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3.72 AVERAGE
3.72 AVERAGE
adventurous
challenging
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Thank you to NetGalley and Orbit books for the e-ARC. in exchange for an honest review.
I really enjoyed this book.I gave it four stars. I would consider this to be a slow paced book (similar to other Orbit books) but I was entertained the entire time. The world building was unique, I especially liked the descriptions of Jantar and Ravence with the metal and the desert. There were quite a few characters and groups to keep up with but once you get used to them, it got easier. Additionally, (and I don't think I've ever said this before), I think I liked every character... like might be the wrong word... But, every character was developed in a way that you could either empathize or understand why they made the decisions they did. For example, the King Leo, Elena's father, did some absolutely horrible things in the book, but throughout, you learned more about more about why he made those decisions and it made him an incredibly complex character. I loved loved loved the friendship between Elena and her Spear and I think the author very accurately portrayed grief and loss. (I also thought the Yumi were super cool).
Okay, so despite liking the characters, I did feel like the main romance plot didn't exactly do it for me.I did like Elena and Yassen but honestly, I was fine with Samson too. I felt like they were a fine match. It was also refreshing to read a fantasy book with an arranged marriage where they both genuinely liked each other from the start. They both had something to prove and they helped each other with their goals. I felt like I knew that Yassen and Elena would end up together from the start but that part felt more rushed to me. The love scene was lack luster and it made me cringe just a little bit. I felt like it was thrown in during all this political turmoil and war and it didn't seem like the right time.
Overall, I liked the book and will definitely read the next one. I think it was a great start for this author!
I really enjoyed this book.I gave it four stars. I would consider this to be a slow paced book (similar to other Orbit books) but I was entertained the entire time. The world building was unique, I especially liked the descriptions of Jantar and Ravence with the metal and the desert. There were quite a few characters and groups to keep up with but once you get used to them, it got easier. Additionally, (and I don't think I've ever said this before), I think I liked every character... like might be the wrong word... But, every character was developed in a way that you could either empathize or understand why they made the decisions they did. For example, the King Leo, Elena's father, did some absolutely horrible things in the book, but throughout, you learned more about more about why he made those decisions and it made him an incredibly complex character. I loved loved loved the friendship between Elena and her Spear and I think the author very accurately portrayed grief and loss. (I also thought the Yumi were super cool).
Okay, so despite liking the characters, I did feel like the main romance plot didn't exactly do it for me.I did like Elena and Yassen but honestly, I was fine with Samson too. I felt like they were a fine match. It was also refreshing to read a fantasy book with an arranged marriage where they both genuinely liked each other from the start. They both had something to prove and they helped each other with their goals. I felt like I knew that Yassen and Elena would end up together from the start but that part felt more rushed to me. The love scene was lack luster and it made me cringe just a little bit. I felt like it was thrown in during all this political turmoil and war and it didn't seem like the right time.
Overall, I liked the book and will definitely read the next one. I think it was a great start for this author!
I wanted to love this book, not only with all the mythology and imagery that was ✨Bollywood✨ but also with the struggles of dealing with expectations from parents and how that shapes a person. The enemies to lovers felt more like enemies by circumstance but even that was barely an inconvenience. There was no real barrier, and it almost felt like the switch to love was super quick. The dance scene though, her dupatta getting caught on him was divine! I think this also gave a lot chapters to the dad, it felt like I got a more thorough understanding of the complexities of his character, but I didn’t want that. It took away from her struggles and made it more one dimensional.
“When the Phoenix rises, the Holy Fire will lay claim to the sinners. The desert will eat its transgressors. Only the true shall survive. Only the blessed few shall be forgiven.”
Indian mythology + politics + a badass FMC = 5⭐️
There’s so much I can say about this book but I’ll keep it brief. GO READ THIS RIGHT NOW!!! I was hooked from the beginning. The author does an amazing job at setting the scene and tone for this book while throwing in history and plot twists. I loved how I could see myself in so many of the characters and could take away a lesson from all of them. One of my fave parts of this book were the quotes at the beginning of each chapter. They were the perfect set up and foreshadowing what was to come. I’m very excited to read the rest of this series and see what Elena will get into next!
Indian mythology + politics + a badass FMC = 5⭐️
There’s so much I can say about this book but I’ll keep it brief. GO READ THIS RIGHT NOW!!! I was hooked from the beginning. The author does an amazing job at setting the scene and tone for this book while throwing in history and plot twists. I loved how I could see myself in so many of the characters and could take away a lesson from all of them. One of my fave parts of this book were the quotes at the beginning of each chapter. They were the perfect set up and foreshadowing what was to come. I’m very excited to read the rest of this series and see what Elena will get into next!
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Sexual content
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Starting off with three different POVs made this story slow going initially. But it also made it harder to get into all the necessary background and context especially given the many competing priorities. Some interesting twists, but not enough to go for the next book.
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
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
It was pretty amazing, loved all of the south asian representation would definitely want to read more
The twist in the end really caught me by surprise, really enjoyed it and it sort of justified how i was feeling annoyed in the middle and towards the end of the book - esp about Elena's character. More of a personal preference but now everytime i read these characters that are monarchs who are vying for "love of their people" for them, makes me roll my eyes - sweetie people are dying no one cares about you and your self anointed role to "protect people" which you are terrible at jbtw.
I guess i would really like more of an empowered community rather than a singular hyper individualistic royal who's "burden comes with the crown" like please sit down. No one is asking you to do anything because what you're doing already is stupid as hell. The world should not revolve around the whims of one monarch.
Either way, looking forward to the next book!!
The twist in the end really caught me by surprise, really enjoyed it and it sort of justified how i was feeling annoyed in the middle and towards the end of the book - esp about Elena's character. More of a personal preference but now everytime i read these characters that are monarchs who are vying for "love of their people" for them, makes me roll my eyes - sweetie people are dying no one cares about you and your self anointed role to "protect people" which you are terrible at jbtw.
I guess i would really like more of an empowered community rather than a singular hyper individualistic royal who's "burden comes with the crown" like please sit down. No one is asking you to do anything because what you're doing already is stupid as hell. The world should not revolve around the whims of one monarch.
Either way, looking forward to the next book!!