Originally published at Joely Sue Burkhart. You can comment here or there.
Continuing the discussion from yesterday, yes, I’m still reading the problem book and I’m getting madder. According to a very reliable source, I’m going to be even more pissed once I read the ending, and it has NOTHING to do with whether or not there’s a HEA. I could care less. Seriously. I was all set for this book to NOT be a romance. Whether or not HEA happens has nothing at all to do with my overall enjoyment–or more likely dissatisfaction–with this book.
Let me just get one more thing off my chest.
Riddick is an anti-hero for a reason. Yes, he was going to leave the settlers behind in Pitch Black. He had that power. He didn’t have any moral obligation to them–all he cared about was himself. He chose to go back, not because he felt like it was the right thing to do, far from it. He went back because he could. Because he was the only one who could. That’s why he’s an ANTI-hero. (Yeah, he’s also a murderer, but I still think he’s an incredible character.)
One cannot have a HERO make that same kind of decision and have me believe they’re heroic. A hero cannot leave people behind. I don’t care how scared they are. I don’t care how many times they think “I’m not heroic. I’m not.” YOU, the author, TOLD ME this person was heroic by setting the character up as the protagonist of the story. I don’t care if the hero then has a change of heart and does save said people. I don’t care!! IT’S TOO FRICKING LATE.
Said hero is done for me.
What’s even more alarming? The one left behind was the LOVE INTEREST. I’m supposed to believe they care about each other? Instead, I’m staring at this book like Imhotep at the end of The Mummy Returns as his beloved turns and runs, leaving him to die. Yeah. Real heroic, hun.
Now such a set up might work as backstory — and then the book is about how the hero overcomes this past and grows beyond it. But when such a thing happens live action in the book and then I’m supposed to believe the character grows in the last 100 pages or so? It’s not happening. Sorry.
I’m going to finish the book because I want to see how badly it all ends.