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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
frawst_disasta_reads's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
The amount that I love this book cannot be overstated. I think this book works so well because Astrea doesn’t have her memories. We get to learn along with her.
A few parts feel messy, but the book doesn’t lose anything for its messiness. In fact, I think I love it because I don’t know everything.
I hope to learn more in book 2.
A few parts feel messy, but the book doesn’t lose anything for its messiness. In fact, I think I love it because I don’t know everything.
I hope to learn more in book 2.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Suicidal thoughts, and Violence
Moderate: Addiction, Death, Sexual content, Grief, and Murder
Minor: Self harm
ishura's review against another edition
dark
emotional
inspiring
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.0
I genuinely would've DNF'd this book 18 pages in but the only reason I didn't is because it was the FIRST subscription box book I'd picked up and I was *so* determined to finish it so I could finally say I read one (ugh).
I honestly have so many complaints, I'm not sure where to start. Almost all of the characters felt shallow and had no personality. Hektor was an evil caricature, Nyte was just horny, Rose was the Badass Independent Girl. I'm not even sure Cassia and Zath had much personality outside of the other characters to ascribe anything to them... but *Astraea* was by far the worst offender because while she *had* personality, she was a naive, wet rag of a FMC who could literally never make up her mind as to whether she trusted Nyte or not. I read another review that said she kept changing her mind up to the last page and I thought that was a joke - no, dear reader, she does in fact go from loving him to hating him probably 20+ times in the last few chapters (sometimes multiple times a page, nevermind THE WHOLE ENTIRE REST OF THE BOOK).
I genuinely could not believe that Astraea was supposed to be some "mythical savior of mankind" considering that she a) was constantly in distress and always needed saving, b) could not make decisions for herself at all, and c) felt so immature. Something about the way she acted was too childish for my liking? I'm not sure if that was because of her memory loss or the abuse she'd experienced making her extremely sheltered, but for a 100+ year old character who'd literally fought in celestial wars, Astraea had no real emotional maturity. I *think* it was probably supposed to convey that she's just got an open heart and really cares for everyone, but the execution fell too flat for me. Also - it's giving a little too "pure innocent woman" and "evil corrupting love influence" which, blegh.
It sucks because I actually really like stories that deal with a character overcoming heartbreak/abuse and even though a solid 20% of this book focused on Astraea leaving her abusive relationship, it felt like the most stereotypical unserious take on an abusive relationship? She hardly ever thought about him once she left (no guilt?? no struggle? that's it?) and when he *was* weaponized against her in the later part of the book, she genuinely considered going back to him (LIKE DID YOU LEARN NOTHING?????). I think if the story had painted her waffling mistrust of Nyte more as a reaction to the abuse she suffered at the hands of Hektor it would've been more compelling, but instead it was absolutely frustrating!!
Don't even get me started on Cassia's plot either. I couldn't be bothered to care for her or her characterization so when *things* started happening and Astraea almost unalived herself over it, it just did not hit for me at all. I hate comparing books, but Crescent City had such a similar plotline (re: the relationship between the FMC and their best friend) and yet that one made me feel *far* more for Bryce/Danika than this one ever did with Astraea/Cassia.
Also, I have to say I think the writing style was one of this book's biggest failings. It felt like it was meant to be poetic, but instead came across as extremely passive and stilted. It was just *off*. Like, here's a few examples:
"At first glance, the sky was a blanket of tiny crystals, but there were layers I could measure the distance between, and the sizes, they blinked."
"My eyes didn't get the chance to fully express their incredulity before his grin dimpled one cheek, showing off his brilliant teeth."
"His switch of tone coiled my gut, racing my blood with alarm as I tried to find what had caused such a lethal, firm guard on his face."
I genuinely think that if the writing style had been tighter/more coherent, I could've given the poor characterization and predictable plot a pass, but there were soooooo many times a wacky sentence took me out of the book.
I was combing through a lot of other reviews and saw people say Nyte was the most interesting part. I gotta agree, but only after *finishing* the book (with what's revealed about his backstory at the end). The other 90% of the book and his interactions with Astraea was entirely him just wanting to screw her, which uuuggggghhhhh. Like how is the entire middle of this book **just** him coming onto her and her changing her mind every page about whether she's into it or not. I can't! I just can't!!
