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3.47 AVERAGE
3.47 AVERAGE
‘She clung to the image of freedom: blue skies and the sound of waves crashing against sun-kissed sand, the feeling of weightlessness as she soared above it all. She wanted to fly.’
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It is hard not to fall in love with all the characters in this book - I was a little worried at first about having so many POVs, thinking it might get confusing or tiring, but the world building and character development is so greatly portrayed that it didn’t bother me at all. In fact it got me more and more excited to see what everyone was planning or feeling and how things will turn out.
.
Sera and Galina went through excruciating experiments at the hands of their mother and now the zmeyas inside them to be quiet. When (yet) another very unhinged woman takes the power, they decide is time to join the rebellion once again, but this time they’re doing it their way, with one big goal in mind - giving people their freedom back and the power to make their own choices.
.
I really loved the story, especially for the folkloric elements it borrows from the Slavic culture - reading about zmei reminded me of the childhood stories that I enjoyed so much, but thankfully in this case they’re working alongside humans for the greater good. (Poor Vitaly for being the only one on the ‘villain’ side, but he’s a lovely villain and I agree with his lack of morals).
.
The book is perfect for NA fantasy fans! Thank you @blackcrow_pr and @daphne.press for the copy!
.
It is hard not to fall in love with all the characters in this book - I was a little worried at first about having so many POVs, thinking it might get confusing or tiring, but the world building and character development is so greatly portrayed that it didn’t bother me at all. In fact it got me more and more excited to see what everyone was planning or feeling and how things will turn out.
.
Sera and Galina went through excruciating experiments at the hands of their mother and now the zmeyas inside them to be quiet. When (yet) another very unhinged woman takes the power, they decide is time to join the rebellion once again, but this time they’re doing it their way, with one big goal in mind - giving people their freedom back and the power to make their own choices.
.
I really loved the story, especially for the folkloric elements it borrows from the Slavic culture - reading about zmei reminded me of the childhood stories that I enjoyed so much, but thankfully in this case they’re working alongside humans for the greater good. (Poor Vitaly for being the only one on the ‘villain’ side, but he’s a lovely villain and I agree with his lack of morals).
.
The book is perfect for NA fantasy fans! Thank you @blackcrow_pr and @daphne.press for the copy!
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
adventurous
emotional
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
An evil empire inspired by imperial Russia. Dragons caged in the bodies of the social elite, giving them magical powers. Two sisters who've stolen this power to overthrow the nobility. This book has a kickass concept, is romance heavy, and has queer/disabled protagonists - so... it's seriously me-coded. The lore is super interesting, and the first few chapters are intriguing.
The plot is fairly standard, and takes it's time to unfurl. A rebellion achieved by infiltrating the elite, with POVs of figures in various stages of organised rebellion. Most of the POVs are women, which is nice. Sera is my favourite, and I enjoy her relationship with her dragon-god.
Some of the writing in this book was difficult to get through, both structurally and in terms of prose. I found some scenes repetitive - like Katya (the evil empress' handmaiden) having many scenes by the empress' side lamenting about how much she hates her and has to hide it. It happens a lot, and her hate doesn't develop or change much. The prose was so convoluted and indulgent that it often sacrificed...well, making sense.
"A haze of smoky prayer herbs hung in the air, sweet and pungent, descending from thousands of braziers with incense in the snow."
You had me in the first half, but that last clause is so difficult to understand that it took me out of the immersion completely.
I also found it strange that the revolutionaries that we follow don't seem to have any concrete plans for the world that comes after they attempt to re-order society, but they end up in Government anyway and that's seemingly accepted. I wish we'd heard more about what they wanted for the world post-revolution, besides no nobility with godpowers.
This book was a fun read, but I ultimately wish there was more nuance and character depth. It publishes Feb 2024
The plot is fairly standard, and takes it's time to unfurl. A rebellion achieved by infiltrating the elite, with POVs of figures in various stages of organised rebellion. Most of the POVs are women, which is nice. Sera is my favourite, and I enjoy her relationship with her dragon-god.
Some of the writing in this book was difficult to get through, both structurally and in terms of prose. I found some scenes repetitive - like Katya (the evil empress' handmaiden) having many scenes by the empress' side lamenting about how much she hates her and has to hide it. It happens a lot, and her hate doesn't develop or change much. The prose was so convoluted and indulgent that it often sacrificed...well, making sense.
"A haze of smoky prayer herbs hung in the air, sweet and pungent, descending from thousands of braziers with incense in the snow."
You had me in the first half, but that last clause is so difficult to understand that it took me out of the immersion completely.
I also found it strange that the revolutionaries that we follow don't seem to have any concrete plans for the world that comes after they attempt to re-order society, but they end up in Government anyway and that's seemingly accepted. I wish we'd heard more about what they wanted for the world post-revolution, besides no nobility with godpowers.
