Emma Winters

This isn't a perfect book but it's pretty damn good and it's very enjoyable. Flick and Achilles were both snarky and adorable. Flick was wicked badass. I loved her insecurity and her journey to confidence. I loved how Achilles' challenged her to be better, to be more. I didn't love all the complications in their love story the hookers just about killed me but it made sense I guess - I just didn't like it.

This book is dark, but not as dark as I was expecting. It's pretty tame in a lot of ways. It reminded me a lot of Batman. I guess I kept thinking of Carova as Gotham. There's violence but not overwhelming violence once you get past the start. To be honest I would've appreciated more violence. Particularly with the ending - it made no sense that Achilles didn't kill Molten. He should have. But then I guess Achilles' totally reforms - but I wouldn't have hated an ending with him not giving up his life of crime and Flick decides to join in. She does wield a hammer very well. There's swoonworthy romance and flirting but although it's NA there aren't a bunch of explicit sex scenes.

I didn't think the storyline with Finn worked all that well (it didn't really make sense why he called her sweetheart, or cared for her wellbeing) but it was easy enough to ignore. I preferred to just think they were old friends or something. I did really enjoy the superhero powers Flick has. The idea of being to give someone sunshine/happiness was a cool one. I would've liked to see more of Achilles' history - where he came from, why he's done what he has, why if he doesn't have powers he became what he has? and does he definitely not have powers? etc.

It's a shame the author doesn't seem to be adding any more books to the series, because this is a fantastic novel and I would love to read more of Flick and Achilles. 4.5 stars.… (more)

Nomen est Omen

While the ancient Romans were what we may consider these days to be a bit socially awkward, philosophically speaking they knew their shit....

The name says it all

Let's start by giving praise where praise is due. I loved this book, the concept of it was brilliant. I am plainly put- a sucker for a good antihero. To be honest I always was, but in this day and age even more so. I think what pushes my rebellious side lately is the saturation of self-righteousness that seems to be everywhere. Everybody's constantly outraged by everything, and the internet breaks every five minutes because of something so colossally stupid that I welcomed.... YES WELCOMED a morally challenged maniac. Just for shits and giggles.

Achilles.
The big cheese.
A psychopath and a killer with a penchant for Maybelline.
…....Achilles.

When you choose to attach a name like that, a legendary name, a powerful name to a character, you silently say, 'They share common traits'. This is true for all weather you want it or not (try naming your character George Bush if you don't believe me and see how far that gets you), and honestly that's what threw me. I kept expecting to find those common traits... The legendary Achilles was a Myrmidon- a precise, structured warrior that lived his life by a set of rules branded into him by others since birth. Then there is the whole matter of his rather famous, untimely death. Achilles of Equal Part was batshit cray-cray, emotional whiplash kind of guy with a sense of duty that served only himself.

Then there is the Death Mask. Dia de Muertos full on.

Now there is another subtext on its own.

There are so many different folk tales and hidden meanings in the way the Latin America celebrates the Day of the Dead, and yes, I expected some connection. The author made a brilliant display of just how important the public persona and the mask is for the MC, so at the end, when his name was Henry Westwood and all of this was *because fuck you,that's why*, I was left deflated. There were so many endless possibilities, and the end result got me trying to mash 300 Rise of an Empire with the best Mexico has to offer and got this.


What started with Achilles developed in a pattern throughout the novel where more then once I found myself curious about an element that Winters introduced, but then failed to use. There were superpowers, yes? We only saw a few jumps by Finn and some mindfuckery by Molten. In a city where crime rate is higher then the Nitrogen saturation in the air, you would think we would see some more shebang out of it all. Then the romantic side of it all. I don't care who the hell you are, how powerful, how badass, how sexy and enchanting. If you hurt a girl she will be angry. Very, very angry...She wouldn't stand around listening to the man that hurt her spout BS and then start explaining herself. The whole nightclub scene was underwhelming and disappointing. He gave her some lamery, she beamed at him, and he swung his Mjolnir happily ever after.


If you're wondering what the hell is going on with the hammer...read the book.

At the end of it I will say that this is not my last book by Winters, and I enjoyed Equal Parts. I just needed more detail, more engaging moments to find it brilliant. And it can be brilliant! Emma Winters has got all it takes - originality, shock value, sense of humor and a flair for the dramatic.

PS: I am aware of my current profile pic and the whole theme going on here. Kinda prophetic.… (more)