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nicovivi's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
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? It's complicated
3.5
For what I expected to be a purely fun angsty romantasy, turns out this book was a lot more fantasy-leaning than romance. I did enjoy the romance, I did like the overall plotting or world building. However, the 7+ pov and their first-hamd account of the story was more jarring and it did not help with the worldbuilding. I would have liked it more if select few characters' storyline was driving the story forward with a bit of implied plot behind, rather than every single person (time line also a bit jumbled due to this).
I am intrigued enough to continue the story in the future, but I hope it contains a bit less pov for me to follow.
I am intrigued enough to continue the story in the future, but I hope it contains a bit less pov for me to follow.
rellimreads's review
4.0
Audible.
This is my first book by W. M. Fawkes or Sam Burns. It's a cliffhanger in that it's obviously the first in a series of books about an expanding world. However, there is a complete and enjoyable tale here and I don't feel cheated or that it was stuffed with pointless filler. I want more, but in a good way. While there are MF, MM, and FF relationships, this is primarily an "epic fantasy" with romance being a secondary, yet well written, part of the plot. There are only two sex scenes (MM) and neither are overly long and both serve the story well. Probably the biggest hurdle for me was the sheer number of characters presented in the world building. I found myself referring to the ebook text to clarify exactly who was being mentioned a few times. I found the mix of political & familial dynamics intriguing and the pacing engaging. I'm definitely looking forward to the next book and the rest of the series.
I am familiar with Greg Boudreaux as a narrator and he is fantastic here as always. This was my first experience with Lessa Lamb and I look forward to more of her performances. Both narrators did an excellent job of giving distinctive accents & voices to all the characters.
I received a free copy of this audiobook from Gay Romance Reviews and am voluntarily leaving an honest review.
This is my first book by W. M. Fawkes or Sam Burns. It's a cliffhanger in that it's obviously the first in a series of books about an expanding world. However, there is a complete and enjoyable tale here and I don't feel cheated or that it was stuffed with pointless filler. I want more, but in a good way. While there are MF, MM, and FF relationships, this is primarily an "epic fantasy" with romance being a secondary, yet well written, part of the plot. There are only two sex scenes (MM) and neither are overly long and both serve the story well. Probably the biggest hurdle for me was the sheer number of characters presented in the world building. I found myself referring to the ebook text to clarify exactly who was being mentioned a few times. I found the mix of political & familial dynamics intriguing and the pacing engaging. I'm definitely looking forward to the next book and the rest of the series.
I am familiar with Greg Boudreaux as a narrator and he is fantastic here as always. This was my first experience with Lessa Lamb and I look forward to more of her performances. Both narrators did an excellent job of giving distinctive accents & voices to all the characters.
I received a free copy of this audiobook from Gay Romance Reviews and am voluntarily leaving an honest review.
a_reader_obsessed's review
4.0
4.5 High Five Hearts!!
You guys…. you’ve got to check this out!
Don’t be fooled by that flashy cover thinking that this is light and whimsical because it’s not. This is fantasy at its best, and it’s set in a land and time where humans and dragons have a tentative peace that teeters on the edge of explosive consequences. However, the divide and animosity runs high, and the chance of a truce is nigh impossible despite a potential dangerous and common foe.
This is a world about a new king coming into ascension, one whose less than savory personality puts many on guard for he’s not the gentle beloved king his father was.
This features the king’s shadow Bet, who has only known struggle and pain, whose life was elevated and ultimately, saved by his highness. His loyalty is devout and steadfast, being the new king’s eyes, ears, and hands in all things necessary and not necessary regarding the king’s whims and needs.
This centers on the king’s cousin and best friend Tris, whose strength and goodness and honor shine brightly through. However, he’s hiding a very big secret. He's half dragon, which puts him in quite the precarious position as most in the kingdom of Llangard despise dragons out of the long established hatred when they once enslaved and ruled over humans - and that includes the king himself.
