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brooketreads's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
1.0
All the rest of this is major spoilers. I didn’t like how it started with an *rgy, and Auren is being forced to watch from her cage… but it was very confusing how she felt about it. Seemed like she didn’t like it, then it seemed like she did, but then it seemed like she didn’t because she wished to participate… confusing. But, somehow we are supposed to believe that King Midas loves the MC Auren… no. The whole concept of the “saddles” …barf. Then, oh Midas has a wife an hour and a half in that we haven’t heard about till this point. So not only is he massively sleeping around in front of the person that loves him and that he supposedly loves, but he also has a wife that is completely fine with him stepping out and even “purchased” him some of his “saddles” …again barf. And then left and right Auren is about to be r*ped by some gross man… why. Then, Auren watched another woman get r*ped when she could have stopped it the whole time and only stops it when that man is about to come for her… like wtf?!
If I continue the series, which right now doesn't seem promising, it will only be for Rip.
Graphic: Confinement, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Violence, and War
Minor: Alcoholism, Animal death, Emotional abuse, Infertility, Infidelity, Misogyny, Gaslighting, and Alcohol
thesuperawesomesarah's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Graphic: Confinement, Death, Rape, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Blood, Trafficking, Murder, and Sexual harassment
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Bullying, Death, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, and Alcohol
Minor: War
viselik's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
The first time I read this I did not know it had the content in it that it did due to me skipping over the content warning and I finished the book feeling like I had missed something and felt icky. I only figured it out once I read the content warning that I had accidentally skipped and reread the book that it clicked what had actually happened, it wasn't what I expected and made me like the book a whole lot more than I originally did.
Edit 22/07/24: I have now read this three times, my most recent is to prepare for the release of Goldfinch, and I deeply enjoyed it. I think now, the first time I read this book, I may have been a slight bit too young as I didn't grasp the subject matter as well, but this time, I understood it a lot better. I still do feel this book can get a slight bit boring at times but I am highly excited to continue to read the series to prepare for Goldfinch's release.
I did find the whole first face-to-face talk with Rip a bit annoying this time, but I think it's more just I felt like I have read a similar thing over and over again by now. This is more a romance/romantasy issue I have though in general not just with this book.
Midus I feel like he was done well for what he is in the story, we can see the twisted perspective that Auren has of him and how it is slightly warped by the end of this book. We see some glimpses behind the mask and I deeply liked those moments where we get to see how he truly is.
Graphic: Confinement, Death, Gore, Misogyny, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Violence, Kidnapping, Murder, Sexual harassment, War, and Classism
Moderate: Trafficking
Minor: Animal death and Slavery
beckyremillard's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Check trigger warnings for sure; it’s very dark.
Graphic: Body horror, Death, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Grief, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Sexual harassment, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Minor: Animal death
jennipea382's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Graphic: Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Infidelity, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Trafficking, Grief, Murder, Gaslighting, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Cursing, Blood, Alcohol, and Classism
toribth's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
The story was fast-paced and easy to binge, I enjoyed that! I also liked the writing, even though the editing was a bit bumpy here and there, as the beginnings of chapters sometimes felt like the author took a writing break and then repeated a lot of the things she just said in the previous chapter.
HOWEVER, this is far too rapey for my taste. Too much sexual assault, too much ON PAGE sexual assault, too much verbal assault and misogyny. Yes, I did read the TW, and yes, I'm aware it's an adult fantasy book, and if you're fine with it, good for you, but I feel like there's a difference between SA as a plot point (which is valid) and SA just for shock factor. Like, I don't need to read 400 pages of degradation of women to get that they don't hold a very high social standing in this world. I got it after the first 3 rape attempts.
I've seen the term torture porn thrown around in some of the reviews here, and I'm not sure if I'd go that far, but it does come across as a bit fetishised at times. If you're gonna include that much misogyny, at least give us some saving graces, something to keep the spirits up, because I thinks there's very little enjoyment to get out of a book that constantly makes you hate every single person in it. Give us ONE person who respects women, ONE conversation that does not include some form of degradation, I'm begging you.
Anyway, I do think I'll continue with the series, cause despite everything I'm kinda hooked, and I have high hopes for the tall dark mysterious fae dude at the end who I'm like 99% sure will be the actual love interest. I do really hope the other parts have less sexualised violence though, cause I'm sick of it and I certainly don't need to accumulate more hate for men than I already have.
Graphic: Death, Misogyny, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Violence, Trafficking, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Adult/minor relationship and Animal death
yarisbooksandbevs's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
I don’t really like Midas and I don’t trust him. He gives me the ick and seems emotionally manipulative to someone who is naive and traumatized. I hope to see Auren get him in the future.
I’m intrigued enough to continue but this book was a little meh for me.
Graphic: Confinement, Cursing, Death, Infidelity, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Violence, Kidnapping, Alcohol, and Sexual harassment
Moderate: Rape, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Blood, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, and Classism
Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Infertility, Vomit, and Trafficking
icy_queen's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
Graphic: Animal death, Confinement, Death, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
dealfea's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Animal death, Bullying, Confinement, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Violence, Blood, Trafficking, Murder, Alcohol, and Classism
Moderate: Animal death, Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Misogyny, Slavery, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Kidnapping, Grief, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, and Abandonment
booshort's review against another edition
I then VERY VAGUELY skimmed the rest of the book. By that, I mean I searched up summaries, reviews, and recaps and then did not regret sticking this one out.
I think this book has the most serious trigger warnings I’ve read (/skimmed). TW FOR DESCRIPTIVE RAPE SCENE. Ya I’m good with avoiding that thanks. I found the writing very juvenile to an almost mocking degree. It sometimes came off more satirical of a dark fantasy romance, rather than and *actual* dark fantasy romance.
I’ve heard each book gets better; I might continue, I might not. But I know for sure I won’t continue any time soon.
Graphic: Confinement, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Infidelity, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Toxic relationship, Violence, Murder, Lesbophobia, Gaslighting, Sexual harassment, War, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Body shaming, Child abuse, Blood, Trafficking, Death of parent, and Abandonment