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3.39 AVERAGE
3.39 AVERAGE
As a lover of Greek Mythology this retelling/fantasy offshoot peaked my interest.
Dangerous maze, weird moving statues (still creeps me out after that Dr Who episode!), watery havoc and a horned Daemon for an ally, Sadare is in way over her head. Forced amnesia is making their task harder but they need each other if there is any kind of redemption.
There are many kinks illustrated through the book, so you're sure to find something that floats your own boat. One of my highlights has to be Pogli - pig-dog-lion chimera who steals the show! Daesra is less morally grey and more morally pitch dark but he does manage to gain some redemption. The reworked mythology really did take some brainwork to get around but I did enjoy the premise.
There are a smorgasbord of content/trigger warnings at the beginning of the book and I highly recommend you read them over before starting the book. I don't have too many triggers but I did find this a tad dark for me.
Dangerous maze, weird moving statues (still creeps me out after that Dr Who episode!), watery havoc and a horned Daemon for an ally, Sadare is in way over her head. Forced amnesia is making their task harder but they need each other if there is any kind of redemption.
There are many kinks illustrated through the book, so you're sure to find something that floats your own boat. One of my highlights has to be Pogli - pig-dog-lion chimera who steals the show! Daesra is less morally grey and more morally pitch dark but he does manage to gain some redemption. The reworked mythology really did take some brainwork to get around but I did enjoy the premise.
There are a smorgasbord of content/trigger warnings at the beginning of the book and I highly recommend you read them over before starting the book. I don't have too many triggers but I did find this a tad dark for me.
adventurous
dark
mysterious
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
šExquisite Ruin by AdriAnne Mayš
Overall Rating:āļøāļøāļø1/2
Spice Rating:š¶ļøš¶ļøš¶ļøš¶ļø
āØTropesāØ
š„Forced Proximity
š„Sorceress with Amnesia
š„Kink in a Fantasy Setting
š„Minotaur Demon Who Hates Her
š„Lovers to enemies to lovers to enemies to ???
š„Pug in Disguise
āØInitial ThoughtsāØ
This was a fun book, thereās really no other way to describe it. Itās spicy, surprising, and just a good time. I found the characters likable, regardless of their initial hatred of each other. I LOVE the amnesia trope and SadarĆ©, our FMC, has flashbacks of memories which help solve the puzzle of her particular predicament and past. I enjoyed the trials in a labyrinth setting. Plus, once the romance got started, I really enjoyed it.
My only major complaint was that it took me a while to really get into the story. Amnesia stories are tricky because you as the reader along with the character suffering with the memory loss are trying to navigate a new world with a very limited and confusing view. When done well, the process of piecing together what is happening to the character can be captivating and enjoyable. For this book, I found the process to be a little irritating at times. Iām not sure if itās due to the plot line or the writing style, but something felt off about it. Once the story picked up, it was much more interesting, though it took a bit too long for me to really get there.
If youāre looking for a spicy, Greek Mythology inspired story, look no further. The hatred to lovers is very satisfying.
āØProsāØ
- Likable main characters.
- I loved Pogli, the pig-dog-lion chimera type creature.
- The various trials in the labyrinth type maze were interesting.
- The spice!!!!
āØConsāØ
- It took me a while to really get into the story.
- The amnesia trope could have been done a little better for a smoother reading experience.
Thank you to the publisher, Gallery Books, for the gifted copy and the opportunity to review this book.
adventurous
dark
mysterious
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
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:
Yes
āYou know I love you, you utter fool.ā
This was a good time but not an amazing one. I probably should have known this would irk me a bit with the amnesia trope. There is a lot of telling and exposition dump to explain some things to the FMC throughout but especially at the start. Not my favorite but it tends to go hand in hand with this kind of plot.
For the most part, I really like where the plot went and found it fairly unique, at least to me. Maybe thereās a zillion labyrinth stories with these same plot notes, but Iāve never seen one. Anything I want to complain about regarding story beats would be spoilers so, alas, thatās all I can say.
The spice is fairly spicy, I guess, but if you go into this expecting full erotica, I think you may be disappointed. Thereās maybe 5 spicy scenes and only one is very in depth. There is a lot of rope tying, pain play, and bdsm esque things though, so Iād check the triggers. The author has an awesome list at the start of the book, which I definitely appreciate.
TLDR: would recommend if youāre a romantasy fan who can get past amnesia trope, plot dumps, and some plot holes. Plus, the cover??? Stunning.
Looking forward to the next installment in the series. I guess itās gonna involve the underworld??? Canāt wait.
This was a good time but not an amazing one. I probably should have known this would irk me a bit with the amnesia trope. There is a lot of telling and exposition dump to explain some things to the FMC throughout but especially at the start. Not my favorite but it tends to go hand in hand with this kind of plot.
For the most part, I really like where the plot went and found it fairly unique, at least to me. Maybe thereās a zillion labyrinth stories with these same plot notes, but Iāve never seen one. Anything I want to complain about regarding story beats would be spoilers so, alas, thatās all I can say.
