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rockingseahorse's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
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? No
3.75
saramhiatt2's review against another edition
3.5
3.5 ⭐️ - This book definitely started as an “Is this ACOTAR fanfic, or….?” because it was so similar.
However, I’m very glad it shifted into its own story. FMC Isobel is not my favorite - she fell in love with “fair folk” prince (AKA fae) Rook after knowing him approximately ten minutes - a forbidden love as it violates the “Good Law” between fair folk and humans. She’s a painter, and her craft becomes a major component in this story.
MMC Rook is also not my favorite - he is haughty and says multiple times “I’m a prince, I am all powerful and can defeat anything.” But MULTIPLE times he either requires saving by Isobel, or he literally runs away when confronted by an enemy.
The first part of this book was literally just these two traveling through the forest to Rook’s Autumn court. No world building. It got more interesting when they entered the Summer court, ruled by Gadfly (one of Isobel’s customers whom she regularly paints). This is where the world building truly began - the feast in this court reminds me of the Mad Hatter’s tea party. The characters in the Summer court are much more developed in the short time we have them, and they were all quirky or creepy in their own ways.
A fun little read - I would recommend reading this BEFORE the ACOTAR series, to remove the comparisons from your bias. Overall, a good story. I will also add that the author’s writing style was beautifully done.
However, I’m very glad it shifted into its own story. FMC Isobel is not my favorite - she fell in love with “fair folk” prince (AKA fae) Rook after knowing him approximately ten minutes - a forbidden love as it violates the “Good Law” between fair folk and humans. She’s a painter, and her craft becomes a major component in this story.
MMC Rook is also not my favorite - he is haughty and says multiple times “I’m a prince, I am all powerful and can defeat anything.” But MULTIPLE times he either requires saving by Isobel, or he literally runs away when confronted by an enemy.
The first part of this book was literally just these two traveling through the forest to Rook’s Autumn court. No world building. It got more interesting when they entered the Summer court, ruled by Gadfly (one of Isobel’s customers whom she regularly paints). This is where the world building truly began - the feast in this court reminds me of the Mad Hatter’s tea party. The characters in the Summer court are much more developed in the short time we have them, and they were all quirky or creepy in their own ways.
A fun little read - I would recommend reading this BEFORE the ACOTAR series, to remove the comparisons from your bias. Overall, a good story. I will also add that the author’s writing style was beautifully done.
layansu's review against another edition
3.0
i liked the atmosphere but honestly it wasn’t intriguing enough, i’m 100% sure i won't remember anything about this book in few weeks
dilly_fantasy's review against another edition
4.0
i don't really know how i feel about this book
3.5 stars
3.5 stars
nablegoblin's review against another edition
adventurous
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
3.0
lott_oh's review against another edition
adventurous
tense
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
3.0
manmehakkaur's review against another edition
5.0
I hadn’t read romance, yet alone YA romance, for quite some time now. But I’m so glad my tentative excursion back into the genre started with this book! It was exactly the kind of fluffy story I needed. I think standalones are not appreciated the same where fantasy is concerned and that may be a grave mistake because they can be just as much, or even more, impactful than a full length epic series. I loved the worldbuilding in this book, the writing was so sweet and flowed beautifully, the characters were all incredibly lovable. I loved the romance, and I rarely have a chance to say that in literature. And maybe its because I read one after a long time, but I was cheering Isobel and Rook on and rooting for them so hard! It just made me.........happy. A lovely, breezy book that I would highly recommend!