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3.77 AVERAGE
3.77 AVERAGE
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-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
adventurous
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Recommended by Felicia Day, so i downloaded the kindle sample and was interested enough to pay $3 to read the rest. This reminded me very strongly of a reversed War of the Rose relationship (with the man being the "nobility" and the woman being the peasant turned powerful) without it being as drawn out and of course in a different setting. Oh and there's sex in this one...this is the first bodice ripper i've ever read (outside fanfiction of course). Not the best story of all time, and very escapist, but was amusing enough to keep me interested during the pre-previews waiting for the Avengers to start and leaving me wanting to read some more fantasy.
Draven's profile says she loves a fictional bad boy and, boy, does it show! If you're looking for something spicy with a great story, look no further.
Draven has the knack of creating really fascinating worlds, fully formed, with back histories, and a logic that makes sense. Add to this characters that are more than what they appear, with depth, and Iβm impressed. This is my third title from this author and each time Iβve been totally taken by her stories (favourite is still Radiance). She combines fantasy and romance effortlessly, using tropes of each genre to great effect, each given its due importance. Itβs not a fantasy with a pinch of romance, or indeed the reverse. It is both and thus focuses in the foreground on people, their relationships (not just amorous but all of them) and psychology, and in the background compelling societies with complex politics and beliefs - each sphere influencing the other. My only drawback is that I want MORE!
emotional
funny
mysterious
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
I have to admit, it was the new edition's cover that tipped the balance and made me buy this book. Of course all the raving reviews didn't hurt, either.
And...it was $2.99 well spent.
Okay, at first when the book opens and we meet Silhara in Neith and the god Corruption is trying to possess him, I almost stopped reading because of the overly dramatic prose.
I stuck with it and I was glad I did. So yes, there are some disconnected bits of dialogue I didn't follow, and the build up to the confrontation with Corruption is much, much more dramatic than the actual confrontation itself, and Martise makes a huge deal out of hiding the fact that she's a slave even after her and Silhara's relationship made that particular piece of information meaningless...but these are all minor annoyances.
Silhara is all dark and uber-broody and self-sacrificial and sharpens his wit on everyone he cares about. (For goodness sake, his most prized posession is a grove of orange trees despite the significance oranges have for him- talk about masochistic)and is so, so much fun to read.
Even when they are harvesting oranges (and avoiding Crow poop) Martise and Silhara are a majorly moony couple.
Along for the ride is a loyal, mute servant, a corrupt priest-lord to hate, and the culmination of the mystery of Martise's gift that sets up the perfect (if predictable) dilemma. In other words, nothing new in trope-ville, but a comfortable plunge into fantasy with a romantic, broody hero of the highest order.
This Book's Snack Rating: Black bean tortilla chips for the dark, dark taste of Silhara with a satisfying, salty flavor of a substantial romance.
And...it was $2.99 well spent.
Okay, at first when the book opens and we meet Silhara in Neith and the god Corruption is trying to possess him, I almost stopped reading because of the overly dramatic prose.
I stuck with it and I was glad I did. So yes, there are some disconnected bits of dialogue I didn't follow, and the build up to the confrontation with Corruption is much, much more dramatic than the actual confrontation itself, and Martise makes a huge deal out of hiding the fact that she's a slave even after her and Silhara's relationship made that particular piece of information meaningless...but these are all minor annoyances.
Silhara is all dark and uber-broody and self-sacrificial and sharpens his wit on everyone he cares about. (For goodness sake, his most prized posession is a grove of orange trees despite the significance oranges have for him- talk about masochistic)and is so, so much fun to read.
Even when they are harvesting oranges (and avoiding Crow poop) Martise and Silhara are a majorly moony couple.
Along for the ride is a loyal, mute servant, a corrupt priest-lord to hate, and the culmination of the mystery of Martise's gift that sets up the perfect (if predictable) dilemma. In other words, nothing new in trope-ville, but a comfortable plunge into fantasy with a romantic, broody hero of the highest order.
This Book's Snack Rating: Black bean tortilla chips for the dark, dark taste of Silhara with a satisfying, salty flavor of a substantial romance.
This review may contain spoilers, so fair warning, upon reading the review. Also my tags may have spoilers in them so be forewarned before checking out full review.
