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cheerydeery's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
funny
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Picked this up after finishing ACOTAR and its…quite similar on many aspects but not to the point of plagiarism. I’d recommend it for those who enjoyed ACOTAR. Please note though there is mention of SA in this book and it definitely made me uneasy. Nothing described graphically, but enough context that it may trigger others.
Content Warnings
Minor: Alcoholism, Child abuse, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Gore, Incest, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Slavery, Toxic relationship, Blood, Vomit, Kidnapping, Grief, Murder, Pregnancy, Abandonment, and Alcohol
kerrythefire's review against another edition
dark
medium-paced
3.5
This was ok but I wanted it to be so much more. I felt like it had some really good bones and potential, but I never pulled me in much below the surface.
Even with the flashbacks, I felt like I wanted more of Callie and Des' relationship development. I wanted to really understand their closeness... and I felt more told than shown. It didn't help that at times where I thought Des was kinda broadcasting things, Callie had a really aggressive doubt or confusion response. Like, she should have gotten it a little quicker.
I was interested in the mystery plot, but it needed more world building to actually hook me. As it is now, I don't think I'll continue with the series because I don't care quite enough to find out for the time I'd need to put in to get there...
I, like others, also didn't really get why they needed to make Callie 16 at the start. I feel like she could have been about to turn 18 and it still would have worked...
TWs:rape, ongoing sexual assault of a minor by parent figure, gore, blood, violence, death
Even with the flashbacks, I felt like I wanted more of Callie and Des' relationship development. I wanted to really understand their closeness... and I felt more told than shown. It didn't help that at times where I thought Des was kinda broadcasting things, Callie had a really aggressive doubt or confusion response. Like, she should have gotten it a little quicker.
I was interested in the mystery plot, but it needed more world building to actually hook me. As it is now, I don't think I'll continue with the series because I don't care quite enough to find out for the time I'd need to put in to get there...
I, like others, also didn't really get why they needed to make Callie 16 at the start. I feel like she could have been about to turn 18 and it still would have worked...
TWs:
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Violence, and Blood
Moderate: Rape, Sexual assault, and Kidnapping
Minor: Gore
jontel's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
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? No
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore
Moderate: Sexual violence and Vomit
lazy_raven's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
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
4.0
🌶️ 🌶️ 🌶️.Would have given 5 stars if there was a content warning in the beginning. 75% of the story revolves around off page rape, either in the past or implied in the future. There are only 3 smutty scenes, but they are well written and consent is present
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Death, Gore, Physical abuse, Blood, and Pregnancy
Moderate: Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Trafficking, and Pregnancy
All rape is off page but the story revolves around it. There is also a brief mention of infanticideonlyone's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
This isn't a bad book at all, don't think of my rating that way. I'm very impressed with the world building but the FL and 2FL are the best fleshed out characters. The smut was forgettable.
The book didn't spend much time fleshing out the big bad. It was a bit confusing with how quickly the book reached its climax and ended.
But I enjoyed this book and I'm going to read the sequel. I'm hoping to care about the ML more because he has a lot of potential.
I went in with no expectations and this is a decent read.
The book didn't spend much time fleshing out the big bad. It was a bit confusing with how quickly the book reached its climax and ended.
But I enjoyed this book and I'm going to read the sequel. I'm hoping to care about the ML more because he has a lot of potential.
I went in with no expectations and this is a decent read.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore, Rape, Sexual violence, Violence, Murder, and Pregnancy
thelibraryskeeper's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
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
5.0
I had never heard of this book or the series as a whole and I think I just found my new drug. I found myself wanting to pull up the audiobook and get more of the story than listen to music or anything else (even games! Who am I?!)
Dark wicked Fae king with wings? Check
Did I need more than that to check this out? Really no.
This book delivered and delivered. The slow burn was so well done and when we finally got there *chefs kiss*
Dark wicked Fae king with wings? Check
Did I need more than that to check this out? Really no.
This book delivered and delivered. The slow burn was so well done and when we finally got there *chefs kiss*
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gore, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, and Murder
tkatt20's review against another edition
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Yeah so I have thoughts about this book. First off I want to apologize to the girls in my book club for recommending this as our book for this month, I promise I have better taste in books than this. With that being said, let's get into the many reasons why I didn't like this book. Full warning, this will not be a nice review.
