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melissaslibraryy's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
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
5.0
Roman Kitt my beloved, you hold my heart in your hands <3
Content Warnings
Graphic: Medical trauma, Abandonment, Injury/Injury detail, Gun violence, Grief, Medical content, Blood, Death, Murder, Death of parent, Violence, and War
annabananadel's review
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.75
“I think we all wear armor. I think those who don’t are fools, risking the pain of being wounded by the sharp edges of the world, over and over again. But if I’ve learned anything from those fools, it is that to be vulnerable is a strength most of us fear. It takes courage to let down your armor, to welcome people to see you as you are. Sometimes I feel the same as you: I can’t risk having people behold me as I truly am. But there’s also a small voice in the back of my mind, a voice that tells me, “You will miss so much by being so guarded.”
This is worth the hype for sure. I can see why people kept picking this book up and recommending it because it really is an amazing story. It's been awhile since I read a YA romance fantasy and even though I usually steer clear from YAs, I've been brought in by the book community to try this book. I wasn't disappoint. Although it was slow at first - duh! It's world building so it not unusual, but I would have loved for the world to be built more. I did not really have the backstory of the world and how it came to be. I think that's what made me slow in the beginning but once I've hit a quarter of the story, it was just smooth sailing from there. I was just immediately hooked.
I love the war setting where this couple should conquer war for their love or something in that sense. I love the banters and I really wish there was more of it. I love the typewriter form of communication and how these two just write the loveliest letters to each other. It makes a lot of sense why they wouldn't fall for each other. The side characters and their stories as well was a good addition to the book. I really do love the story and was just devastated for the last quarter of the book where I just need to know what happened to the main characters. I wish the twist at the end had been made a little bit more sense but that's just me, I guess. I was heart broken for that last 50 pages and I'm so glad I bought the next book last weekend.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Gore, Gun violence, Violence, and War
Moderate: Death of parent, Grief, Medical trauma, and Blood
Minor: Vomit
sarahsaurusrex's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.25
It was…. Fine. Quick read, but world building was lacking, and it didn’t feel believable , even for a fantasy read. Things felt rushed.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Medical trauma, War, Blood, and Violence
llcardenas's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
sad
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? No
4.0
Content Warnings
Minor: Death, Injury/Injury detail, Gun violence, Death of parent, Medical trauma, Blood, War, Violence, Sexual content, Grief, and Alcoholism
cait's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
slow-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? It's complicated
4.0
Content Warnings
Minor: Abandonment, Blood, Grief, Medical trauma, Mental illness, Slavery, Violence, War, Alcohol, Classism, Medical content, Gore, Gun violence, Addiction, Alcoholism, Injury/Injury detail, Vomit, Death, and Death of parent
jessversteeg's review
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
I super enjoyed this book! I enjoyed the old-timey vibe and that there wasn’t a whole lot of world building necessary. Can’t wait to read the next one.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Medical trauma, Medical content, Alcoholism, Fire/Fire injury, and War
Moderate: Death of parent, Death, and Child death
thewildeausten's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Medical trauma, War, Gore, and Death of parent
luna_lovelace's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
sad
slow-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? It's complicated
5.0
This book exceeded my expectations, it was such a unique story that I had no idea what would happen next. It's probably the sweetest love story I have read out of all the enemies-to-lovers tropes thus far.
My only concern was not knowing whose point of view it was, but it wasn't hard to figure out.
The MCs are so lovable, including the friends FMC makes along the way. I wasn't fully prepared to read some sorrowful moments, so it caught me off guard!
The chemistry between Roman and Iris is unlike any other. It is a slow-burn but it's worth it. I loved the idea behindthe magical typewriters, it made the love story that much sweeter!
It made this book so joyful to read. I can't wait to read the next book,I am dying to know what happens to Roman!
My only concern was not knowing whose point of view it was, but it wasn't hard to figure out.
The MCs are so lovable, including the friends FMC makes along the way. I wasn't fully prepared to read some sorrowful moments, so it caught me off guard!
The chemistry between Roman and Iris is unlike any other. It is a slow-burn but it's worth it. I loved the idea behind
It made this book so joyful to read. I can't wait to read the next book,
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Death of parent, Grief, Medical content, Panic attacks/disorders, Injury/Injury detail, Medical trauma, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Violence, Child death, War, and Blood
Moderate: Sexual content
joygarcialim's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
This wasn't a book which I could give a straightforward rating. At the core of it, it was a fun plot to uncover, an imaginative concept to dissect, and an interesting setup for romance. However, the writing was inept. I wanted to find out what happened, and yet I couldn't stop putting the book down. It was a very oxymoronic experience in that sense.
The plot was what really made the book so damn interesting. The magical channel of two potential lovers sending love letters was at the heart of the story, and it possessed an abundance of charm and mystery.The whole history about the typewriters as well was brilliant. There were so many well-delivered plot twists and that were well placed so they weren't overwhelming nor absurd, and even the predictable ones were good.