Weirdly, though, I think this book had the best spice of any adult book I've read (which is not saying much because that's like 4 total)? There's only two *full* on scenes (and one other bit of third base, iirc), and yet for as much as I hated the two main characters I had to say I was into it. THAT SAID, I did hate that the book made Astraea immediately despise Nyte after their first time together, it just felt so icky!! Do not have her finally get intimate with him only to then suddenly feel horrified and distrust him! (fwiw it was not because they got intimate, only because she learned something about him she didn't like... but STILL. would've been better as a slow burn).
I gotta say - for all the flaws, I think the premise and setup was actually interesting enough I'd be super interested in a prequel? I want to know how Nyte and Astraea originally met, the whole enemies-to-lovers story and everything (especially since it paints her as a far more capable person than she is during this plot). The fact that they legit led *wars* against each other and fell in love despite it all is intriguing to me! But honestly... I do not care to see the rest of this story through for all of book 1's disappointing bits, so I don't think I'll be finishing the trilogy. It was just so utterly frustrating from start to finish.
I honestly have so many complaints, I'm not sure where to start. Almost all of the characters felt shallow and had no personality. Hektor was an evil caricature, Nyte was just horny, Rose was the Badass Independent Girl. I'm not even sure Cassia and Zath had much personality outside of the other characters to ascribe anything to them... but *Astraea* was by far the worst offender because while she *had* personality, she was a naive, wet rag of a FMC who could literally never make up her mind as to whether she trusted Nyte or not. I read another review that said she kept changing her mind up to the last page and I thought that was a joke - no, dear reader, she does in fact go from loving him to hating him probably 20+ times in the last few chapters (sometimes multiple times a page, nevermind THE WHOLE ENTIRE REST OF THE BOOK).
I genuinely could not believe that Astraea was supposed to be some "mythical savior of mankind" considering that she a) was constantly in distress and always needed saving, b) could not make decisions for herself at all, and c) felt so immature. Something about the way she acted was too childish for my liking? I'm not sure if that was because of her memory loss or the abuse she'd experienced making her extremely sheltered, but for a 100+ year old character who'd literally fought in celestial wars, Astraea had no real emotional maturity. I *think* it was probably supposed to convey that she's just got an open heart and really cares for everyone, but the execution fell too flat for me. Also - it's giving a little too "pure innocent woman" and "evil corrupting love influence" which, blegh.
It sucks because I actually really like stories that deal with a character overcoming heartbreak/abuse and even though a solid 20% of this book focused on Astraea leaving her abusive relationship, it felt like the most stereotypical unserious take on an abusive relationship? She hardly ever thought about him once she left (no guilt?? no struggle? that's it?) and when he *was* weaponized against her in the later part of the book, she genuinely considered going back to him (LIKE DID YOU LEARN NOTHING?????). I think if the story had painted her waffling mistrust of Nyte more as a reaction to the abuse she suffered at the hands of Hektor it would've been more compelling, but instead it was absolutely frustrating!!
Don't even get me started on Cassia's plot either. I couldn't be bothered to care for her or her characterization so when *things* started happening and Astraea almost unalived herself over it, it just did not hit for me at all. I hate comparing books, but Crescent City had such a similar plotline (re: the relationship between the FMC and their best friend) and yet that one made me feel *far* more for Bryce/Danika than this one ever did with Astraea/Cassia.
Also, I have to say I think the writing style was one of this book's biggest failings. It felt like it was meant to be poetic, but instead came across as extremely passive and stilted. It was just *off*. Like, here's a few examples:
"At first glance, the sky was a blanket of tiny crystals, but there were layers I could measure the distance between, and the sizes, they blinked."
"My eyes didn't get the chance to fully express their incredulity before his grin dimpled one cheek, showing off his brilliant teeth."
"His switch of tone coiled my gut, racing my blood with alarm as I tried to find what had caused such a lethal, firm guard on his face."
I genuinely think that if the writing style had been tighter/more coherent, I could've given the poor characterization and predictable plot a pass, but there were soooooo many times a wacky sentence took me out of the book.
