Reviews - Prince of the Sorrows

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804 reviews for:

So first of all, what you need to know before reading this is that it has a cliffhanger. A terrible cliffhanger! And also, this is more fantasy than romance. It’s very magical, with fey of all types. High fey and pixies and pucas and selkies. In that way it has similar vibes to The Folk of the Air. And also the way the humans are treated terribly and the way that Prince Cylvan acts in the beginning. He was very much a Cruel Prince. The book is entirely from the POV of Saffron, a human changeling servant. It was slow burn. And there was one intimate scene near the end. It was not fade to black but it was sort of artistically described in a way that was vague but you could still tell what was going on.

And that was an issue I had with most of the book. The writing style was too symbolic. I’m not sure what to call it but for example, there was a scene where Saffron touched Cylvan’s face and he thought to himself he had to be careful to not cut himself on the sharp edges. And I was so confused about what was happening. Why would Cylvan’s face cut Saffron? Until I realized that it was supposed to be a metaphor about Cylvan’s sharp personality. I didn’t like the extra effort it took to follow the story because of this. But for some ppl I’m sure it would be fine. Since I’m autistic, I might just be taking it too literally. I don’t think I will be continuing the series.

k_champagne's review against another edition

4.0

Wow literally everyone in this book so punchable. Like, I visualized my fist impaling a perfect fae face at least once every page turn.

Loved it tho

znaintsbh's review against another edition

5.0

I thoroughly enjoyed Prince of the Sorrows. The uniqueness of the world, magic system and political intrigue are a breath of fresh air. I typically shy away from fantasy plots that take place in an academic setting BUT this book utilizes the academic setting as a backdrop location of events that emphasizes the hierarchical dynamic between the elves and humans. I love the relationship dynamic between Saffron and Cylvan and Kellen Graves does a wonderful job of writing so that the reader feels the emotions of the characters.

I found that I enjoyed reading from Saffron’s point of view and it was written well but I do wish I got to read from Cylvan’s point of view. I feel that without that component the transition from Cylvan bullying Saffron to not being able to exist without Saffron was lacking in development. Was Cylvan always drawn to Saffron or was it developed over time due to proximity?

I’m excited to move on to book 2 and see how all the tidbits of plots come together and how Saffron and Cylvan’s relationship develops.

hannah_rose_reading's review against another edition

DNFing this one at 25%

hikami_d's review against another edition

5.0

The beginning was truly tedious, to the point that I skimmed the first 15-20% which consisted mainly of bullying, or "Saffron's guide how shitty life is being a lowly beantighe/human-servant". But after that?

It was like a pebble, rolling down a hill, raking and taking with it more and more gravel until a giant landslide was coming your way and pinning you to the pages. The cliffhanger? Man, I need the sequel ASAP! Overall, a solid 5⭐

meaganlopez20's review against another edition

4.0

This relationship felt genuinely organic in how it built and how you saw each character be able to trust pieces of themselves in each other.

Also can I just say how refreshing it is that Saffron is legitimately naive the whole time and doesn't suddenly become some super savvy person overnight who has been made aware of Bad Things™️, like he is genuinely navigating the world with HIS viewpoint and understanding and I love it.

reesegraham's review against another edition

5.0

i can't tell you anything about my day, but i can tell you everything i read, felt, and loved about this book

i had to take a break from reading when I was a few chapters from the end, as i was actually shaking and couldn't see the words any more - needless to say, the writing was absolutely phenomenal

i genuinely fell in love with so many of the characters (except for a certain few who can go fuck themselves. they know who they are). every one of them was extremely well-written, and demanded my attention in some way

on one hand, i wish i had read this sooner, as now i can't imagine a life without this story. on the other hand, however, i'm so glad i waited until part 2 was out so i don't have to wait another second to dive back into this world

there are many more things i could say, but then i would be here all day and that would cut into the time i could be using to read part 2, so i'll just say this - please, please please, if this book sounds even vaguely interesting, read this book!!!