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This book had my imagination in over drive and I thoroughly enjoyed it.
Loved the poetic writing style and immense detail. I’ve never read anything like it.
There is a lot of symbolism, fantastic world building and a great glossary(which I needed).
THIS IS FANTASY! 👏🏾💗
Graphic: Death, Sexual content, Violence, Blood, Murder
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Deadnaming, Physical abuse, Torture
Minor: Confinement, Cursing, Death of parent
Moderate: Child abuse, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Gore, Panic attacks/disorders, Torture, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Cursing, Death, Gore, Sexual content, Torture, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Confinement, Drug use, Excrement
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Confinement, Cursing, Gore, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual content, Kidnapping, Murder, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury
Graphic: Confinement, Cursing, Death, Gore, Torture, Violence, Blood, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Death, Gore, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Torture, Violence, Blood, Murder
Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders, Sexism, Sexual content, Torture, Kidnapping, Grief, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Child abuse, Cursing, Emotional abuse, Death of parent
This reads like the author hopped on the bandwagon of the erotic non-human romantasy. Meaning, there was some substance which I wanted more of and was rewarded with a sex scene instead. This was a rush to the climax where the resolution will be the sequel. If half the story showed more dedication than the sex, I would have enjoyed the story more. I felt like I was trying to watch porn for the plot.
Having a glossary at the beginning full of unique creatures, time explanation, and pronunciation tipped me off. There was more detail there than within the story. It seemed like some that were favored more/more thought out were given more attention and detail within the story. If you don't memorize the glossary then the story will feel like a book report where the reader is supposed to already be familiar with the source material.
That could be my preference, because I much prefer development within the story to better immersify and imagine.
On to the characters. Raeve is messy. Having repressed her pain, hurt, and agony is gut-wrenching. Maybe intentional, but the slow-burn mixed with the rabid lust felt like an endless cacophony. The "Other" could have been better utilized as more than an unknown, rabid entity that lashes out from Raeve's lowest moment. I would have enjoyed more detail or awareness from Raeve's perspective. The whole split personality felt loosely tied to the over-arching plot device of amnesia/repressed memories of having lived as Elluin.
I will commend the slow daunting of piecing together Elluin's backstory as also being Raeve's. Once I made the connection, it made for a bit of a slog waiting for Raeve to get there as well. Surprise, surprise. She haltingly accepted it through
Kaan is a muscular penis that throbs only for Elluin/Raeve. He does have wholesome qualities that I took to liking overall as a character. I couldn't help but roll my eyes with the typical "member" and "slit" descriptions typically found in supermarket book aisles. Can't forget the chiseled abs and musky scent, of course. Heavy on the desperate masterbatory aid, so-so on character development.
My biggest gripe about character development is using characters for an easy, immediate plot device. Essi's introduction, followed by immense feeling, ending in a swift death had the book set down. An interesting character I would have loved to know more of! Gone to be used for the entirety of the book as a revenge spree. And Fallon? Add Fallon to the pile of inspired development which is carted along with the already main plot baggage.
The day/night time of "aurora" I wish I could imagine. The uniqueness was sadly lost on me. Reimagining elements as active deities was lovely. Activating/communicating with them as a source of power I enjoyed. Not having a translation to what was being said, I didn't enjoy. At first I was flipping to the glossary with high hopes and had to gloss over the language when they were peppered throughout. Bummer.
For Fíur du Ath to be a worldwide secret intelligence/assassination... they were disappointingly absent from the main city of Dhomm/entire Burn Empire. It's the unsuspecting bastion of peace and freedom, yet the only presence was through the mind reader at the pawn shop that agreed not to tip off the agency via the linked bank account.
Dragons? Dragons. Where's PETA when you need them to point out the morality of stealing dragon eggs? There was a little too much hypocrisy for my taste about harvested dragon blood used as currency and overall mistreatment of dragons for there to not be a discussion about why dragon eggs are poached. No shit the mothers were screeching around like animals, but once the hatchling starts to rock in its egg then it's a magical moment in one of the huts secretly built near their nests. It's either that or
If you like fast-paced plot with a broken, bloodthirsty MC who just needs to orgasm in a caste society between commanding elements or stealing/manipulating dragons and those who can't, this is for you. If you don't, then be like a dragon and fuck off into the sky graveyard rather than dwell peacefully to the end of the book. This series would have been better off if the first book started at Raeve's "awakening."
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Child abuse, Death, Gore, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Torture, Violence, Blood, Grief, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Alcoholism, Body horror, Bullying, Confinement, Slavery, Trafficking, Abandonment, Alcohol, War, Classism
Minor: Cursing, Eating disorder, Sexism, Excrement, Kidnapping, Death of parent, Sexual harassment
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Cursing, Death, Physical abuse, Torture, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol, War
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Body horror, Child abuse, Cursing, Death, Gore, Physical abuse, Torture, Violence, Blood, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Grief, Death of parent, Murder
My only gripe is that a lot of the characters talked with the exact same snark, making some of the dialogue feel repetitive.
Graphic: Animal death, Body horror, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Gore, Mental illness, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Violence, Blood, Police brutality, Grief, Cannibalism, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Colonisation, War, Classism