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4.3 AVERAGE
4.3 AVERAGE
OHMAGOSH this book was so bingeable I am genuinely going crazy bc I have no more material to read about these characters 😫
The characters:
The Warrior — oh I was drawn to him from his first pov. Gahhhh his whole character and personality was so stable and safe it litch made me wanna find comfort in him myself. I love how he did what’s necessary for a king. He’s not impulsive and observes behaviour, assesses situations before he speaks or does anything. I loveeeed everything about him.
The Princess — as much as I understood her role in this book she was giving nothing to the overall plot. Her character just did not mesh well with me and she was a bit irrelevant at times to be honest. She felt like dead weight.
The assassin — he made me so emo 🤚 litch want to protect him with my whole body. This man just could not catch a break pls I was on the verge of sobbing for him 😭😭 his whole character just spoke to me. I loveeeed that he was competent in his role and omfds I was eating it up how he bested half the ppl in this book 💋 so satisfying
The romance:
I felt more chemistry between Ky and Asher than any of them with Jory. Like hello the actual betrayal omg the ANGST??? So scrumptious. I did see the potential with Jory and Ky but her with Asher was a mess to be honest. It always felt to me Asher was an afterthought for her.
I’m really glad with how things worked out with them though because they do make sense with each other. The soft moments??? 😫🤚 *on my knees banging my fist on the floor* no bc they were violent one second and then sweet and soft the next plsss I was living for it.
The writing:
As good as the story was, the writing felt overly formal sometimes. It was a bit rocky at the start of the book but I think as the author got more comfortable with the characters, the writing also eased up a bit. Once there was a flow to the book, it became so bingeable u would be able to tear this book away from my hands.
The world building was good but it’s not exactly the best I’ve ever read about. There are still some things that need expanding and fleshing out. I still have questions about the whys and hows. But this is definitely another aspect of the book that’s making me want to come back to this world for more when the next book releases.
Overall it was soooo good and had the perfect pacing.
ೃ⁀➷ Thank you NetGalley and HarperVoyager for the ARC! ♥︎
𝗦𝗶𝗱𝗲 𝗻𝗼𝘁𝗲:
I guess who the traitor was and screamed when I was RIGHT heheh 👹👹
The characters:
The Warrior — oh I was drawn to him from his first pov. Gahhhh his whole character and personality was so stable and safe it litch made me wanna find comfort in him myself. I love how he did what’s necessary for a king. He’s not impulsive and observes behaviour, assesses situations before he speaks or does anything. I loveeeed everything about him.
The Princess — as much as I understood her role in this book she was giving nothing to the overall plot. Her character just did not mesh well with me and she was a bit irrelevant at times to be honest. She felt like dead weight.
The assassin — he made me so emo 🤚 litch want to protect him with my whole body. This man just could not catch a break pls I was on the verge of sobbing for him 😭😭 his whole character just spoke to me. I loveeeed that he was competent in his role and omfds I was eating it up how he bested half the ppl in this book 💋 so satisfying
The romance:
I felt more chemistry between Ky and Asher than any of them with Jory. Like hello the actual betrayal omg the ANGST??? So scrumptious. I did see the potential with Jory and Ky but her with Asher was a mess to be honest. It always felt to me Asher was an afterthought for her.
I’m really glad with how things worked out with them though because they do make sense with each other. The soft moments??? 😫🤚 *on my knees banging my fist on the floor* no bc they were violent one second and then sweet and soft the next plsss I was living for it.
The writing:
As good as the story was, the writing felt overly formal sometimes. It was a bit rocky at the start of the book but I think as the author got more comfortable with the characters, the writing also eased up a bit. Once there was a flow to the book, it became so bingeable u would be able to tear this book away from my hands.
The world building was good but it’s not exactly the best I’ve ever read about. There are still some things that need expanding and fleshing out. I still have questions about the whys and hows. But this is definitely another aspect of the book that’s making me want to come back to this world for more when the next book releases.
