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danipowl's review against another edition
I wasn’t drawn in or intrigued, kept getting distracted and only wanted to just get to the next page.
silkenienke's review against another edition
adventurous
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
elenadirks's review
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
dododenise's review
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
It wasn’t as good as I hoped it would be but I still really enjoyed this book. This kind of story is exactly my jam. I definitely see the captive prince inspiration throughout and that makes me especially excited for the next book.
I’m a bit surprised by how much I enjoyed reading this book since there were quite a few things that I did not like about it. The characters needed more work, the romantic relationship lacked chemistry and interesting moments, the plot was slow moving and the mystery of it all wasn’t all that surprising. But somehow the whole package that is this book was still something I enjoyed, even if the single parts of it did not work that well.
I’m a bit surprised by how much I enjoyed reading this book since there were quite a few things that I did not like about it. The characters needed more work, the romantic relationship lacked chemistry and interesting moments, the plot was slow moving and the mystery of it all wasn’t all that surprising. But somehow the whole package that is this book was still something I enjoyed, even if the single parts of it did not work that well.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Fire/Fire injury, Violence, and Sexual content
Moderate: Animal death, War, and Death of parent
thetainaship's review
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.5
Unfortunately, this book was a disappointment for me :(
I didn't really care for the generic Roman-inspired setting, it felt bland and undetailed. I realise the setting is a bit of a secondary concern in a romance book, but I care about worldbuilding a lot.
The plot was a bit weird. There was a nearly 200-page gap in the middle where the plot didn't really advance at all. The political plot was also unconvincing. There were people who wanted things, but they didn't really seem to have clear motivations. The effect is that they seemed to just be mindlessly doing things for the sake of having a conflict.
I hated the main character. Throughout the book, he got less and less sympathetic: he's mean, rash, irresponsible, and has a serious temper problem. He doesn't listen to anyone and lashes out at the people who care about him. Also, he's much more interested in sneaking out of the palace to play detective than in fulfilling his duties as a head of state. I'm inclined to agree with his enemies who think he is not fit to rule.
And on top of everything, the romance is not romantic.Domitris exploits a sex worker by monopolising his time without compensation, except for the very first meeting. I guess Sinnan could have brought up payment himself, but given that he's dealing with the literal emperor (with a mean temper!), I don't blame him for not daring to bring it up. I can understand Domitris falling in love with Sinnan, but I don't really see any sign of Sinnan returning the feelings, or having any reason to.
There were also some minor editing issues, mostly in the form of words that were used wrong. I think the author picked some synonyms that don't fit. That didn't really bother me, though.
I didn't really care for the generic Roman-inspired setting, it felt bland and undetailed. I realise the setting is a bit of a secondary concern in a romance book, but I care about worldbuilding a lot.
The plot was a bit weird. There was a nearly 200-page gap in the middle where the plot didn't really advance at all. The political plot was also unconvincing. There were people who wanted things, but they didn't really seem to have clear motivations. The effect is that they seemed to just be mindlessly doing things for the sake of having a conflict.
I hated the main character. Throughout the book, he got less and less sympathetic: he's mean, rash, irresponsible, and has a serious temper problem. He doesn't listen to anyone and lashes out at the people who care about him. Also, he's much more interested in sneaking out of the palace to play detective than in fulfilling his duties as a head of state. I'm inclined to agree with his enemies who think he is not fit to rule.
And on top of everything, the romance is not romantic.
There were also some minor editing issues, mostly in the form of words that were used wrong. I think the author picked some synonyms that don't fit. That didn't really bother me, though.
macthekat's review against another edition
This sadly not the type of story that i thought I it would be. I don't think I had realized that this was low fantasy it that it would be this focused on politics. There might be more conflicts introduced later, but I don't care about the protagonist - he does not seem competent
raavenreads's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
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? No
4.5
noodleladjr's review against another edition
3.0
Firstly, a few qualifiers. I was lucky enough to receive a copy of As We Fall as an advance reader from the author. It is not a genre that I am at all familiar with, so I obviously cannot speak to the experience one may have, if it is close to their regular fare. Furthermore, it has been a few weeks since I finished the novel as I write this review.
All that being said, As We Fall is an interesting fantasy queer romance with political elements, exactly as Wildt promises. The story follows Domitris, the Emperor of Marmaras, navigating a key juncture in his nation’s history, along with his enigmatic lover Sinnan. What stood out the most to me throughout the novel was the lovely world that Wildt has breathed life into. The people, the buildings, the monuments, and the cultures created demand the reader’s attention and really captured the imagination as Domitris and Sinnan move through them and interact with them. Lyra and Amelia were definitely some of the standout characters in the story to me that were particularly interesting.
I personally found it somewhat hard to connect with Domitris, which is slightly unfortunate as he was the POV character. It felt to me that he is constantly in need of direction from others, which left me with the question, how did he get elected? Between the conspiracy he faces within the nobility and the distance between ruler and ruled, this question was in the back of my mind throughout the story. (It is worth noting that politics are a significant interest of mine and that this is not integral to the story) Nonetheless, the enigma of characters like Sinnan along with the mystery that really accelerates in the second half kept me engaged. I think Wildt handles the twists of the story remarkably well, because they felt neither unfounded nor unsurprising, and notably they are set up by Domitris’ viewpoint in a sense, which I found really interesting. (I cannot stress how much I loved a certain twist)
Ultimately, As We Fall is a good debut novel that delivers exactly what is promised, and I wholly believe it is worth your time to read it.
All that being said, As We Fall is an interesting fantasy queer romance with political elements, exactly as Wildt promises. The story follows Domitris, the Emperor of Marmaras, navigating a key juncture in his nation’s history, along with his enigmatic lover Sinnan. What stood out the most to me throughout the novel was the lovely world that Wildt has breathed life into. The people, the buildings, the monuments, and the cultures created demand the reader’s attention and really captured the imagination as Domitris and Sinnan move through them and interact with them. Lyra and Amelia were definitely some of the standout characters in the story to me that were particularly interesting.
I personally found it somewhat hard to connect with Domitris, which is slightly unfortunate as he was the POV character. It felt to me that he is constantly in need of direction from others, which left me with the question, how did he get elected? Between the conspiracy he faces within the nobility and the distance between ruler and ruled, this question was in the back of my mind throughout the story. (It is worth noting that politics are a significant interest of mine and that this is not integral to the story) Nonetheless, the enigma of characters like Sinnan along with the mystery that really accelerates in the second half kept me engaged. I think Wildt handles the twists of the story remarkably well, because they felt neither unfounded nor unsurprising, and notably they are set up by Domitris’ viewpoint in a sense, which I found really interesting. (I cannot stress how much I loved a certain twist)
Ultimately, As We Fall is a good debut novel that delivers exactly what is promised, and I wholly believe it is worth your time to read it.