Scan barcode
jennkei's review against another edition
5.0
I actually really liked this! Didn't expect to. Had to continue the series as quickly as I could, haha.
stillnotaghost's review against another edition
1.0
The last book I have felt this way about was 50 Shades of Grey. And that's definitely not a good thing.
Things I hated:
-the characters
-the world building
-the writing
-most of the plot
Things I liked
-the last three chapters, kinda
I finished reading this purely out of spite. I tried to see what so many people enjoy about it, but honestly, I just found most of it badly written and morally questionable.
Things I hated:
-the characters
-the world building
-the writing
-most of the plot
Things I liked
-the last three chapters, kinda
I finished reading this purely out of spite. I tried to see what so many people enjoy about it, but honestly, I just found most of it badly written and morally questionable.
kjseay's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
hopeful
reflective
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
5.0
baksaydora's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
hanaturningpages's review against another edition
adventurous
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
archaeodruid's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
3.75
Honestly, it was a rough start for me, but by the time I got to the end of the book I was wholly invested in the story. There are a few sensitive topics in this book though, so it may be best to look up trigger warnings before beginning this series.
kaixaron's review against another edition
dark
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
this floats somewhere between 2 or 3 only because i feel somewhat neutral about it. It’s a pretty slow moving book. It takes up until about Chapter 4 for the plot to even start dropping hints, and even then it takes until Chapter 10 for it to actually move forward. (There are only 13 chapters by the way.)
Really what takes it down is how heavily baked in the slavery is to the world building. I understand that its the whole premise so I’m not surprised by it, but it’s not something I ever particularly enjoy. I did find it extremely excessive at times. C. S. Pacat, girl, you definitely have a fetish. And I respect your hustle, it’s just not mine. I definitely understand why people would not rock with this. The beginning especially is really heavy handed on it. I found it difficult at times to look past it just for the sake of continuing the story, but I did regardless.
The plot that is there isn’t anything to write home about by any means but I did find myself interested in reading more. Laurent was pretty funny at times and I did find myself enjoying him. Some of his lines made me actually chuckle, and when he wasn’t having Damen whipped (for some reason????), their interactions were pretty nice too. The ending gave me some hope for the salvation of this series.
All in all I will definitely be finishing the series because well! I’m already here. It had it’s moments of being a little more tolerable than I thought it would be, and maybe part of it is because I do want to find some enjoyment in this series. Mostly, I just feel neutral towards this book. I think the criticisms of the series are deserved, and I wouldn’t blame anyone for DNF-ing or hating it.
Really what takes it down is how heavily baked in the slavery is to the world building. I understand that its the whole premise so I’m not surprised by it, but it’s not something I ever particularly enjoy. I did find it extremely excessive at times. C. S. Pacat, girl, you definitely have a fetish. And I respect your hustle, it’s just not mine. I definitely understand why people would not rock with this. The beginning especially is really heavy handed on it. I found it difficult at times to look past it just for the sake of continuing the story, but I did regardless.
The plot that is there isn’t anything to write home about by any means but I did find myself interested in reading more. Laurent was pretty funny at times and I did find myself enjoying him. Some of his lines made me actually chuckle, and when he wasn’t having Damen whipped (for some reason????), their interactions were pretty nice too. The ending gave me some hope for the salvation of this series.
All in all I will definitely be finishing the series because well! I’m already here. It had it’s moments of being a little more tolerable than I thought it would be, and maybe part of it is because I do want to find some enjoyment in this series. Mostly, I just feel neutral towards this book. I think the criticisms of the series are deserved, and I wouldn’t blame anyone for DNF-ing or hating it.
catgv's review against another edition
4.0
It was a rather pleasant read!
The writing is gorgeous and really makes you think about all those different characters and their own thoughts, even emotions. It makes you wonder and take guesses. Lovely! The story itself is a must-read for M/M readers, seriously!
(Trigger warning here! Just for the next paragraph.)
Now, I know this series by C. S. Pacat has upset many people because of the rape scenes, but let's be honest here: it was quite obvious there would be rape in these books from the summary! If you know a bit of slavery in History, then you're aware they got raped most of the time by their masters. Also, most gay stories (and I read a lot of them) include sex scenes... There was no way a prince (who's used to controlling everyone), stripped of his identity, would be consensual while being a slave. No. Way.
(Trigger warning over!)
