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christina558's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
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
4.75
drymming's review against another edition
mysterious
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? No
2.0
hrobison11's review against another edition
4.0
I like this one much more than the other book one I read by this author.
It wasn't a new storyline, but it written well enough to feel like I hadn't heard the same song and dance before.
Our MC finds out she's super special but of course the government can't have that so they do their best to be rid of her. Plus, love triangles are always involved in these aren't they?
I'd read the next one for sure! If you like magic and some standard tropes, this should be on your tbr.
It wasn't a new storyline, but it written well enough to feel like I hadn't heard the same song and dance before.
Our MC finds out she's super special but of course the government can't have that so they do their best to be rid of her. Plus, love triangles are always involved in these aren't they?
I'd read the next one for sure! If you like magic and some standard tropes, this should be on your tbr.
readingmissfroggy's review against another edition
5.0
Watch my full review here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3nTMDPTwwew&feature=youtu.be
Wow... just wow... I loved this book SOOOOOOOO MUCH!
*after taking a moment to gather my thoughts*
Still loving this book to pieces. Our main character Vhalla is amazing. I love her personality, her inner thoughts, her hobbies, the way she approaches things. She is the kind of character that I want for a best friend in real life. She is just absolutely wonderful.
Both the princes are also pretty darn awesome. Aldrik is definitely my favourite of the two but they both have something that I love. The side characters were very interesting and I loved the fact that Vhalla's friends were throughout the whole story. They weren't just introduced and then disappeared, no they were there and they influenced the story!
And talking about the story... I loved that too (obviously, why else would I give this book 5 stars?!). I loved the political parts, the magic parts, the events, everything. I do think that this book would have been even better with a map because I had a bit of a hard time imagining how it would look but I just received book 2 and it has a map so that's fixed!
The last thing that I have to say is go and pick this book up. Do it now!
Wow... just wow... I loved this book SOOOOOOOO MUCH!
*after taking a moment to gather my thoughts*
Still loving this book to pieces. Our main character Vhalla is amazing. I love her personality, her inner thoughts, her hobbies, the way she approaches things. She is the kind of character that I want for a best friend in real life. She is just absolutely wonderful.
Both the princes are also pretty darn awesome. Aldrik is definitely my favourite of the two but they both have something that I love. The side characters were very interesting and I loved the fact that Vhalla's friends were throughout the whole story. They weren't just introduced and then disappeared, no they were there and they influenced the story!
And talking about the story... I loved that too (obviously, why else would I give this book 5 stars?!). I loved the political parts, the magic parts, the events, everything. I do think that this book would have been even better with a map because I had a bit of a hard time imagining how it would look but I just received book 2 and it has a map so that's fixed!
The last thing that I have to say is go and pick this book up. Do it now!
caiturgfismine's review against another edition
adventurous
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Seeing as I changed my rating for this book twice (and not for the better), I feel like that I need to update this review a bit.
It is definitely entertaining, I’ll give it that. There are some good things in this book, but from what I saw in videos recommending it, I imagined that the literature level would be a lot higher. Don’t get me wrong I enjoyed reading it, and I will probably continue reading this series (up until the point I get so sick of Vhalla’s oyster IQ that I have to DNF), but this is very very YA.
The writing is simple, the story not very complex and it seems that the author wanted to give her characters a lot of depths, but the experiment failed and we are left with a case of personality Frankenstein. In other words, their actions and who they are supposed to be don’t add up. At least, I am struggling to make sense of it. I see the vision! But unfortunately it turned out to be just that. A vision.
For some reason, I still hope to see this get widened and worked upon in the rest of the series. But I doubt it.
Anyways I could go in more detail about everything that is problematic in this book, but a brilliant friend of mine has already written a very wordy review about it, stating it all. And I am too lazy to write all that. So lilureads, thanks for your sacrifice 🫶 appreciate it
Now, the love story was quite quick. There was no build up.
This is not what I consider a good ennemies to lovers. Aldrik (although I think he is very funny to laugh at) is not the standard.
I don’t know it just doesn’t make sense to me, how NO ONE thought it weird that he was just casually hanging out with a lower class librarian in his private royal rose garden. But whatever. To me, it felt like they fell in love in basically 2 seconds. And the only “plausible” explanation the author found to make their fast-and-furious-romance work, was very weak. I am talking about the bond. This whole bond thing (again I don’t mind the trope but it seemed a bit too easy of an excuse to push them together) was extremely quick. There was barely any expansion on the topic, the characters didn’t work through it enough, or talked about it at all it seemed. I’m sorry, if I find out I am linked to an entitled brat for the rest of my life, I WOULD HAVE QUESTIONS. That Aldrik didn’t question it, I can understand. He has known for a while and has probably already processed through it. But Vhalla ? What’s your excuse babe ? The little lady was just like: “ oh yeah ok, fine by me.” AND NEVER MENTIONED IT AGAIN?? And I mean, the guy literally pushes her off a tower, almost kills her and the grovelling is barely there. I can get past the pushing of a tower, but the absence of grovelling and petty behaviour? No. I want to see her push him off a mountainside. Get even bitch. Sorry. I just like my ennemies to lovers raw, not tender. And like so many authors who label their book “ennemies to lovers” and the booktok’s jurors who gobble it up like a little lad with his stupid fucking cream, it might be good enough, but to me, what a disappointment. And there are four other books coming yet. I am a bit afraid what that is supposed to mean for their relationship. Please do not give me a reiteration of fourth wing. The half-assed (and completely unnecessary) love triangle was bad enough. Thank god it didn’t last long. RIP Sareem, you will not be missed.
