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ixris'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? Yes
4.75
A counterfeiting ring, hurt/comfort until the cows come home, a richly built fantasy world, a tetchy ex lover, a courtly romance, third gender and neopronouns, a dedicated warrior monk class taking up most of the character roster, queers everywhere ... I love so many things about this book!
Will be reading again. Clear fandom roots but not overwhelmingly or aggressively so. Freaking read this book.
Moderate: Cursing, Death, Drug use, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual content, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Death of parent, and Alcohol
Light spice, slow burn, enemies to lovers, did I mention queer secondary world renaissance-ish fantasy????dreamerfreak'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? Yes
4.25
Graphic: Mental illness and Panic attacks/disorders
Moderate: Confinement, Death, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Drug use and Grief
katievallin'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? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Bullying, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual content, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Cursing, Death, and Medical content
Minor: Grief and Pregnancy
kurumipanda's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders
Moderate: Death, Sexual content, Violence, Blood, Grief, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Animal death
amy_in_the_city'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? Yes
5.0
The romance in this was such a delicious, angsty, slow burn. Evemer was so stoic and reserved, which made it all the more fun to see him fall so hard for Kadou. I appreciated the anxiety representation with Kadou and that it didn't make him any less of a badass. He still defended Evemer whenever needed, and I loved seeing a prince also defend his bodyguard. A big theme in their relationship is reciprocity, and I love when couples feel like a real partnership.
There was enough action to keep the plot fun and exciting, but I do wish the villain wasn't so obvious from the start. Also, while this was a fantasy, the fantasy elements are used very sparingly. The ending felt a little bit rushed, and I do wish we got to see a bit more of Kadou and Evemer together as a happy couple. My overwhelming love for the romance and the characters overrides any of these quibbles though, and I know this is a book I'll come back to for rereads.
Graphic: Mental illness, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Death, Gore, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, and Vomit
Minor: Drug use, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Death of parent, Pregnancy, and Classism
jayjayre's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
I found the small magic system to be well-integrated into the world of the story, and as a bonus, it was suitably plot-relevant. I appreciated the inclusion of queer characters and the diversity of gender, especially because it was simply a facet of the characters rather than a focus of the plot. I love fantasy worlds that don't transplant bigotry/systems of oppression from our world, this setting has a woman ruling, people can marry any gender, and there is a common pronoun used for some (nonbinary) characters, and that is all in the background.
I loved the characters in this book. I worried I wouldn't like several of them to start, but they grew on me, and a character I found very annoying upon first introduction ended up being my favorite by the end. I think this book would be even better on a second read, with the knowledge of where the characters' development leads coloring my perspective.
This book is not a good book to skim for action/adventure/mystery. The plot is a bit plodding with a predictable mystery and antagonists that are not well-developed. Thankfully, that is a relatively small part of the book, mostly sidelined for the very enjoyable character-heavy focus. It was rewarding to get to know the main characters, reveal their flaws, and see them grow to understand each other while they better themselves and their relationships.
(My rating is increased compared to my personal enjoyment of the book, as it's not my ideal subgenre. I don't detract stars for things aimed at a different target audience.)
Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders
Moderate: Mental illness
Minor: Eating disorder, Kidnapping, Grief, and Alcohol
ceruleanseas'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? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Death, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual content, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Drug use and Alcohol
Minor: Grief
purely_romantic'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? No
5.0
Graphic: Death, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, and Kidnapping
Moderate: Death of parent and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Grief
Detailed descriptions of anxiety and intrusive thoughts sometimes leading to panic attackskimschouwenaar's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
Is it historically accurate? Probably not.
Is it enjoyable? Yes, but I will not be re-reading, and this has not become one of my favourite reads.
Besides the fact that I just could not connect to the two main characters, the pacing is off. Some scattered moments were exciting, but overall I was a little bored. Then there is the wording and dialogue, which was a peculiar mix of historical and modern speech. For some it might work, but for me it was confusing.
Additionally, I simply do not understand why in such a seemingly modern and advanced society, there is such an ignorance towards mental health issues. There are multiple characters using neo-pronouns (a fact I absolutely ADORE), they seem to have equal rights for men and women, and the sultan is a woman with a new-born (!!!!) (Zeliha and Eyne were an absolutely delightful addition to the story). Also, there was an aro-ace character that uses çe/çem/çir!
It could have been great, but to me it wasn’t.
Graphic: Cursing, Death, Gore, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Violence, Blood, Grief, Murder, and Gaslighting
Moderate: Alcoholism, Eating disorder, Gun violence, Sexual content, Medical content, Kidnapping, Grief, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail
discarded_dust_jacket'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? Yes
3.25
This is entirely personal preference, but I would’ve liked if the pacing of the romance was a bit quicker. I understand it’s a slow burn, but this was a SLOOWWWWW burn, lol. Again, totally personal preference. It was still a joy to read.
Graphic: Death, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Violence, Grief, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Bullying
Minor: Confinement, Drug use, and Kidnapping