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gwyyy's review against another edition
1.0
There's half the time I want to throw this book into the void but another half wants to see how this story goes. Honestly, the plot, concept and magic system were brilliant. But the chemistry between the characters were meh. Their attraction toward each other was delivered in such a way that it felt unnatural and forced.
I don't know how long we stare at each other in silence. One moment our eyes are locked, and the next it's our lips.Huh, what?
padmawhitehallow's review against another edition
4.0
Rating: 8/10
There's magic? Something that seems to be Indian? Why not?
WARNING: IF YOU DON'T WANT TO BE SPOILED, STOP RIGHT HERE AND GO TO READ THE BOOK BEFORE CONTINUE!
Still reading? Good.
There's magic? Something that seems to be Indian? Why not?
So, I started reading this book without big expectations, just wanting a good story and a little bit of fun. There's nothing new in this story, but all that has is well done. Some things I'd prefer to be different, but those are details, the main story is OK.
I loved how Adraa and Jatin start to know each other again, how they start thinking that's something that they should stop. And I was on the edge of my sit wanting to know when they were gonna say "oh, so you're my fiancé... great!". But, most of all, I loved to see that both of them saw virtues and fortitues that the other didn't notice. How they saw their flaws and are as similar as different. Both stubborn, powerful and insecure, but where one is creative, the other is perfectionist.
Now, all the indiand and setting part... I'm not part of that culture and I barely know something, but I feel that it could have been more used, specially with the religion. But that's my humble opinion, from someone that's outsider and loves to write.
WARNING: IF YOU DON'T WANT TO BE SPOILED, STOP RIGHT HERE AND GO TO READ THE BOOK BEFORE CONTINUE!
Still reading? Good.
Spoiler
So when they confess who they are and what they feel for each other, is a little bit less dramatic than I expected. And, considering that all the manipulation coming from the main villain, I think Adraa should have been more confused and imposible to talk.Spoiler
And WHAT IS ALL THAT THING ABOUT DYING MORE THAN FOUR TIMES?! That caught my attention, I was chilling and with that bomb I couldn't stop thinking is it was a warning, a foreshadowing or just simple characterization.So, this book is a great story, with well done characters and a nice pacing.
erinjuliaadams's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
inspiring
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
4.0
hellobookbird's review against another edition
3.0
A true rani doesn’t have to have magic or a god’s blessing. A true rani just helps the people.
Adraa is the royal heir of Belwar, a talented witch on the cusp of taking her royal ceremony test, and a girl who just wants to prove her worth to her people.
Jatin is the royal heir to Naupure, a competitive wizard who's mastered all nine colors of magic, and a boy anxious to return home for the first time since he was a child.
Together, their arranged marriage will unite two of Wickery's most powerful kingdoms. But after years of rivalry from afar, Adraa and Jatin only agree on one thing: their reunion will be anything but sweet.
Only, destiny has other plans and with the criminal underbelly of Belwar suddenly making a move for control, their paths cross...and neither realizes who the other is, adopting separate secret identities instead. Between dodging deathly spells and keeping their true selves hidden, the pair must learn to put their trust in the other if either is to uncover the real threat.
Overall, it seems that I can be described as a menstrual cycle.
DNF @ 60%.
Ultimately, I think I'm a little too old to overlook some of the issues with this book...I prefer to have more substance. Let me break it down:
The writing wasn't bad but it also wasn’t great. There isn't a lot of attention paid to surroundings or to setting up the scenes. Most of the time is spent within Adraa's mind where she focuses on various things that seem important to her - like the state of Jarin's arms or repeatedly questioning herself over and over for the same things. I usually attribute this to younger writing but I've had other books that are marketed younger and still immerse you way better.
The plot is...loosy goosy. The beginning started strong...you got a good grasp of Adraa, her betrothed, their relationship to each other, and how Adraa grew into the woman she is while he was away. I liked the magic system (not overly complicated but ties into the marks on their arms which was really cool) and the addition of Adraa's need to prove herself because most had two marks instead of one. However, the competition between the two from the start of the book rapidly falls apart when you realize just how much Adraa has done with her life. It can't even compare to their childish competitions so how the heck she's still bothered by them I honestly don't understand. I was sad that this light-hearted point of tension went away and quickly devolved into a litany of repetitive, "I REALLY like them but I'm BETROTHED." Imagine what they could have done had they known about each other, got past the embarrassment of hiding their true selves, and then took on the world together.
