foxon's review
4.0
3.5
So much fast pace action goodness, with great turns of phrase and some of my favorite angsty romance tropes.
Ettian is a smart, quick, and reluctantly impulsive hero, who you will root for and be exasperated by in equal measure. He has collected Gal and Wen, who, like him, are damaged and slow to trust. All of them are simultaneously keeping each other at arms length, while holding onto their friendships for dear life. I wouldn't say Bonds of Brass had a ton of angst, but is does have a medium amount. So you'll need to be on board with that.
Random thoughts:
-"It's a loose plan. Needs workshopping." Could be the title of all their plans.
-"Light enough that it wouldn't keep a knight pinned to the ground when they fired their boot and palm thrusters and took to the skies." Oh, hey, whats up Tony Stark.
-The word 'vector' is used 20,000 times
-"And of course, there's only one bed."Hahahahahah I love it so much.
-That ending makes me angry because now I have to wait SO LONG for the second book!
For the not so great. The last name system is... distractingly silly. As is the over use of the fake curse words. Rut, rutting, humped. Just, why? And while I liked all the action sequences, they tended to end with our heroes getting out of the situation in not the most realistic of ways (Im looking at you, second escape sequence).
So much fast pace action goodness, with great turns of phrase and some of my favorite angsty romance tropes.
Ettian is a smart, quick, and reluctantly impulsive hero, who you will root for and be exasperated by in equal measure. He has collected Gal and Wen, who, like him, are damaged and slow to trust. All of them are simultaneously keeping each other at arms length, while holding onto their friendships for dear life. I wouldn't say Bonds of Brass had a ton of angst, but is does have a medium amount. So you'll need to be on board with that.
Random thoughts:
-"It's a loose plan. Needs workshopping." Could be the title of all their plans.
-"Light enough that it wouldn't keep a knight pinned to the ground when they fired their boot and palm thrusters and took to the skies." Oh, hey, whats up Tony Stark.
-The word 'vector' is used 20,000 times
-"And of course, there's only one bed."Hahahahahah I love it so much.
-That ending makes me angry because now I have to wait SO LONG for the second book!
For the not so great. The last name system is... distractingly silly. As is the over use of the fake curse words. Rut, rutting, humped. Just, why? And while I liked all the action sequences, they tended to end with our heroes getting out of the situation in not the most realistic of ways (Im looking at you, second escape sequence).
aidnoah's review
5.0
My god this book was a nice and quick read, just what I needed after the 800+ page book I read before it. And it was everything I wanted, all of the tropes I love, smashed into one wild ride.
Talk about unreliable narrator — I was fooled to the very end, and that fun little twist KILLED me. MY SHIP... THE TWIST IS NOT THE TITANIC’S ICEBERG IT’LL BE FINE PROBABLY I hope...
Needless to say this was a fun fun read. It was constantly on my mind from beginning to end, the writing style easy for me to sink into for a while and not notice the passage of time. I love Ettian and I love Gal and I love how they make me hate the decisions they make all throughout this book. The sequel is gonna be delicious, and I can’t wait.
Talk about unreliable narrator — I was fooled to the very end, and that fun little twist KILLED me. MY SHIP... THE TWIST IS NOT THE TITANIC’S ICEBERG IT’LL BE FINE PROBABLY I hope...
Needless to say this was a fun fun read. It was constantly on my mind from beginning to end, the writing style easy for me to sink into for a while and not notice the passage of time. I love Ettian and I love Gal and I love how they make me hate the decisions they make all throughout this book. The sequel is gonna be delicious, and I can’t wait.
khasting_'s review
3.0
Admittedly, this is not my favorite book. I think preordering it with high expectations lead me to believe that it would be a sci-fi thriller that is well fleshed out and evolved, but it was just alright. I honestly don't remember much of this book except for the ending -- which was an interesting twist, albeit out of left field -- because the writing and pacing were sort of wonky. The main character's chemistry was... lacking and the romance felt forced.
jollyowl's review
5.0
I’ve decided that sci-fi with a romance subplot is my niche. I really enjoyed the dynamic between Ettian and Gal and am looking forward to seeing how the rest plays out. The audiobook is wonderful and read by the same person who did the audiobook for “The Darkness Outside Us” which is honestly a top three book for me. The reading was so top-notch that it really elevated the experience for me. I enjoyed the style of writing and the plot, and even though I usually don’t go for a more political story I liked the way the world was fleshed out. Can’t wait to read more!
megan_kiwi's review
adventurous
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
charinabook's review against another edition
3.0
Despite being a short book it took me a pretty long time to get through this book, but that's just because it's so rich in politics and I love it!
