Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.85 AVERAGE
3.85 AVERAGE
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I loved this book so much. After reading Thrum in October and falling in love with the authors way of world building, I knew I had to read more. And this fantasy/romance genre is my usual comfort read so I was hooked from the beginning. I related to the FMC on such a deep level that her inner monologs between 0-50% made me super emotional and oooomg the MMC is Astarion-vibes level perfection. The pacing started to lose me around the 60-80% mark but I enjoyed the ending overall and can't wait to read more by this author! The spice was great the slow burn was great... loved this!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Gore, Blood, Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Slavery, Torture
challenging
dark
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Aaaaa! This book was incredible. Those who way that the MCs lacked motivation must not read as much romantasy. With the romance as the focal point, it is enough that her goal is to a) survive the transfer of power, and b) help her kingdom thrive. Also, she does go through great character growth, realizing that she wants to be queen and that she can be a good queen instead of the impassive princess we meet at the beginning. Not to mention the romance being FLAWLESS and an actual enemies to lovers plot. Idk, I'm a lover and I will defend this just as vocally as Thrum.
I enjoyed this one. Rune and Elma's teasing and burning against each other was like fire. There was spice though, less than other books but still not ideal.
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
GIGGLING, BLUSHING, TWIRLING MY HAIR ðŸ¤ðŸ¤
The banter between Rune & Elma??!!?!
Assassin MMC sent to kill the FMC, who is the future queen of a rival kingdom… he fails to kill her & she makes him her personal bodyguard?!! LOVED IT.
Interesting storyline. Also loved that this was less than 400 pages
(hot take, don’t hate me buuut not every fantasy book needs to be 600+ pages)
The banter between Rune & Elma??!!?!
Assassin MMC sent to kill the FMC, who is the future queen of a rival kingdom… he fails to kill her & she makes him her personal bodyguard?!! LOVED IT.
Interesting storyline. Also loved that this was less than 400 pages
(hot take, don’t hate me buuut not every fantasy book needs to be 600+ pages)
I’m not normally one to sit and write reviews for books, but this is one of the few where it feels beyond necessary. I found this author by scrolling TikTok. Seeing her love for her book and her characters, I couldn’t help but give it a read! And I am so glad I did.
Meg’s prose and voice as an author can only be described as beautiful. It feels like poetry at times, and there’s so much subdued metaphor hidden within this story that I went a bit ‘highlight happy’ throughout my read. It felt so FRESH. New metaphors, new similes, new imagery after it has felt like I read the same lines across countless authors. I was GIDDY reading this book!!
And speaking of giddy, the characters in this book are immaculate. The chemistry between the two main characters is unparalleled and had me audibly GIGGLING throughout the entire book. So much that my fiancé all but begged me to clue him into what was making me laugh so much. And after reading him quotes of their banter, he fell in love with them too. I cannot think of characters who have better banter than these two. Their love is slow burning, tentative, and blossoming - a metaphor in the story as a whole. They are absolutely beautiful.
I find standalone fantasy books tricky to navigate. Often times authors fall into the trap of pushing too much Worldbuilding into a short amount of book, but I felt like I knew enough about this world, and was able to fill in the white space relatively easily.
The only thing I wish was different about this book was that it was longer. I found myself getting sad as I saw I was 50/60/70% done with the book because I just didn’t want it to end! I do wish the ending was a tad longer, a bit more drawn out as it seemed to end a bit abruptly, but the epilogue made for a satisfying ending for a story I absolutely fell in love with.
I will happily read whatever Meg releases after reading this book. Her grasp on her personal craft is gorgeous!
Meg’s prose and voice as an author can only be described as beautiful. It feels like poetry at times, and there’s so much subdued metaphor hidden within this story that I went a bit ‘highlight happy’ throughout my read. It felt so FRESH. New metaphors, new similes, new imagery after it has felt like I read the same lines across countless authors. I was GIDDY reading this book!!
And speaking of giddy, the characters in this book are immaculate. The chemistry between the two main characters is unparalleled and had me audibly GIGGLING throughout the entire book. So much that my fiancé all but begged me to clue him into what was making me laugh so much. And after reading him quotes of their banter, he fell in love with them too. I cannot think of characters who have better banter than these two. Their love is slow burning, tentative, and blossoming - a metaphor in the story as a whole. They are absolutely beautiful.
I find standalone fantasy books tricky to navigate. Often times authors fall into the trap of pushing too much Worldbuilding into a short amount of book, but I felt like I knew enough about this world, and was able to fill in the white space relatively easily.
The only thing I wish was different about this book was that it was longer. I found myself getting sad as I saw I was 50/60/70% done with the book because I just didn’t want it to end! I do wish the ending was a tad longer, a bit more drawn out as it seemed to end a bit abruptly, but the epilogue made for a satisfying ending for a story I absolutely fell in love with.
I will happily read whatever Meg releases after reading this book. Her grasp on her personal craft is gorgeous!
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
dark
fast-paced
I've been wanting to read this one for a while when I heard that the love interest was Astarion from BG3 coded and I just decided to move it up my TBR randomly.
Elma is a reluctant queen. After the sudden death of her father, she's tasked with navigating treacherous political waters. And she does this with a surprising mix of vulnerability and steel. Her uneasy alliance with the assassin sent to kill her is fraught with tension, resentment, and a gradual, fiery attraction that is as sweet as it is sharp. Their chemistry crackles off the page, and the dynamic between them—lust tangled with violence—is both gripping and unconventional, making for some memorable romantic moments. The violence in the love scenes might not work for every reader, but for those who love a sharp edge to their romance, this delivers beautifully. 😈
The unexpected political intrigue was a welcome surprise. It added layers to the story, elevating it beyond a simple romance. Smitherman’s writing is fun and engaging, balancing entertainment with well-woven layers of conflict. The blend of accessible prose, fun characters, and plot twists makes this an absolute page-turner.
Elma is a reluctant queen. After the sudden death of her father, she's tasked with navigating treacherous political waters. And she does this with a surprising mix of vulnerability and steel. Her uneasy alliance with the assassin sent to kill her is fraught with tension, resentment, and a gradual, fiery attraction that is as sweet as it is sharp. Their chemistry crackles off the page, and the dynamic between them—lust tangled with violence—is both gripping and unconventional, making for some memorable romantic moments. The violence in the love scenes might not work for every reader, but for those who love a sharp edge to their romance, this delivers beautifully. 😈
The unexpected political intrigue was a welcome surprise. It added layers to the story, elevating it beyond a simple romance. Smitherman’s writing is fun and engaging, balancing entertainment with well-woven layers of conflict. The blend of accessible prose, fun characters, and plot twists makes this an absolute page-turner.