So get ready for a slow burn attraction between Tris and Bet. Two men with different ranks, on opposite ends of the social spectrum but each outcasts in their own right. Though they’ve noticed each other from afar, their paths rarely cross until one day they do. When Tris’s secret is exposed, each man and the many other characters have some very very difficult choices to make, all of which will have damning repercussions.
Overall, Fawkes and Burns have created something that’s quite impressive. It’s intricate, complex, boasting no less than 7 POV’s, all tied together ingeniously with a torturous build and reveal that keeps you on edge, where around the corner things can change in a flash and one’s status or life hangs in the balance. So many secrets abound in all sorts of ways involving assignations, alliances, promises, betrayals, magic, and dangerous longings all just waiting to be discovered.
If you like a Game of Thrones-esque type set up, a romance that is hard fought and not quite yet won, where the protagonists’ struggles are weighted, meaningful, and angsty, then this is for you, and I don't say that lightly.
Though this ends tentatively (and please don’t let that dissuade you) it has a concrete conclusion for this first installment and leaves the reader chomping at the bit for so much more! I just hate that I have to wait an interminable and unknown amount of time for the next book! Write faster please!
Thank you to the authors for a copy in exchange for a honest review
You guys…. you’ve got to check this out!
Don’t be fooled by that flashy cover thinking that this is light and whimsical because it’s not. This is fantasy at its best, and it’s set in a land and time where humans and dragons have a tentative peace that teeters on the edge of explosive consequences. However, the divide and animosity runs high, and the chance of a truce is nigh impossible despite a potential dangerous and common foe.
This is a world about a new king coming into ascension, one whose less than savory personality puts many on guard for he’s not the gentle beloved king his father was.
This features the king’s shadow Bet, who has only known struggle and pain, whose life was elevated and ultimately, saved by his highness. His loyalty is devout and steadfast, being the new king’s eyes, ears, and hands in all things necessary and not necessary regarding the king’s whims and needs.
This centers on the king’s cousin and best friend Tris, whose strength and goodness and honor shine brightly through. However, he’s hiding a very big secret. He's half dragon, which puts him in quite the precarious position as most in the kingdom of Llangard despise dragons out of the long established hatred when they once enslaved and ruled over humans - and that includes the king himself.
So get ready for a slow burn attraction between Tris and Bet. Two men with different ranks, on opposite ends of the social spectrum but each outcasts in their own right. Though they’ve noticed each other from afar, their paths rarely cross until one day they do. When Tris’s secret is exposed, each man and the many other characters have some very very difficult choices to make, all of which will have damning repercussions.
Overall, Fawkes and Burns have created something that’s quite impressive. It’s intricate, complex, boasting no less than 7 POV’s, all tied together ingeniously with a torturous build and reveal that keeps you on edge, where around the corner things can change in a flash and one’s status or life hangs in the balance. So many secrets abound in all sorts of ways involving assignations, alliances, promises, betrayals, magic, and dangerous longings all just waiting to be discovered.
If you like a Game of Thrones-esque type set up, a romance that is hard fought and not quite yet won, where the protagonists’ struggles are weighted, meaningful, and angsty, then this is for you, and I don't say that lightly.
Though this ends tentatively (and please don’t let that dissuade you) it has a concrete conclusion for this first installment and leaves the reader chomping at the bit for so much more! I just hate that I have to wait an interminable and unknown amount of time for the next book! Write faster please!
Thank you to the authors for a copy in exchange for a honest review
lydiaaa's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
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? It's complicated
3.5
petra_reviews_mm's review against another edition
5.0
I am so glad I read this book! It is just so interesting, full of plot and just the right amount of MM romance. Which is slow burn and I live for that!
I admit that it took me at least 15 % to really get into the writing style and story. The novel is told from multiple POVs which were often really important for the wordbuilding and the whole story progression. Only a few chapters felt flat.
It also creates tension as sometimes an intense moment does not continue the storyline in the next chapter, but takes us somewhere else where people have no idea what is going on. It was not irritating much but I sometimes wanted to know more about XY instead of the side characters.
