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A review by thetainaship
As We Fall by Anya Wildt
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.5
Unfortunately, this book was a disappointment for me :(
I didn't really care for the generic Roman-inspired setting, it felt bland and undetailed. I realise the setting is a bit of a secondary concern in a romance book, but I care about worldbuilding a lot.
The plot was a bit weird. There was a nearly 200-page gap in the middle where the plot didn't really advance at all. The political plot was also unconvincing. There were people who wanted things, but they didn't really seem to have clear motivations. The effect is that they seemed to just be mindlessly doing things for the sake of having a conflict.
I hated the main character. Throughout the book, he got less and less sympathetic: he's mean, rash, irresponsible, and has a serious temper problem. He doesn't listen to anyone and lashes out at the people who care about him. Also, he's much more interested in sneaking out of the palace to play detective than in fulfilling his duties as a head of state. I'm inclined to agree with his enemies who think he is not fit to rule.
And on top of everything, the romance is not romantic.Domitris exploits a sex worker by monopolising his time without compensation, except for the very first meeting. I guess Sinnan could have brought up payment himself, but given that he's dealing with the literal emperor (with a mean temper!), I don't blame him for not daring to bring it up. I can understand Domitris falling in love with Sinnan, but I don't really see any sign of Sinnan returning the feelings, or having any reason to.
There were also some minor editing issues, mostly in the form of words that were used wrong. I think the author picked some synonyms that don't fit. That didn't really bother me, though.
I didn't really care for the generic Roman-inspired setting, it felt bland and undetailed. I realise the setting is a bit of a secondary concern in a romance book, but I care about worldbuilding a lot.
The plot was a bit weird. There was a nearly 200-page gap in the middle where the plot didn't really advance at all. The political plot was also unconvincing. There were people who wanted things, but they didn't really seem to have clear motivations. The effect is that they seemed to just be mindlessly doing things for the sake of having a conflict.
I hated the main character. Throughout the book, he got less and less sympathetic: he's mean, rash, irresponsible, and has a serious temper problem. He doesn't listen to anyone and lashes out at the people who care about him. Also, he's much more interested in sneaking out of the palace to play detective than in fulfilling his duties as a head of state. I'm inclined to agree with his enemies who think he is not fit to rule.
And on top of everything, the romance is not romantic.
There were also some minor editing issues, mostly in the form of words that were used wrong. I think the author picked some synonyms that don't fit. That didn't really bother me, though.