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3.61 AVERAGE
3.61 AVERAGE
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
medium-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
adventurous
emotional
medium-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
I loved this book. The central conflict was extremely compelling—Min needs to turn over Kaz to Kaz's evil family in order to save Min's nephew's life, but he knows it is wrong and begins to care about Kaz, too. The way the nephew's curse is set up, there is no way around bringing Kaz to his family. I couldn't put the book down with wanting to know how it would resolve. Kaz kept gaining additional layers as his history was revealed, which I loved.
That said, I also felt in a weird emotional state the entire time I was reading. Kaz has had a terrible life before the book starts, with an abusive family and then years of loneliness as he hid out from them. He's being forced back to his family, where an awful fate awaits him. And, he has his magic restrained (with an iron collar) for almost the entire book. I felt like I was in distress along with him; but at the same time, I always felt confident he would be okay in the end, so I was hanging on to that thread and waiting for the moment when things worked out. And they did, in a satisfying and Kaz-centered way.
That said, I also felt in a weird emotional state the entire time I was reading. Kaz has had a terrible life before the book starts, with an abusive family and then years of loneliness as he hid out from them. He's being forced back to his family, where an awful fate awaits him. And, he has his magic restrained (with an iron collar) for almost the entire book. I felt like I was in distress along with him; but at the same time, I always felt confident he would be okay in the end, so I was hanging on to that thread and waiting for the moment when things worked out. And they did, in a satisfying and Kaz-centered way.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Kidnapping
Minor: Emotional abuse, Incest, Physical abuse, Rape, Death of parent
There is a threat hanging over one character for most of the book, in spite of its lighthearted tone.
Min makes a decent living by using his rare magical talent to achieve minor thieving and commissions. He keeps himself and his adopted-nephew Harry fed and housed, if not wealthy. But Harry has a weakness for young ladies, and Min, despite his pretense at being emotion-free and self-serving, has a weakness for the young man he rescued years ago. When Harry is caught in the wrong bedroom, his safety becomes hostage to the nobleman's demand - Min is to go to a town plagued by the fae, and bring home a runaway grandson of the house to do his familial duty.
Min undertakes the mission, but Kaz, the errant grandson, is both more and less than just the apprentice hedgewitch his grandfather described him as. He's beautiful, young, somehow both innocent and more powerful than even he realizes. And trading his freedom for Harry's life becomes less acceptable a bargain than Min expected. Especially when the fae also show a strong interest in Kaz.
Min's breezy, self-deprecating narrative tone makes this both more fun and less intense than this plot might have been, resulting in a light, enjoyable fantasy adventure. There are some imaginative touches, and I enjoyed the characters, right down to the satisfying conclusion.
Min undertakes the mission, but Kaz, the errant grandson, is both more and less than just the apprentice hedgewitch his grandfather described him as. He's beautiful, young, somehow both innocent and more powerful than even he realizes. And trading his freedom for Harry's life becomes less acceptable a bargain than Min expected. Especially when the fae also show a strong interest in Kaz.
Min's breezy, self-deprecating narrative tone makes this both more fun and less intense than this plot might have been, resulting in a light, enjoyable fantasy adventure. There are some imaginative touches, and I enjoyed the characters, right down to the satisfying conclusion.
A light fantasy with a bit of romance. Aramin Decourcey (Min) is a young thief-for-hire who grew up in a brothel and now looks after a street urchin he rescued named Harry. Harry gets himself into trouble courting a nobleman's daughter and ends up with a curse - a curse that will only be removed once Min brings back the nobleman's grandson who is refusing to come home from a nearby town, Anhaga. The only problem is Anhaga is thought to be cursed itself, overtaken nightly by the king of the fae. Because Min is so fond of Harry he agrees and they both set off for Anhaga. Once they get there, however, both the grandson and Anhaga aren't what they seem.
The plot itself isn't as planned out as it could be but it was a fun read with both romance and action. Min and Harry are likeable characters in that they are both loveable rogues. There isn't as much sex as expected being from a gay romance publisher and it takes a backseat to the fantasy element. A large chunk of the book is explaining the different classes and powers of magicians (hedgewitch < Wizard < Sorcerers, etc.), what's with all the iron, and how Anhaga became believed to be cursed, visited by a fae lord every night. The dialogue is well written and heavy on the snark and the characters don't feel flat, though the relationships (and random incest) don't fit as well as they should in a book categorized as romance. If you're into the onslaught of YA romance fantasy that's been hitting the shelves, you're sure to enjoy this one just as much.
The plot itself isn't as planned out as it could be but it was a fun read with both romance and action. Min and Harry are likeable characters in that they are both loveable rogues. There isn't as much sex as expected being from a gay romance publisher and it takes a backseat to the fantasy element. A large chunk of the book is explaining the different classes and powers of magicians (hedgewitch < Wizard < Sorcerers, etc.), what's with all the iron, and how Anhaga became believed to be cursed, visited by a fae lord every night. The dialogue is well written and heavy on the snark and the characters don't feel flat, though the relationships (and random incest) don't fit as well as they should in a book categorized as romance. If you're into the onslaught of YA romance fantasy that's been hitting the shelves, you're sure to enjoy this one just as much.
adventurous
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I can't say I was very much impressed or drawn into the story. It was okay and paced along but also dragged on and on at places.
There were times that the story tagged at your heart strings, fiercely so, aka when Kaz send Chirpy to Min and what happened next, only to once more make a dive into meeeh.
This is my 2nd read by Lisa Henry, 1st was Adulting 101 that I loved. I'll try another before I decide anything.
There were times that the story tagged at your heart strings, fiercely so, aka when Kaz send Chirpy to Min and what happened next, only to once more make a dive into meeeh.
This is my 2nd read by Lisa Henry, 1st was Adulting 101 that I loved. I'll try another before I decide anything.
3.5
Una historia muy entretenida, con personajes entrañables, además de un mundo y un sistema de magia bastante interesantes, aunque en algunos puntos sentí que todo pasaba de golpe, y si bien el romance me termino gustando, hubiese preferido que tuviese más desarrollo.
Una historia muy entretenida, con personajes entrañables, además de un mundo y un sistema de magia bastante interesantes, aunque en algunos puntos sentí que todo pasaba de golpe, y si bien el romance me termino gustando, hubiese preferido que tuviese más desarrollo.
adventurous
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
emotional
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Interesting story, but the characters never really came to life for me and I wasn't feeling the connection between Min and Kaz (also, Min's age is vague... a decade or do younger than Robert, so I'm hoping late 20s at most, because Kaz is only 19)