This book was a fun read, but I ultimately wish there was more nuance and character depth. It publishes Feb 2024
Promising concept and the Illumicrate cover was beautiful, but it just didn't keep me invested. Skim read the ends of chapters to find out what happened instead.
4/5 stars
The tale of two sisters who were victims of a caging god experiment and their journey to a revolution.
Things I enjoyed: Shorter chapters made for a quicker read. I did appreciate multiple character points of view. The story read far quicker once I was 45% through. I enjoyed the slow burn of the F/F relationship. The main female character, Sera, loosely reminded me of Aelin. She always had these grand schemes that the reader was not read into. The book did not end on a cliff hanger!
Other comments: I was pretty lost at the beginning. The introduction to the world and gods/dragons was not very well explained. It did get better as the book went on but I felt like I was trying to catch up. I'm also not sure why gods/dragons are interchangeable. Seems like it would have been enough to pick one or the other, my mental imagery was inconsistent because of this. I would not compare it to Fourth Wing at all.
The tale of two sisters who were victims of a caging god experiment and their journey to a revolution.
Things I enjoyed: Shorter chapters made for a quicker read. I did appreciate multiple character points of view. The story read far quicker once I was 45% through. I enjoyed the slow burn of the F/F relationship. The main female character, Sera, loosely reminded me of Aelin. She always had these grand schemes that the reader was not read into. The book did not end on a cliff hanger!
Other comments: I was pretty lost at the beginning. The introduction to the world and gods/dragons was not very well explained. It did get better as the book went on but I felt like I was trying to catch up. I'm also not sure why gods/dragons are interchangeable. Seems like it would have been enough to pick one or the other, my mental imagery was inconsistent because of this. I would not compare it to Fourth Wing at all.
This book had a lot of potential, but felt very fragmented to me. It was not difficult to read, but it left a lot to be desired.
I will admit that this is not my usual genre of books to read, but this book just did not reel me in. I thought about reading the next book in the series, but decided against it as I just could not get into this book.
I will admit that this is not my usual genre of books to read, but this book just did not reel me in. I thought about reading the next book in the series, but decided against it as I just could not get into this book.
Spice: 2 peppers
If I could give all of the stars to this book, I would. To Cage a God is a wonderful union of plot, characters and romance arcs. There’s five POVs and two couples—one of which is a lesbian pairing—and the tropes are delivering: second chance romance and enemies to lovers!
To Cage a Gods is a NA romantasy and the first book in These Monstrous Gods duology. The setting is inspired by Imperial Russia, with a ruthless ruling class—the alurea—who crush the common folk with the destructive powers of the gods trapped within them. The gods are actual dragons! But rebel sisters Sera and Galina, who are common folk, have a secret. Thanks to some experiments, in fact, they are also bound to gods. Spearheading the rebel cause, Galina infiltrates the palace, while Sera moves the strings on the outside. Both come with their set of difficulties. Galina has the difficult task of fooling the vicious Empress, and in the meantime, she has to try not to catch difficulties for princess Vasilisa, who is very different from her mother. Sera, on the other hand, needs to make sure her ex Vitaly—leader of the faithless and a man with very few morals who has no idea of who Galina is—doesn’t unwittingly put an end to her and Sera’s plans by taking out all the alurea, Galina included.
The drama is indeed drama-ing.
The worldbuilding, conflict and the relationship between the characters were amazing. I loved Sera and Galina’s sisterly bond, and I adored the romantic plots. Second chance romance is one of my favorite tropes, so I adored Sera and Vitaly—especially seeing how they’re opposite sides of the same coin. Both rebels, but Vitaly is unhinged and ruthless. Dangerous. A very dark morally gray whose moral compass is twisted and broken unless there’s Sera holding him back. And then we have Galina and Princess Vasilisia with their tension, witty remarks and should-be-enemies-to-lovers aesthetic who had a beautiful buildup. I loved seeing how they sort of naturally drifted close and learned to trust each other.
I was on the edge of my seat during the whole final chapters of the book, and I couldn’t stop singing Whatever It Takes from Hazbin Hotel. If you’re familiar with the show and the song, you’ll understand why this song is perfect for the ending. I’m also very excited for the sequel!
Thank you to the author and Daphne Press for gifting me an ARC!
If I could give all of the stars to this book, I would. To Cage a God is a wonderful union of plot, characters and romance arcs. There’s five POVs and two couples—one of which is a lesbian pairing—and the tropes are delivering: second chance romance and enemies to lovers!
To Cage a Gods is a NA romantasy and the first book in These Monstrous Gods duology. The setting is inspired by Imperial Russia, with a ruthless ruling class—the alurea—who crush the common folk with the destructive powers of the gods trapped within them. The gods are actual dragons! But rebel sisters Sera and Galina, who are common folk, have a secret. Thanks to some experiments, in fact, they are also bound to gods. Spearheading the rebel cause, Galina infiltrates the palace, while Sera moves the strings on the outside. Both come with their set of difficulties. Galina has the difficult task of fooling the vicious Empress, and in the meantime, she has to try not to catch difficulties for princess Vasilisa, who is very different from her mother. Sera, on the other hand, needs to make sure her ex Vitaly—leader of the faithless and a man with very few morals who has no idea of who Galina is—doesn’t unwittingly put an end to her and Sera’s plans by taking out all the alurea, Galina included.