Although there wasn't enough details to evoke a powerful imagery of the sceneries, such as how Oath looked like, there was a sense of an antique world. There could have been a lot more done to contribute to the world-building otherthan the magical typewriters, as there wasn't a lot of magic until Iris went to Avalon Bluff (and I'd still say it was really close to bare minimum to be considered a fantasy). There was a scene where Roman was talking to his magical lights but it just came across as powered Google home. It didn't make sense when other appliances and objects seemed to sense Roman's needs and fulfil them without his command.
I questioned my own ability to understand emotions and relationships many times throughout the book, whilst simultaneously questioning Rebecca Ross's.Iris grieving her mum didn't seem authentic. Then she quits her job for a day before she started to miss Roman, her supposed enemy, and their relationship hadn't been built up enough to reach a point of missing or longing. The only way it made sense is if Rebecca was lonely, but she did have a friend.
She started to see Roman as a romantic partner a few days after he arrived in Avalon Bluff, after he straight-up lied(by omission) about his identity as Carver. There was a real missed opportunity to write a romantic conflict and working towards conflict resolution, which would have made the relationship seem a lot more romantic and wholesome. They got married within a few days of starting a relationship, which is just a bad message to young readers, since this is YA after all. It would have been a lot more palatable if the romance had been fleshed out, if the characters got to know each other so much better, especially after Roman went to Avalon Bluff. and a lot of it just served corn and not roses. It would have been a lot more interesting if there was more fleshing out of Roman's arranged engagement/marriage. It's just a shame as there were so many missed opportunities.
The plot was what really made the book so damn interesting. The magical channel of two potential lovers sending love letters was at the heart of the story, and it possessed an abundance of charm and mystery.
Although there wasn't enough details to evoke a powerful imagery of the sceneries, such as how Oath looked like, there was a sense of an antique world. There could have been a lot more done to contribute to the world-building other
I questioned my own ability to understand emotions and relationships many times throughout the book, whilst simultaneously questioning Rebecca Ross's.
She started to see Roman as a romantic partner a few days after he arrived in Avalon Bluff, after he straight-up lied(by omission) about his identity as Carver. There was a real missed opportunity to write a romantic conflict and working towards conflict resolution, which would have made the relationship seem a lot more romantic and wholesome. They got married within a few days of starting a relationship, which is just a bad message to young readers, since this is YA after all.
The stylistic choice of writing gave me a lot of uncertainty about what Rebecca Ross was trying to convey. Whilst the skeleton of the writing was fabulous, the flesh had been severely starved. It was not good and honestly is what took out a lot of enjoyment.
For instance,
“This was one of the finest restaurants in Oath, where Roman’s parents had fallen in love over a long candlelit dinner.” The average time for men to fall in love is actually 88 days and it's longer for women, one dinner doesn't cut it unless this long dinner was 88 days.
“Iris watched her bolt down the hallway, knowing she was probably going to wax vengefully poetic to the professor who had once dismissed her writing.” I'm not even sure what this means.
“What marks would it leave on them, shining like scars that never faded?” But don't all scars fade, even if not completely? And do scars shine?
“So many loose pages, fluttering like snow down to the floor.”
“He continued to hold their stare, deadly serious. “If I asked you, would you say yes?” I was so confused. Did Iris become enby during that one sentence?
“She ran to Keegan with a shriek, weeping and laughing, leaping into her arms.” Was Marisol was happy to see her wife amidst an impending war zone?
“This was the life she wanted—slow and easy and vibrant, surrounded by people she loved.” People she hardly knew.
“This was one of the finest restaurants in Oath, where Roman’s parents had fallen in love over a long candlelit dinner.” The average time for men to fall in love is actually 88 days and it's longer for women, one dinner doesn't cut it unless this long dinner was 88 days.
“Iris watched her bolt down the hallway, knowing she was probably going to wax vengefully poetic to the professor who had once dismissed her writing.” I'm not even sure what this means.
“What marks would it leave on them, shining like scars that never faded?” But don't all scars fade, even if not completely? And do scars shine?
“So many loose pages, fluttering like snow down to the floor.”
“He continued to hold their stare, deadly serious. “If I asked you, would you say yes?” I was so confused. Did Iris become enby during that one sentence?
“She ran to Keegan with a shriek, weeping and laughing, leaping into her arms.” Was Marisol was happy to see her wife amidst an impending war zone?
“This was the life she wanted—slow and easy and vibrant, surrounded by people she loved.” People she hardly knew.
Finally, the book gave left a lot of unexplained situations, which I hope are hints for things that are to come in the second book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Injury/Injury detail, Medical trauma, Physical abuse, War, Kidnapping, Death of parent, Grief, Stalking, and Violence
Moderate: Vomit, Alcoholism, and Addiction
seattlehols16's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-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? It's complicated
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail, Grief, Death, War, Medical trauma, and Medical content
Moderate: Sexual content