Overall it was soooo good and had the perfect pacing.
ೃ⁀➷ Thank you NetGalley and HarperVoyager for the ARC! ♥︎
𝗦𝗶𝗱𝗲 𝗻𝗼𝘁𝗲:
I guess who the traitor was and screamed when I was RIGHT heheh 👹👹
𝗦𝗼𝗻𝗴𝘀: 🎧
Red - PRZNT
Red - PRZNT
I have been looking forward to Warrior Princess Assassin and Brigid Kemmerer definitely did not disappoint! Follow Jory, the Princess of Astranza, and Kal, the King of Incendar, whose marriage alliance will save both of their kingdoms in war, & Asher, the assassin sent to unalive both of them before it can happen. I really enjoyed the multi POVs, and seeing how each of the characters grow and mature while they navigate political intrigue, spies, and mutual enemies while also dealing with the developing tension and attraction to one another. WPA was a fun, easy why-choose romantasy read - I am definitely excited about continuing their story! I wanted a little bit more plot with this one, but Brigid did a fantastic job setting up the story and the characters relationship that I can’t complain too much :)
Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read an eARC in exchange for my honest review.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
fast-paced
I was very excited to read Warrior Princess Assassin due to having read and really enjoyed Brigid Kemmerer’s "Defy the Night" Trilogy. I was curious to see what she might come up with for her adult debut.
What I liked about this book, as well as her previous work, was the political plot, the issues of the Kingdoms and the question as to who might be behind the conspiracy against the Princess and the Warrior. It mainly is what kept my interest in this book. The story was also very easy to follow.
The three main characters on the other hand, couldn’t win me over. I found none of them incredibly interesting, especially the princess seemed to lack depth with those stereotypical character traits: naive, unknowing, innocent, lonely and easily swooned.
I didn’t mind the love-triangle in general, but the way it was approached did not seem to make a lot of sense to me. The book takes place over a course of a couple of days, the romantic plot seemed to advance way too quickly, which felt unauthentic, especially with the political storyline, and the way the book set off, in mind. Even towards the end of the book, moments shared between the three main characters felt a bit out of place, considering the circumstances.
I appreciate the authors approach to writing an adult fantasy book with a romantic storyline as what seemed to be the main plot, it just didn’t feel quite right. I will be looking into Brigid Kemmerer’s future releases, as well as her backlist, but this series might not be for me.
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
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
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
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:
Yes
adventurous
emotional
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
2.75 stars. This was an ARC from NetGalley. I am struggling with how to rate this one. I am a Brigid Kemmerer stan, and have devoured her YA fantasy work.. The unique word building, character development, and smooth fast paced writing are *chefs kiss*. Automatic read for me. This is her first adult romantascy novel. It feels like all the fundamentals mentioned above were disregarded and replaced with a storyline that the sole focus was to write a why choose with nothing more than nonstop sexual tension from all sides. Not a lot else happened for 400+ pages. This didn't feel very fantasy and more romance. I still enjoyed the characters and burned through the book. If the second book can get back to what makes this author great; I think the series can be redeemed. # NetGalley #warriorprincessassassin #romantasy #whychoose
dark
emotional
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
One of my most anticipated releases of the year and it did not disappoint!!! The moment I heard Brigid Kemmerer was writing an adult fantasy that sounded like it would be what a true love triangle should be (where they all end up together) I was so beyond excited to see what she would do with it and it was everything I wanted and more.
I love how she handled these darker themes of an adult fantasy and this rather solid start to a trilogy and a new world. I do feel like I would have loved to see a little more in depth world building. That's something I often feel like when reading Brigid Kemmerer's books, but then again I never mind it too much because her true talent is with her character work. She has such an incredible way with characters and their relationships and that was so vibrant in this new book. The dynamic between Ky, Jory, and Asher had me screaming and kicking my feet.
