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queen_of_kings's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.75
redvelvetpenguins's review
4.0
I was weary of the YA description tag, but honestly it didn't feel YA at all. It was mature and cohesive. Probably only given that tag because the main character is a 19-20 year old girl
anatrnd's review against another edition
5.0
історія в серденько насправді. багато політики (все як я люблю) і просто неймовірна любовна лінія (їхня хімія >>>>). тут якраз енеміс-ту-лаверс, the epitome of this trope, тому що вони не принижують і не знущаються (як в The Cruel Prince), але справді ненавидять одне одного і ненавидять самих себе, тому що закохані у людину, яку ненавидять. а ще це частково ретеллінг "Красуні і чудовиська". і продовження, на жаль, не буде, авторка вирішила зробити історією одиночкою, АЛЕ в мене є чудова новина для вас, бо тут загалом нормальний фінал і читати можна і так. максимально раджу, чесно.
jull1980's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
lavdisy's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
3.75
It's written as a retelling-inspired, and honestly, quite good for a debut novel. I picked this up because I was curious about the blurb, which promised interesting stuff. Firstly, while the plot revolves around a prince and princess with ballroom scenes and fairy tale twists, the political problems and fantasy elements like witches and beasts are overshadowed by romance. Despite being part of a series, the depth of detail for these elements is easy to forget. It feels like the focus is more on the romantic aspect rather than the fantasy elements that should guide the story. Secondly, regarding the romance, I must admit I LIKED IT. Their chemistry and passion deeply immersed me, with clandestine meetings and longing stares that were beautifully written. Lastly, the characters, while not all my favorites, had some standout moments, like Dante, who I expected to be an eye-catcher but was barely mentioned. Others lacked detail, and I struggled to remember their names after finishing the book.
So, I enjoyed the book, but up until the ending, I was kind of disliking how the story ends for only book 1. There is so much potential for plot and character detail, and that political intrigue should be delved into more to set up the next book. As for the witch, curses, and some dark powers, I feel like there's not even a little hint to put in, which makes it hard for me to understand them more. Despite all that, I'm still curious about the second book and hope there will be a lot of development. Overall, it was a really fun read to spend my time on.
So, I enjoyed the book, but up until the ending, I was kind of disliking how the story ends for only book 1. There is so much potential for plot and character detail, and that political intrigue should be delved into more to set up the next book. As for the witch, curses, and some dark powers, I feel like there's not even a little hint to put in, which makes it hard for me to understand them more. Despite all that, I'm still curious about the second book and hope there will be a lot of development. Overall, it was a really fun read to spend my time on.
peppervaughn's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
noirverse's review against another edition
2.0
I was looking forward to this book, but it fell woefully short of meeting my expectations. It had all the elements for being an entertaining read, but none of it felt like it had any weight to it in the narrative. Shocking twists are glossed over in the matter of a few paragraphs, and we're told a countless number of things about the fantasy world and the relationships above being shown anything. The worldbuilding only feels relevant when the plot demands it to be so. The enemies to lovers dynamic being presented sounded great, but in practice, it was a lot of childish bickering until they start making out with little to no warning. The biggest problem with this book isn't that the ideas in it are bad. It's the fact that the ideas weren't developed nearly enough to feel grounded to a cohesive story.