The spice is fairly spicy, I guess, but if you go into this expecting full erotica, I think you may be disappointed. Thereās maybe 5 spicy scenes and only one is very in depth. There is a lot of rope tying, pain play, and bdsm esque things though, so Iād check the triggers. The author has an awesome list at the start of the book, which I definitely appreciate.
TLDR: would recommend if youāre a romantasy fan who can get past amnesia trope, plot dumps, and some plot holes. Plus, the cover??? Stunning.
Looking forward to the next installment in the series. I guess itās gonna involve the underworld??? Canāt wait.
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Loveable characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
A daemon, a witch, and a maze. Fraught with danger around every curve, Daesra and SadarƩ must use every advantage they can to reach the center of the maze. No matter how unsavory. Their sordid history further complicates their trek through the maze as they work through fragile trust. Not always with success.
This book had me hooked from the very beginning. There were so many mysteries that I needed to know more about. Why are SadarĆ©ās memories missing? Who is this hoofed daemon to her? Why are they in a maze? Iām nosy, I needed to know everything! I like how the story unfurled through the recovering of memories through the maze. I didnāt see any of the twists coming, and I loved that. There was spice, but a lot more emotional exploration between Daesra and SadarĆ©. I enjoyed that. Their relationship was majorly complicated. This book featured some kink that not everyone would be okay with, so be sure to check triggers before reading. I enjoyed it a lot!
dark
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I really struggled to get through this book and seriously considered DNF'ing. I just didn't feel drawn to continue picking it back up after the first 15-20%
- The writing was repetitive and lackluster. The best way I can describe it is pedestrian.
- Amnesia plotlines aren't my favorite because I just get frustrated with them, and constantly being told "I don't remember XYZ" by the main character.
- I'm not super familiar with the Greek mythology of the Labyrinth and the Minotaur to comment on specific details. But in my opinion it didn't seem very labyrinthian/maze like? I honestly had a hard time picturing the setting most of the book (and I'm usually not someone who has issue with this).
- I thought the mirrors being portals to the past was an interesting idea.
- On the surface level yes it does read like a 'true' enemies to lovers arc - the hatred of the two MCs is palpable (and also brought up repetitively) but I also didn't think the romance was well developed enough. It relied too much on 'things that happened in the past' and we were just told kinda suddenly that they loved each other?
- There is no where near enough explicit/spicy scenes for this to be considered 'erotica' - them just being kinky etc does not automatically qualify a book as erotica. From memory there's like several mentions of past things, one mild-spice, and then one *big* scene. To me no more than a typical romance.
- I don't get how this is going to be a series? cause it seemed pretty final by the end.
Ultimately I just really didn't care about the characters, or what was happening with them so it's a no for me.
I received an arc of this book - all opinions are my own. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Sexual violence, Violence, Blood
Moderate: Body horror, Gore, Self harm
Minor: Rape, Kidnapping, Death of parent
Content Warnings from Author included in book:
This book is a fantasy intended for adults only. Reader discretion is advised, since the following pages contain explicit sex, violence, mild gore/body horror, attempted rape (past), parent death (past, off-page), animal injury (not death), abduction/captivity, self-harm (only for magical purposes), and various kinks and fetishes in a fantasy setting, including: CNC (consensual non-consent), dominance and submission, sadomasochism, erotic degradation/humiliation, primal play, choking, gagging, rope bondage, spanking and other impact play, blood play, needle play, foot fetishization, monstrous anatomy, and raw/unprotected sex. All characters depicted are adults, and the activities depicted are not realistic representations of safe sexual activity or risk-aware consensual kink/BDSM.
medium-paced
Wow. I am in awe. How does someone say "wow" more intensely. I am not going to lie, in the beginning of this book I wrote a note saying how difficult it is to write a story when the MC has lost their memory. It is one thing for worldbuilding for the reader to learn along the way, and something else entirely when the reader is trapped with the MC learning at the mercy of another character. Especially a character that hates them and doesn't really want to part with that information. It was a slow building book, but so absolutely perfect now that I have finished it. I wouldn't change a single step of the absolute journey I took with these Sadare and Daesra. Every single choice was made intentionally.
In this adventure, we have a witch called Sadare and a daemon named Daesra going through the maze in this reimagined story of Thesues and the Minotaur. As they journey, Sadare must learn her true nature, self, and intentions as she has lost her memory. Daesra starts as her reluctant ally, but it is clear they have a history full of betrayal and strife from the beginning, and Daesra remembers it all, even if Sadare does not.
With a slew of trigger warnings, near death experiences, and a power that can only be accessed through pain, the reader is in for a wild ride start to finish. I cried and had my mind blown. 6 out of 5 stars.
probably about a 3 pepper spice rating because it is definitely an SM kink even if it is infrequent
probably about a 3 pepper spice rating because it is definitely an SM kink even if it is infrequent
The helpless ditsy female trope is not for me. Also the facts of the world are already in question 36 minutes into the world and I'm tapping out.