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thingslucyreads's review
The sibling dynamics suck. Consanguinity supremacy is not it. If Gerald’s twinling “isn’t even related to him” then his two older siblings aren’t either, but somehow this hasn’t occurred to him.
samio's review
Felt a bit flat. Side characters were more interesting than MC. MC too whiny
o11's review
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
The concept of this book is really cool: a fantasy world where royals have to choose if they want to be a rescuer or rescuee, then go on quests to find a spouse, but what happens when an aroace prince with no intention of marrying anyone comes of age and changes the system?
The book itself is disappointing. Most of the characters weren't very likable or fleshed out, the plot changed directions too many times and a lot of it ended up happening "off screen". I think it could have worked better as a short story.
The book itself is disappointing. Most of the characters weren't very likable or fleshed out, the plot changed directions too many times and a lot of it ended up happening "off screen". I think it could have worked better as a short story.
gmont's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.75
TL;DR: This was fun, cute, and feels like something I would have liked as a kid, yet fails to hold up as an adult with a more critical mind, especially during the second half.
What I liked: It was fun, moreso when I pictured it playing out like a cute animated film. It has elements I personally love: a diverse cast, mythical creatures, fantasy with a twist, a spotlight on social issues, an interesting premise and plot, and emphasis on the characters. The writing style is simple but not juvenile, so as a slow reader with ADHD who was hooked into the story, I was able to devour it in record time.
The concepts presented were intriguing (I adore the idea of two princes running away together on a dragon and navigating a relationship when one of them is aroace, plus how magic is utilized somewhat like sci-fi technology), the characters were all distinctive in my mind, and I was invested in the main relationship.
What didn't work for me: Heavy-handed and on-the-nose writing, plus lack of development in some areas (by the end it felt like everything revolved around Gerald at the other characters' expense, yet he himself wasn't contributing much). Too much time devoted to Gerald's self-loathing/anxiety/protestations and not enough to highlighting his strengths and likeable traits, which rendered him more annoying than sympathetic, especially over the second half.
I also felt his non-romantic partner, while likable, was barely fleshed out outside of his relationship to the protagonist, so although this relationship was meant to defy norms he ended up as little more than The Love Interest trope. All that said, by the end their relationship wasn't as believable as I wished it was—I couldn't remember why the partner liked the protag nor see what the protagonist offered in their relationship. I was only able to get by because teenagers really are "like that" and deserve more sympathy than they're given, plus there were many time skips wherein they could have had more pleasant moments offscreen, but that doesn't make for a pleasant reading experience with what was shown.
Though I'm not disabled, there was also something off about how the acquired disability storyline was handled as well, as that was when the writing quality truly dipped for me. I'm not informed enough to comment further on this, however.
Finally, the ways Gerald's sexuality and preferences were explored in scenes felt on-the-nose, more like PSAs on social media or modern people talking than truly natural conversations within the setting. I did admire how every point was touched upon—but again, the execution fell short. It would have been nice if Gerald wasn't the only aspec character as well; the fact that this is a fantasy world where every other queer identity has been normalized and accepted except for aspecs seems... poorly thought out, to an extent. I'm aware of infighting within queer communities, but it just struck me as martyr-like at times.
What I liked: It was fun, moreso when I pictured it playing out like a cute animated film. It has elements I personally love: a diverse cast, mythical creatures, fantasy with a twist, a spotlight on social issues, an interesting premise and plot, and emphasis on the characters. The writing style is simple but not juvenile, so as a slow reader with ADHD who was hooked into the story, I was able to devour it in record time.
The concepts presented were intriguing (I adore the idea of two princes running away together on a dragon and navigating a relationship when one of them is aroace, plus how magic is utilized somewhat like sci-fi technology), the characters were all distinctive in my mind, and I was invested in the main relationship.
