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3.85 AVERAGE
3.85 AVERAGE
This was a great read but didn't quite give me all the ZA vibes. It was missing spice for me and I just didn't love any of the characters really besides Kyra who was amazing. It was still a good read though I just hoped it would have been better
adventurous
funny
tense
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
3.75/5
I really loved the prequel novella, so make sure you read that one first!
What I didn't love: This one was a bit too long for my liking, and I felt like I couldn't really get into it for the first bit of the book. It felt like there was a lot of unnecessary inner monologue and things that were just feeling repetitive.
Cassius was a bit bland, I was hoping for more out of him.
What I did love: Kyra is my favorite character without a doubt. She is what sucked me into this world when I read the prequel novella and is the reason I held on and didn't turn back from reading this one. She truly had a heart of gold and just wanted to avenge her sister. Unfortunately she just kept getting the shit end of the stick which made me really feel for her.
Drake I absolutely loved. He cracked me up, I thought sometimes he was a little overboard, but all in all I really enjoyed his character. He reminded me of Seth and Leon a little bit, but I still love those two a bit more. ;)
I am glad the second half of the book picked up as far as the plot went because it pulled me back in and kept me intrigued.
I actually really liked the cliffhanger on this one, I'm excited to see what they bring us with book 2.
I really loved the prequel novella, so make sure you read that one first!
What I didn't love: This one was a bit too long for my liking, and I felt like I couldn't really get into it for the first bit of the book. It felt like there was a lot of unnecessary inner monologue and things that were just feeling repetitive.
Cassius was a bit bland, I was hoping for more out of him.
What I did love: Kyra is my favorite character without a doubt. She is what sucked me into this world when I read the prequel novella and is the reason I held on and didn't turn back from reading this one. She truly had a heart of gold and just wanted to avenge her sister. Unfortunately she just kept getting the shit end of the stick which made me really feel for her.
Drake I absolutely loved. He cracked me up, I thought sometimes he was a little overboard, but all in all I really enjoyed his character. He reminded me of Seth and Leon a little bit, but I still love those two a bit more. ;)
I am glad the second half of the book picked up as far as the plot went because it pulled me back in and kept me intrigued.
I actually really liked the cliffhanger on this one, I'm excited to see what they bring us with book 2.
adventurous
funny
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing, Death, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting
Holy shit! The Twisted Sisters have done it again! I have been stoked for this book since it was announced. An Aladdin inspired book written by Caroline and Susanne? Sold! This was the perfect introduction into their new world. My favorite thing about any of the sisters' books is their ability to always write strong willed, powerful female main characters that you can't help but fall in love with. This book serves us exactly that. I know we're all anxiously awaiting Zodiac Academy book 9, but in the meantime, if you're a fan of C&S, pick up this book immediately! You won't regret it.
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Loveable characters:
Yes
"Master, you have awoken me from my slumber and my power is now yours to wield. I am Kyra, Slave to the Coin, The Blessing, Keeper of Wishes, Maker of Dreams, and anything you command shall come to pass."
4.25 stars!
If you're a fan of the Twisted Sisters, then you know what to expect from their novels--dark humor, a little backstabbing and betrayal, plenty of twists to keep you guessing, and a heaping of sexual tension to keep things interesting. If you were a fan of Caroline and Susanne before the release of ZA, then you can probably appreciate the similarities between this series and their Forbidden Fairytales series (which I loved!) while also eagerly anticipating the twisty surprises the Sisters are known for...and they did not disappoint!
I was the trophy, the glossy little token for whichever suitors greased my father's palm enough to enter the pageant--an ancient, barbaric and entirely sexist tradition.
At the beginning of our tale, we meet Austyn, a princess who longs for her freedom and independence while she is trapped by ancient traditions and an empress who seems to control all. Her desperation for freedom and sense of hopelessness in the face of her predestined future were heart-wrenching to witness, but I loved watching her perform little acts of rebellion while fighting the advances of Kahn and her slight admiration for Count Nazari. Little does she know, there is someone from her past who admires her strength and resilience in the face of oppression and who would do anything to protect her...
I am number two hundred and eighty-seven, and I am made of steel. I am a warrior for Osaria. I cannot be broken.
Cassius, former Royal Guard and protector of the princess, is sentenced to death after he views the princess's face before her Unveiling. It's an act that changes the course of his life forever as he meets Drake the night before his sentence is scheduled to be carried out. Drake is the epitome of everything Cassius isn't--an arrogant thief whose only goal is self-preservation and gratification. Despite how opposite they are from each other, Cassius and Drake form a tentative truce as they are forced to rely on each other in order to achieve their goals--Drake of becoming emperor and Cassius of overthrowing the empress. However, both Cassius and Drake are willing to do whatever they have to in order to accomplish their goals which only serves to complicate their journey the deeper their connection appears to be.
I was a man of sin, a street thief, a liar, and a savage. But I would never be a coward.
Kyra, our innocent, naïve, yet quirky all-powerful being, was once again my favorite character of the story! She's just so unpredictable--having the ability to be completely ruthless yet wholly vulnerable at the same time--and I just love her craziness. I loved how Drake treated her as a sentient being from their first meeting and was so gentle with her, even though he broke his promise in the end. Cassius and Drake have such a great bromance, but I'm excited to see how their dynamic changes after everything that is unleashed on them. This novel was pretty PG-13 smut-wise, so I have to say that I'm ready for more between both couples in the next book!
Tropes: fairytale retelling, anti-hero, naive heroine, protector hero, strong heroine, magical being, forbidden love, hate-to-love-you, unrequited love, hero-on-the-run, hidden powers, royal romance, secret prophecy, bromance, cliffhanger ending (part of a series)
*ARC provided by the authors, and I voluntarily reviewed it*
--BONUS: Fairy Fair scene from Orion's POV--
If you didn't know, the preorder version of this book has two bonus ZA scenes--one of them being the Fairy Fair scene from The Reckoning from Orion's POV which is probably my favorite scene from the entire series. And y'all this bonus scene is so freaking glorious!! I pretty much highlighted the entire chapter, while my heart broke even more for my Orion babe
Loved it!
Really enjoyed the twist on the aladdin retelling! It had action, slow burn and comedy! Really loved the book! Can't wait for more in this series!
Really enjoyed the twist on the aladdin retelling! It had action, slow burn and comedy! Really loved the book! Can't wait for more in this series!
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
N/A
5/5
This heart breaking dark slow burn is full of many broken souls in amongst the enchantment of a fairytale retelling anyone who loves a desert setting, a complex story of greed and the longing to be free is going to love this book
kyla
so many scenes in this book got me crying, it was my gorgeous kyla who had my emotions going, it was wrote so incredibly beautifully how lonely she was, what she felt like when she was free, the pool of tears… I’m crying just writing this! so yes she is my fav fmc in this book and the end, let’s just say it had me broken.
cassius
”a broken warrior, lost gods of old.”
This warrior is my darling oh I love him so! to begin with it was a bit slow the hope I had for him and that he’d be stand up for himself and not be so in line. the build up of his character was gorgeous and he even had a scene, now I might be a bit over the top with this, it’s just there was a scene where he reminded me of rhysand, ok just a bit, his character is not at all like him, it just gave me the vibe of one of the scenes.
austyn
our other fmc is the princess now she’s a good character I felt she was a bit flat though however I think that’s mostly because there wasn’t enough of her in this book the hint of her fiery fight nearing the end though has me much more intrigued with her character.
drake
“a thief of shadows, blessed with light,”
a thief with tattoos - he’s going on rooftops, he’s got a very stupid tongue, and kyla keeps getting her words jumbled and calling him ugly, seeing as no one has ever thought that of him he’s obviously f* of and it’s to funny! drake and cassius’s slight brother development was really good and if you go into this book thinking it’s very fmc oriented like the authors other books it’s not, there’s many more chapters on the mmc’s which was a lovely change in my opinion.
world building
very good and I love any book with a desert setting so that really got me hooked. not a fan of the dragon attack or the dragon posed as the bad one and if it wasn’t for how that ends I wouldn’t have enjoyed it as much as I did. the plot twist I never expected and it was right their infront of my face so kicking myself for not seeing it.
