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doahdancer's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
tense
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
5.0
I loved the ending. Very satisfying. If you like stories that show a woman's value outside of marriage and childbirth, but still want the feel of historical medieval/viking/barbarian fiction, this will do it.
The FMC of this story is neither powerful nor sassy, but she is quick of wit and courageous. The MMC is sometimes a brute and often closed minded, but he is also honorable and soft hearted. Love them both.
Warning: if the idea of things not going well resulting in permanent damage for the FMC hurts your heart, this will not be your book. However, if you love the realistic outcome of battling against the odds, where not every victory comes without cost, then I highly recommend this book. I am looking forward to the next, the writing was exactly the tone and quality I look for.
The FMC of this story is neither powerful nor sassy, but she is quick of wit and courageous. The MMC is sometimes a brute and often closed minded, but he is also honorable and soft hearted. Love them both.
Warning: if the idea of things not going well resulting in permanent damage for the FMC hurts your heart, this will not be your book. However, if you love the realistic outcome of battling against the odds, where not every victory comes without cost, then I highly recommend this book. I am looking forward to the next, the writing was exactly the tone and quality I look for.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body shaming, Injury/Injury detail, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Death, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Sexual assault, Animal death, Vomit, Child abuse, Gaslighting, Grief, Kidnapping, Pregnancy, Confinement, Misogyny, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Murder, Abortion, Blood, Domestic abuse, Torture, and Violence
amyreadsandsails's review against another edition
5.0
MF - fantasy romance - high steam - pov third dual - physical disabilities (FMC is missing fingers and has a knee that doesn’t work normally) - enemies to lovers - forced proximity - girl crush - great narration - hurt/comfort - military and warriors - only one bed - opposites attract - royals - virgins - wounded bird - 5 stars.
This is a reread and buddy read in the Discord server. I rated this book 5 stars the first time I read it and while I liked it slightly less this time I still think it deserves five stars.
Once again, Milla Vane writes the best heroines. While Mala was a competent warrior, Yvenne is the toughest character I’ve ever read. She’s been through so much and is smart as hell and her extreme physical weakness does not hold her back.
I also listened this time, and the narrator did a great job, especially with emotions.
The part that’s difficult is how badly Maddoc fucks up and I feel that he could have done more groveling.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Animal death, and Death
Moderate: Physical abuse, Child abuse, and Emotional abuse
This series is Game of Thrones but more romance. Yvenne isvohak's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
fast-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
An excellent fantasy with very hot romance, fun + interesting world building (dinosaurs?!), loveable characters, and triumph over tyrants. Definitely check trigger warnings.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Miscarriage, Grief, Gore, Death, Blood, Death of parent, and Murder
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Child abuse, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Confinement, and War
Minor: Rape
marsh_mall0w's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
slow-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
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore, Sexual content, Grief, Blood, Death of parent, Miscarriage, and Physical abuse
Moderate: Abortion, Rape, War, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, and Torture
Minor: Confinement and Animal death
naaytaashreads's review against another edition
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
"Whether you rule or lead, with your people, it is always better to keep an open hand. For even in sour times, with an open hand you will be able to carry them all - and their loyalty will remain with you. But the moment you tighten your grip, no matter how strong or weak you are, they will begin slipping through your fingers."
I want to put this book on a throne and say, "THIS IS WHY I LOVE READING FANTASY BOOKS!"
Especially for a fantasy book, a lot of things can make or break the read.
No lies, but we readers expect so much in fantasy reads; romance, action, side characters, suspense, world-building, magic, and so much more.
Best believe A Heart of Blood and Ashes gave us that.
I picked this read up because, from the synopsis and the cover, it gave me the Viking vibes that I had been searching for.
However, I did not expect this read to blow up my mind.
It's been a while since I last read an amazing fantasy romance and this swoon my heart.
Firstly, how brilliant Milla Vane is with her writing.
From the start, she pulled me with her world-building, introducing the word, characters and what we were fighting against. The plotline was non-stop as each page turned, I was getting more and more, and it made me addicted to it.
There was such a good balance of the world, characters and magic.
Secondly, as come her brilliance in writing was her character. They all shine their own way through their flaws, strengths, weaknesses, and growth throughout the read.
Each of them had a story to share, intertwining their emotions, actions and relationships with others. You grow to care for their story and purpose, which keeps you on edge.
This brings me to the next point, chemistry. While individually, they had their personality and story, their chemistry, especially Maddek and Yvenne, made me speechless.
