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aperfectlygoodbook's review
adventurous
emotional
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.5
thank you so much to the author for the arc!!
this book is an absolute gem, i loved every aspect of it! i haven't read a fantasy book in a while and wrath of astoria reminds me why this is my favourite genre. mira's writing is so beautiful, i want her to narrate my life so maybe i can actually romanticize it lmao. the worldbuilding is gorgeous, i literally had images of historical manhwa backgrounds in my mind whenever i read descriptions. also, the uniqueness of it is so fascinating for me because i swear every time i imagined something as such, random things i never expected would pop out like refrigerators... this book is also the reason i love fantasy books because it manages to fit in so many important topics that are so relevant in a fictional story.
the characters in this book are everything to me. alva and dante are the absolute sweetest and i'm so obsessed with the childhood friends to lovers trope <33 their chemistry comes so easily and the amount of pining is just perfect. also, the author is so great at writing evil characters, i swear my blood pressure has never been so high reading about a specific character *ahem ahem*
overall, this book is amazing and everyone needs to pick it up immediately, i promise it will not disappoint!
this book is an absolute gem, i loved every aspect of it! i haven't read a fantasy book in a while and wrath of astoria reminds me why this is my favourite genre. mira's writing is so beautiful, i want her to narrate my life so maybe i can actually romanticize it lmao. the worldbuilding is gorgeous, i literally had images of historical manhwa backgrounds in my mind whenever i read descriptions. also, the uniqueness of it is so fascinating for me because i swear every time i imagined something as such, random things i never expected would pop out like refrigerators... this book is also the reason i love fantasy books because it manages to fit in so many important topics that are so relevant in a fictional story.
the characters in this book are everything to me. alva and dante are the absolute sweetest and i'm so obsessed with the childhood friends to lovers trope <33 their chemistry comes so easily and the amount of pining is just perfect. also, the author is so great at writing evil characters, i swear my blood pressure has never been so high reading about a specific character *ahem ahem*
overall, this book is amazing and everyone needs to pick it up immediately, i promise it will not disappoint!
lqvlizwes's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
“i got the love even the stars could grasp”
rating: 4.5☆
i loved so many things about this book. the characters, the aesthetic, the plot was pretty good too. it was a really fun read, especially if you enjoy romantasy books. the world building was very interesting, however it took me some time to understand how everything works, whether with the different characters or the politics.
first of all alva. she was such a and strong and amazing character. she knew what she wanted and what she stood for and she always fought for what she believed in. she was funny and loyal and also can we talk about the bow and arrow?? literally my favourite weapon!!
now dante. the poor guy went through so much as a kid but he turned out so perfect. seriously, i want a man like him. he met alva when they were just kids and that man wrote her not 1, not 2 but 32 letters that she didn't even got (until 10 years later). you could see he truly care about alva, never doing anything that might hurt her.
some characters (*cough* floyd and fayed) made me so mad i literally wanted to throw my kindle away every time i saw their names. they were such assholes but i still had some hope for floyd until i didn't. anthony was alright, i didn't like him at first, and how he used to treat dante definitely didn't help but in the end he was okay. however there were other side characters that i absolutely loved, like the sweet little althea, octavia, hinata, and even noahlin.
thank you so much for the arc copy in exchange for an honest review.
rating: 4.5☆
i loved so many things about this book. the characters, the aesthetic, the plot was pretty good too. it was a really fun read, especially if you enjoy romantasy books. the world building was very interesting, however it took me some time to understand how everything works, whether with the different characters or the politics.
first of all alva. she was such a and strong and amazing character. she knew what she wanted and what she stood for and she always fought for what she believed in. she was funny and loyal and also can we talk about the bow and arrow?? literally my favourite weapon!!
now dante. the poor guy went through so much as a kid but he turned out so perfect. seriously, i want a man like him. he met alva when they were just kids and that man wrote her not 1, not 2 but 32 letters that she didn't even got (until 10 years later). you could see he truly care about alva, never doing anything that might hurt her.
some characters (*cough* floyd and fayed) made me so mad i literally wanted to throw my kindle away every time i saw their names. they were such assholes but i still had some hope for floyd until i didn't. anthony was alright, i didn't like him at first, and how he used to treat dante definitely didn't help but in the end he was okay. however there were other side characters that i absolutely loved, like the sweet little althea, octavia, hinata, and even noahlin.
thank you so much for the arc copy in exchange for an honest review.
amorbidlongingforbooks's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
(thanks for this arc copy in exchange for an honest review!)
Before going into this I was a bit sceptical because Romantasy has let me down more than once and is not really my usual genre anymore - but I gladly announce that this book surpassed my expectations 🤭🧡.
The Plot evolves around Alva, fighting in congress for equality, and eventually becoming close again with her childhood friend, Dante Strauss. While the politics were clever thought out, they’re clearly about real life issues and tbh I’m not a fan of that when reading fantasy – but in this case they were well implemented in the world and made sense in the context, instead of just adding a half-baked political message to a love story.
The characters are richly developed and left very much an impression on me (looking at you, Fayed 💀). And omg did I love the dynamic between Dante and Alva, our main characters! They had such a special connection because of their childhood friendship – I don’t know if childhood-friends to lovers is a thing – but if it is, please recommend me more!! Dante especially was so respectful and funny and I also loved the bond he had with his niece, Althea… crying.
