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pensbooks's review against another edition
2.0
This feels like a tricky one to rate. The story is a good example of forbidden romance and characters having to overcome huge differences to be happy. The world building was pretty good and it was nice to read something where the orcs were actually the good guys.
At the same time, everything seems so rushed. The main characters seem to meet and fall in love so fast I actually reread chapters thinking I'd skipped some pages and tragic events are mentioned briefly with no real reaction. It would have been much nicer to spend more time at the beginning learning about the characters and see their relationship build instead of being told it was there.
Overall, a good read for a quiet afternoon but took a bit of convincing to keep going through the whole thing.
At the same time, everything seems so rushed. The main characters seem to meet and fall in love so fast I actually reread chapters thinking I'd skipped some pages and tragic events are mentioned briefly with no real reaction. It would have been much nicer to spend more time at the beginning learning about the characters and see their relationship build instead of being told it was there.
Overall, a good read for a quiet afternoon but took a bit of convincing to keep going through the whole thing.
allison_wonderland's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.75
I feel kind of bad for giving this so low a rating. I should have DNF it. They were way too many commas used, and I could not overlook that. But more than that, as I said, in one of my updates, it felt like this story was written in multiple separate scenes that were just shoved together and called a novel. it didn’t flow. There wasn’t cohesion. There were elements that were not fully explained. it was rushed, and so many things were left unexplained. In addition to that, the spacing and Paige, brakes were really weird. Some of the brakes had symbols while others did not. I devoured the first several chapters of this book and was so looking forward to it, but ultimately it was a big letdown. it wasn’t planned out and there are so many world building elements that are missing. I will not be reading the sequel. I would like to support an North Dakota author, but I cannot do this one.
pearlbrook's review
4.0
Genre: Fantasy romance adventure set in a quasi-historical time period in a fictional land. Orc/human pairing, expect foreplay. Story begins with characters experiencing non-consensual physical abuse from one of the villains.
Spoiler
Main pairing: Bolthorn/Arianna
Favourite character: Bolthorn
Villain(s) Gunnar, Alviss, Vanadis.
Character rating: 10/10
Plot rating: 6/10
Setting rating: 9/10
Overall rating:8/10
Pros: The chemistry, oh my the chemistry! *fans self* from the first meeting of our main characters, through to "do you, do you not" bit right to the HEA, this book is scorching. The relationship develops beautifully, with a sprinkling of angst and self doubt on both sides, and both the romance and the sex are emotionally charged and well written. I was absolutely behind this couple 100% of the way.
Cons: I'm not sure I have any complaints about the first half of the book. But the second?
By the time our hero and heroine reach the other side of the mountains, they are separated. And the separation goes on. And on. And on. Interesting stuff was happening in the meantime, but it is a pet hate of mine when a romance novel has the romantic partners spending large amounts of plot apart. I'm here to make simpering noises at the cute couple, not get increasingly frustrated that things just keep getting in the way of all the sweet lovey-dovey moments. That and the elves just get freaking annoying after a while.
Another pet hate of mine is when the villain does a little bit too well. I have no idea how you'd measure this and I'm sure it is very idiosyncratic and not really a reflection on the strength of the novel. But I tend to get frustrated and bored when the bad guys are always a step ahead of the protagonists.
Some of the miscommunications and trust issues between the main characters get a little tedious, and occasionally you have to seriously question Arianna's intelligence.
Final opinion: This was one of those books that, halfway through, I was certain would be getting five stars and an entry onto my "favourite books" list. And then off went the plot and my heart just couldn't quite follow. I still loved this read, I will still read it again, and I still think of the characters weeks after finishing the thing (the sign of a good book if you ask me). It just missed the mark slightly for me.
lacee's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-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? It's complicated
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Domestic abuse, Death, Death of parent, Torture, Grief, Confinement, Gaslighting, Emotional abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Xenophobia, Blood, Sexual content, Physical abuse, and Murder
Moderate: Misogyny, Sexism, Animal death, Abandonment, Sexual harassment, Sexual assault, Pregnancy, and Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Alcohol, War, Abandonment, Abortion, Infertility, Animal death, Miscarriage, Grief, Slavery, and Sexual violence
kewl_kyle's review
adventurous
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
ellie_klemm's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.5
koops333's review against another edition
4.0
“We move forward together,” he said, gentling his hold upon her hand. “Or not at all.”
Love me a good orc x human pairing, and Bolthorn was a major sweetheart!
Looking forward to where the next story will go for this couple
erica32paulk's review against another edition
3.0
Oh well forbidden love don't get me wrong it's by far the best kind and what better way to experience that in having to different species weave together. To start the writing for me was a bit choppy skipping days and sometimes not knowing how long. It did bounce between both of the main characters perspectives but I did enjoy this part of the narration. My biggest pet peeve was about 4 different names in the book I would read and would think that's a person?...no wait a place? It was very confusing to me even towards the end of the book. It was just the way they were said even in the same paragraph I would bounce back and forth from place to name. Of course at the end the last chapter I found a key chart. I did enjoyed the characters not everything was perfect and not everyone welcomed her with open arms but that's the way it should be. I get sick and tired of the literature tropes which state that couples should be destined for one another and everyone should be happy for them. So I was pleased about that. I'm not sure why but the two traveling was by far my favorite part even though she was freezing to death I thought it was the only time they got some freaking relief. The last thing that threw me off from giving this a 4th star was the customs of the Orcs wasn't explained very well. Really much of anything was their clothes religions it all felt very bare. This story had a good starting point the cover alone drew me in but the story lacked luster. I would think Orc tribes would be rich with customs and stories unlike our own Native American tribes full of color and dancing. Just to sum it all up enjoyed the beauty and the beast side immensely, the plot was a bit confusing as to the names, the story need more color more growth. It was so close.
sonshinelibrarian's review against another edition
5.0
I loved this book. Seriously. Clear your reading schedule for April 1st and snatch this one up as soon as you possibly can.
Arianna may be a princess, but she's grown up being viewed as purely a tool for the king's use. Mocked, belittled, and humiliated she seeks refuge in the forbidden rooms that used to be her mother's. When she finds Bolthorn, an orc trapped in a magic mirror, Arianna is struck by his strength and his sense of honor. And she begins to see a glimmer of hope that perhaps they could save each other. But escaping the castle could only be the beginning of all of their troubles. Do they have enough faith to survive or will their differences shatter any hope of freedom?
Dillin crafts a world that is rich in detail and peopled with a cast of characters that leap off the page and grab hold of your imagination. In the vein of Tolkien, Honor Among Orcs is a high fantasy filled with danger, intrigue, magic, and love that you will want to read again.
And I can't wait for the next book to come out!
Full disclosure: I received an advanced reader copy of this for review, but my review was in no way influenced by this fact.
Arianna may be a princess, but she's grown up being viewed as purely a tool for the king's use. Mocked, belittled, and humiliated she seeks refuge in the forbidden rooms that used to be her mother's. When she finds Bolthorn, an orc trapped in a magic mirror, Arianna is struck by his strength and his sense of honor. And she begins to see a glimmer of hope that perhaps they could save each other. But escaping the castle could only be the beginning of all of their troubles. Do they have enough faith to survive or will their differences shatter any hope of freedom?
Dillin crafts a world that is rich in detail and peopled with a cast of characters that leap off the page and grab hold of your imagination. In the vein of Tolkien, Honor Among Orcs is a high fantasy filled with danger, intrigue, magic, and love that you will want to read again.
And I can't wait for the next book to come out!
Full disclosure: I received an advanced reader copy of this for review, but my review was in no way influenced by this fact.