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chrstn's review
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
sad
tense
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? Yes
4.0
bookishrona's review against another edition
5.0
This is probably My favourite book of this year! It's fantastic. Expertly written, and full of wonder. The world that Roth has created is so vast and covered in depth I think I could tell you more about this then my own world. A testament to Roth's writing on how they have woven a superb plot driven story with all intricacies of a high fantasy. The romance is utterly stunning, the tension and slow build is perfectly written. I love how Cassia grows and blooms in the story. I cannot wait to read the next book.
amy_in_the_city's review against another edition
emotional
slow-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? No
4.0
I really loved a lot of things about this book. It was nice to see a clever, cunning FMC who uses her smarts to survive and is cynical and emotionally closed off and an MMC who is very peaceful, sensitive, gentle, and nonviolent. That is a nice reversal of what seems to be prevalent for leads in romance books. It was extra interesting to me that the vampire-type characters were very peaceful and concerned with not harming any living creature. I enjoyed the slow burn nature of the romance and the forbidden aspect of it. The flashback section to Cassia's childhood was heartbreaking but also really beautiful. I thought the book did a great job of showing how much that act of kindness meant to her. I also loved Cassia's dog that went everywhere with her.
The exposition was clunky at times with characters explaining things to people who already knew that information or having Cassia tell her plans to her dog. I think someone out there must be telling writers not to have the characters explain things in their inner monologue. I agree that isn't a great way of doing exposition, but I'd prefer inner monologue explanations over the "as you already know" conversations between characters. The pacing was off too. The first quarter of the book was difficult to get through. There was so much exposition but not much was actually happening and we didn't really know what the stakes were. This is more of a minor issue , but during the sex scenes, the main characters use made-up words (rhabdos and krana) in Lio's language to refer to their genitals. It was weird and took me out of the scenes a bit.
Where this book really faltered for me was in some of the more exclusionary aspects I felt lurking in the background. While Hesperine society was on the surface very sex-positive and accepting of different sexual orientations, there were some parts of the LGBTQIA+ community that I felt might be unwelcome in this world. There was some gender essentialist language used throughout the book. At one point, Cassia refers to her nether regions as "the emptiness inside her that marked her as a woman." Also, Hesperines believe that everyone has a fated mate and adults are supposed to feed off their lovers. If they don't have a lover, it seems they have to live off animal blood, which isn't as nourishing. I guess asexual and aromantic people don't exist in this world. In Lio's attempts to be sex-positive when he's going off about the lack of sexual freedom for women in Cassia's kingdom, he equates sex as being essential to being a real person and being alive, saying "We understand that desires are sacred. They make us who and what we are. They prove to us we live, that we are thinking, feeling beings with a consciousness seperate from others." Despite all the sex positivity, there was still quite a bit of the "virginity is a gift" type of sentiments. There is also some ableist language with the Hesperine healer, referring to some people with disabilities, saying he can "make their bodies whole again." All of these things just rubbed me the wrong way. I'll still read the next book in the series, but I'm hoping that it has less exclusionary language and that there is more explanation of how certain groups exist in Hesperine society.
The exposition was clunky at times with characters explaining things to people who already knew that information or having Cassia tell her plans to her dog. I think someone out there must be telling writers not to have the characters explain things in their inner monologue. I agree that isn't a great way of doing exposition, but I'd prefer inner monologue explanations over the "as you already know" conversations between characters. The pacing was off too. The first quarter of the book was difficult to get through. There was so much exposition but not much was actually happening and we didn't really know what the stakes were. This is more of a minor issue , but during the sex scenes, the main characters use made-up words (rhabdos and krana) in Lio's language to refer to their genitals. It was weird and took me out of the scenes a bit.
