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amy_in_the_city's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
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? Yes
5.0
I'll admit I struggled a bit to get into this book for the first 100 pages or so, but once I was in, I was IN. The main couple had me kicking my feet rooting for them. I loved all the characters in this book and thought they were wonderfully developed. They could have made Tadek a villain or dreadfully boring, as the romance genre tends to do with exes, but they made him so fun while still giving him depth and complexity. I like his friendship with Kadou, and I can't wait to read his book! I want to be Commander Eozena when I grow up, and Zeliha was an awesome badass ruler.
The romance in this was such a delicious, angsty, slow burn. Evemer was so stoic and reserved, which made it all the more fun to see him fall so hard for Kadou. I appreciated the anxiety representation with Kadou and that it didn't make him any less of a badass. He still defended Evemer whenever needed, and I loved seeing a prince also defend his bodyguard. A big theme in their relationship is reciprocity, and I love when couples feel like a real partnership.
There was enough action to keep the plot fun and exciting, but I do wish the villain wasn't so obvious from the start. Also, while this was a fantasy, the fantasy elements are used very sparingly. The ending felt a little bit rushed, and I do wish we got to see a bit more of Kadou and Evemer together as a happy couple. My overwhelming love for the romance and the characters overrides any of these quibbles though, and I know this is a book I'll come back to for rereads.
The romance in this was such a delicious, angsty, slow burn. Evemer was so stoic and reserved, which made it all the more fun to see him fall so hard for Kadou. I appreciated the anxiety representation with Kadou and that it didn't make him any less of a badass. He still defended Evemer whenever needed, and I loved seeing a prince also defend his bodyguard. A big theme in their relationship is reciprocity, and I love when couples feel like a real partnership.
There was enough action to keep the plot fun and exciting, but I do wish the villain wasn't so obvious from the start. Also, while this was a fantasy, the fantasy elements are used very sparingly. The ending felt a little bit rushed, and I do wish we got to see a bit more of Kadou and Evemer together as a happy couple. My overwhelming love for the romance and the characters overrides any of these quibbles though, and I know this is a book I'll come back to for rereads.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Death, Gore, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, and Vomit
Minor: Drug use, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Death of parent, Pregnancy, and Classism
mateyy's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
tense
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
5.0
I already knew I loved Alexandra Rowland's work (A Conspiracy of Truth is amazing). Rowland knows how to do political intrigue/court (government) politics and upping the stakes. I also love how they do magic systems-very specific (If you've read the Farseer Trilogy by Robin Hobb, the touch-taste and truth sayers are written into the book-world a lot like skill and wit are). You can tell that these characters are so cared for, that's especially clear with Tadek. He could have been so easily pushed to the side and been made a plot device to get in the way of Evemer and Kadou's love story, and he's not a flat character at all. The chemistry between Kadou and Evemer is palpable and built up well while not getting into the way of the overarching plot (and vice-versa).
Content Warnings
Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders and Kidnapping
Moderate: Eating disorder, Mental illness, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Suicidal thoughts
ninjamuse's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
slow-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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders and Sexual content
Moderate: Drug use, Violence, Murder, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Suicidal thoughts