annelives's review against another edition
5.0
This is a blend of fantasy, gothic and coming of age with a bit of court intrigue. The writing pulls the reader in from the first page. The author took an overdone plot device, the hidden child King (or Queen in this case), and turned it into a truly unique and rather dark tale. Beautifully crafted.
The world building is incredible and the magic systems are fully fleshed out. The characters are three dimensional and complex. No stock villains or heroes here. So well done; I can't rave enough!
I will end my gushing by recommending you have the second book on hand as this one ends at a tense part. You'll want to start reading right away.
The world building is incredible and the magic systems are fully fleshed out. The characters are three dimensional and complex. No stock villains or heroes here. So well done; I can't rave enough!
I will end my gushing by recommending you have the second book on hand as this one ends at a tense part. You'll want to start reading right away.
pushystik5's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
hopeful
mysterious
slow-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? No
4.5
somewheregirl7's review
2.0
Long ago a prophecy was made that as long as queen ruled Skala the land would know peace and bounty. King Erius, however, seized control of the country and has since systematically murdered all of his female relatives to ensure the male lineage endures and no queen can challenge him for the throne. The king's half-sister, the only one he spared, gave birth to twins - a girl and a boy and through dark magic the male child was murdered and the female disguised in the form of a boy. To all outward appearances Prince Tobin is a boy and even he does not suspect that when the magic is stripped away his true nature will be revealed. Haunted by his dead twin and his mother's madness Tobin grows up isolated and unaware of the people conspiring to one day make him queen.
I should know by now that High Fantasy is not my thing. Sadly I keep picking up High Fantasy books my friends recommend and then hating them. It's a personal failing. This isn't a bad book. It's just boring to me. The plot is slow and winding, the action sparse and while the topic and subject are really interesting there's just not enough to keep me interested. I discarded this book after making it halfway through. At that point I decided I just wasn't interested in enough to wade through the rest.
I should know by now that High Fantasy is not my thing. Sadly I keep picking up High Fantasy books my friends recommend and then hating them. It's a personal failing. This isn't a bad book. It's just boring to me. The plot is slow and winding, the action sparse and while the topic and subject are really interesting there's just not enough to keep me interested. I discarded this book after making it halfway through. At that point I decided I just wasn't interested in enough to wade through the rest.
silodear's review against another edition
4.0
Though fantastical novels aren't usually my thing, this book was amazing.
nessa_arandur's review
5.0
This book is a slow burn, and I'm enjoying every moment of it. Tobin is a lonely, fey child and Lynn Flewelling draws us into his life in a compelling way. I don't think it's a spoiler for people to know that eventually Tobin finds out the truth about himself. I appreciated the way Flewelling wrote this scene - it was not over-the-top, which I feared, but was adroitly and appropriately matter-of-fact. Tobin will have to deal with the ramification of it more in Book 2, I'm sure. I was supposed to move on to a new series after Book 1, but I enjoyed this so much (and there's that damn cliffhanger for one character in particular!) that I MUST see what happens. I'm starting Book 2, Hidden Warrior, immediately.
If you enjoyed Assassin's Apprentice, you'll probably enjoy this: it has that same slow burn quality of character setup that often proves highly rewarding.
If you enjoyed Assassin's Apprentice, you'll probably enjoy this: it has that same slow burn quality of character setup that often proves highly rewarding.
squishies's review against another edition
4.0
Recommended by Minh and Ruby.
Love the concept - girl hidden in her dead brother's form to become queen.
And I love Ki - he's my absolute favourite character in the book.
Slightly angsty, but not so that it's unbearable; slightly epic, but not so epic that I don't want to read it =) (just never finding the time to do so! boo)
Love the concept - girl hidden in her dead brother's form to become queen.
And I love Ki - he's my absolute favourite character in the book.
Slightly angsty, but not so that it's unbearable; slightly epic, but not so epic that I don't want to read it =) (just never finding the time to do so! boo)
rachelini's review against another edition
4.0
Really good fantasy about the heir to a throne who is magically disguised as a boy at birth, in order to protect her from the current king, who is killing all females in the royal lines. The transgender aspect added an extra interesting layer.
amandabarylski's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
slow-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? No
4.0
The buildup was good and there was a lot of suspense, but the ending wasn't very satisfying, more of a cliffhanger leading into the second book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Death of parent, Child death, Suicide, and Cursing
Moderate: Grief and Pedophilia
Minor: Homophobia, War, and Sexism