jenminicricket's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Graphic: Death, Gore, Grief, Adult/minor relationship, Alcohol, Emotional abuse, Confinement, Cursing, Misogyny, Blood, Body horror, Bullying, Rape, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Slavery, Torture, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Murder, War, Gaslighting, Violence, Child abuse, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, and Sexual content
jennaxbakos's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Sexism, Rape, Sexual harassment, Sexual content, Violence, Gore, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Blood, and Cursing
onism_catharsis's review against another edition
- 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? It's complicated
5.0
Minor: Grief, Kidnapping, Physical abuse, Rape, Confinement, Emotional abuse, and Gore
alliei's review against another edition
- Diverse cast of characters? No
4.0
Spoiler
SAILLLLLLLLL NAURRRR 😭😭😭Graphic: Sexual violence, Gore, Blood, and Violence
booshort's review against another edition
I then VERY VAGUELY skimmed the rest of the book. By that, I mean I searched up summaries, reviews, and recaps and then did not regret sticking this one out.
I think this book has the most serious trigger warnings I’ve read (/skimmed). TW FOR DESCRIPTIVE RAPE SCENE. Ya I’m good with avoiding that thanks. I found the writing very juvenile to an almost mocking degree. It sometimes came off more satirical of a dark fantasy romance, rather than and *actual* dark fantasy romance.
I’ve heard each book gets better; I might continue, I might not. But I know for sure I won’t continue any time soon.
Graphic: Slavery, Domestic abuse, Gaslighting, Death, Sexual content, Violence, Confinement, Emotional abuse, Gore, Infidelity, Lesbophobia, Misogyny, Murder, Physical abuse, Cursing, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, War, Rape, Sexual harassment, and Toxic relationship
Minor: Body shaming, Child abuse, Blood, Abandonment, Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Death of parent, and Trafficking
hanna's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Graphic: Death, Sexual assault, Murder, Rape, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Grief, Violence, and Alcoholism
Moderate: Gore, Adult/minor relationship, and Confinement
Minor: War
filipa_maia's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
I do appreciate this other side of the story. This is not King Midas' story (the one that everyone knows), it's someone else's... someone very important that stays in the shadows. Also, I very much enjoyed all this mystery around Auren, there is an aura of secrets involving her that kept me very focus till the end. Solving this mystery is exactly one of the things that is going to make me read the second book.
On a less positive note, this book is very hard to read: maybe I was distracted or maybe the trigger warnings weren't enough... I almost quit reading this book. Several times. I understand that women weren't seen as people, especially these women being King Midas' harem... but there is a less brutal way of describing some scenes. Honestly, the excessive use of some words were not to emphasise the narrative, but just to trigger the reader.
Graphic: Sexual assault, Abandonment, Blood, Bullying, Classism, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Murder, Sexual content, Colonisation, Grief, Confinement, Cursing, Sexual harassment, Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Misogyny, Violence, Trafficking, Toxic relationship, Toxic friendship, Torture, Slavery, and Sexual violence
Moderate: Infidelity, War, Alcohol, and Death of parent
Minor: Excrement and Vomit
missgarceau's review against another edition
- 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? It's complicated
4.75
Spice: 🔥🔥🔥
I couldn’t put this down from start to finish.
Although it felt somewhat predictable, I found myself not anticipating major plot twists.
This is not a “happy” retelling, and deals with dark & difficult topics. Please be advised.
However, I found the world, characters, and plot absolutely riveting.
This ends on a cliffhanger, is an unfinished series, but the final book is scheduled to be released this year.
Graphic: Bullying, Xenophobia, Sexual content, Blood, War, Toxic relationship, Toxic friendship, Murder, Hate crime, Gore, Forced institutionalization, Emotional abuse, Domestic abuse, Classism, Child abuse, Sexual assault, Misogyny, Violence, Trafficking, Torture, Slavery, Sexual violence, Death, Cursing, Confinement, Sexual harassment, Sexism, Physical abuse, Pedophilia, Death of parent, Body shaming, Mental illness, Kidnapping, Infidelity, Gaslighting, and Alcoholism
Moderate: Hate crime, Infidelity, Cursing, Deportation, Gore, Alcohol, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Kidnapping, Mental illness, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, Alcoholism, Blood, Bullying, Classism, Confinement, Death of parent, Dysphoria, Emotional abuse, Body horror, Body shaming, Death, Gaslighting, Misogyny, and Physical abuse
efrank94's review against another edition
3.0
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Murder, Physical abuse, Sexual violence, and Gore
micaelamariem's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
Graphic: Sexual violence, Torture, Toxic relationship, War, Gore, Violence, Blood, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Misogyny, Rape, Sexual assault, Infidelity, Bullying, Sexual harassment, Slavery, Alcohol, Classism, Murder, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Sexism, and Sexual content
Moderate: Alcoholism and Grief
Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Infertility, Colonisation, and Death of parent