I’ve read two books recently: one that was obscenely popular on the likes of Bookstagram, the other from a Goodreads’ list of most anticipated books of 2025, and neither quite living up to expectations.
I tend to review indie books more favorably than their traditionally published counterparts because indie authors don’t have the same support system (like a team of editors and marketers or the publicity of getting on any sort of list—let alone the Most Anticipated Books of the Year list.)
So I have to admit that if the following two books were by indie authors, I’d be blown away. And don’t get me wrong—they’re both good books for their respective audiences. But I’ve come to realize something: I don’t look into books very much before I start reading them.
I compile my to-read list based on other people’s recommendations and must-read lists, sprinkled in with books by indie authors I want to support.
But I’m not necessarily the target audience for every book I pick up. I try to vary my reading, and I don’t tend to read reviews beforehand because even if they aren’t official spoilers, sometimes reviews tip me off to something in the story I wish they hadn’t.
For that same reason I struggle to read book review blogs that go into too much detail about the plot. I want the general vibes and not much more really than what the blurb on the back gives away. Even if I have a hunch that something is going to turn out some way, I don’t skip to the end to confirm it (though I might reread earlier sections in light of the new information).
So I’ll do my best not to spoil anything here.
First, I’ll start with the most popular book.
Quicksilver by Callie Hart
I have to admit that this is one that I read on a whim at the end of my Kindle Unlimited free trial. It appeared under popular books, and my brain registered it as something familiar because I had seen it all over Bookstagram. That’s all I really knew about it.
I gave it a blind try—that is, I just jumped right in without knowing what it would be about. I’m not sure at what point I realized what kind of book it was going to be, but it read very similarly to books like A Court of Thorns and Roses and Powerless. You know the type—popular romantasy that caters to a certain audience.
If you like A Court of Thorns and Roses, Quicksilver is your next read, and I’m sure you’ll like it because it follows the same format (and even includes a description from the above-mentioned Sarah J. Maas book).
If you have the good fortune as to not understand what format I’m talking about, I’ll break it down briefly (without ruining anything because this audience knows what they’re getting with these books).
Take a human girl from a terrible situation (think dirt poor), transport her to a magical realm (fae is currently popular), give her some unique ability to help those beings in the war they’re waging or some other struggle, and of course, make her fall for the dark brooding male who happens to be the best looking and most powerful. Bonus points if they’re fated mates.
There were some aspects that interested me—the sword forging and vampire slaying, for example. If the book revolved around these points, I would have enjoyed it more. But these took the backseat to the centrality of the romance. The sex descriptions went over the top and didn’t add anything to the story for me. This book is just as “spicy” as ACOTAR for those who are looking for that.
I’m not really into the trend of including such smut in romantasy but I know why they do it: money. It feels like seeing a viral post and then tweaking it a bit and reposting with the sole intent of also going viral.
The second book didn’t feel so cookie-cutter-ish but instead offered a unique take on a classic.
Black Woods, Blue Sky by Eowyn Ivey.
I shouldn’t really say this book didn’t meet expectations, because that carries the subtle connotation that I didn’t like it. I did like this book; it just wasn’t what I expected.
Unlike Quicksilver, I did know something about this book. Black Woods, Blue Sky had been described as a Beauty and the Beast retelling set in Alaska, so that’s what I had in mind when I picked it up.
When I hear of a modern retelling, I expect many of the same themes to translate through to the new work. To say this book is a Beauty and the Beast retelling, then, isn’t accurate. It’s a dark retelling, which makes a pretty big difference.
Don’t get me wrong, I liked turning an old story on its head—it was just unexpected. It took me a bit to change gears while reading when the story so clearly began to deviate from what I thought it would do.
This is the kind of unexpected story that I enjoy stumbling across, and makes finding and reading stories “blind” to what they will be worth it.
I liked what the author did, but branding it as a certain retelling may actually backfire in this case if it draws the wrong audience.
So what’s my rambling point?
These two books have made me realize something—no, scratch that. I’ve already known this (however recently I’ve discovered it). These two books have only highlighted this truth: you need to appropriately set expectations.
Have you ever read a book that someone raved about only to feel let down? I bet that person had picked up that same book with different expectations and was blown away, only to set the bar too high for you. Or maybe they were the target audience and you weren’t.
The point is, however good a book is, it will only be enjoyed by a specific segment and will likely only be enjoyed by readers who’ve been given the right expectations.
So while I like going into a book “blind” to save myself from any spoilers or predicting plot points too easily, I think I’ll be doing a touch more research on the books I pick up before I invest my time into them.
I’m a fantasy author, but at some point I have to balance reading popular books that I feel the need to read to stay up-to-date on what’s relevant with what I actually enjoy reading.
Thanks for reading!
Janine Eaby is the author of Beyond the Water’s Edge—a Young adult fantasy book series influenced by her faith, love of nature, and desire for adventure. Ideal for fans of portal fantasies to other worlds like The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe.
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