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illyrian_wings's review against another edition
2.0
1.5 stars
This book had so many of the themes and tropes I usually love. It's real enemies to lovers, one bed trope, religious rivals/zealotry, slow burn, it has myth/monsters, etc
But I was not a fan of how it was executed.
TW lots of violence and self-mutilation. I love a good horror read so this didn't bother me, but the cold almost loveless world that the author creates, left me feeling empty.
SPOILERS****
The FMC doesn't even end up with the LI at the end??? I mean they are lovers, but since he ends up king and she's a pagan they can't marry. For me that was just another sad/empty part of the plot. It was giving the King Alistair romance in Dragon Age all over again (if you aren't playing the human noble). ANYWAYS --- i thought it dragged a bit and was depressing. It was hard to connect with Evike or Gaspar.
This book had so many of the themes and tropes I usually love. It's real enemies to lovers, one bed trope, religious rivals/zealotry, slow burn, it has myth/monsters, etc
But I was not a fan of how it was executed.
TW lots of violence and self-mutilation. I love a good horror read so this didn't bother me, but the cold almost loveless world that the author creates, left me feeling empty.
SPOILERS****
The FMC doesn't even end up with the LI at the end??? I mean they are lovers, but since he ends up king and she's a pagan they can't marry. For me that was just another sad/empty part of the plot. It was giving the King Alistair romance in Dragon Age all over again (if you aren't playing the human noble). ANYWAYS --- i thought it dragged a bit and was depressing. It was hard to connect with Evike or Gaspar.
gardenfairyreads's review against another edition
5.0
beautiful and haunting and vaguely familiar in a comforting sort of way
megrasmussen's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
elksy's review against another edition
4.0
A lot to love here: folklore and magic, beautiful writing (boy this author can write a visceral simile), learning acceptance and appreciation of different cultures, and making peace with your own limitations and others' weaknesses.
The structure of the novel is cluttered; a few characters add to the themes but not really the plot, which will rankle some readers. The frequent detours into storytime will annoy others, but I loved the fairy tales and scriptures and lore.
Despite some weaknesses, this is a strong debut overall, and I'm excited to see where the author grows.
The structure of the novel is cluttered; a few characters add to the themes but not really the plot, which will rankle some readers. The frequent detours into storytime will annoy others, but I loved the fairy tales and scriptures and lore.
Despite some weaknesses, this is a strong debut overall, and I'm excited to see where the author grows.
niregonnagiveyouup's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
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
itsthegargoyles's review
adventurous
challenging
emotional
hopeful
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
bookish_withsky's review against another edition
4.0
On my reread, I noticed a bit more to love about this. There’s different religions woven in throughout this and a discussion on how similar they are, no matter how different. I will say it was harder for me to enjoy the characters themselves, but the stories within the story were perfect. I loved the lore and the atmosphere. I’m truly disappointed that I missed how good this truly was in my first read.
meganalysed's review against another edition
4.0
A little slow in the middle but I thoroughly enjoyed this. Ava Reid writes such beautifully haunting stories with an undercurrent of hope and this was no different.