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mboucher96's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
This book was totally bananas. It's up to you to decide whether that is a good thing or a bad thing. I felt like I got whiplash in my brain from trying to figure out what was even happening, but I'm still intrigued enough to be on the look out for further novels in what is supposed to be a series.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Bullying, Confinement, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Sexual content, Blood, and Sexual harassment
corydory's review against another edition
Slow, boring, unlikeable characters
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Kidnapping, Grief, Suicide attempt, Murder, and Gaslighting
palmkd's review against another edition
3.0
A lot of this book feels like a fever dream, and I think that's intentional. There's a lot going on, but ultimately it didn't work so well for me despite really liking the world and most of the characters. I really wanted more from it. I think it showed a lot of potential, but ultimately didn't deliver and took a lot of pages to do so. It does end with a good hook and promise of more to come. My understanding is it's a duology so I will probably try to borrow book 2 at some point.
That being said... I have some extended thoughts about this one. I read it for a readalong which meant I spent some extra time reflecting on the book.
I'll start with what I thought worked.
The concept and characters were great and I really wanted to root for them in their own situations. I hated Astraea's cruel protector who we meet at the start and everything with him made me so uncomfortable I really struggled with the book. I think this might be a bit of a trigger for me, this level of controlling,. This mindset of: oh we know better than you, and know what's best for you and will just make decisions to keep you safe but... you don't get to know any truth. Okay personal rant aside, I think those were somewhat intended feelings/reactions, we're not supposed to like him, but it was a LOT of ick for me.
Nyte is a good complex character with lots of sides, and with Cassia it was so nice to see Astraea have an actual friend and some normalcy.
I liked the Liberatem and the world building. The vampires were intriguing with their different types and traits. The fae were a fun touch. The whole back story with the stars was interesting.
There are some lovely moments and quotes. Really a lot of good nuggets in here.
Unfortunately while solid characters and world building are to two must haves, there was a lot that really through me out of this book and lessened my enjoyment.
I think with some more editing and polishing this would have been such a strong story. If I'm not mistaken it was first self-published before getting picked up so I have to wonder why there wasn't more editing for the version I read, or what happened there. Wording of many sentences were clunky and awkward. I found the wrong word a couple times in a few spots. I know these things happen but it was at too high a rate.
The unreliable narrator is a trope that can be really hit or miss for me. I think it's part of why I struggled so much in the beginning of the story before her escape. Unfortunately that same feeling of dislike came back a few times, when things were especially confusing.
When books give you that fever dream/confusion/unreliable narrator bit, they're asking you to step out on a ledge with them. There needs to be some trust in something for me to feel secure with that and I didn't feel that with this story. I didn't feel invested or committed to go through this level of confusion, and the payoff unfortunately wasn't there in the end. I felt bad for Astraea but I cared a lot more for everyone else than her somehow.
All that being said, I do still think this is an OK read, thus the 3 star rating. I'm disappointed that it wasn't more because there was a lot of potential.
That's not to say this isn't a good story for someone else, but it was not the right read for me at this time, that's for sure.
That being said... I have some extended thoughts about this one. I read it for a readalong which meant I spent some extra time reflecting on the book.
I'll start with what I thought worked.
The concept and characters were great and I really wanted to root for them in their own situations. I hated Astraea's cruel protector who we meet at the start and everything with him made me so uncomfortable I really struggled with the book. I think this might be a bit of a trigger for me, this level of controlling,. This mindset of: oh we know better than you, and know what's best for you and will just make decisions to keep you safe but... you don't get to know any truth. Okay personal rant aside, I think those were somewhat intended feelings/reactions, we're not supposed to like him, but it was a LOT of ick for me.
Nyte is a good complex character with lots of sides, and with Cassia it was so nice to see Astraea have an actual friend and some normalcy.
I liked the Liberatem and the world building. The vampires were intriguing with their different types and traits. The fae were a fun touch. The whole back story with the stars was interesting.
There are some lovely moments and quotes. Really a lot of good nuggets in here.
Unfortunately while solid characters and world building are to two must haves, there was a lot that really through me out of this book and lessened my enjoyment.
I think with some more editing and polishing this would have been such a strong story. If I'm not mistaken it was first self-published before getting picked up so I have to wonder why there wasn't more editing for the version I read, or what happened there. Wording of many sentences were clunky and awkward. I found the wrong word a couple times in a few spots. I know these things happen but it was at too high a rate.