The drama is indeed drama-ing.
The worldbuilding, conflict and the relationship between the characters were amazing. I loved Sera and Galina’s sisterly bond, and I adored the romantic plots. Second chance romance is one of my favorite tropes, so I adored Sera and Vitaly—especially seeing how they’re opposite sides of the same coin. Both rebels, but Vitaly is unhinged and ruthless. Dangerous. A very dark morally gray whose moral compass is twisted and broken unless there’s Sera holding him back. And then we have Galina and Princess Vasilisia with their tension, witty remarks and should-be-enemies-to-lovers aesthetic who had a beautiful buildup. I loved seeing how they sort of naturally drifted close and learned to trust each other.
I was on the edge of my seat during the whole final chapters of the book, and I couldn’t stop singing Whatever It Takes from Hazbin Hotel. If you’re familiar with the show and the song, you’ll understand why this song is perfect for the ending. I’m also very excited for the sequel!
Thank you to the author and Daphne Press for gifting me an ARC!
Spice: 2
TO CAGE A GOD is the first book in an electrifying NA romantasy series where dragons—the zmei—are gods trapped within mortals’ bodies (as in literally trapped within people’s bones) and two sisters are responsible for ushering a rebellion within an Imperial Russia-inspired world. This was also one of my most anticipated releases of the year, and it delivered on all points.
The whole concept behind the worldbuilding of the gods trapped within human bodies is one of the most fascinating I’ve ever read. In origin, the zmei were summoned from their different plane/dimension and trapped within human vessels through a complicated procedure. Through years, the alurea—the noble class—are the descendants of those first bonded mortals and supposedly the only ones that are in possession of a god. What they don’t know is that two commoners, Galina and Sera, are also bonded to dragons, which allows the two sisters to enact their plan to infiltrate the Empress’s court. What I liked about the magic was that having the gods trapped inside mortals does have consequences in one way or another, and you see this especially through Sera and Vasilisa.
I enjoyed the characters immensely. There are five POV chapters, four of which are of the characters linked to two different romance arcs, and then there’s Katya, who romantically stands on her own but whose chapters give us the most interesting insight on the ruthless Empress. Especially when one compares what we see through Katya’s eyes and what we see through Princess Vasilisa’s recollection of her mother when she was younger. Now, because when there’s a fictional red flag I see pretty shades of pink, my favorite character was Vitaly, the leader of the faithless movement against the alurea. This man will do whatever it takes to achieve his goals, no matter the consequences, but he will one hundred percent let Sera walk over him if she asked. She’s the one person where his morality makes a shaky return, and this makes him all the more attractive. I also have a soft spot for Sera’s curmudgeon dragon.
The ending was well executed and leaves me simultaneously satisfied and curious for the next book.
Thank you to the author and Daphne Press for gifting me an ARC!
TO CAGE A GOD is the first book in an electrifying NA romantasy series where dragons—the zmei—are gods trapped within mortals’ bodies (as in literally trapped within people’s bones) and two sisters are responsible for ushering a rebellion within an Imperial Russia-inspired world. This was also one of my most anticipated releases of the year, and it delivered on all points.
The whole concept behind the worldbuilding of the gods trapped within human bodies is one of the most fascinating I’ve ever read. In origin, the zmei were summoned from their different plane/dimension and trapped within human vessels through a complicated procedure. Through years, the alurea—the noble class—are the descendants of those first bonded mortals and supposedly the only ones that are in possession of a god. What they don’t know is that two commoners, Galina and Sera, are also bonded to dragons, which allows the two sisters to enact their plan to infiltrate the Empress’s court. What I liked about the magic was that having the gods trapped inside mortals does have consequences in one way or another, and you see this especially through Sera and Vasilisa.
I enjoyed the characters immensely. There are five POV chapters, four of which are of the characters linked to two different romance arcs, and then there’s Katya, who romantically stands on her own but whose chapters give us the most interesting insight on the ruthless Empress. Especially when one compares what we see through Katya’s eyes and what we see through Princess Vasilisa’s recollection of her mother when she was younger. Now, because when there’s a fictional red flag I see pretty shades of pink, my favorite character was Vitaly, the leader of the faithless movement against the alurea. This man will do whatever it takes to achieve his goals, no matter the consequences, but he will one hundred percent let Sera walk over him if she asked. She’s the one person where his morality makes a shaky return, and this makes him all the more attractive. I also have a soft spot for Sera’s curmudgeon dragon.
The ending was well executed and leaves me simultaneously satisfied and curious for the next book.
Thank you to the author and Daphne Press for gifting me an ARC!