tessjuliarose19's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Graphic: Gaslighting, Domestic abuse, Toxic relationship, Blood, Child abuse, Death of parent, Death, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, and Sexual content
ninxkr's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
0.25
This book was a 0.25 ⭐️ for me solely based on the potential it had with the concept of the Veil. Below are the reasons why this book failed to hit the mark for me
Spoiler
The characters
Both the FMC AND MMC are infuriating in their own way.
The MMC is a manipulative gaslighter who loves to coerce the FMC into sexual interactions with dubious consent whenever she as much as has a single thought. The fact that this is the MMC our FMC is made to fall for with her backstory of SA and grooming is baffling.
The FMC is set up to be a wild, intelligent woman longing for nothing but freedom after being groomed all her life. Yet, her actions paint her as an easily manipulated airhead. There was times when I had to put down the book due to the frustration caused by her level of dumbness. Somehow at the same time she knew things she had no business of knowing (not that it helped her figure out anything).
The side characters were written in a way that made you not care for them and noneq of the deaths impacted me (or the FMC, based on the writing).
The pet name
Some pet names in fantasy novels are bad and there's pet names that I would pay to get erased from my memory. Little One falls in the latter category. The use of this pet name feels more predatory and belittling than endearing, especially when used by the MMC when bossing the FMC around or, worse, in a sexual context.
The writing
This was very much a book where things were told to the reader and we were meant to just accept it. No prior hinting at things, showing internal struggles or doubts. When you are told randomly that the FMC is grieving her dead brother without ever having seen any signs of this in her behaviour or thought it simply does not have the impact it is intended to have. Same goes for being told the FMC has doubts about the MMC since his encounter with the cave beast 3 chapters before the end when this doubt had not been mentioned in her internal monologue at all since said encounter.
The dialogue is tediously bad. In a 420 page book there was maybe about 5 pages worth of actually meaningful dialogue. It becomes tedious to read when every conversation between the MCs ends in the MMC either making explicit sexual remarks or straight up coercing her into sex.
Overall the events, thoughts and dialogues seem disconnected from one moment to the next.
The pacing
The book starts off pretty strong with the worldbuilding and the fall of the Veil but quickly turns into 300 pages of the MCs wandering about the woods without much happening at all. They literally just walk around. The pace picks up a little bit when they meet the Resistance but once they go out on the mission to find the Marked towards the end of the book things feel incredibly rushed and there is no space left to explore what is really happening. Which brings me to ....
The plot twist at the end
The twist at the end had potential to be good if it wasn't all but spelled out about halfway through the book already. From the moment we met the MMC it was clear to me this was the fae mate the FMC had been running from. There is foreshadowing and there is spoiling the twist long before it's meant to be revealed.
Spoiler
I am usually a person who feels the need to finish a series once I have started it but after reading the first book I feel absolutely no rush to purchase the next book (if ever).
Graphic: Sexual assault, Violence, Stalking, Sexual harassment, Sexual content, Murder, Misogyny, and Emotional abuse
Moderate: Sexual violence
shan_lou's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
1.0
Graphic: Rape, Sexism, Toxic relationship, Death, Death of parent, Gore, Suicide, Toxic friendship, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual assault, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Violence, Misogyny, Stalking, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide attempt
lousnewchapter's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
2.0
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Adult/minor relationship, Emotional abuse, Grief, Gore, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Toxic relationship, Misogyny, Murder, Sexism, Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Sexual content, and Death of parent
lotecider's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
1.75
Over all, though, this book had so much potential but was a really disappointing read. The author's writing style makes it very difficult to stay interested, the relationships are borderline abusive and yet they are romanticised and the plot, although had potential, was underwhelming.
While there's nothing wrong with having elements of stories that are predictable, for the most part the book followed all the standard, cliché tropes a fantasy book needs as if it was ticking items off a checklist. There was a lot of unnecessary repetition, way too much "telling" and not enough "showing".
At times it felt like whenever the author ran out of plot ideas she threw in a sex scene (which were also mediocre at best).
About 3 chapters in I really wanted to DNC the book but only continued reading after convincing myself it would get better. It did get better in the final chapter, but then the book finished :/
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Blood and Emotional abuse
Spoiler
the cliff hanger, although predictable, was very good. Despite not at all enjoying the book, i definitely want to read the sequel to find out how the cliffhanger is resolvedkatvou's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
Graphic: Death, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual content, Violence, and Murder
Moderate: Death of parent, Gaslighting, Animal death, Blood, Child death, and Adult/minor relationship
Minor: Rape, Medical content, Physical abuse, Sexual violence, Torture, Chronic illness, Grief, and Emotional abuse
emilyalthea's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
0.25
Graphic: Rape and Emotional abuse
frecca95's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.5
Graphic: Death of parent, Death, Emotional abuse, Sexism, and Sexual harassment
justagrlandherdog's review against another edition
- 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
2.5
Graphic: Classism, Death, Emotional abuse, Sexual content, Blood, Injury/Injury detail, Toxic relationship, Suicidal thoughts, and Violence
Moderate: Gaslighting and Misogyny
Minor: Death of parent
paperdreams's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
3.75
Graphic: Sexual content, Physical abuse, Emotional abuse, and Violence
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts