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fatimawright's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
marniemarn's review
2.0
Let me tell you. Going from Laura Thalassas most recent novels to this, you can see how much she has evolved and grown. My love for her other novels were the sole reason I decided to pick up The Queen of All that Dies and I regret it.
obsessiveaddictedreader's review
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
tuttidolci's review against another edition
1.0
ZERO STARS, actually. I don't even understand WHY this book has so many good reviews.
Please scroll down and read Ivie ✩Born to Magic-Forced to Muggle✩'s review for details as to WHY this book is a zero-star read. Also...I don't have the stomach for a female (the "heroine") who can't resist a megalomaniac and psychopath (the male protagonist), despite the fact that he's done DESPICABLE things (genocide, for starters). That was turn-off #1 in this book.
Please scroll down and read Ivie ✩Born to Magic-Forced to Muggle✩'s review for details as to WHY this book is a zero-star read. Also...I don't have the stomach for a female (the "heroine") who can't resist a megalomaniac and psychopath (the male protagonist), despite the fact that he's done DESPICABLE things (genocide, for starters). That was turn-off #1 in this book.
kellyst's review
dark
emotional
mysterious
fast-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
5.0
emilye3's review against another edition
4.0
This was definitely a guilty pleasure read for me. The main character is at most times annoying and doesn’t want to fall in love with the love interest. The love interest who is feared by many seems to be a really caring person when it comes to her. Chaos ensues and love ignites. It’s a quick read and was exactly what I needed.
networklvrs's review against another edition
1.0
TW / CW: mentions of sexual harassment
TWs in the book - gore, violence, torture, limited consent
this book was literally a dumpster on fire. so bad. jesus.
- bad world building
i didn’t understand most of what was going on. if you are going to base something so heavily around the world in the future, as well as medical and warfare advancements, at least TRY to do your research. most of the medical advancements used in the book was confusing and wasn’t explained well. most of these things were glazed over, especially the whole sleeper thing. it was predictable and frankly, very boring.
- writing
where do i even begin with this... the grammar was all over the place, and there was a lot of sluggish parts. sometimes it went at a faster pace, but it was almost too fast to the point where i could barely keep up. the fights were brushed over, and there was way too much bloodshed that was overlooked. serenity knew so many people and so many people deemed close to her were killed, but it was skimmed over so much that i could barely feel any sympathy.
- characters
serenity is almost like every other YA character i’ve come across. she changed her mind almost immediately. for someone who had seen her parents and people close to her killed because of the king, she became close to him very quickly. she went from a person hellbent on killing the king and restoring peace to being on his side and supporting him. it was so strange. from one sentence to the next you could see her change her mind. she was also constantly surrounded by men. the only woman i remember being mentioned was her mother. she was constantly being used as a toy for montes and the others to play around with.
montes is also a horrible character. he doesn’t take no for an answer, he refuses to let serenity do what she is comfortable with, and he willingly kills serenity’s friends and family knowing that she will be upset at him. i would’ve never, NEVER seen serenity with him. if you wanted to write characters that were extreme opposites, why let serenity fall in love with him quickly? montes has a case of insta love, but almost IMMEDIATELY finds a way to sexualize her. i had to put the book down and take a couple of deep breaths when i first read his introduction. it’s awful. he constantly takes advantage of her sexually to get what he wants. consent is NOT a grey line. it is either a YES or a NO. when montes and serenity get married, he almost forced her to lose her virginity. she never said no, but she NEVER SAID YES. that is extremely important and made montes feel icky to me. a pattern i’m seeing in these kinds of books is extremely limited consent, and it’s making me not want to read this genre anymore.
i’m extremely disappointed. if i could rate lower i would. don’t waste your time with this.
TWs in the book - gore, violence, torture, limited consent
this book was literally a dumpster on fire. so bad. jesus.
- bad world building
i didn’t understand most of what was going on. if you are going to base something so heavily around the world in the future, as well as medical and warfare advancements, at least TRY to do your research. most of the medical advancements used in the book was confusing and wasn’t explained well. most of these things were glazed over, especially the whole sleeper thing. it was predictable and frankly, very boring.
- writing
where do i even begin with this... the grammar was all over the place, and there was a lot of sluggish parts. sometimes it went at a faster pace, but it was almost too fast to the point where i could barely keep up. the fights were brushed over, and there was way too much bloodshed that was overlooked. serenity knew so many people and so many people deemed close to her were killed, but it was skimmed over so much that i could barely feel any sympathy.
- characters
serenity is almost like every other YA character i’ve come across. she changed her mind almost immediately. for someone who had seen her parents and people close to her killed because of the king, she became close to him very quickly. she went from a person hellbent on killing the king and restoring peace to being on his side and supporting him. it was so strange. from one sentence to the next you could see her change her mind. she was also constantly surrounded by men. the only woman i remember being mentioned was her mother. she was constantly being used as a toy for montes and the others to play around with.
montes is also a horrible character. he doesn’t take no for an answer, he refuses to let serenity do what she is comfortable with, and he willingly kills serenity’s friends and family knowing that she will be upset at him. i would’ve never, NEVER seen serenity with him. if you wanted to write characters that were extreme opposites, why let serenity fall in love with him quickly? montes has a case of insta love, but almost IMMEDIATELY finds a way to sexualize her. i had to put the book down and take a couple of deep breaths when i first read his introduction. it’s awful. he constantly takes advantage of her sexually to get what he wants. consent is NOT a grey line. it is either a YES or a NO. when montes and serenity get married, he almost forced her to lose her virginity. she never said no, but she NEVER SAID YES. that is extremely important and made montes feel icky to me. a pattern i’m seeing in these kinds of books is extremely limited consent, and it’s making me not want to read this genre anymore.
i’m extremely disappointed. if i could rate lower i would. don’t waste your time with this.
caitybell's review against another edition
4.0
I don’t usually go for dystopian, but I love Laura Thalassa’s books. It was fast-paced, action-packed, and bloody. And the romance was twisty in such a good way.
