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3.74 AVERAGE
3.74 AVERAGE
I wished I loved this book more than I did! I felt like it had a lot of potential, and such a cool concept (an immortal woman and half-elf agent romance? Xianxia-inspired? Multicultural rep and all the fantasy creatures I love in one place?! Yes!) but ultimately the execution fell a little flat.
So starting with what I loved - the unique world, the ending, the themes of work stress and family loyalty (because I could 100% relate to those), and mention of so many types of fantasy creatures that I enjoyed reading about. Luc’s sphinx aunt was especially cool. I thought the magic system from Elle was really interesting, too. I also loved seeing Chinese words in the story that weren’t directly translated all the time, it added to the realism for me.
Sadly…a big part of this book was the romance between Elle and Luc, but I didn’t feel much chemistry between them, so, sadly I wasn’t really buying the intense love that sprouted between them. And very little buildup to the sex or action scenes. Elle also seemed like she was acting quite young despite being over 100 years old. I also wish there was more worldbuilding…it seemed like such a cool world but I didn’t know a lot about it. Finally, I never got the sense that Elle or Luc were in any sort of danger, even at the climax, so there was a lack of tension for me in many parts.
Overall this was an okay read. I enjoyed it while I was reading, but I didn’t love it.
So starting with what I loved - the unique world, the ending, the themes of work stress and family loyalty (because I could 100% relate to those), and mention of so many types of fantasy creatures that I enjoyed reading about. Luc’s sphinx aunt was especially cool. I thought the magic system from Elle was really interesting, too. I also loved seeing Chinese words in the story that weren’t directly translated all the time, it added to the realism for me.
Sadly…a big part of this book was the romance between Elle and Luc, but I didn’t feel much chemistry between them, so, sadly I wasn’t really buying the intense love that sprouted between them. And very little buildup to the sex or action scenes. Elle also seemed like she was acting quite young despite being over 100 years old. I also wish there was more worldbuilding…it seemed like such a cool world but I didn’t know a lot about it. Finally, I never got the sense that Elle or Luc were in any sort of danger, even at the climax, so there was a lack of tension for me in many parts.
Overall this was an okay read. I enjoyed it while I was reading, but I didn’t love it.
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
tense
fast-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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Toxic relationship, Violence, Suicide attempt, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Bullying, Emotional abuse, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Murder
This is paranormal contemporary fantasy . Not my usual, but the cover and the story drew me in.
Ellie is a Chinese immortal who is posing as a magical calligrapher with mediocre talents while she tries to protect her eldest brother from her youngest who wants them both dead. Luc Is French half-elf fixer with a scary reputation who is just trying to impress his boss enough so he can earn time off to break a curse.
The world building here was excellent and there is nothing better than two badass characters with chemistry who adore each other and get their HEA.
I adored this book so much. one of my favorite reads of the year.
Thanks Netgalley and Tachyon Publications for the ARC. All opinions are my own.
Ellie is a Chinese immortal who is posing as a magical calligrapher with mediocre talents while she tries to protect her eldest brother from her youngest who wants them both dead. Luc Is French half-elf fixer with a scary reputation who is just trying to impress his boss enough so he can earn time off to break a curse.
The world building here was excellent and there is nothing better than two badass characters with chemistry who adore each other and get their HEA.
I adored this book so much. one of my favorite reads of the year.
Thanks Netgalley and Tachyon Publications for the ARC. All opinions are my own.
Wow, this one hooked me right away and didn’t let go! I really loved the characters, the inventive world, the international flavor of the magics, and the way the relationship between Elle and Luc developed. I can’t wait for the next one by this author.
emotional
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
This is not fantasy: this is romance, thinly veiled as fantasy, HEADS UP. NOT my genre after all
This one was a miss for me, unfortunately. There are some interesting elements, but I think I would have preferred it as an expanded fantasy novel rather than a romance. The magic and setting were very cool, but a rushed plot and lacklustre relationship between the two leads made this ultimately forgettable.
adventurous
funny
hopeful
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
The magic system was really fun-the characters were kept very grounded for much of the book and as other reviews have stated I've appreciated the use of Geas compulsion and how Elle was able to figure it out around the loophole-who would have thought foreplay in a sex scene would be a load bearing clue? Also I appreciated how playful the steamier scenes could be and how they depicted normalizing a lot of important aspects of safe, sane and pleasurable for all parties sex
There are some aspects of this book that I liked, like the action and steamy romance scenes. The premise was unique and some of the characters had some charm. I didn’t mind the back and forth of perspectives.
That’s sadly about it for this book. The pacing was very strange and the action scenes were short. We never got the history of the most critical characters, and the villain was not developed. I felt like, if anything, I came in towards the middle. There was so much potential!
I wanted so badly to love this book because it sounded so unique and enjoyable. In the end, it was a struggle to get through.
That’s sadly about it for this book. The pacing was very strange and the action scenes were short. We never got the history of the most critical characters, and the villain was not developed. I felt like, if anything, I came in towards the middle. There was so much potential!
I wanted so badly to love this book because it sounded so unique and enjoyable. In the end, it was a struggle to get through.