ehmannky's review against another edition
emotional
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
This is definitely a romance book first and a fantasy/political novel second and as long as you go into it with those expectations, I think you'll have fun. I'm a little confused how this got compared to The Goblin Emperor, other than Kadou is nice and treats those under him with respect and care, but that's kind of where the similarities end. Overall, it was a fine.
I thought the characters and romance were really well executed and I liked the portrayal of anxiety as disability. I also really liked the world building aspects of it all, though again this book is less concerned about like political mechanics than about the pining of the main characters. I also enjoyed the side characters (Tadek my beloved). The plot just dragged on a bit, and I thought it was around 100 pages too long. I also think Evemer wasn't a particularly great bodyguard as Kadou does rescue him like 3 times throughout the book and would have liked to see more scenes of him demonstrating his supposed competence.
I thought the characters and romance were really well executed and I liked the portrayal of anxiety as disability. I also really liked the world building aspects of it all, though again this book is less concerned about like political mechanics than about the pining of the main characters. I also enjoyed the side characters (Tadek my beloved). The plot just dragged on a bit, and I thought it was around 100 pages too long. I also think Evemer wasn't a particularly great bodyguard as Kadou does rescue him like 3 times throughout the book and would have liked to see more scenes of him demonstrating his supposed competence.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders
Moderate: Kidnapping, Death, and Violence
Minor: Death of parent
wilybooklover's review
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
slow-paced
5.0
A stunning fantasy romance. In this story we see stoic, principled Evemer assigned as bodyguard to the anxious Prince Kadou. They soon uncover a conspiracy plot at the behest of Kadou’s Sultan sister, Zeliha (not a particular convoluted mystery, but entertaining nonetheless) and in the process fall in love with each other.
The romance was the main plot and it was sooo good. I’m a sucker for a slowburn idiots to lovers and it was executed so perfectly here. These two were so gone for each other. If you like some good mutual pining, this is the book for you.
The worldbuilding was lush and vivid, reminiscent of the Ottoman Empire and full of politics. The secondary characters were fun and realistically flawed and diverse. This is a queernorm world and it was delightful to read how casually queer everyone was. Despite some moments of peril, the whole story felt cosy and soft.
This book also somehow made economics interesting to me and that is talent.
This book also somehow made economics interesting to me and that is talent.
I have no idea if there’s a sequel in the works but I would definitely like to read stories about Tadek and Zeliha.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Kidnapping, Mental illness, Violence, Panic attacks/disorders, Confinement, and Injury/injury detail
Moderate: Sexual content, Bullying, Murder, Blood, and Death
Minor: Animal death, Death of parent, and Drug use
pagesofnay's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
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? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, and Kidnapping
Moderate: Death, Blood, and Injury/injury detail
Minor: Death of parent
mallorypen's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
mysterious
reflective
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? Yes
5.0
This novel was a masterclass in a) writing anxiety in a way that felt authentic (to the point where the character’s anxiety was triggering my own!) b) showing actual character growth in a progression versus “I once thought this but now I think this” and c) showing diversity in a fantasy setting in a way that feels both very deliberate but also completely normal and part of the world building.
Characters: Kadou and Evermere are OTP for life. Kadou’s anxiety, like I mentioned, is written in a perfectly heartbreaking way that makes his behaviors and conflicts completely believable. The “fear monster” metaphor got a little overused, but overall I was captivated by this struggle and his perceived cowardice. Evermere is the embodiment of one of my favorite tropes - the hard rule-following, logical-sequential, painfully upright but unflinchingly morally upright … who then falls into EMOTIONAL TURMOIL in the most delicious way. His progression from disliking Kadou to loving him is written so perfectly; even knowing they were endgame didn’t take away from my enjoyment of Evermere’s fall into love and out of his repressive shell. I loved that his character growth wasn’t just because and for Kadou; his moment with the unburdening at the shrine was also for him and his own development in such a lovely way (and in-universe therapy without it feeling forced! We love to see it.) Tadek was such a fun character, both easy to dislike and love in turns with his actions. His delight in figuring out why Evermere was a secret prince made me laugh out loud. Zelia was amazing, the captain of the guard was amazing, and overall the supporting cast all felt fully fleshed out and interesting in their own right.
The Yearning™️ was literally perfect. I absolutely love a slow burn done well, and this was a slow burn done EXCEPTIONALLY. Evermere not recognizing his own feelings of jealousy or desire or admiration … Kadou getting in his own way thinking Evermere was only acting out of duty and obligation … their mutual concern for navigating the imbalance of power, the communication … makes a girl weak in the knees! Then, add the most amazingly trope-tastic plot points of “we were about to be spotted in the alley on a surveillance mission so we had to kiss” and “more surveillance, let’s canoodle” and finally “we’re about to be caught in a lie and marriage is the only way to save your life” UGGGGHHHHHH kill me now because a more perfect combo of tropes downs not exist. That, and the “prove your loyalty by cutting off your hand” and Evermere’s heart stopping obedience played into this amazing dynamic of respect and trust that had d/s undertones and all together spicy excellence.
I also loved the sociopolitical elements of the dynasty, the purity of their monetary system, and the idea of “body fathers” not having a claim on the child unless granted as such by the mother. The caiular as a protection force leading into the ministries was another interesting concept. The author did a great job establishing the significance of both the counterfeiting and the betrayal of the caiulars.
