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aksmaestri's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
inspiring
reflective
relaxing
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: War, Death, Blood, Alcohol, and Death of parent
emeraldrina's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
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
4.5
A bit slow to start but once it got going I couldn’t put it down. The setting is basically WWI but with gods and their magic creatures. I like that even with the reason for the war being divine rather than human, it still felt as pointless and stupid as WWI. It really preserved that feeling of “what is this all for” that was so quintessential to that era.
As the title implies, this is a rivals to lovers romance. The development and chemistry was very well done. I loved them both as rivals and together.
Other than the romance, the rest of the plot feels like it’s kinda talking a backseat up until the very end. It’s like the war is just a backdrop not an important event that will change their lives. Until it does, and then suddenly we get a lot of new plot puzzles laid out all at once in the cliffhanger. I kinda wanted a little more of that earlier on… like drop some mysterious hints about what Dacre’s up to, at least. It’s kinda strange that’s no one seems to have any clue how he’s operating.
But aside from that, I loved the story and the characters. It was very dark and emotional, but beautiful. I’ll definitely read the next book!
As the title implies, this is a rivals to lovers romance. The development and chemistry was very well done. I loved them both as rivals and together.
Other than the romance, the rest of the plot feels like it’s kinda talking a backseat up until the very end. It’s like the war is just a backdrop not an important event that will change their lives. Until it does, and then suddenly we get a lot of new plot puzzles laid out all at once in the cliffhanger. I kinda wanted a little more of that earlier on… like drop some mysterious hints about what Dacre’s up to, at least. It’s kinda strange that’s no one seems to have any clue how he’s operating.
But aside from that, I loved the story and the characters. It was very dark and emotional, but beautiful. I’ll definitely read the next book!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Grief, Blood, Death, War, and Death of parent
Moderate: Violence, Vomit, and Classism
sydemorr's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
The chemistry between Roman and iris was crazy, it was so fun to see their relationship quickly evolve. The setting of this book was so charming to me because it didn’t necessarily feel like the 1900s, I thought at first it was just some alternate universe where they used old technology. On the other hand I wanted more magic and gods because I always forgot and it was kind of confusing. Also a whole star is deducted basically from the ending because that was so frustrating
Content Warnings
Graphic: War
t0rixoxo's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
i think it was good in the beginning and middle but i got rlly bored near the end to where i was just skimming so i could finish the book.
i wish i could say i liked the characters but i couldnt really connect with them as much as i would like to. this is probably due to the environment they were in atm but nothing clicked with me.
relating to the statement above, i wish rebecca ross had fleshed out attie more. it felt like she was just kinda there to be there, maybe for diversity points seeing as she’s the only black character in the book.
worldbuilding was kinda lackluster, the gods could easily be removed and replaced with some random country names and nothing in the story would change. maybe then the “magic” aspect of the novel would actually make sense.
i wish i could say i liked the characters but i couldnt really connect with them as much as i would like to. this is probably due to the environment they were in atm but nothing clicked with me.
relating to the statement above, i wish rebecca ross had fleshed out attie more. it felt like she was just kinda there to be there, maybe for diversity points seeing as she’s the only black character in the book.
worldbuilding was kinda lackluster, the gods could easily be removed and replaced with some random country names and nothing in the story would change. maybe then the “magic” aspect of the novel would actually make sense.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief and War
Moderate: Death of parent
_verena_'s review against another edition
emotional
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.5
2,5 großzügige Sterne, aber auch nur, weil Teil 3 dann relativ stabil war und die Love Story cute.
Ein weiteres Buch, bei dem ich nur sagen kann:
DON'T BELIEVE THE HYPE
Kurzreview:
This book cast me single handedly into a reading slump.
Längeres Review:
Es war jetzt nicht das schlechteste Buch, dass ich jemals gelesen habe, aber es war einfach soooooo langsam... und wenn dann doch etwas passiert ist, dann war es schon seit mehreren Seiten vorhersehbar, ergo auch wieder langweilig...
Ab Teil 3 nahm das Ganze dann etwas Fahrt auf, aber auch da hatte ich das Gefühl die Autorin stand dauernd auf der Bremse.
Gefallen haben mir die gefühlsbetonten Stellen im Buch:
Iris' Einsamkeit und Trauer war super heart-breaking.
Die Love Story war super sweet und ich mochte die emotionalen Briefe, da habe ich mir tatsächlich auch einige Stellen markiert, wo mir ganz warm ums Herz wurde.
Aber der Rest war einfach so... meh...
Schade, da die Geschichte soviel Potential hatte!
Teilweise waren manche Handlungen so gar nicht nachvollziehbar für mich, da war ich dann sowieso raus. zB:
Wie komisch ist es, dass man bei der Gazette gefeuert werden kann, wenn man eine andere Zeitung liest? Wie konnte Iris so schnell über Romans Vertrauensbruch hinwegkommen, er hätte ihr viel früher sagen müssen, dass er Carver ist? Warum mussten sie dringend sofort heiraten? Why the fuck quäle ich mich durch so ein Buch, und dann gibt es nicht mal eine vernünftige Sexszene sondern nur blumiges Blabla?
Was mich am meisten aufgeregt hat, siehe meine Notizen bei 81%: Warum will Iris zurück bleiben? Weil Forest evtl mit seiner Truppe zur Verteidigung kommt? Und selbst wenn, was dann? Gemeinsam sterben? I mean, girl, dein Mann hat Gips, der muss von dort weg! Wie kann man nur so dumm sein!
Eine andere Sache, die mich auch etwas irritiert hat, ist das irreführende Marketing dieses Buchs:
> enemies-to-lovers: Wo???? Höchstens rivals-to-lovers
> found family: da muss man schon seeeehr großzügig sein, um das gelten zu lassen, vor allem da die Nebenfiguren so gut wie gar nicht ausgearbeitet waren (again: verlorenes Potential!)
