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4.02 AVERAGE
4.02 AVERAGE
This felt like 500 pages of 2 people’s diary entries.
Strongest parts of the book? The prologue and epilogue. Weakest? Pretty much everything else.
-What time period are we in? I’m so confused, is this urban fantasy minus all the “urban” parts?
-Who the hell is this FMC like I literally don’t know her character or personality at all.
-I felt like the entire plot was some maaaad instalust followed up with an obscene amount of non-descriptive monologues (“Arken is so smart” BITCH SHOW ME DON’T TELL ME “Wow Kieran is soooo hot oh yeah I have classes and stuff and I talked to this person once but did I mention how hot Kieran is?” WHY ARE WE HERE IF YOU’RE JUST THIRSTY)
-Kieran is like a secret spy detective police officer thing and it was not vibing for me amid this fantasy magic land.
-ZERO chemistry between the two leads. We’re told there’s chemistry and their inner monologues tell me there’s chemistry but I don’t see or feel it at all.
Honestly the book would have probably been SO much more enjoyable for me had it been written in third person like the prologue and epilogue. It was painful to get through, and once I got to that stupid ass ending with my least favorite trope in the history of tropes, the pain wasn’t worth it.
1.5⭐ 2.5
Strongest parts of the book? The prologue and epilogue. Weakest? Pretty much everything else.
-What time period are we in? I’m so confused, is this urban fantasy minus all the “urban” parts?
-Who the hell is this FMC like I literally don’t know her character or personality at all.
-I felt like the entire plot was some maaaad instalust followed up with an obscene amount of non-descriptive monologues (“Arken is so smart” BITCH SHOW ME DON’T TELL ME “Wow Kieran is soooo hot oh yeah I have classes and stuff and I talked to this person once but did I mention how hot Kieran is?” WHY ARE WE HERE IF YOU’RE JUST THIRSTY)
-Kieran is like a secret spy detective police officer thing and it was not vibing for me amid this fantasy magic land.
-ZERO chemistry between the two leads. We’re told there’s chemistry and their inner monologues tell me there’s chemistry but I don’t see or feel it at all.
Honestly the book would have probably been SO much more enjoyable for me had it been written in third person like the prologue and epilogue. It was painful to get through, and once I got to that stupid ass ending with my least favorite trope in the history of tropes, the pain wasn’t worth it.
1.5⭐ 2.5
emotional
funny
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
This book was so frustrating. It took 450 pages to build the FMC’s powers and relationship with the MMC and then she didn’t event use the powers and the book creates this contrived reason why the two can’t be together and it was SO DUMB UGH.
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
DNF 57%. haven’t picked it up in weeks it’s not bad but I need to come back to it at another time
The first 75% is basically a fantasy rom com. The story is slow, not much happens, but the two characters become great friends. The setting is easy to visualize and would be good for those new to fantasy. I enjoyed Arkens exploration of the new city and her fascination. I would’ve liked more development of the side characters. It felt like I was watching a highlight reel of what was happening and not experiencing it through the characters eyes. I was really disappointed in the regression of the MMC (Kieran - a shadow daddy) at the end. I’m not a fan of that particular trope - I’m going to push you away to protect you - that never works. The FMC (Arken) goes to this prestigious school to get answers about who she is, a goal that seems to get completely disregarded for the majority of the book, despite the fact that that was her main goal. This seemed to be mostly a set up book for the rest of the series, where the players are introduced and some things laid out, but overall not a lot happened from start to finish. The potential for a great story was there, but the book starts with a prophecy and by the end we really only know the key players of the prophecy (which we already knew in the beginning) and nothing else.
NOPE NO NUH-UH
I don’t think it’d be fair of me to give a real rating because the thing that made this book unbearable to me was purely personal preference and doesn’t really reflect on how good or bad this book actually is (even though right now I would like to give it 0 stars)
But if you’re like me and you don’t like it when the main characters fuck around with others then this is NOT the book for you. I’m talking more than halfway into this book and one big plot point for the romance is that the mc‘s still go around fucking other people
I wished I had just known this before reading because then I wouldn’t have bothered because I know that that’s something I HATE in my romance books
I really wanted to dnf several times, and while I am a firm believer in dnfing books it felt wasteful to dnf this at 55% because I’ve already read 350 pages, might as well read the rest and hope that that’s good enough to make me forget my absolute resentment towards the main characters 💀
Besides that I just hate Kieran in general, he’s a terrible mmc ✨
I really appreciate the AuDHD and bisexual rep but that’s about the only thing I liked 😭I don’t know if the fact that the mc‘s annoyed and frustrated me to no end completely clouded my judgement or if I actually despise this book
There was so much to like in this book. Original world, bi FMC and MMC, secret identity but I am 40% and nothing has happened. I can't power through. May come back to it when I'm feeling more patient.
