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A review by tyto_alba
The Sting of Victory by S.D. Simper
5.0
4.5 Stars
I was shocked at how much I loved this book. All of the characters were easy to love. Sweet and innocent Flowridia, even with her frustrating desire to throw herself into situations where she could be taken advantage of (though there is a heartbreaking explanation for this behavior), Thalmus, mysterious and so protective over his little Flower Girl, and the WONDERFUL, always drunk Etolié, my top favorite character. I even began to love Ayla before the book reached the end, considering what we learn about her. And those were only my top favorites; every character that gets introduced is interesting or fun in their own ways.
The world building could be better. I thoroughly enjoyed the parts detailing the gods and the celestials, but the other beings and races felt kind of thrown in, making certain aspects feel shallow. That said, a lot of the book takes place in the palace, so that could explain it. The world starts feeling more fleshed out once Flowridia leaves on diplomatic missions.
The one thing I really didn't like about the book was that I couldn't quite believe in the rulers of the kingdom as actual rulers. General Khastra felt like a leader, and Thalmus of course feels very fatherly, but the queen and the other people she had as advisors all felt like children, or at least people who shouldn't be in positions of power. This might be intentional, considering how Flowridia and even the Queen herself comment on how little power the queen has, but it felt wrong, particularly in the beginning.
In conclusion, I would highly recommend this book if you are into dark fantasy with a main sapphic relationship. A word of warning, however: the relationship is borderline abusive (at least, at first). It was kind of hard for me to read, but I am glad I stuck it out. Also, when I say dark, I mean there are certain scenes that are startlingly dark. Think old fairy tales involving old hags, but brutally describing what happens to their victims, some of whom are babies. (But hey, if you've read In the Tall Grass by Joe Hill and Stephen King, it's nothing you can't handle!)
I was shocked at how much I loved this book. All of the characters were easy to love. Sweet and innocent Flowridia, even with her frustrating desire to throw herself into situations where she could be taken advantage of (though there is a heartbreaking explanation for this behavior), Thalmus, mysterious and so protective over his little Flower Girl, and the WONDERFUL, always drunk Etolié, my top favorite character. I even began to love Ayla before the book reached the end, considering what we learn about her. And those were only my top favorites; every character that gets introduced is interesting or fun in their own ways.
The world building could be better. I thoroughly enjoyed the parts detailing the gods and the celestials, but the other beings and races felt kind of thrown in, making certain aspects feel shallow. That said, a lot of the book takes place in the palace, so that could explain it. The world starts feeling more fleshed out once Flowridia leaves on diplomatic missions.
The one thing I really didn't like about the book was that I couldn't quite believe in the rulers of the kingdom as actual rulers. General Khastra felt like a leader, and Thalmus of course feels very fatherly, but the queen and the other people she had as advisors all felt like children, or at least people who shouldn't be in positions of power. This might be intentional, considering how Flowridia and even the Queen herself comment on how little power the queen has, but it felt wrong, particularly in the beginning.
In conclusion, I would highly recommend this book if you are into dark fantasy with a main sapphic relationship. A word of warning, however: the relationship is borderline abusive (at least, at first). It was kind of hard for me to read, but I am glad I stuck it out. Also, when I say dark, I mean there are certain scenes that are startlingly dark. Think old fairy tales involving old hags, but brutally describing what happens to their victims, some of whom are babies. (But hey, if you've read In the Tall Grass by Joe Hill and Stephen King, it's nothing you can't handle!)