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achilleanshelves's review
4.0
Content warning - Brief mentioning of a character self harming
The way it took me ages to get through the first 50% but then I read the last 50% in a single sitting... I deserve the chair honestly
The gay yearning in this was spot on, I adored Lia as a character and the political intrigue was so great!
The way it took me ages to get through the first 50% but then I read the last 50% in a single sitting... I deserve the chair honestly
The gay yearning in this was spot on, I adored Lia as a character and the political intrigue was so great!
claire_melanie's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-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? No
2.5
peachylauren's review against another edition
2.0
I really wished I had liked this more :(
I was so excited by the blurb!!!! Lesbian queen and spymaster fall in love??? Literally what could be better than that!!! But then I started reading...and kept reading....and kept reading....and it just didn't go where I wanted it to :/
I really liked Xania's and Lia's chemistry at the start of the book, but it was pretty slowburn and definitely secondary to the political intrigue. I was coming into it hoping it would be the other way around, more romance-first, but I wouldn't have been that disappointed if the political plot was stronger. My main issue with it was that there were just wayyy too many characters that were all just very briefly introduced and not very memorable, so when I would pick up the book the next day to keep reading, I could barely remember who anyone was. If I had sat down and read the book in one sitting I'm sure that I would've been hooked on the plot more, but if you can't walk away from the book for a day without forgetting all of the side characters, I think that's a problem with weak characterization.
My other issue is that the last ~15% felt like a completely different book. It was super rushed and gave no sense of the time (at one point one of the characters said something about being gone for two months - all of which elapsed in a chapter or two??), and soooo much was packed into a handful of chapters. The pacing issues completely lessened the impact of the events at the end of the book, and it really disappointed me. I thought this was going to be a 3/3.5 star read up until the end, where it completely derailed. Overall, because of the weak characters and messy pacing, I would not recommend this.
I was so excited by the blurb!!!! Lesbian queen and spymaster fall in love??? Literally what could be better than that!!! But then I started reading...and kept reading....and kept reading....and it just didn't go where I wanted it to :/
I really liked Xania's and Lia's chemistry at the start of the book, but it was pretty slowburn and definitely secondary to the political intrigue. I was coming into it hoping it would be the other way around, more romance-first, but I wouldn't have been that disappointed if the political plot was stronger. My main issue with it was that there were just wayyy too many characters that were all just very briefly introduced and not very memorable, so when I would pick up the book the next day to keep reading, I could barely remember who anyone was. If I had sat down and read the book in one sitting I'm sure that I would've been hooked on the plot more, but if you can't walk away from the book for a day without forgetting all of the side characters, I think that's a problem with weak characterization.
My other issue is that the last ~15% felt like a completely different book. It was super rushed and gave no sense of the time (at one point one of the characters said something about being gone for two months - all of which elapsed in a chapter or two??), and soooo much was packed into a handful of chapters. The pacing issues completely lessened the impact of the events at the end of the book, and it really disappointed me. I thought this was going to be a 3/3.5 star read up until the end, where it completely derailed. Overall, because of the weak characters and messy pacing, I would not recommend this.
tokyosugar's review
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-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? It's complicated
4.0
alongreader's review against another edition
4.0
This is a wonderful fantasy. You can tell Helen has really thought about how her world would work, with every detail making sense and building up into a perfect picture of a world. In particular, the names for her government ministers; Whispers as the head of Spies is the obvious one, but the others are brilliant as well.
I love Lia, a character who only wants to do her best by her people. I hope Helen writes more as I'd love to know what happens to Lia and Xania after everything in this novel.
I love Lia, a character who only wants to do her best by her people. I hope Helen writes more as I'd love to know what happens to Lia and Xania after everything in this novel.
emuhly's review against another edition
5.0
newly crowned queen falling for the girl she appointed to be her spymaster? GOD TIER / 5 stars
berleezebub's review against another edition
3.0
Sloooow burn to start, things started getting interesting around chapter 30 imo. Before that it was a lot of backstory and build up. Once it got good i was fairly interested. I would 100% read the next books in the series because I am invested in the story.
mediocre_writings's review against another edition
3.0
I have nothing to complain about this book, but also nothing that stuck out at me as something very positive.
The main reason for me reading this was that is was a queer romance between a queen and her spy-master and in that department, the book delivered.
There wasn't too much build-up to the relationship, but we got to see a lot of in-relationship stuff, even though it was all very PG (not much actual action, only fade-to-black).
I would like for more steamy stuff in queer romances, but this book didn't set out to do that, so I can't critique it for that.
The characters were sweet, even though the side-characters weren't developed very deeply. the pot was solid, but nothing very original or surprising.
Overall an enjoyable book, but not much more.
3/5 stars
The main reason for me reading this was that is was a queer romance between a queen and her spy-master and in that department, the book delivered.
There wasn't too much build-up to the relationship, but we got to see a lot of in-relationship stuff, even though it was all very PG (not much actual action, only fade-to-black).
I would like for more steamy stuff in queer romances, but this book didn't set out to do that, so I can't critique it for that.
The characters were sweet, even though the side-characters weren't developed very deeply. the pot was solid, but nothing very original or surprising.
Overall an enjoyable book, but not much more.
3/5 stars
tessisreading2's review against another edition
3.0
Started out super strong and engaging and I was reading like crazy, but at about 80% I assumed the book was the first in a duology. Reader, it is not. The scramble to resolve all of the dramatic events that happened then left the last few chapters feeling like a summary rather than the actual full novel's recounting of events.