The design and UX isn't done, Rob and Abbie, okkurrrr! đ
stephanimichelle's review against another edition
2.0
Sonya is an Auraseer â thatâs aura-see-er. As in she sees and reads peopleâs auras. I donât know why they couldnât just outright say that. It took me longer than youâd think( 91% of the way through the book, ahem, )to figure it out. In my head I was pronouncing it a-roar-sear. I donât know why. AnywayâŚ
So Sonya is an orphan. In Riaznin any auraseers belong to the Emperor, and must serve as his protector. As someone who can read auras Sonya can sense emotions, and thus identify potential assassins, as you would imagine they would be quite angry/ hateful/ dark as they are about to do the deed.
Sonyaâs parents wanted her to be free so they entrusted her to a tribe of travellers called Romska, to keep her safe from the Empire; they were then murdered for disobeying the law.
Eventually Sonya was found and given to the Convent where auraseers are trained. Even amongst her peers Sonyaâs powers are strange and powerful; she can sense the auras and emotions of animals and dead people. Yeah, thatâs sounds delightful.
Because she was taken and hidden amongst the Romska, Sonya has never been trained to control her powers; she takes on the feelings of others as if they were her own emotions, and gets into some awful scrapes (understatement) from becoming carried away by said emotions.
After a terrible âaccidentâ leads to Sonya becoming the oldest auraseer, Sonya must leave the convent to become Emperor Valkoâs protector. The previous Sovereign Auraseer( a fancy title that comes with room, board, fancy robes and the penalty of death if you donât spot assassins )has been executed for failing to prevent an assassination attempt which took out the Dowager Empress instead of the emperor. No pressure then.
The Crown Prince, Anton, brings Sonya to the palace, and immediately expresses doubt in her ability to do her job to protect his brother. Sonya is untrained, wild and reckless. Despite this there is a mutual attraction between them. Can Sonya prevent the emperor from being assassinated and learn to control her powers?
This was an okay novel; the concept was interesting and I liked the fictional world in which the story took place. The downside? I really didnât like Sonya. The âaccidentsâ which took place could have been easily avoided by her using a bit of common sense. She knows she gets carried away by the feelings of others, would it have been too much to stop and think, hmm, do I really want to do this?
I also really hated the love triangle. Anton is nice if a bit too concerned with not taking advantage of Sonyaâs empathy abilities. Valko( excuse my language )is a knob. Sonya doesnât like him, she knows she doesnât like him. She knows he manipulates people, especially women. Does she still fall for his crap? Every. Damn. Time. Itâs like Fifty Shades for teenagers with better writing and slightly less abuse.
Iâm not sure if this is the end of the story or if there will be a sequel. If there is a sequel Iâm torn as to whether or not to give it a chance. The romance aspect just became so tiresome, and Sonya turns herself into a complete victim, beats herself up( metaphorically )for causing so many problems, but at the same time doesnât seem to take responsibility for her actions or change her behaviour. Itâs almost as if she is just saying bad things about herself so that everyone will go âoh no, youâre fabulous, we love youâ. Whatâs even more annoying is that they do! Anton tells her sheâs brilliant. Really??? Do you know what sheâs done??? Not buying it, sorry.
The kindle version is ÂŁ8.99 at the time of this review and I think the hardback is ÂŁ12.99 from Harper Collins.
So Sonya is an orphan. In Riaznin any auraseers belong to the Emperor, and must serve as his protector. As someone who can read auras Sonya can sense emotions, and thus identify potential assassins, as you would imagine they would be quite angry/ hateful/ dark as they are about to do the deed.
Sonyaâs parents wanted her to be free so they entrusted her to a tribe of travellers called Romska, to keep her safe from the Empire; they were then murdered for disobeying the law.
Eventually Sonya was found and given to the Convent where auraseers are trained. Even amongst her peers Sonyaâs powers are strange and powerful; she can sense the auras and emotions of animals and dead people. Yeah, thatâs sounds delightful.
Because she was taken and hidden amongst the Romska, Sonya has never been trained to control her powers; she takes on the feelings of others as if they were her own emotions, and gets into some awful scrapes (understatement) from becoming carried away by said emotions.
After a terrible âaccidentâ leads to Sonya becoming the oldest auraseer, Sonya must leave the convent to become Emperor Valkoâs protector. The previous Sovereign Auraseer( a fancy title that comes with room, board, fancy robes and the penalty of death if you donât spot assassins )has been executed for failing to prevent an assassination attempt which took out the Dowager Empress instead of the emperor. No pressure then.
The Crown Prince, Anton, brings Sonya to the palace, and immediately expresses doubt in her ability to do her job to protect his brother. Sonya is untrained, wild and reckless. Despite this there is a mutual attraction between them. Can Sonya prevent the emperor from being assassinated and learn to control her powers?
This was an okay novel; the concept was interesting and I liked the fictional world in which the story took place. The downside? I really didnât like Sonya. The âaccidentsâ which took place could have been easily avoided by her using a bit of common sense. She knows she gets carried away by the feelings of others, would it have been too much to stop and think, hmm, do I really want to do this?