Let's get back to the book! The world-building is quite impressive, with all the peoples' clothing, customs, and diverse cultures. I really enjoyed seeing it all come alive before my eyes. It was done very well. Plus, the hate/friendship (is it love? I doubt it...) relationship between Damen and Laurent is an entertaining one! I mean, they keep on trying to get at each other's throat but they help out the other, too. It's freaking amusing. Plus, all that banter and sneaky and witty remarks... What's not to love? I'm a sucker for love/hate relationships and this book wins me big time.
Now, why am I taking a star away? Well, Damen, the main character, isn't very bright... In fact, he looks quite dumb to me. Laurent and all the other characters all appear intelligent while the one we're following just never understands anything of everything. It's disappointing and annoying. However, towards the end he seems to understand everything all of a sudden. It's as though it was hard to see, but truthfully, it was there all the time... Pretty easy to grasp. But then again, maybe it's only me for I have this habit of always figuring out plot twists and endings way ahead of time. Putting that aside, Damen is still an idiot. But a likeable, kind, and mostly chivalrous one. Even though I preferred Laurent... That mischievous lad is fantastic.
The plot itself is a nice change (two princes, come on!). Although the topic of slavery is hard and sometimes cruelly depicted, the overall writing is light. The story got a bit slow towards the middle but it really took up speed right after.
But the best thing about this book (besides that it's about two enemy princes)? The characters! The author has written them all so well! They're all distinct, with their own motivations, attitudes, and personalities. I just want to dive back into their world with them.
I can't wait to get my hands on the second book and devour it!
The writing is gorgeous and really makes you think about all those different characters and their own thoughts, even emotions. It makes you wonder and take guesses. Lovely! The story itself is a must-read for M/M readers, seriously!
(Trigger warning here! Just for the next paragraph.)
Now, I know this series by C. S. Pacat has upset many people because of the rape scenes, but let's be honest here: it was quite obvious there would be rape in these books from the summary! If you know a bit of slavery in History, then you're aware they got raped most of the time by their masters. Also, most gay stories (and I read a lot of them) include sex scenes... There was no way a prince (who's used to controlling everyone), stripped of his identity, would be consensual while being a slave. No. Way.
(Trigger warning over!)
Let's get back to the book! The world-building is quite impressive, with all the peoples' clothing, customs, and diverse cultures. I really enjoyed seeing it all come alive before my eyes. It was done very well. Plus, the hate/friendship (is it love? I doubt it...) relationship between Damen and Laurent is an entertaining one! I mean, they keep on trying to get at each other's throat but they help out the other, too. It's freaking amusing. Plus, all that banter and sneaky and witty remarks... What's not to love? I'm a sucker for love/hate relationships and this book wins me big time.
Now, why am I taking a star away? Well, Damen, the main character, isn't very bright... In fact, he looks quite dumb to me. Laurent and all the other characters all appear intelligent while the one we're following just never understands anything of everything. It's disappointing and annoying. However, towards the end he seems to understand everything all of a sudden. It's as though it was hard to see, but truthfully, it was there all the time... Pretty easy to grasp. But then again, maybe it's only me for I have this habit of always figuring out plot twists and endings way ahead of time. Putting that aside, Damen is still an idiot. But a likeable, kind, and mostly chivalrous one. Even though I preferred Laurent... That mischievous lad is fantastic.
The plot itself is a nice change (two princes, come on!). Although the topic of slavery is hard and sometimes cruelly depicted, the overall writing is light. The story got a bit slow towards the middle but it really took up speed right after.
But the best thing about this book (besides that it's about two enemy princes)? The characters! The author has written them all so well! They're all distinct, with their own motivations, attitudes, and personalities. I just want to dive back into their world with them.
I can't wait to get my hands on the second book and devour it!
toni_mahony's review against another edition
3.5
the world and its interhuman relationships are very brutal and perverse which can be quite gruesome if you are not ready for it.
otherwise, i got immersed in the story although it is noticeable that this book is primarily world building and is setting the mood for the other two books. therefore, i recommend reading at least the first two books to get a grasp of the plot of the series.
otherwise, i got immersed in the story although it is noticeable that this book is primarily world building and is setting the mood for the other two books. therefore, i recommend reading at least the first two books to get a grasp of the plot of the series.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Torture, Sexual assault, Violence, Sexual harassment, Trafficking, Rape, Physical abuse, and Slavery