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readbeneathmoonlight's review against another edition
Blood Queen by Caitlin Denman was not for me. I DNF'd at 60% and even that was a struggle to get through.
Layla's parents died 5 years ago, murdered in their beds. No one knows how it happened and Layla has been plagued ever since, refusing to take on full responsibility of the throne. Instead her parent's advisor, Brandt, helps Layla run her kingdom, while she takes care of threats behind the scenes. How does she take care of them? Murder, of course. The one her citizens saw, spur of the moment to save a girl, is the one she is known for, giving her the title of Blood Queen. A title she hates, despite her extracurriculars.
Layla is set to meet her betrothed, a prince from a nearby kingdom. She needs one night of fun first, one free from her responsibility. Too bad that was a huge mistake, one her trusty soul shard, a crow who carries a piece of her with him, warned her against. Now, Layla must rescue her kingdom from a drug that's taken over, get to know her future husband, and discover that which was hidden under her own nose.
Two words accurately describe this book for me: repetitive and inconsistent. Descriptions of things like soul shards or the color of Layla's hair were laid out multiple times and overexplained. Interactions between the characters did not feel natural and it felt like personalities would switch from scene to scene. A lot of things just felt out of place as well, with Layla's inner monologue often feeling like a disjointed 16 year old, unsure of herself, rather than a woman of almost 30.
1.5/5 stars: The idea of the story is there, and it has potential to be good but needs a lot of work. This would be good for people looking for a quick fantasy read with moderate spice and an enemy to lover trope.
CW: drug use, sexual content, death, violence, child abuse
Thank you to NetGalley, Caitlin Denman, and the publisher for providing an eARC. The opinions within this review are my own.
Layla's parents died 5 years ago, murdered in their beds. No one knows how it happened and Layla has been plagued ever since, refusing to take on full responsibility of the throne. Instead her parent's advisor, Brandt, helps Layla run her kingdom, while she takes care of threats behind the scenes. How does she take care of them? Murder, of course. The one her citizens saw, spur of the moment to save a girl, is the one she is known for, giving her the title of Blood Queen. A title she hates, despite her extracurriculars.
Layla is set to meet her betrothed, a prince from a nearby kingdom. She needs one night of fun first, one free from her responsibility. Too bad that was a huge mistake, one her trusty soul shard, a crow who carries a piece of her with him, warned her against. Now, Layla must rescue her kingdom from a drug that's taken over, get to know her future husband, and discover that which was hidden under her own nose.
Two words accurately describe this book for me: repetitive and inconsistent. Descriptions of things like soul shards or the color of Layla's hair were laid out multiple times and overexplained. Interactions between the characters did not feel natural and it felt like personalities would switch from scene to scene. A lot of things just felt out of place as well, with Layla's inner monologue often feeling like a disjointed 16 year old, unsure of herself, rather than a woman of almost 30.
1.5/5 stars: The idea of the story is there, and it has potential to be good but needs a lot of work. This would be good for people looking for a quick fantasy read with moderate spice and an enemy to lover trope.
CW: drug use, sexual content, death, violence, child abuse
Thank you to NetGalley, Caitlin Denman, and the publisher for providing an eARC. The opinions within this review are my own.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Death of parent, Sexual content, and Murder
Moderate: Child abuse, Addiction, Blood, and Alcohol
Minor: Drug use and Drug abuse
cneighbors36's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Overall, I enjoyed the book. The writing was easy to read and allowed for an immersive experience, and the story held my attention. I liked seeing Layla progress from being a sheltered queen who allowed others to rule her kingdom to understanding what was happening in her kingdom. However, there were also some things that I did not like about the book. I felt like the book's first half had good pacing, but the last 50% was very fast-paced and could have been slowed down to provide more detail and let the characters work things out more in their relationship. I also wish some parts of it included Rune's POV to understand some of his thoughts because the way his personality seemed to flip sometimes made it hard to tell if I liked him. I look forward to picking up the next book in this series to see how the cliffhanger resolves itself and how Layla and Rune's relationship progresses. Thank you, NetGalley and Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op, for sending me an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Death, and Violence
Minor: Death of parent and Child abuse
noriboo's review
adventurous
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
This is a really good read!
The chemistry, the flirting, the bickering laced with sexual tension; I'm all the way here for it.
The twist was predictable, but Layla and Rune are both incredibly likeable, and the buildup and storytelling are done very well.
•••
I received a free ARC. My opinions are my own.
The chemistry, the flirting, the bickering laced with sexual tension; I'm all the way here for it.
The twist was predictable, but Layla and Rune are both incredibly likeable, and the buildup and storytelling are done very well.
•••
I received a free ARC. My opinions are my own.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence and Death
Minor: Child abuse and Death of parent
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