Scan barcode
atomicbritt's review against another edition
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Animal death and Xenophobia
clarabooksit's review
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail and War
Minor: Xenophobia and Death of parent
shaipanda's review
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.5
I really enjoyed this!! I originally came for the spice 👀 which it definitely did have but actually got suprisingly invested in the characters and want to read the sequel now
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Sexual content, and Animal death
Moderate: Racism, Grief, and Violence
Minor: War, Xenophobia, Death of parent, and Infidelity
greystory's review
lighthearted
relaxing
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.0
I have mixed feelings about this. I adore the cover (the one illustrated by Houda Belgharbi) and I was expecting something cute, sweet, and semi-short.
While this is kind of that, it fell flat and has a lot of "buts" tacked on to that description I wasn't anticipating.
It felt like things were meandering for most of the story and then suddenly remembered there was a plot and rushed through it before abruptly ending on an unsatisfying "to be continued." That rushed feeling, the sheer immaturity and impulsiveness of both main characters, and the really surface level depth of characters in general gave the whole thing a slightly sloppy feeling.
Found it weird King Ruven says Taegan usually talks out his feelings when at that point (half way through the story), we haven't seen Taegan talk about his feelings with Zorvut once, so he's not even doing that. Things work out when they finally do talk things out but that's not until like 2/3 of the way through the story. (and they bang like repeatedly for weeks prior to that??)
I was annoyed at Taegan's reluctance to even give Zorvut a chance or spend time with him, learn Orcish, his expectance that Zorvut would just compromise everything of his old life to mold himself to elvish ways, and so on. Taegan was super entitled and poor Zorvut deserves better.
By the time I got to the end of the book, I wasn't feeling the warm fuzzies or eager anticipation for the next installment I thought I would; I was kinda pissed. Pissed at Taegan's actions, pissed at Kehlvan, pissed that nobody thought twice about not trusting him, pissed that the King with zero personality was just letting everything happen despite supposedly working for ages on a peace treaty, pissed for the very flimsy excuse for war by the orcs,(if Zorvut was already being cast aside for this marriage to get him off of their hands, then how does him being a half-orc change anything really? they still don't have to deal with him and the elves are still married to an orc. also the fact that the orcs call him a traitor for being half-orc? for being born? dude what? how does that make any sense?) , pissed for the unnecessary animal death, pissed at the cliffhanger after being drug around through so much stuff first, and so on.
PS the book blurb basically has the entire plot already there but doesn't waste 167 pages to say it.
Gods, 10/10 for that cover though!
While this is kind of that, it fell flat and has a lot of "buts" tacked on to that description I wasn't anticipating.
It felt like things were meandering for most of the story and then suddenly remembered there was a plot and rushed through it before abruptly ending on an unsatisfying "to be continued." That rushed feeling, the sheer immaturity and impulsiveness of both main characters, and the really surface level depth of characters in general gave the whole thing a slightly sloppy feeling.
Found it weird King Ruven says Taegan usually talks out his feelings when at that point (half way through the story), we haven't seen Taegan talk about his feelings with Zorvut once, so he's not even doing that. Things work out when they finally do talk things out but that's not until like 2/3 of the way through the story. (and they bang like repeatedly for weeks prior to that??)
I was annoyed at Taegan's reluctance to even give Zorvut a chance or spend time with him, learn Orcish, his expectance that Zorvut would just compromise everything of his old life to mold himself to elvish ways, and so on. Taegan was super entitled and poor Zorvut deserves better.
By the time I got to the end of the book, I wasn't feeling the warm fuzzies or eager anticipation for the next installment I thought I would; I was kinda pissed. Pissed at Taegan's actions, pissed at Kehlvan, pissed that nobody thought twice about not trusting him, pissed that the King with zero personality was just letting everything happen despite supposedly working for ages on a peace treaty, pissed for the very flimsy excuse for war by the orcs,
PS the book blurb basically has the entire plot already there but doesn't waste 167 pages to say it.
Gods, 10/10 for that cover though!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death
Minor: Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, Death of parent, War, and Xenophobia
unwise_samwise's review
emotional
mysterious
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? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Minor: Xenophobia, Blood, War, Animal death, and Violence
More...