penwalla

Broken Dove: Chapter Six

2026-05-23T16:17:18Z

God, this chapter pissed me off.

For context, I'm trying something new with these recaps, where I read through the entire chapter once before I start writing up my recap, rather than doing it as I go. I do this mostly so I don't waste time complaining about things that are addressed a page or two ahead.
( inventing wlw fixit fics to cope )

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Broken Dove: Chapter Five

2026-05-20T01:03:57Z

Chapter five opens with Grey assuring Wren that she did well. Wren then complains that she was threatened and that it's not fair she's not allowed in the wards.

I'll let Grey refute this for me:

( wren hates woman )

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Broken Dove: Chapter Four

2026-05-17T10:50:38Z

The next morning, Wren meets with the Authority for her disclosure.

“There’s no passing or failing here. We’re simply gauging your skills,” Kallister reassures me, and I’m reminded of my first day in Silver Block when they surprised us with a random observation quiz.

That morning, I wasn’t sure if I should stand out, blend with the group, or outright fail. Now I’m cycling through those same options, considering how much to reveal. Until it dawns on me that I can’t afford to hide anything from these people

( full disclosure more like full boredom )

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Broken Dove: Chapter Three

2026-05-15T01:36:56Z

Before this chapter is another one of these "enemy of the state" profiles, this one about Xavier. Again, the more I think about Xavier's actions so far the more improbable it all seems. Like I hope we find out later there was some other reason he had to join Wren on her trip to the Uprising, because so far it just makes no sense and makes everyone involved look like an idiot.
( wren is so badly written )

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Broken Dove: Chapter Two

2026-05-14T03:35:09Z

Wren sees this man who looks exactly like her dead uncle and immediately has an emotional reaction. She's overwhelmed by grief, she starts crying. It's good.

She starts to run to him, but then realizes he isn't her uncle.
( wren is back on her bullshit )

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Broken Dove: Chapter One

2026-05-13T02:48:55Z

Before the chapter itself, we have a profile of Wren that I assume is some kind of military document. It's titled "Red Threat" which suggests it's like, an internal document detailing her as a person of interest due to her treasonous activities. But it's weirdly laid out and the included info doesn't make that much sense.
( wren is just a collection of female protag tropes in a tshirt )

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Broken Dove: Synopsis, TOC, and Prologue

2026-05-12T23:45:08Z

Let's do this.

We will start by going over the synopsis of the book in full.

In the heart-pounding sequel to the New York Times bestselling dystopian romance Silver Elite, lines will be crossed, loyalties will be tested, and the fight for the Continent is only just beginning as Wren Darlington finds herself caught in the middle of two wars: one for the fate of her home and another for the fate of her heart.

LINES WILL BE CROSSED.

First off: let's not kid ourselves about Wren being caught between two guys for her heart. I would bet money this is going to be a Fourth Wing-esque love "triangle" where it's clear from the onset that Cross will win.

( here we go :( )

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How To Write Romantasy: A Review

2026-04-29T22:03:30Z

I would like to preface this review with a reminder that reviews are for readers and that I am posting this on my blog, not on bsky with the author tagged, for a reason. I would also like to say, I obtained a signed copy of this book during a charity auction where the proceeds went to anti-ICE efforts in Minnesota, which the author provided, so like...this is not a personal indictment, okay? I just didn't like the book.

How to Write Romantasy by Jenna Moreci is a book about, you guessed it, writing romantasy.
( review below )

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They Should Have Bad Sex: A Review of Being Mrs. Darcy

2026-04-29T19:44:23Z

Being Mrs. Darcy by Lucy Marin is a published Pride & Prejudice AU fanfiction featuring a rocky marriage of convenience between Elizabeth and Darcy. As far as novels of this kind go, it has a typical premise: Elizabeth and her family are at Ramsgate during Georgiana’s elopement, and by chance Elizabeth is able to prevent it from occurring. Unfortunately this comes at the cost of her own reputation, and now that she has been tied to Mr. Darcy by sordid gossip, they have no choice but to salvage their reputations by marrying.

It’s not a particularly original novel, and I think its portrayal of Georgiana as a spoiled, arrogant, and hateful young woman is unpleasant. But it is one of my favorite novels of all time, and certainly my favorite P&P variation. If I had to sell it to you, I would tell you this: Being Mrs. Darcy has the best romance novel grovel of all time. Because this Darcy doesn’t just apologize, and he’s not just guilty of being prideful.

Being Mrs. Darcy is about an emotionally abusive man realizing that he is an abuser and changing his ways.
( tw: brief description of emotional abuse )

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Animorphs Reread #5-8 (and MM1)

2026-04-26T11:54:50Z

Lot of great stuff in these volumes, so let's get into it.
( early animorphs is so good )

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Animorphs Reread #4

2026-02-19T19:53:26Z

Enter Axmili.

