daisycantread24's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
slow-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: Death, Death of parent, Grief, Violence, Sexual content, Medical content, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Sexual harassment, War, and Child abuse
natashaleighton_'s review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.5
A fast paced and deliciously addictive, NA Fantasy that I genuinely couldn’t get enough of! It follows Arwen who (in order to save her reckless brother’s life) finds herself taken prisoner by the vicious Onyx king (who’s currently at war with her homeland) and forced to use her magical abilities to heal his subjects and soldiers.
Trying to escape is futile on her own but, with help from a fellow prisoner she might just make it out alive—if she can survive his infuriating personality and twisted sense of humour that is! But, with back-stabbing royals, dark magic, and sinister beasts to contend with, trusting this mysterious stranger is the least of her worries…
As you might already know, I’m a huge fan of anything enemies to lovers based so I was super excited to delve straight into this and, thankfully it didn’t disappoint!
The epic, fantasy world-building was quite detailed with a magic system I found incredibly intriguing. Not to mention the phenomenally intense, slow-burn romance we see unfold between Arwen and the sinfully charismatic Kane—which I relished every second of!
Their banter and flirtatious interactions were really good and reminded me a little of Poppy and Casteel‘s dynamics in From Blood and Ash.
The character development was also really well done. I absolutely adored protagonist, Arwen whose loving, self sacrificing nature has landed her in a pretty bad situation she has almost no way out of. But the determination and optimism she manages to hold on to, even during her own complex bouts of powerlessness. Not to mention the emotional divide between loyalty and love—both her her family and homeland, and her growing feelings for Kane, a man that many would consider her enemy.
Kane, likewise, has a lot of extremely difficult decisions to make—both in relation to his feelings for Arwen and his own sense of duty and loyalty to his people. I was genuinely impressed with the level of emotional detail we get throughout Kane’s character arc, despite never getting any chapters from his perspective—I’m not often endeared to a character (especially one as morally ambiguous as Kane is) without experiencing their POV, but Kate Golden really had me rooting for him.
I also found myself rooting for some of the supporting characters (particularly Mari and Dagan) and the almost wholesome, found family dynamics they have with Arwen. It’s definitely something I look forward to seeing more of. I’m also hoping Mari gets more scenes with Griffin because their chemistry was palpable.
Overall, an action packed page turner of a debut though like I said previously, is a bit of a slow-burn when it comes to the romance. So,if you’re looking for something a little more Instant in the romance department this may not be the book for you—but if (like me) you relish some good, old fashioned angst and romantic tension then, I definitely recommend checking this out.
I also want to say a huge thank you to the author Kate Golden for the e-copy.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Child abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, and Death of parent
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, War, Violence, and Kidnapping
Minor: Chronic illness and Gore
readswithcat's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Child abuse, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Gore, Medical content, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual content, Sexual assault, Physical abuse, and War
Minor: Rape
joyolivia's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Confinement, Sexual assault, and Panic attacks/disorders
Moderate: Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail, Chronic illness, and Medical content
Minor: Torture
cryosphinx's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
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
4.25
I wouldn't have expected something from a debut author is be this GOOD and make me stay up all night reading. It's very tropey but if you love enemies to lovers, slow burn, one horse, forced proximity, he falls first, "touch her and die" vibes, this has it and does it well. It's got dragons, witches, fae, oh my!
There is some fleshing out that desperately needs to happen, especially in terms of the MMC who is delightful, but some things about his personality I felt I didn't understand by the end. Some people have also complained about the lack of world building, but I didn't find an issue with that because the FMC narrator has lived a sheltered life, there's only so much SHE knows. I'm hoping that both of these things w about the world. I'll get resolved throughout the rest of the trilogy.
I also loved the growth of the FMC from timid and afraid to being a bad ass lady but you don't see much growth out of anyone else. There isn't a ton of side characters but I LOVED Mari and hope we see her story more and learn about her abilities.
There is some fleshing out that desperately needs to happen, especially in terms of the MMC who is delightful, but some things about his personality I felt I didn't understand by the end. Some people have also complained about the lack of world building, but I didn't find an issue with that because the FMC narrator has lived a sheltered life, there's only so much SHE knows. I'm hoping that both of these things w about the world. I'll get resolved throughout the rest of the trilogy.
I also loved the growth of the FMC from timid and afraid to being a bad ass lady but you don't see much growth out of anyone else. There isn't a ton of side characters but I LOVED Mari and hope we see her story more and learn about her abilities.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Child abuse, War, Death of parent, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Sexual harassment, Panic attacks/disorders, Alcohol, and Sexual violence
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