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4.01 AVERAGE
4.01 AVERAGE
3.75
This is a debut and overall I think it was pretty good. I will say if you can find the content warning read them before reading this because there was none in the version I read. The prose are easy enough to read and it flows really well. I really liked it to begin with and then started having some issues with the world itself which had me pulling myself out of it and taking short breaks here and there which I normally don't do.
The magic system I found intriguing, different and really caught my attention and made me want to know more immediately. I really liked the introduction of our MMC, Dagen. And that she has to give her soul to him willingly was a set up from the beginning made me think..."hmm how is this going to work out?"
Overall I liked the premise and I did like the execution. I loved the slow burn. I will be awaiting book 2 to see what happens next.
Thank you to Avon and Harper Voyager for the complimentary copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
This is a debut and overall I think it was pretty good. I will say if you can find the content warning read them before reading this because there was none in the version I read. The prose are easy enough to read and it flows really well. I really liked it to begin with and then started having some issues with the world itself which had me pulling myself out of it and taking short breaks here and there which I normally don't do.
The magic system I found intriguing, different and really caught my attention and made me want to know more immediately. I really liked the introduction of our MMC, Dagen. And that she has to give her soul to him willingly was a set up from the beginning made me think..."hmm how is this going to work out?"
Overall I liked the premise and I did like the execution. I loved the slow burn. I will be awaiting book 2 to see what happens next.
Thank you to Avon and Harper Voyager for the complimentary copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Dark, heavy, angsty, and delicious. I think the trad-published version coming soon sounds like it’ll smooth out the handful of wrinkles that made it a 4 instead of 4.5 for me, though something about it is just a little too tropey, repetitive, and at times predictable for me to give it the full 5. I do like the execution and premise here a lot more than many other similar series (almost on level with Quicksilver and the Empyrean, better than When The Moon Hatched, leagues above most anything else I’d call very similar), and I think the sequel really has potential to grow from here into a fascinating world. I would recommend it for fans of any of those three as a possible “book hangover cure” because it’s different enough to not feel like you’re reading the same thing again but still fits into that niche.
I was murdered but not allowed to pass on. Given godly power, but no freedom. Offered the chance to be with someone at the cost of the one I wish to be with.
Okaay, what am I going to do with my life until December? I want to know what’s going to happen almost as much as I want to know what Lorcan did! #ifkyk
❤️ Fast-paced and captivating, with compelling plot twists and a jaw-dropping ending
❤️ Epic worldbuilding and lore
❤️ Interesting, complex characters (both main and supporting)
❤️ Strong FMC and toe-curling MMC
❤️ Humour and banter
❌ Slightly off-putting book title
❌ Modern elements that don’t quite fit
❌ Slightly disappointing spice
Trigger Warnings: violence, blood and gore, injury details, domestic abuse, parental abuse, child abuse, attempted rape, poisoning, murder, death and grief.
Plot:
Nizzara is the heiress to the Zarr throne and the daughter of a power-hungry tyrant. Forced into an arranged marriage, she enters a deadly tournament to win the freedom to choose her own suitor. Dagen is the last king of Zarr, who was killed by Nizzara’s father many years before. Now a half-ghost with tremendous power, he is stuck in another realm, working as a soul reaper. To reclaim his freedom and his kingdom, he must deliver a pure soul: Nizzara’s.
At first, the plot sounded just like 349058 other romantasy novels or series. But fear not, this book definitely stood out after only a few chapters. There’s a high-stake tournament, political turmoil, rebels, monsters, gods, ghosts and spirits, prophecies, love, tension, angst, betrayal and heartache, humour (“Nightlight” made me crack up!) and banter, etc. And, most of all, many of the plot twists were unexpected. None of the common tropes or conundrums felt like they were weaved in just to tick a box or add shock value. It really felt like the worldbuilding, the lore, the characters, and the plot were well thought of. The only things that annoyed me were the modern elements, that didn’t quite fit in; but maybe they will make more sense in the following installments.
Characters:
If you follow my reviews, you probably know how hard I am on MCs. I always find the leading ladies too reckless and self-centred, too needlessly confrontational or stabby, etc. And that the leading guys all sound like generic morally-grey alphaholes who are obsessed with the FMC after a minute and a half. But in this one, we get an FMC who is as fierce and stabby as she is mature and compassionate. We get an MMC who’s a funny, snarky, foul-mouthed, flirtatious half-ghost royal. He’s ruthless, but also sweet and caring. I loved both of them right away and felt an emotional connection very quickly. Also, there’s not a single character that I 100% hated (except Dae’s ex, maybe). The “bad guys” could have been very unidimensional like so many others, but Winn made it hard for us not to feel any sort of compassion for them—and I love that.
Writing:
Winn has a sharp, mature, and captivating writing style that’s also very accessible. I’m not a fan of the first-person POV, but Winn made it work. The addition of journal entry snippets was also great and helped learn more about the world, political dynamics, and important characters without tedious info dumps – thank gods! Some of the names, however, were too similar to my liking. Even at the end of the book, I was still confusing the three kingdoms because of their (very) similar names: Zo, Zarr, Zem. The spice was also slightly disappointing.
