Scan barcode
muriellinn's review against another edition
funny
mysterious
reflective
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
4.0
fishky's review against another edition
4.0
Have to think about this one. Fun fast page-turner. Not a lot to think about. Very bittersweet. Very toxic. Very visual. I'm a sucker for Pan's Labyrinth adjacent fairytale decadence, each scene like ripe fruit rotting if you don't chew fast enough. Will write notes later bc it's the kind of romance fantasy that blends. Kind of a Naomi Novik vibe. A little more 3 than 4 but I gotta support my Asian heroines!
e_j_cook's review
adventurous
funny
mysterious
fast-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
3.5
courtneyg1999's review
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
sk_popo's review against another edition
1.0
Alright, alright I have a lot of opinions about this book but before I start if anyone who is debating reading this book uses my review to determine whether or not it’s worth the read. Stop it. Just read the book, I’m a total nobody on the internet. So with that said I shall begin
What in the world did I read? The concept was so cool, I was so excited to read it but I got so bored I couldn’t even really finish it. I had to skip ahead and even though I skipped a good 100 pages I was able to piece together everything. I know this because even though I jumped in at random spot I wasn’t confused, which means there’s just fluffy nonsense. You might be thinking now, “well it was clearly good enough that you needed to know what happens.” Wrong, you are so wrong. I was looking for a plot to develop because for the 1st like 150 pages, it’s the same thing over and over again. “The soon so be prince is so hot….I hate him. I’d slap him….with my lips (not an actual quote)” OR “His dad likes me more, so I need to do what I can to secure my position as seer, I can’t go back to the life I had before this. Because when the prince becomes King, he’ll kick me out.” And don’t get me started on the predictability, there was nothing about this novel that had me engaged for 2 seconds. Oh and don’t get me started on the relationship between the Prince and the seer, it’s clearly set up to be enemies to lovers but dear god was it done wrong. The author tried to have them bicker, but it wasn’t like the sexual tension type of bickering, they would legit be arguing. So from the beginning of the book to the end, there was no real development. Like 0 emotional chemistry for the 2 characters, the smut indicates plenty of physical chemistry though so I guess that’s enough for the characters.
I’m really not trying to be mean when I write this because I obviously don’t want to spit on something that the author worked so hard on, these were just my opinions.
What in the world did I read? The concept was so cool, I was so excited to read it but I got so bored I couldn’t even really finish it. I had to skip ahead and even though I skipped a good 100 pages I was able to piece together everything. I know this because even though I jumped in at random spot I wasn’t confused, which means there’s just fluffy nonsense. You might be thinking now, “well it was clearly good enough that you needed to know what happens.” Wrong, you are so wrong. I was looking for a plot to develop because for the 1st like 150 pages, it’s the same thing over and over again. “The soon so be prince is so hot….I hate him. I’d slap him….with my lips (not an actual quote)” OR “His dad likes me more, so I need to do what I can to secure my position as seer, I can’t go back to the life I had before this. Because when the prince becomes King, he’ll kick me out.” And don’t get me started on the predictability, there was nothing about this novel that had me engaged for 2 seconds. Oh and don’t get me started on the relationship between the Prince and the seer, it’s clearly set up to be enemies to lovers but dear god was it done wrong. The author tried to have them bicker, but it wasn’t like the sexual tension type of bickering, they would legit be arguing. So from the beginning of the book to the end, there was no real development. Like 0 emotional chemistry for the 2 characters, the smut indicates plenty of physical chemistry though so I guess that’s enough for the characters.
I’m really not trying to be mean when I write this because I obviously don’t want to spit on something that the author worked so hard on, these were just my opinions.
faith_09's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
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
5.0
This is a beautifully written book I couldn’t stop reading
There are lots of twists and turns and it is absolutely incredible
There are lots of twists and turns and it is absolutely incredible
bibliobeth's review
2.5
There are so many books out there doing enemies to lovers and fairytale style stories so much better than this one. Violet felt like such a watered-down version of a morally grey MC that she just wasn't believable enough and therefore not interesting enough.
ateachersguidetoreading's review against another edition
5.0
"Kings and curses, girls and gods— these are the makings of tales..."
*
Violet, the court Seer, is cool and calculating when divining the future but she's not always honest in what she foresees. As she twists truths to allow the King to manipulate the kingdom, his son, Prince Cyrus plots to strip her of her title once he ascends the throne. When the King asks her to falsely predict Cyrus' love story, Violet awakens a dreaded curse. But there's a thin line between love and hate and as Violet and Cyrus give in to temptation they must try to work together to figure out who the real threat is to their kingdom.
*
"You’ll need the whole package to survive: brains, beauty, and backstabbing..."
*
A morally grey and extremely cynical anti-heroine? I was sold on that alone before I knew the plot! I definitely felt the Jude vibes from The Cruel Prince mixed with some Alessandra from The Shadows Between Us. There are various fairytale elements too, like Cinderella and Beauty and the Beast. I find the middle of the book has more of a focus on the two main characters. I really enjoyed this book - I loved Violet's sarcasm and humour as well as her honesty. This is a YA book but there's tension between Violet and Cyrus and some small but of spice. I do feel like the side characters could have been fleshed out a bit more - there's alot of potential there - and I'd have liked some more clarity on the magic system. But I know there is time for that in the next book and I'm looking forward to it. Thank you to Hodderscape and NetGalley for the ARC!
*
We could ruin each other, and we would not hesitate to do so..."
*
Violet, the court Seer, is cool and calculating when divining the future but she's not always honest in what she foresees. As she twists truths to allow the King to manipulate the kingdom, his son, Prince Cyrus plots to strip her of her title once he ascends the throne. When the King asks her to falsely predict Cyrus' love story, Violet awakens a dreaded curse. But there's a thin line between love and hate and as Violet and Cyrus give in to temptation they must try to work together to figure out who the real threat is to their kingdom.
*
"You’ll need the whole package to survive: brains, beauty, and backstabbing..."
*
A morally grey and extremely cynical anti-heroine? I was sold on that alone before I knew the plot! I definitely felt the Jude vibes from The Cruel Prince mixed with some Alessandra from The Shadows Between Us. There are various fairytale elements too, like Cinderella and Beauty and the Beast. I find the middle of the book has more of a focus on the two main characters. I really enjoyed this book - I loved Violet's sarcasm and humour as well as her honesty. This is a YA book but there's tension between Violet and Cyrus and some small but of spice. I do feel like the side characters could have been fleshed out a bit more - there's alot of potential there - and I'd have liked some more clarity on the magic system. But I know there is time for that in the next book and I'm looking forward to it. Thank you to Hodderscape and NetGalley for the ARC!
*
We could ruin each other, and we would not hesitate to do so..."
kiberen's review
adventurous
mysterious
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