The design and UX isn't done, Rob and Abbie, okkurrrr! 😌
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: Alcohol, Confinement, Misogyny, Infidelity, Sexism, Sexual harassment, Violence, Cursing, Death, Kidnapping, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, and Sexual content
Moderate: Gaslighting, Rape, Toxic relationship, Toxic friendship, Blood, Sexual violence, and Classism
Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Trafficking, Infertility, and Vomit
swolerabbit's review against another edition
and i'm supposed to read the whole series??? nope.
Graphic: Trafficking, Misogyny, Animal cruelty, Pregnancy, Pedophilia, Drug use, Domestic abuse, Child death, Blood, Sexism, Rape, Alcohol, Kidnapping, Death, Confinement, Infidelity, Emotional abuse, Alcoholism, Abandonment, Sexual assault, Child abuse, Violence, War, Slavery, Infertility, Sexual violence, Sexual harassment, and Death of parent
bookswithsara8's review against another edition
Even though I made it almost halfway through the book, nothing of much relevance happened. It was just a sickening amount of misogyny and talk about (as well as near) r*pe. The amount of times women get talked about as "saddles" alone ruined this book for me.
The glimpses we get into the FMC's background also do not explain her absolute loyalty and trust towards King Midas considering he wants to just give her to another king for a night like she's a toy to be used.
Graphic: Misogyny, Sexual content, Rape, Sexual assault, and Confinement
Moderate: Toxic relationship and Infidelity
emmacartlidge's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
1.5
Graphic: Confinement, Sexual violence, Misogyny, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Rape, Trafficking, and Infidelity
Minor: Sexual content
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: Slavery, Domestic abuse, Gaslighting, Death, Sexual content, Violence, Confinement, Emotional abuse, Gore, Infidelity, Lesbophobia, Misogyny, Murder, Physical abuse, Cursing, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, War, Rape, Sexual harassment, and Toxic relationship
Minor: Body shaming, Child abuse, Blood, Abandonment, Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Death of parent, and Trafficking
chrstnlvly's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Physical abuse, Rape, Blood, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Confinement, Kidnapping, Sexual assault, Sexual content, and Sexual violence
Moderate: Misogyny and Sexism
Minor: Animal death and Infidelity
filipa_maia's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
I do appreciate this other side of the story. This is not King Midas' story (the one that everyone knows), it's someone else's... someone very important that stays in the shadows. Also, I very much enjoyed all this mystery around Auren, there is an aura of secrets involving her that kept me very focus till the end. Solving this mystery is exactly one of the things that is going to make me read the second book.
On a less positive note, this book is very hard to read: maybe I was distracted or maybe the trigger warnings weren't enough... I almost quit reading this book. Several times. I understand that women weren't seen as people, especially these women being King Midas' harem... but there is a less brutal way of describing some scenes. Honestly, the excessive use of some words were not to emphasise the narrative, but just to trigger the reader.
Graphic: Sexual assault, Abandonment, Blood, Bullying, Classism, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Murder, Sexual content, Colonisation, Grief, Confinement, Cursing, Sexual harassment, Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Misogyny, Violence, Trafficking, Toxic relationship, Toxic friendship, Torture, Slavery, and Sexual violence
Moderate: Infidelity, War, Alcohol, and Death of parent
Minor: Excrement and Vomit
missgarceau's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
Spice: 🔥🔥🔥
I couldn’t put this down from start to finish.
Although it felt somewhat predictable, I found myself not anticipating major plot twists.
This is not a “happy” retelling, and deals with dark & difficult topics. Please be advised.
However, I found the world, characters, and plot absolutely riveting.
This ends on a cliffhanger, is an unfinished series, but the final book is scheduled to be released this year.
Graphic: Bullying, Xenophobia, Sexual content, Blood, War, Toxic relationship, Toxic friendship, Murder, Hate crime, Gore, Forced institutionalization, Emotional abuse, Domestic abuse, Classism, Child abuse, Sexual assault, Misogyny, Violence, Trafficking, Torture, Slavery, Sexual violence, Death, Cursing, Confinement, Sexual harassment, Sexism, Physical abuse, Pedophilia, Death of parent, Body shaming, Mental illness, Kidnapping, Infidelity, Gaslighting, and Alcoholism
Moderate: Hate crime, Infidelity, Cursing, Deportation, Gore, Alcohol, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Kidnapping, Mental illness, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, Alcoholism, Blood, Bullying, Classism, Confinement, Death of parent, Dysphoria, Emotional abuse, Body horror, Body shaming, Death, Gaslighting, Misogyny, and Physical abuse
jadie_berg'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
3.75
Graphic: Violence, Confinement, Sexual content, Rape, Sexual harassment, Blood, Death, Sexual violence, and Murder
Moderate: Infertility, Infidelity, War, Death of parent, and Fire/Fire injury
fabiennely's review against another edition
Graphic: Infertility, Murder, Sexism, Sexual harassment, Sexual assault, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Kidnapping, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Domestic abuse, and Misogyny