I love that their character is not perfect, and they learn through one another, dependent on each other, and together they find themselves individually and together. They were so powerful.
You don't just feel their chemistry through the storytelling but through their emotions, actions and dialogues. The quotes they speak of, and such emotions put butterflies, warmth and heartbreak throughout the read.
Lastly, in all fantasy reads, we all hope for action. That A Heart of Blood and Ashes definitely gives. In not just waiting when the war came or when two enemies came to fight. It came throughout their journey. The action described gets me excited while learning of the character's strengths, weaknesses and how they were together. Throughout that journey, we learned much more that got us even more attached to them.
By the end, I was exhausted with excitement and ended the book with tears of joy. There was so much I wanted to remember, quotes, scenes, moments and growth that I can't wait to reread this book and not forget to read the rest of the series!
"You are already a fine leader, Maddek. And you will be Ran. But just as I will see to making your life a misery, I will also see to your becoming a great king."
I want to put this book on a throne and say, "THIS IS WHY I LOVE READING FANTASY BOOKS!"
Especially for a fantasy book, a lot of things can make or break the read.
No lies, but we readers expect so much in fantasy reads; romance, action, side characters, suspense, world-building, magic, and so much more.
Best believe A Heart of Blood and Ashes gave us that.
I picked this read up because, from the synopsis and the cover, it gave me the Viking vibes that I had been searching for.
However, I did not expect this read to blow up my mind.
It's been a while since I last read an amazing fantasy romance and this swoon my heart.
Firstly, how brilliant Milla Vane is with her writing.
From the start, she pulled me with her world-building, introducing the word, characters and what we were fighting against. The plotline was non-stop as each page turned, I was getting more and more, and it made me addicted to it.
There was such a good balance of the world, characters and magic.
Secondly, as come her brilliance in writing was her character. They all shine their own way through their flaws, strengths, weaknesses, and growth throughout the read.
Each of them had a story to share, intertwining their emotions, actions and relationships with others. You grow to care for their story and purpose, which keeps you on edge.
This brings me to the next point, chemistry. While individually, they had their personality and story, their chemistry, especially Maddek and Yvenne, made me speechless.
I love that their character is not perfect, and they learn through one another, dependent on each other, and together they find themselves individually and together. They were so powerful.
You don't just feel their chemistry through the storytelling but through their emotions, actions and dialogues. The quotes they speak of, and such emotions put butterflies, warmth and heartbreak throughout the read.
Lastly, in all fantasy reads, we all hope for action. That A Heart of Blood and Ashes definitely gives. In not just waiting when the war came or when two enemies came to fight. It came throughout their journey. The action described gets me excited while learning of the character's strengths, weaknesses and how they were together. Throughout that journey, we learned much more that got us even more attached to them.
By the end, I was exhausted with excitement and ended the book with tears of joy. There was so much I wanted to remember, quotes, scenes, moments and growth that I can't wait to reread this book and not forget to read the rest of the series!
"You are already a fine leader, Maddek. And you will be Ran. But just as I will see to making your life a misery, I will also see to your becoming a great king."
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Cursing, Death, Torture, Body shaming, Bullying, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, War, Violence, Sexual content, Sexual assault, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, Grief, Gore, Animal death, Child abuse, Gaslighting, Medical content, Sexual harassment, Physical abuse, Medical trauma, Kidnapping, Emotional abuse, Rape, Pregnancy, Miscarriage, Blood, Body horror, Fire/Fire injury, and Sexual violence
kponturo's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Physical abuse, Rape, War, Blood, Child abuse, Death of parent, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Miscarriage, Torture, and Violence
Moderate: Animal death
annabelle's review
adventurous
dark
funny
tense
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
3.5
This was enjoyable, but the pacing was a little messy for me. And Maddek was so frustrating sometimes even though it was understandable. He was just being so stubborn!!! All the characters were strong and well developed, even when they annoyed me to no end. The decisions they made made sense for their characters and their arcs. Yvenne does deserve better though… Maddek better live up to that.
The plot was pretty standard and a little predictable, but it was executed well. There was a lot of other things going on in the story so the predictability of the plot didn’t hinder my reading experience. Plus I’m more of a character person, so a standard plot is fine with me as long as the characters have other things going on and they are well crafted.
The world was interesting and there is definitely more politics to be seen. The world building in the beginning was confusing as hell, but it’s not bad once you get past the first like two chapters. It’s just a lot all at once in the first chapter. This world and the cultures feel very tangible, and I would be interested to continue the series to see all the different regions.
