Scan barcode
oksanana31's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Like many others, I had seen all the content warnings about this book from booktok and was nervous about dedicating time to this large novel. And while I think some of the criticisms are well worth it, a lot just plain aren't.
The bad: the editors at Bloom Books deserve ALL the hate. There are so many typos, repeated phrases/sentences, contradicting sentences and inconsistencies that should have EASILY been picked up by a skilled editor, especially as i have the Barnes &Noble exclusive edition. Writers can only be blamed for so much. This was a failed team effort. Story wise: I thought it took a while to really get moving, I didn't love the characters as children which made it harder to like them as adult, but indid eventually root for them. I wish we would've spent more time with them right after their separation rather than prior, would've made me root more for their development. Instead I found myself finding it hard to believe a love like theirs persisted for as long as it did or that they found so much success in their new positions.
The good: the descriptions in this book were absolutely beautiful. CJ does an incredible job of painting a picture of every landscape, every feeling, that I felt transported. There were very few phrasing that I felt were cliche or common and many many more were poetic and beautiful. I loved the interactions between Amaris and Ash as friends, especially the inn scene. They felt very natural and organic. The last 25% of this novel really gripped me, the pace quickened, the stakes raised and the reveals were well timed.
Overall, I feel like this is a good book and I'll probably read the sequel BUT if typos and editing mistakes bother you, maybe not the book for you.
The bad: the editors at Bloom Books deserve ALL the hate. There are so many typos, repeated phrases/sentences, contradicting sentences and inconsistencies that should have EASILY been picked up by a skilled editor, especially as i have the Barnes &Noble exclusive edition. Writers can only be blamed for so much. This was a failed team effort. Story wise: I thought it took a while to really get moving, I didn't love the characters as children which made it harder to like them as adult, but indid eventually root for them. I wish we would've spent more time with them right after their separation rather than prior, would've made me root more for their development. Instead I found myself finding it hard to believe a love like theirs persisted for as long as it did or that they found so much success in their new positions.
The good: the descriptions in this book were absolutely beautiful. CJ does an incredible job of painting a picture of every landscape, every feeling, that I felt transported. There were very few phrasing that I felt were cliche or common and many many more were poetic and beautiful. I loved the interactions between Amaris and Ash as friends, especially the inn scene. They felt very natural and organic. The last 25% of this novel really gripped me, the pace quickened, the stakes raised and the reveals were well timed.
Overall, I feel like this is a good book and I'll probably read the sequel BUT if typos and editing mistakes bother you, maybe not the book for you.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Physical abuse, Self harm, Sexual content, and Violence
Moderate: Trafficking
Minor: Rape
kaylurzz's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.0
The amount of times I almost DNF-ed this. I should have and saved myself some time lol.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Racism, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Slavery, Violence, Trafficking, and Murder
Moderate: Death, Sexual content, and Abandonment
Minor: Xenophobia, Religious bigotry, and War
court_reads_it_all's review against another edition
The first red flag in the book is the constant description of Amaris' white skin as pure and beautiful, while Nox, the only POC character, is the only one to be whipped. Additionally, Amaris romanticizes life as a farmer or noble man's wife, while Nox tries to protect her friend during a traumatic event. The writing style attempts to mimic Tolkien or C.S. Lewis but falls short, resulting in the book dragging on with chapters dedicated to mundane tasks. Overall, the book is disappointing and only receives one star despite being a gift and on my to-be-read list.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racism, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Sexual harassment, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
magic_multicolored_miracle's review against another edition
By this point in the book, not much had happened, and each chapter felt like it was building up to something, only for the next one to skip over it (and usually skip time).
The author's flowery but repetitive descriptions also didn't help, as it felt like this section of the book could probably have been half as long and still conveyed the same amount of information.
From what I read, not a bad book, but not for me (might give it a second chance at another time)
The author's flowery but repetitive descriptions also didn't help, as it felt like this section of the book could probably have been half as long and still conveyed the same amount of information.
From what I read, not a bad book, but not for me (might give it a second chance at another time)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Self harm, Blood, and Abandonment
Moderate: Bullying, Confinement, Trafficking, and Kidnapping
charlottx's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
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? It's complicated
3.25
For the most part I enjoyed this book. Some parts were drawn out a little in my opinion while other vital elements were very hasty/rushed. I wish there had been more overall structure and cohesion. However, all in all I liked the story and I have already bought the next book! Here’s to hoping I enjoy the next one even more :)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Physical abuse, Self harm, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Grief, Murder, Abandonment, and Sexual harassment
sifairi's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
The world that Piper CJ built in this book was so immersive. I didn't want to finish the book because I didn't want to leave Farleigh! I can't wait for the next installment.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Self harm and Religious bigotry
Minor: Rape
b_robinson's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
1.75
let's just ignore the fact that this took me a whole month to read, and that I'm currently using my last remaining brain cells to write this review
The ARC that I read had so many grammatical mistakes man, it was so frustrating, but hopefully there's been a rigorous revision of this.
