Reviews

I loved this! Maybe I just haven't read fantasy or romance in a long time, but this book reminded me of why both genres can be so fun. The world building is fantastic! I haven't seen such an interesting setting in a good while! I love the mix of the familiar (math, latin, misogyny) while also totally messing with what we would expect (are the men illiterate???). And the romance was adorable and heartbreaking. Aquib and Lucrio felt instantly alive to me, especially Aquib.
A fun a quick read, idk if I'll read the book that comes before it. I don't feel as if its necessary.

annahlee's review

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adventurous reflective slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

porkbowl's review

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emotional hopeful reflective sad fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

milooo's review

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emotional fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

i didn't dislike the book per se... but it was very hard going into it without having read the sorcerer of the wilddeeps. i (still) know nothing of the world both of these are set in, and since this is a novella, i wasn't expecting super detailed worldbuilding, since this one came out after. however, i will say that after thinking about it and discussing it with people, the twist at the end was rather clever. overall, i think i expected a high stakes plot, which left me initially rather disappointed, but it really is a lovely story that focuses on the love and loss which exists in the background of larger, more 'epic' stories one expects in fantasy.

vmp5062's review against another edition

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adventurous hopeful reflective 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

4.5

booksthatburn's review

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mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

A TASTE OF HONEY seems more like a stand-alone story in the same world as THE SORCERER OF THE WILDEEPS, not really a direct sequel. Because of that, it doesn’t seem to matter in which order to read both books. The whole storyline in A TASTE OF HONEY is completely new. If it specifically relied on any information only obtained from the first book, I completely missed the connection. They’re clearly in the same world, but I don’t think they’re in the same country based on some of the linguistic differences. So much of the worldbuilding is conveyed through language and how the characters discuss language. For a long time, I didn’t quite know where the story was going, but I enjoyed it. The ending really pulls everything together, explaining in the final chapter of the structure something that had been hinted at from the beginning.

This does really cool things with gender and language in a way that enhances the story, but turns out pretty badly for some of the characters. I enjoyed this and would be interested in more stories in this setting.

Content Warnings

sarabz's review

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3.0

This was a slow read for me, although there wasn't anything that I didn't like about it. I really enjoyed being able to discuss it at book group - lots of details and ideas to explore and, as I expected, it helped me appreciate the story more.

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