Reviews with content warning for Rape - Initiation

Reviews tagging 'Rape'

My excuse for reading this: tiktok made me curious.

Yeah idk, not the most amazing book, but definitely some of the better smut I read in a novel. The magic system an interesting concept, but I’m not sure I want to explore it beyond this book. It also has some plot, amazingly. Nothing extraordinary, but also not bad. I did grow a little bored at times though. Idk how that happened considering the content but here we are.

Content Warnings

broken_biscuits's review

Go to review page

adventurous dark emotional lighthearted 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? No

4.0

It was really refreshing to read kink by someone who clearly is actually kinky. Each scene really understood what was your about the kink, and it includes some kinks that aren't often represented. I will say I didn't love that SA was part of the main conflict, but it didn't ruin it for me either.

Content Warnings

mitacaparos's review

Go to review page

adventurous fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

Content Warnings

yuna's review

Go to review page

adventurous emotional funny lighthearted medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.5

tl;dr, I liked it a lot, didn't like some plot aspects a lot. Would read the next, though it's something I need to be in the mood for because this one led to some smut fatigue since smut happens in almost every chapter.

One of the best I've read so far at making the sex magic feel well-thought out and applied to the actual magic system. A lot of the time when there's 'sex magic' it's just...fucking, and there's Reasons that it somehow makes magic or whatever. Here, the way the schools were set up and the kinds of spells attributed had a logical underpinning for me. Appreciated the descriptions that served as content warnings to start most chapters.

I like Dom for the most part. He's a bit of a reader insert in how he's good at everything, a natural wizard, very emotionally mature and developed despite supposedly living a very isolated life before he arrives at the Crux... But he's a good guy and likable, and I'd much rather read about someone who's that and maybe a little too perfect than an asshole.

The plot was fine, if I ignored what starts it off, because that's one of my big pet peeves. I'm not a fan when characters find out that they/their friends are in grave peril, and instead of doing something proactive they fuck. Dom finds out on his <b> third day </b> that a wizard who has been missing for a year is being held against her will and tortured. Third day. & it takes a month for the Crux to really do anything/the catalyst that drives them into action happens. There's a minor mention of them kinda trying to do more, but it's a weak attempt and there's so much more that could've been done. If I think about it too much, it starts to poke holes in Arlon as a grand master, it raises questions about other people at the Crux...just..ugh. I know it's an erotica story and the plot is secondary, but I wish it hadn't given itself such high stakes when it wanted to have an overall 'just vibes' tone.

Re: the inclusivity of the story/cast. This kind of reminded me of Kit Rocha's Beyond series in that it felt like in trying to be so inclusive it ended up turning the Crux into something of a monolith. How queer-friendly (and kink-friendly) are you when only one identity is allowed? ('Allow' may not be the right word here, but the impression I got is that you, at the very least, won't be comfortable/find much success at the Crux if you're not The Right Type, even if you might be allowed in.) Everyone at the Crux is bi/pan, polyam, and both versatile and a switch. Everyone. So far, everyone we've met in the book engages in every one of the Crux's "schools"/kinks. There's a mention that some people prefer to conduit over cast, but everyone does both. Which makes sense for gaining mastery, but we never meet someone who only chooses one role. We never meet someone who isn't into a certain school, or is only interested in a certain school. We don't meet anyone who doesn't fit the mold. So, while the Crux feels very welcoming on the one hand, on the other it also feels like you've got to be a certain way to actually fit. Which is disappointing, because there's so much to like here too. I love that it's RACK to the max, and how consent is of utmost importance at the Crux. I really like how consent is portrayed throughout the book, because it's not a one and done thing, it's repeatedly brought up and reiterated that it's something that can be both given and revoked during a session.

Content Warnings