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3.6 AVERAGE
3.6 AVERAGE
people are sleeping on this book honestly. It deals with some heavy shit, so look up content/trigger warnings before you go into this.
The only negative thing I have to say is that it didnt hook me completely, but that might just be because it is a relatively short book for me, so cant wait to read the rest of the series!
The only negative thing I have to say is that it didnt hook me completely, but that might just be because it is a relatively short book for me, so cant wait to read the rest of the series!
Oh god where to start with this book.. Based on the first 1/3 I didn’t expect to be giving it 5 stars. This book started off DARK and handled some super heavy and uncomfortable topics. Extreme content warnings for this one. I went into this naively thinking it would be another silly gay smut but it couldn’t be further from that. Some of the scenes were real tough to get through - rape, torture, etc, and this book does NOT shy away from adding detail to these scenes. At times it was a bit excessive, to a fault, which is why I can 100% agree with some of the harsh criticisms I’ve seen in other reviews. It didn’t feel the author was glorifying it to me at least, rather presenting a hypothetical fantasy world where these are widely accepted practices among upper classes of court. With the shit ppl get away with IRL I actually found some apt criticism in this book.
That aside, what I DID like!! The strong characterization for the main characters and the political intrigue in the last 2/3rds had me GRIPPED. I couldn’t think about anything other than this book over the 3 days I was reading it, it actually affected my sleep lol. One really awesome thing was it was refreshing to read a fantasy world where queer relationships are not only widely accepted, but actually the norm! It gets a little tiring when queer ppl have to keep their identities hidden in every single fictional universe, like cmon let’s have some fun with our silly little fantasy worlds!! I will be immediately picking up #2 I can’t not wait to read more of these characters!!! Lastly, wanted to end the review reiterating that I absolutely do not recommend this book without looking at the content warnings <3
That aside, what I DID like!! The strong characterization for the main characters and the political intrigue in the last 2/3rds had me GRIPPED. I couldn’t think about anything other than this book over the 3 days I was reading it, it actually affected my sleep lol. One really awesome thing was it was refreshing to read a fantasy world where queer relationships are not only widely accepted, but actually the norm! It gets a little tiring when queer ppl have to keep their identities hidden in every single fictional universe, like cmon let’s have some fun with our silly little fantasy worlds!! I will be immediately picking up #2 I can’t not wait to read more of these characters!!! Lastly, wanted to end the review reiterating that I absolutely do not recommend this book without looking at the content warnings <3
dark
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
The court politics are very intriguing and well written. However, I could not look past the horrific actions of Laurent against Damen, and I’m not sure how their dynamic will be able to believably develop into a “romance” later in the trilogy.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape, Violence
adventurous
dark
funny
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
emotional
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape
adventurous
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Over the years this book has understandably many criticisms and controversies (including but not limited to the slave culture, rape, Laurent and Damen’s relationship) and yes, this book isn’t for everyone! Before people decide to give this series a try, the trigger/content warnings should not be overlooked. A good chunk of the book contains them and it may not be an enjoyable time for readers.
Aside from that, this isn’t the best book out there, but i do find it entertaining enough to read. I see this as one of those books that aren’t amazing, but still fun to sink your time into. The writing is mediocre but that makes the plot relatively easy to follow and the political dynamics are easy enough to understand. It’s not a difficult plot, in fact it is laid out pretty streamlined. It makes an easily binge-able read if someone has the free time for it.
TW: rape, slavery, physical abuse, sexual relations with minors and/or teens
Aside from that, this isn’t the best book out there, but i do find it entertaining enough to read. I see this as one of those books that aren’t amazing, but still fun to sink your time into. The writing is mediocre but that makes the plot relatively easy to follow and the political dynamics are easy enough to understand. It’s not a difficult plot, in fact it is laid out pretty streamlined. It makes an easily binge-able read if someone has the free time for it.
TW: rape, slavery, physical abuse, sexual relations with minors and/or teens
This book was good. I finished it in two days so thats definitely a testament to its quality. However, I am really struggling to like Laurent and see how he will redeem himself in further books. Only further reading will tell
“A golden prince was easy to love if you did not have to watch him picking wings off flies.”
This was—unexpectedly—a wildly entertaining read. While I hate half of the characters (for good reason) I'm very interested in how the plot will progress, as well as the main romance between Damen and Laurent (the tension?? It's amazing).
This was—unexpectedly—a wildly entertaining read. While I hate half of the characters (for good reason) I'm very interested in how the plot will progress, as well as the main romance between Damen and Laurent (the tension?? It's amazing).