I was combing through a lot of other reviews and saw people say Nyte was the most interesting part. I gotta agree, but only after *finishing* the book (with what's revealed about his backstory at the end). The other 90% of the book and his interactions with Astraea was entirely him just wanting to screw her, which uuuggggghhhhh. Like how is the entire middle of this book **just** him coming onto her and her changing her mind every page about whether she's into it or not. I can't! I just can't!!
Weirdly, though, I think this book had the best spice of any adult book I've read (which is not saying much because that's like 4 total)? There's only two *full* on scenes (and one other bit of third base, iirc), and yet for as much as I hated the two main characters I had to say I was into it. THAT SAID, I did hate that the book made Astraea immediately despise Nyte after their first time together, it just felt so icky!! Do not have her finally get intimate with him only to then suddenly feel horrified and distrust him! (fwiw it was not because they got intimate, only because she learned something about him she didn't like... but STILL. would've been better as a slow burn).
I gotta say - for all the flaws, I think the premise and setup was actually interesting enough I'd be super interested in a prequel? I want to know how Nyte and Astraea originally met, the whole enemies-to-lovers story and everything (especially since it paints her as a far more capable person than she is during this plot). The fact that they legit led *wars* against each other and fell in love despite it all is intriguing to me! But honestly... I do not care to see the rest of this story through for all of book 1's disappointing bits, so I don't think I'll be finishing the trilogy. It was just so utterly frustrating from start to finish.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, and Suicide attempt
hiraethianlibrary's review against another edition
dark
emotional
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
4.0
Astrae has been living the last five years under the thrall of her current lover. Her memories of the past are a haze just out of her grasp. Tragedy seems to follow her as she makes her way through an unforgiving world on the verge of war.
Part Romeo and Juliet, part Hunger Games, this romance has a bit of everything from civil discontent to starcrossed lovers. The themes approached are dark so do mind content. There are mentions of addiction and recovery, suicidal ideation, and abuse. That said, they were approached with care which was refreshing to read.
I wish I could give this 5 stars. I wish I could tip my hat to a great start to a trilogy, but Tor Publishing didn’t offer this rising star a proper editing team, and that is perhaps the most frustrating thing about reviewing this book.
Chloe C. Peñaranda offers rich world-building that is full of diverse and well-rounded characters. This immersive first act of a tale as old as time is filled with intrigue, social strife, and moral dilemmas. Astraea is relatable, unrelenting, and a gem. Her found family is complex and full of secrets ready to be unravelled. Her love interest is the villain of the story while remaining redeemable. It checks a lot of boxes for readers looking for their next dark romance, complete with a morally grey shadow daddy.
And can we talk about that cover for a minute? Combined with those sprayed edges, it’s a work of art worthy of becoming a book trophy to any collector/reader. I picked this book up because of it. I devoured and savoured it for days. I have zero regrets because it checks a lot of boxes for me.
The one thing her publisher should have to offer as part of the Big Five (MacMillan bought Tor forever ago) is a solid editing team. It felt like they failed to deliver. A good editor will praise where it is due and hone and develop skills as needed. The need to lean on “had” was a recurring issue that should have been caught and corrected. There were glaring typos, including a paragraph ending with “M.”. I hope that, for the following two books, a better eye for detail is brought on board.
#bookstagram #thestarsaredying #booklover #bookaddict #shelftrophybook #readersofinstagram #romance #darkromance #shadowdaddy #torbooks
I wish I could give this 5 stars. I wish I could tip my hat to a great start to a trilogy, but Tor Publishing didn’t offer this rising star a proper editing team, and that is perhaps the most frustrating thing about reviewing this book.
Chloe C. Peñaranda offers rich world-building that is full of diverse and well-rounded characters. This immersive first act of a tale as old as time is filled with intrigue, social strife, and moral dilemmas. Astraea is relatable, unrelenting, and a gem. Her found family is complex and full of secrets ready to be unravelled. Her love interest is the villain of the story while remaining redeemable. It checks a lot of boxes for readers looking for their next dark romance, complete with a morally grey shadow daddy.
And can we talk about that cover for a minute? Combined with those sprayed edges, it’s a work of art worthy of becoming a book trophy to any collector/reader. I picked this book up because of it. I devoured and savoured it for days. I have zero regrets because it checks a lot of boxes for me.
