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3.87 AVERAGE
3.87 AVERAGE
DO NOT JUDGE THE BOOK BY ITS COVER.
I REPEAT:
DO. NOT. JUDGE. THE. BOOK. BY. ITS. COVER.
I REPEAT:
DO. NOT. JUDGE. THE. BOOK. BY. ITS. COVER.
Oh, my God! I don't even know what to say. I started this book thinking it would be a great little read, but it turned out to be so much more. I actually devoured it and I'm not ashamed of it.
I just loved the relationship building, the intensity, and the interaction between the two main characters. What can I say? I'm off to book number 2 :)
I just loved the relationship building, the intensity, and the interaction between the two main characters. What can I say? I'm off to book number 2 :)
adventurous
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
I'm a sucker for the marriage of convenience trope and I loved that the author immediately sets the two MCs up for success. From the start we can see that these two are good-humored and pragmatic, building a solid foundation for their relationship. They very believably grow to admire and find each other attractive (and the author's descriptions of how horrifyingly ugly they originally found each other made me chuckle).
As it stands, this is a very cozy story about the couple (with many open-door sex scenes) for 80% of the book. There is very little conflict, internal or external, until the violent end which makes the last 20% a bit jarring.
The lack of build up (world building, politics, motivations, etc.) to that situation hampered some of my enjoyment of the book. Both Brishen and Ildiko are almost too perfect (I'm not certain they ever disagree about anything substantial). So while I like them very much as characters, a bit more complexity to their characters or situations would have added depth.
As it stands, this is a very cozy story about the couple (with many open-door sex scenes) for 80% of the book. There is very little conflict, internal or external, until the violent end which makes the last 20% a bit jarring.
The lack of build up (world building, politics, motivations, etc.) to that situation hampered some of my enjoyment of the book. Both Brishen and Ildiko are almost too perfect (I'm not certain they ever disagree about anything substantial). So while I like them very much as characters, a bit more complexity to their characters or situations would have added depth.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child death, Violence
Minor: Torture
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Compelling and endearing romance, well-researched worldbuilding, and some nice political intrigue. My only complaint is that the main villain (Brishe’s mother, Secmis ) is so cartoonishly evil and undeveloped that I couldn’t really take them seriously. It also felt like a somewhat tired trope —the Horrible Murderous Bitch Sorceress Mother + Father Who’s Probably Bad Too But In Less Salacious Ways That The Book Cares Less About. Would have liked some queerness too, since the narrative centers around cultural differences, and standards/assumptions around gender and sexuality can be so variable. Overall an enjoyable and well-written love story.
Boring. The heroine and hero always make the right decisions.
fast-paced
ehehehe this one was new for me but such a pleasant surprise. it's like upgrading the daily reading of my teens to include some ✨spicyness✨ for my twenties lol. more books need to employ this perfect intersection between world building, immersive plot, WONDERFUL characters, and just the right amout of steaminess to really sell it all
I couldn’t bring myself to care about these characters. The world was meh, the side characters were flat, and the MCs were flawless dolls. I wished I had DNF’d it before the end, as I had considered doing multiple times, so that it could have at least remained in my memory as a zero-stakes “cozy” story…but, there is an external event at the very end that is deeply gruesome and I was so angry at the author for leaving me with that awful image of unnecessary violence. Seriously. I have no ill will towards Brishen. I did not need him to be horribly maimed in service of a non-existant plot. This was too much, and I will be re-writing this head canon for myself…maybe he connects with a fabulous tinkerer like our boy Lucien did and comes back better than ever.
Finally, this was an audiobook listen, so I’m glad it spared me the grammatical errors the text apparently has, but the production quality was poor— there is a tinny quality to the recorded voice, and the narrator’s sharp tone combined with a distracting lisp to feel not very enjoyable for me.
I’ve heard this compared to the Saint of Steel or Traitor Son series, but it comes nowhere close. Both T Kingfisher’s and Melissa J Cave’s worlds, people, and storytelling are in a wholly other league. Save yourself trouble: skip this entirely and go straight to those instead.
Finally, this was an audiobook listen, so I’m glad it spared me the grammatical errors the text apparently has, but the production quality was poor— there is a tinny quality to the recorded voice, and the narrator’s sharp tone combined with a distracting lisp to feel not very enjoyable for me.
I’ve heard this compared to the Saint of Steel or Traitor Son series, but it comes nowhere close. Both T Kingfisher’s and Melissa J Cave’s worlds, people, and storytelling are in a wholly other league. Save yourself trouble: skip this entirely and go straight to those instead.
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
This book took me by surprise. I didn't expect to like it when I first started reading because of their differences and first interaction in the garden. I was wonderfully captured by this world and their characters. I fell in love with Brishen and Ildiko and their story and cannot wait to keep reading about their world.