Book Evaluation:
Plot: ποΈποΈποΈποΈ
World Building:ππππ
Cover:πππππ
Hero: π¦Έπ»π¦Έπ»π¦Έπ»π¦Έπ»
Heroine:π¦Έπ»ββοΈπ¦Έπ»ββοΈπ¦Έπ»ββοΈπ¦Έπ»ββοΈ
Intimacy Level: π₯π₯π₯
Relationship Building: ππππ
Heart & Feels:πππ
Witty/Banter/Reaction of Laughter: πππ
Page Turner Level:πππ
Narration:π§π§π§
Ending:π§§π§§π§§π§§π§§
Overall View: β¨β¨β¨.5
First Impressions
Master of Crows is a book that I have been wanting to read for many years....I actually have had it in my audible library for like 3 years so I figured it was time to buckle in and just get through the audiobook. Its not the best narration to be honest, and I think I decided to stick with the narration because her writing style can sometimes be slow at times. Well I struggled with this one and I decided to just stick with it until 50% ....well the second half is where the story really got off the ground and it was brilliant!!! I loved every single moment in the second half. The first half is very slow burn and maybe I would have enjoyed it more if I had physically read it, I will try that with the rest of the series though.
First Line
Yield to me, Master of Crows, and I will make you ruler of Kingdoms.
Summary
Master of Crows begins when Martise, is a bondswoman (basically slave) and she is exchanged for a chance at freedom if she works as a spy to the sorcerer, Silhara of Neith. The mage priests don't trust Silhara and want to know what is truly happening with him and prove that he is betraying them. At first, Martise plans on being the spy because her freedom is so important, however, very quickly, as she learns more about Silhara, her spy endeavors get lost on the wayside because her friendship and connection to Silhara, is building and she sees the good heart that he hides. But there is a enemy god who wants to use Silhara, and in the effort to protect Martise, he could be lost forever to the darkness...
What I Loved
Whew what really kicked it for me with this story was the romance and the third act. First off their relationship is so unique. I loved the slow burn, the way there is a level of mistrust between them but then we see the trust begin to form between them. Their sweet soft intimate moments were brilliantly written and then when they finally get together the chemistry is top notch between them. The plot really thickens in the second half and we see how their love is tested. I was so endeared by the moments when she meets his tribe and you see the beautiful blend of cultures that are introduced here. I was so captivated by the events in the third act of the story. This is where the story really escalates in tension and excitement. The villain was very well done here, not the type of villain that will make you uncomfortable, just regular villain lol And the ending was so poignant and heartfelt and full of so many hopefuls for the rest of the books in the series and I can't wait to delve into those.
What I Struggled With
The pacing was not fun in this one, I honestly think it was due to the narration and I am wishing I had just tried it physically first and then switched to the audio if the writing was too slow for me. I really had high hopes for this book and I wish the narration had just been done better because my issues with this book is the narration. I think it really hurt the experience of reading this one for me.
Narration
As I discussed above....my problem with this narration was how I couldn't focus on the story. The narrator just wasn't the best for me, I am not sure exactly what it was. But I just kept getting taking out of the story and being lost lol and its possible it was me I don't know .....I mean I just listened to a audiobook before this one that was spectacular but this is my second time listening to this book so I don't think it was a Me issue.
Overall View
Master of Crows was a beautifully mastered story that swept me away into this world of magic and intrigue and plenty of heart that I didn't want to let go of Silhara and Martise and the cover truly portrays the majestic moments that they have together.
Book Details (also in my shelves)
Sub Genre: epic Fantasy Romance
Character Types: Mage/Magician, Servant/Maid
Themes: Heart/Touching, Mutual Pining
Tropes: Forced Proximity
Book Perspective
3rd POV
Relationship Conflict vs Plot Conflict
Both
If you like these authors, I recommend This Book
CL Wilson
Jeffe Kennedy
Milla Vane
Recommendation For Reading Order
Yes
Steam/Spice Explanations
Simmering cup of tea---soft warm touches and light intimacy
Warmin' by the fire- a medium level of sexual tension, a balance of sexual and emotional intimacy, lighter on the details in the sexual moments.
Steamin' up the room -the sexual content is more explicit in the language and tone, heavier amount of sexual scenes.
Blazing fire to the building-The prime focus is the sex scenes, scorching hot, and could burn one. Less focus on the emotional intimacy to the relationship.