The only thing… the title. Maybe it’s a non-native English speaker thing, but I’m really not a fan. If it wasn’t for the high ratings and intriguing reviews, I probably would have skipped it just for that. But I’m so glad I didn’t because I would have missed out big times!
You know what they say? Don’t judge a book by itscover title!
Follow me on Instagram: @bibi.reads.writes
Okaay, what am I going to do with my life until December? I want to know what’s going to happen almost as much as I want to know what Lorcan did! #ifkyk
❤️ Fast-paced and captivating, with compelling plot twists and a jaw-dropping ending
❤️ Epic worldbuilding and lore
❤️ Interesting, complex characters (both main and supporting)
❤️ Strong FMC and toe-curling MMC
❤️ Humour and banter
❌ Slightly off-putting book title
❌ Modern elements that don’t quite fit
❌ Slightly disappointing spice
Trigger Warnings: violence, blood and gore, injury details, domestic abuse, parental abuse, child abuse, attempted rape, poisoning, murder, death and grief.
Plot:
Nizzara is the heiress to the Zarr throne and the daughter of a power-hungry tyrant. Forced into an arranged marriage, she enters a deadly tournament to win the freedom to choose her own suitor. Dagen is the last king of Zarr, who was killed by Nizzara’s father many years before. Now a half-ghost with tremendous power, he is stuck in another realm, working as a soul reaper. To reclaim his freedom and his kingdom, he must deliver a pure soul: Nizzara’s.
At first, the plot sounded just like 349058 other romantasy novels or series. But fear not, this book definitely stood out after only a few chapters. There’s a high-stake tournament, political turmoil, rebels, monsters, gods, ghosts and spirits, prophecies, love, tension, angst, betrayal and heartache, humour (“Nightlight” made me crack up!) and banter, etc. And, most of all, many of the plot twists were unexpected. None of the common tropes or conundrums felt like they were weaved in just to tick a box or add shock value. It really felt like the worldbuilding, the lore, the characters, and the plot were well thought of. The only things that annoyed me were the modern elements, that didn’t quite fit in; but maybe they will make more sense in the following installments.
Characters:
If you follow my reviews, you probably know how hard I am on MCs. I always find the leading ladies too reckless and self-centred, too needlessly confrontational or stabby, etc. And that the leading guys all sound like generic morally-grey alphaholes who are obsessed with the FMC after a minute and a half. But in this one, we get an FMC who is as fierce and stabby as she is mature and compassionate. We get an MMC who’s a funny, snarky, foul-mouthed, flirtatious half-ghost royal. He’s ruthless, but also sweet and caring. I loved both of them right away and felt an emotional connection very quickly. Also, there’s not a single character that I 100% hated (except Dae’s ex, maybe). The “bad guys” could have been very unidimensional like so many others, but Winn made it hard for us not to feel any sort of compassion for them—and I love that.
Writing:
Winn has a sharp, mature, and captivating writing style that’s also very accessible. I’m not a fan of the first-person POV, but Winn made it work. The addition of journal entry snippets was also great and helped learn more about the world, political dynamics, and important characters without tedious info dumps – thank gods! Some of the names, however, were too similar to my liking. Even at the end of the book, I was still confusing the three kingdoms because of their (very) similar names: Zo, Zarr, Zem. The spice was also slightly disappointing.
The only thing… the title. Maybe it’s a non-native English speaker thing, but I’m really not a fan. If it wasn’t for the high ratings and intriguing reviews, I probably would have skipped it just for that. But I’m so glad I didn’t because I would have missed out big times!
You know what they say? Don’t judge a book by its
Follow me on Instagram: @bibi.reads.writes
adventurous
dark
emotional
sad
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
A nice fresh take on a magic system, super slow burn and I can’t wait for the next book
Thank you Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this eARC!
At first, I was very intrigued with the setting and magic system. The idea of spirits being bonded to people, malevolent God of death, bargains, usurpers, ect. All ingredients for a great fantasy with political intrigue. But then all of a sudden there is a rave being planned with amplifiers and talks of guns? It's like a decision on setting couldn't be made, so it simply wasn't made. If it had stuck to one genre setting, this could have been an amazing read for me, but my brain cannot make sense of guns and amps and cars and also magic wielding duels with swords and daggers. Not to mention other dimensions, all the kingdoms being pie wedge shaped (with the kingdom centered in the story being so thin it's shaped like a sword in said pie). It was all just too much thrown at me right in the start.
At first, I was very intrigued with the setting and magic system. The idea of spirits being bonded to people, malevolent God of death, bargains, usurpers, ect. All ingredients for a great fantasy with political intrigue. But then all of a sudden there is a rave being planned with amplifiers and talks of guns? It's like a decision on setting couldn't be made, so it simply wasn't made. If it had stuck to one genre setting, this could have been an amazing read for me, but my brain cannot make sense of guns and amps and cars and also magic wielding duels with swords and daggers. Not to mention other dimensions, all the kingdoms being pie wedge shaped (with the kingdom centered in the story being so thin it's shaped like a sword in said pie). It was all just too much thrown at me right in the start.
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
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
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes