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Graphic: Confinement, Death, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Blood, Death of parent
Moderate: Torture
I was incredibly excited to read this series, which may have set me up for failure.
Right off the bat, I just got the ick from a lot of the plot elements. I love me some romance, but it feel like the fantasy element was absent. The characters are cool and the plot is intriguing, but 200 pages in and I didn' t understand the world, politics, magic systems, at all. Nothing was explained so that was quite disappointing.
I'm a fast reader when I find a good book and I've been reading this for weeks. It's just not for me I guess! So I will be moving on to find a better book. I may return and try again one day but that day is not today. No hate to JA.
Full read:
Everything I wrote in my first review still stands. BUT this book had something special. After deciding to DNF it, these characters were in my head so much. I found myself wondering what would happen with them and where the plot would go. The more I read, the more the lack or world-building makes a little sense, due to a MC not knowing the truth and history of their realm. I'm liking where this is going and I am curious to see where it leads to next. It was not such a 5-star read as I expected and it wasn't a read that makes me want to start the next book immediately, but it is a 4-star that puts the sequels on my radar in the future.
Graphic: Gore, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Death of parent
Moderate: Confinement, Death, Gore, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Sexual harassment, Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Child death
Moderate: Physical abuse
Minor: Gore, Blood, Death of parent
Graphic: Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Injury/Injury detail
UGH, my heart hurts a little after this one. :(
Graphic: Body shaming, Bullying, Child death, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Torture, Toxic relationship, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Dysphoria, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Sexism, Sexual violence, Violence, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, War
Minor: Rape
I would definitely recommend this book.
Graphic: Physical abuse, Sexual content, Violence, Murder, War, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Confinement, Emotional abuse, Torture, Blood, Grief, Murder
Minor: Confinement, Death, Sexism, Sexual assault, Kidnapping, Death of parent, Sexual harassment
Graphic: Cursing, Death, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, Murder, Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Child death, Death of parent
Graphic: Bullying, Death, Gore, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Blood, Religious bigotry
Moderate: Body shaming, Child death, Confinement, Torture, Grief, Death of parent
Minor: Abandonment
The writing isn't great. In terms of the plot, there are a lot of plotholes—things that don't really make sense, and once you start to pull at one, the entire thing unravels and doesn't make any sense. Armentrout needs a better editor. There are A LOT of unnecessary moments and words. The FMC has so many inner monologues that it's exhausting and pointless. Her views and random thoughts do not add to the story; they take away from it by bogging the reader down.
The worldbuilding is lackluster. It's supposed to be grand and sweeping and yet, it's flat and blase. It's not just that things are waiting to be revealed; it's that there is a lack of description and connection to the world in which this story is set.
Another thing that really bothers me is the blatant racism. The FMC's "best friend" is a black woman named, I kid you not, Tawny. Are you ready for her role? She is the FMC's lady's maid. The MCC's best friend is a black man who can shift into a werewolf (wolven) named Kieran (which means black, in case you didn't know), who is bound to the MCC. So basically, both of them are servants. The main characters and those in power are all white.
Want a book with loads of sexual assault? This book has it in spades. The MCC hides his identity and uses his false one to get close to the FMC, proceeds to seduce her, take her virginity, and then gaslight her by telling her that it was "real". He knew full well that she never ever would have gone near him if she had known who he really was. After he takes her virginity, he continues invading her space and touching her despite her telling him no several times.
Graphic: Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Sexual harassment
Moderate: Child death, Confinement, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Torture, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Death of parent, Gaslighting
Minor: Child abuse, Alcohol