What didn't work for me: Heavy-handed and on-the-nose writing, plus lack of development in some areas (by the end it felt like everything revolved around Gerald at the other characters' expense, yet he himself wasn't contributing much). Too much time devoted to Gerald's self-loathing/anxiety/protestations and not enough to highlighting his strengths and likeable traits, which rendered him more annoying than sympathetic, especially over the second half.
I also felt his non-romantic partner, while likable, was barely fleshed out outside of his relationship to the protagonist, so although this relationship was meant to defy norms he ended up as little more than The Love Interest trope. All that said, by the end their relationship wasn't as believable as I wished it was—I couldn't remember why the partner liked the protag nor see what the protagonist offered in their relationship. I was only able to get by because teenagers really are "like that" and deserve more sympathy than they're given, plus there were many time skips wherein they could have had more pleasant moments offscreen, but that doesn't make for a pleasant reading experience with what was shown.
Though I'm not disabled, there was also something off about how the acquired disability storyline was handled as well, as that was when the writing quality truly dipped for me. I'm not informed enough to comment further on this, however.
Finally, the ways Gerald's sexuality and preferences were explored in scenes felt on-the-nose, more like PSAs on social media or modern people talking than truly natural conversations within the setting. I did admire how every point was touched upon—but again, the execution fell short. It would have been nice if Gerald wasn't the only aspec character as well; the fact that this is a fantasy world where every other queer identity has been normalized and accepted except for aspecs seems... poorly thought out, to an extent. I'm aware of infighting within queer communities, but it just struck me as martyr-like at times.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Acephobia/Arophobia and Ableism
wallsxx's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
stine_reads's review
4.0
*free copy received from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review*
I love the untraditional twist to this whole story. There's nothing traditional to this fantasy, which I love. I often keep my distance from classic fantasy stories because the whole ''I'm a female and soooo helpless-storyline'' is so, so, so outdated and old.
Fast forward to this story, where you have a world in which being queer is normal, being bigender is normal, being a kick-ass woman is normal and being a guy in need of rescue is normal. Being able to read a twist on the classic fantasy adventure story including all these normals is a breath of fresh air, and very welcome on my bookshelf.
The characters are real and flawed and awesome. To be recommended.
I love the untraditional twist to this whole story. There's nothing traditional to this fantasy, which I love. I often keep my distance from classic fantasy stories because the whole ''I'm a female and soooo helpless-storyline'' is so, so, so outdated and old.
Fast forward to this story, where you have a world in which being queer is normal, being bigender is normal, being a kick-ass woman is normal and being a guy in need of rescue is normal. Being able to read a twist on the classic fantasy adventure story including all these normals is a breath of fresh air, and very welcome on my bookshelf.
The characters are real and flawed and awesome. To be recommended.
ellelainey's review
1.0
DNF'd at 5%
I'm gutted. I really, really wanted to like this book. The cover is gorgeous, the blurb is intriguing, but it's just not my cup of tea.
Gerald is an unlikeable character. All he does is complain, act like a child, and throw tantrums. I didn't like either of the Queens, who were supposed to care about him, and Lila was a spoiled brat who delighted in pushing Gerald's buttons and trying to prove that he was spoiled and she was the one who behaved as was expected.
Then add on the editing issues that appeared right on page 1 and continued throughout, and it just wasn't a book I could bring myself to finish.
If I can't like *at least* one character in the book by 5%, then I'm only going to get frustrated and angry if I keep going. It's better for everyone if I just stop now.
I'm gutted. I really, really wanted to like this book. The cover is gorgeous, the blurb is intriguing, but it's just not my cup of tea.
Gerald is an unlikeable character. All he does is complain, act like a child, and throw tantrums. I didn't like either of the Queens, who were supposed to care about him, and Lila was a spoiled brat who delighted in pushing Gerald's buttons and trying to prove that he was spoiled and she was the one who behaved as was expected.
Then add on the editing issues that appeared right on page 1 and continued throughout, and it just wasn't a book I could bring myself to finish.
