Take a photo of a barcode or cover
The story itself is just a playful romp with plenty of intrigue and small disasters. It is very low spice but also very low cringe, which seems like an unusual combination. I can see this as a kids movie kind of like The Princess Bride. Or I could, right up until a well deserved f bomb hit the scene. It was a reminder that grown ups deserve fun books too. Not everything has to be so serious.
Honestly, big points for style and execution. It's a popcorn action romance movie in a book.
Graphic: Chronic illness, Confinement, Death, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Blood, Murder, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Slavery
Minor: Bullying, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Murder, Gaslighting, Sexual harassment, Injury/Injury detail
Graphic: Death, Emotional abuse, Violence, Blood, Death of parent, Murder, Sexual harassment, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Chronic illness, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Antisemitism
Moderate: Chronic illness, Death, Gore, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Torture, Blood, Murder, Sexual harassment
Minor: Child death, Confinement, Panic attacks/disorders, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Confinement, Death, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Violence, Blood, Murder, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, Classism
Minor: Child death, Chronic illness, Cursing, Torture
Moderate: Death, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Sexism, Violence, Murder, Sexual harassment
Minor: Bullying, Child death, Chronic illness, Confinement, Emotional abuse, Gore, Misogyny, Sexism, Sexual assault, Torture, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, Injury/Injury detail
Graphic: Chronic illness
Moderate: Child death, Blood, Grief, Abandonment, Sexual harassment
Minor: Animal cruelty, Torture, Alcohol
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Death, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Child death, Chronic illness, Emotional abuse, Gore, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Torture, Grief, Abandonment
I won't like when I first learned that The Villain's name was Trystan I was like huuuhhhh??? The name, in my head, did not match the character at all. However, as the story went on and I learned more about him Trystan really did fit him. I think it was when Clare called him Tryst that it changed what I thought of his name.
I enjoyed learning about both Trystan's and Evie's backstory. I hope that over the next two books we learn more about Trystan's childhood. I will admit that I would've thought that Evie's story of sexual assault would've gone into more detail with the warning at the beginning of the book. However, I am thankful that the author took the time to add the warnings at the front, and I believe that it should become a common thing in all books.
I was not expecting Evie's dad to be the traitor. I truly believed it was someone within the manor and employed by the villain. But to learn that it was Evie's dad was shocking. Especially when he admitted to never having the mystic illness. That it had all been a cover for so he could work for King Benedict and help him catch the villain.
I'm absolutely in love with Kingsley, like I want my own Kingsley. I also love Evie's and Trystan's relationship, or almost relationship, and their playful banter. They are definitely the 'the grumpy one falls for the sunshine one' and I'm in love with it. The way he only cracks jokes when she's around and only lets her touch him. It's just adorable!
If you haven't read the book, then go read the book. Like enemies to lovers [kinda] and a talking frog? Who wouldn't want to read this book? Seriously just go read the book.
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Abandonment
Moderate: Chronic illness, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Blood, Sexual harassment, Pandemic/Epidemic
Minor: Child death
I’ve been put off by the cutesy tone - it gets tiring - but parts are laugh-out-loud funny and the characters are charming and lovable. They’re also remarkably dense about others’ emotions.
Some of the cloying style is exacerbated by the voice of the audiobook reader. She reads it the way the author intended but a little goes a long way.
The reveal of the traitor is shocking and the book ends on a cliffhanger. So now that I’ve been rather disparaging I confess that I love these characters so much that I’m diving right into the second book. I really hope it doesn’t also end on a cliffhanger because the third won’t be published for six months.
Graphic: Chronic illness, Confinement, Death, Gore, Misogyny, Sexual assault, Torture, Violence, Blood, Grief, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, Injury/Injury detail, Classism