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4.05 AVERAGE
4.05 AVERAGE
The first 75ish pages are a bit slow (lots of world building) in my opinion, but once you get past that the story really picks up. I was hooked and did not expect the ending at all! I am excited to keep reading the series.
I’m obsessed with this book and I wish more people knew about it! It’s so unique and leaves you NEEDING to know what happens next. It’s got magic, enemies to lovers, exiled princesses, and necromancy. What more could you ask for??
adventurous
dark
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
The beginning (first 100 pages or so) felt a bit slow and filled with info (which makes sense, since the world building was necessary), but once you get over that part and the story gains momentum, it becomes highly enjoyable. Loved the writing style as well, though the names' repetition in sentences one next to the other sometimes irked me a bit.
Piqued the sequel right away and I'm devouring it!
Piqued the sequel right away and I'm devouring it!
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
4.5⭐️ Thank goodness the series is complete and I can dive right into the next one. This was dark, and uncomfortable at times, but I ate this up! So many of my favorite tropes. I love a book that transports me into the world. I had a movie in my head the whole damn time.
Ok this book wa really nice ! The magical world is pretty strange, i don't really understand its rules for now but i am confident it will be more explain in the next volumes ! I had some troubles with the main male character who is a famous killer but who had absolutely never question himself about the people he killed deserved it apart by being born a certain ethnie before meeting the main female character who is liked "well their ancestors may have begin a war against a lot of countries but those ones hasn't done anything to you for generations" and then he is like "oh yeh, you are right i am going to stop killing them" like ???? DON'T YOU HAVE A BRAIN ??? it was fine apart from that and a notorious rapist king
adventurous
emotional
funny
inspiring
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I absolutely loved this! The world building was a bit difficult to swallow, especially Jeric's first couple chapters, but otherwise the writing is awesome. The dialogue is great and I loved the banter between Sable and Jeric. I personally dislike the phrase "loosed a breath" and it was used frequently. But that's not a big deal. I was getting Throne of Glass vibes so if you like that series, definitely give this a try!
*check trigger warnings for SA, r@pe and racism
*check trigger warnings for SA, r@pe and racism
adventurous
dark
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Ugh okay honestly I don't know how to rate this. It was well written, but mannnnn it did a lot of things I did NOT like. (Tw for this review bc the book has a lot of gross rapey stuff that I'm gonna talk about).
For starters, the manipulation of violence against women for the benefit of the men. Right off the bat, we learn that the older prince is rapey and gross, and everyone knows it, but no one does anything. Got it. That's established. Cool. I did NOT. NEED. A RAPE SCENE. FROM HIS POV??? Sure, it got interrupted, but like wtf man that was so gross and icky. Reading about the slave girl literally begging him to stop while he get off from her fear and brags about how much he loves breaking powerful women like that was NOT necessary, ESPECIALLY because his younger brother (aka the MMC) 'disapproved of his habits' so we're meant to like this guy just because he's not a rapist pedo like this brother. Like. That's why everyone loves him because he's 'good' in comparison to his brother. Except he's not actually good! He's superrrr racist, which sure, his character arc is dedicated to unlearning, BUT he only unlearns it because he falls for a different slave girl (the FMC), yet again showing that men ONLY care about women when those women have special value to them. Like. He literally was introduced with a whole rant about murdering scabs and how he saw them as LESS THAN HUMAN but I'm supposed to want him to get with the FMC because 'he's learning that he was wrong' like he already killed thousands of them???? It shouldn't take falling for one girl to understand BASIC empathy! And yes, I get that that's realistic and that's how the world is, but it irks me that the FMC isn't upset about this like she forgives him almost immediately! I WANT to want them to be together but at the same time she deserves to be with someone who she never had to prove her humanity to! AND, he LEAVES HER WITH HIS RAPIST BROTHER LIKE???????????? But then throws a hissy fit when his brother mentions how "she fights when I touch her" first of all, fuck you, but second of all, he gets all protective and possessive as if he wasn't the one who turned her over to that monster in the first place!! Like he simultaneously has such a victim complex and a savior complex and I hate it. In fact, his entire 'turning point' for shifting his racist mindset, like the final straw that made him change, was when one of his fellow soldier buddies started raping a random slave girl they found while out on a hunt. And all he could picture was the FMC's face. I think it was meant to be this empowering moment when he snapped and saved her but all I felt was disgust at how easily he was willing to overlook it otherwise.
My other main issue with this: I wanted his little sister to destroy it all. After everything her brother did to her, I wanted her to get her vengeance. Instead, she's the bad guy. And she has to be stopped. I'm not saying I agree with the insanity she was spewing, but after what she went through, yeah, I wanted her to win just to spite them all. But no, instead, she's defeated in a confusing and predictable "FMC finally embracing who she is so now she has the magic to destroy you" fight. AND THEN her younger brother had the audacity to try to be like "I'm sorry I couldn't protect you, but no one will hurt you ever again" buddy it is too late for that! Way too late. AND he made it all about himself. IM sorry I couldnt protect you is not at all acknowledging what she went through! It's just making it about him and his incompetency. UGH. The older prince got off too easily. He died too quickly.
