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sycaid's review
challenging
dark
tense
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? It's complicated
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Kidnapping, Toxic relationship, and Confinement
Moderate: Domestic abuse
Minor: Death, Violence, and Pregnancy
meat_muffin's review against another edition
fast-paced
3.5
I want to be obsessed with this one, I really do, but once the MMC fucking sold her - even if he had a fucking plan!! To get her back!! - my good opinion plummeted and there was just no redemption in my eyes 🤷‍♀️
Content Warnings
Graphic: Pregnancy, Sexual content, Kidnapping, Xenophobia, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Misogyny, Confinement, Murder, and Death
Moderate: Colonisation, Blood, Violence, Infidelity, Toxic relationship, War, Infertility, Sexism, and Abortion
Minor: Death of parent, Rape, and Self harm
daisycantread24's review
adventurous
fast-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? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Pregnancy, Physical abuse, Misogyny, Toxic relationship, Murder, Kidnapping, Violence, and War
mburnsides's review
This is genuinely so bad. A lot of times poor quality is expected from self published books but BY GOD this is shit. The smut isn’t good, and it’s definitely not even passable enough to make up for the infuriating characters and horrible plot.
Grimarr and Jule are so toxic; they’re both terrible people who manipulate and lie, and they’re both constantly flip-flopping on what they want. One moment Grimarr is telling Jule he wants to protect her and will whatever she wants, the next he’s threatening to kill her and coercing her into sex. Jule can’t decide if she wants to bone the guy or if she wants to get away from him.
Theres some serious overuse of the words naught, prick (dick), and seed. A distracting and unsexy amount of the use of prick and seed. It’s gross and annoying to read. The way Fenn writes smut makes it sound painful and aggressive, and Grimarr is “culturally” kinky, but doesn’t ask Jule for permission ever.
The plot is so nonexistent. The only reason this book is 400 pages is because there’s a bad smut scene every few chapters. Grimarr and Jule spend so much time arguing back and forth over the SAME DAMN THINGS. They never get anywhere. And there’s so much focus on Jule being unable to have children with her husband, but Grimarr believing she can, she just needs the right guy. I hate that trope so much.
I was looking forward to this series because I like orc/human stories, but this is just toxicity with fantasy racism. Grimarr is so unattractive it’s hurts. Hes not charming or kind or protective. He’s all toxic masculinity. And Jule is just a huge idiot.
Don’t waste your time or money on this garbage.
DNF ~30%
Grimarr and Jule are so toxic; they’re both terrible people who manipulate and lie, and they’re both constantly flip-flopping on what they want. One moment Grimarr is telling Jule he wants to protect her and will whatever she wants, the next he’s threatening to kill her and coercing her into sex. Jule can’t decide if she wants to bone the guy or if she wants to get away from him.
Theres some serious overuse of the words naught, prick (dick), and seed. A distracting and unsexy amount of the use of prick and seed. It’s gross and annoying to read. The way Fenn writes smut makes it sound painful and aggressive, and Grimarr is “culturally” kinky, but doesn’t ask Jule for permission ever.
The plot is so nonexistent. The only reason this book is 400 pages is because there’s a bad smut scene every few chapters. Grimarr and Jule spend so much time arguing back and forth over the SAME DAMN THINGS. They never get anywhere. And there’s so much focus on Jule being unable to have children with her husband, but Grimarr believing she can, she just needs the right guy. I hate that trope so much.
I was looking forward to this series because I like orc/human stories, but this is just toxicity with fantasy racism. Grimarr is so unattractive it’s hurts. Hes not charming or kind or protective. He’s all toxic masculinity. And Jule is just a huge idiot.
Don’t waste your time or money on this garbage.
DNF ~30%
Content Warnings
Graphic: Kidnapping, Infertility, Pregnancy, Toxic relationship, War, Confinement, Gaslighting, Rape, Sexual content, and Emotional abuse
smuttymcbookface's review
adventurous
dark
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
3.25
I knew what I was getting into coming into this, but I still found myself feeling frustrated by the end.
Pros:
Pros:
- Good world building
- Well written smut (and a lot of it)
- Decently built up side characters
- The writing for feelings during betrayals was evocative
Cons:
- Jule went straight from one abusive relationship into another. The only difference is she's more comfortable talking back in this one.
- The final act of betrayal was too much for me.
