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3.66 AVERAGE
3.66 AVERAGE
I desperately wanted to like this book bc Booktok rated it so high and it was the first book for my new book club. However, the writing style left something to be desired and a lot of the times I was ✨confused✨. It felt like there was a LOT going on but not a lot of in depth explanation. I think either some stuff that wasn’t really relevant to the storyline needed to be cut OR the book could have been longer and gone more into the world and characters building.
adventurous
lighthearted
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Plot twists are cool and all. But its not fun if there is one in every second chapter and they don't make sense.
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
4* // I've been doing some nostalgic reading this month, finishing a YA series I first read as a teen, and I decided I needed something a bit spicy for my next read. I searched for 'spicy KU recommendations' on TikTok, thinking I'd find something kind of mid story wise, but up there in spice levels, and I saw this was recommended by three different people so I decided to give it a shot. Spicy fae romantasy? It can't be THAT bad- that was my thought process. I have been so surprised by this book. The storyline was so good to read outside of the spicy scenes. I love the dynamics the author chose between the two different fae kings and the gaslighting that happened!! She really had me going for a minute there.
I will say that this was originally pushed to a 4.5*, but I had to take consideration of just one thing in particular. The only complaint I have is the constant use of 'female'. A few times- fine I could get over that, but it was so constant for a bit there that it was distracting. I get that could just be the way the fae's are, very factual. Idk. I just wasn't a fan of it.
SPOILER: I just wish the queen made a reappearance, even in the epilogue. I really felt for Atakan's feelings of abandonment and the whole truth of that situation. It would've been the cherry on top to get full closure.
I will say that this was originally pushed to a 4.5*, but I had to take consideration of just one thing in particular. The only complaint I have is the constant use of 'female'. A few times- fine I could get over that, but it was so constant for a bit there that it was distracting. I get that could just be the way the fae's are, very factual. Idk. I just wasn't a fan of it.
SPOILER: I just wish the queen made a reappearance, even in the epilogue. I really felt for Atakan's feelings of abandonment and the whole truth of that situation. It would've been the cherry on top to get full closure.
It was surface level. Needed more meat to the plot and world building. Conversations were confusing and characters not well built. I hoped it would get better…sigh
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-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
Fantasy books need to either be huge enough to be a door stop or at least be a duology, a trilogy at most. All this to say, this was a very nice book, but I needed more. The world-building was very surface level. I wanted to know more about the Seelie, Unseelie, and the world and its creatures. Give me lore, give me fae politics, give me something to sink my teeth into.
Atakan is, quite frankly, an asshole. It’s giving bully romance, and despite my raving reviews of Zodiac Academy, that’s really not my jam. I want to say there was some found family in there, but again, very surface level.
Now, I love me a good enemies to lovers plot and we were in there, good... for like two seconds. What about the angst? The yearning? The delicious, slow-burn tension? Total wasted opportunity.
The dirty talk was cringe and honestly sir, excuse me sir. You are blonde. Calm down with the audacity. You, your sunshine hair, and your lack of depth need to take several.
Honestly, at some point I was hoping for a hot dark-haired Unseelie to come and kidnap the FMC. My girl deserved more excitement. And then it happened and wow, fireworks. This man said to her, "I will give you everything a female wants. All you need to do is let me... good food, good literature, good housing, good sex." Girl, you would trade this for the man who tried to murder you? Is this even a contest?
And then wham. What do you mean the evil Cassian-lookalike shadow daddy is actually evil? Who has ever heard of an evil shadow daddy? You see this? This is why I have trust issues.
Honestly, I really just disliked the prince as an MMC, and I am so bitter about how this all played out. Can you tell?
Atakan is, quite frankly, an asshole. It’s giving bully romance, and despite my raving reviews of Zodiac Academy, that’s really not my jam. I want to say there was some found family in there, but again, very surface level.
Now, I love me a good enemies to lovers plot and we were in there, good... for like two seconds. What about the angst? The yearning? The delicious, slow-burn tension? Total wasted opportunity.
The dirty talk was cringe and honestly sir, excuse me sir. You are blonde. Calm down with the audacity. You, your sunshine hair, and your lack of depth need to take several.
Honestly, at some point I was hoping for a hot dark-haired Unseelie to come and kidnap the FMC. My girl deserved more excitement. And then it happened and wow, fireworks. This man said to her, "I will give you everything a female wants. All you need to do is let me... good food, good literature, good housing, good sex." Girl, you would trade this for the man who tried to murder you? Is this even a contest?
And then wham. What do you mean the evil Cassian-lookalike shadow daddy is actually evil? Who has ever heard of an evil shadow daddy? You see this? This is why I have trust issues.
Honestly, I really just disliked the prince as an MMC, and I am so bitter about how this all played out. Can you tell?
I read this review and agreed completely, so didn’t want to finish:
I am going to be honest, I got recommened this and I wish I had not listened to the recommendation.
I am going to be honest, I got recommened this and I wish I had not listened to the recommendation.
The book sucks. I'm sorry to those who like it, but it does. People can tell me all they want that it is "a darker type of book" but its just not done well. I don't mind reading darker romances but they require characters who actually have depth to them beyond "hurdur bad boy and hehe I hate evil but I just adore his darkness even if I dont know why!" and this book does not have that. At all. It also imo, is a book that was rushed. It actually could have been longer or been a duology to give us that expanded character growth and depth that we needed to see.
The blurb makes you think your going to get this like long drawn out back and forth between the FMC and MMC and then...we get a thing with a snake and a poison drink. And that's kinda it. I wanted so much more to it than that. I wanted to see actual cat and mouse banter and stuff. And we just didn't get it. And I'll be honest, the spicy scenes were not it either. They kinda just made me go "what the fuck am I reading!?"
I found the middle of the book dragged like all hell then the end was way to rushed. So the character development I wanted to see from characters like the MMC just wasn't there, it was told to us it was happening, sort of. Yet not shown. And I hate that. Then it's kinda just hey presto we are done, hope you enjoyed reading.
No, no I did not enjoy reading and I probably should have dnf'd it instead of forcing myself to finish.
adventurous
dark
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Loved this. They hated I each other and I ate it up. Still trying to find another romance like this one.