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kreela's review against another edition
5.0
Pippa Da Costa:
================
Nightshade’s Touch:
I am having trouble finishing this novel, if only because I want to savor each bittersweet morsel. Revelations fall like pearls off a necklace, pearls mixed with colored glass.
Do you remember loathing a required reading assignment in English? The Illiad or The Odyssey was so unreadable (due to its stilted, ancient forms of English) that I resorted to Cliff’s Notes. War, mythology, fantasy, and exploration are all ways of exciting me into reading, but the themes have to be done well. I wish English teachers would substitute the older forms with....Pippa Da Costa’s novels.
Yes, her novels are so deep and rich you can eat that chocolate cake without guilt. This book may be classified as a “reverse harem” but it is not the typical trope. Each man is unique, with his own secrets and willfulness. The MC is marbled with guilt and battle scars from Faerie. Trust is the hidden cherry at the cake’s center, and still a questionable find.
Obviously, you will want to slow down to read this properly. It is no summer read. I would rate it intense, exciting, full of deal-making, back-stabbing, and people who want to elevate above their criminal pasts. A novel where the team of superheroes are aiming towards redemption.
This novel is timely. There is a real need for redemption and honesty and public discourse again in America. These are dark times, and I need a novel like this, where imperfect individuals that mimic real people are reaching to better themselves and the world.
A warning, though: if you just read this novel without reading the previous one, you will miss some of the layers and all of the icing. The first novel was fabulous, too, so buy both....unless you just like Disney versions of fantasy.
================
Nightshade’s Touch:
I am having trouble finishing this novel, if only because I want to savor each bittersweet morsel. Revelations fall like pearls off a necklace, pearls mixed with colored glass.
Do you remember loathing a required reading assignment in English? The Illiad or The Odyssey was so unreadable (due to its stilted, ancient forms of English) that I resorted to Cliff’s Notes. War, mythology, fantasy, and exploration are all ways of exciting me into reading, but the themes have to be done well. I wish English teachers would substitute the older forms with....Pippa Da Costa’s novels.
Yes, her novels are so deep and rich you can eat that chocolate cake without guilt. This book may be classified as a “reverse harem” but it is not the typical trope. Each man is unique, with his own secrets and willfulness. The MC is marbled with guilt and battle scars from Faerie. Trust is the hidden cherry at the cake’s center, and still a questionable find.
Obviously, you will want to slow down to read this properly. It is no summer read. I would rate it intense, exciting, full of deal-making, back-stabbing, and people who want to elevate above their criminal pasts. A novel where the team of superheroes are aiming towards redemption.
This novel is timely. There is a real need for redemption and honesty and public discourse again in America. These are dark times, and I need a novel like this, where imperfect individuals that mimic real people are reaching to better themselves and the world.
A warning, though: if you just read this novel without reading the previous one, you will miss some of the layers and all of the icing. The first novel was fabulous, too, so buy both....unless you just like Disney versions of fantasy.
sznnbrgrn's review
slow-paced
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
2.75
courtney_saba's review against another edition
4.0
This author really doesn't like the concept of foreshadowing.
Things happened and they were out of left field. Like zero groundwork for all the pieces of the puzzles coming together (or are they? No idea. The author is still pretty vague and I'm still pretty lost). This isn't a new concept for Dacosta, but I was hoping in this third installment that she would have built upon her writing skills and incorporated these nuances in the story. Nope. Not in sight whatsoever.
Did this take away from my enjoyment? Yes, in that it could've easily been a 5 star, but these technicalities and details felt too sudden and stark, essentially disrupting the flow of the plot, character development, timeline, and of my understanding of characters themselves. That last scene is where I'm coming from, and I felt like it could have had more impact if Dacosta had laid that necessary groundwork, but it ultimately felt lacking and emotionless when I knew it was meant to be devastating. Also, that fight scene was super short. Like imagine the buildup of a song and before you could reach the climax (am I talking about a song tho?), the freaking DJ said, "nope!" and fucked off on his merry way. Essentially, it was unsatisfying lol
That said, this was a small step above the first 2 books since finally we're given some info and explanations with secrets revealed (as revealed as Dacosta's standards, which honestly could use some work). Am I still left with questions? Absolutely. But I'm still on the bandwagon and trotting along wondering what comes next.
And can I just say that Talen is stunningly yummy. Finally. FINALLY we get some action.
So while the mechanics of the writing process are lacking and the story's flow disjointed, I'm still entertained. I'm ready for the next. Will Eladan play a bigger part? God, I hope so.
Happy reading, Goodreads fiends.
Things happened and they were out of left field. Like zero groundwork for all the pieces of the puzzles coming together (or are they? No idea. The author is still pretty vague and I'm still pretty lost). This isn't a new concept for Dacosta, but I was hoping in this third installment that she would have built upon her writing skills and incorporated these nuances in the story. Nope. Not in sight whatsoever.
Did this take away from my enjoyment? Yes, in that it could've easily been a 5 star, but these technicalities and details felt too sudden and stark, essentially disrupting the flow of the plot, character development, timeline, and of my understanding of characters themselves. That last scene is where I'm coming from, and I felt like it could have had more impact if Dacosta had laid that necessary groundwork, but it ultimately felt lacking and emotionless when I knew it was meant to be devastating. Also, that fight scene was super short. Like imagine the buildup of a song and before you could reach the climax (am I talking about a song tho?), the freaking DJ said, "nope!" and fucked off on his merry way. Essentially, it was unsatisfying lol
That said, this was a small step above the first 2 books since finally we're given some info and explanations with secrets revealed (as revealed as Dacosta's standards, which honestly could use some work). Am I still left with questions? Absolutely. But I'm still on the bandwagon and trotting along wondering what comes next.
And can I just say that Talen is stunningly yummy. Finally. FINALLY we get some action.
So while the mechanics of the writing process are lacking and the story's flow disjointed, I'm still entertained. I'm ready for the next. Will Eladan play a bigger part? God, I hope so.
Happy reading, Goodreads fiends.
annagy's review against another edition
The constant flipfloping of all the major characters has grown too stupid. I have no patience for their immature dramatics and very deliberate lack of communication. Especially considering half of them are couple hundred years old.
I'm starting to feel like maybe this author is good at first drafting unique ideas but then fumbles when the story needs to be fleshed out and make sense for multiple installments.
I'm starting to feel like maybe this author is good at first drafting unique ideas but then fumbles when the story needs to be fleshed out and make sense for multiple installments.
lifeinthebooklane's review against another edition
5.0
Just as things start to look up, just as Kesh and Kellee and Talen and Arran are building bridges you do that to me?!!!
GAH! Those cliff-hangers (because only Pippa DaCosta would be so cruel as to have more than one!) that you left us with. You give with one hand and then not only take with the other but hit us over the head too! The journey Kesh is taking us on is not a simple nor easy one, but it is one that is so very worth the time and effort. I read this book both wanting to know all it held in store for me, and yet not ever wanting to get to the end either.
Oh the secrets we learn, the lies that are told, the plans that are made and remade, the trust that is given or broken. This book has layer upon layer of story that is slowly being peeled away to reveal secrets and truths you would never even have guessed at. The heat level was ramped up, as was the intrigue, mystery and peril.
Oh and Sota - he was just so funny and sarcastic!
This isn't a stand alone book, it can only be understood after reading both previous books. Though be warned this series is massively addictive and so full of mind-f**ks that it has a deliciously dark edge to it too. Whilst this is a reverse-harem book, it most certainly isn't full of sex and erotica. There are several steamy encounters but they are an organic part of the plot, enhancing the story rather than being the story.
This author's writing continues to be amazing (and evilly twisted too), her tale held my attention from the very start to the end. You can't read this half-heartedly, there is far to much happening and far too many Easter Eggs to find, for that. If you haven't started the series yet, then go do it. This is my top fantasy/sci-fi read of the year.
GAH! Those cliff-hangers (because only Pippa DaCosta would be so cruel as to have more than one!) that you left us with. You give with one hand and then not only take with the other but hit us over the head too! The journey Kesh is taking us on is not a simple nor easy one, but it is one that is so very worth the time and effort. I read this book both wanting to know all it held in store for me, and yet not ever wanting to get to the end either.
He had probably been looking for an opportunity to hit Kellee for centuries.
Most people who knew Kellee wanted to punch him.
Oh the secrets we learn, the lies that are told, the plans that are made and remade, the trust that is given or broken. This book has layer upon layer of story that is slowly being peeled away to reveal secrets and truths you would never even have guessed at. The heat level was ramped up, as was the intrigue, mystery and peril.
Oh and Sota - he was just so funny and sarcastic!
"Duly noted. Now can we focus on the Faerie map and not Arran's buns?"
"Is this a hypothetical question?" Sota asked.
"No!" I laughed.
This isn't a stand alone book, it can only be understood after reading both previous books. Though be warned this series is massively addictive and so full of mind-f**ks that it has a deliciously dark edge to it too. Whilst this is a reverse-harem book, it most certainly isn't full of sex and erotica. There are several steamy encounters but they are an organic part of the plot, enhancing the story rather than being the story.
I watched Kellee and Arran spar for strictly professional reasons.
This author's writing continues to be amazing (and evilly twisted too), her tale held my attention from the very start to the end. You can't read this half-heartedly, there is far to much happening and far too many Easter Eggs to find, for that. If you haven't started the series yet, then go do it. This is my top fantasy/sci-fi read of the year.
"How come I'm here and not your entourage of Buns, Dark, and Icy?"
"Buns, Dark and Icy?" I shook my head at her wicked grin. "Never mind, I don't want to know"...
amybraunauthor's review against another edition
5.0
Gods above and below, this series is not kind to your heart. Even knowing this going in, I still wasn't prepared for the emotional onslaught Pippa DaCosta dished out. Right from the get-go, it's clear this will be quite the journey. Kesh and her army of sexy men have returned, and this time, their most dangerous enemies might be the secrets they all have.
That's not to say there aren't real obstacles and monsters that don't pose a ferocious challenge for our emotionally haywire men and lady. While it seemed like many of the villains were build up to the greater foes, I nevertheless found them interesting.
But as with most DaCosta fare, this is about the characters and the havoc they wreak on each other. I forgot how crazy they drive me (looking at you, Kellee), but the more I read, the more I learned about them and their pasts. What the core trio of Kesh, Talen, and Kellee have truly is a fragile thing, and more than once I was mentally screaming "Just find a bed and get it out of your system!", but progress is being made.
Which made the ending twist all the more gut-wrenching. I didn't see it coming (but likely should have!), and it has me aching for the next book. I can't even begin to imagine what's going to happen and how the trio is going to recover from it, but I can't wait to find out!
That's not to say there aren't real obstacles and monsters that don't pose a ferocious challenge for our emotionally haywire men and lady. While it seemed like many of the villains were build up to the greater foes, I nevertheless found them interesting.
But as with most DaCosta fare, this is about the characters and the havoc they wreak on each other. I forgot how crazy they drive me (looking at you, Kellee), but the more I read, the more I learned about them and their pasts. What the core trio of Kesh, Talen, and Kellee have truly is a fragile thing, and more than once I was mentally screaming "Just find a bed and get it out of your system!", but progress is being made.
Which made the ending twist all the more gut-wrenching. I didn't see it coming (but likely should have!), and it has me aching for the next book. I can't even begin to imagine what's going to happen and how the trio is going to recover from it, but I can't wait to find out!
meredithhopereads's review against another edition
5.0
I love the how good we get to know each of the characters in this series and this book didn’t fall short. New parts of their past come to light and I loved the twists. I’m already waiting impatiently for the next book to come out. This is one of my favorite series! I love it!!!
wandrlost's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
medium-paced
- 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
xvicesx's review against another edition
5.0
Surprisingly good, a great mix of fantasy and space opera sci fi. Will come back for a full review later, but totally recommended.
amoneduplessis's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-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
5.0