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A review by chirson
Night Flower by Kate Elliott
3.0
Kate Elliott's writing is immensely readable and effortless, as usual. The story is well crafted and doesn't skirt the unpleasantness of the story - the beginning of Jessamy's parents is romantic, with flowers and language barrier, but it doesn't happen in vacuum but in a world that assumes that he will abuse her or that she is a prostitute, because that is what happens in such relationships and because he has power over her, regardless of how powerless he feels in general. And the way this develops in the actual novels is very thoughtful and clever (I just hope there's no happy ending and Esladas dies in one of the future books, I'm vindictive that way).
For me, the best thing was seeing the similarities between Kiya and her daughter. The worst - I just deeply, deeply dislike Esladas after reading Court of Fives. I don't care how much of a choice he did or didn't have, he abandoned and betrayed those who trusted him the most. I can't bring myself to care about his crush.
(And I can't help but notice the similarity between this story and the one in Black Wolves with regard to the "love-at-first-sight even though everyone says we shouldn't be together" aspect. And both guys being soldiers. Not a great way to buy me, apparently. Ugh, how I dislike that pairing in Black Wolves...)
For me, the best thing was seeing the similarities between Kiya and her daughter. The worst - I just deeply, deeply dislike Esladas after reading Court of Fives. I don't care how much of a choice he did or didn't have, he abandoned and betrayed those who trusted him the most. I can't bring myself to care about his crush.
(And I can't help but notice the similarity between this story and the one in Black Wolves with regard to the "love-at-first-sight even though everyone says we shouldn't be together" aspect. And both guys being soldiers. Not a great way to buy me, apparently. Ugh, how I dislike that pairing in Black Wolves...)