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robins_fantasy_reads's reviews
126 reviews
The Blood That Binds Us by Erin Mainord
adventurous
dark
emotional
informative
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Did I just find my new favorite series??? It’s quite possible.
This first book in a newish fantasy romance series had be captivated from page 1. There was a perfect amount of world building that had me imagining the storyline vividly in my head the whole time, yet was still very character driven at the same time. The magic system doesn’t seem too complex but is intriguing and I really hope we hear more details about how it works in book two. This is also true enemies to lovers, captor/captive, and I was SO conflicted by their relationship basically the entire book…it was just a fantastic read. With the cliffhanger at the end, I have a feeling we haven’t even scratched the surface of the Bound by Blood realm and I’m so excited to jump into book two!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Toxic relationship, Blood, War
Minor: Physical abuse, Sexual violence
Slit Throat Saga by Teshelle Combs
adventurous
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
4.0
I really enjoyed this book! My favorite genre growing up was dystopian fiction, so combining that with my love of fantasy made for a fantastic read. The characters were easy to become emotionally connected with, the adventures held my interest well, and the forbidden attraction introduced in this book had me wanting more! The history of this world is very slowly revealed to us as readers which kept me guessing, but also had me quite confused at times. A part of me really wanted some background more at the beginning of the book so it was easier to understand the relevance of the City and the sentience of metal as a magic source. I’m hoping that the connections between Nexus and Lórr are explored deeply in the next book, and I can’t wait to see how the plot develops from the cliffhanger we were left with!
The Court That Bleeds Gold by Zara Storm
adventurous
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.25
ARC
This was a fantastic debut novel from Zara! The Court that Bleeds Gold is an adult fantasy romance that has very mysterious vibes as we make our way through the FMC’s (Eleanor) journey! This book was described as a mix of Beauty and the Beast and Rumpelstiltskin, which is what initially drew me in, and it did not disappoint! Going through the first half of the book, I was looking for a bit more world building since I didn’t have a map to refer to, but by the second half I started to put more of the world together in my head. Overall, the characters were easy to love, and that’s what makes or breaks a book for me. I was truly impressed by this debut novel, and I can’t wait to see what comes next in the series!
This was a fantastic debut novel from Zara! The Court that Bleeds Gold is an adult fantasy romance that has very mysterious vibes as we make our way through the FMC’s (Eleanor) journey! This book was described as a mix of Beauty and the Beast and Rumpelstiltskin, which is what initially drew me in, and it did not disappoint! Going through the first half of the book, I was looking for a bit more world building since I didn’t have a map to refer to, but by the second half I started to put more of the world together in my head. Overall, the characters were easy to love, and that’s what makes or breaks a book for me. I was truly impressed by this debut novel, and I can’t wait to see what comes next in the series!
The False Pawn by A. E. Asavi
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
3.0
Overall, I think this was a decent debut novel and it was set up well to be the first book in a series.
At first, the romance aspect of the book didn’t seem natural, but then in the second half of the book I COMPLETELY understood why…and I liked the little twist in direction! This is definitely a slow burn for the romance aspect, and it was set up to traverse multiple books which I love!
In the first book, the FMC is thrust into a magical world separate from earth. We see her come to the understanding that humans in this realm are slaves, meet some elvish royalty, go on mini heists, and travel through multiple courts…all in attempts to discover how she fits into an old, mysterious prophecy.
At times, I will say that the writing style read like a YA novel and was a bit repetitive, but the contents of the book were mature/new adult…which was a little strange to me. It also took me awhile to form a connection to the characters, but as I said before, the story was set up well for a second book!
At first, the romance aspect of the book didn’t seem natural, but then in the second half of the book I COMPLETELY understood why…and I liked the little twist in direction! This is definitely a slow burn for the romance aspect, and it was set up to traverse multiple books which I love!
In the first book, the FMC is thrust into a magical world separate from earth. We see her come to the understanding that humans in this realm are slaves, meet some elvish royalty, go on mini heists, and travel through multiple courts…all in attempts to discover how she fits into an old, mysterious prophecy.
At times, I will say that the writing style read like a YA novel and was a bit repetitive, but the contents of the book were mature/new adult…which was a little strange to me. It also took me awhile to form a connection to the characters, but as I said before, the story was set up well for a second book!