Scan barcode
evie2312's review against another edition
adventurous
lighthearted
mysterious
slow-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
4.75
heabooknerd's review against another edition
4.0
HIS SECRET ILLUMINATIONS took a little bit for me to get into but I think it really picks up its stride after the 25% mark. Told completely from Lucían’s point of view, it follows our main characters on a journey to recover some stolen monastic books. With an epic sloooooow burn and a tortuous (in the best way) amount of pining, I was very invested in Lucían and Glory’s romance. Luckily, all that pining is completely worth it in the end when these two finally admit their feelings for each other! To make everything even better this fantasy romance was beautifully queer and feminist and absolutely the softest book I've ever read. Based on her description, Glory is pansexual and there are many other side characters that are also queer and this appears to be just accepted by everyone so that was a really pleasant surprise.
Where HIS SECRET ILLUMINATIONS really shines is with our main characters Lucían and Glory; both are so sweet, generous, and caring to those around them. Glory especially is the best kind of cinnamon roll, she looks tough on the outside but is really all squishy on the inside. I loved the way Glory cared for and protected Lucían while also encouraging him to train in fighting and explore his new environments. She’s almost too perfect but I'm not complaining about that because we need more characters like Glory -- devoted, kind, and protective without being possessive. I would have enjoyed getting a little more about Glory’s history and her POV would have also been great, but that’s just personal preference.
The good news is that Lucían, as our only POV character, was a really enjoyable narrator with just a touch of self-deprecating humor to keep me smiling and also wanting to give him a hug. Lucían has had a rough upbringing and the monastery life is all he’s ever known. Traveling with Glory forces Lucían to confront life outside the monastery and also accept that the way he’s been treated by the Abbott might not have been the best and was in fact fairly abusive. Lucían spends most of the book feeling guilty over lusting after Glory and it's a big part of his character development and journey of self discovery. But even though Lucían goes through a lot of inner turmoil over his morals and his religion, I loved the enthusiasm with which he embraced all the new people he met and the places he visited. Lucían is in his mid-twenties but he has a very innocent and young soul that is just ready to soak up new experiences. I also really appreciate that even with his religious background he never shames Glory or any of the other side characters simply because their morals and beliefs are different than his own. Lucían is just incredibly welcoming to everyone he meets and his only wish is to help others with his Blessing (magical abilities).
Now I do have to say that the pacing is definitely slow, especially in the beginning, and I do feel like it was a little long in some parts that could have been tightened up. For instance, almost the first half of the book is just them traveling to Knightsrest where the first stolen books are located. I also struggled with the third person present tense which is just not a writing style I enjoy reading too much of. Additionally, the dialogue is very modern and I found that odd in a fantasy book; so while it certainly made it easy to read I don't know if that was the best fit.
I debated with myself over the rating because of these things and ultimately decided that my enjoyment of the characters and desire to read the next book means this falls more in line with a 4 star read. As a note, HIS SECRET ILLUMINATIONS does end on a soft cliffhanger so not everything is resolved, mostly the storyline with the missing books. With the next book I can't wait to see Lucían open up more to Glory about what he wants in their relationship because Lucían is definitely kinky even though he doesn't necessarily understand what his desires mean right now.
Content Warning: Lucían has been raised in a monastery that uses abusive practices to punish the monks; Lucían struggles with guilt and shame over his desires toward Glory and he believes his desire to be dominated by Glory makes him a deviant (he’s working through this)
Where HIS SECRET ILLUMINATIONS really shines is with our main characters Lucían and Glory; both are so sweet, generous, and caring to those around them. Glory especially is the best kind of cinnamon roll, she looks tough on the outside but is really all squishy on the inside. I loved the way Glory cared for and protected Lucían while also encouraging him to train in fighting and explore his new environments. She’s almost too perfect but I'm not complaining about that because we need more characters like Glory -- devoted, kind, and protective without being possessive. I would have enjoyed getting a little more about Glory’s history and her POV would have also been great, but that’s just personal preference.
The good news is that Lucían, as our only POV character, was a really enjoyable narrator with just a touch of self-deprecating humor to keep me smiling and also wanting to give him a hug. Lucían has had a rough upbringing and the monastery life is all he’s ever known. Traveling with Glory forces Lucían to confront life outside the monastery and also accept that the way he’s been treated by the Abbott might not have been the best and was in fact fairly abusive. Lucían spends most of the book feeling guilty over lusting after Glory and it's a big part of his character development and journey of self discovery. But even though Lucían goes through a lot of inner turmoil over his morals and his religion, I loved the enthusiasm with which he embraced all the new people he met and the places he visited. Lucían is in his mid-twenties but he has a very innocent and young soul that is just ready to soak up new experiences. I also really appreciate that even with his religious background he never shames Glory or any of the other side characters simply because their morals and beliefs are different than his own. Lucían is just incredibly welcoming to everyone he meets and his only wish is to help others with his Blessing (magical abilities).
Now I do have to say that the pacing is definitely slow, especially in the beginning, and I do feel like it was a little long in some parts that could have been tightened up. For instance, almost the first half of the book is just them traveling to Knightsrest where the first stolen books are located. I also struggled with the third person present tense which is just not a writing style I enjoy reading too much of. Additionally, the dialogue is very modern and I found that odd in a fantasy book; so while it certainly made it easy to read I don't know if that was the best fit.
I debated with myself over the rating because of these things and ultimately decided that my enjoyment of the characters and desire to read the next book means this falls more in line with a 4 star read. As a note, HIS SECRET ILLUMINATIONS does end on a soft cliffhanger so not everything is resolved, mostly the storyline with the missing books. With the next book I can't wait to see Lucían open up more to Glory about what he wants in their relationship because Lucían is definitely kinky even though he doesn't necessarily understand what his desires mean right now.
Content Warning: Lucían has been raised in a monastery that uses abusive practices to punish the monks; Lucían struggles with guilt and shame over his desires toward Glory and he believes his desire to be dominated by Glory makes him a deviant (he’s working through this)
christmas42's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
lighthearted
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
arrantrose's review against another edition
adventurous
lighthearted
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
The premise was a great idea. I loved the role reversal. But there was basically no plot, so the book really dragged.
sequelmage's review against another edition
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
autumn's review against another edition
adventurous
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
tomfoolerly's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
lighthearted
relaxing
slow-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
3.75
The plot isn't really important. This is a character based book about a celebate monk struggling with his feelings for a strong as fuck warrior woman that buys his contract.
Shenigans ensue.
Shenigans ensue.
grommet's review against another edition
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
3.5
Very sweet and we get to know the characters well enough that the sex has a good head game.
lerclererp's review against another edition
5.0
muscular femdom romance with a virgin monk I KNOW THAT'S RIGHT!!!!