melthebeloved's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
pforrester's review against another edition
dark
tense
fast-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
4.0
misssusan's review against another edition
3.0
reread! was curious to see if this would hold up. the primary reaction i remember having the first time around was dang, i can't believe i read slavefic and didn't hate it
my feelings now?
dang. i can't believe i read slavefic and didn't hate it
i mean my skin crawled a bit in the earlier chapters but luckily the book was fairly restrained and the dynamic got more equal fairly quickly
...actually i lie, it doesn't but like. the fact that damen is angry and unaccepting of his circumstances throughout made it easier to bear? like in flat terms erasmus' story at the end of this volume is sweeter but a significant part of me was like 'eughhhhhhhhh' because my soul screams every time i encounter anything even resembling the 'happy slave' trope
(yes i know, i get that the point of erasmus is he's submissive and happy in that and the book makes the delineation clear in the main story but do i try to police your inherent emotional reactions?)
it's the rare male-dominated book that i do not think would be improved by genderswap because i know myself well enough to know that i would have noped the hell out if i had to read about what happens to damen or erasmus as women (i considered fem!laurent for a bit but knowing what i do of his backstory i'm not sure i could tolerate that either)
anyways this is a decent start but i'm mostly just looking forward to book two because that's the one with politics and adventures and feelings and minimal sexual violence and i am READY for it
3.5 stars
my feelings now?
dang. i can't believe i read slavefic and didn't hate it
i mean my skin crawled a bit in the earlier chapters but luckily the book was fairly restrained and the dynamic got more equal fairly quickly
...actually i lie, it doesn't but like. the fact that damen is angry and unaccepting of his circumstances throughout made it easier to bear? like in flat terms erasmus' story at the end of this volume is sweeter but a significant part of me was like 'eughhhhhhhhh' because my soul screams every time i encounter anything even resembling the 'happy slave' trope
(yes i know, i get that the point of erasmus is he's submissive and happy in that and the book makes the delineation clear in the main story but do i try to police your inherent emotional reactions?)
it's the rare male-dominated book that i do not think would be improved by genderswap because i know myself well enough to know that i would have noped the hell out if i had to read about what happens to damen or erasmus as women (i considered fem!laurent for a bit but knowing what i do of his backstory i'm not sure i could tolerate that either)
anyways this is a decent start but i'm mostly just looking forward to book two because that's the one with politics and adventures and feelings and minimal sexual violence and i am READY for it
3.5 stars
noelleyew0605's review against another edition
4.0
Made me real uncomfortable in some parts but it also made me want to keep reading the series so
angelicasreads's review against another edition
2.0
I don't know what I expected. To feel something perhaps? I didn't though. I didn't love it. I didn't hate it. I'm not even sure if I liked it. But I'm about to read book two so that's something. For at least a few hours of my life I had something to do.
trickiees's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
5.0
arthurblunck's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
tense
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? Yes
4.0