Scan barcode
ertimes's review against another edition
adventurous
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
ofmadnessandmagic's review against another edition
4.0
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC of this book.
If you love dragons (though let’s be fair, who doesn’t?) and queer fantasy books, I highly recommend giving this book a try.
We have…
- a queernormative society
- a genderqueer MC and multiple other genderqueer characters
- a dragon shifter
- multiple POVs with a thief, an assassin and TWO dragons as POV characters
- enemies to lovers
- an intricate world with lots of lore and history
- and a plot that brings everything together.
I loved how multifaceted the book was, we have a prophecy, a heist, a portal, magic and of course interpersonal relationship dynamics that make it all come alive.
I really enjoyed every aspect of the book, though I think there was some clunkiness to all of it, it didn’t feel like the most well-crafted book.
I saw several reviewers mention that the worldbuilding was too much, I personally love fantasy worlds with lots of details, so it didn’t bother me, but I can see where this critique is coming from.
Overall though, I did really like it and I’m looking forward to the sequel.
If you love dragons (though let’s be fair, who doesn’t?) and queer fantasy books, I highly recommend giving this book a try.
We have…
- a queernormative society
- a genderqueer MC and multiple other genderqueer characters
- a dragon shifter
- multiple POVs with a thief, an assassin and TWO dragons as POV characters
- enemies to lovers
- an intricate world with lots of lore and history
- and a plot that brings everything together.
I loved how multifaceted the book was, we have a prophecy, a heist, a portal, magic and of course interpersonal relationship dynamics that make it all come alive.
I really enjoyed every aspect of the book, though I think there was some clunkiness to all of it, it didn’t feel like the most well-crafted book.
I saw several reviewers mention that the worldbuilding was too much, I personally love fantasy worlds with lots of details, so it didn’t bother me, but I can see where this critique is coming from.
Overall though, I did really like it and I’m looking forward to the sequel.
brainsxbooks's review against another edition
1.0
I had to dnf this book :(
I try really hard not to dnf books and I might give it another shot sometime later in the future but for now I am putting it down
*spoiler free*
I don’t want to say this book is bad, I think it’s a cute idea and has a lot of potential but the writing style really rubs me the wrong way; it’s very tell not show and the third person parts are written as if in first person where we are told what the character is internally thinking as if it’s first person but it’s actually third and so it’s very off putting…
The two main characters are not very likable (and not in a good way), it seems each POV is just them complaining and they don’t have a personality outside of that.
I want to preface that I don’t think the book was bad it just wasn’t for me, and I still encourage people to give it a try! No hate towards the author, I really really wish I enjoyed this book more it just did not do it for me :(
BUT
I love that there is some queer and genderfluid rep in this book ♡ It makes my heart happy but I wish the author did a better job of explaining how this ideology affects the rest of society. They seem so open minded about gender and sexuality and yet this openmindedness is not reflected anywhere else in the society and i find that super disappointing. It feels very forced and the way the book explains it is also just a cop-out? It’s explained to one of the main characters who is new to the land by a stranger he encounters and it’s just not well done at all. Almost feels like a publicity stunt. Like the author just threw it in there to be able go say “hey queer community! look! genderfluid representation!”
I try really hard not to dnf books and I might give it another shot sometime later in the future but for now I am putting it down
*spoiler free*
I don’t want to say this book is bad, I think it’s a cute idea and has a lot of potential but the writing style really rubs me the wrong way; it’s very tell not show and the third person parts are written as if in first person where we are told what the character is internally thinking as if it’s first person but it’s actually third and so it’s very off putting…
The two main characters are not very likable (and not in a good way), it seems each POV is just them complaining and they don’t have a personality outside of that.
I want to preface that I don’t think the book was bad it just wasn’t for me, and I still encourage people to give it a try! No hate towards the author, I really really wish I enjoyed this book more it just did not do it for me :(
BUT
I love that there is some queer and genderfluid rep in this book ♡ It makes my heart happy but I wish the author did a better job of explaining how this ideology affects the rest of society. They seem so open minded about gender and sexuality and yet this openmindedness is not reflected anywhere else in the society and i find that super disappointing. It feels very forced and the way the book explains it is also just a cop-out? It’s explained to one of the main characters who is new to the land by a stranger he encounters and it’s just not well done at all. Almost feels like a publicity stunt. Like the author just threw it in there to be able go say “hey queer community! look! genderfluid representation!”
behcaww's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
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? Yes
3.75
I want to rate this book higher, but there is too much I'm flummoxed about. The writing and layout of this story was SO COMPELLING. The world building is STACKED. I can't fathom why this is a duology. There are things in this book--like the way gender works within the world--that could keep me for several books. It honestly reads in such steep detail you'd expect this to be a fantasy series that would stick around for SEVERAL books. Like 5 or 6. I can't believe I had so much information and names and magic crammed into my brain for just two books! It makes it feel incomplete.
thelaynierose's review against another edition
3.0
kind of a mess of a fantasy book, but the soul bond romance was compelling. i didnt really understand the wold building or the magic or really what was happening most of the time, but i enjoyed the romance enough that i did finish it and i will be reading the second. sure, why not
jaeden's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
tense
slow-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? No
4.75