greystory's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
I enjoyed it a LOT, far and above the first book.
I was especially thrilled with Nelle as a character. The way she's codified as having autism or something similar was done really well. She's relatable to me and she feels like a whole person with depth and layers rather than a list of symptoms or stereotypes. I loved the way she handled herself and I really enjoyed reading the relationship develop with Rath Tuviri. I loved his little nickname for her and Nelle's friendships with other members of the horde.
The horde king of Rath Tuviri was an interesting character, the little orphan that fought his way from the streets of Dothik all the way up to Vorakkar. He was a great choice for the second book as the reader draws a natural comparison to Arokan of Rath Kitala from book one, last of a long line of revered horde kings.
The only thing that really bothered me was that I wish there was something a bit more tangible about Rath Tuviri seeing the light of Kakkari in Nelle and what that meant. It was just a little too vague for me but I clearly didn't have an issue letting it slide. I was also less than pleased with some of his decisions concerning Nelle and the unnecessary drama/angst (cue eyeroll here) but it at least felt solidly rooted in decent character development and not done solely to tweak with our emotions, haha.
I was especially thrilled with Nelle as a character. The way she's codified as having autism or something similar was done really well. She's relatable to me and she feels like a whole person with depth and layers rather than a list of symptoms or stereotypes. I loved the way she handled herself and I really enjoyed reading the relationship develop with Rath Tuviri. I loved his little nickname for her and Nelle's friendships with other members of the horde.
The horde king of Rath Tuviri was an interesting character, the little orphan that fought his way from the streets of Dothik all the way up to Vorakkar. He was a great choice for the second book as the reader draws a natural comparison to Arokan of Rath Kitala from book one, last of a long line of revered horde kings.
The only thing that really bothered me was that I wish there was something a bit more tangible about Rath Tuviri seeing the light of Kakkari in Nelle and what that meant. It was just a little too vague for me but I clearly didn't have an issue letting it slide. I was also less than pleased with some of his decisions concerning Nelle and the unnecessary drama/angst (cue eyeroll here) but it at least felt solidly rooted in decent character development and not done solely to tweak with our emotions, haha.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Rape, Eating disorder, Pregnancy, and Vomit
dxisymitch's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Pregnancy, Physical abuse, and Grief
Minor: Vomit and Death of parent
now_booking's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
This series has been my first foray into alien-esque romance and let me just say, I’m a fan! Nelle and Seerin’s story was EVERYTHING! If you’re a fan of Julie Garwood’s medieval romances, this book was very reminiscent of those- and even though these aren’t historical romances, there is definitely a primal, historical vibe about them.
The premise is similar to the first book in that Nelle, a human refugee more or less isolated by her community, breaks a rule of the planet she’s on and Seerin, a horde king comes to punish her. Somehow, he sees something in her that makes him decide to reduce her sentence and take her back to his horde. Thus begins this moderately slow burn as they begin to get to know and understand each other and themselves. This is an adorable romance with lots of good hero apologizing and acknowledging when he is wrong. It also features an open, curious and yet pragmatic heroine. There is some punitive violence against the heroine by the hero at the start (when they are still strangers at the very beginning) but it makes sense in the context in which it happens and they do address it. I really enjoyed this and I recommend this series!
The premise is similar to the first book in that Nelle, a human refugee more or less isolated by her community, breaks a rule of the planet she’s on and Seerin, a horde king comes to punish her. Somehow, he sees something in her that makes him decide to reduce her sentence and take her back to his horde. Thus begins this moderately slow burn as they begin to get to know and understand each other and themselves. This is an adorable romance with lots of good hero apologizing and acknowledging when he is wrong. It also features an open, curious and yet pragmatic heroine. There is some punitive violence against the heroine by the hero at the start (when they are still strangers at the very beginning) but it makes sense in the context in which it happens and they do address it. I really enjoyed this and I recommend this series!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Physical abuse, Vomit, Injury/Injury detail, Abandonment, and Xenophobia
Moderate: Violence
Minor: Animal death
folkofthebook's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
3.75
Beautiful and emotional love story between two souls who’ve seen some shit. This series is my new IPB-esque palate cleanser / escapism romance read.
Fair warning, if you don’t like pregnancy plots you may not love this series overall (not central but similar to Ice Planet Barbarians)
Fair warning, if you don’t like pregnancy plots you may not love this series overall (not central but similar to Ice Planet Barbarians)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Pregnancy, Sexual content, and Vomit
Minor: Animal death, Death of parent, and Suicide
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