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3.66 AVERAGE
3.66 AVERAGE
dark
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Overall I liked this book. I finished it in three days so it clearly hooked me! A really good ratio of spice to plot. It was a bit hard to wrap my head around the FMC’s characterization at times but otherwise a really good book 1. Caution: book does end on a cliffhanger that leaves you without answers and praying the author releases book 2 soon
*thank you to publisher & Netgalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review*
Blood Queen had me hooked from the very first page. The story follows Layla, who becomes Queen of Kusmal following the murder of her parents. After earning the nickname “Blood Queen”, Layla takes a hands off approach in ruling the kingdom and mourns the loss of her parents. The night before she is the meet her betrothed, Layla has what she believes to be one last passionate night with a stranger from the local tavern. When this stranger reappears in Layla’s life, it threatens everything her parents laid out for her. As lies and betrayals come to the surface, Layla must discover who she can trust if she wants to save herself and her kingdom.
One thing I really appreciated about Blood Queen is that this was little to no “filler” chapters. The story was short, fast paced, and right to the point. This is a very bingeable read. It’s also pretty spicy!
Blood Queen had me hooked from the very first page. The story follows Layla, who becomes Queen of Kusmal following the murder of her parents. After earning the nickname “Blood Queen”, Layla takes a hands off approach in ruling the kingdom and mourns the loss of her parents. The night before she is the meet her betrothed, Layla has what she believes to be one last passionate night with a stranger from the local tavern. When this stranger reappears in Layla’s life, it threatens everything her parents laid out for her. As lies and betrayals come to the surface, Layla must discover who she can trust if she wants to save herself and her kingdom.
One thing I really appreciated about Blood Queen is that this was little to no “filler” chapters. The story was short, fast paced, and right to the point. This is a very bingeable read. It’s also pretty spicy!
*thank you to the publisher & Netgalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review*
Blood Queen had me hooked from the very first page. The story follows Layla, who becomes Queen of Kusmal following the murder of her parents. After earning the nickname “Blood Queen”, Layla takes a hands off approach in ruling the kingdom and mourns the loss of her parents. The night before she is the meet her betrothed, Layla has what she believes to be one last passionate night with a stranger from the local tavern. When this stranger reappears in Layla’s life, it threatens everything her parents laid out for her. As lies and betrayals come to the surface, Layla must discover who she can trust if she wants to save herself and her kingdom.
One thing I really appreciated about Blood Queen is that this was little to no “filler” chapters. The story was short, fast paced, and right to the point. This is a very bingeable read. It’s also pretty spicy!
Blood Queen had me hooked from the very first page. The story follows Layla, who becomes Queen of Kusmal following the murder of her parents. After earning the nickname “Blood Queen”, Layla takes a hands off approach in ruling the kingdom and mourns the loss of her parents. The night before she is the meet her betrothed, Layla has what she believes to be one last passionate night with a stranger from the local tavern. When this stranger reappears in Layla’s life, it threatens everything her parents laid out for her. As lies and betrayals come to the surface, Layla must discover who she can trust if she wants to save herself and her kingdom.
One thing I really appreciated about Blood Queen is that this was little to no “filler” chapters. The story was short, fast paced, and right to the point. This is a very bingeable read. It’s also pretty spicy!
Overall 3/5
Spice 1/5
I really enjoyed this book and the first look into the world of Esfer. While I would've liked more world-building and more explanation of the overall magic of the world, I can't wait to see where the series goes!
The banter between the two main characters is great. I am hoping for more spice as the series progresses, but I love their push-pull and hope to see more development as they grow.
I'm hopeful that the characters show some more development and insight as the series progresses and hope that the FMC turns around into more a confident character.
It was a bit predictable in some ways as to where the story was going but is left on a great note to leave us wondering what will happen next and keeping us all on the edge waiting to see when the next novel comes out.
The Blood Queen was a great, fast paced read that I really enjoyed.
Spice 1/5
I really enjoyed this book and the first look into the world of Esfer. While I would've liked more world-building and more explanation of the overall magic of the world, I can't wait to see where the series goes!
The banter between the two main characters is great. I am hoping for more spice as the series progresses, but I love their push-pull and hope to see more development as they grow.
I'm hopeful that the characters show some more development and insight as the series progresses and hope that the FMC turns around into more a confident character.
It was a bit predictable in some ways as to where the story was going but is left on a great note to leave us wondering what will happen next and keeping us all on the edge waiting to see when the next novel comes out.
The Blood Queen was a great, fast paced read that I really enjoyed.
Blood Queen was such a great read! Very fast paced and hard to put down. Layla is so tough! From the very beginning you can tell she’s not going to be your typical Queen. She does anything and everything to keep her people safe. She doesn’t care what it takes, when it comes to her people and her kingdom, they are first in her heart.
Rune was the perfect morally grey character that we all love. Definitely a touch her and die vibe!
The spice was done fabulously and that CLIFFHANGER!! Very well done! Cannot wait until book 2 comes out.
Rune was the perfect morally grey character that we all love. Definitely a touch her and die vibe!
The spice was done fabulously and that CLIFFHANGER!! Very well done! Cannot wait until book 2 comes out.
3,5* I received this ARC by Victory Editing NetGalley in exchange for an honest review
I can’t finish this. This book has so much misogyny in it that I am worried for the author. Her opinions on sex work, the not so subtle slut shaming and “dominant man in bed” at the start are just some of it. I love some degradation and dominance in books but this isn’t giving that.The first sex scene feels like its going to end in abuse, he’s being ‘dominant’ but in a way that makes me think this author has never read about or experience safe BDSM practices. Everyone, including Rune, also slut shame Layla for sleeping with Rune prior to them meeting each other, when she’s the queen rather than the night before when she’s disguised. But no one has any issue with him sleeping with her the day before they meet.
I want to go slightly more in depth on my issues with the way sex work and sex workers are described and discussed in this book. I have studied this heavily as part of my criminology degree. She talks about the women “selling their bodies” due to addiction and trying to eradicate the profession through social welfare programmes (painting her as some kind of saint or something, a common theme in this book). Both these ideas are very wrong. Sex work may sometimes be a result of trafficking but not generally. It is a real and chosen profession done by many, not just women. While there are issues with sex work and treatment of sex workers many of these are actually due to the criminalisation and stigmatisation of it! This view of sex work is incredibly misogynistic, basically saying that all sex workers are brainwashed and not listening to the people doing sex work who almost entirely disagree. If you have heard of TERFs there are also SWERFs, none of which are actually feminists but this gives you an idea of how gross this view is.
I also have a problem with the inconsistency in the characters. Layla, the blood queen, and Rune are both so different from page to page and when you compare their actions to their words. This is trying so hard to paint the queen as a gracious and kind leader, like moving the servants to guest quarters that are fancy rather than the cold servant ones. But it’s so inconsistent with how she talks about everything else that it just feels false. She’s also meant to be 28 but reads as early 20s at most.
There was very little about this book that is good, maybe there is more later on but I will not be finding out.
I want to go slightly more in depth on my issues with the way sex work and sex workers are described and discussed in this book. I have studied this heavily as part of my criminology degree. She talks about the women “selling their bodies” due to addiction and trying to eradicate the profession through social welfare programmes (painting her as some kind of saint or something, a common theme in this book). Both these ideas are very wrong. Sex work may sometimes be a result of trafficking but not generally. It is a real and chosen profession done by many, not just women. While there are issues with sex work and treatment of sex workers many of these are actually due to the criminalisation and stigmatisation of it! This view of sex work is incredibly misogynistic, basically saying that all sex workers are brainwashed and not listening to the people doing sex work who almost entirely disagree. If you have heard of TERFs there are also SWERFs, none of which are actually feminists but this gives you an idea of how gross this view is.
I also have a problem with the inconsistency in the characters. Layla, the blood queen, and Rune are both so different from page to page and when you compare their actions to their words. This is trying so hard to paint the queen as a gracious and kind leader, like moving the servants to guest quarters that are fancy rather than the cold servant ones. But it’s so inconsistent with how she talks about everything else that it just feels false. She’s also meant to be 28 but reads as early 20s at most.
There was very little about this book that is good, maybe there is more later on but I will not be finding out.
I was stoked to get this book as an arc! It has two of my favorite tropes, arranged marriage and touch her and die. I could not put this book down, the world building was good, the character development was great, and the spice.
First....amazing. Second....CLIFFHANGER!!! Third..... read this book. Oh. My. Word. This was a fantasticly fun and fast paced book. I love when we get some good plot twists. Even if they rip your heart out and stomp on it. I loved the characters and their chemistry was so well done and just all around fun! They had excellent banter and while I did get frustrated with Rune bc he just couldn't ..... I dunno he was like a toddler playing chase in a glass shop. He was all bluster and came in hot and then had to apologize bc he came in hot and blustered about lol
Overall I really loved this book. I'm absolutely feral for the characters and I just love the familiars! The steamy spice was sweltering and delicious.
I hate cliffhangers because I never feel like I get enough time in their world. But this is a fantastic series and I'm so glad to have received an ARC for my honest opinion.
Overall I really loved this book. I'm absolutely feral for the characters and I just love the familiars! The steamy spice was sweltering and delicious.
I hate cliffhangers because I never feel like I get enough time in their world. But this is a fantastic series and I'm so glad to have received an ARC for my honest opinion.