A Crushing Disappointment: Where Humor Falls Flat and Morals Take a Hit

Hello, ladies.

I'm feeling like it's time to wrap up these joint readings. This book has become like a partner to me. If it was chosen for you... not you personally, by the heart, from a thousand identical covers and similar annotations, you saw that one, unique book, appreciated it, and wanted to spend the evening with it... but a group of people had previously agreed to read it, paid for by the author - for the third time, this has turned out to be quite a letdown for me.

Maybe I should give up on the idea of finding like-minded people to discuss what I've read. These events attract indifferent people who just want to get a prize for writing a review. Based on some participants' comments from the last reader's marathon, "by some sort of whim", they didn't even open the book marked in the release.

Oh well, I got sidetracked.

So, another session of joint readings took place with Anna Platonova's book "The Other Story of Cinderella. Dark in the Academy of the Light".

It started very positively, just like always. I was expecting a worthy fantasy story. I love battles between light and darkness, some epic battles, Shakespearean reflections in the style of "to be or not to be", where the characters prove that light is not absolute, and darkness lives in each of us, but despite our differences, we're all human and deserve love and mutual respect, and justice will ultimately prevail. Something like that. And, at least according to the annotation, this story is about that.

At least, judging by the annotation

I'm called Mirel, and I'm a charcoal magician. Yes, one of those magicians who are feared, avoided, and, in the best case, simply ignored. And guess where I ended up? At the Academy of Light. A place where they idolize light-born magicians and keep those like me on a special faculty – only because without us, the world would fall apart. How convenient, right?

There, I'm met with sidelong glances, mockery, and, of course, His Highness – Prince Roen, who's convinced I'm not worthy of standing next to him. And you know what? He doesn't really impress me either.

I was excited to dive into this story, but things didn't quite go as planned. It started with Mirrrel Lir, a dark elf who somehow ends up at the Academy of the Light. And of course, she's paired with the charming Roen - a classic 'hate-to-love' trope that I was looking forward to. I didn't expect much depth, but I was willing to just relax and enjoy the ride.

But it didn't quite work out that way. Even setting aside my concerns about the world-building, character motivations, and overall quality of the writing, I just couldn't shake off the feeling that something was off. I've been wondering if it's just me, but it's hard to put my finger on what's not clicking.

One thing that really got under my skin was the main character's name - Mirrrel. I mean, who thought that was a good idea? And how is that supposed to be endearing? I was already on the verge of giving up on the book and ranting about it in my usual style, but I decided to power through.

And then there's the main character's reaction to her classmate's death. I won't get into the details, but let's just say it's a perfect example of her... let's call it 'moral fiber'. I mean, given her awful attitude, I'm not even surprised that someone finally took her down a peg.

I have to say, the main character's death in this book really got to me. At first, I was rooting for her to have a happy ending, but when that happened, I was left feeling really uncomfortable. The author's portrayal of the main character's demise as a minor setback is just not how I would have handled it. If it weren't for the external pressures from the main character's surroundings, I think she would have just moved on, no big deal.

I'm not sure what's going on with our society anymore. I feel like I'm losing my mind. I mean, it's just a fantasy novel, right? But then I started thinking about all the comments I see under posts about car accidents, and they're all just as callous and dismissive. It's like, no, this isn't just a matter of 'toughen up, it's just a book.' Culture is supposed to be about promoting and upholding morals, not contributing to the decay of society. And by not speaking out about this, we're just making things worse. Because the clever organizers and the author themselves seem to be anticipating these kinds of reactions (and instead of taking the time to think about the impact of their words, they'd rather just buy positive reviews...), they've explicitly warned us not to post reviews below four stars. So, I'm tempted to ask, what's the point of that? Are they going to ban me again? Will they give me a free book with their signature? I think it would be a lot worse if someone reading this book felt the same way I did - felt uncomfortable, felt like they were missing out - and then saw all these glowing reviews and thought, 'maybe it's me, maybe I'm just not getting it.' That's exactly what I'm trying to prevent. So, my review is going to be everywhere.

I have to admit, the heroine's moral compass and awkward 'I'm a powerful witch' vibe had me raising an eyebrow. As a dark mage, she's not exactly top of the social ladder in her community, and she's only got her job because of her mom's connections. And then she goes and yells at the little kid, threatening him with physical harm. I mean, come on, I'd fire a maid like that on the spot, regardless of her hair color or magical abilities. She's got no business intimidating a child, especially when she's just there to clean up after him. I don't care what the kid said to her, it doesn't give her the right to act like a bully. And to make matters worse, her behavior is actually presented as a positive trait, like she's some kind of strong-willed character. But really, she's just a mean-spirited maid who's taking out her frustrations on a defenseless kid.

The real cherry on top of this sundae is the author's style. I'm a big fan of witty, clever humor in fantasy novels, but I can forgive its absence if the story is engaging and the plot is exciting. A good book can still be enjoyable even without a lot of jokes and puns. But on the other hand, if the humor is forced, awkward, and just plain unfunny, it can be a major turn-off. And trust me, I've read my fair share of books that have made me roll my eyes at their attempts at humor.

He stood in the doorway, staring at me with a look of disgust, his nose scrunched up in distaste. – Real little darkie! Or maybe you're just a Cinderella type!

– And you're not afraid that the dark mage is going to tie your ugly little pigtails together in a knot, eh, Airheimer? – You're not a mage, – the kid piped up, but just in case, he took a step back.

I was left wondering what this book is even trying to be. It feels like Anna's trying to cash in on the retelling trend, but it comes across as cringeworthy. As I read, I couldn't help but feel embarrassed for the author. And that supposed 'insult' (which, let's be real, is just a failed attempt at humor) is just a mess. It's not like the kid who said it actually understood what they were going for. It's like the author just phoned it in.

I'm glad to say that, unlike The Laws of the Jungle, this book's storytelling is at least middling. It's not enough to keep me engaged, but it's not actively terrible either. I was able to put it down without feeling too guilty, and that's worth a star in my book. The destruction and moral rot are there, but they're not as bad as the rest of the book's problems with style, plot, and humor. It's just not a compelling read, and I don't think it's likely to do any real harm.

Thanks for the warning, folks. Happy buying and reading – may you find some great books out there!