clumsyqueenie's review against another edition
5.0
“And so I leave it with all of you: Which came out of the opened door—the man, or the monster?”
Rating: 4.5 stars
★★★★★
consider reading this review on my blog!
The Lady or the Lion is one of the books I wanted to read this month, and since I already had the e-ARC for its sequel, I thought Why not try it? Little did I know I was going to be swooning and crying over the book. It all happened in three days; there was no internet for a good while so I binged the duology and have absolutely no regrets! ✌️
The Man or the Monster is a delightful sequel that lives up to its hype and delivers a lot more! Filled with court intrigue and forbidden romance, The Lady or the Lion leaves readers on a horrid cliffhanger, but thankfully its sequel is now here to save you from prolonged waiting.
The Man or the Monster picks up right after The Lady or the Lion, after the infamous trial of Marghazar. Durkhanai is left to fend for herself after nearly everyone seems to have turned on her. Due to this seclusion, she, as a character, grows a lot during this book. I loved to see Durkhanai go from the spoiled princess of Marghazar to a respectable and dutiful to-be-queen. Her development really shows in the sequel, especially as her relationships with quite a lot of characters towards the end of the book progressed very well.
There were many twists we couldn’t have seen coming and the betrayals really hit the marks! The political tension was so much more better than in the previous novel. We get to see the story from others’ points of view, whose stories often went unheard. I have a feeling I won’t stop if I start about Asfandyar, but here goes! Lots of familial connections and loyalties are explored and tested throughout the novel but Durkhanai and Asfandyar’s love for each stands true. The ending was so wholesome and cute (or not, more about that in a bit)! And honestly, I think the slow burn was really well-done in this one!
So, the ending. Huh. That was the most brutal and beautiful ending anyone could’ve asked for?!?! I never ever saw that coming but oh my gods, it made sense but also it didn’t. I know I’m not making any sense, but I’m afraid of spoiling so you’ll have to do with what I can! Just trust me, you’re in for a real treat! Hope this review moves you enough to pick up this series because we fans need someone to scream with!
— Thank you Edelweiss, CamCat Books and Rockstar Book Tours for presenting me with an ARC of this book in exchange for a honest review. All opinions are my own.
myblackbookish_life's review
adventurous
emotional
reflective
sad
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
4.5
As with book one, I did a hybrid read with book 2, and it was perfect.
ellansd's review
lowkey put me in a slump. i wanted to like it but couldn’t. the writing is not for me :/
kimu23's review against another edition
slow-paced
1.0
I was going to give this a 3 stars just to be kind but the ending ruined my mood.
The positives :
The positives :
- The romance. It's clear that Aamna Qureshi is a talented romance writer because the romance is the best thing that came out of this series. Asfandyar and Durkhanai relationship are very beautiful and emotional to read.
- Durkhanai's writing disappointed me in this book. Nevertheless, I always like angry female character.
The negatives :
- I don't particularly care for dual POVs but I believed this book would benefited if we can read outside of Durkhanai's POV. We did occasionally get Asfandyar's POV but it wasn't enough.
- The pacing.
Spoiler
The romance (which is the best part of this series) took a backseat in this book so there are a lot of 'politic intrigues' and Durkhanai trying to heal from broken heart. Unfortunately it was very boring. I was struggling to stay interested until 60% of the book. - The anticlimatic plot.
Spoiler
Wakdar's rebellion was the biggest part of this series. Durkhanai's family conflict was build up from the first book to most of the second book. Only for it to end so anticlimatic. The big plot ends easily and cleanly. It literally ends at 60% of the book and after that it was about Durkhanai's life as the ruler (which is also boring because everything is going smoothly). - Saifullah and Zarmina.
Spoiler
Durkhanai's traitor cousins, yet Durkhanai forgave them so easily. The series keeps telling us that Durkhanai is cursed to be always vengeful etc... yet it never actually shows it. She forgave Saifullah in one page only when that guy is involved with Asfandyar in tricking her in the first book. - The ending.
Spoiler
Basically Durkhanai needs to go on trial to prove she is innocent and not cursed. This happened at 91% of the book btw. Everything is solved and the series needs to end so why does the author sees the need to add another conflict?? Not only that, Durkhanai was killed off by the lion in the real ending. The main protagonist got killed off in one sentence at the end. Everything that she had done is pointless now. Then to 'soothe' the readers, Aamna Qureshi made another ending immediately by giving a perfect fairy tale ending for the series. A fucking joke.