The unreliable narrator is a trope that can be really hit or miss for me. I think it's part of why I struggled so much in the beginning of the story before her escape. Unfortunately that same feeling of dislike came back a few times, when things were especially confusing.
When books give you that fever dream/confusion/unreliable narrator bit, they're asking you to step out on a ledge with them. There needs to be some trust in something for me to feel secure with that and I didn't feel that with this story. I didn't feel invested or committed to go through this level of confusion, and the payoff unfortunately wasn't there in the end. I felt bad for Astraea but I cared a lot more for everyone else than her somehow.
All that being said, I do still think this is an OK read, thus the 3 star rating. I'm disappointed that it wasn't more because there was a lot of potential.
That's not to say this isn't a good story for someone else, but it was not the right read for me at this time, that's for sure.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Domestic abuse, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, and Violence
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts
Minor: Rape and Self harm
stuffed_with_books's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
1.5
.5⭐️ for how pretty this book is-the cover is attractive and the art inside is well done.
.5⭐️ for a decent spice scene and content warnings. We love a consent king.
.5⭐️ for an interesting concept.
This book is bad. The stakes don't matter, you rarely find answers, and this badly needed an editor.
.5⭐️ for a decent spice scene and content warnings. We love a consent king.
.5⭐️ for an interesting concept.
This book is bad. The stakes don't matter, you rarely find answers, and this badly needed an editor.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Cursing, Domestic abuse, Toxic relationship, and Violence
Minor: Emotional abuse and Torture
alyssa_0705's review against another edition
challenging
dark
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse
Moderate: Addiction
amielreadsbooks's review against another edition
Poor world building. It felt like the book started 100 pages into the story meaning we’ve missed a lot of crucial information and it’s just utterly confusing. Confusing world means it’s difficult to care about the characters when I can’t understand what I’m reading.
Disappointed as I was quite excited about the premise.
Disappointed as I was quite excited about the premise.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Bullying, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Sexual content, Gaslighting, and Alcohol
frawst_disasta_reads's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Look this is messy in spots. But I loved the entire book even the messy parts. I really think what the author attempted completely worked for me.
The words felt lyrical, the story absolutely gorgeous, and I didn’t want to leave the world.
The words felt lyrical, the story absolutely gorgeous, and I didn’t want to leave the world.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Sexual content, and Blood
kidprezident's review against another edition
This main character was so pathetic and rage inducing. She couldn’t do ANYTHING for herself. My good bitch had a dagger in her hand and STILL let her man lock her away. What the fuck? Hello? I also thought the writing style, especially in the first few chapters, was pretentious and did not flow well.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Domestic abuse, and Sexual assault
mel095's review against another edition
I really tried to give this a fair shot, but frankly I could have stopped earlier and didn’t really get hooked.
The main characters are blatantly inspired by characters from other hyped books, but they fail to live up to them. It reads like a watered down copy of Celaena from ToG, with an Arobynn figure in tow, and a very watered down and unconvincing Rhysand as a MMC.
I didn’t read enough to see if there was actual character development on Astraea’s side, but so far she fit the typical damsel in distress stereotype, who has little agency in the progression of the plot and keeps being saved by other characters.
The prose itself also wasn’t to my taste, as it felt a bit overly embellished and figurative. The plot did show promise, but it just wasn’t enough to counterbalance all the other points.
The main characters are blatantly inspired by characters from other hyped books, but they fail to live up to them. It reads like a watered down copy of Celaena from ToG, with an Arobynn figure in tow, and a very watered down and unconvincing Rhysand as a MMC.
I didn’t read enough to see if there was actual character development on Astraea’s side, but so far she fit the typical damsel in distress stereotype, who has little agency in the progression of the plot and keeps being saved by other characters.
The prose itself also wasn’t to my taste, as it felt a bit overly embellished and figurative. The plot did show promise, but it just wasn’t enough to counterbalance all the other points.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, and Toxic relationship
Minor: Sexual content and Gaslighting
babwans's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
inspiring
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Grief, Murder, Gaslighting, and Abandonment
Moderate: Gore, Mental illness, Self harm, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Terminal illness, Torture, Kidnapping, Toxic friendship, and War
Minor: Rape