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This is surreal. I don’t even know how to start writing about Incendiary.
It’s really unusual for me NOT to have over-pouring post-worthy fangirl comments for Amy Bartol’s masterpiece, but the fourth installment just got me tired. And I’m surprised just how calm I was after reading the book. Of course, I had these notorious tweets (that is out of the question), but I ended up really really sad (borderline depressed) starting from Reed’s POV up to the 1st chapter of Iniquity.
Will try to capture my incoherent thoughts in this post: both the awesome parts and tear-someone’s-heart-out parts.
1. For heaven’s sake, Russell. Stop fighting Reed for Evie. You don’t have a chance with my bby boy! YOUR EFFORTS ARE FUTILE.
2. Why do you never learn, Russell? WHY. DID. YOU. SWITCH. REED’S. PORTAL. WITH. YOURS??? I’m just so relieved that Reed was not trying to kill you. Because he was more than killing you in that chapter when he found you and Evie in Torun.
3. OH, ANYA. You’re a gem in this book, but you know that already. You’d make a better heroine than Evie, seriously. Your heartbreak is genuine and not annoying like Evie’s. I cannot imagine such torment in one’s heart when their aspire tells them to go away, let alone couldn’t remember them. Albeit you’re a new character, I can feel your pure love for Russell (I didn’t see this coming but am so happy that you came!!!!). So fine, I shall let Russell live in this novel just for you. Also, WHY, ON GREAT HEAVENS, ARE YOU SO DANGEROUSLY HOT? Haha!
4. What’s next? THE ARRIVAL OF THE THREE HOTTEST SERAPHIM ON EARTH. Oh yes, that is. What happened in that scene again? Did Evie say something? What? Oh, sorry, I was too pre-occuppied by how badass these Seraphim are. I shall throw a private party with just Tau, Cole and Xavier as guests. Feel free to crash it, just make sure that you’re not Evie. Reed and Zee are so so welcome. Hahaha!
5. For all the “I’m-so-raging-with-angel-hormones right now” scenes of Reed and Evie…
6. Xavier is a one hot mess for Evie. She doesn’t deserve that kind of love. I don’t know yet, and I don’t even have a hunch of what will happen between Evie and Xavier seeing as our bitch remembers something already, but my heart cries with Xavier’s agony. I think it just got shredded with Xavier’s pleas for Evie to remember him and to get to know him, especially with everything that they went through in Paradise. It’s just too much. How can such a half-breed do this great destruction over the hottest angels in heaven?
7. I shall say this once, and I will stand by this statement. I think Tau, Cole and Xavier’s powerful influence and, well, literal Seraphim powers were not entirely maximized in this book. What? They were just introduced? When we introduce a character in a book, should it be that he/she has a peculiar role in the plot? Otherwise, they’re just accessories. And I don’t think that’s a better treatment for the three Seraphim, especially for Tau and Xavier. You know what pisses me off? THEY DIDN’T EVEN GET TO SLICE BRENNUS’ HEAD OFF, LET ALONE FACE HIM.
8. Let’s discuss Brennus. WHY IS THIS PEST STILL ALIVE? All those shit for nothing, really. Seriously. Where is the progress of the plot if we don’t move forward from one place to another? Is the book’s objective a mere transition from one book to another? Because it does not do any justice to the first three books of the series. Seriously, I’m so tired with Brennus. I know there was an attempt for a twist — like when Brennus let out his little gay side and took Reed as his temporary slave. But fck, when Evie killed a legion of Gancanagh (which almost got Reed torn into pieces as well), her blood unexpectedly saved Brennus and made him even stronger. WHAT KIND OF COCKROACH ARE YOU, BRENNUS? TELL ME!!!!!!!!
9. Now, let’s bash Evie. I can just think of hundreds of ways to kill and torture Evie, but that would just hurt my beloved, Reed. So, in respect to my feelings (I’m selfish like that), I just called Evie the Taylor Swift of her era. She’s a slutty whore-iffic bitch. Everyone’s been trying to protect her and what does she do? Ugh, I don’t even wanna enumerate her stubborn decisions. Is this the time for me to accept that why Brennus lives is because Evie actually loves him? Because she can just kill Brennus if she wants to? Why does she flirt with him? Why does she flirt with everyone while her aspire, Reed, always throws himself at a war just for her? Why is she so compassionate about hurting her family, but preserving Brennus? Does she know that every time she decides to barter herself with Brennus, it does not make any difference to save Reed? To save her family? This book hasn’t done any redemption for that ho. It just made her more annoying than ever. I hate a “damsel in distress” type of heroine ever since I’ve read the Hunger Games and Graceling and Vampire Academy. You should fight, girl. Not surrender. I think your evolution becomes more human than an Angel. Know where you want to be so we can start saving time and saving unrequited efforts to protect you. If you so wanna be with Brennus, then, as a reader, I shall be willing to give you to him. Be a Gancanagh, please. I’m so tired with your shit. You killed his army, but not him? I know I’m being irrational already, but come on! You know in yourself that you don’t want to kill him. To end this tirade, I’ll just rip you apart with my bare hands. YOU DON’T DESERVE ANY OF THEIR LOVE. REED’S, XAVIER’S, (and fine) EVEN RUSSELL’S.
10. Reed, baby, when the time comes that she will leave you, please try to live. Because I can feel that she will leave you regardless of your exponential movement to save her. I don’t know what’s up with that bitch but she definitely has feelings for every man / creature / whatever. It’s unfortunate that you bound your immortal life to a whore. You deserve genuine love from a genuine Angel who will never choose to leave you or cause you sorrow because you’re not entitled to feel any of those. Your fidelity, loyalty and affection are impeccable, always remember that. Please, live. You’re the reason why I hold on to this book. I shall stand by you.
And for once, I shall say that I’m so devoted to a series where I loathe the heroine, but I endure the experience because I am in love with her lover.
This series needs saving. Redemption must be done in the fifth installment.
Sorry for the lash out, but I haven’t had a book discussion with my friends at this point so my post became a repository of fangirl feels. I love the series so much that I am willing to give it a second chance. If this were any novel, I might have just tossed it over and never looked back. But no, this is the Premonition Series. I must have faith.
2013 Reading Challenge: 1 out of 35
*starting early for the next batch*
Although I found this extremely entertaining/amusing to read, all the bashings Evie received made my heart hurt. She’s not that bad… Give the main character a little credit, will you? Have some compassion woman!
The other stuff though was golden.
Hi Alyssa! Thanks for taking time to read my post and comment on it as well.
I believe that we all have our own takeaway in every character of every book. Every book leaves a different interpretation on every mind.
If, by any chance, you saw my post about Intuition or Indebted, you will see how proud and understanding I was of Evie’s character. I even made myself believe that she experienced Stockholm Syndrome. However, Incendiary went overboard. It is like what we call O.A. Her character went bland and scattered.
I have a friend who never thought little of Evie despite everything. She adores her. We have entirely opposite opinions, but we respect that. I hope you do, too.
Nash