First of all, I would like to thank Harper and NerdFam for giving me the opportunity to read and review the ARC.
Of Blood and Aether by Harper Hawthorne is Book 1 of her Harbingers series. This is her debut novel, even though it doesn't seem like one. I was intrigued by the book's blurb and was excited when I was given the ARC.
Of Blood and Aether is a dark fantasy with intricate world-building and an interesting and complex magic system. The author really took her time to explore and show the depths of the world she has created, and I admire her for it. I was hooked from the prologue. It was dark and intriguing, and it made me want to know more. There is a dark prophecy set to tear the world apart, a prince not willing to succumb to his predestined path, a kingdom of shadows veiled in secret, a world divided into smaller territories ruled by beings older than humans, a girl with hidden powers trying to understand her past, present, and future, a mystery of missing children, an academy for the gifted, etc.
As I've said, the world-building is exquisite, and I really enjoyed this part of the book. However, the pace could have been a bit faster, and some events could've taken place sooner. There is a dual POV, and we follow both Arken, the FMC, and Kieran, the MMC. I wished there was less inner monologue, less description of people and their inventions, and more showing what they did and why. I wanted to know more about the characters, both main and side ones, to know them on a deeper level. The story has a slow-burn romance, and the two of them have some great banter, but I was somehow left lacking for more.
The last 10 percent of the book is filled with events that really speed up the story and open doors for other intriguing scenarios. There is betrayal, secrets, and heartbreak, but I feel a lot will be mended and put into perspective in Book 2.
This was a great debut novel, a good introduction to a new dark fantasy series and I'm excited to see what will happen next.
What can you expect to find in Of Blood and Aether?
❤️ Dual POV dark fantasy romance
❤️ Slow-burn romance with great banter
❤️ Tention, angst & yearning
❤️ Dark prophecy, dangerous secrets
❤️ Hidden identities
❤️ Elemental magic
❤️ Arcane university
If you enjoy these tropes, be sure to give Of Blood and Aether a try!
Of Blood and Aether by Harper Hawthorne is Book 1 of her Harbingers series. This is her debut novel, even though it doesn't seem like one. I was intrigued by the book's blurb and was excited when I was given the ARC.
Of Blood and Aether is a dark fantasy with intricate world-building and an interesting and complex magic system. The author really took her time to explore and show the depths of the world she has created, and I admire her for it. I was hooked from the prologue. It was dark and intriguing, and it made me want to know more. There is a dark prophecy set to tear the world apart, a prince not willing to succumb to his predestined path, a kingdom of shadows veiled in secret, a world divided into smaller territories ruled by beings older than humans, a girl with hidden powers trying to understand her past, present, and future, a mystery of missing children, an academy for the gifted, etc.
As I've said, the world-building is exquisite, and I really enjoyed this part of the book. However, the pace could have been a bit faster, and some events could've taken place sooner. There is a dual POV, and we follow both Arken, the FMC, and Kieran, the MMC. I wished there was less inner monologue, less description of people and their inventions, and more showing what they did and why. I wanted to know more about the characters, both main and side ones, to know them on a deeper level. The story has a slow-burn romance, and the two of them have some great banter, but I was somehow left lacking for more.
The last 10 percent of the book is filled with events that really speed up the story and open doors for other intriguing scenarios. There is betrayal, secrets, and heartbreak, but I feel a lot will be mended and put into perspective in Book 2.
This was a great debut novel, a good introduction to a new dark fantasy series and I'm excited to see what will happen next.
What can you expect to find in Of Blood and Aether?
❤️ Dual POV dark fantasy romance
❤️ Slow-burn romance with great banter
❤️ Tention, angst & yearning
❤️ Dark prophecy, dangerous secrets
❤️ Hidden identities
❤️ Elemental magic
❤️ Arcane university
If you enjoy these tropes, be sure to give Of Blood and Aether a try!