Characters: Kadou and Evermere are OTP for life. Kadou’s anxiety, like I mentioned, is written in a perfectly heartbreaking way that makes his behaviors and conflicts completely believable. The “fear monster” metaphor got a little overused, but overall I was captivated by this struggle and his perceived cowardice. Evermere is the embodiment of one of my favorite tropes - the hard rule-following, logical-sequential, painfully upright but unflinchingly morally upright … who then falls into EMOTIONAL TURMOIL in the most delicious way. His progression from disliking Kadou to loving him is written so perfectly; even knowing they were endgame didn’t take away from my enjoyment of Evermere’s fall into love and out of his repressive shell. I loved that his character growth wasn’t just because and for Kadou; his moment with the unburdening at the shrine was also for him and his own development in such a lovely way (and in-universe therapy without it feeling forced! We love to see it.) Tadek was such a fun character, both easy to dislike and love in turns with his actions. His delight in figuring out why Evermere was a secret prince made me laugh out loud. Zelia was amazing, the captain of the guard was amazing, and overall the supporting cast all felt fully fleshed out and interesting in their own right.
The Yearning™️ was literally perfect. I absolutely love a slow burn done well, and this was a slow burn done EXCEPTIONALLY. Evermere not recognizing his own feelings of jealousy or desire or admiration … Kadou getting in his own way thinking Evermere was only acting out of duty and obligation … their mutual concern for navigating the imbalance of power, the communication … makes a girl weak in the knees! Then, add the most amazingly trope-tastic plot points of “we were about to be spotted in the alley on a surveillance mission so we had to kiss” and “more surveillance, let’s canoodle” and finally “we’re about to be caught in a lie and marriage is the only way to save your life” UGGGGHHHHHH kill me now because a more perfect combo of tropes downs not exist. That, and the “prove your loyalty by cutting off your hand” and Evermere’s heart stopping obedience played into this amazing dynamic of respect and trust that had d/s undertones and all together spicy excellence.
I also loved the sociopolitical elements of the dynasty, the purity of their monetary system, and the idea of “body fathers” not having a claim on the child unless granted as such by the mother. The caiular as a protection force leading into the ministries was another interesting concept. The author did a great job establishing the significance of both the counterfeiting and the betrayal of the caiulars.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death and Kidnapping
Minor: Death of parent
btwnprintedpgs's review against another edition
funny
mysterious
reflective
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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Injury/injury detail, Panic attacks/disorders, Violence, Alcohol, Blood, and Kidnapping
Moderate: Gaslighting
Minor: Death of parent, Pregnancy, Cursing, and Torture
sydapel's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
slow-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? It's complicated
5.0
An absolutely decadent slow burn of a story that would make an excellent starting point for anyone looking to get into the adult fantasy genre (and doesn't care to read about millennia old fae marrying 18 year old women). The plot is simple yet compelling and the characters are immediately so loveable. I could talk for ages about the themes of duty, fealty and strength in this book, but I won't lie, the main appeal is the rich love story between Kadou and Evermer. It's unclear at this point whether there will be a sequel, but I want one so badly.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness and Panic attacks/disorders
Moderate: Death, Alcohol, Violence, and Alcoholism
Minor: Death of parent
aceofknives'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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Kidnapping, Injury/injury detail, and Panic attacks/disorders
Moderate: Violence
Minor: Death of parent
illogical's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
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
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders and Mental illness
Moderate: Violence, Injury/injury detail, Blood, and Death
Minor: Death of parent
purrson's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
So very enjoyable, such a good slow burn.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders
Minor: Death of parent and Kidnapping
smasson13's review against another edition
adventurous
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
It wasn't bad. But it wasn't good either.
This story felt like a hundred threads being picked up at the authors convinience. As though nothing was quite fully explained, drawn out, or developed.
A few things that I struggled with (potential spoilers head):
1. What was the world building in this?? Did I miss a map that should have been there? Why was nothing ever explained?
I'm still so confused about why they had weird powers in their world at all, none of that seemed to be helpful really. And because it wasn't developed well, the cute part with their door hinge bracelets just felt randomly added??
2. Lack of character development. Ooofff. This was rough. I felt like I didn't know anything about these characters, no deep back story, no emption, no depth. Like there was what, 2 sentences?? between Evermer and his mother? Even Melek got like stabbed and kidnapped but I know nothing about their character?
3. This plot was all over the place. The first 250 pages was slow! Then we had a good 100 page chunk that was interesting as they investigated. But the moment Evermer and Kadou hooked up, the plot magically got wrapped up with barely any effort or difficulty. Like just send the horse and capture the criminals, have a trial and be done. All within a few pages. Do we even know their sentence??
4. Sudden powerful and angry kink? What?
I read it all, will not reread, but I did manage to get through it?
This story felt like a hundred threads being picked up at the authors convinience. As though nothing was quite fully explained, drawn out, or developed.
A few things that I struggled with (potential spoilers head):
Spoiler
1. What was the world building in this?? Did I miss a map that should have been there? Why was nothing ever explained?
I'm still so confused about why they had weird powers in their world at all, none of that seemed to be helpful really. And because it wasn't developed well, the cute part with their door hinge bracelets just felt randomly added??
2. Lack of character development. Ooofff. This was rough. I felt like I didn't know anything about these characters, no deep back story, no emption, no depth. Like there was what, 2 sentences?? between Evermer and his mother? Even Melek got like stabbed and kidnapped but I know nothing about their character?
3. This plot was all over the place. The first 250 pages was slow! Then we had a good 100 page chunk that was interesting as they investigated. But the moment Evermer and Kadou hooked up, the plot magically got wrapped up with barely any effort or difficulty. Like just send the horse and capture the criminals, have a trial and be done. All within a few pages. Do we even know their sentence??
4. Sudden powerful and angry kink? What?
I read it all, will not reread, but I did manage to get through it?
Content Warnings
Graphic: Injury/injury detail, Kidnapping, Panic attacks/disorders, and Mental illness
Moderate: Alcohol, Confinement, and Sexual content
Minor: Drug use, Cursing, and Death of parent