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4.12 AVERAGE
4.12 AVERAGE
I truly don’t see what all the hype is for this book. I haven’t read much of this genre and this is pretty different from what I usually reach for but it was just OK.
Plot: The idea here is actually pretty cool but I felt like the synopsis is really misleading and we don’t actually get to see the full potential of what the sickness is and what the medicine really does or how it’s distributed. This book for me spent way too much time talking politics and it really doesn’t pay off. I couldn’t care less about the different regions and sectors of what the leaders can do if you can’t even tell me the basics of what’s going on apart from some sectors have a lot of medicine and the poor are dying. Like why tough? Just too much wasn’t explained or was left to be inferred.
Characters: Corrick was probably the only likeable character for me. He basically has to do the grunt work and be the bad guy because that was the role left to him after his parents died. He’s just a kind person that is made to do bad things and his entire story from what I saw in his perspective was kinda sad so I was rooting for him.
Tessa… Lord Tessa, what even is this character? She’s supposed to be an apothecary but honestly she doesn’t really know shit and she learned everything from a book her father used. Ok cool so now she is one of the few people that know how to mix leaves together? She deadass makes tea for the king and everyone is mind blown. Her character also is supposed to seem strong and independent but she is pretty useless until she like has to do something to move the plot forward. As soon as that’s done she goes back to being nothing.
The romantic relationship between these characters is also meh. Don’t read this if you’re hoping for a romance because they are just so hot or cold and not even in a good way.
All in all I thought the book was alright, I’m not sure if I will continue the series but if I can find the book for cheap I’ll pick it up.
Plot: The idea here is actually pretty cool but I felt like the synopsis is really misleading and we don’t actually get to see the full potential of what the sickness is and what the medicine really does or how it’s distributed. This book for me spent way too much time talking politics and it really doesn’t pay off. I couldn’t care less about the different regions and sectors of what the leaders can do if you can’t even tell me the basics of what’s going on apart from some sectors have a lot of medicine and the poor are dying. Like why tough? Just too much wasn’t explained or was left to be inferred.
Characters: Corrick was probably the only likeable character for me. He basically has to do the grunt work and be the bad guy because that was the role left to him after his parents died. He’s just a kind person that is made to do bad things and his entire story from what I saw in his perspective was kinda sad so I was rooting for him.
Tessa… Lord Tessa, what even is this character? She’s supposed to be an apothecary but honestly she doesn’t really know shit and she learned everything from a book her father used. Ok cool so now she is one of the few people that know how to mix leaves together? She deadass makes tea for the king and everyone is mind blown. Her character also is supposed to seem strong and independent but she is pretty useless until she like has to do something to move the plot forward. As soon as that’s done she goes back to being nothing.
The romantic relationship between these characters is also meh. Don’t read this if you’re hoping for a romance because they are just so hot or cold and not even in a good way.
All in all I thought the book was alright, I’m not sure if I will continue the series but if I can find the book for cheap I’ll pick it up.
This book was everything. The secret identities, the wound cleaning scene, the rebels and the disease that was going around. Perfection.
I don’t think this book could’ve been done a better way.
Reread 1/23: This book is still perfection.
I don’t think this book could’ve been done a better way.
Reread 1/23: This book is still perfection.
This was such a fun first book in a trilogy. There some good twists in it that kept me guessing. The author painted the picture beautifully without boring you with details. I enjoyed learning about the characters pasts and seeing how they grew over time while staying true to who they were. This book set up the next one wonderfully.
adventurous
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
challenging
dark
tense
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Why I didn't like it:
It's anti-revolutionary. This middle ground solution that they're trying to find? I don't buy it.
Main love interest's conversion-- I don't find it believable
Main romantic relationship-- inherently unbalanced, all in service of the betterment of the male character. It's HIS salvation arc through romance. Ick.
It's anti-revolutionary. This middle ground solution that they're trying to find? I don't buy it.
Main love interest's conversion-- I don't find it believable
Main romantic relationship-- inherently unbalanced, all in service of the betterment of the male character. It's HIS salvation arc through romance. Ick.
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
4.5⭐️
This book was amazing. It contained such good ingredients:
- friends to enemies to lovers
- dual pov
- sarcastic morally grey love interest
- the “treating enemies wounds” trope (!!)
- fantastic world building
I wish Tessa had a bit stronger of a personality, but overall I devoured this book. Cant wait for the sequel!!
This book was amazing. It contained such good ingredients:
- friends to enemies to lovers
- dual pov
- sarcastic morally grey love interest
- the “treating enemies wounds” trope (!!)
- fantastic world building
I wish Tessa had a bit stronger of a personality, but overall I devoured this book. Cant wait for the sequel!!
Well I enjoyed that immensely. Did I call every “twist”? Yes, yes I did. But it was a fun journey along the way. There was a definite shift at one point where I really didn’t want to stop reading.
I do think it could have been a standalone so I’m intrigued how she dragged it on for three books. We shall seeeee…
Also, I’m sorry, but the names? Normally I’m not one to guffaw over fantasy names that are, shall we say, unique. But these were taking the “just a small change from a normal name” a bit too far.
I do think it could have been a standalone so I’m intrigued how she dragged it on for three books. We shall seeeee…
Also, I’m sorry, but the names? Normally I’m not one to guffaw over fantasy names that are, shall we say, unique. But these were taking the “just a small change from a normal name” a bit too far.
adventurous
emotional
medium-paced
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes