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teastime's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Shaesarenna Nightven, called Shae, needs protection as he travels up country to banish the demon that gave him the necromancer magic he possess. But to properly do so he needs protection, which is where Author Davorin, a paladin on a year long exile, comes in.
I originally got this book for free, about a year or so ago from one of the Stuff Your Kindle days that goes on, and I'm slightly disappointed in myself that it took so long to get to reading this with how much I enjoyed it. The world building was much better then I originally thought a fantasy that is under 300 pages could be. I was under the impression, especially before the cover change, that this would be another mindless romantasy that the only way to fully enjoy would be to turn your brain off. Instead I was greeted with a world with several gods, a magic system that I'm interested in knowing more about, enjoyable characters, and a relationship that I enjoyed very much.
I saw a few other reviews, walking about how this read like a fanfiction and mean it negatively, but I would say that this read like fanfiction in the best way there can be and I thoroughly enjoyed myself when reading. Though I think we should stop using the fact that something reads like fanfic negatively, but that's a chat for another day.
This could have definitely been longer, maybe a few more scenes growing closer with the few named side characters so whatever happened to them could have a bit more of an impact (iykyk) or a few more domestic traveling scenes between Shae and Arthur without it immediately jumping into action (no pun intended) but at least we got some more domestic scenes after whatever fight or side quest they got dragged into. They definitely had at least some insta-attraction so if slow burn is what you're looking for this is not it, but I didn't mind it at all with how it played out.
I have always been a sucker for the whole black cat x golden retriever type of relationship, and there were some moments that I didn't even know I needed until now. I found myself smiling like a fool at the moments where Arthur just needed Shae to look at him, which ended up with Arthur guiding Shae by the jaw or chin and uhhg it was so good. And I loved the whole thing with Shae needing the touch of other people to continue going on and the fact that Arthur had the warmest, the one that made him feel the most sense. And it was nice that it had an actual reason other then some 'oh they're meant to be together' BS.
Never have I been one to enjoy the whole storyline/trope of "I have these powers that I hate and now I'm going on a seemingly impossible quest to get rid of them" In fact, it's one of the common storylines in fantasy that I can properly say that I hate. I always find it overdone and a bit ridiculous. But even though this was a storyline prevalent in the book I didn't at all mind where it ended up. Or how it started either, with the emphasis on how Shae's magic affected him physically, not just mentally.
I can 100% see myself reaching for the next book, especially considering I read the synopsis and now know who it's about...
Either way, super solid read and I enjoyed myself very much throughout this whole thing. The romance and the actual plot did not fight for dominance like I see in a lot of other romance heavy books, and they actually went along fairly hand in hand for the most part. This is a very fast pace read, which again I see others complaining about in the reviews, and I did notice that after around 50% things were moving very fast. Again, I do wish this were at least a little bit longer to balance that out but everything in the book is really enjoyable and I can almost ignore that fact completely.
If you are sensitive to self harm in any way, I would recommend taking a step back and not picking this up as a large part of the necromancy magic that Tavia Lark envisioned deals with a lot of blood sacrifice. Also loss of parents does come up a lot more in the later chapters, so I would be weary of that as well if that's a sensitive spot.
I originally got this book for free, about a year or so ago from one of the Stuff Your Kindle days that goes on, and I'm slightly disappointed in myself that it took so long to get to reading this with how much I enjoyed it. The world building was much better then I originally thought a fantasy that is under 300 pages could be. I was under the impression, especially before the cover change, that this would be another mindless romantasy that the only way to fully enjoy would be to turn your brain off. Instead I was greeted with a world with several gods, a magic system that I'm interested in knowing more about, enjoyable characters, and a relationship that I enjoyed very much.
I saw a few other reviews, walking about how this read like a fanfiction and mean it negatively, but I would say that this read like fanfiction in the best way there can be and I thoroughly enjoyed myself when reading. Though I think we should stop using the fact that something reads like fanfic negatively, but that's a chat for another day.
This could have definitely been longer, maybe a few more scenes growing closer with the few named side characters so whatever happened to them could have a bit more of an impact (iykyk) or a few more domestic traveling scenes between Shae and Arthur without it immediately jumping into action (no pun intended) but at least we got some more domestic scenes after whatever fight or side quest they got dragged into. They definitely had at least some insta-attraction so if slow burn is what you're looking for this is not it, but I didn't mind it at all with how it played out.
I have always been a sucker for the whole black cat x golden retriever type of relationship, and there were some moments that I didn't even know I needed until now. I found myself smiling like a fool at the moments where Arthur just needed Shae to look at him, which ended up with Arthur guiding Shae by the jaw or chin and uhhg it was so good. And I loved the whole thing with Shae needing the touch of other people to continue going on and the fact that Arthur had the warmest, the one that made him feel the most sense. And it was nice that it had an actual reason other then some 'oh they're meant to be together' BS.
