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4.3 AVERAGE
4.3 AVERAGE
I went into this book not having read anything from Drake but after reading the description it seemed to be right up my alley. Individualized magic system, prison break, and a broody "he falls first" vampire?? Sign me up! The book certainly delivered on their enemies to lovers theme and despite it being such an intensely slow burn there were some big, big moments of delicious tension.
However, there were so many things I found just less than fun for me. Although it's not marked as such I almost want to say this book really leans very YA purely based on how the level of naivety our FMC Samara possesses remains sky high throughout most of the book. Yes, she went into a prison when she was 9 but making her not know about some even basic female anatomy made her seem like some sheltered porcelain doll and not the fiery passionate badass I'm hoping she turns out to be. Secondly, the fact that we still don't know what landed Samara in prison is just a huge frustration. Samara's inner monologue was a constant companion that I found myself looking to be cut shorter. Our MMC Raphael we saw not enough of. He seemed to just pop up when convenient just to provide our FMC with ore emotional confusion.
I think this book is a really great choice for readers who are looking for a more YA leaning slow burn vampire x human forced proximity vibe. The world building was vivid and easy to follow while the secondary characters also definitely added to some of the flourish in this book. Dark, broody, and morally great vampy MMC is a definite bonus. For me this is really a 3-3.5, but I can definitely see it being a new favorite for others so I'd still recommend it to most!
Thank you to NetGalley and Victory Editing for an ARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
However, there were so many things I found just less than fun for me. Although it's not marked as such I almost want to say this book really leans very YA purely based on how the level of naivety our FMC Samara possesses remains sky high throughout most of the book. Yes, she went into a prison when she was 9 but making her not know about some even basic female anatomy made her seem like some sheltered porcelain doll and not the fiery passionate badass I'm hoping she turns out to be. Secondly, the fact that we still don't know what landed Samara in prison is just a huge frustration. Samara's inner monologue was a constant companion that I found myself looking to be cut shorter. Our MMC Raphael we saw not enough of. He seemed to just pop up when convenient just to provide our FMC with ore emotional confusion.
I think this book is a really great choice for readers who are looking for a more YA leaning slow burn vampire x human forced proximity vibe. The world building was vivid and easy to follow while the secondary characters also definitely added to some of the flourish in this book. Dark, broody, and morally great vampy MMC is a definite bonus. For me this is really a 3-3.5, but I can definitely see it being a new favorite for others so I'd still recommend it to most!
Thank you to NetGalley and Victory Editing for an ARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
medium-paced
adventurous
dark
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
3.5 ⭐️
It started sooo good. I loved the setting, the storytelling and the characters. I could see myself in Samara and live her emotions.
It started great as a slow burn but then the interactions with the Raphael seemed not enough. Samara spends a lot of time with other side characters and the moments spent with the MMC seem just like any other moment. The chemistry from the beginning feels like it dissapeared. I will continue with the next book.
I received an advance review copy and my thoughts are my own.
It started sooo good. I loved the setting, the storytelling and the characters. I could see myself in Samara and live her emotions.
It started great as a slow burn but then the interactions with the Raphael seemed not enough. Samara spends a lot of time with other side characters and the moments spent with the MMC seem just like any other moment. The chemistry from the beginning feels like it dissapeared. I will continue with the next book.
I received an advance review copy and my thoughts are my own.
adventurous
dark
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-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
Can’t wait for the next book!
It’s a sow paced book but it was never boring or tiring.
I did not expectRaphael being the king but I did expect Sam being the necromancer, didn’t expect her to be turned in the first book though
I did like the balance of expected and unexpected events in this book!
It’s a sow paced book but it was never boring or tiring.
I did not expect
I did like the balance of expected and unexpected events in this book!
medium-paced
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
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:
Complicated