I do have to say, I really like the side characters. I know this book has the found family trope, so it makes me optimistic on that at least. I feel like their group of friends will be something I will quite enjoy reading about 😊
But if we could just add some actual depth to the characters, it would be great. I only like 2D in the original Avatar.
Anyways, to me this felt again to be a lot more romance first-fantasy later, although the fantasy components are somewhat present, what with the elemental magic going on (I keep thinking of Avatar the last Airbender. There are a few similarities (actually there are a lot), but Avatar is top tier- nothing can beat the original.), but yeah again, let’s hope book 2 develops more on that front.
Hopeful for book 2! (I started reading it and the hope has since then died.)
Stay tuned 😉
Last point: Fuck you Roan. What was your purpose? Seriously?
It is definitely entertaining, I’ll give it that. There are some good things in this book, but from what I saw in videos recommending it, I imagined that the literature level would be a lot higher. Don’t get me wrong I enjoyed reading it, and I will probably continue reading this series (up until the point I get so sick of Vhalla’s oyster IQ that I have to DNF), but this is very very YA.
The writing is simple, the story not very complex and it seems that the author wanted to give her characters a lot of depths, but the experiment failed and we are left with a case of personality Frankenstein. In other words, their actions and who they are supposed to be don’t add up. At least, I am struggling to make sense of it. I see the vision! But unfortunately it turned out to be just that. A vision.
For some reason, I still hope to see this get widened and worked upon in the rest of the series. But I doubt it.
Anyways I could go in more detail about everything that is problematic in this book, but a brilliant friend of mine has already written a very wordy review about it, stating it all. And I am too lazy to write all that. So lilureads, thanks for your sacrifice 🫶 appreciate it
Now, the love story was quite quick. There was no build up.
This is not what I consider a good ennemies to lovers. Aldrik (although I think he is very funny to laugh at) is not the standard.
I don’t know it just doesn’t make sense to me, how NO ONE thought it weird that he was just casually hanging out with a lower class librarian in his private royal rose garden. But whatever. To me, it felt like they fell in love in basically 2 seconds. And the only “plausible” explanation the author found to make their fast-and-furious-romance work, was very weak.
I do have to say, I really like the side characters. I know this book has the found family trope, so it makes me optimistic on that at least. I feel like their group of friends will be something I will quite enjoy reading about 😊
But if we could just add some actual depth to the characters, it would be great. I only like 2D in the original Avatar.
Anyways, to me this felt again to be a lot more romance first-fantasy later, although the fantasy components are somewhat present, what with the elemental magic going on (I keep thinking of Avatar the last Airbender. There are a few similarities (actually there are a lot), but Avatar is top tier- nothing can beat the original.), but yeah again, let’s hope book 2 develops more on that front.
Hopeful for book 2! (I started reading it and the hope has since then died.)
Stay tuned 😉
Last point: Fuck you Roan. What was your purpose? Seriously?
saphibella's review against another edition
4.0
This book was a bit of a rollercoaster in the sense that I was not always sure I likes it.
Sometimes I felt like the author held information back, that could help in understanding what was going on, in the name of keeping the mystery.
But then I could also see it being a good author utilizing the first person story telling to its fullest.
I think it is a great start to a series, although I also have a suspicion that the actual conflict has only been hinted at.
Aldrik sure acts in a convoluted manner that does not always make the most sense. But this gives him depth because he has his flaws, and we don’t know his reasonings behind his decisions.
I love how this seemingly simpler society that could be set in the fictional past has some slightly different views on gender. It seems that both women and men bear the same responsibilities, and can both go to war and be conscripted. It is very refreshing in a fantasy book with a female protagonist that she is not held back by a societal stigma, and instead it is some other issue that creates conflict and drive the plot.
Sometimes I felt like the author held information back, that could help in understanding what was going on, in the name of keeping the mystery.
But then I could also see it being a good author utilizing the first person story telling to its fullest.
I think it is a great start to a series, although I also have a suspicion that the actual conflict has only been hinted at.
Aldrik sure acts in a convoluted manner that does not always make the most sense. But this gives him depth because he has his flaws, and we don’t know his reasonings behind his decisions.
I love how this seemingly simpler society that could be set in the fictional past has some slightly different views on gender. It seems that both women and men bear the same responsibilities, and can both go to war and be conscripted. It is very refreshing in a fantasy book with a female protagonist that she is not held back by a societal stigma, and instead it is some other issue that creates conflict and drive the plot.
itsalljustsemantics's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
informative
tense
fast-paced
4.5
cherriees's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
4.0
ayoota's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
sad
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? It's complicated
4.25
It took me a long time to finish it even though I really loved the book
Just blame it on finding time and not BEING INTERRUPTED every two pages.
The premise of the book isn't new honestly, but the flow of the story and the characters is nice and refreshing.
Did I feel like it was dragging a bit and northing much happend? Maybe I'm not sure cause a again I didn't get to read it in timely manner
Here's the good of the story:
Somewhat low stakes with characters that are struggling with their identity
A heroine that actually has solid character growth in the first book
A plot that developed with unsolved mysteries for the next book
The bad:
Love triangles, random characters that feel vague but get mentioned a lot. And did I mention love triangle
Will I be reading the next book?
Yes definitely
Just blame it on finding time and not BEING INTERRUPTED every two pages.
The premise of the book isn't new honestly, but the flow of the story and the characters is nice and refreshing.
Did I feel like it was dragging a bit and northing much happend? Maybe I'm not sure cause a again I didn't get to read it in timely manner
Here's the good of the story:
Somewhat low stakes with characters that are struggling with their identity
A heroine that actually has solid character growth in the first book
A plot that developed with unsolved mysteries for the next book
The bad:
Love triangles, random characters that feel vague but get mentioned a lot. And did I mention love triangle
Will I be reading the next book?
Yes definitely