Never have I been one to enjoy the whole storyline/trope of "I have these powers that I hate and now I'm going on a seemingly impossible quest to get rid of them" In fact, it's one of the common storylines in fantasy that I can properly say that I hate. I always find it overdone and a bit ridiculous. But even though this was a storyline prevalent in the book I didn't at all mind where it ended up. Or how it started either, with the emphasis on how Shae's magic affected him physically, not just mentally.
I can 100% see myself reaching for the next book, especially considering I read the synopsis and now know who it's about...
Either way, super solid read and I enjoyed myself very much throughout this whole thing. The romance and the actual plot did not fight for dominance like I see in a lot of other romance heavy books, and they actually went along fairly hand in hand for the most part. This is a very fast pace read, which again I see others complaining about in the reviews, and I did notice that after around 50% things were moving very fast. Again, I do wish this were at least a little bit longer to balance that out but everything in the book is really enjoyable and I can almost ignore that fact completely.
If you are sensitive to self harm in any way, I would recommend taking a step back and not picking this up as a large part of the necromancy magic that Tavia Lark envisioned deals with a lot of blood sacrifice. Also loss of parents does come up a lot more in the later chapters, so I would be weary of that as well if that's a sensitive spot.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Self harm and Violence
Moderate: Gore, Grief, and Death of parent
wildatheart1339's review against another edition
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Self harm, Sexual content, Violence, Blood, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Gore
Minor: Cursing, Sexual assault, Medical content, Grief, Death of parent, and Alcohol
calamario's review
adventurous
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Self harm, Sexual content, Violence, Blood, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Body horror, Gore, and Death of parent
natroze's review
emotional
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Self harm, Blood, Religious bigotry, and Injury/Injury detail
wardenred's review
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
“Have you kissed anyone before?” he asks, running his thumb over Shae’s lip.
Shae’s eyes dart away. “What kind of idiot would kiss a necromancer?”
“In my defense,” Arthur says, “you’re a very attractive necromancer.”
So far, this series starter isn’t gripping me the way Perilous Court did, but it’s still a solid fantasy romance with some really nice moments. Where Tavia Lark’s series is focused on court intrigue, this one’s more “romance tropes meet D&D,“ which is very much my jam. I liked this new setting with all of its magic a lot. There’s a very interesting take on necromancy, and I appreciated that
Speaking of the romantic relationship, Shae and Arthur were definitely fun to follow. I liked how they kind of grew on each other gradually. The way Arthur’s Paladin magic played into their relationship was very nicely done, and I liked how Shae’s touch starvation was handled. There were moments that beautifully merged the external plot, their personal arcs, and their romance together, like that point where Arthur makes a definite choice between his past and his future, or when Shae gets very far on the brink of darkness. There’s lots of hurt/comfort here, which is my favorite trope, and also kind of a low-key, subdued version of grumpy/sunshine, which I also adore. So while I didn’t fell completely head over heels for their romance, it was very nice and heartwarming to read about.
I also really like their happy ending, not just in terms of the feels, but plot-wise, too. They end up in a place where
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Self harm
Moderate: Violence
robotcorsair's review against another edition
adventurous
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
This was such a cute, fun read! I really enjoyed it! The characters were likable and I got the sense they really did like each other as well, even though the pacing of the romance was pretty fast. The worldbuilding is not too deep but it's interesting and solid enough, the plot moves fast but it manages to build tension throughout the book and the ending feels a bit rushed but it ties everything neatly and gives a satisfying conclusion. This is slightly more focused on the romance, but there is a plot that is unrelated to it and the characters have other motivations. The romance is tooth-rottingly sweet, which might nor work for everyone but it definitely does for me! It does contain explicit scenes. Overall, just good tropey fun done right.
Content Warnings
Minor: Self harm
bea__reads's review
fast-paced
3.75
I wish this had 100 more pages of build up in the middle. It was a great story with likeable characters, but rushed, especially the romance. Very much instalove which is not my favorite thing.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Self harm, Sexual content, Violence, Blood, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Death of parent
athenathestorier's review
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Self harm and Sexual content
Moderate: Death, Violence, and Blood
Minor: Gore, Death of parent, and Murder
rpmrangers's review
adventurous
fast-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? It's complicated
3.5
Shae was an interesting character and the concepts and overall story were ok, but the romance felt too fast and underdeveloped, I would have liked there to have been more depth to it
Content Warnings
Moderate: Self harm and Death of parent
purrson's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
mysterious
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
3.75
Cute story and characters, interesting world, but I wish the plot was more developed—some things seemed very predictable. But very enjoyable all-in-all.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death and Self harm
Minor: Death of parent