> gods waging war: 1. warum brauchen Götter Menschen, die ihre Kriege führen? 2. die Mischung 1. WK-Schützengräben und Götter funktioniert für mich einfach nicht, wenn schon Krieg mit Götter, dann muss da auch irgendwas Übernatürliches im Gange sein
> magic: I don't know her...
Buch 2 werde ich nicht lesen, da im Klappentext schon so ein unlogischer Handlungsstrang präsentiert wurdeRoman erinnert sich nach seiner Rettung durch Dacre nicht an Iris, aber Forest schon??? , und es scheint, als wäre das ganze nochmals dieselbe Love Story, und dazu habe ich einfach keine Energie, ich hab es durch Teil 1 nur mit Müh und Not ohne Einschlafen geschafft. Würde es allerhöchstens als Hörbuch mit doppelter Geschwindigkeit hören, wenn gerade nix anderes verfügbar ist
Ein weiteres Buch, bei dem ich nur sagen kann:
DON'T BELIEVE THE HYPE
Kurzreview:
This book cast me single handedly into a reading slump.
Längeres Review:
Es war jetzt nicht das schlechteste Buch, dass ich jemals gelesen habe, aber es war einfach soooooo langsam... und wenn dann doch etwas passiert ist, dann war es schon seit mehreren Seiten vorhersehbar, ergo auch wieder langweilig...
Ab Teil 3 nahm das Ganze dann etwas Fahrt auf, aber auch da hatte ich das Gefühl die Autorin stand dauernd auf der Bremse.
Gefallen haben mir die gefühlsbetonten Stellen im Buch:
Iris' Einsamkeit und Trauer war super heart-breaking.
Die Love Story war super sweet und ich mochte die emotionalen Briefe, da habe ich mir tatsächlich auch einige Stellen markiert, wo mir ganz warm ums Herz wurde.
Aber der Rest war einfach so... meh...
Schade, da die Geschichte soviel Potential hatte!
Teilweise waren manche Handlungen so gar nicht nachvollziehbar für mich, da war ich dann sowieso raus. zB:
Was mich am meisten aufgeregt hat, siehe meine Notizen bei 81%:
Eine andere Sache, die mich auch etwas irritiert hat, ist das irreführende Marketing dieses Buchs:
> enemies-to-lovers: Wo???? Höchstens rivals-to-lovers
> found family: da muss man schon seeeehr großzügig sein, um das gelten zu lassen, vor allem da die Nebenfiguren so gut wie gar nicht ausgearbeitet waren (again: verlorenes Potential!)
> gods waging war: 1. warum brauchen Götter Menschen, die ihre Kriege führen? 2. die Mischung 1. WK-Schützengräben und Götter funktioniert für mich einfach nicht, wenn schon Krieg mit Götter, dann muss da auch irgendwas Übernatürliches im Gange sein
> magic: I don't know her...
Buch 2 werde ich nicht lesen, da im Klappentext schon so ein unlogischer Handlungsstrang präsentiert wurde
Content Warnings
Graphic: War
Moderate: Blood and Violence
marmelb's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
relaxing
fast-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
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, War, and Violence
Moderate: Alcoholism
syddey_syd's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.25
It’s been a while since a fantasy book has captivated me like this. Setting this story in a World War I-esque time is original, and something I can’t remember encountering in other fantasy novels. The way Ross describes the horrors and emotions of war are deeply moving. I felt captivated by it from the start.
I loved both of the main characters, Iris and Roman. I loved their back-and-forth, their young and growing infatuation. All of the side characters were great, as well.
This could also be a great book for those who are new to fantasy. It’s steeped enough in “reality” that the addition of fantastical elements—in this case, the gods Enva and Dacre—aren’t too overwhelming. If anything, I’d love to know more about the gods and the magic of the world. Hopefully that comes in the next book.
Read this is you want an innovative story with beautiful prose, characters, and a smattering of fantasy.
I loved both of the main characters, Iris and Roman. I loved their back-and-forth, their young and growing infatuation. All of the side characters were great, as well.
This could also be a great book for those who are new to fantasy. It’s steeped enough in “reality” that the addition of fantastical elements—in this case, the gods Enva and Dacre—aren’t too overwhelming. If anything, I’d love to know more about the gods and the magic of the world. Hopefully that comes in the next book.
Read this is you want an innovative story with beautiful prose, characters, and a smattering of fantasy.
Content Warnings
Moderate: War
tabeahaefliger's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.0
This was really good! First of all can we talk about the cover? That‘s the most beautiful thing I‘ve ever seen 😩🤌🏼
I really enjoyed reading about the war and their letters and I was entertained for the entirety if the book. Also I really enjoyed the ending, I think that makes a great start for Ruthless Vows.
The reason why this wasn‘t a 5-star is because I didn‘t feel that big of a connection to the characters, although they were great main characters but something was just missing for me. I think that this could‘ve gone much deeper, of course then it would‘ve also been much longer. 🤷🏼♀️
I really enjoyed reading about the war and their letters and I was entertained for the entirety if the book. Also I really enjoyed the ending, I think that makes a great start for Ruthless Vows.
The reason why this wasn‘t a 5-star is because I didn‘t feel that big of a connection to the characters, although they were great main characters but something was just missing for me. I think that this could‘ve gone much deeper, of course then it would‘ve also been much longer. 🤷🏼♀️
Content Warnings
Moderate: Blood, War, and Injury/Injury detail
cakrolik's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Violence, Blood, Medical trauma, and War
Moderate: Alcohol, Grief, Alcoholism, and Death of parent
Minor: Sexual content
lgoconno's review against another edition
dark
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: War
Moderate: Violence, Death, and Death of parent