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4.05 AVERAGE
4.05 AVERAGE
adventurous
emotional
medium-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
adventurous
tense
adventurous
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
adventurous
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
kind of a mixed bag, although there was a lot to like (true enemies to lovers, political intrigue, bitter and impulsive and sometimes unlikable fmc), it didn’t really click for me overall. the worldbuilding at the beginning felt clunky and confusing, and some of the details were contradicted as the book went on which felt sloppy. also sefa and marek are supposed to be sylvia’s beloved friends but they genuinely serve no purpose except to be dragged along from stop to stop on the journey until the climax…they barely interact with her in any meaningful way!!! who are they!!! also this isn’t the author’s fault but i just find the three trials format so boring…and actually maybe the author does too, bc the trials were barely relevant to the plot, it seemed like we both just wanted to get them over with the last ‘trial’ is literally just sylvia having a bunch of dreams where a bunch of info is dumped onto her and the reader lol
adventurous
challenging
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I’m giving this a solid 3.5 stars.
Was it perfect? No. Did I still inhale it in two days and immediately grab the sequel off my shelf before I even finished this review? Absolutely.
When I say enemies to lovers, this is what I mean. Actual mortal enemies, the kind who break each other’s bones when they first meet, who eventually can’t fight the pull between them. The slow burn here was perfection, and every moment of tension kept me hooked. The real highlight of this book is the relationship between Arin and Sylvia. Watching their feelings shift, twist, and change was what kept me turning pages.
Now, onto the issues. The plot itself is fairly straightforward, and the worldbuilding is…rough. Those first 100 pages are dense: too many character names (sometimes more than one per person), place names, and bits of lore all crammed in. It makes for a confusing start, and even later the worldbuilding never feels fully clear or fleshed out. If you can set that aside and push through, though, the focus tightens on the romance, and that’s where the book shines.
Overall? I had a really fun time with it. I’ve heard the sequel levels up in both craft and yearning, which is all I need to know. Starting it immediately.
Was it perfect? No. Did I still inhale it in two days and immediately grab the sequel off my shelf before I even finished this review? Absolutely.
When I say enemies to lovers, this is what I mean. Actual mortal enemies, the kind who break each other’s bones when they first meet, who eventually can’t fight the pull between them. The slow burn here was perfection, and every moment of tension kept me hooked. The real highlight of this book is the relationship between Arin and Sylvia. Watching their feelings shift, twist, and change was what kept me turning pages.
Now, onto the issues. The plot itself is fairly straightforward, and the worldbuilding is…rough. Those first 100 pages are dense: too many character names (sometimes more than one per person), place names, and bits of lore all crammed in. It makes for a confusing start, and even later the worldbuilding never feels fully clear or fleshed out. If you can set that aside and push through, though, the focus tightens on the romance, and that’s where the book shines.
Overall? I had a really fun time with it. I’ve heard the sequel levels up in both craft and yearning, which is all I need to know. Starting it immediately.
adventurous
tense
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
sad
tense
medium-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:
Complicated
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
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
adventurous
challenging
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
“He was the most achingly beautiful threat I’d ever seen.” that line alone sold The Jasad Heir to me.
Sylvia as a character is messy, frustrating and completely compelling. She’s reckless, self-sabotaging and half the time I wanted to scream at her to please, for once, keep herself safe but that’s the thing, she can’t. She’s built her survival out of denial & deflection and the second she slips, it all comes crashing down. It makes sense for her trauma but it also drags at the pacing. Honestly, this book could have been a few pages shorter without her stupidity repeating itself.
Arin though… my god. He’s calculated, cruel, soft and unbearable all at once. Every interaction between him and Sylvia felt like walking a knife’s edge. Their romance is enemies-to-lovers done right aaaaaaa real enmity, real danger, real tenderness slipping through the cracks. That ending absolutely wrecked me. “I choose her.” “In a different life, I would have chosen you too.” hello??? what am I supposed to do after that???
It’s brutal, sometimes frustrating but also intoxicating. It’s about cruelty, survival and the cost of pretending to be someone you’re not. It made me want to scream, highlight every other page and whisper “oh, dear” into my pillow.