The sex scenes were fine, but I didn’t love some of the… terminology shall we say. Some phrases made me laugh out loud which is not what you want from a moment that is supposed to be sexy lol. It was a little cringe but not horrible. I admire the commitment to the fantasy barbarian vibe.
Overall, l enjoyed the story. I was eager to learn what happened, and how Yvenne and Maddek grew as characters. I was quickly absorbed into the world and I will probably continue the series.
The plot was pretty standard and a little predictable, but it was executed well. There was a lot of other things going on in the story so the predictability of the plot didn’t hinder my reading experience. Plus I’m more of a character person, so a standard plot is fine with me as long as the characters have other things going on and they are well crafted.
The world was interesting and there is definitely more politics to be seen. The world building in the beginning was confusing as hell, but it’s not bad once you get past the first like two chapters. It’s just a lot all at once in the first chapter. This world and the cultures feel very tangible, and I would be interested to continue the series to see all the different regions.
The sex scenes were fine, but I didn’t love some of the… terminology shall we say. Some phrases made me laugh out loud which is not what you want from a moment that is supposed to be sexy lol. It was a little cringe but not horrible. I admire the commitment to the fantasy barbarian vibe.
Overall, l enjoyed the story. I was eager to learn what happened, and how Yvenne and Maddek grew as characters. I was quickly absorbed into the world and I will probably continue the series.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Confinement, Violence, and Sexual content
Moderate: Rape, Death of parent, Miscarriage, and Death
iamsammie27's review
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual content, Confinement, Child abuse, and Physical abuse
Minor: Torture and Murder
readundancies's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
inspiring
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? It's complicated
4.5
The biggest mistake that this book makes is having the series titled A Gathering of Dragons but not having any actual dragons involved in the story.
Well, that and it not having a map. I might actually have more of a problem with the lack of map though. Because if you know me, you know I take my maps seriously and with this being the start of a trilogy I was aching for a map like nobody’s business.
And yet, despite those two gripes, I pretty much loved everything else about this.
To the point where this might be the coup de gras of fantasy romance romance for me. Like top tier, cream of the crop. And who’d a thunk it would be a barbarian romance that would be doing it for me, but here we are.
I will say that the world building in this story is not as in depth of an exploration as it could be as what it tries to encompass is vast and wide-reaching and that’s why I wish to all heck that this had a goddamned map for me to reference as the lead characters traverse the lands. This has a very blatant adventure quest in which we follow the characters as they journey along, and through this journey we get to learn about Yvenne and Maddek; their convictions, pasts, mindsets, strengths and weaknesses, and I really enjoyed how things unfolded.
The dual perspective of the main characters complemented one another really well, and the characterization was really well developed. Yvenne especially was such a character of strength and resilience; she was a princess trapped in a tower for so long but at no point did she ever give off any woe is me vibes or damsel in distress that is in need of saving by a man. And as for Maddek, he never followed any knight in shining armour trope, and I loved how he quickly began to acknowledge the fact that Yvenne was more intelligent than him and yet never was intimidated or envious about it.
Both Yvenne and Maddek grew as individuals as the plot progressed and became closer because of it, so it was a real treat to get to see their romance evolve as they learned more about one another and began to trust each other. It wasn’t exactly a slow burn, but it definitely started with more of a simmer than I had anticipated from an enemies-to-lovers standpoint and I thought the payoff was just swell by the time physical and emotional aspects finally met up with another.
The plot definitely has that feel of a first novel in a trilogy, setting a lot of the groundwork and backstory for the history of the western realms but not oversaturating the reader with too much information. It chugged along at a solid pace, and the action segments were really engaging and well thought out.
I wholeheartedly recommend this novel if you’re looking for a fantasy romance story that doesn’t fall victim to the predictableness that often is attached to a lot of the tropes that are incorporated in this novel, and can’t wait to start the sequel and see where Milla Vane takes us.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Confinement, Abortion, Child abuse, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Murder, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Torture, Violence, and War
Minor: Rape
carolzinh4's review
adventurous
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
i don't know if i liked it just enough to have a good time because i was looking for a new fantasy romance or the book itself but i enjoyed it regardless! really liked the world-building and different plot; besides this, the main female character is badass which just really inspiring considering her baggage etc etc.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Abandonment, Child abuse, and Confinement
Minor: Animal death, Death of parent, Violence, and War