I also have a lot of thoughts regarding how religion was handled here. To summarize: Yes, the whole "the maker isn't responsible for man's selfish actions" argument is good, whatever, but like you can't shrug off ALL responsibility! "Trust the Maker" and all that like seriously?? The FMC went through so much shit because she was chosen or whatever! Is all of that pain not at least partially the maker's fault?? Like, they knew what was going to happen when they gave her that power, yeah?? But every 'good' character is faithful and devout and lowkey shames the FMC for not being religious like huh that's not at all manipulative...
Anyway, the reason I didn't give this a lower rating is because the writing, world-building, and character interactions are all pretty well done. Do I think mr. rapist pedo needed his own POV? Absolutely not. Honestly, I don't think most of those POVs were necessary besides the main 2. They were boring and slow, and they absolutely killed the atmosphere culminated in the other chapters. I never really like more than 2 POVs though, so maybe that's just me. I still don't entirely understand the magic system, but it got pretty infodumpy sometimes so maybe I just didn't retain the info. All in all, this is well written, I just did not like a lot of the core plot and character choices, hence the low rating. I don't think that men's character development should come at the expense of women, and that's 100% what this was the entire time.
For starters, the manipulation of violence against women for the benefit of the men. Right off the bat, we learn that the older prince is rapey and gross, and everyone knows it, but no one does anything. Got it. That's established. Cool. I did NOT. NEED. A RAPE SCENE. FROM HIS POV??? Sure, it got interrupted, but like wtf man that was so gross and icky. Reading about the slave girl literally begging him to stop while he get off from her fear and brags about how much he loves breaking powerful women like that was NOT necessary, ESPECIALLY because his younger brother (aka the MMC) 'disapproved of his habits' so we're meant to like this guy just because he's not a rapist pedo like this brother. Like. That's why everyone loves him because he's 'good' in comparison to his brother. Except he's not actually good! He's superrrr racist, which sure, his character arc is dedicated to unlearning, BUT he only unlearns it because he falls for a different slave girl (the FMC), yet again showing that men ONLY care about women when those women have special value to them. Like. He literally was introduced with a whole rant about murdering scabs and how he saw them as LESS THAN HUMAN but I'm supposed to want him to get with the FMC because 'he's learning that he was wrong' like he already killed thousands of them???? It shouldn't take falling for one girl to understand BASIC empathy! And yes, I get that that's realistic and that's how the world is, but it irks me that the FMC isn't upset about this like she forgives him almost immediately! I WANT to want them to be together but at the same time she deserves to be with someone who she never had to prove her humanity to! AND, he LEAVES HER WITH HIS RAPIST BROTHER LIKE???????????? But then throws a hissy fit when his brother mentions how "she fights when I touch her" first of all, fuck you, but second of all, he gets all protective and possessive as if he wasn't the one who turned her over to that monster in the first place!! Like he simultaneously has such a victim complex and a savior complex and I hate it. In fact, his entire 'turning point' for shifting his racist mindset, like the final straw that made him change, was when one of his fellow soldier buddies started raping a random slave girl they found while out on a hunt. And all he could picture was the FMC's face. I think it was meant to be this empowering moment when he snapped and saved her but all I felt was disgust at how easily he was willing to overlook it otherwise.
I also have a lot of thoughts regarding how religion was handled here. To summarize: Yes, the whole "the maker isn't responsible for man's selfish actions" argument is good, whatever, but like you can't shrug off ALL responsibility! "Trust the Maker" and all that like seriously?? The FMC went through so much shit because she was chosen or whatever! Is all of that pain not at least partially the maker's fault?? Like, they knew what was going to happen when they gave her that power, yeah?? But every 'good' character is faithful and devout and lowkey shames the FMC for not being religious like huh that's not at all manipulative...
Anyway, the reason I didn't give this a lower rating is because the writing, world-building, and character interactions are all pretty well done. Do I think mr. rapist pedo needed his own POV? Absolutely not. Honestly, I don't think most of those POVs were necessary besides the main 2. They were boring and slow, and they absolutely killed the atmosphere culminated in the other chapters. I never really like more than 2 POVs though, so maybe that's just me. I still don't entirely understand the magic system, but it got pretty infodumpy sometimes so maybe I just didn't retain the info. All in all, this is well written, I just did not like a lot of the core plot and character choices, hence the low rating. I don't think that men's character development should come at the expense of women, and that's 100% what this was the entire time.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death, Incest, Pedophilia, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Torture, Colonisation
Horrible scenes of sexual violence against minors from the point of view of the abusers