I understood his actions for the good of his people, but it ruined their possibility of a HEA for me. I did not want these two to end up together again, and he didn't even grovel (like he didn't for all his other betrayals). Instead, there was the magic orc lust-maker and all was forgiven because Jule couldn't stay away. - Dub-con at best, with women being lured into horniness because of genetics. Additionally, Grimarr was pushy with sex acts he knew she would struggle with, usually doing it and seeing how she'd react.
- Pleasure is very male-centric. Constant references to Jule giving blow jobs every day for him, on top of their normal sex, and no reciprocation.
Additionally, directly after giving birth, Grimarr was petulant because he was told to let her rest for a while whilst his body recovered, and he felt he deserved blow jobs if they couldn't have sex. Dynamics like these only work in an already healthy relationship.
Since this was 80% smut, 20% plot, the rating is more reflective of how I found those scenes.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Pregnancy, Domestic abuse, Kidnapping, and Sexual content
Moderate: Infidelity, Abortion, Toxic relationship, and War
Minor: Infidelity
doahdancer's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Sexual assault, Blood, Death of parent, Infertility, Kidnapping, Murder, Pregnancy, Racism, Rape, Confinement, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual content, Death, and Physical abuse
thistleswan's review
challenging
dark
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexism, Pregnancy, Kidnapping, and Sexual content
unhinged_book_goblin's review
adventurous
emotional
funny
tense
fast-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? No
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content and Pregnancy
greystory's review
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.5
This was very mid. I listened to the audiobook but I don't think that would have made a difference other than I probably would have started skimming past the sex scenes in the book. They felt repetitive and there were multiple that didn't seem to add anything to the plot or characters, nor was it hot enough for me to enjoy it on its own.
Lady Norr was pretty annoying in her constant flakiness. I was super over the way she was agreeing to everything when she was horny on main and then flipping out about having agreed to anything when she wasn't having orc sex. Rinse, repeat like 15 times. I guess especially as someone on the ace spectrum, I can't ever imagine being so desperately horny that I supposedly give in to whatever someone asks of me that I wouldn't if I wasn't horny.
Grimarr is... okay. Although they both do get a little bit of character growth (Lady Norr's mostly realizing how she's been a pawn this whole time, although she was sort of already aware of that), it felt like Grimarr had more growth. He has to learn how to treat a human mate and seems to make efforts to do so, however those efforts are super bare minimum like, not chaining her and allowing her to change clothes and leave their room. Wow. Super generous. There's also a betrayal part and some grovelling on Grimarr's part but not enough grovelling in my opinion.
The best part of the book was honestly meeting the other orcs and the little bit of worldbuilding about the different clans and stuff. That was such a short bit of the book, though.
I'm still interested in checking out more of the series. This is the first book in a series which almost always feels like they're average and then books get better over the course of a series. The general ratings seems to indicate that could be the case here, as well.
Lady Norr was pretty annoying in her constant flakiness. I was super over the way she was agreeing to everything when she was horny on main and then flipping out about having agreed to anything when she wasn't having orc sex. Rinse, repeat like 15 times. I guess especially as someone on the ace spectrum, I can't ever imagine being so desperately horny that I supposedly give in to whatever someone asks of me that I wouldn't if I wasn't horny.
Grimarr is... okay. Although they both do get a little bit of character growth (Lady Norr's mostly realizing how she's been a pawn this whole time, although she was sort of already aware of that), it felt like Grimarr had more growth. He has to learn how to treat a human mate and seems to make efforts to do so, however those efforts are super bare minimum like, not chaining her and allowing her to change clothes and leave their room. Wow. Super generous. There's also a betrayal part and some grovelling on Grimarr's part but not enough grovelling in my opinion.
The best part of the book was honestly meeting the other orcs and the little bit of worldbuilding about the different clans and stuff. That was such a short bit of the book, though.
I'm still interested in checking out more of the series. This is the first book in a series which almost always feels like they're average and then books get better over the course of a series. The general ratings seems to indicate that could be the case here, as well.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Sexual content, Sexism, Misogyny, and Xenophobia
Moderate: War, Violence, and Pregnancy
goldensisyphus's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
This book is repeated miscommunication tropes and repeated bid-d*ck breeding smut. It was too repetitive for my taste and I was so bored. The MMC is a gaslighting, lying self-admitted rapist (and we are somehow supposed to excuse these previous rapes just because he admits they "weren't successful" and he's going to do better?!). The most interesting part was the mysteriously scrawny, unblemished, shy orcs within the mountain. That's pretty much the only part I'd want to know more about.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Infertility, Infidelity, Misogyny, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Gaslighting, Pregnancy, Rape, Kidnapping, Murder, Physical abuse, and Sexual assault