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daem_ss's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
inspiring
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Más que haber estado leyendo un libro sentí como que estaba viendo una serie épica de reinos y guerras. Me encantó la ambientación, la tensión entre los protagonistas y, sobre todo, el complot que se iba moldeando a través de las páginas. Aunque sí hubieron partes que encontraba algo innecesarias o donde me confundía, entiendo que todo formó parte de demostrar cómo funcionaban las sociedades de cada reino. Uf, estoy deseando que el segundo libro me encante aun más. 🫣
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual violence, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Blood, Trafficking, and Alcohol
Moderate: Drug use, Gore, Misogyny, Pedophilia, and War
Minor: Adult/minor relationship
divine529's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
I don't even know where to begin talking about this book. I really didn't love it, but it was very engaging and intriguing, so that kept me reading. It's essentially a specific kind of "book candy" (it's not a good book, but it's compelling in a way I'm not sure I fully understand and makes me want to keep reading).
This follows our main protagonist, Damen, a prince from Akielos whose father was killed and his half-brother sent him off to be a slave in a neighboring kingdom. His master is the cruel and cold prince of Vere, Laurent. What follows is a story of cruelty, survival, pain, political intrigue and cultural clashes.
As I said above, I wasn't a huge fan of this book. I really enjoyed my time with it because of the plot and the politics. The characters aren't that loveable and I feel like we really don't know much about them by the end of the book. Plus the things Laurent put Damen through? That's a kind of trauma that doesn't sit right with me for any kind of relationship they form, even if it were to be resolved later.
The amount of rape, CSA and torture is a lot and was really rough for me to read.
Some people have said this is a sort of gay GoT and I can sort of see what they mean.
All in all, I didn't love this, but it's intriguing enough for me to want to continue on. Definitely "book candy" for me.
This follows our main protagonist, Damen, a prince from Akielos whose father was killed and his half-brother sent him off to be a slave in a neighboring kingdom. His master is the cruel and cold prince of Vere, Laurent. What follows is a story of cruelty, survival, pain, political intrigue and cultural clashes.
As I said above, I wasn't a huge fan of this book. I really enjoyed my time with it because of the plot and the politics. The characters aren't that loveable and I feel like we really don't know much about them by the end of the book. Plus the things Laurent put Damen through? That's a kind of trauma that doesn't sit right with me for any kind of relationship they form, even if it were to be resolved later.
The amount of rape, CSA and torture is a lot and was really rough for me to read.
Some people have said this is a sort of gay GoT and I can sort of see what they mean.
All in all, I didn't love this, but it's intriguing enough for me to want to continue on. Definitely "book candy" for me.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Gore, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Biphobia, Body horror, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Pedophilia, Toxic relationship, Blood, Acephobia/Arophobia, and Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Animal death, Death, Incest, Infidelity, Death of parent, Pregnancy, and War
evilovesyou's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Confinement, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gore, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual violence, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Xenophobia, Trafficking, Kidnapping, and War
kissjjong's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore, Rape, Slavery, and Violence
bugcollector's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.0
I just finished reading dark rise beforehand, bestie how is this the same author
It rubs me off the wrong way that some slaves are introduced as "meant to be submissive" and "born to serve".
and how am i supposed to ship em😀 rape isn't swag and this book isn't romance, i suppose it will come in the 2nd one but still
It rubs me off the wrong way that some slaves are introduced as "meant to be submissive" and "born to serve".
and how am i supposed to ship em😀 rape isn't swag and this book isn't romance, i suppose it will come in the 2nd one but still
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Body horror, Child abuse, Death, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Sexual harassment, War, and Classism
alexandryareads's review against another edition
dark
tense
fast-paced
- 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
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape, Slavery, and Blood
Moderate: Child abuse, Pedophilia, Sexual assault, and Violence
Minor: Gore
afi_whatafireads's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Personal Ratings: 3.65/5🌟
I went in expecting more romance but I got more politics instead 😌
I mean, not that I hated it. I would think the politics in here are actually quite well written and the I can see that the romance would be the SLOWEST. BURN. EVER.