If you're looking for a super satisfying romance then this book may not be the one for you, but I haven't yet read the second or third book yet.
I adore Gal and Ettian so much and I love how multi faceted their characters are.
3.5 stars
AND THAT PLOT TWIST? OH MY GOD
If you're looking for a super satisfying romance then this book may not be the one for you, but I haven't yet read the second or third book yet.
I adore Gal and Ettian so much and I love how multi faceted their characters are.
3.5 stars
AND THAT PLOT TWIST? OH MY GOD
readmemaybe's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
lolasreviews's review against another edition
4.0
After reading a review for this book by one of my blogger friends I knew I had to read this one. It sounded exactly like the type of book I would enjoy. After listening to the sample I decided to get the audio format and I am so glad I did as this book was a joy to listen to. And one of the first male narrators I listened to that really worked for me.
Bonds of Brass jumps right into the action, after a short introduction scene you get thrown right into an explosive action scene and I was immediately pulled into the story. The rest of the story continues in a similar feel, some calmer scenes and plenty of action. The story captivated me and the role of these two boys who would do anything for each other in the middle of a galaxy wide conflict. The ending was awesome, while I shortly before predicted the twist I did enjoy the direction the story took, but at the same time I have no idea where this series will go next and I can't wait to see how the author handles it.
I love how this series mingles the romance storyline with the action and the more political tinted storyline in this galaxy with different empires. And ofcourse the two main characters are at the center of it all. Add in a totally reckless and adorable female side character. And this was one awesome listen. There are plenty of twists and reveals, a lot of action and great characters.
I really liked main character Ettian, in the first chapter you already get a good feel for him. how loyal he is to his friend Gal and how much he cares about him. But that is only the start. Throughout the book you really get to know him and how conflicted he feels over the whole situation. He loves Gal, but when something he never dared wish for is in his path he struggles deciding what to do. I really liked his character and enjoyed following his story. The flight scenes were amazing, you could really feel his love for flying and see how capable he was at it as well.
I love a good sci-fi romance book and this book handled the romance really well, especially amidst the whole big galaxy spanning political plot line. I really liked Gal and Ettian together. They started out as friends and the author did a good job giving that vibe that they were good friends already and that slowly turns into more. It was clear how much they cared for one another. But they also have some struggles to go through. Gal is a prince and Ettian a nobody and they could never make this work, but at the same time trying to stay apart is hurting them. And I liked how early on it becomes clear they both feel the same about the other. It's not a question of whether their feelings are reciprocated, but more of whether they are willing to go that way if they know it can't last. And when they finally do grow closer it's amazing and also sad at the same time as you know what is waiting for them. And that ending was beautiful and so heartbreaking. I can't wait to see what happens to their romance in book 2. I hope we get to see more of them together as there wasn't nearly enough of that in this book.
One thing that did bother me is how much Ettian gives up for Gal and while I loved seeing how deep his feeling were and how much he was willing to do for him. I also would've loved to see some of that dedication from Gal's side as well. I wanted Gal to show Ettian how much he meant to him as well. I would've liked to get a bit more insight into Gal's personality. I liked the glimpses we got, but I would've liked to know more, maybe that will come in the future books.
I liked the world building in this book. You get a good feel for the 3 mayor factions/ empires in this part of the galaxy. There is enough about the political situation and how Umber gained power to get an insight in how things work. I liked how this was worked out and throughout the book you learn more. The story takes place in space and two different planets so you also get to see a bit of the galaxy. I liked the sci-fi spacy feel mixed in with the political plotlines of the Umber empire and the rebellion
I am really glad I picked up the audio version of this one. The narrator did a great job with the narration. I liked his voice for Ettian and it was pleasant to listen to. He did the other voices and even the female ones pretty well too. I especially liked his voice for Gal and Wen. I also liked how you could hear the emotion in his voice in some scenes, like when Ettian was happy or angry. It really came across in the narration, which was really well done. I definitely plan on listening to the rest of the series as well.
