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emmmysue's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Starts out slow, but races towards a grueling cliff hanger in the final chapters.
Content Warnings
Graphic: War and Violence
Moderate: Toxic relationship and Gore
lilly_reads98's review against another edition
challenging
dark
tense
slow-paced
1.25
Freya and Bjorn and their connection is the only good thing in this book. His protectiveness and her character development are what I enjoyed the most, I really hated the world and all the other characters. Nobody talks about how violent this is, the description and the reviews do not convey at all that this book is violent or gorey, so I just had no idea it would be that way. My favorite books are usually books that can make me smile and have more than just 2 likeable characters, so it’s hard for me to be happy with a book that like only has 2 likeable characters and an unenjoyable plot. Like I know not every book is meant to be lighthearted and I can still enjoy those sometimes, but I don’t enjoy when most of the plot is violent and making the main character mad because I feel the emotions of the main character. I just hate books where the characters in power are trying to control the main character and take away their freedom and choices. Freya is so selfless and yet every character still treats her like crap even when she puts their lives above her own and protects them. It’s just not enjoyable to read. I hate Ylva and Snorri. I got so tired of reading the words ‘fate’ and ‘gods’ and truly didn’t enjoy any of the scenes unless it was with Freya and Bjorn. Also, This is mostly a book about war.
I liked meeting Bjorn initially because I thought he would get Freya out of her marriage and I thought it was amusing. But then after he does somewhat help in that I just hate all the way the men talk about marriage. He’s the only character that I like besides Freya. The world they live in of marrying not for love is not what I enjoy reading. I started skimming at page 70 because I wanted to get to more enjoyable parts of the story but it wasn’t happening. I like when Freya are Bjorn are interacting but then I’m offended for Freya when he’s like not acting like he likes her anymore for a while. I had heard that the love interest has to protect the main character and train with her and that’s why I wanted to read this, that and I do want to read more fantasy romance. But the beginning is just so unenjoyable. And then it continued to be mostly unenjoyable the whole book. I kept going because I like training in books, but by page 250 they had only one training scene so I was like okay there probably won’t be any more and there wasn’t. I’m disappointed that the romance isn’t focused on more. Like I truly don’t get why all of these fantasy romance books don’t actually focus on the romance that much until the end of the book. I loved Fourth Wing so I have been wanting to read more fantasy romance, but like how am I the only one confused and disappointed by the romance taking the backseat of the plot? It’s also frustrating to me that most books I try to read lately do not interest me in the beginning and take hundreds of pages to get good. I’ve been dnfing so many books lately around page 50-150 if I’m not enjoying it but I did try harder with this one because I want to give it more of a chance since the parts I thought I would like hadn’t really happened yet. The way the main character only thinks about Bjorn as wanting him physically is also annoying and cringey. I’d rather read them falling in love but that’s just not shown to us very much. Freya does actually think later that she feels for him in her heart as well, but this story is just not for me at all. I like a more lighthearted book where the characters fall in love and the physical parts come after that. My rating is also not just based on my dislike and this book not being for me, I also found it just long and slow and repetitive. Every time Bjorn shows up, it’s written the same way. Freya turns around to find him standing there. Like the author could put more variety to how he shows up in a scene. Most of the characters are unlikeable. The plot revolves around something a seer said that may or may not be true. Freya repetitively has flashes of anger and all the other characters are also repetitive with their controlling and cruel nature. So much of the book is spent just talking about Freya. I don’t think those things make a good book. There are some lighthearted moments that made me keep going otherwise I would have dnfed this. I had a feeling that I wouldn’t enjoy the book until it focused more on the romance and that was correct, on page 351 I was like aww because of Freya and Bjorn and the only reason why I wanted to keep reading was to see them be together.
Spoiler thoughts / I liked how Freya was finally putting herself first and how he had been wanting her to and how protective he is of her. Bjorn is the best thing about this book and the stars I gave are just for him, I truly did not enjoy this book. I feel like the second one might be better since it might focus more on Freya and Bjorn but that’s only if she forgives him. I have felt with a lot of books lately that I might enjoy the second one more since it takes a first book to develop the characters and their relationship and then the book ends before we really get to see what they do after the ending.
page 381 made me somewhat glad I had pushed through the book because he is probably one of the best love interests I’ve read. And then the ending was actually getting good and I was happy they were getting a happy ending, but then of course the author ruins that at the end. The screaming and the main character abandoning all respect and love for Bjorn because of something he did that wasn’t even that bad was awful. I wanted her to just calm down and not be so mad at him. I literally never want to try any more fantasy romance if they’re all going to be like this and Serpent & The Wings of Night. It’s so toxic the way that the characters fall in love but then Freya just curses at him and threatens him after she finds out what he didn’t tell her.