If I can't like *at least* one character in the book by 5%, then I'm only going to get frustrated and angry if I keep going. It's better for everyone if I just stop now.
iam's review against another edition
4.0
"I don't want to be married!" he shouted at the wall. "I don't want to fall in love! I don't want to sleep with anyone! Why is that such a problem for everyone?!"This was very charming!
Read this review and more on the blog.!
Content warnings include: aphobia (both internalized and from outside), suicidal ideation, (magical) animal abuse, character gets drugged and enchanted against their will, character becomes physically disabled after suffering a serious injury.
Royal Rescue is the lovely story of a bunch of teens and a dragon overthrowing a nonsensical tradition of royal rescuers and rescuees. It's also the story of an aromantic and asexual teen struggling with both the external prejudice he faces because of his identity as well as the internal consequences.
I absolutely adored finally getting my hands on a YA fantasy book with an aro ace protagonist at the center! It definitely would have helped me as a teen.
The protagonist Gerald's asexuality is definitely one of if not the main focus of the book. It's not a story about discovering your own identity - Gerald is very sure of that - but rather of dealing with other peoples' reaction to it and finding (self-) acceptance. As such, there are so many important conversations about asexuality and being aromantic, both really basic ones and more individual ones. Gerald is also sex-repulsed (and probably touch-averse to a certain degree) and does not want a romantic relationship. Being aro ace myself I was able to relate to him a lot, down to him not always being able to put his feelings into words.
As part of these conversations there is also a lot of aphobia. Most other people in the book (and honestly, real life) can't wrap their head around not feeling attraction, and they don't listen to or don't believe Gerald when he talks about his experiences - aro and/or ace readers should be aware that this book contains basically every possible (negative/ignorant) reaction to coming out as ace/aro.
Gerald also deals with a lot of internalized aphobia, both in combination from what he is told by other people and from his other struggles with not feeling like he's fitting in and being uncomfortable in crowds. This is intensified by other events happening in the middle of the book that made these feelings even worse.
I also really liked that Gerald was frequently worried and anxious. He is not a brave and daring hero but often unsure and doesn't know how to proceeded or if his actions are right. Combined with his struggles about his identity and self acceptance that made for a rather bleak reading experience at times, and it dragged a little in between, but I didn't mind too much. Overall it's definitely not an unhappy book - there is a quite present humor and a few running jokes.
I shortly want to address the book's blurb: I found it to be a bit misleading. I didn't immediately realize it would have not just an aro ace protagonist and feature his identity as such a core part of the plot, but I also expected the book to be rather homophobic/queerphobic. It isn't, and that's very obvious from the start - Gerald has two mothers, and non-binary peoples' existence is acknowledged very early too (though there was one or two instances of very cis-normative language.)
On both counts this ended up being a very positive surprise for me.
Another thing I liked was the use of magic. The two-way "chatroom" scroll and the interactive maps were super cool and very innovative!
I also liked the big cast of side characters - I wish they had played bigger roles and appeared more often, especially non-antagonistic female characters. There were also several non-binary characters and a variety of POC characters.
Also, dragons!!!!
Overall I enjoyed Royal Rescue a lot. It's not perfect, but a wonderfully charming debut with a combination of genre tropes, plot and characters that I adored!
I received an ARC and reviewed honestly & voluntarily.
lady_moon's review against another edition
5.0
Rep: aroace MC (with anxiety?) who becomes temporarily(?) disabled due to injury , achilliean Middle Eastern-coded character, sapphic side characters, enby side characters, queernormative world
If you look up the word 'underrated' in a dictionary, you will find a picture of this book.
If you look up the word 'underrated' in a dictionary, you will find a picture of this book.
leannj's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
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
4.5
I really liked the earnest examination of a premise that could have just become an excuse to kick off the story. Instead, the author takes the time to unpack how harmful the systems that are backing the world-building of this world can be. It is possible that you might find the parallels too on the nose or going way too much into detail, but those aspects of the book appealed to me. Mostly, I was rooting really hard for the main character to find their footing and confidence in all parts of their self-identity.