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A review by bunnieslikediamonds
Smiler's Fair by Rebecca Levene
3.0
This first part in a series of four contains all the usual components of modern epic fantasy: the prince whose destiny is to kill his father and reclaim his birthright, the master swordsman, the pretty noble girl married off to an old dude, the medieval setting with a few fantastical elements added, and the prostitution, good lord, the prostitution. Did you know, sex work is just a job like any other! Making the swordsman a serial killer and the prostitute male doesn't really subvert expectations, it just comes across as contrived. Maybe because the serial killer has no personality and only thinks about serial killing, and Eric, the young sellcock (yes, that is what you think it is) only pouts and thinks about cocks all the time, because that's what those frisky gays do.
Traditional gender roles are snugly in place (the pretty girl only gets shit done by accident, the tall blonde priestess types are more interested in meaningsless rule-obeying and sun worshipping than exercising power, or even amusing themselves with their harem of hotties).
In other words, I won't be reading the next book. I'll give it three stars though, because a lower rating wouldn't be fair. I'm not the intended audience - this is definitely a YA novel (the sex and violence don't make this adult fiction and we all know what kids get up to nowadays). It's really not that bad. There are giant bats and mammoths.
Traditional gender roles are snugly in place (the pretty girl only gets shit done by accident, the tall blonde priestess types are more interested in meaningsless rule-obeying and sun worshipping than exercising power, or even amusing themselves with their harem of hotties).
In other words, I won't be reading the next book. I'll give it three stars though, because a lower rating wouldn't be fair. I'm not the intended audience - this is definitely a YA novel (the sex and violence don't make this adult fiction and we all know what kids get up to nowadays). It's really not that bad. There are giant bats and mammoths.