Scan barcode
A review by eshurricane
The Ogre's Fairytale Bride by Abigail Barnette
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
So I read A Kingdom of Pleasure and Torment and was very intrigued by certain ogre attributes in the world of Fablemere. Once again, I was faced with a story that I might not have taken a chance on had it not been written by this author.
But I'm SO glad I did! This book is romantic AF.
The protagonist, Vanessa, is such a breath of fresh air. They are non-binary (she/they) and of a more realistic body type than most romance protags-complete with stretch marks! They're also epileptic, which makes for a whole different set of challenges when she falls into a fantasy world with a limited amount of life-saving pills. They are also freaking HILARIOUS. I'm a huge fan of Jenny's banter in her books, but Vanessa had me literally snorting and spitting my coffee multiple times.
And Droguk, a dear sweet ogre that it's impossible not to fall in love with. The cultural barrier between them makes for some amazing moments as they're getting to know each other, but he's an amazing softie and he's so good to Vanessa despite being so weirded out by humans at first.
This book has all the trappings of an awesome cute romance, with s-tier smut, great comedic timing, realistic characters and realistic growth of their emotions, and then also the worldbuilding is freaking fantastic. There is so much rich lore that I was enthralled- I have binged all three books on Patreon in like three days, am very very normal about the fact I'm caught up to the third book's current posting chapter schedule.
I am glad I read Kingdom first, because so many Fablemere things I discovered there were like foreshadowing easter eggs in this one. I don't know what the experience would have been like going the other way. But specifically ogre...attributes. IYKYK.
10/10 recommend. If ever you were waffling over taking a chance on monster smut, make this the one. This is the monster romance you need.
But I'm SO glad I did! This book is romantic AF.
The protagonist, Vanessa, is such a breath of fresh air. They are non-binary (she/they) and of a more realistic body type than most romance protags-complete with stretch marks! They're also epileptic, which makes for a whole different set of challenges when she falls into a fantasy world with a limited amount of life-saving pills. They are also freaking HILARIOUS. I'm a huge fan of Jenny's banter in her books, but Vanessa had me literally snorting and spitting my coffee multiple times.
And Droguk, a dear sweet ogre that it's impossible not to fall in love with. The cultural barrier between them makes for some amazing moments as they're getting to know each other, but he's an amazing softie and he's so good to Vanessa despite being so weirded out by humans at first.
This book has all the trappings of an awesome cute romance, with s-tier smut, great comedic timing, realistic characters and realistic growth of their emotions, and then also the worldbuilding is freaking fantastic. There is so much rich lore that I was enthralled- I have binged all three books on Patreon in like three days, am very very normal about the fact I'm caught up to the third book's current posting chapter schedule.
I am glad I read Kingdom first, because so many Fablemere things I discovered there were like foreshadowing easter eggs in this one. I don't know what the experience would have been like going the other way. But specifically ogre...attributes. IYKYK.
10/10 recommend. If ever you were waffling over taking a chance on monster smut, make this the one. This is the monster romance you need.