( i love cassie. cassie haters can meet me in the pit )

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Animorphs Reread #1-3

2026-02-07T20:34:43Z

Am doing Animorphs reread with my friends and wanted to record my thoughts.

The Invasion -- Jake POV
The Message -- Rachel POV
The Encounter -- Tobias POV

It's fascinating in these early books to see what will become firm team dynamics get laid down. Animorphs is about how war is terrible, and each of the six main characters embodies this in a different way.

Some thoughts:

( spoilers for the entire series including the ending below! )

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January 2026 Reading Update

2026-02-01T21:52:43Z

A slow start to the year! Pretty romance heavy. Next month I really need to lock in on speculative fiction so I can try and knock some squares from my r/fantasy bingo card. I also would love to finish any of the books that have been sitting on my currently-reading shelf for literal months...
( we're back baby )

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Kindle vs Boox: A Review

2026-01-20T21:40:01Z

Amazon deciding that you could no longer download your Kindle books was the last straw for me, and I have not bought an e-book from them since. But what to do with my Kindle e-reader? I loved my Oasis, don't get me wrong, and initially I was just going to keep it and sideload books on it as needed. But then it started glitching, and I figured...time to pick up something else.
( full disclosure i am v picky )

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2025 Reading Wrap Up

2026-01-02T18:06:36Z

This year, I was very bad about doing my monthly reading updates. A lot has happened in my real life, which I may post about later, but for now let's just say that some things had to fall through the cracks and my reading blog was one of them. I do think regular blogging helps me formulate my thoughts about books in a more coherent way, so I'd like to do better about it this year. Articulating my thoughts about the books I read is not one of my skills, so let's keep working on it!
( rip my storygraph account )

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Broken Dove Predictions

2025-12-18T14:14:29Z

We have five whole months before Broken Dove comes out, thank god, so here are my predictions.

We are going to find out the Uprising, or some part of it, is evil and doing the mind rewiring shit all along, and this will be Wren's justification for betraying them.
Kaine will continue to be an unconvincing second love interest who is clearly not a threat to the Cross/Wren romance.
Wren's parents' identities will be revealed and somehow this will be twisted to prove Wren is bad, even though that doesn't make sense.
One of Cross's brothers will die. My overarching series theory is that Cross will become the General eventually, so we gotta kill off all his brothers first.
Wren will discover at least one new power. I think she will start rewiring people's mind, but it'll be okay because she's the protagonist.
Either Tana and Gryff won't return, or they will reappear and have forgiven Wren for everything.

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Silver Elite: The Review

2025-12-02T01:39:22Z

This book has all the usual hallmarks of bad writing. Infodumps. Clunky, exposition heavy dialogue (this is most of what Lyddie is in the book for). Terrible pacing--most of the plot of this book is in the last five chapters. The author feels the need to repeat herself constantly, but also will have Wren contradict herself from page to page. Every time the book starts to get tense, the author stops to infodump, lest the reader experience even a moment of suspense. I find it difficult to believe this book had any substantial editing. Hell, I barely believe the author reread any part of it after writing it.

But that's just the tip of this shitty book iceberg.
( this review is a little incoherent. sorry. the book broke me )

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Silver Elite: Chapter 54-55

2025-11-30T05:52:56Z

The penultimate chapter.
( i lived bitch )

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Silver Elite: Chapter 53

2025-11-30T05:24:55Z

Cross sneaks Wren out of prison using a jammer. Xavier picks them up in a car, and Wren and Cross chat telepathically in the backseat.
( the book is almost over )

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Silver Elite: Chapter 52

2025-11-30T05:10:55Z

Wren uses the explosion as cover as she chases down Adrienne. Adrienne is in bad shape.
( wren is still whining about not being rescued )

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Silver Elite: Chapter 51

2025-11-30T04:44:45Z

Wren arrives at the ball.
( the plot arrives )

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Silver Elite: Chapter 50

2025-11-28T20:17:44Z

The memory plays on a loop in my mind, each detail etched with painful clarity. A torrent of emotions threatens to overwhelm me. Contrition. Shame. Relief. I killed her and it makes me sick to my stomach. I killed her and I’m relieved. She can never tell anyone what I am now. She can’t imprison me. Experiment on me. Put me in front of a firing squad.

( protagonist centered morality )

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Silver Elite: Chapter 49

2025-11-28T19:34:59Z

The Jubilee begins.
( the author has just realized she only has 5 chapters left )

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Silver Elite: Chapter 48

2025-11-25T22:23:41Z

Wren goes to Cross's quarters that evening.
( fuck wren )

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Silver Elite: Chapter 47

2025-11-25T22:02:44Z

Cross briefs Wren and her fellow soldiers on their way to the mission.

A solo jet has crashed near a weapons depot, and the pilot has escaped. So now Silver Block has been sent in to hunt him down and assess the situation. It's a decommissioned weapons depot, so it's not clear if the Uprising was acting on false information.
( im longing for violet sorrengail now )

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