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megnut's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Violence, and Grief
Moderate: Confinement and Sexual content
Minor: Suicide attempt
thebookandwineclub's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
This is a hard book to review because I loved so much about the concept and the characters but I think it just got a bit lost in itself.
The world build is rather dense and whilst it focuses around creatures we often see in fantasy, the societal structure felt rather different, so there was a lot to learn.
And the main PoV is from a character with fragmented memories so I feel you spend a lot of the book as confused as her. I suspect it is a book that would completely click into place on a 2nd read.
✨🌙✨🌙
Premise:
Astraea can only remember the last 5 years of her life. And is trapped by a man who claims to be her protector, in a world riddled with vampires.
Every century, each land is allowed the chance to send a selected victor to the Libertatem, to complete a series of trials for safety from the vampires for 100 years.
And after a strange encounter with a mysterious man, Nyte, Astraea enters into a bargain with him, to help her escape her captivity, and leave with their land’s selected. But when things go wrong whilst travelling to the competition, Astraea finds herself having to enter the trails herself.
✨🌙✨🌙
Even summarising the book above was a challenge, because there’s so many different parts to it. But it’s definitely a fantastic concept and now so much more of the world is developed, I’m excited to see what happens in book 2.
And the dynamic between Astraea and Nyte was great. Nyte is kind of feral in his nature at times and has the filthiest mouth. And whilst Astraea finds his constant presence annoying at first, I love how he keeps prodding and aggravating her. Their dialogue and push/pull dynamic made the book for me. And there is a bit of spice in the last quarter of the book!
And I love a trail focused book and I liked how the trails really played into the competitors own mind, using their own thoughts against them.
And the general plot and bargain was great. Whilst I spent the first half of the book thinking I knew where this was all going, there’s a particular point (the first cave scene), that completely shocked me, and had me questioning so much more.
And also, the wider characters were fab! I loved the bonus chapter for Zath and Rose and wish we could have seen more of them in this book but suspect we will in the second. And I’m intrigued what happens next with Drystan.
Definitely keen to see what happens next, although there’s a lot of questions I have going into book 2. Plus I really hope we get to see more of their previous life but let’s see!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Death, Violence, and Grief
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
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
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
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
katvou's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
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? It's complicated
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Sexual content, Violence, Blood, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gore, Physical abuse, Torture, Grief, Gaslighting, and War
Minor: Toxic relationship and Toxic friendship
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
bellebookcorner's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Read this dark fantasy romance if you like;
• Villain gets the girl
• Star-Crossed lovers
• Vampires, Fae, Celestials
• Twists & Secrets
This is the first time I read a book by this author.
The plot is interesting and also action-packed, I was intrigued the whole time I read this book. The world building is also fascinating with different type of supernatural creatures living in the same world.
The characters are pretty well developed and likeable except for one character, Nyte. He’s still mysterious right until the end because his secrets are like onions – layers upon layers. His character really confuse me, I still can’t seem to understand where he stand and his relationship with Aestrea as well. I hope their romantic relationship will grow in the next book.
While I like some elements from this book, some parts are hard to envision which left me feeling confuse sometimes. I also wish there's more background story about what happen in the past which causes Aestrea to lose her memories because I think it played a big part in understanding Aestrea's situation.
Overall, it’s a pretty good read. It ended with quite a huge cliff-hanger it’s making me wish I have book 2. I'll keep an eye out for the sequel when it comes out because I need some answers.
Huge thank you to Book of Matches Media and author for giving me an e-ARC of the book and for having me on this book tour. I’m leaving this review voluntarily!
• Villain gets the girl
• Star-Crossed lovers
• Vampires, Fae, Celestials
• Twists & Secrets
This is the first time I read a book by this author.
The plot is interesting and also action-packed, I was intrigued the whole time I read this book. The world building is also fascinating with different type of supernatural creatures living in the same world.
The characters are pretty well developed and likeable except for one character, Nyte. He’s still mysterious right until the end because his secrets are like onions – layers upon layers. His character really confuse me, I still can’t seem to understand where he stand and his relationship with Aestrea as well. I hope their romantic relationship will grow in the next book.
While I like some elements from this book, some parts are hard to envision which left me feeling confuse sometimes. I also wish there's more background story about what happen in the past which causes Aestrea to lose her memories because I think it played a big part in understanding Aestrea's situation.
Overall, it’s a pretty good read. It ended with quite a huge cliff-hanger it’s making me wish I have book 2. I'll keep an eye out for the sequel when it comes out because I need some answers.
Huge thank you to Book of Matches Media and author for giving me an e-ARC of the book and for having me on this book tour. I’m leaving this review voluntarily!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, and Grief
Moderate: Gore and Violence