Reviews

Holy crap I INHALED THAT. I haven't been this drawn into a world in a long time. It had all my favorite tropes!

Sorin is a fantastic MMC.

I love the slow unraveling of the plot. The world building is very intriguing. I love the part about history being written by the winners. I love that we are kind of unlearning everything with Scarlett.

Now, Scarlett does kind of annoy me as a FMC but she is just so badass that I am willing to overlook her childlike behavior. But that is what makes her such a compelling and believable, for a fantasy, character. I love how mich mystery is wrapped up in the Fae Courts. I love the reveals.

I love Callan, Tava, Nuri, Cassius, Eliza. I can't wait to read more about them.

I love the banter between the MCs, I love the split POVs. I have found a new series to obsess over, and I am so glad it's a completed series!

mavstela's review

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4.0

I’ve got mixed feelings about this book but hang in there with me. The main character, Scarlett, is a trained assassin with a seriously messed-up past. She’s stuck in a noble’s household, controlled by everyone but herself, and is desperate to break free and find some peace. Oh, and she’s also out for revenge against the fire prince who killed her mother. On top of all that, there’s a mystery about disappearing kids from her home that she’s determined to solve. She teams up with Sorin, the captain of the guard who later becomes the general of the high force.

A Badass Assassin… or Not?
Now, Scarlett is supposed to be this ruthless, badass assassin—a real "death's maiden" who’s been trained to perfection. But honestly, she spends a lot of time whining (sometimes for no reason) and getting saved by the men around her. She comes off as pretty immature and impatient. Plus, she’s tangled up in this love-square situation: there’s a platonic friendship with Cassius, one-sided lust with Prince Callan, and a fated mate (twin flame) thing with Sorin and Mikale, who has some mysterious agenda. Her reckless behavior and tendency to trust people without much thought makes it hard to buy that she’s a top-tier assassin capable of capturing and torturing people for info.

Obvious Foreshadowing
The foreshadowing in this book is super obvious. I mean, spoiler alert: it’s clear that Scarlett is the daughter of the Fae Queen of the West, so she’s got some serious magical power that’s been suppressed. It’s also pretty obvious that Sorin is her mate (twin-flame), but she also has a platonic soulmate in Cassius.

Weak Character Chemistry That Builds Up
The chemistry between Scarlett and Sorin starts off weak, with some insta-lust vibes, but it does build up nicely as the story goes on. By the end, their connection feels solid and makes sense for their characters. And then, just when things are getting good, they turn back to enemies, which throws an interesting twist into the mix.

Unclear Plot Direction
That said, I’m not entirely sure where this book is headed. Is it about Scarlett’s relationship with Sorin? Her exploring her heritage? Or is it all about revenge? The plot direction feels a bit unclear, which left me wondering what the main focus is supposed to be.

Final Thoughts
This is definitely a character-driven story, and a more complex plot would have really taken it up a notch. I did enjoy the world-building and the magic system, but the way they were introduced kind of slowed things down and made the pacing feel sluggish. More showing, less telling, please! But the last part of the book really hooked me and left me with a lot of questions, so I’m definitely curious to see where the series goes from here.

noellez's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

4.5

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