ebgracie77's review
5.0
I am really torn about this book. On one hand, the hero emphasizes the importance of consent. Over and over again. However, the world building is problematic. The heroine perceives she has no ability to choose differently because of innate natural/magical forces. The only way she can be empowered is by him providing that power. That feels like an icky world. But it does beg the question... is our world like that for some people? Maybe. And that’s something the author is really making me question. Does everyone have the ability to consent? Or are there cases where the only way towards true consent is to have people in power be humble and kind enough to give up their power to allow for true consent to be there.
I, at first, wanted to dock this book a star because of the frustration and sorrow I feel about this power and consent thing. However, I’m realizing it’s bringing up some deep thoughts.
The hero is amazing. Love him. The heroine is wonderful... but frustrating. But I also can’t hold it against her as she’s in a terrible world.
I want them to be true partners. And perhaps that will happen... in the sequel.
I, at first, wanted to dock this book a star because of the frustration and sorrow I feel about this power and consent thing. However, I’m realizing it’s bringing up some deep thoughts.
The hero is amazing. Love him. The heroine is wonderful... but frustrating. But I also can’t hold it against her as she’s in a terrible world.
I want them to be true partners. And perhaps that will happen... in the sequel.
cathyrodgers's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
3.5
natamenez's review
2.0
This isn’t a bad book per se, but when you don’t like the FMC there is nothing you can do about it but stop reading the book.
She was so close minded. I bet she believed to be very rational about her situation but nothing further from the truth. She was overly emotional. To the point she didn’t see anything but her fear. I like my main characters to be cool headed and rational, I don’t like them overly bitter like her, that’s just plain annoying. Surviving and thriving comes from making the best of your situation, not stubbornly sticking to what you’ve been told to do.
She was so close minded. I bet she believed to be very rational about her situation but nothing further from the truth. She was overly emotional. To the point she didn’t see anything but her fear. I like my main characters to be cool headed and rational, I don’t like them overly bitter like her, that’s just plain annoying. Surviving and thriving comes from making the best of your situation, not stubbornly sticking to what you’ve been told to do.
nelsonseye's review
3.0
Dark Wizard had interesting characters and an engaging plot, but it was a difficult read due to the world the author created. It was well realized but awful, and while the characters interrogated its awfulness, there were some really terrible scenes. Terrible for their casualness if that makes sense. The scene with Nic’s parents was quite horrific. The interrogations, for lack of a better word, were very necessary and appreciated. I thought Nic’s thoughts on how she would have been as a wizard and Gabriel’s questioning whether they could have a “real” relationship” really highlighted the inequities of the wizard-familiar dynamic and how its cruelty was embedded in their society with few challenging it (so far). I will read the next book in the series in the hopes that Gabriel’s attempts/plans will work out.
kkrs28's review
3.0
A high 3.5 stars
My most interesting thoughts about this book was the realization Jeffe Kennedy was a pseudonym for a female author. LOL. I read something in the beginning and was like YUP def giving men writing women vibes, then something else happened and I was like ain’t no way a guy wrote this… I looked into and I found out I was right
My most interesting thoughts about this book was the realization Jeffe Kennedy was a pseudonym for a female author. LOL. I read something in the beginning and was like YUP def giving men writing women vibes, then something else happened and I was like ain’t no way a guy wrote this… I looked into and I found out I was right
mehak_ds's review
4.0
4 STARS!!!! I loved it. It was so so close to perfect. The one thing that I wanted was a) the book being a bit longer and b) a lot more world building about the convocation, how the system works, how familiars and the trials and everything work, and also the fascination - if it's so powerful I would expect nic to have so much more dilemma and frustration and anger about it too
amandapgold's review
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
king_taylor's review
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
pulpfan's review
3.0
The first half of this book was an enjoyable read, and I liked Nic and the worldbuilding a lot, but by the end I was ready for it to be over and had no interest in continuing the series.
By the 70% mark (honestly, maybe even 60%) Nic's unwillingness to communicate directly with Gabriel, in spite of his consistent good faith attempts, got really tedious. When she I was pretty much done with it. I skimmed the whole section where they meet his family because I knew I wasn't going to read the rest of the books at that point. The ongoing argument was so circumlocutive, and the ending so abrupt, I wonder if the author was just padding out the book. If Gabriel was more of a gray/wildcard wizard, instead of an obvious cinnamon roll, it would have given her reticence more weight.
By the 70% mark (honestly, maybe even 60%) Nic's unwillingness to communicate directly with Gabriel, in spite of his consistent good faith attempts, got really tedious. When she
Spoiler
accuses him of "trapping" her by getting her pregnantyuna's review
dark
tense
medium-paced
3.5
Liked parts of this. It's very readable, but by the end I also don't feel a tug to see how everything goes. I would read more from the author though. It's very much the first in a trilogy and does a lot of setup.
Nic annoyed me for a lot of the book. I get that she's very unhappy about being a familiar, and rightfully so as the wizard-familiar power dynamic is super abusive and lends a very dark element to the worldbuilding and character relationships. Some of the scenes between Nic's parents in particular are skin-crawly gross. I appreciate that Nic does have moments where she realizes how immersed in Convocation society/politics/life she's been and that it's a personal failing that she's never questioned the problematic aspects of it, especially those that occur in her personal life via her parents. But she spends a large amount of the book willfully ignoring and/or refusing to dialogue with Gabriel despite him repeatedly demonstrating how he has no interest in perpetuating a broken system. And she knows this! His lack of Convocation education is part of why she picks him for her Betrothal Trials in the first place. It's understandable at first why she's so hesitant about him, but it drags on and got tedious for me once he kept showing her time after time that he's not like the wizards she knows. Or that she would've been. I'm side-eyeing how quickly it gets handwaved off the discussion of what type of wizard she would've been. She bitches about the plight of being a familiar a lot (again, rightfully so), but never turns that mirror back on herself when she was *all set* to be a wizard and accept that status quo because she would've benefited from it.
It's an interesting setting and I liked the light touch of how the magic is layered throughout it. Gabriel is probably a bit too perfect in that he's such a white knight with his idealism but..it's kinda necessary when the other main character is decidedly not.
Vale is the GOAT. Protect him at all costs.
Nic annoyed me for a lot of the book. I get that she's very unhappy about being a familiar, and rightfully so as the wizard-familiar power dynamic is super abusive and lends a very dark element to the worldbuilding and character relationships. Some of the scenes between Nic's parents in particular are skin-crawly gross. I appreciate that Nic does have moments where she realizes how immersed in Convocation society/politics/life she's been and that it's a personal failing that she's never questioned the problematic aspects of it, especially those that occur in her personal life via her parents. But she spends a large amount of the book willfully ignoring and/or refusing to dialogue with Gabriel despite him repeatedly demonstrating how he has no interest in perpetuating a broken system. And she knows this! His lack of Convocation education is part of why she picks him for her Betrothal Trials in the first place. It's understandable at first why she's so hesitant about him, but it drags on and got tedious for me once he kept showing her time after time that he's not like the wizards she knows. Or that she would've been. I'm side-eyeing how quickly it gets handwaved off the discussion of what type of wizard she would've been. She bitches about the plight of being a familiar a lot (again, rightfully so), but never turns that mirror back on herself when she was *all set* to be a wizard and accept that status quo because she would've benefited from it.
It's an interesting setting and I liked the light touch of how the magic is layered throughout it. Gabriel is probably a bit too perfect in that he's such a white knight with his idealism but..it's kinda necessary when the other main character is decidedly not.
Vale is the GOAT. Protect him at all costs.