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3.55 AVERAGE
3.55 AVERAGE
Part of being a librarian is reading books that you don't like, but that your patrons might. I don't love romantasy, but I gave this one a shot because of the pretty hardcover book--those red sprayed pages! But it had way too much going on. I loved the gladiator parts, but the fantasy elements seemed like they were added in. There isn't enough worldbuilding that adds to the fantasy feel (those little furball creatures toward the end were weird). The author should have just stuck to historical fiction and the ancient Roman world. The sex scenes were shorter than I thought they would have been, while some of the fighting scenes went on too long. Again, it should have been historical fiction. I was intrigued by Maeve's two fathers, as well as the relationship between her sister Giselle and Caelon, but the phoenix part felt flat.
adventurous
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
adventurous
dark
emotional
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
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
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:
No
Excellent and engaging read up until the last 50-100 pages. All of a sudden near the end the pacing went extremely fast and the ending simultaneously did not feel complete and felt like every plot point was wrapping up. There are definitely still some loose threads available for a sequel or connected book but it was definitely an odd feeling to end with. That aside, I thought this was quite an enjoyable read especially if you're here for the blood and politics of fantasy.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Body horror, Child death, Death, Physical abuse, Torture, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Death of parent, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, Classism
slow-paced
challenging
dark
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Flat writing. Didn’t care about the characters
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
inspiring
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