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rogue_duckie_reads's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
For me, is a ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ star read. It was well written and the characters were very complex, pacing was moderate, but I just wanted more to the story and plot. It has religious intolerance and prejudices that may have overshadowed some of the other important plot pieces. However, it is also a love story to female empowerment.
***THE SECOND BOOK OF THE SERIES IS TBD***
Synopsis: The 6 noble families of the kingdom are cursed. Each family experience a different curse, but it always affects the first or second born of the family. Their fates are predestined and will claim them upon their 20th birthdays. However, an unskilled, magicless seer is sent to be the emissary to the King. A king who is destined to spend his nights in the otherworld and his days fading between the other and his kingdom. A new fate is spun for her if she can find the path to break the curse. But the fates shall not be able to guide her. Will she overcome her self-doubt, forge the path, and save the King? Or will the King be banished to the other world?
----
Impression: I really enjoyed the story once I got past the religious fanaticism. There are a few plot holes, like why one character stays in their tent the whole duration of the quest (never answered). I'm sure some of it was left for the succeeding books, but there were way too many "why is that a thing" or "what about….?" for my liking. I recommend waiting for the next book if you have not yet read this one. Hopefully it fills in the gaps.
***QUOTES, TROPES AND CHARACTERS MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS***
Tropes: Allies to Lovers, Quest, Prophecy, Chosen One, Forbidden Romance, Found Family
Spice level: 🌶️🌶️ - A few open door scenes, but not overly descriptive or crass.
Action/War level: 💥💥 Moderately low - There are a couple of fight scenes, but nothing overly dramatic. Most of the tension is speculative chatter.
FMC: Cerise - very loud, opinionated female who loves with her whole heart, which makes her super vulnerable. It's hard for her not to love. Has an affinity with animals. She is supposed to be a seer, but her magic is latent. She's a late bloomer. She is sent on a quest to obtain a sacred blade to end the curses of the kingdom.
MMC: King Kian Mortora - He's the king who wishes to protect all his subjects, regardless of whomever they are. He makes questionable choices because of attraction/love and it costs dearly. He goes to the otherworld at night, but is beginning to fade during daylight as well.
Main antagonist: The curse -- It is different for every family, but it is rare to live longer than the 21st year of life for many first born nobles. It is tearing the kingdom apart.
Side Characters:
Daerick - Gifted with all knowledge. I love his bubbly personality and the friendship with Cerise.
General Petros - Kind of fatherly but also he's a bloodthirsty killer who does things then asks questions.
Father Padron - High Priest of the Order. He's really tolerant of Cerise's questions until they get too close to things he wants hidden.
Nina - Cerise's gorgeous sister
Reverend Mother - The High Seer of the Order who basically raises Cerise and has the prophetic vision of her.
Blue - A cute puppers
Nero - an unlikely ally
Favorite Quotes:
“Intentions are more meaningless than grains of sand. It’s your actions that matter.”
"Will you be so afraid to dim your gift that you end up dimming your own light in the process?”
“Those who hesitate are lost.”
“I have Seen more than the death of the king’s emissary. I have foreseen a possible end to the curses.”
"For his body to follow the pull of his spirit was an oddly romantic element of his curse that she hadn’t anticipated."
"There’s no such thing as an unnatural tendency. If something occurs within nature, it is by default natural. What’s unnatural is to vilify it and criminalize it and force people into hiding for being born the way they are.”
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Body horror, Bullying, Chronic illness, Death, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Self harm, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Xenophobia, Blood, Grief, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Murder, Cultural appropriation, War, and Classism
thelitraccoon's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
⭐⭐⭐✨3.5 Stars | 🌶️🌶️ 2.5 Spice
I feel very conflicted about this book. I received a preview on NetGalley a little while back and was immediately intrigued by the story, narration style, and premise.
Now that I’ve finished the book, I don’t quite know how to feel. The beginning was really good—enticing and intriguing, just as I’d hoped. What bothered me most was the demeanor of Cerise, her blatant naivety. However, when you consider her station and upbringing, it’s quite understandable and most likely intentional. Kian, on the other hand, gave me a constant ick. He felt flat, and I couldn’t connect with his manner of speaking or his overall behavior, which came across as patronizing at times—especially in contrast to Cerise’s almost childlike demeanor. The romance between the two felt very YA despite being spicy, and it often struck me as immature.
