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robotnik's review against another edition
1.0
There was something about this that I felt like I maybe could have liked but there were so many flaws with it that I was rolling my eyes through a lot of it rather than enjoying it. If it had maybe only one of these issues, I would have probably given it closer to a three star since the concept was something I liked but the combination made it a straight up one star because I just can't get over how dumb The Viking's Chosen was most of the time.
Pick and choose whichever one is your favourite. They all apply.
A) Shoddy world building. What the hell time period is this supposed to be? I think there's some unintentional artistic license in history going on in this novel, as if the writer just had some vague "medieval England but add some Vikings!" plan. It does not go well. There's a lot of awkwardness with this, including very modern sounding dialogue and including some random ass country called Tara that just seems to exist somewhere.
B) This is a romance novel where it takes a hundred pages for the romantic leads to even meet and about ten pages for them to fall madly in love. They are instantly super attracted to each other and, by the end, know they are meant to be, even if they've only known each other for a month. They lose all intelligence when speaking of each other or speaking to each other, and both turn into blubbering puddles of romantic sap - most jarringly Torben, who's personality is replaced with one trait which is "must love and protect Allete". Of course, they're soulmates and destined to be. But, the novel rambles on and on about making one's own decisions and choosing who you fall in love with. Like no, you aren't choosing each other. You're being magically wimbly-wombly into being in love. Want another page from tv tropes? Allete/Torben is a huge example of "Strangled by the Red String".
C) The majority of the cast is bland and boring with few shining spots. The only one who I actually found as a likeable character was Dayna. Everyone else I either felt neutral to or uninterested in.
D) Carthal, our main villain of the book, can be summed up in two words: childish molester. Yep. Oh right massive trigger warning because almost every scene he's in, he's molesting Allete and/or threatening to abuse and/or rape her. Yep x2.
E) The climax takes place over about ten pages. It wasn't even a good ten pages. It just sort of happened and then we're left with an obvious cliffhanger/sequel hook, but not the sort that has me jumping to want to read the next book.
In fact, I'm not going to.
Pick and choose whichever one is your favourite. They all apply.
A) Shoddy world building. What the hell time period is this supposed to be? I think there's some unintentional artistic license in history going on in this novel, as if the writer just had some vague "medieval England but add some Vikings!" plan. It does not go well. There's a lot of awkwardness with this, including very modern sounding dialogue and including some random ass country called Tara that just seems to exist somewhere.
B) This is a romance novel where it takes a hundred pages for the romantic leads to even meet and about ten pages for them to fall madly in love. They are instantly super attracted to each other and, by the end, know they are meant to be, even if they've only known each other for a month. They lose all intelligence when speaking of each other or speaking to each other, and both turn into blubbering puddles of romantic sap - most jarringly Torben, who's personality is replaced with one trait which is "must love and protect Allete". Of course, they're soulmates and destined to be. But, the novel rambles on and on about making one's own decisions and choosing who you fall in love with. Like no, you aren't choosing each other. You're being magically wimbly-wombly into being in love. Want another page from tv tropes? Allete/Torben is a huge example of "Strangled by the Red String".
C) The majority of the cast is bland and boring with few shining spots. The only one who I actually found as a likeable character was Dayna. Everyone else I either felt neutral to or uninterested in.
D) Carthal, our main villain of the book, can be summed up in two words: childish molester. Yep. Oh right massive trigger warning because almost every scene he's in, he's molesting Allete and/or threatening to abuse and/or rape her. Yep x2.
E) The climax takes place over about ten pages. It wasn't even a good ten pages. It just sort of happened and then we're left with an obvious cliffhanger/sequel hook, but not the sort that has me jumping to want to read the next book.
In fact, I'm not going to.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual assault, Kidnapping, and Sexual harassment
Moderate: Rape
zestyperiwinkle's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual assault