The other side characters are also fairly interesting, it really felt like they existed long before the story, and now you just got to experience a glimpse into their lives.
One thing I’d liked to have seen more of is the main “villains” reasoning - don’t get me wrong, he had reasons but I got the impression that I had seen too little of his character to actually understand why he choose such drastic actions – especially with his family… Also what exactly had he to gain, doing what he did?
The worldbuilding involved no infodumping whatsoever, really appreciated that, altough I will say that the world confused me sometimes – probably bc it was a bit underexplained idk?
The descriptions though were very lively and beautiful – lush, ethereal, with a lot of gold accents in my head, loved that ✨
All considered, this was a pleasant reading experience, especially for a self-published debut novel!
Before going into this I was a bit sceptical because Romantasy has let me down more than once and is not really my usual genre anymore - but I gladly announce that this book surpassed my expectations 🤭🧡.
The Plot evolves around Alva, fighting in congress for equality, and eventually becoming close again with her childhood friend, Dante Strauss. While the politics were clever thought out, they’re clearly about real life issues and tbh I’m not a fan of that when reading fantasy – but in this case they were well implemented in the world and made sense in the context, instead of just adding a half-baked political message to a love story.
The characters are richly developed and left very much an impression on me (looking at you, Fayed 💀). And omg did I love the dynamic between Dante and Alva, our main characters! They had such a special connection because of their childhood friendship – I don’t know if childhood-friends to lovers is a thing – but if it is, please recommend me more!! Dante especially was so respectful and funny and I also loved the bond he had with his niece, Althea… crying.
The other side characters are also fairly interesting, it really felt like they existed long before the story, and now you just got to experience a glimpse into their lives.
One thing I’d liked to have seen more of is the main “villains” reasoning - don’t get me wrong, he had reasons but I got the impression that I had seen too little of his character to actually understand why he choose such drastic actions – especially with his family… Also what exactly had he to gain, doing what he did?
The worldbuilding involved no infodumping whatsoever, really appreciated that, altough I will say that the world confused me sometimes – probably bc it was a bit underexplained idk?
The descriptions though were very lively and beautiful – lush, ethereal, with a lot of gold accents in my head, loved that ✨
All considered, this was a pleasant reading experience, especially for a self-published debut novel!
sof_28's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
inspiring
medium-paced
3.5
I’d like to start by thanking the author, Mira Osarenkhoe, for sending me a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.
“you always chase after perfection when that isn’t the goal. Nothing needs to be perfect. Nothing is perfect. And nobody ought to expect perfection.”
I really loved the two main characters Alva & Dante.
Alva is such a badass! She is stubborn, not scared of expressing her opinions nor her thoughts, and just really cool. She’s the type of person that won’t stop until she gets what she wants. She also values freedom and wants everyone to have equal rights, which as a politician is a crucial element. She’s such a great senator for Astoria!
Dante. Oh Dante, Dante! You little romantic. I really liked Dante. His backstory made me tear up🥺. The fact that he felt like he was never good enough as a half-breed (half faerie/half human). “In Circe, they told him he wasn’t human. He was a faerie. In the Provincial, they told him he wasn’t a faerie; he was human. He was none of the above.” It hit too close to home ❤️🩹
He was so romantic and in love with Alva. Some of the things he said had me giggling and kicking my feet 🤭
“I’ll be with you”, he whispered into her mouth.” I cannot watch you fall into the arms of another man. I’ll always be there because there is no one else for me”. He brushed her hair back, beholding her eyes while their lips quivered for the other. “If they see souls are never born and never die, mine has been yearning for you since the beginning of time. I cannot be with anyone else, and I know that, and I burn for you, and I love you all the more for it. You are my everything, and I am yours forever.”
like PLEASE 😭💘
Also, Dante’s niece, Thea!!! She’s so cute and her story is so tragic 🥺. Thea’s relationship with Dante was so precious. They had such a special connection. I felt that added a lot to the story!!
Unfortunately, I found the plot of the book somewhat confusing. I thought the magic system and the politics were unclear. I felt that the author wanted to create this whole world with its own magic and politics (and that’s great!) but it wasn’t executed well. Maybe if there was a little bit less or if it was explained in a simpler way, I would have found it less confusing and therefore enjoyed the book more.
Overall I really liked the writing style, but at times I felt that the story dragged on a little. I believe I would have enjoyed the story more if it would have been shorter. The pacing was a bit off for me. I found myself getting a bit bored towards the middle of the novel as it lacked action. But then it picked back up again at the end!
The story was unique with its own magic world. The writing gave me slightly Holly Black vibes (which i love!!) so I think that if you are a fan of the Cruel Prince trilogy, you would like this book too!
I really want to congratulate Mira Osarenkhoe for writing her debut novel! I cannot fantom writing a book, but a fanatasy book that’s just absolutely mind blowing to me. Mira, you have such a great imagination and so much potential, I truly cannot wait to see what else you end up writing!
“Your joy is my joy. Your pain is my pain. If I were to give up on you, I’d give up on myself, and if you were to fall with you.”
So although this wasn’t my favorite book, I still enjoyed it and recommend you to check it out!
And again, thank you to the author for sending me an ARC of her debut novel.
tropes:
💌lost letters
🧸childhood friends to lovers
✨political intrigue
🏛️family drama
More...