Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.72 AVERAGE
3.72 AVERAGE
challenging
dark
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
adventurous
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
I enjoyed reading this, though it was a little slow for me. I found it a bit challenging to keep track of all the characters and plot threads, which made it harder to fully immerse myself in the story. I really wanted this one to pull me in, but it just didn’t quite click.
That said, it might have been a case of bad timing—real life has been demanding lately, and I don’t think I had the focus this book deserved.
That said, it might have been a case of bad timing—real life has been demanding lately, and I don’t think I had the focus this book deserved.
This story was sooooooo good. I didnt know what to expect with this since I went in blind, but I am blown away. The events that occur in this book will without a doubt hurt your heart. I was gasping and tearing up through the entirety of the last 30%.
This is such a refreshing unique fantasy romance book with high stakes, political warfare, love, loss, betrayal and so much more. The ending perfectly sets up for book two but does leave on a really severe cliffhanger.
I cannot wait to own a physical copy of this book for my favorites shelf and will be patiently waiting to devour book 2 to see what happens next!!
This is such a refreshing unique fantasy romance book with high stakes, political warfare, love, loss, betrayal and so much more. The ending perfectly sets up for book two but does leave on a really severe cliffhanger.
I cannot wait to own a physical copy of this book for my favorites shelf and will be patiently waiting to devour book 2 to see what happens next!!
adventurous
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-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
super cool premise and I really liked the South Asian representation. The imagery is great too. I don’t like all the miscommunication or non-communication between characters as it’s not realistic to me. Didn’t like the romance plot, and in general could’ve been executed much better. TBD if I read the sequel.
adventurous
dark
emotional
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
adventurous
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:
Yes
challenging
informative
tense
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
Mood: 🤔😥😯🥰🤯
Elena’s coronation is quickly approaching, leaving the princess to quickly wrap up her final tasks. She needs to dismantle her father’s loyal fanatics, the Gold Hats, and she needs to learn how to control fire, as all rulers of Ravence must, but her father is much too busy to teach her, leaving Elena to find her own way to control fire. Delving into her late mother’s research, Elena begins to uncover the horrible secret about her family’s past and magic, and the price to control it. This price is something her father is actively keeping from her, even as he works to ensure her coronation proceeds without incident. Unfortunately the priests recognize a sign from the godly Phoenix that her prophet is coming with fiery vengeance upon the royalty of Ravence. Determined to protect Elena from this prophet, Lucien begins to search for this mysterious prophet, trying to follow the clues in the Phoenix’s message and rooting out possible zealots. As Elena and her father get closer to the coronation, more plots and allies appear, in Samson, a handsome young general with his own army, and his friend, the wanted assassin, Yassan. Tensions build in Ravence as the coronation draws ever closer, forcing Elena and Lucien to reveal their secrets and create alliances that may very well be their undoing.
Books with strong political plots always feel slow to me, and it made it hard for me to get through most of this book. There’s such a focus on the various politics of Ravence, from their religion around the Phoenix and the sacred fire, to the political parties like the Gold Hats and the rebels, then talking about the brewing war with the nearby kingdom with the cyborg royalty. There is a lot of world building focusing around these political issues and religious issues and a lot of discussion of self-sacrifice for the good of Ravence. I thought it was interesting that you have Lucien and Elena who are so focused on doing everything “for the good of Ravence”, but you still have this simmering rebellion that wants to lash out. Rebellions are natural for any kingdom, but you still had to deal with this approaching war, the approaching prophet, and Elena trying to learn how to firebend. Elena’s relationships with her father and Pherma were interesting, since she had some strong support with both of them. Her father being obsessed with making sure Elena was safe, while not wanting to sacrifice himself was really interesting when you see that Elena reads as him not wanting to give up power and let her rule. Then you have Pherma being a mother figure and body guard, and absolutely ruling the scene just by being awesome. Yassan’s reveal about ⅔ through felt a little strange, since Samson and Elena were both devoted to him by then, and it only had a mild impact on the story. The bigger reveal at the end was much more impressive and made me very interested in the sequel. Overall, I liked the characters, and I’m looking forward to book 2.
adventurous
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This book has amazing world building, characters, and mythology. It had me guessing who the prophet was until the very last second, changing my answer every chapter, and still managed to surprise me. The only critique I have of this book is in its romance plot. The scene in the cabin between YASSEN and ELENA where they sleep together felt rushed and unneeded. I really liked the subtlety of the yearning and the lingering glances felt real, and I could feel their love growing as I turned pages, and I felt like that scene rushed all that and felt like a cheap resolution. I also think it would’ve done a lot more for the plot as well as Elena‘s character if the love between her and YASSEN remained a wish, and an unspoken. The unrealized potential of their love is another thing she would have to sacrifice for Ravence’s future. it was a great story will be patiently waiting for the sequel!