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jinja's review against another edition
4.25
This story was surprisingly sweet and well written. I wish there was a part 2
kieranl's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
lighthearted
tense
medium-paced
4.0
Dragons and sorcerers and queer men. What's not to love honestly?
4starsaiyan's review against another edition
3.0
Not a bad start, but very cliché. Some interesting plot points are introduced.
qaised's review against another edition
4.0
Listen, it wasn't terribly sophisticated and the plot was pretty predictable. But it was great fun, and I enjoyed all of the characters. For what is essentially a romance disguised as a fantasy, the fantasy elements were very intriguing (which kind of sucks, seeing as there hasn't been follow-up to the series). On top of that, the characters were actually well fleshed out. Our protagonists were more caricature-like than is ideal, but the romance was fun and more than made up for it.
The oddly stand-out part of the book for me were the minor characters, who all felt extremely fleshed out and real. Orion and Aiden in particular were very well written characters - intriguing and yet wholly relatable in their motivations, especially as we learned more about them.
My one complaint with the plot is a bit dual-edged. Without spoiling anything, the entire first half of the book is spent in dreadful anticipation of what will happen when Ingram's secret is spilled but... nothing does? And the part of me that was reading for fun romance appreciated this a lot more than the part of me reading for plot. What that means is - the lack of logical fallout from what was set up to be a conflict made it very easy for our protagonists to spend more time together, but very difficult for the romance to actually feel like it had stakes other than death - and even those stakes didn't feel very real.
But all that said, I thoroughly enjoyed it!
The oddly stand-out part of the book for me were the minor characters, who all felt extremely fleshed out and real. Orion and Aiden in particular were very well written characters - intriguing and yet wholly relatable in their motivations, especially as we learned more about them.
My one complaint with the plot is a bit dual-edged. Without spoiling anything, the entire first half of the book is spent in dreadful anticipation of what will happen when Ingram's secret is spilled but... nothing does? And the part of me that was reading for fun romance appreciated this a lot more than the part of me reading for plot. What that means is - the lack of logical fallout from what was set up to be a conflict made it very easy for our protagonists to spend more time together, but very difficult for the romance to actually feel like it had stakes other than death - and even those stakes didn't feel very real.
But all that said, I thoroughly enjoyed it!
scarlett_r_90's review against another edition
4.0
I was unsure on how to rate this. The book was very good, and the world-building was one of the best I've read for quite a while. I could picture each place clearly in my mind, though I think the descriptions of the locations and personalities of the characters were better than the physical descriptions of the characters. That isn't really important though, to be honest, as it did not detract from the story. Likewise, the lack of explicit sex worked in the book, and I think was absolutely right - describing Ingram and Mallory having sex in detail would've spoiled the characters a bit, I think. I'm not sure what, but I can't help but feel that they wouldn't have 'fit' in the story the way they currently do. So I am very glad for Isabella Carter leaving that out!
The plot is a good one, and is quite complex at parts, especially in the second half of the book - I won't go into more detail lest I spoil it, but there are a considerable number of twists in the story, even if the King's reaction to Ingram's eventual decision on his loyalty was unsurprising.
I was really disappointed that it ended so abruptly, and that no sequel currently exists. I wasn't aware that the story wasn't contained within the one book, so reaching a page entitled 'epilogue' when the story is still only half-way through was a bit of a shock! Still, I enjoy the way a gay romance and a high fantasy world and plot have been fused together, because it's rarely done right or well. The way same-sex couplings were thought of and contained within Carter's world seemed natural and unforced; especially as so many struggle to get this on point too.
Basically, I recommend anyone who enjoys both high fantasies and MM romance to read this, I really do, but they should be aware that the story is not finished, and no sequel seems to have been announced yet. I shall keep an eye out for it though, and certainly read it when it is published.
The plot is a good one, and is quite complex at parts, especially in the second half of the book - I won't go into more detail lest I spoil it, but there are a considerable number of twists in the story, even if the King's reaction to Ingram's eventual decision on his loyalty was unsurprising.
I was really disappointed that it ended so abruptly, and that no sequel currently exists. I wasn't aware that the story wasn't contained within the one book, so reaching a page entitled 'epilogue' when the story is still only half-way through was a bit of a shock! Still, I enjoy the way a gay romance and a high fantasy world and plot have been fused together, because it's rarely done right or well. The way same-sex couplings were thought of and contained within Carter's world seemed natural and unforced; especially as so many struggle to get this on point too.
Basically, I recommend anyone who enjoys both high fantasies and MM romance to read this, I really do, but they should be aware that the story is not finished, and no sequel seems to have been announced yet. I shall keep an eye out for it though, and certainly read it when it is published.
pleasureinatrocities's review against another edition
2.0
There was a lack of world building, lackluster characters, no chemistry between the main characters and when they finally got together, it was fade to black. Definitely not reading the sequel.
Summary: Ingram, a prince hated by his father, marries a northern lord because his father wants him to find evidence the lord is planning a rebellion.
Summary: Ingram, a prince hated by his father, marries a northern lord because his father wants him to find evidence the lord is planning a rebellion.
resquamnarrabo's review
adventurous
fast-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
2.0
scarlett__r90's review against another edition
4.0
I was unsure on how to rate this. The book was very good, and the world-building was one of the best I've read for quite a while. I could picture each place clearly in my mind, though I think the descriptions of the locations and personalities of the characters were better than the physical descriptions of the characters. That isn't really important though, to be honest, as it did not detract from the story. Likewise, the lack of explicit sex worked in the book, and I think was absolutely right - describing Ingram and Mallory having sex in detail would've spoiled the characters a bit, I think. I'm not sure what, but I can't help but feel that they wouldn't have 'fit' in the story the way they currently do. So I am very glad for Isabella Carter leaving that out!
The plot is a good one, and is quite complex at parts, especially in the second half of the book - I won't go into more detail lest I spoil it, but there are a considerable number of twists in the story, even if the King's reaction to Ingram's eventual decision on his loyalty was unsurprising.
I was really disappointed that it ended so abruptly, and that no sequel currently exists. I wasn't aware that the story wasn't contained within the one book, so reaching a page entitled 'epilogue' when the story is still only half-way through was a bit of a shock! Still, I enjoy the way a gay romance and a high fantasy world and plot have been fused together, because it's rarely done right or well. The way same-sex couplings were thought of and contained within Carter's world seemed natural and unforced; especially as so many struggle to get this on point too.
Basically, I recommend anyone who enjoys both high fantasies and MM romance to read this, I really do, but they should be aware that the story is not finished, and no sequel seems to have been announced yet. I shall keep an eye out for it though, and certainly read it when it is published.
The plot is a good one, and is quite complex at parts, especially in the second half of the book - I won't go into more detail lest I spoil it, but there are a considerable number of twists in the story, even if the King's reaction to Ingram's eventual decision on his loyalty was unsurprising.
I was really disappointed that it ended so abruptly, and that no sequel currently exists. I wasn't aware that the story wasn't contained within the one book, so reaching a page entitled 'epilogue' when the story is still only half-way through was a bit of a shock! Still, I enjoy the way a gay romance and a high fantasy world and plot have been fused together, because it's rarely done right or well. The way same-sex couplings were thought of and contained within Carter's world seemed natural and unforced; especially as so many struggle to get this on point too.
Basically, I recommend anyone who enjoys both high fantasies and MM romance to read this, I really do, but they should be aware that the story is not finished, and no sequel seems to have been announced yet. I shall keep an eye out for it though, and certainly read it when it is published.