You need to sign in or sign up before continuing.
Take a photo of a barcode or cover
4.14 AVERAGE
4.14 AVERAGE
adventurous
medium-paced
Disclaimer: I bought this ebook to support my friends! Promote/help your author friends! All opinions are my own.
Book: Ilahara: The Last Myrassar
Author: C.M. Karys
Book Series: Ilahara Book 1
Rating: 3/5
Diversity: There is a brief m/m romance mentioned
Recommended For...: young adult readers, high fantasy, fantasy
Publication Date: November 1, 2021
Genre: YA High Fantasy
Recommended Age: 16+ (Gore, Violence, Sexual content, Kidnapping, Parent death, Animal hurt, Animal death, Grief, Death, Alcohol, Romance)
Explanation of CWs: There was a lot of gore and violence in the book. Sexual content is also present in the book and I feel like there was a passage that mentioned that young children worked at either a bar/tavern or a prostitution house but I’m not entirely sure on that and I can’t find it in the book again, so just be weary. There is a kidnapping and parental death mentioned. There is a story shown in the book where a dragon gets shot down and dies. Grief is discussed and alcohol is briefly mentioned. There is also some romance in this book.
Publisher: Literary Wanderlust
Pages: 320
Synopsis: Princess Asharaya Myrassar lost everything on the night of the Coup of Fire when the usurper queen, Aerella Argarys, slaughtered the royal family and claimed the throne of the fae kingdom of Ilahara. After seeking refuge on the human continent and leaving her magical past behind, Asharaya takes on a new identity: Shara, an assassin blessed with dark powers.
Prince Derron Argarys owes his royal title to his mother's coup, and although he has all the status and power one could wish for, he cannot escape the memories of the brutal death of the former prince he once called friend. Now the heir to the throne, Derron must set aside his memories and learn to rule by the Argarys words: show your power, hide your heart.
But when a crone proclaims the last of the dragon-blessed rulers still lives and prophesizes Asharaya's return to Ilahara, friend and foe alike set out to find her, Derron among them. Yet he discovers in Asharaya not only a cold and beautiful assassin but also the princess he once knew. When the chance to rid his family of the Myrassar threat comes, Derron hesitates in dealing the killing blow, charting a new course that may see Asharaya's return to Ilahara to face her greatest enemy and her destiny as the last dragon-blessed queen.
Review: For the most part this was a good book. It read a lot like The Shannara Chronicles and I loved the high fantasy feel of it. I also loved the trope (Lost Princess) used and I liked that the book talked openly about menstrual cycles. The book is also heavy in political intrigue, which I like. I liked the world building and the plot kept me going.
However, the book was really confusing. The book didn’t clearly define who’s POV was whose when you start the chapter and it was awkward to go into the book with multiple POVs and not know what’s going on. I also felt like the multiple POVs didn’t allow for the characters to develop well and there was little back-story on each main character, which made the book more confusing. The book was also slow paced. Finally, as I was writing this review, I copied the synopsis and realized that it helps fill in some of the gaps in the book, which is a bummer for me. I don’t read synopses before reading the book and I feel like if important details are in the synopsis but not in the book, it just sets the book up to be a letdown.
Verdict: It was ok.
Book: Ilahara: The Last Myrassar
Author: C.M. Karys
Book Series: Ilahara Book 1
Rating: 3/5
Diversity: There is a brief m/m romance mentioned
Recommended For...: young adult readers, high fantasy, fantasy
Publication Date: November 1, 2021
Genre: YA High Fantasy
Recommended Age: 16+ (Gore, Violence, Sexual content, Kidnapping, Parent death, Animal hurt, Animal death, Grief, Death, Alcohol, Romance)
Explanation of CWs: There was a lot of gore and violence in the book. Sexual content is also present in the book and I feel like there was a passage that mentioned that young children worked at either a bar/tavern or a prostitution house but I’m not entirely sure on that and I can’t find it in the book again, so just be weary. There is a kidnapping and parental death mentioned. There is a story shown in the book where a dragon gets shot down and dies. Grief is discussed and alcohol is briefly mentioned. There is also some romance in this book.
Publisher: Literary Wanderlust
Pages: 320
Synopsis: Princess Asharaya Myrassar lost everything on the night of the Coup of Fire when the usurper queen, Aerella Argarys, slaughtered the royal family and claimed the throne of the fae kingdom of Ilahara. After seeking refuge on the human continent and leaving her magical past behind, Asharaya takes on a new identity: Shara, an assassin blessed with dark powers.
