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3.73 AVERAGE
3.73 AVERAGE
I listened to the audiobook as I've just had an eye op but wanted to leave a review!
Don't you love a book about books?
Well this is.....sort of!
'His library was terribly seductive.'
This book was so cute, 2 older characters, both powerful sorcerers who should be enemies. They find they have lots in common including that they are used at the whims of the rulers who own them.
Watching Oneira and Stearanos made me feel like a peeper and I loved every minute - they were so cute!
The letters were quite sweet and I find myself wanting to know what the roses and Oneira's pink beach looks like!
'Thief of my heart.'
Book 2 please!
Don't you love a book about books?
Well this is.....sort of!
'His library was terribly seductive.'
This book was so cute, 2 older characters, both powerful sorcerers who should be enemies. They find they have lots in common including that they are used at the whims of the rulers who own them.
Watching Oneira and Stearanos made me feel like a peeper and I loved every minute - they were so cute!
The letters were quite sweet and I find myself wanting to know what the roses and Oneira's pink beach looks like!
'Thief of my heart.'
Book 2 please!
emotional
reflective
sad
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
This book had such a great concept for the plot. The writing was extremely repetitive and at 185 pages in nothing had really happened. I wanted to like this book, loved the premise, the execution was lacking.
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Read for a book club. Book checked out from the library (support your local library).
This slow burn romantic fantasy pulls everything together at the end. While never a slog, if my book club hadn't chosen it, I would not have returned back to it when I needed to set it down for the night. I'm not in a romantic phase right now and slow burn needs a certain mood. Again, the story maintains interest throughout with cool animal characters, two rival magic users, and a world on the brink of war.
Part of the uninterest on my part is the isolation of the characters; each and every one was in their separate world, interacting only on the fringes with each other - even the romantic leads.
On the other hand, big plus to the romantic leads being older . The world of experience age brings gives layers to them and their interactions. The high school miscommunication trope is in the rearview mirror and only touched upon as each tries to figure what the other is thinking, but understanding their thoughts are just guesses and never blames the other if they guess wrong. Them being professional rivals trying to one up each other, though, is gold.
I would have liked more worldbuilding (big surprise, right?). While the rules of magic are shared, the magic itself is more imposed on the world from the outside than integrated into it. The culture has weaponsized magic and it is useable by only a few members and never by the normal man. The worldbuilding is all about isolation - countries are islands, people are interacting only for their own benefit, magic even isolates the students with each person having their own specialty. And while magic specialties can be really cool, with each person being a chess piece with certain powers, where even the pawns have purpose, the magic users of this world are each treated separately and not a full integrated team. (I love me superhero team interaction, and this world could have had it but doesn't.)
Themes of isolation and of healing. Of student loan debt and of roses. The story felt very cozy for the first half of the book - all about gardening roses and libraries, then escalates to much larger stakes. I think I would have preferred it staying a cozy romantic fantasy throughout.
It could be a great story for someone, especially with the theme of healing, but with my love of layered, integrated worldbuilding, this didn't work for me.
This slow burn romantic fantasy pulls everything together at the end. While never a slog, if my book club hadn't chosen it, I would not have returned back to it when I needed to set it down for the night. I'm not in a romantic phase right now and slow burn needs a certain mood. Again, the story maintains interest throughout with cool animal characters, two rival magic users, and a world on the brink of war.
Part of the uninterest on my part is the isolation of the characters; each and every one was in their separate world, interacting only on the fringes with each other - even the romantic leads.
On the other hand, big plus to the romantic leads being older . The world of experience age brings gives layers to them and their interactions. The high school miscommunication trope is in the rearview mirror and only touched upon as each tries to figure what the other is thinking, but understanding their thoughts are just guesses and never blames the other if they guess wrong. Them being professional rivals trying to one up each other, though, is gold.
I would have liked more worldbuilding (big surprise, right?). While the rules of magic are shared, the magic itself is more imposed on the world from the outside than integrated into it. The culture has weaponsized magic and it is useable by only a few members and never by the normal man. The worldbuilding is all about isolation - countries are islands, people are interacting only for their own benefit, magic even isolates the students with each person having their own specialty. And while magic specialties can be really cool, with each person being a chess piece with certain powers, where even the pawns have purpose, the magic users of this world are each treated separately and not a full integrated team. (I love me superhero team interaction, and this world could have had it but doesn't.)
Themes of isolation and of healing. Of student loan debt and of roses. The story felt very cozy for the first half of the book - all about gardening roses and libraries, then escalates to much larger stakes. I think I would have preferred it staying a cozy romantic fantasy throughout.