I did not enjoy the romance; it's nice that the author wrote a bisexual romance that she could connect to, but I couldn't vibe with the way it was written. We get this long innocent childhood backstory explanation thing, and then they're oh so cruelly torn apart, and when we next see them, the dramatic evolution in the way they thought about each other felt..... idk wrong?? uncomfy?? it was just not it. They first meet when one of them is an ACTUAL INFANT.
also, it honestly felt like there was more chemistry between Amaris and crow demon whatever-the-heck his name was (gadriel?? I think?????) than her and Nox. clearly something is wrong when the MCs are supposed to be so devoted to each other and i want to ship one of them with someone else entirely. but maybe that's just a me thing
LETS TALK ABOUT HOW WEIRD IT FELT TO CONSTANTLY HAVE AMARIS CALLING THE OTHER REEVERS HER BROTHERS AND THEN FLIRTING WITH AND TRYING TO SEDUCE ONE OF THEM. HELLO? WHAT IS UP WITH THAT. PLEASE TELL ME IM NOT THE ONLY ONE BECAUSE I CRINGED AT ALL OF IT.
i would also like to point out that i did not consent to reading about Nox's really sick, awful punishment for the Captain, even though he himself was an absolutely despicable human being. that was gross and unnecessary. sort yourself out.
so yeah. not a 10 out of 10 vibe here, but bonus points for not making me use any brainpower while reading
The ARC that I read had so many grammatical mistakes man, it was so frustrating, but hopefully there's been a rigorous revision of this.
I did not enjoy the romance; it's nice that the author wrote a bisexual romance that she could connect to, but I couldn't vibe with the way it was written. We get this long innocent childhood backstory explanation thing, and then they're oh so cruelly torn apart, and when we next see them, the dramatic evolution in the way they thought about each other felt..... idk wrong?? uncomfy?? it was just not it. They first meet when one of them is an ACTUAL INFANT.
also, it honestly felt like there was more chemistry between Amaris and crow demon whatever-the-heck his name was (gadriel?? I think?????) than her and Nox. clearly something is wrong when the MCs are supposed to be so devoted to each other and i want to ship one of them with someone else entirely. but maybe that's just a me thing
LETS TALK ABOUT HOW WEIRD IT FELT TO CONSTANTLY HAVE AMARIS CALLING THE OTHER REEVERS HER BROTHERS AND THEN FLIRTING WITH AND TRYING TO SEDUCE ONE OF THEM. HELLO? WHAT IS UP WITH THAT. PLEASE TELL ME IM NOT THE ONLY ONE BECAUSE I CRINGED AT ALL OF IT.
i would also like to point out that i did not consent to reading about Nox's really sick, awful punishment for the Captain, even though he himself was an absolutely despicable human being. that was gross and unnecessary. sort yourself out.
so yeah. not a 10 out of 10 vibe here, but bonus points for not making me use any brainpower while reading
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Sexual violence, and Sexual harassment
Moderate: Child abuse, Death, Misogyny, Self harm, Blood, Grief, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail
mackwizowski's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
mysterious
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? It's complicated
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Physical abuse, Self harm, Sexual assault, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Kidnapping, Murder, and War
teadancer's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
fast-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
4.75
I Adored This Book. I went into it knowing very little other than that I liked the author's online content and that it was a queer high fantasy book. I have 0 regrets about going in blind! There were twists and turns that I just wasn't expecting that had me putting the book down to process (a good thing) and then jumping back in to see what happened next. I absolutely lost sleep reading this book. I am now (im)patiently waiting for the next book in May! The ONLY reason I didn't give this a full 5 stars is because of some editorial issues that took me out of the book when reading.
A specific things that I appreciate about this book were the description of dissociation and mental health struggles. The characters felt very real in their struggles and coping mechanisms.
One thing that I was less a fan of was how the main characters grew up together in what felt like a sibling "us against the world" dynamic that then moved into a romantic relationship. I'm not a huge fan of this relationship arc, but do see how it works for these characters.
If you are a fan of a morally gray protagonist, coming into their own character arcs, political intrigue, and wonderful queer rep (without it being about being queer) - read this book!!!
One thing that I was less a fan of was how the main characters grew up together in what felt like a sibling "us against the world" dynamic that then moved into a romantic relationship. I'm not a huge fan of this relationship arc, but do see how it works for these characters.
If you are a fan of a morally gray protagonist, coming into their own character arcs, political intrigue, and wonderful queer rep (without it being about being queer) - read this book!!!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual content, Sexual violence, and Violence
Moderate: Bullying, Cursing, Emotional abuse, Self harm, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Religious bigotry, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Confinement
phiabia's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.0
when the whole book is white innocence versus traumatized/sexualized character of color. when the book reads like a first draft.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness and Self harm
Moderate: Sexual violence