I also really hated the love triangle. Anton is nice if a bit too concerned with not taking advantage of Sonyaâs empathy abilities. Valko( excuse my language )is a knob. Sonya doesnât like him, she knows she doesnât like him. She knows he manipulates people, especially women. Does she still fall for his crap? Every. Damn. Time. Itâs like Fifty Shades for teenagers with better writing and slightly less abuse.
Iâm not sure if this is the end of the story or if there will be a sequel. If there is a sequel Iâm torn as to whether or not to give it a chance. The romance aspect just became so tiresome, and Sonya turns herself into a complete victim, beats herself up( metaphorically )for causing so many problems, but at the same time doesnât seem to take responsibility for her actions or change her behaviour. Itâs almost as if she is just saying bad things about herself so that everyone will go âoh no, youâre fabulous, we love youâ. Whatâs even more annoying is that they do! Anton tells her sheâs brilliant. Really??? Do you know what sheâs done??? Not buying it, sorry.
The kindle version is ÂŁ8.99 at the time of this review and I think the hardback is ÂŁ12.99 from Harper Collins.
iphi_kc13's review against another edition
3.0
3.5 It'll be interesting to see how things turn out, especially with the birthmark fiasco. It'd also be nice to see some bad guys die this time instead of her closest friends.
pypingpanda's review against another edition
2.0
When I started reading I had high hopes for this novel and don't get me wrong it was great. But, I did find I had some issues with the writing and final arc of the story.
The beginning is very startling with the introduction of both the main character and her supporting cast. However, I found that the characters drastically changed throughout the story - where I had liked them in the beginning, I found myself hating their blandness in the end. The main characters pivoting moment seemed more an afterthought then a main part of the story especially because she has multiple, some for the discovery of herself and then again to help the climactic ending chapter. Unfortunately although this story had a great beginning, I found it fell quite flat overall and will not be continuing with the rest of the series.
(This title was my FEMALE AUTHOR for the 2020 SDG Library Next Reads Reading Challenge.)
The beginning is very startling with the introduction of both the main character and her supporting cast. However, I found that the characters drastically changed throughout the story - where I had liked them in the beginning, I found myself hating their blandness in the end. The main characters pivoting moment seemed more an afterthought then a main part of the story especially because she has multiple, some for the discovery of herself and then again to help the climactic ending chapter. Unfortunately although this story had a great beginning, I found it fell quite flat overall and will not be continuing with the rest of the series.
(This title was my FEMALE AUTHOR for the 2020 SDG Library Next Reads Reading Challenge.)
blakehalsey's review against another edition
5.0
One of my favorite fantasies, hands down. Beautifully written, full of emotion and romance and oh dear god, some stellar romantic tension. A breath-taking read!
pinkhydroflask's review against another edition
1.0
RATING: 0/10
if i could give this embarrassment of a book zero stars, i would
this book is the exact definition of a waste of paper. i managed to finish 259 out of the 490 pages, and boy, my neck is sore from cringing.
1. the love triangle. between. two brothers.
let me just establish here that the insufferable main character harboured sexual desires for both brothers she was SEXUALLY ATTRACTED. TO BOTH OF THEM. one moment she's busy making out with the emperor, and five seconds later she's trying to get the attention of the prince. the both of them are no better. it's clear that the both of them do not have any idea how to treat a girl properly, and i had to sit through 259 pages of their nails-on-chalkboard type of relationship. it was an utterly disgusting narrative that i do not wish to ever encounter in my entire life ever again.
2. SONYA PETROVA
goodness gracious.
she alone made me wish i was illiterate. i genuinely could not believe that there was a main character i would dislike so much, but here we are. sonya is a whiny crybaby who for the life of her, CANNOT GET HER SHIT TOGETHER. she wasted so much time talking about her curse/gift of being able to sense emotions and instead of working hard to reign it in or practice her abilities, she's out here lusting after two different men at the same time, BOTH OF WHOM ARE BROTHERS. i absolutely cannot understand why the author hated her readers so much until the point where she had to throw horseshit of this extent at us. WE DO NOT. WANT YOUR SHITTY ASS. MAIN CHARACTER. Sonya's personality in TLDR form: thirsting, lust, making out, sexual desires, sobbing, making out, lust, crying, thirsting. that's it. we do not see anything else. though i only finished 259 pages, i'd bet anyone money that her personality does not get any better. it probably goes to shit even more, and i do not know how that may be possible given her appalling state in the first half of the book.
3. The Plot
there is. TOO MUCH TALKING
i spent a decent amount of time reading this, and i can assure future readers that there is absolutely no plot development. this book is terrible. it's an embarrassment to fiction writers everywhere, and i am not ashamed to say it. there is absolutely none to minimal plot development, which i can attribute to the fact that, once again, our lovely main character cannot GET. HER SHIT. TOGETHER. so much of the book is wasted on her crying and feeling sorry for herself. we could have seen intriguing schemes and sinister plots and war plans and sibling rivalry, but there is absolutely nothing remotely interesting in this novel because our main character was as useful as a piece of carpet.
reading is supposed to be a relaxing pastime. it's supposed to be interesting to venture into new worlds and learn about different cultures and histories told in creative, fictional ways. reading is supposed to transport the reader across different lands, daring adventures and so much more.
reading this book just made me wish i was illiterate.
if i could give this embarrassment of a book zero stars, i would
this book is the exact definition of a waste of paper. i managed to finish 259 out of the 490 pages, and boy, my neck is sore from cringing.
