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ghosthermione's review
Too simplistic and boring. Also I am tired of disfigured characters being villains.
opossumwitch's review
adventurous
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
lleullawgyffes's review
adventurous
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
bookshelfsos's review
5.0
~~!~EDIT~!~~
I read the sequel. Wow, what a great redemption. The sequel basically takes place between the last section of the book and the epilogue, which helps so much to explain how out of the blue and unexplained it felt (see my original review below). Given that this was planned as a trilogy, I'm upping the stars because I actually really love where Lynn went with the story in the next volume. As a standalone, I rate this book 3 stars for the weirdness of the ending. As a pair, I rate them a solid 5. I couldn't put them down.
ORIGINAL REVIEW:
Disclaimer: this review contains adult language. Head's up.
I just finished this book and I don’t know if I can take reading the sequel. I don’t remember the last time I have been so monumentally crushed by high expectations being suddenly dashed upon a rock.
Seriously, what is this book about?
After 300ish pages of beautiful, subtle, committed, heart-breaking adorableness between the two (main?) characters, the epilogue isthe dragon prince falling in love with a random throwaway lady that was introduced one chapter earlier? Ugh. I just… I was so into this book until the epilogue. It completely ruined it. It’s not that there can’t be a love triangle or any romantic tension for the main characters either. But how can you end your epic, sweeping, gay, love story with this? Even if you want the drama of Karadur falling in love with someone else, or loving multiple people, or whatever… that really shouldn’t be the point where it stops. Because that isn’t closure, at least not to the story you’ve been telling so far.
And another thing? Azil. What the hell? Poor Azil.Kidnapped and tortured by the villain and then fucked over even worse by the author. I mean seriously, here’s an idea: don’t make one of your most interesting characters into a fucking cocktail waiter who gets to be abandoned by his lover in favor of the princess at the end of the story (oh and who, by the way, also never gets revenge on the insane warg-beast that tortured him and taunted him throughout the entire book). Fucking unbelievable. This is why I don’t know if I can read the sequel. Azil isn’t even mentioned in the description of Dragon’s Treasure, so presumably if we do see him he’ll just be fetching drinks for Karadur and his new lady love and then going to sleep alone with his terrifying nightmares. Ugh.
Despite my utter disappointment with the main storyline, I will give Lynn credit for creating a style of prose that was very beautiful. It read like an oral-tradition myth. The side characters (who were really main characters, since most of the story was from their POVs) were very interesting. I liked the world-building too. It felt real in the same way that George R.R. Martin's Ice and Fire world feels real. There are references to histories,old book titles, and lands beyond Ippa that suggest the characters live in a place that is real and not just in the setting of a story.
I wanted to like this book *so much*. And I did like it, really. I liked it right up until the inexplicable epilogue. I shouldn't read the sequel, but I probably will. Ugh.
I read the sequel. Wow, what a great redemption. The sequel basically takes place between the last section of the book and the epilogue, which helps so much to explain how out of the blue and unexplained it felt (see my original review below). Given that this was planned as a trilogy, I'm upping the stars because I actually really love where Lynn went with the story in the next volume. As a standalone, I rate this book 3 stars for the weirdness of the ending. As a pair, I rate them a solid 5. I couldn't put them down.
ORIGINAL REVIEW:
Disclaimer: this review contains adult language. Head's up.
I just finished this book and I don’t know if I can take reading the sequel. I don’t remember the last time I have been so monumentally crushed by high expectations being suddenly dashed upon a rock.
Seriously, what is this book about?
After 300ish pages of beautiful, subtle, committed, heart-breaking adorableness between the two (main?) characters, the epilogue is
And another thing? Azil. What the hell? Poor Azil.
Despite my utter disappointment with the main storyline, I will give Lynn credit for creating a style of prose that was very beautiful. It read like an oral-tradition myth. The side characters (who were really main characters, since most of the story was from their POVs) were very interesting. I liked the world-building too. It felt real in the same way that George R.R. Martin's Ice and Fire world feels real. There are references to histories,old book titles, and lands beyond Ippa that suggest the characters live in a place that is real and not just in the setting of a story.
I wanted to like this book *so much*. And I did like it, really. I liked it right up until the inexplicable epilogue. I shouldn't read the sequel, but I probably will. Ugh.
qui's review
2.0
Mediocre writing at it's most mediocre. Lack of emotional description leaves characters flat. Too much time spent on secondary characters. Also, I seem unable to recall if I've read this book before or not, which is probably not a good sign.
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