#CBR13 Review #07: Any Way the Wind Blows by Rainbow Rowell

The amount of times while listening to this audiobook where I just thought to myself, “I really don’t care” was astounding. I hate to say that, because it’s sad when things that once interested you suddenly don’t anymore, but to be honest I didn’t even know that this book (the 3rd and final of the Simon Snow series) was out in the series until I noticed it on a library list. The whole thing just fell from my head and I never felt the absence. 

And that’s not to say that these books aren’t enjoyable (I really did like the first one! The second was… fine, but sort of went in one ear and out the other), but I guess I’m just having a hard time caring about a lot of things these days. And I for real have noticed that I am not enjoying series (when it comes to books) in the least. Or franchises of movies. Or when a tv series feels like it’s just going to meander with as many seasons as it gets versus having a solid plan and story to be completely told in 1-2 seasons and then calling it done. 

Anyways! Any Way the Wind Blows picks up after the previous instalment in this series as magical Simon, Baz, Penny, Agatha, and non-magical Shepard return to England to face new drama and issues that have cropped up while they were vacationing in America. While Penny tries desperately to figure out how to cure Shepard of his demon’s curse, Baz is dealing with families crises, Agatha is working at her father’s magical vet clinic, and Simon is grappling with how he want to fit into the world of mages (if at all) after losing his magic, the group also now has to face a magical world where more and more people are claiming to be the next “chosen one” and building cult followings based on this.

Overall I found that this story was a nice little wrap-up to the series, but again kind of went in one ear and out the other for me. I really don’t know what more to say! I don’t know if I personally am just over it or what. 

I also found that I didn’t really like the voice actors in this audiobook, especially when they were trying to do little inflections for female voices. It just wasn’t hitting for me, and in fact the way they presented a lot of the dialogue made me roll my eyes. Most notably this was in any part of the novel where it was trying to be sexy or sensual and I couldn’t help but think how actively UN-sexy the whole thing was. The relationships and speaking to one another just didn’t feel like there was much of a connection at all. Sure, they are saying the words about how they care and feel for one another, but none of it felt real between any of the characters to me. It felt forced (and again most notably in the relationship that develops for Agatha throughout the novel. At the end I said, “really?”) 

So I don’t know, y’all. Like I said, I did really like the first book in this series and was excited for more when I first read it, but now I really couldn’t care less. And that is kind of sad in some ways. But on the other hand, maybe I am just in a place right now where I don’t need this story (or stories like it, in general), and that is fine too.

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