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3.57 AVERAGE
3.57 AVERAGE
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I came so close to adding this to my DNF list, but I’m so glad I pushed through. The first half of the book is somewhat confusing because there’s so much information that you’re waiting to get filled in on, but in the second half you get answers and the pace really picks up. Honestly it was like night and day. By the end I found myself going back and reading the first half over again.
challenging
dark
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This book was such a pleasant surprise. I downloaded it because there was a big sale on Audible and this was almost free, so I had little to no expectations. I didn't even know the author (although I know realized she's pretty famous) so I just really picked it randomly.
I LOVED IT!
No Spoilers small review:
I would give it a 4.7 out of 5 stars, not 5 because the beginning was difficult to get in.
I struggled with the first few chapters. This story kicks in in the middle of the action and I was very confused. The main character is a cold queen, very hard to sympathize with at the beginning.
As the story proceeded, I loved getting to know Audra, and could not help but feeling for her.
The love triangle between Zad and Raiden is amazing, and I honestly did not know who i liked more until the last 100 pages, where there was a clear winner (and a much better man).
Overall I would recommend this to anyone who likes adult fantasy with lots of spice, angst, magic and politics. This story has lots of politics involved, a bit like the Cruel Prince (but way more focused on the romance).
Honestly a great read! This is part of a duology and I will definitely pick up the sequel.
I LOVED IT!
No Spoilers small review:
I would give it a 4.7 out of 5 stars, not 5 because the beginning was difficult to get in.
I struggled with the first few chapters. This story kicks in in the middle of the action and I was very confused. The main character is a cold queen, very hard to sympathize with at the beginning.
As the story proceeded, I loved getting to know Audra, and could not help but feeling for her.
The love triangle between Zad and Raiden is amazing, and I honestly did not know who i liked more until the last 100 pages, where there was a clear winner (and a much better man).
Overall I would recommend this to anyone who likes adult fantasy with lots of spice, angst, magic and politics. This story has lots of politics involved, a bit like the Cruel Prince (but way more focused on the romance).
Honestly a great read! This is part of a duology and I will definitely pick up the sequel.
I actually don't know what to think of this book.
I didn't enjoy the first half of it and had a hard time getting into the story.
I am not a huge fan of the lost memory trope. Maybe should have considered this before picking up this book. The plot really developed slow and I was bored in the beginning. I didn't understand what the matter with Audra, the marriage and the betrayal were.
But I read several times before I started reading this book that the beginning is....well one has to get through it. It gets better. So I stuck to it.
But don't get me wrong, the writing style is really good and that was not at all my problem with this book. It was just the story opening, the way it was kinda boring and I didn't care about the characters.
I started to get into it when the kinda 'flashbacks' came. That was the fantasy romance I enjoy and came for. Raiden was the kind of character I liked reading about their banter was fun.
But the other parts were somehow boring and I really struggled to continue reading.
There are two tropes I really don't enjoy. Lost memory and love triangles. And this book had both. So our relationship was maybe doomed to fail from the beginning.
Actually, I have to admit tho that the second half of the book got me hooked! Zadicus is just so adorable and I loved seeing Audra slowly accepting her feelings.
The problems between them, in the end, didn't make sense to me. These 'problems' between Audra and Zad felt unreasonable for me. And their vibe wasn't the same after I learned that he knew her since she was a child. That destroyed everything for me because I couldn't stop picturing him as a man in his mid-fifties and. And it weirded me out to know that he knew her as a 10-year-old child (remember that 10 years if even younger since they get super old). I COULDNT grew accustomed to this. Also, she is in her twenties and he is like super old and was friends with her mom. And his best friend was the secret true love of her mom. That's just kinda fucked up.
Usually, age gaps in fantasy don't bother me. But he knew her as a little kid. And now he is in love with her and has sex with her? I don't know. I just don't like it.
But speaking of sex. The smut was actually the best part of the book. And I just realized that's sad. But especially this feeding scene? I am so down for it!
To come to an end. I didn't enjoy the first 150-200 pages. I had a hard time getting into the plot and enjoying the characters. BUT what came after was actually good and the plot was so much better. It had some great development and plot twists I didn't expect! I am glad I stuck to it!
Only the second half would be a solid 4-star rating but the beginning was just not it.
But one has to consider that it was Ella Fields first time writing fantasy (hope i am not wrong, i read it in a review) so she did a good job at it.
Would I suggest reading it?
If you enjoy fantasy settings with a kinda morally grey main character (let's take a second and appreciate this! Audra really is an awesome character. Ella Fields displayed her fantastic. I really loved to read about a heroine who is not this morally perfect character!), a magic world setting, a not to fast-paced plot and some romance with smut and a love triangle? Then go for it!
Will I read the second book? Still not decided yet. I want to give her a change especially since the second half was so much better than the start. But also I kinda do not care what will become of the characters. Maybe I will read it at some point but not in the foreseeable future.
2,5/5 ⭐️
I didn't enjoy the first half of it and had a hard time getting into the story.
I am not a huge fan of the lost memory trope. Maybe should have considered this before picking up this book. The plot really developed slow and I was bored in the beginning. I didn't understand what the matter with Audra, the marriage and the betrayal were.
But I read several times before I started reading this book that the beginning is....well one has to get through it. It gets better. So I stuck to it.
But don't get me wrong, the writing style is really good and that was not at all my problem with this book. It was just the story opening, the way it was kinda boring and I didn't care about the characters.
Spoiler
I started to get into it when the kinda 'flashbacks' came. That was the fantasy romance I enjoy and came for. Raiden was the kind of character I liked reading about their banter was fun.
But the other parts were somehow boring and I really struggled to continue reading.
