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A review by _isabel_
Prince in Disguise by Tavia Lark
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
5.0
This was incredible, and quite possibly, my favourite Tavia Lark novel to date.
I was absolutely enthralled by this novel from the very first page: "Prince in Disguise" was addictive and wonderful, romantic and heartfelt, and precisely why I love m/m romances so damn much.
Bellamy and Rakos stole my heart: their story was ridiculously fun, sexy and emotional, and it's packed with some of my favourite tropes. Tavia Lark is THE ultimate hurt/comfort queen and the way she writes vulnerable and touch-starved characters is priceless... AND the way she writes their uber-protective, utterly whipped, firmly-wrapped-around-their-fingers, love interests? *chef's kiss* unforgettable.
Bellamy and Rakos are incredibly lovable protagonists.
Bellamy is fantastic: he deals with so much stuff on a daily basis, and I loved seeing both his vulnerable and needy side and his fearless and reckless one. He's so fun, so quietly strong, and I loved seeing him gain more and more confidence as the novel progressed.
I also loved the way Tavia Lark dealt with his chronic headaches: sometimes, especially in romances of the paranormal variety, the illnesses their protagonists deal with are magically cured by love or through a miraculous recovery. It was refreshing, and honest and realistic, to see Bellamy's chronic illness not treated that way. So kudos to the author for that!
Rakos was an equally fantastic protagonist: he reminded me, in some ways, of a more feral, less duty-bound Arthur (from Tavia Lark's other series, "Radiance"). Rakos is protective and respectful and caring, but he's also rakish and ridiculous and reckless and a bit of an idiot. I completely adored him, and the way he was with Bellamy? Completely devoted to him, cheerfully and shamelessly wrapped around his finger? It was PRICELESS.
The side characters were equally lovable, and I want a Sarka and a Bastard in my life. Also, seeing Julien and Whisper again was fantastic, and I'm now even more curious to read Audric's story: I'm so intrigued by him, and I honestly don't know what I should expect from him.
The plot was intricate and addictive and well-done and the writing was utterly magical: Tavia Lark, you're officially one of my favourite authors. I'm so damn excited to dive into more of her backlist, and I'd definitely sell my soul to have the next book in my hands.
I'm also very, very intrigued by a certain snake-ish prince, and a few other notable side characters, so I hope there will be many more stories in this series!
I was absolutely enthralled by this novel from the very first page: "Prince in Disguise" was addictive and wonderful, romantic and heartfelt, and precisely why I love m/m romances so damn much.
Bellamy and Rakos stole my heart: their story was ridiculously fun, sexy and emotional, and it's packed with some of my favourite tropes. Tavia Lark is THE ultimate hurt/comfort queen and the way she writes vulnerable and touch-starved characters is priceless... AND the way she writes their uber-protective, utterly whipped, firmly-wrapped-around-their-fingers, love interests? *chef's kiss* unforgettable.
Bellamy and Rakos are incredibly lovable protagonists.
Bellamy is fantastic: he deals with so much stuff on a daily basis, and I loved seeing both his vulnerable and needy side and his fearless and reckless one. He's so fun, so quietly strong, and I loved seeing him gain more and more confidence as the novel progressed.
I also loved the way Tavia Lark dealt with his chronic headaches: sometimes, especially in romances of the paranormal variety, the illnesses their protagonists deal with are magically cured by love or through a miraculous recovery. It was refreshing, and honest and realistic, to see Bellamy's chronic illness not treated that way. So kudos to the author for that!
Rakos was an equally fantastic protagonist: he reminded me, in some ways, of a more feral, less duty-bound Arthur (from Tavia Lark's other series, "Radiance"). Rakos is protective and respectful and caring, but he's also rakish and ridiculous and reckless and a bit of an idiot. I completely adored him, and the way he was with Bellamy? Completely devoted to him, cheerfully and shamelessly wrapped around his finger? It was PRICELESS.
The side characters were equally lovable, and I want a Sarka and a Bastard in my life. Also, seeing Julien and Whisper again was fantastic, and I'm now even more curious to read Audric's story: I'm so intrigued by him, and I honestly don't know what I should expect from him.
The plot was intricate and addictive and well-done and the writing was utterly magical: Tavia Lark, you're officially one of my favourite authors. I'm so damn excited to dive into more of her backlist, and I'd definitely sell my soul to have the next book in my hands.
I'm also very, very intrigued by a certain snake-ish prince, and a few other notable side characters, so I hope there will be many more stories in this series!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Kidnapping and Violence