The ending, though, was what redeemed the book for me. I was hooked and absolutely had to finish it. The character development of Cerise, the plot twist—everything fell into place, and it just worked. I’m kind of sad that the main part of the book didn’t deliver the same magic, especially since the beginning and ending were so strong.
One element that may have influenced my positive rating was the letter at the beginning of the book addressed to the reader. (I tracked down the FairyLoot edition for this one because it’s stunning!) I really empathized with the author and her personal struggles, which she wove into Cerise’s journey. It gave the story an extra layer of meaning for me.
Will I continue the series?
Absolutely! Although the second book in this duology hasn’t even been announced yet, I’m eager to see more of Cerise’s journey toward female empowerment.
I feel very conflicted about this book. I received a preview on NetGalley a little while back and was immediately intrigued by the story, narration style, and premise.
Now that I’ve finished the book, I don’t quite know how to feel. The beginning was really good—enticing and intriguing, just as I’d hoped. What bothered me most was the demeanor of Cerise, her blatant naivety. However, when you consider her station and upbringing, it’s quite understandable and most likely intentional. Kian, on the other hand, gave me a constant ick. He felt flat, and I couldn’t connect with his manner of speaking or his overall behavior, which came across as patronizing at times—especially in contrast to Cerise’s almost childlike demeanor. The romance between the two felt very YA despite being spicy, and it often struck me as immature.
The ending, though, was what redeemed the book for me. I was hooked and absolutely had to finish it. The character development of Cerise, the plot twist—everything fell into place, and it just worked. I’m kind of sad that the main part of the book didn’t deliver the same magic, especially since the beginning and ending were so strong.
One element that may have influenced my positive rating was the letter at the beginning of the book addressed to the reader. (I tracked down the FairyLoot edition for this one because it’s stunning!) I really empathized with the author and her personal struggles, which she wove into Cerise’s journey. It gave the story an extra layer of meaning for me.
Will I continue the series?
Absolutely! Although the second book in this duology hasn’t even been announced yet, I’m eager to see more of Cerise’s journey toward female empowerment.
Content Warnings
Minor: Death, Self harm, and Religious bigotry
fangirlfaction's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
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? It's complicated
5.0
The synopsis for this book piqued my interest because the premise sounded so intriguing. A cursed king that fades into shadows at night? A bonafide shadow daddy? Cursed noble families? A religion devoted to an angry goddess, or so it seems? Yes, please! Sign me right up. It's like this author gathered up a bunch of my favorite tropes and molded them into a story that is my ultimate kryptonite.
I found myself entranced from the very first chapter. I didn't expect it to but the author's writing style really resonated with me. It was very engaging and flowed beautifully. The plot of the book packed a big punch. I was totally invested in the story from start to finish. I just couldn't get enough. There were tons of shocking plot twists that carried a lot of weight in the story. The world-building wasn't extravagant but painted a nice picture for the reader of this world.
I formed an attachment to these characters straight away. All of the characters were distinct with unique personalities and backgrounds. I love that while Cerise grew up very sheltered in a religious temple she still wasn't afraid to speak her mind. She seemed very ignorant of certain things but that didn't mean that she was timid. Kian was rather mysterious at first. After warming up to Cerise he was quite a sweetheart. You could feel his pain about his circumstances. It affected him even though he tried to hide it. Daerick was a surprising character that captured my heart. He was a glass-half-full kind of person who was an absolute joy. He also had some pain about his curse but he was proactive and positive that they could reverse it. Nero was another side character who was absolutely charming. Cerise and her close companions have the makings of the perfect squad goals. The villain of the story was definitely worthy of the title.
The romance felt a bit rushed to me but I can't deny that the chemistry between Cerise and Kian was undeniable. It was a tangible thing that felt organic and genuine. I truly loved the banter between them in the beginning.
