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burnerkindle 's review for:
Vicious Princess
by Karolina Wilde
adventurous
challenging
emotional
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I'd like to thank Vicious Princess for single-handedly getting me out of a reading slump! I was in the mood for a quick-moving plot with a fast, steamy romance and this definitely delivered.
I know, I know, the synopsis is a tale as old as time in the fantasy romance genre, but there's something about the military setting paired with forbidden romance and the superior/subordinate dynamic that hits every single time for me!
In my opinion, this book is overwhelmingly focused on the romance and it moved very fast. We also really don't get much interaction with side characters other than Phoenix's one friend Roman (who I adored 😍), so if you're looking for a fantasy-heavy plot or a bunch of fun side characters, this probably won't scratch that itch.
So the vibes all around were great but there were a few things that left me with questions that I hope will get resolved later in the series.
It's not really clear how parts of the plot and setting are connected to each other. For instance, Phoenix's family was killed in the human land and it's not clear how joining the protector unit in the fae land helps her avenge their murder. There were also a few other plot points that seemed like a big deal but then were never brought up again. I'm really hoping we pick all those loose threads back up in the next book.
While the ending gave us a glimpse into the future, I don't think it was the best way to bridge us to the next book. It jumps from Phoenix's POV to the POV of a person we haven't met for the last three chapters. I think the ending might have worked better for me if it had ended with the last chapter from Phoenix's perspective followed by the new person's chapters condensed into a 3-5 page epilogue.
All in all, I had fun reading this book and I'm definitely going to keep my eyes out for the next one in the series!
Thank you to NetGalley, Xpresso Book Tours, and Karolina Wilde for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review!
I know, I know, the synopsis is a tale as old as time in the fantasy romance genre, but there's something about the military setting paired with forbidden romance and the superior/subordinate dynamic that hits every single time for me!
In my opinion, this book is overwhelmingly focused on the romance and it moved very fast. We also really don't get much interaction with side characters other than Phoenix's one friend Roman (who I adored 😍), so if you're looking for a fantasy-heavy plot or a bunch of fun side characters, this probably won't scratch that itch.
So the vibes all around were great but there were a few things that left me with questions that I hope will get resolved later in the series.
It's not really clear how parts of the plot and setting are connected to each other. For instance, Phoenix's family was killed in the human land and it's not clear how joining the protector unit in the fae land helps her avenge their murder. There were also a few other plot points that seemed like a big deal but then were never brought up again. I'm really hoping we pick all those loose threads back up in the next book.
While the ending gave us a glimpse into the future, I don't think it was the best way to bridge us to the next book. It jumps from Phoenix's POV to the POV of a person we haven't met for the last three chapters. I think the ending might have worked better for me if it had ended with the last chapter from Phoenix's perspective followed by the new person's chapters condensed into a 3-5 page epilogue.
All in all, I had fun reading this book and I'm definitely going to keep my eyes out for the next one in the series!
Thank you to NetGalley, Xpresso Book Tours, and Karolina Wilde for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review!