Where this book really faltered for me was in some of the more exclusionary aspects I felt lurking in the background. While Hesperine society was on the surface very sex-positive and accepting of different sexual orientations, there were some parts of the LGBTQIA+ community that I felt might be unwelcome in this world. There was some gender essentialist language used throughout the book. At one point, Cassia refers to her nether regions as "the emptiness inside her that marked her as a woman." Also, Hesperines believe that everyone has a fated mate and adults are supposed to feed off their lovers. If they don't have a lover, it seems they have to live off animal blood, which isn't as nourishing. I guess asexual and aromantic people don't exist in this world. In Lio's attempts to be sex-positive when he's going off about the lack of sexual freedom for women in Cassia's kingdom, he equates sex as being essential to being a real person and being alive, saying "We understand that desires are sacred. They make us who and what we are. They prove to us we live, that we are thinking, feeling beings with a consciousness seperate from others." Despite all the sex positivity, there was still quite a bit of the "virginity is a gift" type of sentiments. There is also some ableist language with the Hesperine healer, referring to some people with disabilities, saying he can "make their bodies whole again." All of these things just rubbed me the wrong way. I'll still read the next book in the series, but I'm hoping that it has less exclusionary language and that there is more explanation of how certain groups exist in Hesperine society.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore, Misogyny, Sexism, Sexual content, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Police brutality, Kidnapping, Grief, Religious bigotry, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Sexual violence, and Acephobia/Arophobia
Minor: Ableism, Animal cruelty, Confinement, Hate crime, Torture, Forced institutionalization, Vomit, Death of parent, and War
m_m_m_'s review against another edition
emotional
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
jasminehall497's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
ninnavl's review against another edition
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.0
retrogirlreads's review against another edition
5.0
Lady Cassia is the bastard daughter of the king, and seeking out a Hesperine is the height of treachery. Yet this is exactly what she does, for she is not afraid. From a young age, Cassia has realized that her father is the true monster, and she knows he will kill her if he finds out she’s been speaking to the Hesperines.
For Initiate Ambassador Deukalion Komnenos, dealing with mortals who loathe him isn’t something he shies away from. But the mortal king’s daughter is different, something… more. And Lio finds that he can’t stay away. He wants more than her conversation, but if he gives in, it could destroy them both.
Holy. Freaking. Cow. I think this book may have actually destroyed me. I read it over a period of two days so I could savor it, and I was not disappointed!!! I love this beautifully complex world that Roth has created, and her world building is absolutely exquisite. I am so intrigued by the Hesperines and everything they are, and especially how unique their culture is.
Cassia. I love everything about her, and was so proud of how she grew over the course of the novel. Half the time, I just wanted to give her a hug, as her life as the king’s bastard daughter has been difficult from the moment she was born. She has such a good heart, and her quiet generosity and gentle kindness know no bounds.
Lio. I admire him for his patience and his knowledge, and especially his self control. He could’ve taken advantage of Cassia at any time, and he never did. I loved him for his compassion, and his kindness. The slow burn element of this book was agonizing, but the pain was oh so sweet. I’ll be lying in wait for book two!!!
For Initiate Ambassador Deukalion Komnenos, dealing with mortals who loathe him isn’t something he shies away from. But the mortal king’s daughter is different, something… more. And Lio finds that he can’t stay away. He wants more than her conversation, but if he gives in, it could destroy them both.
Holy. Freaking. Cow. I think this book may have actually destroyed me. I read it over a period of two days so I could savor it, and I was not disappointed!!! I love this beautifully complex world that Roth has created, and her world building is absolutely exquisite. I am so intrigued by the Hesperines and everything they are, and especially how unique their culture is.
Cassia. I love everything about her, and was so proud of how she grew over the course of the novel. Half the time, I just wanted to give her a hug, as her life as the king’s bastard daughter has been difficult from the moment she was born. She has such a good heart, and her quiet generosity and gentle kindness know no bounds.
Lio. I admire him for his patience and his knowledge, and especially his self control. He could’ve taken advantage of Cassia at any time, and he never did. I loved him for his compassion, and his kindness. The slow burn element of this book was agonizing, but the pain was oh so sweet. I’ll be lying in wait for book two!!!
noeliacew's review against another edition
3.0
las partes de Lio y Cassia son monísimas pero el politiqueo un coñazo máximo, tengo que admitir que he pasado páginas sin leer