I liked meeting Bjorn initially because I thought he would get Freya out of her marriage and I thought it was amusing. But then after he does somewhat help in that I just hate all the way the men talk about marriage. He’s the only character that I like besides Freya. The world they live in of marrying not for love is not what I enjoy reading. I started skimming at page 70 because I wanted to get to more enjoyable parts of the story but it wasn’t happening. I like when Freya are Bjorn are interacting but then I’m offended for Freya when he’s like not acting like he likes her anymore for a while. I had heard that the love interest has to protect the main character and train with her and that’s why I wanted to read this, that and I do want to read more fantasy romance. But the beginning is just so unenjoyable. And then it continued to be mostly unenjoyable the whole book. I kept going because I like training in books, but by page 250 they had only one training scene so I was like okay there probably won’t be any more and there wasn’t. I’m disappointed that the romance isn’t focused on more. Like I truly don’t get why all of these fantasy romance books don’t actually focus on the romance that much until the end of the book. I loved Fourth Wing so I have been wanting to read more fantasy romance, but like how am I the only one confused and disappointed by the romance taking the backseat of the plot? It’s also frustrating to me that most books I try to read lately do not interest me in the beginning and take hundreds of pages to get good. I’ve been dnfing so many books lately around page 50-150 if I’m not enjoying it but I did try harder with this one because I want to give it more of a chance since the parts I thought I would like hadn’t really happened yet. The way the main character only thinks about Bjorn as wanting him physically is also annoying and cringey. I’d rather read them falling in love but that’s just not shown to us very much. Freya does actually think later that she feels for him in her heart as well, but this story is just not for me at all. I like a more lighthearted book where the characters fall in love and the physical parts come after that. My rating is also not just based on my dislike and this book not being for me, I also found it just long and slow and repetitive. Every time Bjorn shows up, it’s written the same way. Freya turns around to find him standing there. Like the author could put more variety to how he shows up in a scene. Most of the characters are unlikeable. The plot revolves around something a seer said that may or may not be true. Freya repetitively has flashes of anger and all the other characters are also repetitive with their controlling and cruel nature. So much of the book is spent just talking about Freya. I don’t think those things make a good book. There are some lighthearted moments that made me keep going otherwise I would have dnfed this. I had a feeling that I wouldn’t enjoy the book until it focused more on the romance and that was correct, on page 351 I was like aww because of Freya and Bjorn and the only reason why I wanted to keep reading was to see them be together.
Spoiler thoughts / I liked how Freya was finally putting herself first and how he had been wanting her to and how protective he is of her. Bjorn is the best thing about this book and the stars I gave are just for him, I truly did not enjoy this book. I feel like the second one might be better since it might focus more on Freya and Bjorn but that’s only if she forgives him. I have felt with a lot of books lately that I might enjoy the second one more since it takes a first book to develop the characters and their relationship and then the book ends before we really get to see what they do after the ending.
page 381 made me somewhat glad I had pushed through the book because he is probably one of the best love interests I’ve read. And then the ending was actually getting good and I was happy they were getting a happy ending, but then of course the author ruins that at the end. The screaming and the main character abandoning all respect and love for Bjorn because of something he did that wasn’t even that bad was awful. I wanted her to just calm down and not be so mad at him. I literally never want to try any more fantasy romance if they’re all going to be like this and Serpent & The Wings of Night. It’s so toxic the way that the characters fall in love but then Freya just curses at him and threatens him after she finds out what he didn’t tell her.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Toxic relationship, Injury/Injury detail, Grief, Blood, Sexual content, Death of parent, Death, Fire/Fire injury, War, Vomit, Suicide attempt, Gore, Murder, Violence, and Cursing
relin's review
adventurous
challenging
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
5.0
The world building was very engaging and let you in with out much in the way for lore dumps. The relationship between Freya and Bjorn was spicy and fun to read, even if we had a bit of 'but my duty means I can't'. I hope there is more in the series! Absolutely worth a reread.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, War, Blood, Death, Sexual content, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, and Medical content
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Sexism, Toxic relationship, Vomit, Fire/Fire injury, and Alcohol
Kind ofdalek_caan's review against another edition
adventurous
reflective
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
This was a fun read, while it was pretty predictable I enjoyed the mythology aspects of the book, it was fun to read something a bit different.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Slavery, War, Suicide attempt, Toxic relationship, Death, and Murder
sheebsbooks's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
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
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Toxic relationship, Death, Death of parent, Gore, Gaslighting, Sexism, Violence, Blood, Fire/Fire injury, Emotional abuse, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, and Murder
eviemayhem's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
For the most part, this book was enjoyable. I liked the setting and the premise of Viking demi-gods, however, at certain times things felt out of place. Bjorn was probably the most loveable character and I had a really hard time connecting to Freya. I probably connected better with every other character in the book. The spice scenes often felt out of place or forced with where they were placed in the story and some of the dialogue felt too modern for the time period. Overall, I enjoyed the world building and the story itself so I will probably read the second one.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Death, Emotional abuse, Domestic abuse, Murder, and Toxic relationship
emtaylor0217's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence
Moderate: Toxic relationship and War
Minor: Kidnapping and Murder
gpfot's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing, Bullying, Death, Alcohol, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, War, Gore, Slavery, Toxic relationship, Violence, Sexual content, Classism, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Grief, Vomit, Blood, Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail, and Murder
lovelymisanthrope's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
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
3.0
I received a copy of this book as part of my subscription to FairyLoot.