It could be a great story for someone, especially with the theme of healing, but with my love of layered, integrated worldbuilding, this didn't work for me.
slow-paced
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
Omg someone get this girl a vibrator!! The majority of this book would’ve NEVER had to happen if she had a vibrator!!
I really enjoyed the beginning even though there was absolutely NOTHING going on and zero dialogue. I thought the dreamwalking had a lot of potential. But around the 40% mark, the plot took such a sharp turn it felt like whiplash?? The romance(s) were rushed with insta-lust that was literally laughable. I was laughing out loud at how bad it was. Miss girl was so horny it was hilarious. I thought this was a comedy halfway through because no way the plot line could be taken as serious. And then randomly it flipped back into a political/war plotline that was barely developed?? And despite all that, I couldn’t put it down?? The ending pissed me OFF especially if this is a standalone. If it becomes a series, I’d probably keep reading it. It wasn’t great… but somehow still kind of good? It was 100% a guilty pleasure because I’m embarrassed I enjoyed it as much as I did. It was so bad.
I really enjoyed the beginning even though there was absolutely NOTHING going on and zero dialogue. I thought the dreamwalking had a lot of potential. But around the 40% mark, the plot took such a sharp turn it felt like whiplash?? The romance(s) were rushed with insta-lust that was literally laughable. I was laughing out loud at how bad it was. Miss girl was so horny it was hilarious. I thought this was a comedy halfway through because no way the plot line could be taken as serious. And then randomly it flipped back into a political/war plotline that was barely developed?? And despite all that, I couldn’t put it down?? The ending pissed me OFF especially if this is a standalone. If it becomes a series, I’d probably keep reading it. It wasn’t great… but somehow still kind of good? It was 100% a guilty pleasure because I’m embarrassed I enjoyed it as much as I did. It was so bad.
emotional
reflective
sad
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:
Complicated
2025 reads: 198/300
i received a complimentary audio copy from the publisher as part of their influencer program. this did not affect my rating.
exhausted from fighting endless wars, the dread sorceress oneira decides to retire. when she’s (mostly) alone at last, she quickly grows bored. this drives her to make a trip to the most extensive library in existence…which also happens to be the home of her most powerful rival, the sorcerer stearanos. she accidentally initiates a forbidden correspondence when she steals a book from him, and she soon learns that he is tasked with waging war on the queen she once served. all signs are telling her to stay away from him, but she can’t deny the growing attraction between them.
i would like to start this review by saying that, for some reason, i went into this thinking it was a beauty and the beast retelling. i have no idea what gave me this idea, but i could see a few similarities between this book and that story, though that definitely could have just been due to confirmation bias. either way, i agree with the ACTUAL comps, the witch’s heart and circe, much more, though this book was far more romantic than either of those (it is a romantasy, after all). i really enjoyed how we followed a retired, but bored, sorceress who wasn’t afraid to go after what she wanted. her relationship with stearanos was very interesting since they had such a strong rivalry. we got both viewpoints, reflected in the audiobook as having two narrators (yay!), and i really enjoyed getting to know both of them this way. i would recommend this audiobook to romantasy readers.
i received a complimentary audio copy from the publisher as part of their influencer program. this did not affect my rating.
exhausted from fighting endless wars, the dread sorceress oneira decides to retire. when she’s (mostly) alone at last, she quickly grows bored. this drives her to make a trip to the most extensive library in existence…which also happens to be the home of her most powerful rival, the sorcerer stearanos. she accidentally initiates a forbidden correspondence when she steals a book from him, and she soon learns that he is tasked with waging war on the queen she once served. all signs are telling her to stay away from him, but she can’t deny the growing attraction between them.
i would like to start this review by saying that, for some reason, i went into this thinking it was a beauty and the beast retelling. i have no idea what gave me this idea, but i could see a few similarities between this book and that story, though that definitely could have just been due to confirmation bias. either way, i agree with the ACTUAL comps, the witch’s heart and circe, much more, though this book was far more romantic than either of those (it is a romantasy, after all). i really enjoyed how we followed a retired, but bored, sorceress who wasn’t afraid to go after what she wanted. her relationship with stearanos was very interesting since they had such a strong rivalry. we got both viewpoints, reflected in the audiobook as having two narrators (yay!), and i really enjoyed getting to know both of them this way. i would recommend this audiobook to romantasy readers.
funny
hopeful
reflective