Reviews - Radiance | The StoryGraph

3.68k reviews for:

Radiance

Grace Draven

3.87 AVERAGE

bookfairy4's review against another edition

5.0

adventurous emotional hopeful mysterious medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: No

airdriesg's review against another edition

4.0

I'm going to give this book four stars for the originality and the realistic love story. These characters are two different species and as a result, everything, including the way they view attractive mates is different. The author does a great job at showcasing how they became friends and then caught feelings. I greatly enjoyed it. It has some plot holes and a few wtf moments, but overall it was a fun read.

findmebythepool's review against another edition

4.0

funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted relaxing medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: No

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: No

asalie17's review against another edition

3.0

So refreshing to have an FMC who isn’t blindly stubborn and impulsive and is just kind and smart and funny. I loved their banter and sense of humor with each other, but I felt like 75% of the book was just them getting to know each other and there wasn’t much plot until the last 50 pages or so. I still enjoyed it, and it looks the end of this one is setting up for a different arc with the next book so hopefully it’ll be a little more fast paced.

andiehales's review against another edition

3.0

fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: No

This book had such a strong start, but somewhere along the way it started to fall apart. The slow building of Ildiko and Brishen's relationship was wonderful. However, the plot underneath the romance feels like an afterthought for most of the book, only to abruptly take the reins of the story in the last few pages. If this story was strictly a no plot, just vibes romance or a more plot-focused story it would have held up better. However, the ending just felt jarring compared to most of the chapters that had preceded it. The chemistry and direct interactions between the leading couple is great, I just wish the rest of the story was more cohesive.

TW: SA... I also want to point out several parts towards the end that just felt very odd and unnecessary? Namely Brishen's family members calling him attractive, as well as the implication of what would have happened to Ildiko had she not slept in her own room the one night. (Especially considering that they sleep together mere hours afterwards?) Truly cannot understand what point that served, and it felt like a very icky moment in an otherwise very consent and trust based relationship.

Content Warnings

kerrythefire's review against another edition

3.5

There was some external conflict toward the end, but overall this was a kind of leisurely book actually. It was a tale of a human woman learning to live in her non-human husband's community after their arranged political marriage, while she and her husband gradually fall in love despite initially finding each other physically ugly. It was overall a sweet story.

I liked how they bonded initially over honesty and humor, became friends and allies to each other, and then began to feel desire and finally even physical attraction because they had gotten to know each other, respect and appreciate each other, and develop a deep bond. I really felt their love and connection throughout. Had no problem rooting for them.