The one thing her publisher should have to offer as part of the Big Five (MacMillan bought Tor forever ago) is a solid editing team. It felt like they failed to deliver. A good editor will praise where it is due and hone and develop skills as needed. The need to lean on “had” was a recurring issue that should have been caught and corrected. There were glaring typos, including a paragraph ending with “M.”. I hope that, for the following two books, a better eye for detail is brought on board.
#bookstagram #thestarsaredying #booklover #bookaddict #shelftrophybook #readersofinstagram #romance #darkromance #shadowdaddy #torbooks
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Death, Drug use, Suicidal thoughts, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Violence, and Grief
lizzye33's review against another edition
I found this book at my local little free library with no expectation for the story, but the appearance intrigued me, and I have not read a book of this genre in some time, so I thought, why not?
Before reading the book and adding it to my TBR, I hesitated because of the many vague and negative reviews that needed to be more encouraging. Also, this story has vampires, which I have had a bad run with lately in books. But aside from that, I wanted to give it a chance.
25% I am really glad Astrea has friends who are not only willing but more than capable of helping her if their motives are true. That being said, this book is very tense, and I don't love being constantly on edge or emotionally trampled. It's not ideal for escapism, but I do like the story's complexity, though I understand why many stopped reading, finding it confusing. I think it is fairly well written in getting into Astrea's perspective. Perhaps that is because of vaguely similar reliability on my part. That said, reviews saying it is a try-hard book with too many tropes are both true and false. It does feel like trying to put a little too much on one page without giving what we need at this point in the book, but the characters are not wanting too badly in that way yet. The premise is rather predictable; we have a clear idea of what she is, and Hecktors controls more than she realizes with her medicine and forcing her under even though they have not addressed it yet. But I'm still curious enough to see where this goes. (Nyte for the win; Hecktor, there are special places for you.)
Okay, I DNF'd!!!
I tried not to, but I could not continue!
I tried to connect with the characters and visualize the settings and their perspectives, but this story is vague in the places it needs detail, the characters lack substance, and there is very little actual chemistry.
The worst part is that I was bored. It felt like a chore, and there was no direct plot to follow. It also never really had too much clear plot or motivation aside from leaving Heckor in the first part and reeling from it. Of course, there is more after, but I could not bring myself to care, and I wanted to.
This book had potential, but it was so dark. For once, I pushed that aside to try to get into a story I wanted to like, but it was definitely not worth it!
It was a little confusing, and I did not route it to anyone. I tried to find some answers online to what was happening, and it turns out there is no real resolution!?
No one has many more answers than Astrea does by chapter 15, even in the end. I skimmed through the rest and felt disappointed in the time I spent trying to get out of my reading slump with a book that did not provide escapism but trigger warnings without anything a book should to make it worth it or able to overlook them.
The writing was also lacking the more the book continued.
Anyway, enough about my rant. I am glad some people enjoy it, but sadly, I am not among them.
Before reading the book and adding it to my TBR, I hesitated because of the many vague and negative reviews that needed to be more encouraging. Also, this story has vampires, which I have had a bad run with lately in books. But aside from that, I wanted to give it a chance.
25% I am really glad Astrea has friends who are not only willing but more than capable of helping her if their motives are true. That being said, this book is very tense, and I don't love being constantly on edge or emotionally trampled. It's not ideal for escapism, but I do like the story's complexity, though I understand why many stopped reading, finding it confusing. I think it is fairly well written in getting into Astrea's perspective. Perhaps that is because of vaguely similar reliability on my part. That said, reviews saying it is a try-hard book with too many tropes are both true and false. It does feel like trying to put a little too much on one page without giving what we need at this point in the book, but the characters are not wanting too badly in that way yet. The premise is rather predictable; we have a clear idea of what she is, and Hecktors controls more than she realizes with her medicine and forcing her under even though they have not addressed it yet. But I'm still curious enough to see where this goes. (Nyte for the win; Hecktor, there are special places for you.)
Okay, I DNF'd!!!
I tried not to, but I could not continue!
I tried to connect with the characters and visualize the settings and their perspectives, but this story is vague in the places it needs detail, the characters lack substance, and there is very little actual chemistry.