Narrators:
Jay Britton
Book Evaluation:
Plot: ποΈποΈποΈποΈ
World Building:ππππ
Cover:πππππ
Hero: π¦Έπ»π¦Έπ»π¦Έπ»π¦Έπ»
Heroine:π¦Έπ»ββοΈπ¦Έπ»ββοΈπ¦Έπ»ββοΈπ¦Έπ»ββοΈ
Intimacy Level: π₯π₯π₯
Relationship Building: ππππ
Heart & Feels:πππ
Witty/Banter/Reaction of Laughter: πππ
Page Turner Level:πππ
Narration:π§π§π§
Ending:π§§π§§π§§π§§π§§
Overall View: β¨β¨β¨.5
First Impressions
Master of Crows is a book that I have been wanting to read for many years....I actually have had it in my audible library for like 3 years so I figured it was time to buckle in and just get through the audiobook. Its not the best narration to be honest, and I think I decided to stick with the narration because her writing style can sometimes be slow at times. Well I struggled with this one and I decided to just stick with it until 50% ....well the second half is where the story really got off the ground and it was brilliant!!! I loved every single moment in the second half. The first half is very slow burn and maybe I would have enjoyed it more if I had physically read it, I will try that with the rest of the series though.
First Line
Yield to me, Master of Crows, and I will make you ruler of Kingdoms.
Summary
Master of Crows begins when Martise, is a bondswoman (basically slave) and she is exchanged for a chance at freedom if she works as a spy to the sorcerer, Silhara of Neith. The mage priests don't trust Silhara and want to know what is truly happening with him and prove that he is betraying them. At first, Martise plans on being the spy because her freedom is so important, however, very quickly, as she learns more about Silhara, her spy endeavors get lost on the wayside because her friendship and connection to Silhara, is building and she sees the good heart that he hides. But there is a enemy god who wants to use Silhara, and in the effort to protect Martise, he could be lost forever to the darkness...
What I Loved
Whew what really kicked it for me with this story was the romance and the third act. First off their relationship is so unique. I loved the slow burn, the way there is a level of mistrust between them but then we see the trust begin to form between them. Their sweet soft intimate moments were brilliantly written and then when they finally get together the chemistry is top notch between them. The plot really thickens in the second half and we see how their love is tested. I was so endeared by the moments when she meets his tribe and you see the beautiful blend of cultures that are introduced here. I was so captivated by the events in the third act of the story. This is where the story really escalates in tension and excitement. The villain was very well done here, not the type of villain that will make you uncomfortable, just regular villain lol And the ending was so poignant and heartfelt and full of so many hopefuls for the rest of the books in the series and I can't wait to delve into those.
What I Struggled With
The pacing was not fun in this one, I honestly think it was due to the narration and I am wishing I had just tried it physically first and then switched to the audio if the writing was too slow for me. I really had high hopes for this book and I wish the narration had just been done better because my issues with this book is the narration. I think it really hurt the experience of reading this one for me.
Narration
As I discussed above....my problem with this narration was how I couldn't focus on the story. The narrator just wasn't the best for me, I am not sure exactly what it was. But I just kept getting taking out of the story and being lost lol and its possible it was me I don't know .....I mean I just listened to a audiobook before this one that was spectacular but this is my second time listening to this book so I don't think it was a Me issue.
Overall View
Master of Crows was a beautifully mastered story that swept me away into this world of magic and intrigue and plenty of heart that I didn't want to let go of Silhara and Martise and the cover truly portrays the majestic moments that they have together.
Book Details (also in my shelves)
Sub Genre: epic Fantasy Romance
Character Types: Mage/Magician, Servant/Maid
Themes: Heart/Touching, Mutual Pining
Tropes: Forced Proximity
Book Perspective
3rd POV
Relationship Conflict vs Plot Conflict
Both
If you like these authors, I recommend This Book
CL Wilson
Jeffe Kennedy
Milla Vane
Recommendation For Reading Order
Yes
Steam/Spice Explanations
Simmering cup of tea---soft warm touches and light intimacy
Warmin' by the fire- a medium level of sexual tension, a balance of sexual and emotional intimacy, lighter on the details in the sexual moments.
Steamin' up the room -the sexual content is more explicit in the language and tone, heavier amount of sexual scenes.
Blazing fire to the building-The prime focus is the sex scenes, scorching hot, and could burn one. Less focus on the emotional intimacy to the relationship.
Narrators:
Jay Britton