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3.88 AVERAGE
3.88 AVERAGE
I love this book! 2nd read through just as much as the 1st time.
Shea is such a strong character with a realistic personality trait flaw that truly resonated. She's not a Mary Sue and she does at first struggle with developing interpersonal relationships. She's strong-willed and cunning without being battle-hardy which is a delightful change from many fantasy heroines.
Now this book definitely isn't a pure fantasy romance. Actually the romance is more of a subplot, which I really enjoyed. Her relationship with Fallon (while described by some as toxic because of some of his more barbaric notions) develops at the beginning and then is revisited only at the end of the novel. That said I found it realistic enough. Fallon made his intentions known quite early on, and while I did feel that Shea's feelings for him could have been expanded on, I enjoyed it all the same.
The worldbuilding of the broken lands was the true treasure of this novel between the beasts, the cultures, and the landscapes. It's definitely a different take on fantasy compared to many of this genre's novels I've read in the last couple years.
Definitely recommend!
Shea is such a strong character with a realistic personality trait flaw that truly resonated. She's not a Mary Sue and she does at first struggle with developing interpersonal relationships. She's strong-willed and cunning without being battle-hardy which is a delightful change from many fantasy heroines.
Now this book definitely isn't a pure fantasy romance. Actually the romance is more of a subplot, which I really enjoyed. Her relationship with Fallon (while described by some as toxic because of some of his more barbaric notions) develops at the beginning and then is revisited only at the end of the novel. That said I found it realistic enough. Fallon made his intentions known quite early on, and while I did feel that Shea's feelings for him could have been expanded on, I enjoyed it all the same.
The worldbuilding of the broken lands was the true treasure of this novel between the beasts, the cultures, and the landscapes. It's definitely a different take on fantasy compared to many of this genre's novels I've read in the last couple years.
Definitely recommend!
Really great start to a series! The main character was great and really enjoyed her resourcefulness.
adventurous
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 was amazing. Such a good fantasy romance book, seriously one of the best I’ve read. I loved loved loved the plot and the world building. The heroine, Shea, is one of my favorite in a long time, she’s fierce yet vulnerable, she’s smart, strong minded and just so likable. The hero, Fallon, is everything I love, a Warlord used to getting his way, relentless, strong, fair and yet brutal. I loved the fact that their relationship took a while to unfold. I also loved Shea’s introduction into their world. Everything about this story drew me in. I highly recommend it!
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
5 stars
The big highlight of this book for me was adventure. Through Shea's travels, we were able to learn about different lands, monsters and peoples. It felt as though we were on the adventure with her, making it really engaging. This also gave the book a fantasy feel, without using any traditional methods (i.e. magic).
Despite focusing on the lay of the land and maps for a good portion of the book, I feel like the world-building could have been focused on a bit more (or more effectively). I would have loved to read about different landscapes, seeing an ever-changing world. Even things like flash floods that I think threatened the characters at one point, could have been used as a way to reconstruct the environment, so it was new and exciting for a few chapters.
The romance was slow-burning, which I actually thought worked really well in this book. There were a few moments towards the end that put me off Fallon, when he was being too dominant and seemed to put Shea in a very domesticated role. However, I think by the end it wrapped up nicely again as a partnership, and I'm excited to see where they go from here.
The big highlight of this book for me was adventure. Through Shea's travels, we were able to learn about different lands, monsters and peoples. It felt as though we were on the adventure with her, making it really engaging. This also gave the book a fantasy feel, without using any traditional methods (i.e. magic).
Despite focusing on the lay of the land and maps for a good portion of the book, I feel like the world-building could have been focused on a bit more (or more effectively). I would have loved to read about different landscapes, seeing an ever-changing world. Even things like flash floods that I think threatened the characters at one point, could have been used as a way to reconstruct the environment, so it was new and exciting for a few chapters.
The romance was slow-burning, which I actually thought worked really well in this book. There were a few moments towards the end that put me off Fallon, when he was being too dominant and seemed to put Shea in a very domesticated role. However, I think by the end it wrapped up nicely again as a partnership, and I'm excited to see where they go from here.
3.5 I enjoyed this story centered around a woman who is excellent at her job, without some magical innate “chosen one” ability. I appreciated the lack of sexual violence even though the book is set in a warlord society.
adventurous
challenging
inspiring
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I really loved this!
Shea is AWESOME!!!
Onto book 2! :)
Shea is AWESOME!!!
Onto book 2! :)