author deep dive: v.e schwab and the near witch 

One thing I really hate is when characters act surprised by conditions they apparently lived in their whole lives. Like a girl who is shocked that they're not allowed to do certain things that they've never been allowed to do. It makes them sound like they hatched out of the writer's brain yesterday and not like a real character with a life and backstory.

I really want to love Schwab, because she seems lovely and her concepts are right up my street... But they just don't hit the mark! You made so many amazing points!

My relationship with Schwab is odd lol. I sort of grew up with her, in a way. I loved the Near Witch and the Darker Shade of Magic when I read it in my tweens and teens. However every sequential book I liked less and less, which I always found odd because I can see the quality improving. This review very clearly shows my problems - because I can see the issues you pointed out in this (that I probably was not able to see 10 years ago) I had issues with Addie. I am looking forward to listening to the rest of this series ❤

i read the darker shade of magic trilogy a while ago and thought i was missing something in it, because i remember it being a kinda dry experience while having elements i'd have thought i'd like. The writing and characters weren't for me, but their work can be very vivid. ANway, i love these kinds of deep dives into authors' works, and i dont think anyone does them better than Marines. I'm looking forwards to this series

5:05 zafira from we hunt the flame also has this same backstory! although the author did admit she was inspired by the hunger games so

Ohhhh yay, I love your deep dives, you always have great criticism in your reviews

Interesting project! That's quite the commitment for an author who has so many books that probably aren't that good haha/

Has anyone ever read a book where the main character is a boy who doesn't want to be a hunter or a leader or go off on the adventure and instead wants to stay in the village and get married? Where instead of fighting to be in the action hes fighting to be allowed to stay out of it, to make his choice instead of been forced? Because I've never seen one of those before but it would be an interesting commentary

I bought A Darker Shade of Magic years ago after hearing everyone rave about it and being charmed by a preview of the opening with the MMC and the king. Then was bummed out when it started to drag after that scene, then promptly DNF'd it after reading the first scene with the FMC and decided to stay away from the rest of V.E. Schwab's work. Unfortunately, I didn't make the connection when I picked up The Archived. I think I found it because it trended on twitter about how sad it was that the last book might not ever get published because of low sales due to piracy? That one I finished, but it was still a bit of a slog, especially the first 80 or so pages. Cool concept, and I don't remember disliking the FMC, but slooooow to start. Never cared enough to pick up the second book. I definitely had an "Oh, that makes sense" moment when I realized they were by the same author.

Absolutely love this video and project! I’ve also had the same problems with this author - read two of their novels, and they were most definitely not for me. So excited to continue this deep dive with you!

pleeease continue this series!! :)

The thing with Schwab is that I think she’s really good at writing men. I’ve loved all the male protagonists of her series that I’ve read: Kell, Victor and August. But the female protagonists never work for me. They feel like writer self-insert, and that’s particularly blatant when she speaks about them in interviews. I very much believe there is internal misogyny at play.

Just found your channel. That joyous laugh is everything!!!!!! Thank you.

IT BEGINS 🙌

I feel like Schwab’s books always sound interesting to me in concept but the more reviews I hear/read, the more I’m convinced that those books wouldn’t deliver on those concepts to the standard I expect or want to read. With that being said I have only read Vicious so far though, and remember liking it at a time but??? Idk no thoughts head empty rn, no memories of it really. I remember the plot technically but not any specific opinions I had on it

I have been so excited for you to start this series! I tried A Darker Shade of Magic years ago and just...couldn't get into it, and ever since then, I just haven't ever felt compelled to try her works, even though I absolutely remember BookTube going nuts over The Archived (what a throwback lmao) and then every subsequent release of hers. Speaking of "not like other girls" protagonists, I read Bones and All recently bc of the new movie, and WOW the protagonist hates women. So many mentions of the evils of makeup and how our MC just wears black and doesn't care about that stuff. It was wild going back into that type of mindset after not reading books like that for a long time. I'm so excited to see more videos in this series!

In my opinion, Schwab's writing is best when it focuses on characters and their interactions with each other. When it comes to her characters as solo acts, it's a mixed bag (some are very unique, some are very not), but she's usually able to pair them up in ways that make for interesting partner/group dynamics. Her grasp on her own plots feels weak, and when she centers on them the whole story suffers as she makes the characters go through the beats. Her world-building is also best done at a distance where she can keep it intriguingly vague. The writing is good when the floweriness is sprinkled in, but she very easily tips into overwritten. The feeling I often get when I read Schwab's works is of a writer who struggles to find the balancing point of the story she's writing; when she's on that point, it's great (or at least good), but when she's not, you can really feel that something is off/missing.

I like Vicious, but like as a funny popcorn read, and I’m not sure if that is what she was going for 😅. Did not Addie Larue book. Also, I don’t like how in the “present” when her characters mention the past, it basically tells you what happened, rather than alluding, so when the chapter of the “past” incident comes up, it’s not surprising. I can’t explain it 😅

Rewatching all your recent videos with my brother's RU-vid Red account so hopefully you get paid. 💵💰💸. Anyway I'm very excited for this project because I've never been able to put my finger on why Schwab's work doesn't hit me the way it hits so many others but eventually I just gave up on their work. Also, it's kind of wild that the endorsement on the front isn't even for this book.

But also I’m sorry you’re putting yourself through this 😭

I love this serises idea! It's so fun!