1. the love triangle. between. two brothers.
let me just establish here that the insufferable main character harboured sexual desires for both brothers she was SEXUALLY ATTRACTED. TO BOTH OF THEM. one moment she's busy making out with the emperor, and five seconds later she's trying to get the attention of the prince. the both of them are no better. it's clear that the both of them do not have any idea how to treat a girl properly, and i had to sit through 259 pages of their nails-on-chalkboard type of relationship. it was an utterly disgusting narrative that i do not wish to ever encounter in my entire life ever again.
2. SONYA PETROVA
goodness gracious.
she alone made me wish i was illiterate. i genuinely could not believe that there was a main character i would dislike so much, but here we are. sonya is a whiny crybaby who for the life of her, CANNOT GET HER SHIT TOGETHER. she wasted so much time talking about her curse/gift of being able to sense emotions and instead of working hard to reign it in or practice her abilities, she's out here lusting after two different men at the same time, BOTH OF WHOM ARE BROTHERS. i absolutely cannot understand why the author hated her readers so much until the point where she had to throw horseshit of this extent at us. WE DO NOT. WANT YOUR SHITTY ASS. MAIN CHARACTER. Sonya's personality in TLDR form: thirsting, lust, making out, sexual desires, sobbing, making out, lust, crying, thirsting. that's it. we do not see anything else. though i only finished 259 pages, i'd bet anyone money that her personality does not get any better. it probably goes to shit even more, and i do not know how that may be possible given her appalling state in the first half of the book.
3. The Plot
there is. TOO MUCH TALKING
i spent a decent amount of time reading this, and i can assure future readers that there is absolutely no plot development. this book is terrible. it's an embarrassment to fiction writers everywhere, and i am not ashamed to say it. there is absolutely none to minimal plot development, which i can attribute to the fact that, once again, our lovely main character cannot GET. HER SHIT. TOGETHER. so much of the book is wasted on her crying and feeling sorry for herself. we could have seen intriguing schemes and sinister plots and war plans and sibling rivalry, but there is absolutely nothing remotely interesting in this novel because our main character was as useful as a piece of carpet.
reading is supposed to be a relaxing pastime. it's supposed to be interesting to venture into new worlds and learn about different cultures and histories told in creative, fictional ways. reading is supposed to transport the reader across different lands, daring adventures and so much more.
reading this book just made me wish i was illiterate.
bookwife's review against another edition
1.0
umm? I don't even know how to write this review. I think the book had a fantastic premise but Sonya stressed me the F out. Listening to this book gave me a headache. She was all over the place. She didn't know how she felt about anything or anyone and it really was just a whole bunch of going back and forth on her feelings. And the romance was a joke. They pretty much didn't talk the whole trip to the castle but somehow they both fell in love with each other?? They didn't really speak to each other once they got to the castle either so it just didn't make sense to me.
So the characters were terrible and the romance was bad. There just wasn't anything in this story that pulled me in. I actually have zero intentions of reading the next book.
So the characters were terrible and the romance was bad. There just wasn't anything in this story that pulled me in. I actually have zero intentions of reading the next book.
lassarina's review against another edition
dark
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
The idea of an empath as guardian to the emperor is interesting, but after a bit the sheer volume of extreme emotion got kind of tiring.Â
emiann2023's review against another edition
2.0
DNF. made it to like 50 something and couldn't bear to read more. Skimmed the end and didn't care.
Honestly, I kind of knew I should have chosen a different book at Barnes and Noble. it was that feeling, you know the one. The "I'm-definitely-going-to-regret-this" feeling that you sometimes ignore, because the blurb actually sounds interesting and reading the first page you find that the writing isn't mind-numbing dull.
I was wrong. So wrong. Our heroine is...well. she's not really a heroine at all, honestly, from the few pages I did read. Mass murder and a smidge of guilt that disappears in 20 pages does not endear me to you. She isn't even some kick-ass villan or anti-hero. She's...annoying. I deal with enough annoying imbeciles in my day to day life. I don't want to read about them too.
So much regret...
Honestly, I kind of knew I should have chosen a different book at Barnes and Noble. it was that feeling, you know the one. The "I'm-definitely-going-to-regret-this" feeling that you sometimes ignore, because the blurb actually sounds interesting and reading the first page you find that the writing isn't mind-numbing dull.
I was wrong. So wrong. Our heroine is...well. she's not really a heroine at all, honestly, from the few pages I did read. Mass murder and a smidge of guilt that disappears in 20 pages does not endear me to you. She isn't even some kick-ass villan or anti-hero. She's...annoying. I deal with enough annoying imbeciles in my day to day life. I don't want to read about them too.
So much regret...
oriental_muse_0818's review against another edition
2.0
DNF at 52%
This was very promising but turned out to be a complete let down...
This was very promising but turned out to be a complete let down...