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3.8 AVERAGE
3.8 AVERAGE
I really liked this book. It was my first official book centered on a male/male relationship. Before it was just fanfiction. It was an easy read story flowed well and the characters were very likable. Will definitely read more from this author.
emotional
hopeful
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
5 Stars!
I’ve not read a lot from Hale, but I’ve been consistently impressed with the writing and especially, the unique world building that is present in all of her stories. Admittedly, I’m typically not one for “demons” in my books, but in this world the definition is not traditional, and I was thrilled to realize that this shares the same setting as that of [b:The Counterfeit Viscount|53795469|The Counterfeit Viscount|Ginn Hale|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1591178601l/53795469._SX50_.jpg|84115274] which I greatly enjoyed. Here is an absolutely wondrous dark fantasy that depicts a society that is starkly and socially divided between humans and the half demon “prodigals” who have very little rights or privileges.
There’s two separate intertwined stories that bring ruined, drug addicted prodigal Belimai, in contact with law enforcement priest Captain Harper. Part one is mainly a missing persons mystery as Harper employs Belimai’s help in finding his sister, and the second story focuses on Harper being neck deep in corruption and cover ups, ultimately endangering Harper’s position as an Inquisitor as he tries to save Belimai from being wrongly targeted for a crime he didn’t commit.
This is definitely atmospheric storytelling. A heavy weight is felt not only in the set up but also the growing feelings between Belimai and Harper, where friendship is barely tolerated and love cannot, and will not, be accepted.
Nothing is rushed here. This is layered and complex. The romance is never overt, and any small gains were oh so satisfying and eagerly gobbled up. Apparently, while I’m always up for explicit romance, I also straddle the other end of the line, reveling in stories that are rife with the insecurity and doubt, doling out small morsels of goodness, the tinier the better and more impactful, each taken and treasured dearly.
If I regularly reread books, this would be on automatic rotation. This was a wholly satisfying and rare win for me this year!
I’ve not read a lot from Hale, but I’ve been consistently impressed with the writing and especially, the unique world building that is present in all of her stories. Admittedly, I’m typically not one for “demons” in my books, but in this world the definition is not traditional, and I was thrilled to realize that this shares the same setting as that of [b:The Counterfeit Viscount|53795469|The Counterfeit Viscount|Ginn Hale|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1591178601l/53795469._SX50_.jpg|84115274] which I greatly enjoyed. Here is an absolutely wondrous dark fantasy that depicts a society that is starkly and socially divided between humans and the half demon “prodigals” who have very little rights or privileges.
There’s two separate intertwined stories that bring ruined, drug addicted prodigal Belimai, in contact with law enforcement priest Captain Harper. Part one is mainly a missing persons mystery as Harper employs Belimai’s help in finding his sister, and the second story focuses on Harper being neck deep in corruption and cover ups, ultimately endangering Harper’s position as an Inquisitor as he tries to save Belimai from being wrongly targeted for a crime he didn’t commit.
This is definitely atmospheric storytelling. A heavy weight is felt not only in the set up but also the growing feelings between Belimai and Harper, where friendship is barely tolerated and love cannot, and will not, be accepted.
Nothing is rushed here. This is layered and complex. The romance is never overt, and any small gains were oh so satisfying and eagerly gobbled up. Apparently, while I’m always up for explicit romance, I also straddle the other end of the line, reveling in stories that are rife with the insecurity and doubt, doling out small morsels of goodness, the tinier the better and more impactful, each taken and treasured dearly.
If I regularly reread books, this would be on automatic rotation. This was a wholly satisfying and rare win for me this year!
adventurous
mysterious
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
I remember I purchased this book because I loved the cover and the premise. The book did not disappoint me. I loved how the story switched POVs and still worked in such a graceful manner.
No lie, this story really inspired me to believe people would read m/m fantasy.
Thanks, Ginn!
No lie, this story really inspired me to believe people would read m/m fantasy.
Thanks, Ginn!
adventurous
dark
funny
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I'm such a sucker for explorations of corruption in governmental and/or religious systems, and this has both. Belimai and Harper are compelling characters on their own and together, and there's a sense of both characters having a fully fleshed out history, even outside of what is alluded to in the text. That extends beyond Belimai and Harper; the worldbuilding is both solid and well executed enough for it to fade to the background and give way to the story and characters.
The prose and strength of the characters of this book is more than enough to compensate for the fact that the plot, somewhat comedically, hinges on I find that often times, books that shift between first and third person feel jarring, but the choice to write Belimai's section in first person and Harper's in third feels tonally appropriate for their characters.
This book's ending is incredibly satisfying, but the world is so lush and the characters so interesting that I would have loved to see more of them.
The prose and strength of the characters of this book is more than enough to compensate for the fact that the plot, somewhat comedically, hinges on
Spoiler
Harper having a prodigal kink and a blood kink. This plot would not exist if Harper wasn't a complete freak, and I respect that.This book's ending is incredibly satisfying, but the world is so lush and the characters so interesting that I would have loved to see more of them.
This is 4 stars primarily because of how badly I wanted to annotate every beautifully written paragraph.
Una historia corta y muy bien trabajada sobre un demonio y un inquisidor que no son lo que parecen a simple vista. Una obra bastante bien contenida en sí misma, que es breve sin quedarse corta y que sabe ambientar a la perfección sus escenarios. Me gustan mucho los personajes protagonistas, quizás un poco más Harper que Belimai, y el mundo que nos presenta es bastante interesante con sus referencias bíblicas y su ambiente gótico. Las noches de brumas por los tejados de la ciudad me han recordado un poco a Nacidos de la bruma, con Vin o Wax volando sobre una ciudad de ladrillo y metal envuelta en bruma y la oscuridad de la noche.
Es una lectura genial, la relación entre los protagonistas me gusta mucho y es muy natural, incluso con sus momentos cuquis. Muy recomendada.
Es una lectura genial, la relación entre los protagonistas me gusta mucho y es muy natural, incluso con sus momentos cuquis. Muy recomendada.