𝙏𝙧𝙞𝙜𝙜𝙚𝙧 𝙒𝙖𝙧𝙣𝙞𝙣𝙜𝙨: 𝙋𝙧𝙤𝙨𝙩𝙞𝙩𝙪𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣, 𝙈𝙖𝙡𝙚-𝙋𝙧𝙤𝙨𝙩𝙞𝙩𝙪𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣, 𝙋𝙚𝙙𝙤𝙥𝙝𝙞𝙡𝙞𝙖, 𝙍𝙖𝙥𝙚, 𝙂𝙤𝙧𝙚, 𝘿𝙚𝙖𝙩𝙝, 𝘽𝙚𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜𝙨, 𝙀𝙣𝙨𝙡𝙖𝙫𝙚𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙩, 𝙆𝙞𝙙𝙣𝙖𝙥𝙥𝙞𝙣𝙜, 𝙀𝙭𝙩𝙧𝙚𝙢𝙚 𝙂𝙖𝙨𝙡𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜, 𝙎𝙚𝙭𝙪𝙖𝙡 𝘼𝙨𝙨𝙖𝙪𝙡𝙩
Short Summarys
Damen is the rightful heir to Akielos and when his stepbrother pulled a coup d'etat on his family, not only he was stripped of power, but he was sent as a slave to the neighbouring country, in which, the current prince harbors a deep, deep, hatred , especially for him. Sold as a slave, Damen had to keep his identity in order to survive and to at least gain his strength to save his country, whilst having to work with his now-master that loathes him to his very core.
Personal Thougts
I would say this makes a VERY slowburn romance, with LITERAL, enemies-lovers. The way Damen and Prince Laurent LOATHED each other, its to a point that you felt sorry for Damen sometimes on how he was treated.
Writing-wise, this is my first book from Pacat and I have to say, its not bad. Its straightforward, with a hint of lyrical writing but its not too-overly done. Its pitched as a romance fantasy, and I can say, for the first book, there's not much romance (which I don't mind) because I enjoyed the court politics.
The Politics in this book was well-written. For something that is pitched as romance fantasy, the politics in this book is something that I enjoyed. Everyone here is scheming something and I like that Damen did not lose himself even he had been beaten down. As much as Laurent is cold and cruel in this book, I also like his character. He exudes a persona that just bows down to people but has his own plans up his sleeves, which I can't wait to find out in the second book.
Pacing-Wise I think one of my problems with the book was the pacing. I was okay with the idea but it got a bit tedious and repetitive when Damen was CONSTANTLY tortured. I mean, I get it, you hate the guy, but I felt that Damen's torture scene got boring at some point. There was also parts that I felt was a bit unnecessary and the plot can progress faster.
Overall
I went in not knowing much about the book but I am surprised to say that the book kinda grew on me and I'm anticipating how it will turn out in the second book. Please come in with precautions as this book consists very gory scenes, but its one that I'd say I'm actually looking forward to? I'm curious on Laurent's and Damen's relationship so , yes, I'll continue with the second book to see how it goes.
I went in expecting more romance but I got more politics instead 😌
I mean, not that I hated it. I would think the politics in here are actually quite well written and the I can see that the romance would be the SLOWEST. BURN. EVER.
𝙏𝙧𝙞𝙜𝙜𝙚𝙧 𝙒𝙖𝙧𝙣𝙞𝙣𝙜𝙨: 𝙋𝙧𝙤𝙨𝙩𝙞𝙩𝙪𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣, 𝙈𝙖𝙡𝙚-𝙋𝙧𝙤𝙨𝙩𝙞𝙩𝙪𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣, 𝙋𝙚𝙙𝙤𝙥𝙝𝙞𝙡𝙞𝙖, 𝙍𝙖𝙥𝙚, 𝙂𝙤𝙧𝙚, 𝘿𝙚𝙖𝙩𝙝, 𝘽𝙚𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜𝙨, 𝙀𝙣𝙨𝙡𝙖𝙫𝙚𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙩, 𝙆𝙞𝙙𝙣𝙖𝙥𝙥𝙞𝙣𝙜, 𝙀𝙭𝙩𝙧𝙚𝙢𝙚 𝙂𝙖𝙨𝙡𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜, 𝙎𝙚𝙭𝙪𝙖𝙡 𝘼𝙨𝙨𝙖𝙪𝙡𝙩
Short Summarys
Damen is the rightful heir to Akielos and when his stepbrother pulled a coup d'etat on his family, not only he was stripped of power, but he was sent as a slave to the neighbouring country, in which, the current prince harbors a deep, deep, hatred , especially for him. Sold as a slave, Damen had to keep his identity in order to survive and to at least gain his strength to save his country, whilst having to work with his now-master that loathes him to his very core.
