Reviews

Update Edit:
After reading the second book in this trilogy, I realize that Lynette Noni has plotted her books to hinge on a twist at the end. I don't know if that makes for weak writing. I don't want to be that hyper critical. However, I felt like the story was merely just ok, but not the best book up until the last couple of pages when the twist dropped. On the one hand, everything came together which is satisfying, but on the other hand could I not have enjoyed the majority of the book leading up? The characters themselves were written very overly emotional, and the magic appeared to be timed oh-so conveniently. I don't know.

Definitely lowering my rating and slightly disappointed.

Original post
The twist at the end of the book was so good! I definitely didn't see it panning out quite that way, though I had suspicions, definitely didn't come to the exact right conclusion. I'm looking forward to what happens with the rest of the trilogy!

Content:
- Rated PG for mild language, mild violence, and mature topics without being explicit.
- Representation of speech impediments, and prosthesis

How do you get a story with excellent plot twists you don't see coming? The author lies to the reader the whole time! I see you Lynette Noni.

lavendermarch's review against another edition

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2.0

I've had this on my want-to-read list for a while and was excited to finally read it. Sadly, I found it underwhelming. It was consistently super dark and frankly, depressing, which I didn't love. I also wasn't a fan of the twist at the end after all of that hopelessness - just when things finally seemed hopeful,

Spoiler

Kiva became a princess at odds with Jaren. And despite the backstory of the original royals, I'm frankly not sure what that has to do with Kiva's family centuries later. What's the point? Yes, the prison was AWFUL (that's not a strong enough word for it), but I don't get what the point was of "taking back their kingdom" when it's been centuries?? In my opinion, there wasn't anywhere near enough time spent talking about why the current rulers weren't doing a good enough job. And the betrayal wasn't close enough to the present day to make the rebellion justified imo. It just wasn't convincing at all.

While I really liked Jaren, Naari, and Tipp, I wasn't as into Kiva. In addition, the storyline was disappointing and I didn't really enjoy it, especially the ending. 2 stars.

jennmcgriskin's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

phoebeneedsalife's review against another edition

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3.0

it’s a good start to the series, but it felt like the love interest had no real connection to the main character. ending is great though, 10/10 recommend for that experience.

lullaby's review against another edition

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adventurous mysterious fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? N/A
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

emiliaheiden's review against another edition

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adventurous 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? No

4.25

melslittlereads's review against another edition

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5.0

Holy cow I didn’t expect that ending at all, I thought the healing of Tipp was strange and then the code at the end like how did I not see that coming!
Straight onto the next

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