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3.49 AVERAGE
3.49 AVERAGE
First book was the best of the series. This one had a lot of spice, which was fine, I just wanted more plot. I was reading for the plot as it really had me hooked so I skimmed over much of the spice (chapters and chapters) to get back to finding out what happens.
I wasn’t convinced by Davian’s quick turnaround as he didn’t seem to care about his wife much before, and there were a number of details that didn’t match up with things earlier in the series - that kind of thing really throws me out of the story.
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-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
2 Spice 🌶️🌶️
slow-paced
Overall rating: 2.75/5
Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️/5
I had such high hopes for wrapping up this trilogy and this book fell short of all of them. I WANTED to like this book… but this wasn’t it.
Firstly let me just say, the romance is overplayed in this which means it’s corny as heck. There was an entire chapter of them “exploring” and it was… exhausting. I skipped over most of that chapter. The spicy seems are drawn out and longer than needed. It felt like it lost the story in those scenes. I honestly skimmed most of those chapters looking for story and skipped the spice. 🤷♀️
The plot felt like it was coming out of no where, it didn’t really align with the prior two books - prophesies and legends and vessels - it was a lot without much depth. It fell flat.
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
fast-paced
4/5⭐️
3/5🌶️
“Take from me until I have nothing left to give. I am devoted to you. Everything I have is yours to take. Do you hear me, Verena? I am drowning in my want for you, and there is no room inside me for fear. Take from me, touch me. Feed your body with what yearns for you. I would ruin every part of me to give to you.”
“My life had been ruled by men who thought they could decide my fate for me, but my fate wasn’t theirs to control. It never had been.”
“In the next life.”
But I didn’t want the next life.
I wanted this one.”
This was such a well rounded conclusion. It felt like a good balance of spice and politics and flushing out the rest of the story lines.
I honestly ate this series up and had a silly goofy little time, and this book was still fun but definitely had more of a serious tone with the revelations and prophecy etc.
Followed the romantasy formula of killing off a character after a large confession that changes the course of the plot and it felt slightly under emphasized… *redacted*s death felt kind of glossed over by the end and even if there was an epilogue where they honored him in some way it would feel more flushed out.
I adored the way dacre and his father’s relationship developed. Minds didn’t change in an instant to further the plot- there was a legitimate reason for why he changed his mind.
My biggest issue with this book is the reputation of phrases so close together. Most notably is “burn the world to the ground.” And I was his and he was mine” and vice versa. I love a good yearn and dacre isn’t kidding when he says it, but when in 2/3 paragraphs in a row it’s said it gets a little much. However this is really only a problem in the first 30% and then gets SIGNIFICANTLY better.
3/5🌶️
“Take from me until I have nothing left to give. I am devoted to you. Everything I have is yours to take. Do you hear me, Verena? I am drowning in my want for you, and there is no room inside me for fear. Take from me, touch me. Feed your body with what yearns for you. I would ruin every part of me to give to you.”
“My life had been ruled by men who thought they could decide my fate for me, but my fate wasn’t theirs to control. It never had been.”
“In the next life.”
But I didn’t want the next life.
I wanted this one.”
This was such a well rounded conclusion. It felt like a good balance of spice and politics and flushing out the rest of the story lines.
I honestly ate this series up and had a silly goofy little time, and this book was still fun but definitely had more of a serious tone with the revelations and prophecy etc.
Followed the romantasy formula of killing off a character after a large confession that changes the course of the plot and it felt slightly under emphasized… *redacted*s death felt kind of glossed over by the end and even if there was an epilogue where they honored him in some way it would feel more flushed out.
I adored the way dacre and his father’s relationship developed. Minds didn’t change in an instant to further the plot- there was a legitimate reason for why he changed his mind.