Freya has always dreamed of being more and fighting in battle. When her husband betrays her, she is forced to reveal to everyone that she is a shield maiden and has been blessed by the gods with incredible gifts. In order to keep Freya safe, Bjorn is tied to her via blood oath, because Bjorn is a fierce and ruthless warrior, and Freya's new husband's son. Now Freya is torn about who to protect, and trying to fight the desires she has on her own.
This is a smutty adult fantasy, so if you enjoy high stakes, high action, and sultry scenes, this might be the next fantasy for you.
Freya was an admirable character, and she seemed to have noble reasons for the decisions she makes, but I did not love her. Freya is so caught up in this idea that she has to protect her family and make decisions that are good for them, that she completely loses herself and what she wants as a person. Additionally, the people she is trying so desperately to protect clearly do not care about her in the same way, and it is infuriating to watch Freya bend over backwards for these people when they can barely bat an eyelash for her. Overall, she felt like a weak protagonist to me, but I hope that she has some personal growth throughout the series.
The magic system felt very approachable. I was able to follow along easily, and everything made sense. However, it was complex enough to keep my attention. This is definitely a difficult line to ride, especially with an introduction to a new fantasy series. Freya's magic was fascinating, and I really enjoyed the mystery around why she was blessed (or cursed) by the gods.
Freya and Bjorn seem pretty good together. It is difficult to determine in this book what everyone's true intentions are, but I am rooting for the pair to be together. I love how Bjorn is forcing Freya to see she is worth more than she is giving herself credit for.
I was pretty irate by the ending of this book, which, in this context, is probably a sign of quality writing. The book ends with a lot of unresolved issues, and what I believe is a major misunderstanding. It made me curious to pick up the next book, but I was also really upset by the outcome.
I will likely pick up the next book out of curiosity.
Freya has always dreamed of being more and fighting in battle. When her husband betrays her, she is forced to reveal to everyone that she is a shield maiden and has been blessed by the gods with incredible gifts. In order to keep Freya safe, Bjorn is tied to her via blood oath, because Bjorn is a fierce and ruthless warrior, and Freya's new husband's son. Now Freya is torn about who to protect, and trying to fight the desires she has on her own.
This is a smutty adult fantasy, so if you enjoy high stakes, high action, and sultry scenes, this might be the next fantasy for you.
Freya was an admirable character, and she seemed to have noble reasons for the decisions she makes, but I did not love her. Freya is so caught up in this idea that she has to protect her family and make decisions that are good for them, that she completely loses herself and what she wants as a person. Additionally, the people she is trying so desperately to protect clearly do not care about her in the same way, and it is infuriating to watch Freya bend over backwards for these people when they can barely bat an eyelash for her. Overall, she felt like a weak protagonist to me, but I hope that she has some personal growth throughout the series.
The magic system felt very approachable. I was able to follow along easily, and everything made sense. However, it was complex enough to keep my attention. This is definitely a difficult line to ride, especially with an introduction to a new fantasy series. Freya's magic was fascinating, and I really enjoyed the mystery around why she was blessed (or cursed) by the gods.
Freya and Bjorn seem pretty good together. It is difficult to determine in this book what everyone's true intentions are, but I am rooting for the pair to be together. I love how Bjorn is forcing Freya to see she is worth more than she is giving herself credit for.
I was pretty irate by the ending of this book, which, in this context, is probably a sign of quality writing. The book ends with a lot of unresolved issues, and what I believe is a major misunderstanding. It made me curious to pick up the next book, but I was also really upset by the outcome.
I will likely pick up the next book out of curiosity.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, War, Toxic relationship, Sexual content, Violence, Blood, Murder, Torture, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Kidnapping and Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Pregnancy
booksthatburn's review against another edition
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
I liked the beginning, got frustrated in the middle, and didn't like the ending.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Sexism, Excrement, Violence, Death, Toxic relationship, Fire/Fire injury, Blood, Death of parent, Murder, Misogyny, Emotional abuse, Vomit, Gore, Domestic abuse, and War