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vengefuldime's review
3.0
“Lovers” yet mortal enemies to lovers is such a fun dynamic to have. It was great to read and I would be curious to see what other works can do. Althus and Vade’s personalities really stand out, and they complement each other well. Also, I appreciated the way that plot-information would be given. For example, Cyn’s disappearance is mentioned in two or three separated sentences within a scene the first time it comes up, having that importance piece of information tied in without drawing too much attention. There was slightly too much worldbuilding exposition for me to keep the pace steady, but I did find it interesting.
The plot has a lot to get through in a short amount of time, so although there is a lot of setup that helps make it work, the clearest aspect would still be the relationship. The plot is slow and then quick, with Vade’s switch near-instant once he has been personally hurt by his organization. It makes sense. I do wish that some threads like connecting to Cyn or Karmola’s history had been able to carry more weight. I thought that the latter could have been an interesting conflict between allies, but brief mention in a novella only gets my hopes up. It’s a little repetitive and has a few noticeable typos, but has a dynamic and relationship that I appreciate.
The plot has a lot to get through in a short amount of time, so although there is a lot of setup that helps make it work, the clearest aspect would still be the relationship. The plot is slow and then quick, with Vade’s switch near-instant once he has been personally hurt by his organization. It makes sense. I do wish that some threads like connecting to Cyn or Karmola’s history had been able to carry more weight. I thought that the latter could have been an interesting conflict between allies, but brief mention in a novella only gets my hopes up. It’s a little repetitive and has a few noticeable typos, but has a dynamic and relationship that I appreciate.
morgancvtherine's review
adventurous
dark
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
I want to love this book more. The story and the magic is great! I'm fine with it being a short story but there are many mistakes throughout the book and (this is me being picky), the paragraphs aren't justified.
I would love for this to be re-edtited and published again. And once again, it doesn't need to be longer, just edited for the little things because there's enough for it to add up to be annoying. Would have been 4 stars otherwise.
But a good read and interesting speculative fiction.
I would love for this to be re-edtited and published again. And once again, it doesn't need to be longer, just edited for the little things because there's enough for it to add up to be annoying. Would have been 4 stars otherwise.
But a good read and interesting speculative fiction.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Gore, Violence, and Torture
soupdumpling's review
adventurous
dark
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
3.5
katieconrad's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
fast-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
4.0
cowboykid's review against another edition
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
2.0
gealach's review
adventurous
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
abookwormspov's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
I wanted to love this more than I did. The concept is great, I absolutely loved the characters, and the magic system is cool, but overall, I think the writing I wanted more from. The pacing felt very clunky to me, it feels like there is a conflict, its resolved, we move to the next thing. I wanted a little bit more flow and development. Still though it's a very very fun story!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abandonment, War, Child abuse, Confinement, Death of parent, Blood, Body horror, Colonisation, Death, Forced institutionalization, Murder, Physical abuse, Violence, Drug use, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Grief, and Injury/Injury detail
vsteffes's review
challenging
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
afternoon_sunshowers's review
adventurous
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
2.75
There was so much going on that the various countries/empires/rebel groups were hard to keep track of.
Several basic copy editing errors, such as “alot” as a single word, using the wrong character’s name, and missing words. It has potential but felt a bit rushed and the world was underdeveloped.
Categorized as fantasy but it felt somehow more sci fi to me.
Several basic copy editing errors, such as “alot” as a single word, using the wrong character’s name, and missing words. It has potential but felt a bit rushed and the world was underdeveloped.
Categorized as fantasy but it felt somehow more sci fi to me.
jadely16's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
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
4.0