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roooley's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
3.0
“Every day she was becoming a little less human, a little more of a monster.”
So much happens in this book, I honestly feel like I missed details all over the place. One day I hope to reread this book and maybe my rating will change, but as of right now, it wasn't a BAD book, but it wasn't for me. I'm left confused and honestly just feeling 'eh' about the book.
I greatly agree with another review I read, that states that this book does not deal with abuse in the best way. The two main characters deal with blatant abuse, but one character never comes to realize that that's what it was. While this can be realistic for people - some people will never accept that they've been abused - it left a bad taste in my mouth at the end of the book.
The romance was a nice enemies to lovers, but didn't feel like anything to write home about. It felt like that was really all there was to go on. I actually would have rather heard more about the romance between the prince and his 'friend' over the main pairing.
I liked the premise, but I think that too much was trying to happen in a single book. Maybe if this had been split into a duology and gone more into detail on certain aspects, I'd feel that it was less rushed and confusing.
So much happens in this book, I honestly feel like I missed details all over the place. One day I hope to reread this book and maybe my rating will change, but as of right now, it wasn't a BAD book, but it wasn't for me. I'm left confused and honestly just feeling 'eh' about the book.
I greatly agree with another review I read, that states that this book does not deal with abuse in the best way. The two main characters deal with blatant abuse, but one character never comes to realize that that's what it was. While this can be realistic for people - some people will never accept that they've been abused - it left a bad taste in my mouth at the end of the book.
The romance was a nice enemies to lovers, but didn't feel like anything to write home about. It felt like that was really all there was to go on. I actually would have rather heard more about the romance between the prince and his 'friend' over the main pairing.
I liked the premise, but I think that too much was trying to happen in a single book. Maybe if this had been split into a duology and gone more into detail on certain aspects, I'd feel that it was less rushed and confusing.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Emotional abuse and Physical abuse
sixofrobins's review
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? It's complicated
3.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child abuse and Emotional abuse
Minor: Grief and Death of parent
tostita's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
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
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore and Violence
Moderate: Emotional abuse and Physical abuse
jes7037's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
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
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse and Physical abuse
Moderate: Body horror, Death, and Murder
Minor: Animal cruelty
gbrds762's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Blood, Grief, Cannibalism, Fire/Fire injury, and Colonisation
attolis's review
3.75
A little rushed, arguably full of holes, underdeveloped across the board and sadly short on depth and nuance where it really counted, but at the same time the whole thing is entertaining and fresh enough that I found myself surprisingly unconcerned with its flaws.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child abuse and Emotional abuse
brynn_books's review
adventurous
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
The concept of this book was so intriguing. I mean, who doesn’t love sapphic villains? This book is different than anything I've ever read before. I like how the main characters were both villains and how they didn’t completely change their ways by the end of the book.
I do wish the backstories were more expanded on. I also thought the beginning felt a little weird and rushed. It was like they became friends within one chapter and then almost immediately became enemies again. It felt a little rushed. I would have loved to see more development with their friendship and then watch them become sworn enemies again.
Overall, I wish the story was fleshed out a little more. I wanted more development between the characters’ relationships and more elaboration on the magic system. But I still enjoyed it. It was very fun and very queer. I don’t think there are any plans for a sequel, but I could definitely see one happening. Especially because the ending didn’t feel completely satisfying to me. There was something missing but I don’t know what. It also felt a little rushed to me. But I would still highly recommend this book if you’re into sapphic villains!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Violence, and Blood
Moderate: Child abuse and Emotional abuse
pey333's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
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? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Blood, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, War, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Animal cruelty and Alcohol
nobeliumreads's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
3.5
In the kingdom of Lechija is a prince with a pure heart. Consuming it gives one immeasurable power. Two monstrous girls, Zosia and Marynka, are willing to do anything to get it; the former for herself, the latter for her patron. But it’s not easy trying to kill a beloved prince during the festive Karnawal season, and as their rivalry heats up, so does the danger to both of their lives.
--
A fun and easy book I binge read in two days. Marynka and Zosia’s rivalry, the way they got so frustrated whilst also wanting to be sabotaged by the other was so entertaining to read.
I do admit that I liked Zosia more though, because at times Marynka did frustrate me. Beata, another servant girl to the witches, though predictable, was an unexpected addition and I personally think she deserves her own story after apparently third wheeling her entire life. However, I felt like we didn’t know much about the girls other than them being monsters or servants or rivals which made me feel a bit detached from them.
The writing is fine and the worldbuilding was really interesting, maybe too interesting because it ended up making me more intrigued in what was going on in the background instead of Marynka and Zosia; the political tension in Lechija, the budding revolution, whatever was going on between Józef and Kajetan. I would honestly love a second book about Józef and Kajetan. Another thing that I wish we’d seen more of were the witches; we spend the whole book being told how powerful and terrifying they are but they weren’t as big a threat as I expected them to be. We never even see Black Jaga and considering how she’s apparently the most powerful of the witches, I expected a terrifying confrontation between her and the girls after finding out what Zosia did. And although this is a personal preference, I would have loved to see more of Marynka and Zosia in the ending.
Overall, I enjoyed this book but couldn’t help but wish for more whilst reading it. My own expectations definitely influenced how I felt about the book, so that’s on me but objectively I think it’s still an enjoyable sapphic rivals to lovers book!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Violence, and Blood
Moderate: Child abuse, Emotional abuse, and Physical abuse
Minor: Suicide, Abandonment, and War
yvonne_cl's review
adventurous
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Domestic abuse and Emotional abuse