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jjohnston_05's review against another edition
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Oh I loved this. I've been searching, and continue to search, for 1920s era romances, and the fact that this was 1920s NYC and blended fae into the story was so unique to me. I LOVED the world building, although it at times took a few sections of rereading to fully grasp.
If you're searching for flappers and fae, and a MMC that seems like an ass...and actually is one...this is for you. Sure the FMC and MMC CAN and WILL get on your nerves, but let's be real, we love to read about red flags. Plus he's an immortal fae thats been around for hundreds of years, he isn't going to process emotions like humans.
If you're searching for flappers and fae, and a MMC that seems like an ass...and actually is one...this is for you. Sure the FMC and MMC CAN and WILL get on your nerves, but let's be real, we love to read about red flags. Plus he's an immortal fae thats been around for hundreds of years, he isn't going to process emotions like humans.
reader3000's review against another edition
I really liked the world building and thought it was a really good story, just wasn’t for me
gothradiohour's review against another edition
2.0
The marketing around this book was phenomenal. High Fae court set in the 1920s NYC, yes please sign me up. I even requested my library purchase this title I was so sure it would be a smash hit...
Marks does an excellent job in the beginning chapters setting up the very small world the MC, Adeline, lives in. Uber religious family, not allowed to leave the property for fear of devil creatures in the woods, she only learns to read from her father and brother. Even in these early chapters I could feel the schlockiness beginning. Like when the MC describes how her brother liked to read her war stories but she preferred poetry. How did she know what poetry even is, if it's just her brother and father reading to her. Its back filled in 200 pages later that her father had an extensive library in their large farm home. When Tommy, the MC's brother gets drafted into WW1, which the characters shouldn't know it WW1 because WW2 hasn't happened yet, and yet Adeline calls it such later in the story. Adeline makes a deal with mysterious creature one night to being her brother home safe in exchange for the bargain that she will die in childbirth. He comes up disfigured and hard of hearing. Apparently, their rural town in Georgia is able to supply him with multiple earring aides, and he can hear when people shout to him. This literally is the last it comes up since all proceeding chapters its explained he can just read lips super well. Not a fan of how Marks handles this real-world disability.
We never learn what her father did for a living, but apparently, they were drowning in debt when dad dies, Tommy takes a job with the FBI and moves to NYC. As expected, Adeline is super freaked out being in the large city, and she sees "devil folk" aka Fae folk everywhere. Her brother has never believed her about seeing Fae everywhere so when he leaves for Chicago she loses her mind, locking herself in her apartment.
Somehow this gets her to having dinner with landlord / wealthy mobster Jack. This was a very rushed and confusing chapter, but I pushed ahead. Jack is also the devil she's been seeing in her dreams every new moon. Just has been happening, no explanation. Turns out they are fate bonded, and she is glamour-touched making her the super special girl. Who honestly is TSTL, and yet comes up with the plan to black mail a powerful gangster to get money to leave for Chicago. Where she even learned the concept of blackmail is beyond me. For the rest of the book, she swings between knowing nothing and somehow having a ton of gumption.
Around page 200 is where I started to heavily skim, by page 300 I just started jumping chapters. I really didn't like the first sex scene; she's drunk, he's 500 years old, Marks uses the term "wound" to refer to her lady parts, just ick.
They go on odd quests to find the magical items to make Adeline a druid without the old gods, yada-yada McGuffins ahoy. Other reviews I read said the ending really picked up. Meh.
Too many long wandering descriptions, inconsistent characters, while its clearly advertised as being set in prohibition era New York this rarely impacts anything in the plot. The characters speak in modern language.
I try not to judge a KU title just for being available on KU but more often than not they have a certain flavor, and that flavor is not being edited enough. Maybe if the author had gotten this monster down to 300 words, I would have read all of it.
1.5/5 stars.
Marks does an excellent job in the beginning chapters setting up the very small world the MC, Adeline, lives in. Uber religious family, not allowed to leave the property for fear of devil creatures in the woods, she only learns to read from her father and brother. Even in these early chapters I could feel the schlockiness beginning. Like when the MC describes how her brother liked to read her war stories but she preferred poetry. How did she know what poetry even is, if it's just her brother and father reading to her. Its back filled in 200 pages later that her father had an extensive library in their large farm home. When Tommy, the MC's brother gets drafted into WW1, which the characters shouldn't know it WW1 because WW2 hasn't happened yet, and yet Adeline calls it such later in the story. Adeline makes a deal with mysterious creature one night to being her brother home safe in exchange for the bargain that she will die in childbirth. He comes up disfigured and hard of hearing. Apparently, their rural town in Georgia is able to supply him with multiple earring aides, and he can hear when people shout to him. This literally is the last it comes up since all proceeding chapters its explained he can just read lips super well. Not a fan of how Marks handles this real-world disability.
We never learn what her father did for a living, but apparently, they were drowning in debt when dad dies, Tommy takes a job with the FBI and moves to NYC. As expected, Adeline is super freaked out being in the large city, and she sees "devil folk" aka Fae folk everywhere. Her brother has never believed her about seeing Fae everywhere so when he leaves for Chicago she loses her mind, locking herself in her apartment.
Somehow this gets her to having dinner with landlord / wealthy mobster Jack. This was a very rushed and confusing chapter, but I pushed ahead. Jack is also the devil she's been seeing in her dreams every new moon. Just has been happening, no explanation. Turns out they are fate bonded, and she is glamour-touched making her the super special girl. Who honestly is TSTL, and yet comes up with the plan to black mail a powerful gangster to get money to leave for Chicago. Where she even learned the concept of blackmail is beyond me. For the rest of the book, she swings between knowing nothing and somehow having a ton of gumption.
Around page 200 is where I started to heavily skim, by page 300 I just started jumping chapters. I really didn't like the first sex scene; she's drunk, he's 500 years old, Marks uses the term "wound" to refer to her lady parts, just ick.
They go on odd quests to find the magical items to make Adeline a druid without the old gods, yada-yada McGuffins ahoy. Other reviews I read said the ending really picked up. Meh.
Too many long wandering descriptions, inconsistent characters, while its clearly advertised as being set in prohibition era New York this rarely impacts anything in the plot. The characters speak in modern language.
I try not to judge a KU title just for being available on KU but more often than not they have a certain flavor, and that flavor is not being edited enough. Maybe if the author had gotten this monster down to 300 words, I would have read all of it.
1.5/5 stars.
dria510's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
medium-paced
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.0
Fae in the roaring 20s is such an amazing concept and the world building was fascinating. Unfortunately MMC was such a controlling manipulative asshole I barely finished the book and won’t be reading the next
mamamartin's review against another edition
5.0
This book was so addictive!!!
I was hooked from the first page. This book has such a vibe. We get the roaring 20’s mixed with fantasy. I feel like this is such a unique time setting for a romantasy book with fae.
The writing was excellent.
• Fantastic world building and magic system
• I loved Addie. She is starts as a naive 1920’s farm girl that lived a sheltered life, she feels like such a realistic character and we see her progress and become stronger throughout the story
• I loved the characters. I always love a “found family” in a book series.
• Fated Mates but different
• Action packed!!
• Plot twists I absolutely did not see coming! This book has so many twists
I loved this. I honestly didn’t know where the story was going to lead but I couldn’t put this down. I preordered the next book and I’m highly anticipating it. I know I’m going to have such a book hangover now.
I was hooked from the first page. This book has such a vibe. We get the roaring 20’s mixed with fantasy. I feel like this is such a unique time setting for a romantasy book with fae.
The writing was excellent.
• Fantastic world building and magic system
• I loved Addie. She is starts as a naive 1920’s farm girl that lived a sheltered life, she feels like such a realistic character and we see her progress and become stronger throughout the story
• I loved the characters. I always love a “found family” in a book series.
• Fated Mates but different
• Action packed!!
• Plot twists I absolutely did not see coming! This book has so many twists
I loved this. I honestly didn’t know where the story was going to lead but I couldn’t put this down. I preordered the next book and I’m highly anticipating it. I know I’m going to have such a book hangover now.
kittykate88's review against another edition
5.0
The Prince of Prohibition is one of those stories you read and you vividly picture the whole thing. It is such a beautiful unique story that blends peaky blinders and ACOMAF.
It’s such a unique word that seems totally plausible. Main characters are wonderful, side characters are also interesting. The whole story line kept me guessing as it’s unique.
It’s such a unique word that seems totally plausible. Main characters are wonderful, side characters are also interesting. The whole story line kept me guessing as it’s unique.
lnmarlow2's review against another edition
5.0
Absolutely spell-binding. Everything that makes ACOMAF wonderful combined with the imagery of The Great Gatsby. I am obsessed. Adeline is such a likable FMC and I love each member of the Band of Banished (especially Violet. She is a badass B.) Cannot wait for book 2
la_vampiresa's review against another edition
4.0
The Prince of Prohibition is the first book in the Fae of the Roaring Age series. This is also Marilyn Mark's debut series. The fact that it's set in the Roaring 20's ANNND PNR, I just had to read it. I am such a sucker for historical romance and this book was absolutely fantastic!! It was a bit slower at times but I'm definitely hooked!!!
marisakucha's review against another edition
4.0
I was pleasantly surprised with how much I enjoyed this book. While it took me a little bit to get into it, the ending was completely worth it.
The world building was quite well done. I loved that it took place in the 1920s, definitely something that caught my eye right away when reading the synopsis. The world building is fairly extensive and I did enjoy all the details that were provided. It is a bit of a longer book so keep that in mind.
I also enjoyed the characters and I found each character unique and memorable. The FMC wasn’t really my favorite, but thankfully the other characters made up for it.
The ending surprised me with how much I liked it, and I’m looking forward to seeing the next book in the series and what this author comes up with next.
The world building was quite well done. I loved that it took place in the 1920s, definitely something that caught my eye right away when reading the synopsis. The world building is fairly extensive and I did enjoy all the details that were provided. It is a bit of a longer book so keep that in mind.
I also enjoyed the characters and I found each character unique and memorable. The FMC wasn’t really my favorite, but thankfully the other characters made up for it.
The ending surprised me with how much I liked it, and I’m looking forward to seeing the next book in the series and what this author comes up with next.
kennys's review against another edition
3.0
This book has quite an interesting concept, and it is one that I enjoyed. There were a few things that I was confused about, and others that I thought just didn't fit.
1) I was confused as to why the Tarot cards were relevant to the story. At one point, the MC, Adeline, gets her fortune read, and it is told in Tarot. Obviously, this point may have to do with the fact that the story takes place in the 1920s when they may have been obsessed with this art, but it wasn't clear to me.
2) It is said multiple times that both Jack and Violet have a power/affinity to do with poison, but it also says that it has to do with their anatomy. This is extremely confusing because I can't tell if it is a part of them that is poisonous or all of them.
3) The ending. I loved the secret that was revealed at the end of the novel, but the events leading up to it were a little confusing. The "transformation" that takes place seems out of place.
3/5.
1) I was confused as to why the Tarot cards were relevant to the story. At one point, the MC, Adeline, gets her fortune read, and it is told in Tarot. Obviously, this point may have to do with the fact that the story takes place in the 1920s when they may have been obsessed with this art, but it wasn't clear to me.
2) It is said multiple times that both Jack and Violet have a power/affinity to do with poison, but it also says that it has to do with their anatomy. This is extremely confusing because I can't tell if it is a part of them that is poisonous or all of them.
3) The ending. I loved the secret that was revealed at the end of the novel, but the events leading up to it were a little confusing. The "transformation" that takes place seems out of place.
3/5.