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aljj's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
0.5
I can not discribe to you how much I dislike this story. But I do have a quote from my origional review that perfectly encompasses my feelings on this story.
"My favorite character is a bug, so I should've seen his death coming."
My actually reasoning is that I hate the characters and also the plot. I have nothing against sci-fi, or space battles, or pirates, in fact I love those things. I also love plants and smut. But somehow this managed to just make me want the characters to kill each other by the end of it.If that had happened, I would've honestly given the story 5/5, because that would've been a twist I didn't spot a mile away.
No hate if you like the book or the author. I love their other book, this one just hit wrong on every level. It took me at least a year to finish. It was an audio book. I slam through those in a day. Anyways rant over, enjoy your day.
My actually reasoning is that I hate the characters and also the plot. I have nothing against sci-fi, or space battles, or pirates, in fact I love those things. I also love plants and smut. But somehow this managed to just make me want the characters to kill each other by the end of it.
No hate if you like the book or the author. I love their other book, this one just hit wrong on every level. It took me at least a year to finish. It was an audio book. I slam through those in a day. Anyways rant over, enjoy your day.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Slavery
ephiiz's review against another edition
emotional
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Slavery and War
Moderate: Death of parent
motaki's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Slavery
Moderate: Torture and Death of parent
Minor: Suicide
banrions's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Well I fucking blasted through this. Finally. It’s been on my to read list forever. I’m so glad I listened to the audiobook version, as Angela Dawe really brought it to life.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Slavery and Sexual content
Minor: Death of parent, Death, and Grief
kelseigh's review against another edition
adventurous
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
This was a pretty fun, breezy read and not a bad romance story overall. But it's definitely flawed in ways that made it difficult to get fully invested in the plot.
In brief, The Lily & The Crown concerns the reclusive botanist daughter of the prestigious head of a space station in an interstellar empire. The region is bedevilled by space pirates, and early on she's given a slave by her father, the sole survivor of a defeated pirate ship. And that's where things get uncomfortable.
The whole idea of chattel slavery as an accepted, even common part of life in a galaxy-spanning highly advanced civilization should need quite a lot of explanation to make it work. But no, it's just a part of life and nobody but the main character thinks twice about it. In fact, it's so ubiquitous that not only does the Empire practice it, so does the other rival empire mentioned here and there, and so do the pirates. Slaves for everyone, as anachronistic as it seems.
Which brings us to this particular slave, and really the only other major character in the book. She's not your typical slave, and the author never once misses a chance to remind you of the fact. In fact it's so often pointed out that she's Not What She Appears To Be that it's a challenge to get past the first couple of chapters without knowing full well what her true identity is.
Those not insignificant points aside though, the characterization is good, the romance is enjoyable, and of course the sex scenes are well written, even if almost all of them have the shadow of questionable consent hanging over them. Hidden identities and literal slavery, after all. Those issues are eventually addressed to a degree, but not with any great depth and that discussion is quickly over with.
Overall, I'm not certain I'd recommend the novel. It's not bad per se but it does have flaws and generally avoids touching on the implications of the setting in a satisfying way. Which unfortunately is not entirely balanced out by the good points.
In brief, The Lily & The Crown concerns the reclusive botanist daughter of the prestigious head of a space station in an interstellar empire. The region is bedevilled by space pirates, and early on she's given a slave by her father, the sole survivor of a defeated pirate ship. And that's where things get uncomfortable.
The whole idea of chattel slavery as an accepted, even common part of life in a galaxy-spanning highly advanced civilization should need quite a lot of explanation to make it work. But no, it's just a part of life and nobody but the main character thinks twice about it. In fact, it's so ubiquitous that not only does the Empire practice it, so does the other rival empire mentioned here and there, and so do the pirates. Slaves for everyone, as anachronistic as it seems.
Which brings us to this particular slave, and really the only other major character in the book. She's not your typical slave, and the author never once misses a chance to remind you of the fact. In fact it's so often pointed out that she's Not What She Appears To Be that it's a challenge to get past the first couple of chapters without knowing full well what her true identity is.
Those not insignificant points aside though, the characterization is good, the romance is enjoyable, and of course the sex scenes are well written, even if almost all of them have the shadow of questionable consent hanging over them. Hidden identities and literal slavery, after all. Those issues are eventually addressed to a degree, but not with any great depth and that discussion is quickly over with.
Overall, I'm not certain I'd recommend the novel. It's not bad per se but it does have flaws and generally avoids touching on the implications of the setting in a satisfying way. Which unfortunately is not entirely balanced out by the good points.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Slavery
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