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beccaand's review
adventurous
emotional
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Sexual content, Torture, Violence, Death, and Kidnapping
Minor: Sexual assault and Sexual violence
queenstaves's review
adventurous
emotional
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
A captivating slow-burn romance in a textured world.
As far as romance novels go, I'm very impressed. There are moments of very poetic and talented prose. Overall, the prose is well-balanced, and I did not cringe at any scenes.
Think "The Witcher" meets "Outlander."
There is also a refreshing touch of moral ambiguity.
The male love interest shows emotional maturity and self-reflection appropriate to his age, and, good lord, do I wish cishet men were like this in real life.
The female protagonist feels real, and no one is really infallible or the most unique ever at something. Even with her talents, it's more that she has them and not that she's the bestest ever. And it costs her, too. It makes the stakes higher for both of them, and the romance feels more real.
I love that a romance comes as a flawed thing that two people need to reconcile before continuing. It may not be the most anguished or complex, but it's good to read. It makes it feel possible in a world of flawed creatures, who must make morally questionable decisions.
For the world-building and action: the character-based texture is incredible, but the overarching Big Bad of the world is more of a caricature, but it's not jarring enough to wreck the story. The action of the climax is less developed, but if you don't care about how someone can infiltrate a castle or how many guards are on what rampart of a fortress then it does not matter.
I also love that the protagonists are not virginal, and that there are not weird social purity values. There are aspects of violence, and a plot point from a character's past that involves sexual violence, but it is not gratuitous and it is not used for shock value. It's impact on the character is what matters, and it is not about anyone being a white knight.
The bleak aspects of the world seem like a natural consequence of the Empire's leadership and less about "wow look how inevitably shitty people are to women," a la Game of Thrones. Some readers seem to have found it exhausting, but others seem to not have been bothered. I think the focus on the main character's relationship buffers that, and the world conditions set up the morally grey decisions that gave the relationship texture.
There is not really character growth in the sense of character changes. It is characters making mistakes and using their experiences and wisdom to navigate it. It's relationship growth.
Mild spoiler that does not contain details but tells you the general nature of the ending:
The epilogue is a good pay-off, and balances the issues I have with authors not "pulling the trigger" and my want for a happy ending.
As far as romance novels go, I'm very impressed. There are moments of very poetic and talented prose. Overall, the prose is well-balanced, and I did not cringe at any scenes.
Think "The Witcher" meets "Outlander."
There is also a refreshing touch of moral ambiguity.
The male love interest shows emotional maturity and self-reflection appropriate to his age, and, good lord, do I wish cishet men were like this in real life.
The female protagonist feels real, and no one is really infallible or the most unique ever at something. Even with her talents, it's more that she has them and not that she's the bestest ever. And it costs her, too. It makes the stakes higher for both of them, and the romance feels more real.
I love that a romance comes as a flawed thing that two people need to reconcile before continuing. It may not be the most anguished or complex, but it's good to read. It makes it feel possible in a world of flawed creatures, who must make morally questionable decisions.
For the world-building and action: the character-based texture is incredible, but the overarching Big Bad of the world is more of a caricature, but it's not jarring enough to wreck the story. The action of the climax is less developed, but if you don't care about
I also love that the protagonists are not virginal, and that there are not weird social purity values. There are aspects of violence, and a plot point from a character's past that involves sexual violence, but it is not gratuitous and it is not used for shock value. It's impact on the character is what matters, and it is not about anyone being a white knight.
The bleak aspects of the world seem like a natural consequence of the Empire's leadership and less about "wow look how inevitably shitty people are to women," a la Game of Thrones. Some readers seem to have found it exhausting, but others seem to not have been bothered. I think the focus on the main character's relationship buffers that, and the world conditions set up the morally grey decisions that gave the relationship texture.
There is not really character growth in the sense of character changes. It is characters making mistakes and using their experiences and wisdom to navigate it. It's relationship growth.
Mild spoiler that does not contain details but tells you the general nature of the ending:
Content Warnings
Moderate: Violence and Kidnapping
Minor: Sexual violence and Sexual assault
Sexual violence and assault are mentioned as aspects of the world but they are not a focus. They are part of one character's life history, but it is not described and it is not a plot point. The impacts on the character matter, but only as a person with PTSD and not the nature of the trauma, outside of a child that resulted. I'm not putting that in spoiler tags, because you find out very soon into the character introduction and they are not a protagonist. It may be triggering, but it is not what I would consider an offensive inclusion. It is only referred to and never described.
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