Reviews with content warning for Genocide - Sanctuary of the Shadow

This was a pretty fast paced read. I really liked the concept, but I felt like the world building could have gone a smidge deeper. The characters were well fleshed out, though I think they jumped into sexy times a bit quickly. It makes sense later on, but still. Totally loved Raith. Looking forward to Malaikah’s story.

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caseylovett's review

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fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character

2.5

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aleighc's review against another edition

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adventurous fast-paced

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

3.25

I liked the way the author set up the world building. It felt very organic.

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themadbloodstone's review against another edition

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GOD I REALLY WANTED TO GIVE THIS BOOK THE BENEFIT OF THE DOUBT BUT HOLY SHIT IS IT AWFUL !!
At first it started off amazing. There was very subtle worldbuilding that kept me intrigued, wanting to learn more about the world’s lore as the story progressed, and Harrow, Raith, and Mal were interesting characters. I wanted to know why Harrow was drawn to Raith and needed to protect him. But then I reached the halfway point. (VERY DETAILED SPOILERS)

I really, really, really wanted to give this book the benefit of the doubt, that the twist with Raith being the wraith responsible for killing Harrow’s mother and entire family wouldn’t happen because it was so obvious it was headed that way. I was really like, “No, that’s so dumb, maybe it only seems that way and a much better twist will be revealed.
Nope! Raith really was the one who killed the Seers. And, to top that all off, Harrow was a CHILD when he killed her family. Gave me the most biggest ick. The lore became uninteresting, and the worldbuilding was minimal and a drag. The Queens’ explanations and character arcs were so stale and gave me no reason to see why Raith deserved redemption. Harrow’s actions and Raith’s actions gave me no reason to see why Raith deserved redemption. It got shittier from there, and I skipped ahead to find maybe a little hope for something better. Just a dumb battle over a violent man and desperate attempts to remind readers, “Aw, he’s still sweet and innocent, he was just made evil but now he’s nice”. Blah. Instalove is not love, and this isn’t even instalove, it’s just horny! And guess what the epilogue was? Harrow and Raith’s fucking baby, named after Harrow’s mother, and a bittersweet ending. Yay.

I really wanted to like this book but it’s terrible. I literally threw the book across the room. It’s not worth the read, honestly. I’m sure there’s better romantasies out there but this one just reminded me why I keep away from them. I gotta go wash my palette now. I’m just glad this was an ARC. No money spent!

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kat1105's review

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adventurous emotional medium-paced

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

3.0

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memreads's review

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slow-paced

Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No

2.0

Too Much Instalove and Sex, Not Enough Circus and Character Development

Going into this world, I was hoping for an immersive fantasy with characters that radiate circus energy like Ty Lee from Avatar, high stakes hidden identity, unravelling mysterious pasts, and compelling banter.

This did not deliver.

I love a good map as much as the next fantasy reader, but in my mind they should be like a cherry on top, a nice little touch for the well constructed world. Not a crutch to be used in lieu of the actual world building.

From the initial marketing I saw for the story, it promised a magical circus, and "vibes like Avatar the Last Air Bender". This book is about as much like Avatar as sour cream is like ice cream. And as far as the circus was concerned, it felt like more of a convenient start for the story rather than a part of the story.

I've seen other reviews saying going into this expecting a fantasy novel is setting yourself up for a bad time. This is a romance novel, it has okay-ish romance scenes but they seem also awkward and forced. I'd think a 60 year old and an amnesiac wouldn't dive into physical relations so quickly, but that's my logic.

The fantasy elements just don't grip like I'd want them to.

Overall, the story felt forced despite the really cool things it promised going into it, the plot was hard to find, and it felt like it was trying so hard to be a stand alone while also maintaining series potential.

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mythian's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful mysterious tense fast-paced

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

3.0

I would recommend this book for people who like insta-love, dramatic star-crossed lovers, and protective male leads. I would not recommend this book for people who like good worldbuilding, as the fantasy world here is not well developed. The fantasy world is more like flavor than culture, dressing for the smutty romance. The romance is sweet, but occurs super quickly

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jasper_is_atypical's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional mysterious fast-paced

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

3.0

Starts great, the middle is kind of awful other than the side character POV bits, and even then... The last third starts with some interesting stuff and then sort of goes downhill, though not to the extent of the middle section's snooze fest. I really don't know what to say. I wanted to like it, but I would have preferred a book about the main side character over the protagonists of this book. A bit messy, though the editing was good and I'm glad they were able to get a good sensitivity reader. I will definitely be reading the author's next book (about the side character, who would have guessed), but I will be going into it with tempered expectations. Overall, not the worst I've read, but it left me wanting. (Also side note this definitely felt like it started out some iterations ago as Acotar Azriel x Elain fanfic with some added diversity~ as spice. A seer and a shadow guy with wings who doesn't talk much... come on)

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