Something else that really struck me that I loved was the dynamic between Prince Dane, and Jory. I feel like we don't often get sibling dynamics like that and it really struck me reading it. Especially in comparison to Ky's relationship with his own sister.
This was a book that I knew half way in was going to leave me in a reading slump in the best kind of way, where I'm left with how amazing this book was and will be struggling to find something to read to make me feel the same way. I will be longingly waiting for a sequel for a book that's not even out yet.
I love how she handled these darker themes of an adult fantasy and this rather solid start to a trilogy and a new world. I do feel like I would have loved to see a little more in depth world building. That's something I often feel like when reading Brigid Kemmerer's books, but then again I never mind it too much because her true talent is with her character work. She has such an incredible way with characters and their relationships and that was so vibrant in this new book. The dynamic between Ky, Jory, and Asher had me screaming and kicking my feet.
Something else that really struck me that I loved was the dynamic between Prince Dane, and Jory. I feel like we don't often get sibling dynamics like that and it really struck me reading it. Especially in comparison to Ky's relationship with his own sister.
This was a book that I knew half way in was going to leave me in a reading slump in the best kind of way, where I'm left with how amazing this book was and will be struggling to find something to read to make me feel the same way. I will be longingly waiting for a sequel for a book that's not even out yet.
slow-paced
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Thank you to HarperVoyager and NetGalley for the eARC.
A sheltered princess, married off for an alliance. A war-hardened king with ferocious magic, hated by his people. An assassin without a place in the world who only craves sanctuary. These three make an unlikely trio but they're thrown together by necessity which blooms into something much more.
I enjoyed the beginning of this book and had quite high hopes, but ufortunately it just didn't hit for me. There isn't a whole lot of plot. Much of the book is the characters travelling from one place to another, and when I finished the book I looked back and had the distinct impression that the plot had barely moved forward.
Being a character-driven story, its enjoyment really hinges on forming some attachments to the three main characters. I enjoyed Asher's backstory, his vulnerability; Ky's relationships with his men and sister. I actually really liked these two, and their dynamic is really quite touching with lots of tension right from the offset. Jory, the FMC, was another matter. I felt as if she was just...there, not really contributing a whole lot. She is portrayed as innocent, naive and sheltered, but some of her actions didn't feel all that believable. I didn't get on with her characterisation at all which is a big deal in a why choose narrative!
I had a decent time reading the book but won't be picking up the sequel, unfortunately I think it's too much romance and not enough plot for my tastes.
A sheltered princess, married off for an alliance. A war-hardened king with ferocious magic, hated by his people. An assassin without a place in the world who only craves sanctuary. These three make an unlikely trio but they're thrown together by necessity which blooms into something much more.
I enjoyed the beginning of this book and had quite high hopes, but ufortunately it just didn't hit for me. There isn't a whole lot of plot. Much of the book is the characters travelling from one place to another, and when I finished the book I looked back and had the distinct impression that the plot had barely moved forward.
Being a character-driven story, its enjoyment really hinges on forming some attachments to the three main characters. I enjoyed Asher's backstory, his vulnerability; Ky's relationships with his men and sister. I actually really liked these two, and their dynamic is really quite touching with lots of tension right from the offset. Jory, the FMC, was another matter. I felt as if she was just...there, not really contributing a whole lot. She is portrayed as innocent, naive and sheltered, but some of her actions didn't feel all that believable. I didn't get on with her characterisation at all which is a big deal in a why choose narrative!
I had a decent time reading the book but won't be picking up the sequel, unfortunately I think it's too much romance and not enough plot for my tastes.
A fantastic fantasy romance with political intrigue and character focused tension. This developed each of the main trio of characters and buit them up nicely where the tension was brilliant and leading the poly romance that felt realistic and emotional.
Asher my favourite charcter, its the sweet tragic cinnamon rolls who get me but it was really unexpected. I went in expecting the broody king, Ky to my favourite and not just as a love interest but a character but Asher's POV ( which truthfully I didnt think I'd love as much from the synopsis) truly shined especially with the depth of his trauma displayed that worked so well in developing the character based storyline.