To summarize: I really enjoyed this action packed sci-fi book with a great romance. There is plenty of action, twists and turns. The plot gripped me from the start and I liked seeing where the story went. Ettian made for a great main character and I liked getting to know him. He was so loyal to his friends and I liked how deep his feeling for Gal went and how much he was willing to do for him. But it was also clear how conflicted he was later during the story. I liked their romance and how much they care for one another. Although I would've liked to get to know Gal a bit better and see how much he was willing to do for Ettian as now it felt like Ettian sacrificed so much more for Gal. The scifi world was well done with how we get a good feel for the political situation and how it impacts the galaxy. There are some great space and flying scenes as well. The narrator did a great job with this one. His voice was pleasant to listen to and I liked how he did the different voices. All in all I would definitely recommend this one to those who like action packed scifi stories with a MM romance.
Bonds of Brass jumps right into the action, after a short introduction scene you get thrown right into an explosive action scene and I was immediately pulled into the story. The rest of the story continues in a similar feel, some calmer scenes and plenty of action. The story captivated me and the role of these two boys who would do anything for each other in the middle of a galaxy wide conflict. The ending was awesome, while I shortly before predicted the twist I did enjoy the direction the story took, but at the same time I have no idea where this series will go next and I can't wait to see how the author handles it.
I love how this series mingles the romance storyline with the action and the more political tinted storyline in this galaxy with different empires. And ofcourse the two main characters are at the center of it all. Add in a totally reckless and adorable female side character. And this was one awesome listen. There are plenty of twists and reveals, a lot of action and great characters.
I really liked main character Ettian, in the first chapter you already get a good feel for him. how loyal he is to his friend Gal and how much he cares about him. But that is only the start. Throughout the book you really get to know him and how conflicted he feels over the whole situation. He loves Gal, but when something he never dared wish for is in his path he struggles deciding what to do. I really liked his character and enjoyed following his story. The flight scenes were amazing, you could really feel his love for flying and see how capable he was at it as well.
I love a good sci-fi romance book and this book handled the romance really well, especially amidst the whole big galaxy spanning political plot line. I really liked Gal and Ettian together. They started out as friends and the author did a good job giving that vibe that they were good friends already and that slowly turns into more. It was clear how much they cared for one another. But they also have some struggles to go through. Gal is a prince and Ettian a nobody and they could never make this work, but at the same time trying to stay apart is hurting them. And I liked how early on it becomes clear they both feel the same about the other. It's not a question of whether their feelings are reciprocated, but more of whether they are willing to go that way if they know it can't last. And when they finally do grow closer it's amazing and also sad at the same time as you know what is waiting for them. And that ending was beautiful and so heartbreaking. I can't wait to see what happens to their romance in book 2. I hope we get to see more of them together as there wasn't nearly enough of that in this book.
One thing that did bother me is how much Ettian gives up for Gal and while I loved seeing how deep his feeling were and how much he was willing to do for him. I also would've loved to see some of that dedication from Gal's side as well. I wanted Gal to show Ettian how much he meant to him as well. I would've liked to get a bit more insight into Gal's personality. I liked the glimpses we got, but I would've liked to know more, maybe that will come in the future books.
I liked the world building in this book. You get a good feel for the 3 mayor factions/ empires in this part of the galaxy. There is enough about the political situation and how Umber gained power to get an insight in how things work. I liked how this was worked out and throughout the book you learn more. The story takes place in space and two different planets so you also get to see a bit of the galaxy. I liked the sci-fi spacy feel mixed in with the political plotlines of the Umber empire and the rebellion
I am really glad I picked up the audio version of this one. The narrator did a great job with the narration. I liked his voice for Ettian and it was pleasant to listen to. He did the other voices and even the female ones pretty well too. I especially liked his voice for Gal and Wen. I also liked how you could hear the emotion in his voice in some scenes, like when Ettian was happy or angry. It really came across in the narration, which was really well done. I definitely plan on listening to the rest of the series as well.
To summarize: I really enjoyed this action packed sci-fi book with a great romance. There is plenty of action, twists and turns. The plot gripped me from the start and I liked seeing where the story went. Ettian made for a great main character and I liked getting to know him. He was so loyal to his friends and I liked how deep his feeling for Gal went and how much he was willing to do for him. But it was also clear how conflicted he was later during the story. I liked their romance and how much they care for one another. Although I would've liked to get to know Gal a bit better and see how much he was willing to do for Ettian as now it felt like Ettian sacrificed so much more for Gal. The scifi world was well done with how we get a good feel for the political situation and how it impacts the galaxy. There are some great space and flying scenes as well. The narrator did a great job with this one. His voice was pleasant to listen to and I liked how he did the different voices. All in all I would definitely recommend this one to those who like action packed scifi stories with a MM romance.