jl23's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional mysterious tense medium-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

5.0

I really enjoyed this book and have continued on in the series. The beginning of the book was relatively slow for me. I had a hard time really getting into it due to heavy world building which I still enjoyed. 
About halfway through the book is where things really begin to pick up. There are some LGBTQ+ themes. It is a slow burn romantasy with strong plot lines. There are many lovable characters and it very much has found family vibes. I really enjoyed the character development. 
If you are looking for something that is smut heavy this isn’t it. If you like strong stories with some spice this might fit the bill. This book is more timid in the spice department book two has more but still pretty tame. So if you aren’t comfortably with any now you know.
I feel like overall the cast is relatively diverse. There are themes of discrimination amongst races of fae, elf, halfling, and mortals. 
The main character very much gives me Aelin from “Throne of Glass” vibes. She is strong but jaded and has certain level of self loathing that plays heavily into her character arc. 
*spoilers below related to LGTBQ+ themes*









 The main character is bi-sexual  however, the end-game relationship is female-male.  If reading about female-female love interest isn’t your thing (which is the case for me typically) I would still say give this a try. In book 1 there is mainly just mentions of her past relationship and there isn’t much detail. Book two goes into that story line a little more but I found it was relative and very well written. There was one scene that wasn’t for me personally but I just skimmed a couple pages. I’m happy there is diversity in these books and I know that some may not be as open to certain themes or may feel uncomfortable or maybe it just isn’t for you and that’s ok. I just wanted to put it out there for those who may not be interested in these themes or may be new to them.

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razalicious's review against another edition

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adventurous dark mysterious 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

4.0


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crinkledmochi's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional reflective tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

I enjoyed this book and will definitely read the next one to see what happens but some of the twists and turns were kinda obvious and the characters could’ve been a little more fleshed out 

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datgirllani's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional funny informative sad tense 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? No

5.0

“I do not pretend to know the details of your pain, but I know the weight of it. I will not judge you for how you lighten the load.”
The best fantasy book I’ve ever read. And I don’t even like fantasy. I can’t even pick what my favorite part of the book is. The writing? The characters? The plot? The themes/tropes? I picked this book up and finished in one sitting, that’s how invested I was in it. The main character is so badass that you get jealous. She knows how to put people in their place and isn’t afraid to do it. She does what needs to be done and doesn’t take shit from anybody. She’s a critical thinker, quick witted, ruthless yet merciful, unyielding, I could go on and on about how an amazing character she is. I love this author’s way of writing, some books feel as if  they came straight from Wattpad but the flow of the writing keeps you roped in, reading seamlessly. For this being her first book she did amazing. If you love a true enemies to lovers then look no further. I’m talking about both wanting the other dead and willing to do anything to do it. Add in the slow burn of their romance and it’s chefs kiss. Bonus point for the plot twist. If you like fantasy, you will love this book. READ IT!

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_alyssar_'s review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark hopeful mysterious tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix

4.25


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bergha1998's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional reflective sad tense 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

3.75

I was not expecting this book to be so unique, I thought it would just be a Romantasy. But it’s so much more dialogues about racism, addiction, slavery. Very well done and interesting. I’m excited to read the second book. 

Fantasy, Enemies to Lovers, Character Development, 2 🔥

“And still he found beauty in the darkness of it, in my light and my shadows.”

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elskede's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional inspiring mysterious sad tense 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? It's complicated

3.75


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anntharai's review against another edition

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adventurous dark tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.5

I do wonder if this book is a victim of its own hype. I was hesitant to read at first due to the hype around itd then when it came up available on my library app I thought it had been long enough but I still found myself with expectations. It was fine. I'm not sure if it felt like a cliff hanger, Straight up sequel bait, or like they wanted to write a longer book but split it in two... 

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suzson's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging inspiring tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75


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molls's review against another edition

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Bog standard tiktok fantasy.  Not written in a way that kept me wanting to get through it. 

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