The biggest issue I have with this book is that I NEED BOOK 2! as soon as the next one in this series is out I’m gonna be reading it after that f* ending!
some tropes and things to expect
*journey through the desert
*thief group
*competition to marry the princess
*clean slow burn which is not yet finished
*dragons
This heart breaking dark slow burn is full of many broken souls in amongst the enchantment of a fairytale retelling anyone who loves a desert setting, a complex story of greed and the longing to be free is going to love this book
kyla
so many scenes in this book got me crying, it was my gorgeous kyla who had my emotions going, it was wrote so incredibly beautifully how lonely she was, what she felt like when she was free, the pool of tears… I’m crying just writing this! so yes she is my fav fmc in this book and the end, let’s just say it had me broken.
cassius
”a broken warrior, lost gods of old.”
This warrior is my darling oh I love him so! to begin with it was a bit slow the hope I had for him and that he’d be stand up for himself and not be so in line. the build up of his character was gorgeous and he even had a scene, now I might be a bit over the top with this, it’s just there was a scene where he reminded me of rhysand, ok just a bit, his character is not at all like him, it just gave me the vibe of one of the scenes.
austyn
our other fmc is the princess now she’s a good character I felt she was a bit flat though however I think that’s mostly because there wasn’t enough of her in this book the hint of her fiery fight nearing the end though has me much more intrigued with her character.
drake
“a thief of shadows, blessed with light,”
a thief with tattoos - he’s going on rooftops, he’s got a very stupid tongue, and kyla keeps getting her words jumbled and calling him ugly, seeing as no one has ever thought that of him he’s obviously f* of and it’s to funny! drake and cassius’s slight brother development was really good and if you go into this book thinking it’s very fmc oriented like the authors other books it’s not, there’s many more chapters on the mmc’s which was a lovely change in my opinion.
world building
very good and I love any book with a desert setting so that really got me hooked. not a fan of the dragon attack or the dragon posed as the bad one and if it wasn’t for how that ends I wouldn’t have enjoyed it as much as I did. the plot twist I never expected and it was right their infront of my face so kicking myself for not seeing it.
The biggest issue I have with this book is that I NEED BOOK 2! as soon as the next one in this series is out I’m gonna be reading it after that f* ending!
some tropes and things to expect
*journey through the desert
*thief group
*competition to marry the princess
*clean slow burn which is not yet finished
*dragons
This took me so freaking long to read. I rounded up from a 3.5, but this isn’t the best I’ve read from the sisters. A few thoughts…
1. This book was way longer than it needed to be. I wasn’t fully invested until maybe 60%, and even then it was a struggle at times.
2. The characters were hit or miss for me at times. Cassius only became interesting towards the end, but it also relies heavily on the characters around him. I wanna see more development. Austyn, I’ll cut her some slack because given her position, there really wasn’t loads of room for development yet. Drake felt like a recycled ZA character. And despite being the roguish thief type, he was so predictable and one note. Kyra was the most interesting of the batch and we didn’t even really get her until halfway through.
3. The last 10% give me hope for the future of the series. It finally felt like it was becoming it’s own thing and really amped things up. I also cut it some slack because I understand it is the first book in a new series. I’m just used to the sisters books being quicker to catch my interest.
I’ll definitely be continuing the series though, and look forward to what comes next. If you’re on the fence, maybe wait until the sequel comes out and see how that does. I almost wish I had.
1. This book was way longer than it needed to be. I wasn’t fully invested until maybe 60%, and even then it was a struggle at times.
2. The characters were hit or miss for me at times. Cassius only became interesting towards the end, but it also relies heavily on the characters around him. I wanna see more development. Austyn, I’ll cut her some slack because given her position, there really wasn’t loads of room for development yet. Drake felt like a recycled ZA character. And despite being the roguish thief type, he was so predictable and one note. Kyra was the most interesting of the batch and we didn’t even really get her until halfway through.
3. The last 10% give me hope for the future of the series. It finally felt like it was becoming it’s own thing and really amped things up. I also cut it some slack because I understand it is the first book in a new series. I’m just used to the sisters books being quicker to catch my interest.
I’ll definitely be continuing the series though, and look forward to what comes next. If you’re on the fence, maybe wait until the sequel comes out and see how that does. I almost wish I had.