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3.92 AVERAGE
3.92 AVERAGE
DNFed halfway through. Characters are annoying. Barely any romance and what there was was unbelievable. Waaayyyy too long for what it was. Nothing was drawing me into this story. It turned into a chore to read. If it was shorter, I would have finished it. I kept hoping it would get better, it did not.
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
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:
No
adventurous
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
A gorgeous, slow burn story with lots of healing and trauma. Lots of interesting characters made an appearance as well, some of whom broke my heart over and over. GAH! Watching these two was intense. I'm so excited for whatever comes next!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Violence, War, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Sexual content, Xenophobia
Minor: Cancer
adventurous
funny
mysterious
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
Thank you to Berkley & Ace Books for the free print copy.
I was admittedly a little intimidated by the length of this novel, but once I got into it, it was a pretty quick page-turner. The world-building was easy to follow, and I enjoyed getting to know our FMC Rhya (our "chosen one") and the Commander Scythe. Their forced proximity, natural banter, and journey reminded me (I know this is a random comparison, but please stay with me. The honeys who get it will GET IT!) of Shrek and Fiona in Shrek 1 lol. I think this book set up the series really well and I'm excited to continue on!
I was admittedly a little intimidated by the length of this novel, but once I got into it, it was a pretty quick page-turner. The world-building was easy to follow, and I enjoyed getting to know our FMC Rhya (our "chosen one") and the Commander Scythe. Their forced proximity, natural banter, and journey reminded me (I know this is a random comparison, but please stay with me. The honeys who get it will GET IT!) of Shrek and Fiona in Shrek 1 lol. I think this book set up the series really well and I'm excited to continue on!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Violence, Murder
Moderate: Infertility, Physical abuse, Blood
Minor: Child death, Torture, Kidnapping
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
DNFed at 80%.
Very strong first 50%. Then a dissapointing series of unoriginal characters, interactions and chapter fillers until the final arc. I couldn't see myself reading another 3 hours of it, so DNFed.
I liked the back to back events when they were travelling, I liked the world that was unfolding in front of us, I liked the lore and characters we got introduced to.
I devoured the first 50%.
The second half felt very lack luster and the psyche of the characters as well as their interaction far too simple and lacking any richness/complexity. They reverted back to black and white basic characters without much personality unless it furtherest the romantic plot.
Speaking of the romantic plot. I don't think Rhya is much of a catch. She is skilled but helpless in other ways, she is pretty but too skinny, she is sassy but doesn't have the backbone to push after the first hurdle or to take things in her own hands.
The MMC isn't that interesting either. He was a bit intriguing in the beginning, but then turned into a lovesick possessive male who believes giving no autonomy, no power and no knowledge to a woman is keeping her safe. That's BS. Ladies and gentlemen, let's demand and expect better than grunts and school boy behaviours from our MMCs. Isn't he supposed to be a century old? how is he not more apt to understand his own feelings and that of others? He had a sense of humour with his friends, none with Rhya. He shows mad jealousy but for no reason apart from the fact Rhya gave her name to another man and wore a blue dress. I don't find it cute or appealing, I find it immature and a bright amber flag if not red.
"Plunder", "Conquer", "Command", "lay siege", "claim"... I don't want those words associated with a first kiss. Well maybe the last one. But otherwise it's not sexy or steamy or anything of the sort.
Anyway, I struggled with the second half and with the schoolgirl teenage boy relationship they developed. She is 20and has had a lover and is somewhat a sain person with trauma and has experienced a loving father child relationship. He is 100+ yrs old (let's not talk of the age gap) and shows none of the wisdom his years and past relationships should have brought him.
It's not passion if you are emotionally constipated and then kiss someone.
Otherwise, the writing is excellent and very well edited so you don't have many lulls or bad dialogues. The secondary characters introduced early on are great. Unfortunately there is the token female "friend" with whom the FMC gets to talk about her feelings which again, annoying as it goes against FMC personality and history, but that's in the second half and as previously mentioned, plot becomes simplistic and very stereotypical then.
Also, give this girl a horse, riding double in an illsuited saddle is the most uncomfortable, let alone for days on end. Same thing for riding with your head down on the back of a horse. You get busted blood vessels in your eyes and lost of blood flow to your feet and constant vomiting/impossibility to draw full breath at the very least. Given the sense of protection the MMC claims to have, there's no reason for him to have treated her this way unless it was a plot point to further make them appear enemies.
Very strong first 50%. Then a dissapointing series of unoriginal characters, interactions and chapter fillers until the final arc. I couldn't see myself reading another 3 hours of it, so DNFed.
I liked the back to back events when they were travelling, I liked the world that was unfolding in front of us, I liked the lore and characters we got introduced to.
I devoured the first 50%.
The second half felt very lack luster and the psyche of the characters as well as their interaction far too simple and lacking any richness/complexity. They reverted back to black and white basic characters without much personality unless it furtherest the romantic plot.
Speaking of the romantic plot. I don't think Rhya is much of a catch. She is skilled but helpless in other ways, she is pretty but too skinny, she is sassy but doesn't have the backbone to push after the first hurdle or to take things in her own hands.
The MMC isn't that interesting either. He was a bit intriguing in the beginning, but then turned into a lovesick possessive male who believes giving no autonomy, no power and no knowledge to a woman is keeping her safe. That's BS. Ladies and gentlemen, let's demand and expect better than grunts and school boy behaviours from our MMCs. Isn't he supposed to be a century old? how is he not more apt to understand his own feelings and that of others? He had a sense of humour with his friends, none with Rhya. He shows mad jealousy but for no reason apart from the fact Rhya gave her name to another man and wore a blue dress. I don't find it cute or appealing, I find it immature and a bright amber flag if not red.
"Plunder", "Conquer", "Command", "lay siege", "claim"... I don't want those words associated with a first kiss. Well maybe the last one. But otherwise it's not sexy or steamy or anything of the sort.
Anyway, I struggled with the second half and with the schoolgirl teenage boy relationship they developed. She is 20and has had a lover and is somewhat a sain person with trauma and has experienced a loving father child relationship. He is 100+ yrs old (let's not talk of the age gap) and shows none of the wisdom his years and past relationships should have brought him.
It's not passion if you are emotionally constipated and then kiss someone.
Otherwise, the writing is excellent and very well edited so you don't have many lulls or bad dialogues. The secondary characters introduced early on are great. Unfortunately there is the token female "friend" with whom the FMC gets to talk about her feelings which again, annoying as it goes against FMC personality and history, but that's in the second half and as previously mentioned, plot becomes simplistic and very stereotypical then.
Also, give this girl a horse, riding double in an illsuited saddle is the most uncomfortable, let alone for days on end. Same thing for riding with your head down on the back of a horse. You get busted blood vessels in your eyes and lost of blood flow to your feet and constant vomiting/impossibility to draw full breath at the very least. Given the sense of protection the MMC claims to have, there's no reason for him to have treated her this way unless it was a plot point to further make them appear enemies.
adventurous
challenging
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
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
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:
Complicated
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Death, Murder
Moderate: Physical abuse
adventurous
mysterious
tense
fast-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