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ellenabi's review
tf is wrong with the male lead his head is all about gettibg laud. stop this insanity. tsk tsk. the plot intrigues me, the mc is likeable but the ml?? ewww i don't a whole chapter about him fcking, thinking with his head down there. what's so important with that to have a godsdamn whole chapter???? ruined the book
ambers_book_cave's review
4.0
"Of Blood and Aether" by Harper Hawthorne left me torn. It's one of those reads that I wasn't really sure how to feel about it...
Hawthorne did a great job crafting a world and magic system that were genuinely intriguing. The slow-burn romance between the main characters was an odd mix of slow burn + insta-lust, but their banter throughout the book was enjoyable. The representation of disabilities and LGBTQ+ characters was a nice added bonus.
However, the pacing of the book felt sluggish. I feel like this could have been greatly improved if the book were 25% shorter. Important plotlines and mysteries seemed to get lost amidst the relationship dynamics and philosophical musings. It wasn't until the final stretch of the book that things really picked up, leaving much of the story feeling underdeveloped.
Hawthorne did a great job crafting a world and magic system that were genuinely intriguing. The slow-burn romance between the main characters was an odd mix of slow burn + insta-lust, but their banter throughout the book was enjoyable. The representation of disabilities and LGBTQ+ characters was a nice added bonus.
However, the pacing of the book felt sluggish. I feel like this could have been greatly improved if the book were 25% shorter. Important plotlines and mysteries seemed to get lost amidst the relationship dynamics and philosophical musings. It wasn't until the final stretch of the book that things really picked up, leaving much of the story feeling underdeveloped.
Spoiler
Also, as a side note... I hated the pet name "little conduit".annabeth_foley's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
tense
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
4.5
navardareads's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
funny
informative
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.75
mkelley102's review
emotional
informative
mysterious
slow-paced
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.5
courtneay1017's review
3.75
Overall I was invested in the story and read it quickly but I didn’t love the pacing. So many items didn’t get answered or addressed which could be handled later in the series but currently it feels like an attempt to create high stakes but was then forgotten about entirely. I’ll probably continue the series.
bookishxobsession's review against another edition
3.0
Dnf at 31% because I was bored out of my mind and absolutely nothing has happened. The premise was interesting but the dialogue felt like teenage giggles, idk how else to explain it. Definitely not for me.
magik_the_cat's review against another edition
5.0
5 shadow daddies out of 5 would read again. Though that ending is illegal and I need book 2 yesterday!
heathens_haven's review against another edition
5.0
It's. So. Good! Very interested to see where the rest of this story goes.
The banter, both main characters, the support characters are great as well.
Definitely excited to read more Harper Hawthorne works!
The banter, both main characters, the support characters are great as well.
Definitely excited to read more Harper Hawthorne works!