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ardhyahayu's review against another edition
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: War, Torture, Sexual content, Gore, Cursing, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Death, and Blood
meg_k_white's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.0
I liked this, but I wasn't blown away, and some things really bothered me. The fantasy and paranormal aspects were fun to read, and the spice was spicy and sprinkled throughout. I also really liked the personal growth Isolde went through as she learns the truth about the world she was apparently sheltered from. I didn’t like the petty girl fights or the fixation on Isolde’s breasts.
***SPOILERS***
I really didn't like the reincarnation trope in the sense that everyone knew who Isolde was except her. And even after she did realize who she was... She was still Isolde? But did her entourage like her for who she was or for who she is? This lowered my rating.
I also didn't like that Isolde's people are enslaved... And that they are the only POC in the story. And that her father kept it a secret not only from her but also from her mother... And was everyone else in the kingdom kept in the dark? Or did they not tell Isolde either? This lowered my rating even more.
Bottom line, I won't be reading book two.
***SPOILERS***
I really didn't like the reincarnation trope in the sense that everyone knew who Isolde was except her. And even after she did realize who she was... She was still Isolde? But did her entourage like her for who she was or for who she is? This lowered my rating.
I also didn't like that Isolde's people are enslaved... And that they are the only POC in the story. And that her father kept it a secret not only from her but also from her mother... And was everyone else in the kingdom kept in the dark? Or did they not tell Isolde either? This lowered my rating even more.
Bottom line, I won't be reading book two.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Fire/Fire injury, Death of parent, Violence, Blood, Racism, Grief, Sexual content, Slavery, and Injury/Injury detail
hanschub's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
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
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Fire/Fire injury, Violence, Murder, Death, Gore, Blood, and Death of parent
simpledifficulties's review against another edition
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
18+
(I cannot stress enough how 18+ this book is.)
I've seen some other reviews and I totally get that this book isn't for everyone. The romance is incredibly fast-paced, like love-at-first-sight kind of fast-paced. The plot, on the other hand, is very slow-paced. If you're looking for something action-packed, this just isn't for you. If you're looking for a character-driven fantasy romance with the promise of action in later books, pick this one up.
While the novel touches upon larger conflicts to be developed throughout the rest of the series, it acts more as an introduction to those conflicts than anything else. Some hints of a larger conflict are sprinkled throughout, but don't come to the forefront until the last 50 pages or so. The main conflict involves Isolde's acceptance of herself as she adjusts to life in a new kingdom and learns some hard truths about what she thought she knew. Oh, and the fact that she's falling for the enemy We follow her as she explores her new home by trying traditional foods, visiting the local market, and reading old journals in the library among other things. There are very few epic battles and we don't get much information about the big bad until very near the end. We mostly see Adrian and Isolde living their "normal" lives, and this is exactly what I was looking for in a novel.
I do have some complaints, though:
While I'm not one to shy away from explicit content, in this book sex is literally around every corner. Isolde will go for a walk outside and run into a couple having sex, or enter the library and find the librarian having sex. This type of discovery happens several times throughout the ~400 pages and doesn't serve any purpose other than to indicate which characters are coupled.
St. Clair names all the horses. Seriously. And I love that. We have Midnight, and Shadow, and Elli, and Snow. Then St. Clair kills Midnight and Snow, and Shadow runs off never to be seen again. To be honest, it's not even clear to me Elli's fate. Why name the horses only to kill them pages later?
I have more, but to be honest I can't think of any at the moment, so I'll add them when I do.
(I cannot stress enough how 18+ this book is.)
I've seen some other reviews and I totally get that this book isn't for everyone. The romance is incredibly fast-paced, like love-at-first-sight kind of fast-paced. The plot, on the other hand, is very slow-paced. If you're looking for something action-packed, this just isn't for you. If you're looking for a character-driven fantasy romance with the promise of action in later books, pick this one up.
While the novel touches upon larger conflicts to be developed throughout the rest of the series, it acts more as an introduction to those conflicts than anything else. Some hints of a larger conflict are sprinkled throughout, but don't come to the forefront until the last 50 pages or so. The main conflict involves Isolde's acceptance of herself as she adjusts to life in a new kingdom and learns some hard truths about what she thought she knew. Oh, and the fact that she's falling for the enemy We follow her as she explores her new home by trying traditional foods, visiting the local market, and reading old journals in the library among other things. There are very few epic battles and we don't get much information about the big bad until very near the end. We mostly see Adrian and Isolde living their "normal" lives, and this is exactly what I was looking for in a novel.
I do have some complaints, though:
While I'm not one to shy away from explicit content, in this book sex is literally around every corner. Isolde will go for a walk outside and run into a couple having sex, or enter the library and find the librarian having sex. This type of discovery happens several times throughout the ~400 pages and doesn't serve any purpose other than to indicate which characters are coupled.
St. Clair names all the horses. Seriously. And I love that. We have Midnight, and Shadow, and Elli, and Snow. Then St. Clair kills Midnight and Snow, and Shadow runs off never to be seen again. To be honest, it's not even clear to me Elli's fate. Why name the horses only to kill them pages later?
I have more, but to be honest I can't think of any at the moment, so I'll add them when I do.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Death of parent, Animal death, and Fire/Fire injury
edna_gio's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-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
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Death, Murder, Blood, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, and Genocide
ooflasagna's review against another edition
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
My favorite book :) I loved the relationship between the main characters, and it's a slowburn kinda deal. Has sexual content in abundance, but I personally believe it's rushed each time (unless important to the story) and is added on a whim.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Violence, Body horror, Gore, and Sexual content
Moderate: Fire/Fire injury
Minor: War
mycutykoala's review against another edition
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing, Death, Fire/Fire injury, and Sexual content
Moderate: Death, Gore, Grief, Misogyny, Murder, Torture, Death of parent, Blood, and Violence
Minor: Alcohol, Physical abuse, Animal death, Child death, and Slavery
triggs4780's review against another edition
dark
emotional
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death
Moderate: Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, and Cursing
alinka_spe's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: War, Fire/Fire injury, Death, and Blood
Minor: Child death and Death of parent
frog_appreciator's review
3.5
I was expecting purely smut so was pleasantly surprised there was a plot as well. However the worldbuilding and execution was thin.The sex was hot and I appreciate how important consent was. I do wish they didn’t fuck or “make love” when he finally drank her blood and all her memories came back. I think the moment would have been more intimate and special without sex. Also the jealousy thing was a bit overdone and what was the need for his constant erection lmao. Another big thing was Isolde seemed to be meant to be a diverse character in the sense we were told she was but then she wasn’t written as such. It was mentioned once she was midsize(?)and then dropped, and she was only referenced as mixed race when talking about how people look at her funny. Also struck me as icky that this nation of Black or Brown ppls only function in the narrative was to be enslaved, as something to be a big reveal to fuck with the MCs relationships? Like ooh they didn’t tell her that her ppl are enslaved like huh gross Overall though I did enjoy reading it, despite being predictable, it was fun.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Violence, and Fire/Fire injury