To start off, the pacing was horrendous. A good 75% of this book is fluffy filler of the main characters agonizing over one another with not an ounce of communication in sight. The other 25% had the potential for some plot with a good storyline, but was so overshadowed by the googly eyes between the two. Like if we had spent a little more time on world development and filling out the characters this could have been a solid romantasy novel, I mean the idea is there, the execution not so much.
Speaking of characters, these characters were so cliché. I mean, a broody fae king who's hundreds of years old and rules the "dark" side of the fae relm and a 23ish year old girl (also 16 through half of it but ill talk about that later) with magical powers and a tortured past. I think we've read this before, no? We had the makings for such a badass main lead but did we get that? No. Instead we got a girl who's so codependent on the mmc she couldn't have any other successful relationships for 7 YEARS while he was gone. Which by the way, they met when she was 16 where she took one look at him and become obsessed and he didn't have enough will power and morality to tell her how inappropriate it was, and actually fed into her obsession with him by teasing and making suggestive comments to her for the next year as we're told by the far too many flashbacks. If that doesn't smell like grooming I don't know what does.
By the time I got to the end I was so over everything I actually laughed at the speed of which the fmc actually put together the clues and found out who the villain is. For being a PI she certainly doesn't pick up on much and that so just so disappointing. Dont act like a strong female lead if youre just going to lay there and play damsel in distress. The ending was so sloppy and thrown together I felt like I blinked and it was all resolved. Im sure that there are more answers in the later books but im not even sure I care to keep reading im so disappointing by this. It gets 2 stars for the very few things I did like in this book, I mean it wasn't the worst I've read, but I'm just so frustrated by everything that I can't even come up with something I like right now.
Also, I have also decided that I can't do Urban Fantasy because if I read another half baked Harry Potter reference I'm going to scream.
To start off, the pacing was horrendous. A good 75% of this book is fluffy filler of the main characters agonizing over one another with not an ounce of communication in sight. The other 25% had the potential for some plot with a good storyline, but was so overshadowed by the googly eyes between the two. Like if we had spent a little more time on world development and filling out the characters this could have been a solid romantasy novel, I mean the idea is there, the execution not so much.
Speaking of characters, these characters were so cliché. I mean, a broody fae king who's hundreds of years old and rules the "dark" side of the fae relm and a 23ish year old girl (also 16 through half of it but ill talk about that later) with magical powers and a tortured past. I think we've read this before, no? We had the makings for such a badass main lead but did we get that? No. Instead we got a girl who's so codependent on the mmc she couldn't have any other successful relationships for 7 YEARS while he was gone. Which by the way, they met when she was 16 where she took one look at him and become obsessed and he didn't have enough will power and morality to tell her how inappropriate it was, and actually fed into her obsession with him by teasing and making suggestive comments to her for the next year as we're told by the far too many flashbacks. If that doesn't smell like grooming I don't know what does.
By the time I got to the end I was so over everything I actually laughed at the speed of which the fmc actually put together the clues and found out who the villain is. For being a PI she certainly doesn't pick up on much and that so just so disappointing. Dont act like a strong female lead if youre just going to lay there and play damsel in distress. The ending was so sloppy and thrown together I felt like I blinked and it was all resolved. Im sure that there are more answers in the later books but im not even sure I care to keep reading im so disappointing by this. It gets 2 stars for the very few things I did like in this book, I mean it wasn't the worst I've read, but I'm just so frustrated by everything that I can't even come up with something I like right now.
Also, I have also decided that I can't do Urban Fantasy because if I read another half baked Harry Potter reference I'm going to scream.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Rape, Sexual assault, and Sexual content
Moderate: Gore, Mental illness, and Murder
Minor: Alcoholism, Child abuse, and Death of parent
evebecktaylor's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
It’s a brilliant book, really good premise for the fantasy plot, however she’s 16 when they meet and it’s very codependent, which I understand given her history but it just toes the wrong side of the line for me. The book is set 7 years later so nothing bad happens when she’s under age but it’s still felt a little predatory for me.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Incest, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Blood, and Abandonment
maddierandolph's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, and Murder
Moderate: Child abuse, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Pregnancy, and Alcohol
Minor: Addiction, Gore, and Vomit
septi's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Kidnapping, and Pregnancy
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual assault, and Vomit
Minor: Addiction, Alcoholism, Body horror, Slavery, and Abandonment