I don't know if it was me up until reading to 80% I was enjoying Jory as a protag as well but something about the way she is wilfully stuborn about other peoples belief systems and I get because she had a sheltered and naive upbringing but it was frustrated when she couldnt see Asher/Ky's backgrounds or why they would act the way they did. She just wanted to fight about it which made it annoying. I understand she was ignorant but it got on my nerves at this pivotal moment to the characters buildup at this point in the stpory. I know the poly relationship shows how all three characters would have a push and pull along with each member of the rship being able to support the others parts of their personality that hinders them. if this were a non poly rship I'd prefer to the build up of Asher/Ky because of the fantasy world their in it wouod be interestin to see how they'd work without Jory. I just found Jory to be a bit lacking in this rship like she didnt add much to it in a sense because her naivety was hindering her and I get that was the point but it felt like she didnt add anything when Ky/Asher were well written as individuals.
anyways, I loved this romantasy which was a fast read but well developed and I cant wait to see where the sequel goes. 4.75 stars
Asher my favourite charcter, its the sweet tragic cinnamon rolls who get me but it was really unexpected. I went in expecting the broody king, Ky to my favourite and not just as a love interest but a character but Asher's POV ( which truthfully I didnt think I'd love as much from the synopsis) truly shined especially with the depth of his trauma displayed that worked so well in developing the character based storyline.
I don't know if it was me up until reading to 80% I was enjoying Jory as a protag as well but something about the way she is wilfully stuborn about other peoples belief systems and I get because she had a sheltered and naive upbringing but it was frustrated when she couldnt see Asher/Ky's backgrounds or why they would act the way they did. She just wanted to fight about it which made it annoying. I understand she was ignorant but it got on my nerves at this pivotal moment to the characters buildup at this point in the stpory. I know the poly relationship shows how all three characters would have a push and pull along with each member of the rship being able to support the others parts of their personality that hinders them. if this were a non poly rship I'd prefer to the build up of Asher/Ky because of the fantasy world their in it wouod be interestin to see how they'd work without Jory. I just found Jory to be a bit lacking in this rship like she didnt add much to it in a sense because her naivety was hindering her and I get that was the point but it felt like she didnt add anything when Ky/Asher were well written as individuals.
anyways, I loved this romantasy which was a fast read but well developed and I cant wait to see where the sequel goes. 4.75 stars
dark
emotional
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Thank you to HarperCollins and NetGalley for this arc!
Well, this is not what I was expecting from this book.
Warrior Princess Assassin is full of yearning and betrayal.
I found the plot to be a bit thin and the betrayals predictable. Unfortunately, I just wasn't feeling the romance between Jory and Ky but I was hooked after the first scene between Jory and Asher and hardly put the book down wanting more of their romance to unfold.
The whole book over covers a short amount of time and not very much happens. There's plenty of plot points mentioned regarding Jory, her potential magic and the Draegonis kingdom that I would like to read more of in the next book and less of the romance. With this three way romance, most of the yearning etc became repetitive. I want more action and plot please!
3⭐️ because although I didn't completely enjoy every aspect of the book, I still didn't want to stop reading 👀
Well, this is not what I was expecting from this book.
Warrior Princess Assassin is full of yearning and betrayal.
I found the plot to be a bit thin and the betrayals predictable. Unfortunately, I just wasn't feeling the romance between Jory and Ky but I was hooked after the first scene between Jory and Asher and hardly put the book down wanting more of their romance to unfold.
The whole book over covers a short amount of time and not very much happens. There's plenty of plot points mentioned regarding Jory, her potential magic and the Draegonis kingdom that I would like to read more of in the next book and less of the romance. With this three way romance, most of the yearning etc became repetitive. I want more action and plot please!
3⭐️ because although I didn't completely enjoy every aspect of the book, I still didn't want to stop reading 👀