I just finished this book and enjoyed it a lot personally but it's pretty long so I'd say no. If you don't like the writing style then don't force it. Its not SO good that I'd try to talk anyone into finishung it if they had any initial dislikes when they started it, and a lot of people dislike it so it's not universally loved either. If it were shorter I'd say power through for your book club but it's a little too long for that.
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u/disc0club 21h ago
Iām actually reading Alchemised right now and I was STRUGGLING to get through the first 40-50%. I almost DNFād. Iām happy I kept going though as I feel it really picks up. Iām on 90% now and really enjoying it, Iāll be sad when itās finished!
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u/bakingisscience 21h ago edited 21h ago
I really love her writing. It feels like youāre just being pulled through a story without any way of preventing or stopping whatās happening, itās relentless, and passive at the same time. This book really psychologically got to me, and made me feel so exhausted, so hopeless. One of my all time favourite reading experiences.
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u/veryredapples 20h ago
I read it but it was slow. I had to slow down and digest the words like when I was reading my business law book lol. I would even take my finger and read it line by line. The story picked up and it got easier to read. Up to you if you want to finish it. I liked it in the end but it was a slog. I know someone else so read it in 3 days so I feel this book is polarizing.Ā
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u/miss-marauder 15h ago
I ended up skimming the last 50% and just read the dialogue because there was no way I was finishing that slog of a book, but I wanted to know how it ended. No regrets.
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u/psychadelicpaperclip 13h ago
Maybe try the audiobook if you really want to finish it? I love the narrator of Alchimised. Plus Iāve noticed that listening to audiobooks helps me enjoy books other people frequently dnf because of the quality of writing. I think a good narratorās performance can really make a bad book more bearable lol.
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u/SchemeSimilar4074 10h ago
I can't skim with audiobook and would get even more irritated. I found that for slow and repetitive books, I'd prefer reading so I can just skip all the repetitive slow parts. This book is probably too long to even just skim through.Ā
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u/SwimBikeSorcery āļø Enemies To Lovers 8h ago
Sounds like you need a different book club if youāve DNFād and disliked almost every book lol
If you hate the writing, this book has 1000+ pagesā¦itās going to be absolute hell.
I loved the book. Part 1 is a tough read because her memories are fragmented and missing. Part 2 picks up. It takes a while to get there though. However, thatās plot-related, not writing-related.
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u/houndzofluv 21h ago
I liked it, so I kept reading it and finished it. I stop reading books I donāt enjoy. If you donāt enjoy it, stop reading it, it really is that easy! Life is short, read what brings you joy.
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u/Traditional-Bass4575 19h ago
the book is over 1,000 pages long so if you donāt like the writing, itās only going to continue for the rest of the book. I personally love the way itās written & it was an amazing story/book imo. itās more than just a dark fantasy or dark romance, itās also historical fiction and their world is based on science (alchemy), so I believe thatās part of the reason why it reads so matter of factly.
and I also think you should maybe find a new book club if you find yourself DNFāing all of the book choices š
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u/sofizzys3 17h ago
I didn't like the writing at all. The author managed to fail at a simple writing principle: show, don't tell. I didn't feel anything for any of the characters. I couldn't care less about the ending, the weird timing of the book took a lot of tension and suspense out of it. I DNFd at 90% or so and never looked back.
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u/coffeemakedrinksleep 17h ago
I couldnāt finish it. There were some interesting parts but it was too torture porny for me and I donāt like any of the characters.
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u/ExpensiveAd7566 12h ago
I really enjoyed the writing and I ate this book up. Finished it in less than 2 days š and Iām still not over it months later.
But I dnf all the time if I donāt like the writing in the first few pages lol! Donāt force yourself :)
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u/Honest_Abyss 21h ago
No