There are two tropes I really don't enjoy. Lost memory and love triangles. And this book had both. So our relationship was maybe doomed to fail from the beginning.
Actually, I have to admit tho that the second half of the book got me hooked! Zadicus is just so adorable and I loved seeing Audra slowly accepting her feelings.
The problems between them, in the end, didn't make sense to me. These 'problems' between Audra and Zad felt unreasonable for me. And their vibe wasn't the same after I learned that he knew her since she was a child. That destroyed everything for me because I couldn't stop picturing him as a man in his mid-fifties and. And it weirded me out to know that he knew her as a 10-year-old child (remember that 10 years if even younger since they get super old). I COULDNT grew accustomed to this. Also, she is in her twenties and he is like super old and was friends with her mom. And his best friend was the secret true love of her mom. That's just kinda fucked up.
Usually, age gaps in fantasy don't bother me. But he knew her as a little kid. And now he is in love with her and has sex with her? I don't know. I just don't like it.
But speaking of sex. The smut was actually the best part of the book. And I just realized that's sad. But especially this feeding scene? I am so down for it!
To come to an end. I didn't enjoy the first 150-200 pages. I had a hard time getting into the plot and enjoying the characters. BUT what came after was actually good and the plot was so much better. It had some great development and plot twists I didn't expect! I am glad I stuck to it!
Only the second half would be a solid 4-star rating but the beginning was just not it.
But one has to consider that it was Ella Fields first time writing fantasy (hope i am not wrong, i read it in a review) so she did a good job at it.
Would I suggest reading it?
If you enjoy fantasy settings with a kinda morally grey main character (let's take a second and appreciate this! Audra really is an awesome character. Ella Fields displayed her fantastic. I really loved to read about a heroine who is not this morally perfect character!), a magic world setting, a not to fast-paced plot and some romance with smut and a love triangle? Then go for it!
Will I read the second book? Still not decided yet. I want to give her a change especially since the second half was so much better than the start. But also I kinda do not care what will become of the characters. Maybe I will read it at some point but not in the foreseeable future.
2,5/5 ⭐️
I ended up really liking this one. I was kind of surprised by it. In the beginning I wondered how I was going to like a book with a main character as unnecessarily mean as Audra. I loved to see her character development, to realize it was okay to care about people and show them some vulnerability, but also that all the wickedness wasn’t taken from her.
When Raiden was brought back and she was recounting all her memories I wanted them together. But then, as she spent more and more time with Zad I wanted those two together. I was so suspicious of both of them and their intentions and flip flopped for so much of the book, and just not sure what would end up happening by the end of it. I like that she ended up with Zad but I do feel bad that Raiden ultimately didn’t have a hand in her betrayal and still loved her.
Some of the book was predictable (Audra and Zak linking for one) but there were enough surprises for me to be excited about reading the next.
When Raiden was brought back and she was recounting all her memories I wanted them together. But then, as she spent more and more time with Zad I wanted those two together. I was so suspicious of both of them and their intentions and flip flopped for so much of the book, and just not sure what would end up happening by the end of it. I like that she ended up with Zad but I do feel bad that Raiden ultimately didn’t have a hand in her betrayal and still loved her.
Some of the book was predictable (Audra and Zak linking for one) but there were enough surprises for me to be excited about reading the next.
This book was so different from any of her other books, and I loved it! I really don’t read fantasy novels, but I will read hers! This is a fantasy novel about a Queen and her King, but there are other characters throughout this book that become important. Their magic is magical. (I know I know. You have no idea how hard it is to write this review and not give too much away.)
I loved Audra. She is very young to be Queen. Most of her kingdom think she is a bad Queen because of her father’s tyrannical rule. She doesn’t show her true self to many people. She grows a lot during this book. I think a lot of that growth was because of Zadicus. I loved Zadicus. He loves her. He sees her.
I loved King Raiden too. The more of the story we get the more all of it clicks into focus. He loves Audra too, but things didn’t work out as well as he thought they would.
This story was so good. I can’t wait to see what comes next. Even if you think you don’t like to read fantasy, please give this book a chance. I can’t say I will seek out more fantasy, but I will read more of hers!
I loved Audra. She is very young to be Queen. Most of her kingdom think she is a bad Queen because of her father’s tyrannical rule. She doesn’t show her true self to many people. She grows a lot during this book. I think a lot of that growth was because of Zadicus. I loved Zadicus. He loves her. He sees her.
I loved King Raiden too. The more of the story we get the more all of it clicks into focus. He loves Audra too, but things didn’t work out as well as he thought they would.
This story was so good. I can’t wait to see what comes next. Even if you think you don’t like to read fantasy, please give this book a chance. I can’t say I will seek out more fantasy, but I will read more of hers!
Wow. This was my first 5 star book of the year. I cant wait to read the second book!
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
dark
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Violence, Blood, Murder, Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Rape, Sexual violence
WOW, she just blew me away with this! I've been a fan of this author for some time but this one was out of my wheelhouse, I'm not a big fantasy reader, I've tried but I have trouble remembering who has what power, that being said, maybe I just hadn't been reading the right ones because I had no trouble following this one. I think thats because the author is so great at storytelling and drawing the reader INTO her world it keeps you fully engaged. I did not want to put this down even for a second. Plenty of action, the world came alive, and I was pulling for Audra and Zad, while having conflicting feelings about Raiden and their obligations and ties to each other, translation - EXACTLY the right recipe for the BEST kind of love triangle! Betrayal, smoke and mirrors, lies and half truths, this book is a twisted tale into a world that was fun to get lost in and proves Ms. Fields can succeed in being a wonderful writer in whatever genre she so chooses!