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A review by samandthebookstack
The Revenant's Bargain by Molly Adaza
challenging
dark
medium-paced
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.5
I received an e-ARC of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review. Thank you Molly for the opportunity to enjoy your debut! I look forward to a re-read when book 2 releases.
3.5/5 stars
As her Forterian mother is dying, Kacela is saved and raised by the Royal Commander of the Altun king's forces. She is trained to be both a ferocious warrior and a sharp diplomat. Both skills become essential when she strikes a deal to participate in the Sacrament, a 38-day tournament on a mountain with hundreds of other Forterian males who are all out for her blood. Her victory in the Sacrament will mean equality for all Forterian women.
I really enjoyed this debut from Molly Adaza. Despite the fact that there were sections that were choppy (battle scenes specifically), Molly's writing was pleasantly descriptive and easy to read and I enjoyed the story overall. I look forward to reading more about morally gray Kacela and the changes she intends to bring to the world around her.
There are a few things I want to note to readers, there are trigger warnings to consider.
This book is very heavily inspired by ACOTAR, the author states this. Specifically, it is inspired by the idea of the Illyrian Blood Rite. While inspiration is not a bad thing, there were too many similarities for my own personal tastes. I felt like it sometimes edged on feeling like it was ACOTAR fanfiction (For the record, "fanfiction" is not a dirty word. Some of the best things I've ever read were fanfiction).
Most importantly, the trigger warnings: As this story centers around the misogyny associated with patriarchal societies, there is a lot of language that is derogatory towards women. There is also a specific scene (in chapter 32) that contains very graphic depictions of violence toward the FMC perpetrated by a male character. I had to stop once or twice and I am not usually someone who has issues with these things. I'm not sure if it was my mood going into reading or if the way it was written rubbed me the wrong way, but I wanted to warn readers in case they were sensitive to such content.
3.5/5 stars
As her Forterian mother is dying, Kacela is saved and raised by the Royal Commander of the Altun king's forces. She is trained to be both a ferocious warrior and a sharp diplomat. Both skills become essential when she strikes a deal to participate in the Sacrament, a 38-day tournament on a mountain with hundreds of other Forterian males who are all out for her blood. Her victory in the Sacrament will mean equality for all Forterian women.
I really enjoyed this debut from Molly Adaza. Despite the fact that there were sections that were choppy (battle scenes specifically), Molly's writing was pleasantly descriptive and easy to read and I enjoyed the story overall. I look forward to reading more about morally gray Kacela and the changes she intends to bring to the world around her.
There are a few things I want to note to readers, there are trigger warnings to consider.
This book is very heavily inspired by ACOTAR, the author states this. Specifically, it is inspired by the idea of the Illyrian Blood Rite. While inspiration is not a bad thing, there were too many similarities for my own personal tastes. I felt like it sometimes edged on feeling like it was ACOTAR fanfiction (For the record, "fanfiction" is not a dirty word. Some of the best things I've ever read were fanfiction).
Most importantly, the trigger warnings: As this story centers around the misogyny associated with patriarchal societies, there is a lot of language that is derogatory towards women. There is also a specific scene (in chapter 32) that contains very graphic depictions of violence toward the FMC perpetrated by a male character. I had to stop once or twice and I am not usually someone who has issues with these things. I'm not sure if it was my mood going into reading or if the way it was written rubbed me the wrong way, but I wanted to warn readers in case they were sensitive to such content.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny, Violence, Blood
Moderate: Death of parent
Minor: Abortion