Scan barcode
A review by samandthebookstack
A Kingdom of Stars and Shadows by Holly Renee
2.0
Fantasy/Romance is my jam. So naturally, I was stoked to read this. Several of the reviews and the author's tik toks convinced me that it would be right up my alley.
I hate leaving less-than-stellar reviews. It always makes me feel like a jerk because the last thing I want to do is hurt someone's feelings. But I really struggled to get through this story.
First of all, the tropes. They're all there, every single one of them. But written poorly. I read bits and pieces of this aloud to my husband and we both wondered if it was possibly intended to be satire.
Then there is the matter of the writing itself. I am hesitant to say that writing is bad. It feels icky to say this because I believe that such observations are generally subjective. But the poor (and often redundant) quality of the writing jarred me from chapter one onward. I normally don't mind writing that isn't elegant or poetic, especially when smut is involved, but this was different. It was juvenile, seemed barely edited and I've honestly read fanfiction with better dialogue. Even the spicy scenes fell flat for me. So much of this story felt copy-pasted from other works and that really didn't sit right with me as I read through this. For example, the author used the term "bend the knee" multiple times, and there were so many instances where I immediately noted very familiar bits of phrasing because I'd already read them in another novel.
Then there's the FMC, Adara. She is constantly checking to see that she has her precious dagger on her person, but she never actually uses it. In fact, there's no mention that she has the slightest clue what to do with the damned thing. But she makes it a point to touch it constantly, to make sure it's in her boot, or to draw it like she's going to do something with it. It comes across like the weapon is merely an accessory intended to force us to believe that Adara is a badass who doesn't need a man to protect her, except she does.
Then there are the male interests: Gavril, the crowned prince (who is clearly trash from the jump), and Evran, the captain of the guard (and half-brother to the crowned prince). There was no tension, no build-up, and the plot twist was too predictable.
Overall, if you like your smut with a heaping dose of plot - this one isn't for you my friends.
I hate leaving less-than-stellar reviews. It always makes me feel like a jerk because the last thing I want to do is hurt someone's feelings. But I really struggled to get through this story.
First of all, the tropes. They're all there, every single one of them. But written poorly. I read bits and pieces of this aloud to my husband and we both wondered if it was possibly intended to be satire.
Then there is the matter of the writing itself. I am hesitant to say that writing is bad. It feels icky to say this because I believe that such observations are generally subjective. But the poor (and often redundant) quality of the writing jarred me from chapter one onward. I normally don't mind writing that isn't elegant or poetic, especially when smut is involved, but this was different. It was juvenile, seemed barely edited and I've honestly read fanfiction with better dialogue. Even the spicy scenes fell flat for me. So much of this story felt copy-pasted from other works and that really didn't sit right with me as I read through this. For example, the author used the term "bend the knee" multiple times, and there were so many instances where I immediately noted very familiar bits of phrasing because I'd already read them in another novel.
Then there's the FMC, Adara. She is constantly checking to see that she has her precious dagger on her person, but she never actually uses it. In fact, there's no mention that she has the slightest clue what to do with the damned thing. But she makes it a point to touch it constantly, to make sure it's in her boot, or to draw it like she's going to do something with it. It comes across like the weapon is merely an accessory intended to force us to believe that Adara is a badass who doesn't need a man to protect her, except she does.
Then there are the male interests: Gavril, the crowned prince (who is clearly trash from the jump), and Evran, the captain of the guard (and half-brother to the crowned prince). There was no tension, no build-up, and the plot twist was too predictable.
Overall, if you like your smut with a heaping dose of plot - this one isn't for you my friends.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual assault and Sexual content
Moderate: Violence and Death of parent
Minor: Injury/Injury detail