I read this on audiobook and couldn't get into it either and despite finishing it the whole time you're describing it and I'm thinking 'I don't remember any of this' and I can tell you plot points from childhood books I read once 😆

I recently read Vicious, which was my first book by VE Schwab and will probably be my last, just because it felt very eh, and I haven't exactly heard great things about her other books, but I'm very excited to see how this project goes for you! Having only read one of her books I can't exactly speak to patterns, but I do agree that the way women were treated at times in Vicious made me uncomfortable (also, and I did not reread this to check but, were there any poc in that book? Felt conspicuously white when I was reading it)

Interesting. I have only read the City of Ghosts trilogy and really enjoyed it! But it is geared for middle school, so perhaps that's why it's different than her other works?

Less than an hour in, I returned The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue back to Audible. It was that painful.

I really enjoyed Shades of Magic and Vicious, but every single other book of Schwab's that I've read has not remotely been good or even enjoyable for me. I'm interested in how this project proceeds because I would very much like to know if I can perhaps vicariously discover what about those and not their other books worked for me. Regardless of if that happens, a good breakdown of an author's works sounds like a fun time. It certainly is so far. 😁

I had the strangest relationship with v e schwab books bc until a certain point in the story I'm loving it, it's exactly that very weird and specific trope that is made just for me but then it's like it does an 180 and the worst possible scenario (for me) happens and I'm like... wtf???? and is even worst when she makes me fall in love for a character that clearly I shouldn't bc they are in the end so disrespected/killed off with no remorse and I'm just hurting by the end of it, so of course I haven't been reading anything by her ever since, I'm done (that sounded harsher than I intended, what I mean is I read for fun and happiness, not for suffering [if that's not you that's fine, I'm just saying what works for me], so...). I'm leaving it vague so no spoilers, but if anyone wants specifics, just ask

Are you coming back to this series? I need to hear what you have to say about Gallant.

I’m in the same boat at y’all. I read one of their other books and I couldn’t bring myself to keep reading or remember what had happened. Which sucks because they’re so beloved by so many

i have never read a book by V. E. Schwab and i probably wont because i dont find myself interested enough, but i just wanted to leave a comment that i loooove this as a concept for a series! it's a really cool idea. also to clarify im gonna watch the videos either way even if i havent read the work/author myself 😆

I have only read her popular adult works minus addie larue and have really found her just fine, maybe good if I need an engaging travel read but I wish it worked for me as well as it does everyone else

Interesting review! I have to read one V.E. Schwab novel for a reading project I'm doing, but the more I hear about her work, the more I suspect it won't be up my alley either. My patience with the "not-like-other-girls" trope grows thinner and thinner every year. By the way, I wonder if you watched/are planning to watch First Kill on Netflix? It's based on a Schwab short story, and I think she was involved in the production in some capacity. I heard mixed reviews about it as well.

So basically, the main character is Katniss Beta Version lol I just love your reviews because they're so honest and in-depth!! I was wondering if you do reviews or feedback for non-published authors? :)

I tried A Darker Shade of Magic on audio a few years ago and didn't make it more than 30 minutes in....

I very rarely leave reviews of books I’ve read on Good Reads, but when I read this one I felt compelled to - “2 ⭐️⭐️ Good concept. Poor execution. For a gifted tracker, Lexi can be a blundering dumb ass. The misogyny was sooooo heavy handed and not subtle at all. Nothing actually happens for a lot of the book? Lexi is always out and about to solve the problem, but doesn’t actually do anything except go home at the end of the day. And it ends with what looks like good things on the horizon for, basically, abusive characters, and everyone just kind of forgiving bad and dangerous behaviours and decisions. So much potential for this story that gets lost in some pretty muddled story telling. I had such high hopes for this book.”

I've only read part of addie larue sometime last year (maybe earlier this year? i've been having a time lmao) and I just couldn't do it. I like schwab's prose well enough, but the way women are written is so off putting.

I'm super excited for this series and I wish you luck! I find v.e. schwab just so... meh? her plots are so convenient and the fact that there's always some attempt at a feminist message in her books which are so loaded with her own misogyny is very offputting. I mostly liked vicious so I decided to read her other stuff and thought adsom was genuinely incompetent and to this day do not understand the love for that series. I also always remember a tweet she had where she patted herself on the back for writing three dimensional women like.... sure! 😂

Patting myself on the back for the very smart decision of giving this author a pass. Maas, Clare and Meyer's (thanks to my daughter's poor taste in YA books) you all got me, unfortunately. But lines must be drawn. 🤣 All of this is so typical of YA writing in general. Thank goodness my daughter is past this stage and reads adult books now. So we get to discuss great authors like Ilona Andrews, Patricia Briggs, Anne Bishop, Robin Hobb , Agatha Christie and others like them instead of the tragedies that are "books" that authors like Maas put out.

I read Vicious and LOVED it several years back. Altho I still remember it positively, I do think elements of it were weird. The ragtag group of characters felt trope-y and veryy underdeveloped by the end. I remember also feeling like a lot of the characters had very weak motivations (altho i admittedly was veryyy into the two main guys and their weird enemies / couldve been boyfriends vibe.) admittedly my appreciation of vicious may have had more to do w my age at the time, as well as this desperate want for gay characters lmao and perhaps seeing things that werent here LOLOL…. Also I heard the sequel was disappointing..

I’ve only read A Darker Shade of Magic but it was like pulling teeth to get through. I didn’t think the writing was particularly bad, just SO dry and boring. I feel like I’ve read much worse books that I enjoyed a lot more than that one lol

V.E Schwab has interesting, pretty unique story ideas, but for me, all of her books that I've tried reading didn't executed her ideas properly; I just got bored reading :|. Cool ideas that have no substance to them when transported in text format.