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3.82 AVERAGE
3.82 AVERAGE
Tried to be like six of crows but really lacked character depth and group dynamic just was meh. I did like the plot twist at the end though.
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-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:
Yes
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-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:
Yes
adventurous
emotional
slow-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
loved it, worth the read!! plot twist at the end went crazy
i wanted to love this so much, but unfortunately it's not for me. dnf @ 60%
I loved this book! It reminded me of Six of Crows which is one of my favorites! The multiple POV is really well done and it’s always so satisfying to see them all mesh together in the plot! Cant wait for the sequel
adventurous
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
3 Stars ✨
If I had to describe this book, I’d say: Six of Crows but with way more romance (and a lot more misogyny).
One of the biggest things that bothered me was how women were portrayed. I get that in fantasy, especially the kind that’s inspired by historical stuff, sexism is usually part of the world. That’s not the problem. The way it was written didn’t feel like it was building toward anything or making a point, it just felt unnecessary and weird;
Then there’s the romance. Every couple felt like they were thrown together just because they were around each other. It was very “oh, you’re here, I’m here, guess we’re falling in love now.” There was no real buildup, no slow burn, no depth;
And it didn't even have a group dynamic. It was just a bunch of duos. It didn’t feel like they were building friendships across the group, just staying in their pairs. I really wanted to see more interactions between everyone, not just the couples. I wanted that found-family vibe.
Also, the count? I really wanted to doubt his feelings more. I wanted to wonder if he hated her, if he was conflicted.
But nope! It was obvious from the start. That could’ve been such a good enemies-to-lovers arc, with tension and groveling and everything, especially because this is a three-book series! There was time!
⠀
Another thing that didn’t work for me was giving everyone a POV right away. There was no mystery, no suspense, no wondering what someone was thinking. We already knew everything. I think it would’ve been better with just a few POVs, and let us guess about the rest. That would’ve made the journey to the castle (which was most of the plot) a lot more interesting.
⠀
Now, if you love romance tropes? You’ll probably like this book. It had every single trope you can think of. And honestly? Some of them were fun. Others were meh.
And here’s the thing: I did enjoy it. It reminded me of Six of Crows in some ways, which also kind of made me mad because it wasn’t nearly as good. But the parts that worked? They did work. It was entertaining, and I flew through it.
⠀
The book it's being sold as “adult” because the characters are in their 20s, but it didn’t feel like adult fantasy at all. The writing, the tone, everything felt super YA. Honestly, it read like a YA book with adult-aged characters, and that’s not necessarily bad, but it felt like a weird mismatch.
⠀
So yeah. This book had some major issues: rushed relationships, flat character dynamics, some uncomfortable gender stuff. But at the same time… it was kind of fun. And I am curious to see what the next book will do.
If I had to describe this book, I’d say: Six of Crows but with way more romance (and a lot more misogyny).
One of the biggest things that bothered me was how women were portrayed. I get that in fantasy, especially the kind that’s inspired by historical stuff, sexism is usually part of the world. That’s not the problem. The way it was written didn’t feel like it was building toward anything or making a point, it just felt unnecessary and weird;
Then there’s the romance. Every couple felt like they were thrown together just because they were around each other. It was very “oh, you’re here, I’m here, guess we’re falling in love now.” There was no real buildup, no slow burn, no depth;
And it didn't even have a group dynamic. It was just a bunch of duos. It didn’t feel like they were building friendships across the group, just staying in their pairs. I really wanted to see more interactions between everyone, not just the couples. I wanted that found-family vibe.
Also, the count? I really wanted to doubt his feelings more. I wanted to wonder if he hated her, if he was conflicted.
But nope! It was obvious from the start. That could’ve been such a good enemies-to-lovers arc, with tension and groveling and everything, especially because this is a three-book series! There was time!
⠀
Another thing that didn’t work for me was giving everyone a POV right away. There was no mystery, no suspense, no wondering what someone was thinking. We already knew everything. I think it would’ve been better with just a few POVs, and let us guess about the rest. That would’ve made the journey to the castle (which was most of the plot) a lot more interesting.
⠀
Now, if you love romance tropes? You’ll probably like this book. It had every single trope you can think of. And honestly? Some of them were fun. Others were meh.
And here’s the thing: I did enjoy it. It reminded me of Six of Crows in some ways, which also kind of made me mad because it wasn’t nearly as good. But the parts that worked? They did work. It was entertaining, and I flew through it.
⠀
The book it's being sold as “adult” because the characters are in their 20s, but it didn’t feel like adult fantasy at all. The writing, the tone, everything felt super YA. Honestly, it read like a YA book with adult-aged characters, and that’s not necessarily bad, but it felt like a weird mismatch.
⠀
So yeah. This book had some major issues: rushed relationships, flat character dynamics, some uncomfortable gender stuff. But at the same time… it was kind of fun. And I am curious to see what the next book will do.
medium-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
Entertaining and I liked the concept. I am going to continue to read the series to see how it plays out but everything is a little to convient for this group. There's some big plot holes through the whole book.