The worst part is that I was bored. It felt like a chore, and there was no direct plot to follow. It also never really had too much clear plot or motivation aside from leaving Heckor in the first part and reeling from it. Of course, there is more after, but I could not bring myself to care, and I wanted to.
This book had potential, but it was so dark. For once, I pushed that aside to try to get into a story I wanted to like, but it was definitely not worth it!
It was a little confusing, and I did not route it to anyone. I tried to find some answers online to what was happening, and it turns out there is no real resolution!?
No one has many more answers than Astrea does by chapter 15, even in the end. I skimmed through the rest and felt disappointed in the time I spent trying to get out of my reading slump with a book that did not provide escapism but trigger warnings without anything a book should to make it worth it or able to overlook them.
The writing was also lacking the more the book continued.
Anyway, enough about my rant. I am glad some people enjoy it, but sadly, I am not among them.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Chronic illness, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual content, Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, Murder, Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Terminal illness, Torture, Toxic relationship, Toxic friendship, and Alcohol
Minor: Drug use, Eating disorder, Rape, and Self harm
asims723's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.0
I am so disappointed! I very nearly had to respectfully DNF this one. This book is long, slow, and filled with telling instead of showing.
Let's start with the good, the why I picked up this book: the cover and title are chef's kiss great. I was immediately sucked in based on that alone. I'm a romantasy girlie, so the presence of a Shadow Daddy is another big plus for me. The language the author uses to convey her story is interesting. I liked the names of characters, and they were distinct enough that I didn't get any of the handsome men around confused.
The reasons for the nearly DNF: the pacing is terribly slow. I really struggled with the repetition of ideas and dialogue that I think a better editor would have cut down. There was also a lot of telling and very questionable decisions on the part of the FMC (why even go back to the house you needed to sneak out of in the first place when you plan to leave again almost immediately?) The Shadow Daddy was not more than a voice in the FMC's mind for so much of this, and without an established relationship it just felt like a cheap connection and a little unhinged with her even questioning whether he was real over and over again. This book feels like I've read this story before. The magic system might be unique, but it was hard to tell with how little is explained except for infodump chapters toward the end.
Why I did finish: I was up all night sick, and it helped distract me from how I was feeling. To that end, I was ultimately not upset with how long it is.
If you loved A Court of Thorns and Roses (specifically the first book in the series), you will definitely enjoy this one.
The audiobook narrators were fine, though Corvin King was difficult to understand at times, especially in the beginning. Most of the book is first person pov, with Jacci Prior reading the majority of the text, and King reads the first chapter and all male dialogue. I found the gravelly nature of his voice pleasant but not always clear enough.
Thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for this ALC.
Let's start with the good, the why I picked up this book: the cover and title are chef's kiss great. I was immediately sucked in based on that alone. I'm a romantasy girlie, so the presence of a Shadow Daddy is another big plus for me. The language the author uses to convey her story is interesting. I liked the names of characters, and they were distinct enough that I didn't get any of the handsome men around confused.
The reasons for the nearly DNF: the pacing is terribly slow. I really struggled with the repetition of ideas and dialogue that I think a better editor would have cut down. There was also a lot of telling and very questionable decisions on the part of the FMC (why even go back to the house you needed to sneak out of in the first place when you plan to leave again almost immediately?) The Shadow Daddy was not more than a voice in the FMC's mind for so much of this, and without an established relationship it just felt like a cheap connection and a little unhinged with her even questioning whether he was real over and over again. This book feels like I've read this story before. The magic system might be unique, but it was hard to tell with how little is explained except for infodump chapters toward the end.
Why I did finish: I was up all night sick, and it helped distract me from how I was feeling. To that end, I was ultimately not upset with how long it is.
If you loved A Court of Thorns and Roses (specifically the first book in the series), you will definitely enjoy this one.
The audiobook narrators were fine, though Corvin King was difficult to understand at times, especially in the beginning. Most of the book is first person pov, with Jacci Prior reading the majority of the text, and King reads the first chapter and all male dialogue. I found the gravelly nature of his voice pleasant but not always clear enough.
Thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for this ALC.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Self harm and Suicidal thoughts
Moderate: Sexual assault, Sexual content, and Violence
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
carlyteighlor's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Drug use, Suicidal thoughts, Grief, Murder, and Gaslighting