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20sidedbi's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
slow-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? It's complicated
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content and Blood
Moderate: Body horror, Violence, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, and War
Minor: Animal cruelty, Homophobia, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual harassment, and Classism
thecatconstellation's review
adventurous
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
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Violence, Blood, Murder, and War
wardenred's review
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.5
Don’t make promises you know you won’t keep.
I really expected to enjoy this book. I mean, a second chance royal bodyguard fantasy romance with political intrigue and magic? Sounds right up my alley! But alas, in practice... th book and I, we never really clicked. I continue to like the idea of it, but I was disappointed by the execution.
The worldbuilding is full of promise and interesting ideas, but it's hard to pull them together into a coherent picture because the author kept swinging between two extremes when delivering all those details. Either there were endless boring infodumps, or it was just, you know, pages of characters carrying on in their world without explaining anything. I vastly prefer the second approach when it's done right, but here, it just... wasn't. Like, I still have no idea what a Prime Paladin even is. Is it the King's special personal bodyguard who's supposed to be at the King's side at all times? But Balen wasn't that. Is it someone who has some sort of special authority over other Paladins? Balen wasn't that either. He often deferred to Lestr and whatever authority he sometimes displayed when interacting with his brethren seemed to come more from his personality, skills, and pre-established relationships with them.
The prose felt as uneven and swingy as the worldbuilding: too sparse sometimes, then too convoluted. The characters were rather flat. At the beginning, I was intrigued by Zavrius and by his relationship with Balen, but then for the longest time, these two were just stuck in some kind of limbo, never making any progress. I wish I knew more about their backstories, like the details of their past relationship and also just the details of their individual pasts. A few flashback chapters/scenes would have gone a long way. Oh, and while I'm on the subject of characters: there are LOTS of named characters in the book, but we only really get to know 4-5 of them, including the main duo. And with the somewhat rocky pacing, it wasn't always clear which characters meant something and would have at least some shining moments down the line and which characters were basically decorations. Come to think of it, the same issue is present with the worldbuilding: with the way it was delivered, it was often hard to tell what was meaningful and what was flavor (a lot of it was flavor), so that made it hard to keep my focus.
As for the plot, most of the stars I'm giving this book have been earned by the political intrigues and mysteries that held a lot of promise. I just, once again, wish they were executed better. And I also wish the characters made smarter choices in relation to them, or suffered harder consequences for some of the... not-so-smart things they did.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence
shingekiyes's review
adventurous
dark
funny
lighthearted
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
Seth Haddon is going on my author watchlist. this debut was decent — more than decent, the universe and characters were so intriguing and unique. i only wish there was more time to flesh out the world and dive into the politics, the religions, and the magic system more.
i already noted above the lack of depth to the world, but the romance was unevenly paced and at times confused me. i loved the relatuonship between Balen and Zavrius, but i would have preferred more context about their connection (and break up) and a more consistent dynamic throughout the novel.
once they rekindled their love, things made more sense to me. but the first ~200 pages needed some assistance.
for those seeking ~spice~ please note there were only two explicit sex scenes, plenty of flirting, and quite a few raunchy punchlines.
i would recommend this book to queer readers who love DnD and scandalous romances. (the himbo knight + sassy, dark prince element was right up my alley.) anyone looking for really cool magic systems and wanting to dip their toes into political intrigue stories would also enjoy.
overall, i really liked the book, but i can’t deny it was lacking in the ways a first draft might be. it read much like a fanfiction that needed another round of beta reading.
i already noted above the lack of depth to the world, but the romance was unevenly paced and at times confused me. i loved the relatuonship between Balen and Zavrius, but i would have preferred more context about their connection (and break up) and a more consistent dynamic throughout the novel.
for those seeking ~spice~ please note there were only two explicit sex scenes, plenty of flirting, and quite a few raunchy punchlines.
i would recommend this book to queer readers who love DnD and scandalous romances. (the himbo knight + sassy, dark prince element was right up my alley.) anyone looking for really cool magic systems and wanting to dip their toes into political intrigue stories would also enjoy.
overall, i really liked the book, but i can’t deny it was lacking in the ways a first draft might be. it read much like a fanfiction that needed another round of beta reading.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Sexual content, Violence, Blood, Grief, Murder, and War
Moderate: Child death, Drug use, Gore, Torture, Death of parent, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Homophobia, and Terminal illness
sailortrash's review
adventurous
dark
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Sexual content, Violence, and Death of parent
Moderate: War
fruitbatwoman's review
adventurous
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
What I liked:
- the magic system in this world, how magic corrupts people unless channeled by weapons, instruments, or armor
- the gedrocks, ancient creatures as a source of magical power, and the religious order around the paladins
- the rekindled (or reforged) romance between the two main leads
- the humor and banter between the characters
- witnessing a powerful bard in battle!