The characters need more development. Adraa was...too large for life. Overlooking that she couldn't have done all these things without her guard knowing in the first place, I find it curious that she excels in magic tactics (even though she didn't go to the university and there's been no mention of a tutor), she is great at physical fighting (despite her small stature and no mention of a tutor), and she can spend her nights in a fighting ring without the great underbelly of crime and yet come away nary a wound. Jarin on the other hand literally had no thoughts of his own except about Adraa. So. Not much to say there.
More substance, please.
Recommended for those that want a romance you don't have to think too hard about.
ecranheim's review against another edition
1.0
This book had so much potential to be amazing but it wasn’t.
I stopped reading it after a character said whoop-de-doo. The language was that of a fifth grader and the cultural representation didn’t feel right. At one point I thought I could push through because the plot was pretty intriguing but sitting through annoying “banter” and narration that babied me wasn’t worth it. This author has not grasped the concept of show not tell.
I stopped reading it after a character said whoop-de-doo. The language was that of a fifth grader and the cultural representation didn’t feel right. At one point I thought I could push through because the plot was pretty intriguing but sitting through annoying “banter” and narration that babied me wasn’t worth it. This author has not grasped the concept of show not tell.
redrogue's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
lighthearted
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
3.5
ferrumage's review against another edition
It drew out the tension of the identity reveal beyond what my nerves could take.
bberry89's review against another edition
5.0
This book was beyond amazing. I can’t wait for the sequel.
Updated review:
This book was fantastic! It had rom com you’ve got mail feel with action packed fantasy. I love the magic system in this book. It also has banter. Omg you guys, *chefs kiss* It has a lot of Indian influences also which I find awesome. I love when an author brings in other cultures. Especially Indian. Their food, fashion, dance, and customs are so amazing. I love learning all about it. That being said even if you know nothing of the Indian culture, you can absolutely still read this and completely enjoy it. For food or fashion references, a quick google search is all you need. Then you’re like ah... ok. Back to book now.
I’m so looking forward to the the next book. I’m not so patiently waiting. Lol. The good thing is the second book is rumored to be coming out January ‘22. The good thing about this book is it didn’t leave you on a cliff hanger. It left it open enough for a second book but you still felt like it was a good stopping point.
So don’t waste any time if you need an escape. This right here will be a little mini vacation from reality. This author is one I will always follow. I can’t believe this is debut novel!
Side note for parents: there are some fighting scenes but nothing too crazy. Kissing a few times is the only thing physical I remember. Maybe some hugs? As far as cussing there wasn’t any in the traditional sense. The curse would that was used was blood. So nothing bad. Also there is one instance where one of the main characters has her period. I hardly ever see this mentioned in books and I read a lot of YA. As a woman now, I’m thinking all the time why isn’t it mentioned? It’s a monthly thing, we hurt, it’s a big part of our life. Especially in the ages that YA is geared to. I was diagnosed at 12 with Endometriosis which made my periods 1000 times worse. It would have been nice to read about someone my age or a little older dealing with those pains and still managing to save the world at the end of the day on top of it.
Updated review:
This book was fantastic! It had rom com you’ve got mail feel with action packed fantasy. I love the magic system in this book. It also has banter. Omg you guys, *chefs kiss* It has a lot of Indian influences also which I find awesome. I love when an author brings in other cultures. Especially Indian. Their food, fashion, dance, and customs are so amazing. I love learning all about it. That being said even if you know nothing of the Indian culture, you can absolutely still read this and completely enjoy it. For food or fashion references, a quick google search is all you need. Then you’re like ah... ok. Back to book now.
I’m so looking forward to the the next book. I’m not so patiently waiting. Lol. The good thing is the second book is rumored to be coming out January ‘22. The good thing about this book is it didn’t leave you on a cliff hanger. It left it open enough for a second book but you still felt like it was a good stopping point.
So don’t waste any time if you need an escape. This right here will be a little mini vacation from reality. This author is one I will always follow. I can’t believe this is debut novel!