My biggest issue with this book is the reputation of phrases so close together. Most notably is “burn the world to the ground.” And I was his and he was mine” and vice versa. I love a good yearn and dacre isn’t kidding when he says it, but when in 2/3 paragraphs in a row it’s said it gets a little much. However this is really only a problem in the first 30% and then gets SIGNIFICANTLY better.
adventurous
challenging
hopeful
reflective
tense
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:
Yes
dark
emotional
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Definitely the worst book of the series but had a happy ending
adventurous
dark
emotional
tense
fast-paced
Oh, siiiigh. Do Verena and Dacre even really like one another or is it just the plot of a romantasy trilogy that keeps them together? They might have sexual chemistry and he's certainly grown as a character into a much better man but I'm not sure what history they're drawing on to inspire confessions of love for one another even after the events at the end of the book.
Was the whole mate subplot even needed outside of being able to market it as a trope for the series? It was such a rare thing that most people believed the concept to belong in fairy tales, having forgotten tradition and ceremony, and no one even reacted to the claims in the story in any positive way. But still we get the constant droning of Dacre, 'my mate, my mate, my mate.' It really takes away the power of something as simple as 'my wife' - which is just another trope we've decided to shoulder.
The Veiled Kingdom series has always had magic in it but it felt that magic and power was more of a theme in The Rivaled Crown. It feels really tacked-on, like books one and two were dawdling, and suddenly we're at the end and so much needs to happen and to be explained. There was a lot of action and movement but maybe it was just a bit too little too late to win me over. I was left feeling unsatisfied and, regretfully, a little angry that I bought the book during the author's restock to complete my matching set - since I've vowed to only purchase books I loved. I'd really hoped book three would have made up for the short book two but it didn't.
Was the whole mate subplot even needed outside of being able to market it as a trope for the series? It was such a rare thing that most people believed the concept to belong in fairy tales, having forgotten tradition and ceremony, and no one even reacted to the claims in the story in any positive way. But still we get the constant droning of Dacre, 'my mate, my mate, my mate.' It really takes away the power of something as simple as 'my wife' - which is just another trope we've decided to shoulder.
The Veiled Kingdom series has always had magic in it but it felt that magic and power was more of a theme in The Rivaled Crown. It feels really tacked-on, like books one and two were dawdling, and suddenly we're at the end and so much needs to happen and to be explained. There was a lot of action and movement but maybe it was just a bit too little too late to win me over. I was left feeling unsatisfied and, regretfully, a little angry that I bought the book during the author's restock to complete my matching set - since I've vowed to only purchase books I loved. I'd really hoped book three would have made up for the short book two but it didn't.
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
adventurous
dark
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Jumping into The Rivaled Crown, the fun continues... Honestly this series fasted paced and easy to read and really bingeable series. Although it was a fun-ish time, I still found a bit of the same issues I had with the rest of the series - lots of repetitiveness, and more 'tell you than show you'. There's action, and lots of twists and turns but I did find that added a bit of confusion here and there. Overall though this series may be great for those wanting to start a romantasy with light world-building.
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Tropes - enemies to lovers | fated mates & forbidden love | revolution & political intrigue | found family
“I have spent my life fighting for this rebellion, but it’s a rebellion that has forgotten what it’s fighting for.”
“You’re safe. And I will burn this fucking world to the ground before I let anything happen to you again.”
“I am drowning in my want for you, and there is no room inside me for fear. Take from me, touch me. Feed your body with what yearns for you. I would ruin every part of me to give to you.”
"Your future queen is leaving.." ..... "Kneel" <--- Screamed at this part, I did.
---
Tropes - enemies to lovers | fated mates & forbidden love | revolution & political intrigue | found family
“I have spent my life fighting for this rebellion, but it’s a rebellion that has forgotten what it’s fighting for.”
“You’re safe. And I will burn this fucking world to the ground before I let anything happen to you again.”
“I am drowning in my want for you, and there is no room inside me for fear. Take from me, touch me. Feed your body with what yearns for you. I would ruin every part of me to give to you.”
"Your future queen is leaving.." ..... "Kneel" <--- Screamed at this part, I did.