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katharina90's review against another edition
adventurous
lighthearted
slow-paced
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
2.0
Everything--worldbuilding, plot, characters, relationships, you name it--was really underdeveloped, the pace dragged, and the writing was mediocre at best. I liked the herbalism and the wolf, but not much else.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Addiction, Death, Kidnapping, Drug use, and Violence
Minor: Sexual content
tguccione's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
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
4.25
Content Warnings
Minor: Violence, Murder, Kidnapping, and Drug use
kasena's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
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
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Violence
itsnotalakeitsanocean's review against another edition
emotional
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
I'm surprised I ended up liking this as much as I did considering I'm not normally one to reach for romantic fantasy books. It's by no means anything groundbreaking but if you're looking to get into the genre it's a solid pick. Now, as usual, here's a list of things that made me rate it so lowly if I supposedly liked it:
- I felt the book itself could have been a bit longer to develop the romance slightly more. It feels a bit rushed to the point I managed to predict when the main couple would kiss 3 pages before it actually happened.
- The magic system is very vague and apart from "oh x species can do y magic" I don't really know how it works. Also this is a personal gripe but I feel like the fae and elf magic types should have been swapped around seeing how
rituamancy is the magic that ends up saving the day . - The use of modern day idioms and such took me out. Specifically Willow and some of the other characters calling Hook "the goodest boy".
- Everyone needs to stop chuckling and smirking so much in response to anything mildly amusing!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Drug abuse, Addiction, and Drug use
Moderate: Sexual content, Violence, and Kidnapping
Minor: Confinement
kaiaconstantinides's review against another edition
adventurous
lighthearted
relaxing
fast-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
5.0
Content Warnings
Minor: Gore and Violence
spaghettii's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
lighthearted
mysterious
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? It's complicated
3.0
Content Warnings
Minor: Drug use, Violence, Addiction, Chronic illness, Alcohol, Kidnapping, Murder, Bullying, and Sexual content
etherealisnt's review against another edition
adventurous
3.75
There wasn't much going on. This was more of a easy, lighthearted read then some fantasy deep-dive. It was nice, fun and short like this review is about to be.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Violence and Kidnapping
katanai's review against another edition
emotional
funny
lighthearted
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? It's complicated
4.75
listen... i enjoyed it all. i found myself turning page after page & not wanting to put it down. i loved it i'm so srs. i loved that our mc wasn't some damsel in distress that's a pushover. mc was determined & i love that for her. i loved the pace too! not too fast, but not slow... just perfect. the sorta enemies to lovers... <33 loved it. i think it was everything i needed from a romance book & i'm glad it's the first romance book i've read after a break. loved the world building - like it wasn't too much or overwhelming & it's just wonderful. i loved it. ya.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death
Moderate: Murder, Drug use, Violence, Alcohol, Misogyny, Sexism, and Sexual content
beckyyreadss's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
This book has been on my TBR for a while, and it was on my wishlist so it was bought for me for my birthday this week. This book was all over the book community when it was released, and I was looking forward to reading it. For a first book, it was a bit weak, and I was wanting more.
This book is based on Luella, she thought she’d known everything about her life and herself, but it is all a lie. Three thousand years ago, humans were hunted by powerful races with wild magic until the treaty was formed. Now, for centuries, the elves have taken a young moan from Luella’s village to be their Human Queen. To be chosen is seen as a mark of death by the local townsfolk. Luella has dedicated her life to studying herbology and becoming the town’s only healer, but now the Elf King unexpectedly arrives for her. Luella is forced to be the new queen to a cold yet blisteringly handsome Elf King. Once there, she learns about a dying world that only she can save. The magical land of Midscape pulls on one corner of her heart, her home and people on another . . . but what will truly break her is a passion she never wanted.
This book had such potential to be amazing and it just fell flat in some areas. I know that this was the first novel in the series, but that is supposed to get you hooked and keep you hooked. This book had something in it which I'm blaming entirely on wanting to know these brothers more – Eldas, Harrow and the other brother who only appeared to more the story along. The brothers are the reason I read to the end. Harrow was all dark and mysterious and broken which is what we girls love to love. Eldas was a typical broken male who had a heart of gold in the middle. I will admit I was rooting that Lucella would fall in love with Harrow rather than Eldas, but the love story was the main concentration and to save the Lucella from dying. Luke was a complete asshole and I'm glad he wasn’t the focus of this story.
The world building didn’t feel complete, and it could have been done over the 300 pages. I enjoyed the enemies to lovers with the forced marriage aspect, but also felt could have been more. I feel like if there was dual POV, this could have been the thing to solve this. I felt like it went from Eldas treating her as property to loving her within a couple of chapters, what changed? He saw her as more than the human queen, I don’t know.
I loved the aspect of retelling beauty and the beast, and I will probably read the next one in the series, but I just wanted more from this book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Drug abuse, Drug use, and Addiction
Moderate: Kidnapping, Violence, and Sexual content
selestre's review against another edition
hopeful
lighthearted
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
4.0
Content Warnings
Minor: Violence, Bullying, Chronic illness, Drug use, and Kidnapping