Side note for parents: there are some fighting scenes but nothing too crazy. Kissing a few times is the only thing physical I remember. Maybe some hugs? As far as cussing there wasn’t any in the traditional sense. The curse would that was used was blood. So nothing bad. Also there is one instance where one of the main characters has her period. I hardly ever see this mentioned in books and I read a lot of YA. As a woman now, I’m thinking all the time why isn’t it mentioned? It’s a monthly thing, we hurt, it’s a big part of our life. Especially in the ages that YA is geared to. I was diagnosed at 12 with Endometriosis which made my periods 1000 times worse. It would have been nice to read about someone my age or a little older dealing with those pains and still managing to save the world at the end of the day on top of it.
votesforwomen's review against another edition
2.0
*loooooong sigh*
Things I still need to learn: a brilliant concept doesn't always make a brilliant story
The tropes of arranged marriage and enemies to lovers are two of my favorites, but the problem, I found, was that those tropes themselves were the only things present. The characters weren't developed outside of them, and neither was the plot, really. Except for the presence of my single least favorite fantasy trope: common people are being denied magic, and only our intrepid protagonist girl (usually a royal) can save them.
I'M SURE IT CAN BE DONE WELL BUT THE LAST TIME I READ IT BEING DONE WELL WAS LIKE IDEK 2008
Also there was magical cage fighting and just...please, fantasy genre, can we PLEASE move past that please *sobs*
There were things to like--the magic system was very cool, and so was most of the side cast. Overall, not my cup of tea, which makes me SO sad because oh my GOSH I wanted so much to love it.
Things I still need to learn: a brilliant concept doesn't always make a brilliant story
The tropes of arranged marriage and enemies to lovers are two of my favorites, but the problem, I found, was that those tropes themselves were the only things present. The characters weren't developed outside of them, and neither was the plot, really. Except for the presence of my single least favorite fantasy trope: common people are being denied magic, and only our intrepid protagonist girl (usually a royal) can save them.
I'M SURE IT CAN BE DONE WELL BUT THE LAST TIME I READ IT BEING DONE WELL WAS LIKE IDEK 2008
Also there was magical cage fighting and just...please, fantasy genre, can we PLEASE move past that please *sobs*
There were things to like--the magic system was very cool, and so was most of the side cast. Overall, not my cup of tea, which makes me SO sad because oh my GOSH I wanted so much to love it.
annettebooksofhopeanddreams's review against another edition
5.0
I'm not entirely sure why I added the book to my wishlist once upon a time and why I just had to pre-order it, but I assume that the arranged marriage combined with a world full of magic is one of the reasons. I'm one of those fangirls who loves tropes. Not just in fanfic, but also in my printed books. And although I had to wait some time before the book was available for me, I was quite excited to get started and to meet this world and these characters.
And this book was literally everything I had hoped it would be and so much more! I love how Swift doesn't lose herself in info-dumps, even though there's quite some mythology to be explained. At first that was a little confusing, since all those terms and colors were being used without us knowing exactly what it meant, but the more I saw from the world, the more I fell in love with it. It's a lot more layered and a lot more complicated than it seems at first!
The same can be said about the characters. The characters were probably my favorite part of this story. I'm not someone who has a lot of OTP's, but Adraa and Jatin have quickly become one! And that's mostly because they balance each other perfectly. They challenge each other, make each other better people and better with magic, but they are most of all an amazing team, despite the banter, the sarcasm and the competition. I can't wait to see what kinda trouble they will end up in in the next book!
There was one slight moment in this book where I was afraid that a deus ex machina would kinda ruin it. Nothing against Gods, but saving the day shouldn't be part of their job description. However, I let out a very relieved sigh when it turned out we had more of a Trojan war on our hands. All the politics, all the scheming and plotting and planning became way more interesting in that moment, because the stakes, at the end of the first book, are now higher than ever.
And now the long wait for the sequel begins...
And this book was literally everything I had hoped it would be and so much more! I love how Swift doesn't lose herself in info-dumps, even though there's quite some mythology to be explained. At first that was a little confusing, since all those terms and colors were being used without us knowing exactly what it meant, but the more I saw from the world, the more I fell in love with it. It's a lot more layered and a lot more complicated than it seems at first!
The same can be said about the characters. The characters were probably my favorite part of this story. I'm not someone who has a lot of OTP's, but Adraa and Jatin have quickly become one! And that's mostly because they balance each other perfectly. They challenge each other, make each other better people and better with magic, but they are most of all an amazing team, despite the banter, the sarcasm and the competition. I can't wait to see what kinda trouble they will end up in in the next book!
There was one slight moment in this book where I was afraid that a deus ex machina would kinda ruin it. Nothing against Gods, but saving the day shouldn't be part of their job description. However, I let out a very relieved sigh when it turned out we had more of a Trojan war on our hands. All the politics, all the scheming and plotting and planning became way more interesting in that moment, because the stakes, at the end of the first book, are now higher than ever.
And now the long wait for the sequel begins...