I absolutely love the "couple" (they really are not a couple or anything like that now). Their attraction and chemistry was through the roof. I especially love that even though there is some power imbalance, it is only caused by the society/court, not by the more powerful character Tris.
Both Bet and Tris have depth, back stories, their behaviour does not fall only into one category (being good or bad) and I can already feel the potential in the upcoming books.
I think that if you really pay attention, the plot progression does not seem unique/surprising as the authors leave crumbs that tell you what will happen or why a character behaves a certain way. Though, what Rhiannon did at the end left me speechless. But go girl!
This book reminded me a bit of King's Assasin series by Ariana Nash but it is not as dark... just dark enough. I love that Bet is a dark/grey character and we can witness it through his actions.
As for the romance and smut aspect... the men are slowly getting to being a couple. But there is the expected push and pull of them both. They want each other but (for whatever reason, and there are a couple) they are not at the end of their journey yet. I am so glad that this is not insta-love/lust book as we can see the build up of emotions and lust.
As for smut, there are a couple of scenes and that satisfied me more than enough. It was just perfect and shown the progression of the couple really naturally. I can't way for Tris/Bet to fuck each other into oblivion.
I admit that it took me at least 15 % to really get into the writing style and story. The novel is told from multiple POVs which were often really important for the wordbuilding and the whole story progression. Only a few chapters felt flat.
It also creates tension as sometimes an intense moment does not continue the storyline in the next chapter, but takes us somewhere else where people have no idea what is going on. It was not irritating much but I sometimes wanted to know more about XY instead of the side characters.
I absolutely love the "couple" (they really are not a couple or anything like that now). Their attraction and chemistry was through the roof. I especially love that even though there is some power imbalance, it is only caused by the society/court, not by the more powerful character Tris.
Both Bet and Tris have depth, back stories, their behaviour does not fall only into one category (being good or bad) and I can already feel the potential in the upcoming books.
I think that if you really pay attention, the plot progression does not seem unique/surprising as the authors leave crumbs that tell you what will happen or why a character behaves a certain way. Though, what Rhiannon did at the end left me speechless. But go girl!
This book reminded me a bit of King's Assasin series by Ariana Nash but it is not as dark... just dark enough. I love that Bet is a dark/grey character and we can witness it through his actions.
As for the romance and smut aspect... the men are slowly getting to being a couple. But there is the expected push and pull of them both. They want each other but (for whatever reason, and there are a couple) they are not at the end of their journey yet. I am so glad that this is not insta-love/lust book as we can see the build up of emotions and lust.
As for smut, there are a couple of scenes and that satisfied me more than enough. It was just perfect and shown the progression of the couple really naturally. I can't way for Tris/Bet to fuck each other into oblivion.
rayonx's review against another edition
5.0
This book in one sentence: When the new king ascends, political intrigue follows and a disenchanted princess, a half-dragon in hiding, an elf assassin and a neglected prince all try to navigate this tumultuous reality.
My rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Steaminess:
My rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Steaminess:
teresab78's review against another edition
5.0
Great!
Although the multiple view points annoyed me at first, they allowed the story to be told seamlessly. I really liked all the characters, the world building, and the plot. This ends in a bit of a cliff hanger so you know there’ll be more to come in this world.
Although the multiple view points annoyed me at first, they allowed the story to be told seamlessly. I really liked all the characters, the world building, and the plot. This ends in a bit of a cliff hanger so you know there’ll be more to come in this world.
jacqueleenthereadingqueen's review
3.0
This was an interesting beginning to a new paranormal series. I don't quite know how to feel about it. There seemed to be many things going on and there were at least 5 different POVs of characters which got me kinda confused to be honest. It would take me a minute to switch "heads" and remember where we last left that character. The major couple definitely intrigues me, however I feel we didn't truly get enough page time with them. It would get good, then switch to another character and their drama that frankly I didn't care as much about. This book definitely ends on a cliffy so we can expect more. Maybe the answers to my questions will be in the next installment. 3.25 stars
mdieckmann's review
4.0
it took me a second to understand the relationships between the characters, but omg once a caught on I was 100% here for it