Overall, this was a transfixing romantasy that you won't be able to get out of your head. The plot twists were thrilling, the characters were enchanting, and the romance was forbidden and tantalizing. After that ending, I am so stoked to read the second book in this series!
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I found myself entranced from the very first chapter. I didn't expect it to but the author's writing style really resonated with me. It was very engaging and flowed beautifully. The plot of the book packed a big punch. I was totally invested in the story from start to finish. I just couldn't get enough. There were tons of shocking plot twists that carried a lot of weight in the story. The world-building wasn't extravagant but painted a nice picture for the reader of this world.
I formed an attachment to these characters straight away. All of the characters were distinct with unique personalities and backgrounds. I love that while Cerise grew up very sheltered in a religious temple she still wasn't afraid to speak her mind. She seemed very ignorant of certain things but that didn't mean that she was timid. Kian was rather mysterious at first. After warming up to Cerise he was quite a sweetheart. You could feel his pain about his circumstances. It affected him even though he tried to hide it. Daerick was a surprising character that captured my heart. He was a glass-half-full kind of person who was an absolute joy. He also had some pain about his curse but he was proactive and positive that they could reverse it. Nero was another side character who was absolutely charming. Cerise and her close companions have the makings of the perfect squad goals. The villain of the story was definitely worthy of the title.
The romance felt a bit rushed to me but I can't deny that the chemistry between Cerise and Kian was undeniable. It was a tangible thing that felt organic and genuine. I truly loved the banter between them in the beginning.
Overall, this was a transfixing romantasy that you won't be able to get out of your head. The plot twists were thrilling, the characters were enchanting, and the romance was forbidden and tantalizing. After that ending, I am so stoked to read the second book in this series!
<a href="http://fangirlfaction.blogspot.com/">BLOG</a> <a href="https://www.facebook.com/fangirlfaction/">FACEBOOK</a> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/fangirlfaction/">INSTAGRAM</a> <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/fangirlfaction">GOODREADS</a> <a href="https://app.thestorygraph.com/profile/fangirlfaction">STORYGRAPH</a> <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@fangirlfaction">TIKTOK</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/Fangirl_Faction">TWITTER</a> <a href="https://www.bookbub.com/profile/2925113403">BOOKBUB</a> <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/profile/amzn1.account.AFS7KNMFWFV227AUADY6737RCVUA?ref_=ya_d_l_profile">AMAZON</a> <a href="https://booksirens.com/reviewer/5QJ4TZG">BOOKSIRENS</a> <a href="https://www.pinterest.com/thefangirlfaction/">PINTEREST</a> <a href="https://ko-fi.com/fangirlfaction">KO-FI</a>
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Violence, and Death of parent
Moderate: Death, Grief, and Alcohol
Minor: Misogyny, Self harm, Suicide, Torture, and Blood
espurrr's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
I really like Cerise. She's sheltered, but so curious. Her deep love and empathy for all things really shows through her actions. I also like how she stays true to herself, even in difficult situations. She's determined to do what is right.
The setting is interesting enough. The side characters are entertaining. The half mercy, half wrath goddess is appealing to me.
The setting is interesting enough. The side characters are entertaining. The half mercy, half wrath goddess is appealing to me.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Bullying, Death, Homophobia, Misogyny, Self harm, Sexual content, Torture, Violence, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail
vixairy's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
mysterious
tense
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? No
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Sexual content, Violence, and Death of parent
Moderate: Child death, Sexism, Fire/Fire injury, and Classism
Minor: Drug use, Self harm, Suicide, and Alcohol
xapoptosisx'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? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
A very strong 4.5 stars half of this felt like a dnd campaign all fun and whimsy while the other half was a quite gut wrenching tale of religious trauma and what it means to be a woman in a patriarchal world and then overthrowing it. Cerise's speech in the final battle impeccable 10/10 no notes. The epilogue so scary and then the fairyloot edition has a bonus chapter from the pov of the dog which takes place after the epilogue which is somehow more intense and eerie than the original epilogue. Anyway I'm looking forward to read the next one.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Cursing, Death, Gore, Misogyny, Sexual content, Violence, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Animal death, Infidelity, Self harm, Pregnancy, and Alcohol