Serenity is forced into a marriage to the man who has become the literal King of the World. Nuclear warfare has forced her people, the last opposition King Lazuli has in his conquest of the world, to surrender and after the king shows interest in the battle-weary, sharp-tongued Serenity, they use her as a negotiating stake.
Serenity is damaged, physically scarred, and has become an angry, hardened woman. When she is traded to her enemy, the very man who has caused so much grief in her life and the lives of many, it's almost enough to break her. Her horrific attraction to the seductive and charismatic king enough to make her hate herself. Both Serenity and the king have so much conflict to navigate between the two of them, their intimacy is aggressive and passionate and I absolutely loved the fact that almost every character in this trilogy is a grey character. No one is purely good, nor bad. Every single person has blood on their hands, and Thalassa doesn't try to change that fact with boring redemption arcs or sudden character shifts. I loved the drama, the angst, the tension so much in this series I completely forgave the chaos of the science and the impossibility of some of the strategy used in the war to conquer the entire world, I mean, come on, that's a logistical nightmare in reality! But I am completely invested in Serenity and the king's relationship and with the way book one ended, I know Thalassa has made sure we readers know no character is safe. My HEA at the end of this violent road might not be possible in the end ...
I’m binging the other two books in this series ASAP.
Serenity is forced into a marriage to the man who has become the literal King of the World. Nuclear warfare has forced her people, the last opposition King Lazuli has in his conquest of the world, to surrender and after the king shows interest in the battle-weary, sharp-tongued Serenity, they use her as a negotiating stake.
Serenity is damaged, physically scarred, and has become an angry, hardened woman. When she is traded to her enemy, the very man who has caused so much grief in her life and the lives of many, it's almost enough to break her. Her horrific attraction to the seductive and charismatic king enough to make her hate herself. Both Serenity and the king have so much conflict to navigate between the two of them, their intimacy is aggressive and passionate and I absolutely loved the fact that almost every character in this trilogy is a grey character. No one is purely good, nor bad. Every single person has blood on their hands, and Thalassa doesn't try to change that fact with boring redemption arcs or sudden character shifts. I loved the drama, the angst, the tension so much in this series I completely forgave the chaos of the science and the impossibility of some of the strategy used in the war to conquer the entire world, I mean, come on, that's a logistical nightmare in reality! But I am completely invested in Serenity and the king's relationship and with the way book one ended, I know Thalassa has made sure we readers know no character is safe. My HEA at the end of this violent road might not be possible in the end ...
I’m binging the other two books in this series ASAP.
devansbooklife's review against another edition
4.0
I cannot express how much I enjoyed this. I had no idea what I was getting into because my husband bought the book for me. Fortunately it has the complete series because with the cliffhanger at the end I would have completely lost my mind if I couldn't have immediately grabbed the next volume. Laura Thalassa has a way of making her words hit their target dead center. I felt this world come alive. A world of pain and suffering. War torn and savage.
"The world we knew is nothing like the one I live in. But none of this, none of it was so costly a price as the one we eventually paid. Somewhere along the way, my people lost the most precious thing of all. Hope."
The heroine, Serenity, is a bad ass female fighting for what remains of the Western United Nations. She is a solider. Her childhood and her mother were ripped away because of a war. A war led by King Montes Lazuli. And Serenity hates him with every fiber of her being.
Despite her feelings she must accompy her father to peace talks with the King. There she is used as a pawn by her nation to sway his favor during the delegations. Unfortunately the King is evil and power hungry. He is used to getting his way. And what he wants is Serenity, all of Serenity. And he will do anything to have her.
What makes this story so enthralling is the deep wounds both of these characters carry. The weight of their viciousness. King Lazuli wants a queen, but Serenity is a viper. There is tension, so much tension. I usually hate romances that seem unbelievable but this worked. Something about the way Thalassa writes the vulnerability of loneliness and isolation. How love, forgiveness, and hope can change any situation. It honestly was quite beautiful.
I highly recommend.
"The world we knew is nothing like the one I live in. But none of this, none of it was so costly a price as the one we eventually paid. Somewhere along the way, my people lost the most precious thing of all. Hope."
The heroine, Serenity, is a bad ass female fighting for what remains of the Western United Nations. She is a solider. Her childhood and her mother were ripped away because of a war. A war led by King Montes Lazuli. And Serenity hates him with every fiber of her being.
Despite her feelings she must accompy her father to peace talks with the King. There she is used as a pawn by her nation to sway his favor during the delegations. Unfortunately the King is evil and power hungry. He is used to getting his way. And what he wants is Serenity, all of Serenity. And he will do anything to have her.
What makes this story so enthralling is the deep wounds both of these characters carry. The weight of their viciousness. King Lazuli wants a queen, but Serenity is a viper. There is tension, so much tension. I usually hate romances that seem unbelievable but this worked. Something about the way Thalassa writes the vulnerability of loneliness and isolation. How love, forgiveness, and hope can change any situation. It honestly was quite beautiful.
I highly recommend.