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4.03 AVERAGE
4.03 AVERAGE
adventurous
emotional
slow-paced
adventurous
sad
slow-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:
No
#PopsugarReadingChallenge2019
Prompt - A book set in an abbey, cloister, monastery, vicarage, or convent: Monastery
I wanted to love this because "forbidden love" is basically catnip to me. And you don't get any more forbidden than a monk and a viking. And, truthfully, I was in. I was; even with the overly descriptive prose (you know how I hate that) and the wrong time period for some of the events in the book (I'll ignore it if it helps advance the plot/character development), but then it deep-dived into the supernatural and I just couldn't ignore that when I went into this book wanting a historical forbidden love story. It just did not work for me.
Prompt - A book set in an abbey, cloister, monastery, vicarage, or convent: Monastery
I wanted to love this because "forbidden love" is basically catnip to me. And you don't get any more forbidden than a monk and a viking. And, truthfully, I was in. I was; even with the overly descriptive prose (you know how I hate that) and the wrong time period for some of the events in the book (I'll ignore it if it helps advance the plot/character development), but then it deep-dived into the supernatural and I just couldn't ignore that when I went into this book wanting a historical forbidden love story. It just did not work for me.
emotional
hopeful
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
Such an unusual setting, for such an unusual story...
I love everything about it, I love the characters, the landscapes, the story itself.
Caius is a complex and deeply endearing character. The inner dichotomy of his self, his warrior blood and his longing for learning are his main preoccupation when a Viking raid happens. A raid that brings death and desperation... and a wounded warrior, Fen.
Caius is a physician, and that weights more than his wish to avenge the death of his sweet lover Leof. And this is how the proud, ferocious Fen finds himself under Caius' care.
The writing is, as always, luscious and compelling, and... beautiful. The setting, with all those different cultures intersecting, imagery that embraces Vikings, Normans, Celts and Saxons, paganism and Christianism, science and religion; the religious elements highlighting the idea of a faith that does not depend on blind obedience and the negation of your own self; an ancient treasure and ancient lore, all of them make this a book that is rich and elegant; emotional and moving.
And I love Caius and Fenrir =D
Hamish Long does a superb job with the narration, which rounds this as, IMHO, a perfect book :D
I love everything about it, I love the characters, the landscapes, the story itself.
Caius is a complex and deeply endearing character. The inner dichotomy of his self, his warrior blood and his longing for learning are his main preoccupation when a Viking raid happens. A raid that brings death and desperation... and a wounded warrior, Fen.
Caius is a physician, and that weights more than his wish to avenge the death of his sweet lover Leof. And this is how the proud, ferocious Fen finds himself under Caius' care.
The writing is, as always, luscious and compelling, and... beautiful. The setting, with all those different cultures intersecting, imagery that embraces Vikings, Normans, Celts and Saxons, paganism and Christianism, science and religion; the religious elements highlighting the idea of a faith that does not depend on blind obedience and the negation of your own self; an ancient treasure and ancient lore, all of them make this a book that is rich and elegant; emotional and moving.
And I love Caius and Fenrir =D
Hamish Long does a superb job with the narration, which rounds this as, IMHO, a perfect book :D
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I mean it’s an m/m romance between a monk and a viking in 600s CE Britannia. It’s incredible. It’s surprisingly tender throughout, though there are also several gory battle scenes. I loved it.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Gore, Suicide, Violence, Blood, Grief, Religious bigotry
Minor: Confinement, Drug use, Excrement, Medical content
Just some thoughts, not a real review:
I did not find the book too descriptive (try reading [b:A Midwinter Prince|9070503|A Midwinter Prince|Harper Fox|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1288071180s/9070503.jpg|13948637]), despite many a reader complaining about it. Every word was carefully placed to create an amazing world that can be seen, heard, touched and inhaled. It was worth more to me than any hot sex or bloody battle scene in the story.
Speaking of sex. Normally, I prefer not to read explicit scenes, whether it's m/m or m/f, but somehow they did not bother me in this book, being relatively short and well placed. Come to think of it, there were more love scenes than just sex, and maybe that made all the difference in the world.
I did not find the book too descriptive (try reading [b:A Midwinter Prince|9070503|A Midwinter Prince|Harper Fox|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1288071180s/9070503.jpg|13948637]), despite many a reader complaining about it. Every word was carefully placed to create an amazing world that can be seen, heard, touched and inhaled. It was worth more to me than any hot sex or bloody battle scene in the story.
Speaking of sex. Normally, I prefer not to read explicit scenes, whether it's m/m or m/f, but somehow they did not bother me in this book, being relatively short and well placed. Come to think of it, there were more love scenes than just sex, and maybe that made all the difference in the world.
I have complicated feelings about this book. First I have to say, Harper Fox is an AMAZING writer and she ripped my heart out and put it back. Again.
.
Pacing is excellent. Dialog is excellent. Main characters. Secondary characters. Worldbuilding. All excellent. This book is just a work of art.
.....
But it’s a work of art that hurt me. It wrecked me even as I trusted the HEA was coming. It did come, but not before some tears and some doubts of “is this an HEA in the afterlife or some shit??” But Reader, trust in the romance genre. Cai and Fen get their HEA. (Thank goodness.)
.....
Because Cai and Fen are absolutely beautiful together. They are caring and tender and devoted. I love both of them.
.....
Content warnings are that there’s one section with a lot of churchy homophobia of the “you’ll burn in hell” variety. This causes one character to commit suicide. Luckily the hateful priest is removed from a position of power, and most of the book is homophobia-free, but it did make for a difficult section. There’s also battle violence on page, plus off-page sexual assault casually mentioned several times.
.....
I have a complicated relationship with books featuring religion. In this one, not only are the homophobes beaten, but there are miracles as well. So it’s definitely a more nuanced approach rather than “all medieval Christians were great” or “…were assholes”; combined with the mysticism of much of Fox’s writing makes it something agnostic…or gnostic.
.....
The HEA is enabled because of some supernatural things, which isn't my favorite.
.
But know that everything that made me give this 4 stars instead of 5 is truly just my preferences. It's an excellent book.
.
Pacing is excellent. Dialog is excellent. Main characters. Secondary characters. Worldbuilding. All excellent. This book is just a work of art.
.....
But it’s a work of art that hurt me. It wrecked me even as I trusted the HEA was coming. It did come, but not before some tears and some doubts of “is this an HEA in the afterlife or some shit??” But Reader, trust in the romance genre. Cai and Fen get their HEA. (Thank goodness.)
.....
Because Cai and Fen are absolutely beautiful together. They are caring and tender and devoted. I love both of them.
.....
Content warnings are that there’s one section with a lot of churchy homophobia of the “you’ll burn in hell” variety. This causes one character to commit suicide. Luckily the hateful priest is removed from a position of power, and most of the book is homophobia-free, but it did make for a difficult section. There’s also battle violence on page, plus off-page sexual assault casually mentioned several times.
.....
I have a complicated relationship with books featuring religion. In this one, not only are the homophobes beaten, but there are miracles as well. So it’s definitely a more nuanced approach rather than “all medieval Christians were great” or “…were assholes”; combined with the mysticism of much of Fox’s writing makes it something agnostic…or gnostic.
.....
The HEA is enabled because of some supernatural things, which isn't my favorite.
.
But know that everything that made me give this 4 stars instead of 5 is truly just my preferences. It's an excellent book.