Scan barcode
eesh25's review
3.0
3.5 Stars
This was a good read, especially for a debut. Elliot was a great protagonist and I loved him. I didn't like Sully as much because he had moments where he really frustrated me. But I liked the two of them together. The book is written well and I liked that the author chose to give time to the war. I thought there was a good balance between the romance and the fighting.
The pacing is more complicated because I though some aspects were dragged on for two long. Since part of the romance takes place in dreams, I hated that the book took so long for the MCs to talk about the fucking dreams. I am so sick of people refusing to communicate. Or being interrupted over and over.
Also, there's a later plot involving a specific mission and bad guy, and I would've liked that to be introduced sooner. I liked the plot itself but I wasn't as invested 'cause it felt tacked on at the end for the sake of having higher stakes. It also reminded me of Wonder Woman (the 2017 movie), but that's not relevant. What is relevant is the lack of decent epilogue. I don't always care about epilogues, but this book really needed one and I was a bit mad that it wasn't there. Maybe the author's planning a sequel with the same characters, but that should have been mentioned. Without the epilogue, the story feels somewhat incomplete.
But overall, I still enjoyed the book and I'm glad I read it. I'm also looking forward to what Lawless will write next.
This was a good read, especially for a debut. Elliot was a great protagonist and I loved him. I didn't like Sully as much because he had moments where he really frustrated me. But I liked the two of them together. The book is written well and I liked that the author chose to give time to the war. I thought there was a good balance between the romance and the fighting.
The pacing is more complicated because I though some aspects were dragged on for two long. Since part of the romance takes place in dreams, I hated that the book took so long for the MCs to talk about the fucking dreams. I am so sick of people refusing to communicate. Or being interrupted over and over.
Also, there's a later plot involving a specific mission and bad guy, and I would've liked that to be introduced sooner. I liked the plot itself but I wasn't as invested 'cause it felt tacked on at the end for the sake of having higher stakes. It also reminded me of Wonder Woman (the 2017 movie), but that's not relevant. What is relevant is the lack of decent epilogue. I don't always care about epilogues, but this book really needed one and I was a bit mad that it wasn't there. Maybe the author's planning a sequel with the same characters, but that should have been mentioned. Without the epilogue, the story feels somewhat incomplete.
But overall, I still enjoyed the book and I'm glad I read it. I'm also looking forward to what Lawless will write next.
sidneyellwood's review
adventurous
emotional
tense
fast-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
4.0
chloeinbooksland's review against another edition
adventurous
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
I globally enjoyed the book! The story had good bones, some tropes/things I always enjoyed in a book and the romance was cute. As for the plot (the military stuff), it wasn't really that interesting or engaging though. Also the miscommunication and the "I-need-to-tell-you-something-but-everytime-we-get-interupted" got on my nerves-I mean once or twice is fine but by the fifth times I was mad. And let's not talk about Elliot saying to another character that he told and explained the dreams to Sully while I was like "B*tch, you didn't! You just vomited words out of context" which of course created miscommunication *le sigh*.
As for the narrator, it was a bit weird for me because I enjoyed his characters voices during dialogues but not his narrating voice when there were no dialogues. Weird!
As for the narrator, it was a bit weird for me because I enjoyed his characters voices during dialogues but not his narrating voice when there were no dialogues. Weird!
abloco_1997's review
emotional
mysterious
tense
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
teresab78's review
adventurous
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: War and Sexual content
Moderate: Death
clarabell23's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
I really enjoyed the start of this book then felt it got a bit slow or lost my interest a little in the latter part of the first half. But then when they were reunited about halfway through it picked up again for me. I liked the magic and felt the connection between them. Even though it was strong from the start it didn’t feel like instalove. The angst was appropriate and added some depth. I didn’t love the WW1 setting but that’s a me thing more than anything. It was well done and overall I enjoyed it a lot and will definitely read the next one (not least cuz it’s not really over). Maybe I’m finding it a little slow because it’s actually two books which makes it quite long.
drakoulis's review
5.0
Addictive, savory and steamy historical fantasy romance!
Vanora Lawless's debut is a beautifully crafted story taking place during World War I, in 1917. The main characters have special, magical talents and are essentially blackmailed to join a secret military unit by the US government. In their last night before being shipped off to a training camp, they have an one-night stand which leaves them breathless - and kicks off the story!
The book captures the gloomy, dark atmosphere of WW1, the fear and desperation of losing friends, and the struggles of gay people during this era. There is action and separation and reunion, it's an emotional rollercoaster.
The relationship between Elliott and Sully is intense, complicated and deep, physically and emotionally, and I loved every part of it. The side characters are also well written and an integral part of the story.
The ending left a few minor plotlines unsolved, is there going to be a sequel (either with the same main characters or with different ones)?
Vanora Lawless's debut is a beautifully crafted story taking place during World War I, in 1917. The main characters have special, magical talents and are essentially blackmailed to join a secret military unit by the US government. In their last night before being shipped off to a training camp, they have an one-night stand which leaves them breathless - and kicks off the story!
The book captures the gloomy, dark atmosphere of WW1, the fear and desperation of losing friends, and the struggles of gay people during this era. There is action and separation and reunion, it's an emotional rollercoaster.
The relationship between Elliott and Sully is intense, complicated and deep, physically and emotionally, and I loved every part of it. The side characters are also well written and an integral part of the story.
The ending left a few minor plotlines unsolved, is there going to be a sequel (either with the same main characters or with different ones)?
mousegoddess's review
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I am very much the target audience for this. I do recommend it, however one of the positives is it's written like a serial (with resolved arcs) and I know that pacing/vibe isn't for everyone. I think it fits the setting and, even before reading the next installment, I can tell the series is going to have the type of relationship progression that serials are excellent at. It is longer than a typical serial episode, but (and i don't really know how to explain why) it feels like volume one of a webnovel. This is also why I don't quite know if it technically counts as romance, and I tend to be pedantic about that. I feel like romance is the A-plot, and with the vibes I mentioned I don't know if the 1 book resolution applies. Just something else to be aware of if you're anal retentive like me.
ryleybanks's review
5.0
I love a good M/M historical, and this is the first I've read set in WWI. Elliot and Sully are great together, and the magic world-building worked well. I'm looking forward to more books in this series.