I would still give this a 3 stars had it not been for the ending. Just for the romance and because I felt bad for the author if I give this a low rating. However that ending annoyed me so fucking much, I regret spending money on this book.
aashna's review
4.0
thank you to edelweiss for providing me with an arc!
the man or the monster is the sequel to the lady or the lion, and follows shezadi durkhanai as she must grapple with both the consequences of her actions and her family's legacy. without spoiling anything, this book definitely lives up to the first one and is a stunning sequel. i was hooked from the first page to the last one and the ending was an excellent thematic choice.
because this is a sequel, i won't go into specific plot points but i will say that this book builds off of the themes and questions brought up in the first book really well. the majority of the book is presented through durkhanai's point of view and her internal struggles are realistic, making her such a sympathetic character. her relationship with asfandyar is also so well written and had me giggling and kicking my legs at one point. familial and platonic relationships are given the same importance as the romance which is also really refreshing to see. i loved the desi rep in this book as well as the politics throughout. my only complaint was that we didn't see as much of durkhanai interacting with other characters as we did during the first book, though i enjoyed seeing how she grew on her own over the course of the book.
overall, the man or the monster lives up to book 1 and does so much more beyond that. it balances romance, politics, and familial legacy expertly and i can't recommend it enough!
the man or the monster is the sequel to the lady or the lion, and follows shezadi durkhanai as she must grapple with both the consequences of her actions and her family's legacy. without spoiling anything, this book definitely lives up to the first one and is a stunning sequel. i was hooked from the first page to the last one and the ending was an excellent thematic choice.
because this is a sequel, i won't go into specific plot points but i will say that this book builds off of the themes and questions brought up in the first book really well. the majority of the book is presented through durkhanai's point of view and her internal struggles are realistic, making her such a sympathetic character. her relationship with asfandyar is also so well written and had me giggling and kicking my legs at one point. familial and platonic relationships are given the same importance as the romance which is also really refreshing to see. i loved the desi rep in this book as well as the politics throughout. my only complaint was that we didn't see as much of durkhanai interacting with other characters as we did during the first book, though i enjoyed seeing how she grew on her own over the course of the book.
overall, the man or the monster lives up to book 1 and does so much more beyond that. it balances romance, politics, and familial legacy expertly and i can't recommend it enough!
cowmingo's review
3.0
The Man or the Monster picks up right where The Lady or the Lion leaves off! For as slow as I found a lot of the first book, this one was absolutely action packed from start to finish. It's hard to talk about this one without spoilers but I found it to be a satisfying conclusion. Durkhanai came off much less spoiled in this one and it was nice to see her start to figure who she wants to be and who she wants by her side. This one is a lot more violent than the first one so be prepared. All in all, I'm super glad I got the change to read this early. Many thanks to letstalkbookspromo and the publisher for an early, gifted copy of the story.
akacya's review against another edition
5.0
this review will contain spoilers for which door durkhanai led asfandyar to/which door he chose.
unfortunately for her, sending asfandyar to his fate was not the last of durkhanai’s troubles. she worries she won’t be good enough to be queen and certain factors have led her to question her family. she’s left with the decision to follow tradition or forge a new path.
if i thought the angst in the last book was a lot, it was even more so in this book. i mean, last book our lovebirds definitely had troubles, but now those troubles are added onto with the fact durkhanai was so willing to send asfandyar to his death and that asfandyar is betrothed to another (durkhanai’s cousin, at that). still, i live for angst and i ate this book up!
durkhanai is one of my fav mcs and i’m so glad we got to see more of her in this book. i was a little skeptical at first when i found out about this book since i thought the open ending in the last one was great. however, this sequel did not at all disappoint! highly recommend to anyone who enjoyed the lady or the lion.
unfortunately for her, sending asfandyar to his fate was not the last of durkhanai’s troubles. she worries she won’t be good enough to be queen and certain factors have led her to question her family. she’s left with the decision to follow tradition or forge a new path.
if i thought the angst in the last book was a lot, it was even more so in this book. i mean, last book our lovebirds definitely had troubles, but now those troubles are added onto with the fact durkhanai was so willing to send asfandyar to his death and that asfandyar is betrothed to another (durkhanai’s cousin, at that). still, i live for angst and i ate this book up!
durkhanai is one of my fav mcs and i’m so glad we got to see more of her in this book. i was a little skeptical at first when i found out about this book since i thought the open ending in the last one was great. however, this sequel did not at all disappoint! highly recommend to anyone who enjoyed the lady or the lion.
thepageladies's review
5.0
I was up late into the night reading this book! It's full of betrayal, drama, forbidden romance, surprising twists and so much more! The Man or the Monster picks up right after the ending of The Lady or the Lion and Durhanai must live with the consequences. She is going through a lot but her character went through a lot of changes. It's definitely a series that once you start you can't stop! I can't wait to see what happens next! Thank you Rockstar Book Tours, Aamna Qureshi, and CamCat Books for sharing this wonderful story with me!