Author: Fives @ Down The Rabbit Hole

An avid reader whose current interest lies in mysteries and thrillers. Line 'em up! Also personally love fantasies and any stories to do with magic, and a sucker for the occasional (good) romance.
discussion

Let’s Talk Bookish – Illustrations in Books

Fives @ Down The Rabbit Hole

Let’s Talk Bookish is a weekly meme, hosted by Rukky @ Eternity Books & Dani @ Literary Lion, where they discuss certain topics, share their opinions, and spread the love by visiting each others’ posts.

DECEMBER 10: ILLUSTRATIONS IN BOOKS (Rayna @ Ray’s Realm)

Do you read books with illustrations in them? Do you think illustrations are only for children’s books or graphic novels? Can illustrations work well in adult literature? What are some of your favourite illustrated books?

Welcome to another week of LTB, everyone. Today’s topic is certainly interesting, as these days I don’t consider illustrations much in my novels. Nevertheless, there are times where a good illustration can really bring the novel up a notch!

I generally don’t read books with illustrations in them. That, of course, doesn’t mean that I don’t want to. I actually really enjoy the books with the little art on the chapter headings, or a nice map at the beginning just to kind of get you in the mood for the book. One good example of these little illustrations are in Stalking Jack the Ripper, the little images at the beginning of each chapter were super charming.

These kinds of illustrations are definitely not just for children’s books, or even confined to YA books even. I would actually like to see them used more often, just to give each book more of their own charm, wherever it might fit. For example, I think fantasy books could really make use of these little kinds of illustrations to really help transport the reader and create fun little visuals to be enjoyed.

There is probably a time and place for everything; perhaps mystery novels may not always be the best place for illustrations. But I think wherever there is a visual element to be augmented, or even just relevant for the reader’s interest could possibly show that some extra care has been put into the book. Now I don’t know about you all, but I always appreciate when there is something a little bit unique or extra in the book just to feel more special as a reader.

I haven’t really run into heavily illustrated books at the moment (I mean, especially in the mystery/thriller section), although even in YAs I find it rare. Certainly I’m up for discovering some new books with good artwork or illustrations, if any of you all have a suggestion, please let me know below!

2.5 star

Review: The Ultimate Betrayal by Kat Martin

Fives @ Down The Rabbit Hole

To prove her father’s innocence, she’ll have to turn a killer’s sights on herself

When her father is accused of espionage and treason, journalist Jessie Kegan has no doubt the man she looked up to her entire life is innocent. Worse yet, before Colonel Kegan can stand trial, he’s found dead of a heart attack…but Jessie knows it was murder. Forcing aside her grief, she’s determined to use her investigative resources to clear her father’s name. But going after the truth means Jessie soon finds herself in the crosshairs of a killer who wants that truth to stay buried with her father.

Protecting Jessie Kegan is a job bodyguard Brandon Garrett can’t refuse. Jessie isn’t just a client at Maximum Security—she’s the sister of his best friend, Danny, who was killed in Afghanistan. With dangerous enemies gunning for Jessie from every angle, keeping her safe will mean keeping her close, and Bran finds their mutual attraction growing, though being Danny’s sister puts Jessie out of bounds.

With their backs against the wall, Jessie and Bran will have to risk everything to expose her father’s killer—before his legacy dies with his daughter.

I guess romantic thrillers aren’t really for me – not that I knew this was one until I was too far into the book. Aside from that though, I could see how someone who enjoys this genre might like this book, so I’ll count that as a redeemable element. This is a relatively new book, and I just happened to come across it at the library so I picked it up; I really should have looked into it more. If I did, I’d probably know that it wasn’t the genre for me.

The Ultimate Betrayal is a romantic thriller but honestly the title is a bit hyperbolic. Having read many mysteries and thrillers, I would not consider this book to really hold the ultimate betrayal – but I digress. This story takes place in the USA, where our protagonist’s military father was presumably murdered to take the fall for some terrorist charges. As our protagonist continues to investigate into this potential homicide, she begins to face many dangers herself, signaling that someone wants her to stop her investigations and silence the case. She runs to her late brother’s best friend, who had previously promised her brother to always protect her, and who works as a bodyguard now. Together, they work on exonerating her father and solving the mystery behind this terrorism case.

Continue reading “Review: The Ultimate Betrayal by Kat Martin” →
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Let’s Talk Bookish – Redemption Arcs

Fives @ Down The Rabbit Hole

Let’s Talk Bookish is a weekly meme, hosted by Rukky @ Eternity Books & Dani @ Literary Lion, where they discuss certain topics, share their opinions, and spread the love by visiting each others’ posts.

DECEMBER 4TH: REDEMPTION ARCS (DANI)

Examples: Do you like redemption arc plotlines? What are some of your favorites? What makes up a good redemption arc? Can any character be redeemed or are there some characters that are too far gone?

Hi everyone, and welcome to December’s first LTB! Now that it’s officially Christmas season (or holidays for those who don’t celebrate), my only wish this year is to be able to sit and relax and read. Alas in the light of the news and the world as it is, any moment of peace would be great. But I digress. Today’s topic is from our very own co-host, Dani, and if you don’t follow her already, go and check out her awesome blog (linked above)!

I personally like redemption arc plotlines. Do I need it in every book? Probably not. But a well written one really does tug at the heartstrings. I’ve always loved morally grey and ambiguous characters, as they really make you think about your perspective of what is right and wrong, and how that can change in the blink of an eye.

I think Snape had a really interesting redemption arc, where it didn’t really justify anything, but at least it explained a lot (for me, I was always worried why Dumbledore had inherent trust, so that was answered). I can’t think of any others off the top of my head, but I think I care more about exploring the morally grey (Evelyn Hugo, Kaz Brekker, Legend, etc.) rather than an actual redemption arc. Redemption can really be hit or miss, as it can be jarring to have to reverse your perspective on a character.

I won’t claim to be the expert on redemption arcs, but I think they tend to work better when there are hints of uncertainty, or perhaps hints of a change (or willingness to change) in the character arc. If there’s a bit of suspense as to whether the character could go either way and teeter on the balance, I think that makes for good emotional drama. If it’s an obvious redemption arc, I would still like to see that gradual change. One thing I often look for in characters is consistency of character, and if anything happens too suddenly, it often isn’t natural or just feels like we can’t appreciate the change.

Can any character be redeemed? I think so. But I think the more important question is, why would you? Does every character need to have a tragic backstory as to why they are the way they are? I think if every bad character had a redemption arc, it would really tkae out the significance of having these characters. It’s nice to have characters who feel strongly for the wrong cause or out of the wrong moral reasons. I think that in itself also challenges us to really reassess our own perspectives, rather than shoe-horning our version of “good” onto everyone.

What do you all think though? I feel like much of what I said today is abstract, but hopefully you all understood! Do any of you have particularly strong feelings about whether it is good or bad? Or is there merely a time and place for everything? Let me know in the comments below!