Personal Thougts
I would say this makes a VERY slowburn romance, with LITERAL, enemies-lovers. The way Damen and Prince Laurent LOATHED each other, its to a point that you felt sorry for Damen sometimes on how he was treated.
Writing-wise, this is my first book from Pacat and I have to say, its not bad. Its straightforward, with a hint of lyrical writing but its not too-overly done. Its pitched as a romance fantasy, and I can say, for the first book, there's not much romance (which I don't mind) because I enjoyed the court politics.
The Politics in this book was well-written. For something that is pitched as romance fantasy, the politics in this book is something that I enjoyed. Everyone here is scheming something and I like that Damen did not lose himself even he had been beaten down. As much as Laurent is cold and cruel in this book, I also like his character. He exudes a persona that just bows down to people but has his own plans up his sleeves, which I can't wait to find out in the second book.
Pacing-Wise I think one of my problems with the book was the pacing. I was okay with the idea but it got a bit tedious and repetitive when Damen was CONSTANTLY tortured. I mean, I get it, you hate the guy, but I felt that Damen's torture scene got boring at some point. There was also parts that I felt was a bit unnecessary and the plot can progress faster.
Overall
I went in not knowing much about the book but I am surprised to say that the book kinda grew on me and I'm anticipating how it will turn out in the second book. Please come in with precautions as this book consists very gory scenes, but its one that I'd say I'm actually looking forward to? I'm curious on Laurent's and Damen's relationship so , yes, I'll continue with the second book to see how it goes.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Hate crime, Homophobia, Infidelity, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Death of parent, Murder, Gaslighting, Sexual harassment, and War
forsyth's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual violence, Slavery, and Kidnapping
Moderate: Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Death of parent, and Murder
Minor: Incest and Pedophilia
foxcrofty's review against another edition
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
So this book is ostensibly a romance, but by and large it is more brutal and violent than romantic. It certainly is leaning in an enemies to lovers way, but don't expect to get passed enemies to begrudging allies in this first book.
The world building is good, the setting largely based in a vaguely historical Greece/Rome/Venice area. I personally love a court drama and the salaciousness of the sex soaked society was a bit jarring after so much YA but at least it was consistent. The other nice thing is that there seems to be no qualms at all as about same sex couples in this, granted, in most cases they weren't romantic relationships as much as they were this strange master/servant arrangement.
This books absolutely has a content warnings list as long as my arm, so I would not recommend it to anyone who doesn't know what they're getting into.
The characters might be my favorite part. Damen, who would absolutely fit the picture of a muscle bound stock model on any romance cover, is a kind and smart protag who's been thrust into an absolutely impossible situation. Laurent, who for me is like the perfect blend of Kaz Brekker and Prince Cardan wrapped up in the salaciousness of a romance novel, is a nuanced and intriguing character, easy both to hate and to like, which puts the readers in the same shoes as Damen most of the time.
I'm excited to see where they go from here.
The world building is good, the setting largely based in a vaguely historical Greece/Rome/Venice area. I personally love a court drama and the salaciousness of the sex soaked society was a bit jarring after so much YA but at least it was consistent. The other nice thing is that there seems to be no qualms at all as about same sex couples in this, granted, in most cases they weren't romantic relationships as much as they were this strange master/servant arrangement.
This books absolutely has a content warnings list as long as my arm, so I would not recommend it to anyone who doesn't know what they're getting into.
The characters might be my favorite part. Damen, who would absolutely fit the picture of a muscle bound stock model on any romance cover, is a kind and smart protag who's been thrust into an absolutely impossible situation. Laurent, who for me is like the perfect blend of Kaz Brekker and Prince Cardan wrapped up in the salaciousness of a romance novel, is a nuanced and intriguing character, easy both to hate and to like, which puts the readers in the same shoes as Damen most of the time.
I'm excited to see where they go from here.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Torture, Violence, and Trafficking
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gore, Pedophilia, and Toxic relationship
Minor: Incest