sallysocker's review against another edition
5.0
“I’m staying and I’m yours.”
This book was amazing to read. I absolutely love Venali and Trey together, that romance was so incredible to read! As usual Ariana Nash doesn’t disappoint.
This book was short but I would actually have enjoyed if this book had been longer, it could have been made longer. It was good as a short story, don’t get me wrong, it was incredible to read. But this is one of those books where you just don’t want to let the characters go. We didn’t get enough time with them and I want more. It’s amazing how Nash can write both trilogy long romances and at the same time be able to create a romance in just a 100+ pages. But it also make a big contrast, we just read a 1200 page romance to then get a 100 romance.
This book was amazing to read. I absolutely love Venali and Trey together, that romance was so incredible to read! As usual Ariana Nash doesn’t disappoint.
This book was short but I would actually have enjoyed if this book had been longer, it could have been made longer. It was good as a short story, don’t get me wrong, it was incredible to read. But this is one of those books where you just don’t want to let the characters go. We didn’t get enough time with them and I want more. It’s amazing how Nash can write both trilogy long romances and at the same time be able to create a romance in just a 100+ pages. But it also make a big contrast, we just read a 1200 page romance to then get a 100 romance.
silver_lining_in_a_book's review
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
mysterious
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
4.25
“The on and off again. Every time you return, I lose my mind over you, and then you leave and it kills me. I can’t survive this—us. I’m not…”He flicked his fingers. “I’m not made that way. I either have you or I don’t. And if I don’t, then fine, but I need to know because every time I lose you…” He choked off his words and thumped his head back against the wall. “Fuck.”His lashes fluttered. “Every time I lose you, I die a little more inside, and there’s so little left…”
This was so much more than I expected! Wow! I am seriously impressed; who would have thought that Nash would be able to create a fairly engaging Elfen murder mystery in just 120 pages?
I'll be honest, I didn't love the third wheeling that was happening in this relationship (I will not be any more specific to avoid spoilers) and I totally figured out the twist less than halfway through, but it was still a great short story. I love Venali and Trey, so even if this book had absolutely zero plot, I would have happily watched them go about their daily lives together, the suspense just made it all the more engaging. Overall, surprisingly lovely.
And can we talk about how beautiful this edition is:
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Blood, Sexual assault, Murder, and Torture
Moderate: Suicide attempt, Suicidal thoughts, Kidnapping, and Alcohol
Minor: War
teacupsandtropes's review
4.0
4✨
It tugged at my heartstrings that Nash needed to give Trey a proper ending to his story. I didn't think of Trey as a character who needed his own ending, but damn. I was wrong.
The novella of approximately 122 pages follows Trey as he comes back to Ashford, delivering gifts and letters and food. He went back to being a Messenger instead of an assassin. But having fought for the Order, he gets invited to an after dark party, where he meets an elf named Conor and gets closer with Sentinel Venali, who sees more than he lets on.
There was steamy sex, but also scenes that tugged at your heartstrings. And the anxiety of
Now I just need a Seraph novella and I can die a happy death.
It tugged at my heartstrings that Nash needed to give Trey a proper ending to his story. I didn't think of Trey as a character who needed his own ending, but damn. I was wrong.
The novella of approximately 122 pages follows Trey as he comes back to Ashford, delivering gifts and letters and food. He went back to being a Messenger instead of an assassin. But having fought for the Order, he gets invited to an after dark party, where he meets an elf named Conor and gets closer with Sentinel Venali, who sees more than he lets on.
There was steamy sex, but also scenes that tugged at your heartstrings. And the anxiety of
Spoiler
finding out if Trey or Venali were going to survive their attacks pretty much killed me!Now I just need a Seraph novella and I can die a happy death.
palvi00's review
5.0
I didn't know it, but I really needed this story.
To see what happened after, sure, but mostly because Trey has always been a good and interesting character, we had hints about him and a possible relationship with Nye, but nothing more.
Now we see him finding someone who deserves him and vice-versa.
To see what happened after, sure, but mostly because Trey has always been a good and interesting character, we had hints about him and a possible relationship with Nye, but nothing more.
