Reviews with content warning for Toxic relationship - Prince of the Sorrows

I’m not big on the fae genre, but I loved this. The ending still has me reeling (spoilers later) but I loved the world building in this book, and how unapologetically queer and sex-positive the society is. The magic systems are so unique and interesting, the characters lovable (the villains horrendous), without any being clumsy or trope-y. Consent is handled so well, even with the typical issues of the genre.

I’m new to reading self-published work, and the quality of the writing is so good that when I finished this I was surprised it wasn’t published by TOR or another well-known imprint. That said I’m happy to avoid the publishing lags and have already preordered Book 2.

I was surprised by how deep the mystery/injustice that Cylvan and Saffron face runs, and how real the villains challenging and isolating our MCs feel: The mystery seems to catch the characters and the reader off guard together, which was unexpected (I’m not complaining) and I’m so interested to see where it goes; the villains’ plan of increasingly isolating MCs from their support systems, from their societal and innate power, and finally from each other, was chillingly realistic.
I really hope Book 2 (or 3? I don’t know how many are planned as I write this) lets us enjoy Cylvan & Saffron happy together, once they defeat their enemies and smash down the politics and villains that keep them apart and oppressed. Taran’s abuse tactics are so grounded in reality & Kaelar’s lechery feels so real, that I’m left angry at the other characters who comply and enable them.

All in all a fantastic book, and I’m hoping the next is even more enjoyable.

Content Warnings

anwade88's review against another edition

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adventurous mysterious 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

4.5

A book full of rich world building but also faster paced than most adult fantasy tomes with similar detail. (Which I really enjoyed!) The two main characters (Saffron and Cybil) were very lovable. I’ve seen this compared to The Cruel Prince, but I liked it better. The world building is more unique, for one thing, and I found the relationship way less toxic than in The Cruel Prince. There’s hate to friendship to love in this. But the hatred is logical and, even despite that, the prince is never truly cruel to Saffron and I appreciated that. Speaking of Saffron, I’m not sure I’ve ever read such a cinnamon roll of a character. But I also liked how he fought for himself and others, and his and Cybil’s relationship was on equally standing in that way. I’m really sad the next book isn’t out because I want to spend more time in this lush world and with these wonderful characters.

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folkofthebook's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark funny lighthearted mysterious sad tense slow-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

4.0

Every now and then, I come across a book that has the kind of style I yearn for in my books; indulgent descriptions, whimsy on every page, and a romantic tint to the world. If you're a fan of Holly Black's Folk of the Air series as I am, this is a series you're going to want to dig your teeth into Prince of the Sorrows.

This includes:
- lots of queer rep
- sunshine/broody dynamic
- dark-haired, morally grey MC
- Ghibli vibes (specifically Howl's Moving Castle)
- queerness normalized w/in the society of the story (so hard to find, even in fantasy)
- fae worldbuilding from Gaelic (I'm guessing, from the book's Irish Gaelic pronunciation guide) and original creation intertwined with Hades/Persephone roots
- luxurious descriptions in clothing, decor, and food that v much made my double Taurus heart giddy

While a slower pace than most fantasy tends to be, I didn't find that to be a bad thing. Graves luxuriate in their storytelling, taking their time to illustrate scenes with their words. I have had some fellow readers remark on it being "wordy", but I never found it to be unnecessarily so. Admittedly, I was able to guess a few discoveries, but I was also caught off guard by a few, which is always pleasantly exciting. Saffron is adorable as the ever-hopeful ray of sunshine, and Cylvan never fails to amuse with his cynical (defensive) humor. This was a promising start to what I believe is going to be a lengthier series (11 books??), and while I've come to dislike starting unfinished series (because of the need to reread so I remember wtf is going on by the time the next book drops), POTS is one that I will have no problem revisiting.

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