Prince Derron Argarys owes his royal title to his mother's coup, and although he has all the status and power one could wish for, he cannot escape the memories of the brutal death of the former prince he once called friend. Now the heir to the throne, Derron must set aside his memories and learn to rule by the Argarys words: show your power, hide your heart.
But when a crone proclaims the last of the dragon-blessed rulers still lives and prophesizes Asharaya's return to Ilahara, friend and foe alike set out to find her, Derron among them. Yet he discovers in Asharaya not only a cold and beautiful assassin but also the princess he once knew. When the chance to rid his family of the Myrassar threat comes, Derron hesitates in dealing the killing blow, charting a new course that may see Asharaya's return to Ilahara to face her greatest enemy and her destiny as the last dragon-blessed queen.
Review: For the most part this was a good book. It read a lot like The Shannara Chronicles and I loved the high fantasy feel of it. I also loved the trope (Lost Princess) used and I liked that the book talked openly about menstrual cycles. The book is also heavy in political intrigue, which I like. I liked the world building and the plot kept me going.
However, the book was really confusing. The book didn’t clearly define who’s POV was whose when you start the chapter and it was awkward to go into the book with multiple POVs and not know what’s going on. I also felt like the multiple POVs didn’t allow for the characters to develop well and there was little back-story on each main character, which made the book more confusing. The book was also slow paced. Finally, as I was writing this review, I copied the synopsis and realized that it helps fill in some of the gaps in the book, which is a bummer for me. I don’t read synopses before reading the book and I feel like if important details are in the synopsis but not in the book, it just sets the book up to be a letdown.
Verdict: It was ok.
This was so good, I couldn't put it down! In the beginning, the change of povs was a little confusing, but soon I was fully immersed in this world and I really enjoyed the ride. I am so excited for the next book!
4/5 I think I would have rate it more if I read it after a non fantasy book or a romance.
It's a wonderful story, with really interesting characters and a whole lot of world building. I'm really wanting to learn about it more !
It's a wonderful story, with really interesting characters and a whole lot of world building. I'm really wanting to learn about it more !
adventurous
dark
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
In all honesty, I've read a lot of books started by people who run a bookstagram account or a book art account, and most have been pretty disappointing. This one? This was absolutely fantastic. If you're a fan of Game of Thrones or Throne of Glass, you will love this book as much as I did.
Fae, dragons and magic, what more could one want?
Kael is my favourite boy. Writing a full review to come!
Fae, dragons and magic, what more could one want?
Kael is my favourite boy. Writing a full review to come!
adventurous
emotional
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Thank you Fae Crate for bringing me this lovely edition of a book I might otherwise not have heard of!
This was a fun little read; I hadn't expected to get into it as much as I did. I really enjoyed the world-building and the characters, though I do feel like the book ended just a little bit too soon. The climactic moment of this book felt a little too underwhelming, and the ensuing battle that occurs during it cut short too soon. That being said, it provides some very nice setup for the second book!
I've seen a few reviewers on Amazon dismiss this as being too much like Throne of Glass, but really the only similarities between that series and this first book of the Ilahara series is in the lost-princess-turned-assassin main character, and even those are minimal. I don't think anyone should dismiss this book for those reasons. It was enjoyable on its own merit and worth a shot!
This was a fun little read; I hadn't expected to get into it as much as I did. I really enjoyed the world-building and the characters, though I do feel like the book ended just a little bit too soon. The climactic moment of this book felt a little too underwhelming, and the ensuing battle that occurs during it cut short too soon. That being said, it provides some very nice setup for the second book!
I've seen a few reviewers on Amazon dismiss this as being too much like Throne of Glass, but really the only similarities between that series and this first book of the Ilahara series is in the lost-princess-turned-assassin main character, and even those are minimal. I don't think anyone should dismiss this book for those reasons. It was enjoyable on its own merit and worth a shot!
انتهت السبت ٢٨ يناير، الساعة ٧:٣٠ مساءً. أول كتاب أنهيه في عام ٢٠٢٣ بنجاح.
انا بعيطططط، عايزة الكتاب الثاني بأسرع وقت ممكن.
انا بعيطططط، عايزة الكتاب الثاني بأسرع وقت ممكن.
adventurous
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix