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spaghettii's review
adventurous
dark
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? It's complicated
3.75
I got it for the plot without realizing it was smut...
Content Warnings
Minor: Alcohol, Cursing, Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual content, Blood, Death, Murder, and Confinement
bi_n_large's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Blood, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, and Violence
Minor: Death of parent and Sexual assault
vvolfhailey's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Death of parent, Kidnapping, Sexual content, Injury/Injury detail, and Sexual violence
finnickdeservedbetter's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Tropes: fae, vampires, forbidden love, fated mates, who did this to you, hidden powers
Written review to come
Written review to come
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Death, and Violence
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Misogyny, and Confinement
Minor: Classism, Kidnapping, and Sexual harassment
kiwifay's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Short and quick read to get you out of a reading slump. I like the idea of the book and thought it had great potential I would have liked to see more plot development instead of just the same thing over and again. I loved Evren at the beginning right up until he just stood there and watched Gavril feed from her and did nothing to stop him. And all the lies and secrets I get he’s just met Adara and doesn’t owe her anything but she feels like she can trust him and he just blatantly broke her trust. And then again when they were attacked by the blood court. He could have just told her I understand why he didn’t. I really hope he redeems himself in the next book he has so much potential for the morally grey bad boy we all love
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Blood, Injury/Injury detail, and Violence
Moderate: Sexual assault and Toxic relationship
Minor: Abandonment and Death of parent
samandthebookstack's review against another edition
2.0
Fantasy/Romance is my jam. So naturally, I was stoked to read this. Several of the reviews and the author's tik toks convinced me that it would be right up my alley.
I hate leaving less-than-stellar reviews. It always makes me feel like a jerk because the last thing I want to do is hurt someone's feelings. But I really struggled to get through this story.
First of all, the tropes. They're all there, every single one of them. But written poorly. I read bits and pieces of this aloud to my husband and we both wondered if it was possibly intended to be satire.
Then there is the matter of the writing itself. I am hesitant to say that writing is bad. It feels icky to say this because I believe that such observations are generally subjective. But the poor (and often redundant) quality of the writing jarred me from chapter one onward. I normally don't mind writing that isn't elegant or poetic, especially when smut is involved, but this was different. It was juvenile, seemed barely edited and I've honestly read fanfiction with better dialogue. Even the spicy scenes fell flat for me. So much of this story felt copy-pasted from other works and that really didn't sit right with me as I read through this. For example, the author used the term "bend the knee" multiple times, and there were so many instances where I immediately noted very familiar bits of phrasing because I'd already read them in another novel.
Then there's the FMC, Adara. She is constantly checking to see that she has her precious dagger on her person, but she never actually uses it. In fact, there's no mention that she has the slightest clue what to do with the damned thing. But she makes it a point to touch it constantly, to make sure it's in her boot, or to draw it like she's going to do something with it. It comes across like the weapon is merely an accessory intended to force us to believe that Adara is a badass who doesn't need a man to protect her, except she does.
Then there are the male interests: Gavril, the crowned prince (who is clearly trash from the jump), and Evran, the captain of the guard (and half-brother to the crowned prince). There was no tension, no build-up, and the plot twist was too predictable.
Overall, if you like your smut with a heaping dose of plot - this one isn't for you my friends.
I hate leaving less-than-stellar reviews. It always makes me feel like a jerk because the last thing I want to do is hurt someone's feelings. But I really struggled to get through this story.
First of all, the tropes. They're all there, every single one of them. But written poorly. I read bits and pieces of this aloud to my husband and we both wondered if it was possibly intended to be satire.
Then there is the matter of the writing itself. I am hesitant to say that writing is bad. It feels icky to say this because I believe that such observations are generally subjective. But the poor (and often redundant) quality of the writing jarred me from chapter one onward. I normally don't mind writing that isn't elegant or poetic, especially when smut is involved, but this was different. It was juvenile, seemed barely edited and I've honestly read fanfiction with better dialogue. Even the spicy scenes fell flat for me. So much of this story felt copy-pasted from other works and that really didn't sit right with me as I read through this. For example, the author used the term "bend the knee" multiple times, and there were so many instances where I immediately noted very familiar bits of phrasing because I'd already read them in another novel.
Then there's the FMC, Adara. She is constantly checking to see that she has her precious dagger on her person, but she never actually uses it. In fact, there's no mention that she has the slightest clue what to do with the damned thing. But she makes it a point to touch it constantly, to make sure it's in her boot, or to draw it like she's going to do something with it. It comes across like the weapon is merely an accessory intended to force us to believe that Adara is a badass who doesn't need a man to protect her, except she does.
Then there are the male interests: Gavril, the crowned prince (who is clearly trash from the jump), and Evran, the captain of the guard (and half-brother to the crowned prince). There was no tension, no build-up, and the plot twist was too predictable.
Overall, if you like your smut with a heaping dose of plot - this one isn't for you my friends.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual assault and Sexual content
Moderate: Violence and Death of parent
Minor: Injury/Injury detail
forgottencupoftea's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.75
I'm a bit disappointed as this book screams "unfulfilled potential".
It has so many tropes I love: forbidden love, arranged marriage, enemies-to-lovers, chosen one, court intrigue, prophecies... Yet, it all falls rather flat.
Everything is rushedthe relationship between Adara and Evren makes little sense as there is no build-up to it, the characters meet - have sex - are in love and the book ends . We barely get any insight into the characters, we don't get enough about them to fully understand their psychology or their behaviours. I think it's mainly due to the fact that the novel is too short! Worldbuilding, which is so often crucial in fantasy, is completely lacking here and readers are too often left in the dark! (it'd be fine if questions were clearly answered on page but they aren't)
I wish we'd gotten "more".
It has so many tropes I love: forbidden love, arranged marriage, enemies-to-lovers, chosen one, court intrigue, prophecies... Yet, it all falls rather flat.
Everything is rushed
I wish we'd gotten "more".
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Blood, Sexual assault, and Violence
Minor: Injury/Injury detail, Confinement, and Death of parent
rosegoes3's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
3.0
Reminds me of “King of Battle and Blood” meets “The Inheritance Games” love triangle. Plot is pretty basic and ends on a cliffhanger. I felt like there wasn’t much character development and I wasn’t really attached to the main character enough to root for her
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood
Moderate: Toxic relationship, Death of parent, Cursing, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, and Sexual content
folkofthebook's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
tense
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? No
4.0
I came across this on booktok & since it was on KU, I decided to give it a go - ended up staying up all night to finish it LOL.
Gild meets FBAA, fae & vampyres, easy to read, && solid spice. Includes forbidden lovers, fated mates, hurt her I’ll unalive you tropes, arranged marriage to the crown prince but she wants his brother 🥵
I ate it UP. Next book releases November ✨ I NEED.
Gild meets FBAA, fae & vampyres, easy to read, && solid spice. Includes forbidden lovers, fated mates, hurt her I’ll unalive you tropes, arranged marriage to the crown prince but she wants his brother 🥵
I ate it UP. Next book releases November ✨ I NEED.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Violence, Cursing, Blood, Injury/Injury detail, and Death
Minor: Sexual assault and Death of parent
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