What I didn't like:
- the politics felt too drawn out and obscure, a bit like Game of Thrones light...
- the pacing was a bit off at times; some scenes could have been shorter, but other story elements would have required further explanation (e.g. the previously hostile empire and its ambassador, the main leads' previous relationship, and other tidbits)
- the writing felt unpolished at times, there were several errors, repetitions, or instances that were resolved too quickly, as if the characters skipped a part of their motivation
While I enjoyed the story and the characters, the book felt a bit unpolished, as if it would have needed another iteration before being published. Other than that, it was an enjoyable fantasy romance that reminded me a lot of Dungeons & Dragons campaigns!
What I liked:
- the magic system in this world, how magic corrupts people unless channeled by weapons, instruments, or armor
- the gedrocks, ancient creatures as a source of magical power, and the religious order around the paladins
- the rekindled (or reforged) romance between the two main leads
- the humor and banter between the characters
- witnessing a powerful bard in battle!
What I didn't like:
- the politics felt too drawn out and obscure, a bit like Game of Thrones light...
- the pacing was a bit off at times; some scenes could have been shorter, but other story elements would have required further explanation (e.g. the previously hostile empire and its ambassador, the main leads' previous relationship, and other tidbits)
- the writing felt unpolished at times, there were several errors, repetitions, or instances that were resolved too quickly, as if the characters skipped a part of their motivation
While I enjoyed the story and the characters, the book felt a bit unpolished, as if it would have needed another iteration before being published. Other than that, it was an enjoyable fantasy romance that reminded me a lot of Dungeons & Dragons campaigns!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content and Violence
tiredcath's review
adventurous
challenging
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
A gripping novel featuring political drama, fantasy, pining, and on screen battles!
I'm new to reading fantasy, so this took me a little longer to get into. Trying to follow the rules of the world left me rereading passages repeatedly to make sure I understood what was happening.
The selling point for me is the tension Seth Haddon created between Bale and Zavrius. From the start, you understand their relationship and the desire both men had for each other.
I think some of the downfalls come from the actual plot. Some decisions didn't make sense, character choices are a bit... interesting. Again, I'm new to fantasy so perhaps this is just me, but I found a lot of it hard to follow and had to reread paragraphs.
There's a good balance between action and reflection. I liked the side characters and a lot of the ideas.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
I'm new to reading fantasy, so this took me a little longer to get into. Trying to follow the rules of the world left me rereading passages repeatedly to make sure I understood what was happening.
The selling point for me is the tension Seth Haddon created between Bale and Zavrius. From the start, you understand their relationship and the desire both men had for each other.
I think some of the downfalls come from the actual plot. Some decisions didn't make sense, character choices are a bit... interesting. Again, I'm new to fantasy so perhaps this is just me, but I found a lot of it hard to follow and had to reread paragraphs.
There's a good balance between action and reflection. I liked the side characters and a lot of the ideas.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Violence
tinyelfarcanist's review
adventurous
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I'm not gonna lie, this cover won me over. I love the passion in it and I immediately knew I was gonna love it. Sadly, my expectations weren't met. It took me a while to get into it. I didn't like Zavrius at first, although his attitude was probably due to his rocky relationship with Balen.
I've found that my favourite books usually include some of my favourite characters. They can be a make-or-break for me, and I didn't find these memorable enough. As the author's debut novel, I see the potential for future works.
This is about the romance between a king and his bodyguard. I've never read this trope but I was worried about the power dynamics impacting the relationship. This wasn't a problem as Balen constantly disregarded Zavrius's authority.
All older siblings die mysteriously so Zavrius, 5th in line to the throne, is now king. He was never prepared for it, he didn't even want it. I had trouble believing a crown prince over 30 has no heirs or is even married. Seeing Zavrius was the youngest at 22, how is it that none of his siblings had a family?
A twist thrown over there, add betrayal, spicy scenes, and likeable supporting characters, and you get Reforged.
I've found that my favourite books usually include some of my favourite characters. They can be a make-or-break for me, and I didn't find these memorable enough. As the author's debut novel, I see the potential for future works.
This is about the romance between a king and his bodyguard. I've never read this trope but I was worried about the power dynamics impacting the relationship. This wasn't a problem as Balen constantly disregarded Zavrius's authority.
All older siblings die mysteriously so Zavrius, 5th in line to the throne, is now king. He was never prepared for it, he didn't even want it. I had trouble believing a crown prince over 30 has no heirs or is even married. Seeing Zavrius was the youngest at 22, how is it that none of his siblings had a family?
A twist thrown over there, add betrayal, spicy scenes, and likeable supporting characters, and you get Reforged.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing, Death, Sexual content, Violence, and Blood
Moderate: Animal death, Gore, Murder, and War
Minor: Homophobia, Terminal illness, Grief, Death of parent, and Sexual harassment