Now we see him finding someone who deserves him and vice-versa.
count_nini's review
adventurous
dark
tense
medium-paced
4.0
"Rumor is you have a lover in every village. You leave a flower on their pillows."
I gotta say, Trey's love for Nye didn't convince me somehow, but okay. I learnt to love him, because to be honest, I didn't really care for him. He was Eroan's gay awakening and in the main series he was... just sorta there. But when he met Conor and then Venali I was curious and interested in where this wanderer's feet might guide him. I was somehow hopeful, that it would stay M/M/M, but of course we needed some dark content and twisted love.
The thing with
I didn't like Venali at first, I prefered Conor, but wow, how the turns have tabled. I now like Venali. And Trey too.
I give it a 4 stars because, even if the ride was bumpy, it got interesting with time.
paulalovesbooks's review
4.0
Esto me gustó mucho más de lo que esperaba!!!!! Ooooh, para ser tan corto está muy bien desarrollado y quiero más de estos personajes. Me tomó por total sorpresa esta pequeña historia. Acción, romance, drama, momentos tensos y también hermosos.
Muy linda la historia de Trey y Venali. Perfectos juntos
Muy linda la historia de Trey y Venali. Perfectos juntos
lifeinthebooklane's review
4.0
No dragons this time but plenty of HAWT elves
Trey, our hero, was only meant to be a small 'throw away' character in Sealed With A Kiss, a way to introduce us to the brooding goodness that is Eroan. However he wasn't content to be a brief blip on the horizon, but pushed himself into the other Silk & Steel books, where he had an ill fated affair with the tragic and misguided, some would maybe say evil, Nye. Now we get to see his story, because this messenger needs to find his peace and his place in life. Unlike many novella's this is a full story, in fact I'd go so far as to argue it's a short novel.
I've read all the other books, so I can't objectively say if you can read this as a stand alone. However it DOES contain spoilers for the main Silk & Steel series (which aren't stand alone books). What I can tell you is that Trey is every inch the deeply caring man we saw previously, but he has been burnt by life and is understandably cautious. Venali is all brooding darkness, sharp edges and sleek clothing, a mask to hide the truth that here is a deeply troubled Sentinel.
Written third person, and entirely from Trey's viewpoint, I still felt that we got to know Venali well. This pair have an immensely intense connection, one that generates enough heat to melt the ice caps. However this is Ariana Nash, so you just know the course of true love will just not run smoothly. If there is any HEA to be had, the main characters will need to be dragged there, kicking, yelling and protesting the entire way. There will also be bad people trying to stand in their path. This all leads to one heck of a fast paced, emotion packed and twisty read.
The only negative thing about this book is it means saying goodbye to this world and it's rag-tag mix of elves, humans and dragons. A world I just am not ready to step away from yet.
Trey, our hero, was only meant to be a small 'throw away' character in Sealed With A Kiss, a way to introduce us to the brooding goodness that is Eroan. However he wasn't content to be a brief blip on the horizon, but pushed himself into the other Silk & Steel books, where he had an ill fated affair with the tragic and misguided, some would maybe say evil, Nye. Now we get to see his story, because this messenger needs to find his peace and his place in life. Unlike many novella's this is a full story, in fact I'd go so far as to argue it's a short novel.
I've read all the other books, so I can't objectively say if you can read this as a stand alone. However it DOES contain spoilers for the main Silk & Steel series (which aren't stand alone books). What I can tell you is that Trey is every inch the deeply caring man we saw previously, but he has been burnt by life and is understandably cautious. Venali is all brooding darkness, sharp edges and sleek clothing, a mask to hide the truth that here is a deeply troubled Sentinel.
Written third person, and entirely from Trey's viewpoint, I still felt that we got to know Venali well. This pair have an immensely intense connection, one that generates enough heat to melt the ice caps. However this is Ariana Nash, so you just know the course of true love will just not run smoothly. If there is any HEA to be had, the main characters will need to be dragged there, kicking, yelling and protesting the entire way. There will also be bad people trying to stand in their path. This all leads to one heck of a fast paced, emotion packed and twisty read.
The only negative thing about this book is it means saying goodbye to this world and it's rag-tag mix of elves, humans and dragons. A world I just am not ready to step away from yet.