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4.22 AVERAGE
4.22 AVERAGE
a lot happened but at the same time nothing happened? i get it he’s morally grey blah blah blah but cmon give me SOMETHING i wasn’t interested until at least 50% in and then once it picked up we introduced a bunch of plot lines and then the book ended - will be tuned in for the next one but was just expecting something that would have made me root for either characters
dark
tense
slow-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
A lot happened, but not a lot happened at all? I found the world building to be confusing and hard to keep up with at times. A lot of this book was just building up the world for the future books with some crazy traumatic events happening sparingly. Also, I really don’t think we learned enough about Mallow’s rise for the people of Bomard to be depicted as downright barbaric. The evilness felt so manufactured. Wish there was more development between the love interests.
I did like the inclusion of the flashbacks, though. Just wish we had more of them with Toven to really develop their relationship.
529 pages
I did like the inclusion of the flashbacks, though. Just wish we had more of them with Toven to really develop their relationship.
529 pages
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual assault, Slavery, Torture, Trafficking
Moderate: Rape
Minor: Child death
adventurous
dark
tense
medium-paced
dark
emotional
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I ended up reading this in one day! I know it’s supposed to basically be HP fanfiction, but I’ve never read any of the HP books or seen any of the movies, so I read this as though they were original characters without any other baggage. I really enjoyed the thorough world building and alternating between present and past to illustrate character relationships and story dynamics. I do wish there had been more progression in the relationship between main characters, though I know it’s a trilogy and that’ll likely be coming sooner than later.
I get most of my books from the library and my ultimate rating system is, “would I spend money on this?” In this case I did end up purchasing it because the library hold list was incredibly long and I’ve really enjoyed Julie Soto’s other books, and I don’t regret it.
I get most of my books from the library and my ultimate rating system is, “would I spend money on this?” In this case I did end up purchasing it because the library hold list was incredibly long and I’ve really enjoyed Julie Soto’s other books, and I don’t regret it.
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
LOVING the taut strain between our two protagonists. Political intrigue is light but interesting, magic system is engaging. I can't wait for the next two books!
adventurous
dark
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
dark
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
N/A
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
in the most to-the-point way possible: you're probably not going to give a crap about any of the characters in this book unless you're 1) familiar with harry potter, and/or 2) familiar with the original fanfiction and know which 'published' character corresponds to a harry potter character. as for the plot? the worldbuilding? they're sirs not appearing in this novel.
if you want more thorough notes/complaints, they'll be listed below in bullet points (cw-related bullet points will be last). i'd say "spoiler warning" but like... there's barely anything to spoil, honestly. it's like trying to hide a present with one layer of flimsy tissue paper.
if you want more thorough notes/complaints, they'll be listed below in bullet points (cw-related bullet points will be last). i'd say "spoiler warning" but like... there's barely anything to spoil, honestly. it's like trying to hide a present with one layer of flimsy tissue paper.
- to restate the character issue: i earnestly don't think there's anything enjoyable about these characters unless you know which harry potter characters they're supposed to be and you're familiar enough with harry potter that your fandom-brain fills gaps in their history/personality that this book doesn't (and i've been told these versions are extremely fanon-ized/flanderized, too). little to no time is given to characterize them independent to their HP counterparts. it very much feels like the book expects you to open it with a pre-established attachment you won't have if you don't know this is just HP fanfiction with the serial numbers scraped off.
- that being said, the characters don't even really react to what's happening around them in believable or meaningful ways. the main character gets attacked by a fox and, even though she's bleeding, decides it's a bigger priority to be horny on main for the love interest.
- tbh by the end of this book i still don't know what it is we're even supposed to like about the love interest (toven). this very much feels like another case of "knowing he's actually draco is doing all of the heavy lifting"; the only way i can understand someone liking him is if they already like draco and also have an "awww, he's just a poor birthday boy 8c" view of him.
- there seems to be a sloppy attempt to make up for that last point in the form of (extremely awkwardly) placed flashbacks. the book opens with a startling hook, then suddenly you get a chapter that takes place "8 years earlier". completely throws off the pacing and tension; this will happen several more times.
- i'm not familiar with the original fanfic, so i don't know if the magic system in it is supposed to be its own or if it's meant to mirror HP's magic system. it doesn't matter, though, because either way: the magic system in this book is awful, poorly explained, and exhausting to try keeping up with.
- after you get past the flashback and the following chapter(s) that focus on The Atrocities, the first half or three-quarters of this book are boring as hell. it's very much "fanfic characters being put in various situations", where at the end of each scene i was left wondering what the point of all that was and what i was even doing there. like... i can't call this book plot-driven, as there barely was one, and i can't call it character-driven, as they barely did anything.
- i know i already touched on the fact that i don't think there's anything likeable about these characters as independent characters, but like... the bad guys are just Evil™. oh they're just the worst. they're gross and nasty and cartoonishly bad. i don't even, like, hate them from a villain standpoint, i hate them because they're so fucking annoying.
- also, the prose can genuinely be so clunky and awful. there were a few sentences i tried typing out myself, and my brain/fingers were like... actively trying to edit and fix them as i went.
cw-related comments:
- look, non-con stuff isn't really my wheelhouse or something i enjoy reading, but i'm gonna try not to harp on it too much from the standpoint of it just existing in the book as a concept.
- that being said, the lead up and actual auction itself is just... Bad Things Happen To Women™, oh it's so bad, look at all the horrible bad things, in a very melodramatic way that's hard to listen to/read. part of that could be on me as this, again, isn't my wheelhouse. but i guess what i'm trying to articulate is that the way it was presented felt much more "look at how BAD things are, feel SORRY for them, woe is they, feel bad, feel bad, feel bad" than it did... knowing and expressing the actual weight of what was happening. does that make sense? i hope it makes sense.
- it's also wild to me that, not ONCE, does the main character even consider suicide as an escape option. like... i know that's dark--i am: aware. but there isn't even a fleeting thought about throwing herself out a window, nor during the 6(?) days that she's alone in her assigned room does she survey her options if this was an action she was prepared to take. they definitely didn't comb her room for potential tools she could use to hurt herself.
- i don't know if it's a staple of this 'genre' or 'niche' or whatever for sexual assault and rape to be framed in a way where the assaulter somehow isn't at fault, but can't say i'm a fan of that. i feel like if you're going to indulge in this sort of thing, you--as the author--can't soften what it is.
anyway, that's all i really care to spend time on writing out i guess. this is already a lot more than i had planned to say and give time to. ...i can't believe this book has a 4 star rating. if it's your trash, fine, i'm happy for you, but like... boy howdy, i don't understand. whatever; i'm glad to be rid of it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Trafficking, Sexual harassment
Moderate: Confinement, Drug abuse, Infertility, Physical abuse, Torture, Alcohol
Minor: Body shaming, Death, Pedophilia, Blood, Medical content, Murder, Injury/Injury detail
slow-paced
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
adventurous
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes