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solaris_zip's Reviews (198)
slow-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
*thanks to the author for an ARC of this book*
By the words of the lovely author, Ben Anderson, “Prince of endless tides is a story about a human prince, Ernest, who possesses a magical power, granting wishes. His powers however, are stolen by an evil mermaid (also called a Mer- a monster birth by the union of two warring gods) who bites him and infect him with the mermaid deadly curse. To get back his powers back, he will have to work along side a sea witch, Killian, whom is cursed by an ancient god and he wants nothing but to be free. They are fated to help or kill each other. “
I don’t even know where to start. This book made me an emotional rollercoaster, and that’s hard to do. I cried, I laughed, I loved, I felt hatred. The story of Ernest and Killian reminds me of the concept of the red thread of fate found in east Asia culture. According to the myth, everyone's pinky finger is tied to an invisible red string that will lead them to another person with whom they will make history.
The event of the book take place within a week from each other. And yet the book doesn’t feel rush at all. Ernest and Killian have such a strong bond, such a strong connection, that I truly forgot they got to know days prior. It kinda blows you away how much love these two hold for the other, and I wish to find the same within this lifetime.
Onto the characters. I love them. That’s it. Seriously. I never enjoyed reading about two characters so much. From the witty comments and remarks by Ernest side, to discovering Killian soft edges. Killian, gods I love him. Ernest too. They need to be protected. I loved how their romance isn’t fast paced. It’s a slow burn, where they learn how to deal with their own issues, emotions and past situations. The character development is on point.
This is my first book I read from the author and from the Darkmourn world. I found the book fast paced, for being 555 pages long, which is a good thing. Well written, the writing flows like water and it keeps you hooked from start to end. The world-building was also fun to get lost into it. From the Mer people, to the gods and all… it was such a new experience and I enjoyed a lot!
The smut scenes were great. I hate reading smut, it always feels oddly too much, like it’s there to fill a hole. Not in this book though. The two characters had so much tension between each other I felt it onto my own skin. The scenes were more than good, teasing, funny, sexy and lighthearted to read.
Prince of endless tides is a tale of love, of heartbreak, of betrayal, of loss, but also of finding. Finding the joy of love again, joy of life, joy of living. Filled with humour, angst and gut-wrenching emotion (with a touch of spice) the book will leave you staring staring at the ceiling in hopes for a sequel or something to fill the void Ernest and Killian will leave within you. Favourite book of the year.
Thanks to the author for an ARC of this book 💞
Manumission a slow pacing book, about a female warrior, general Truda (an elf) who starts to question the rules of her society when she meets a human man scheduled for his death. I found the storyline unique, a different approach to the classic elf x human trope. The narrator and 1st POV is a woman warrior who is headstrong, fierce, a leader. I liked reading about Truda. I liked the way she was portrayed.
Manumission a slow pacing book, about a female warrior, general Truda (an elf) who starts to question the rules of her society when she meets a human man scheduled for his death. I found the storyline unique, a different approach to the classic elf x human trope. The narrator and 1st POV is a woman warrior who is headstrong, fierce, a leader. I liked reading about Truda. I liked the way she was portrayed.
The world building was interesting! We have a 180 shift. The author throws away the idea of a male dominated society. This society is dominated by women, elf women. The female characters were strong, and despite their femininity they did not lost their dominant trait. I liked that.
What I didn’t like:
- The breeding situation. It makes you question if these women are actually free at all despite living in a female dominated world. The queen, doesn’t give the choice for the “strongest women” of the bunch. They *must* reproduce, they must keep the line going. A reproduction that has no autonomy, and considering it’s a magic society, the fact they haven’t manage to reproduce by magic alone, and require human men for such tasks (keep in mind men are the minority in this society) shows that they are indeed not free, from this aspect at least.
- Erik. There wasn’t much characterisation for him. Besides that he is a human man, close to his 30th birthday, he is beautiful and has a compassionate heart. I wish we had explore more of his character.
- First POV. I truly feel that the book would have been easier to read if we saw under Erik prospective. If we got to see his side of the story and not just Truda. I wanted more emotional scenes I suppose. Without a shadow of doubt this two characters *went through it*, in different ways but both experienced a lot. And I wished we explored the emotional side of their situation a bit more.
- Plot. There was a lot of secondary plot, which wasn’t a bad thing, but sometimes it took you away from the “main” focus -Erik and Truda. Which resulted in their romance scenes being set aside a bit. The first 30% of the book was a bit slow as I kept waiting for advancement in their interactions.
In conclusion; I feel that the book, which such a rich and intense story and world building, has a solid foundation to be great! There are lots of interesting path ways the author can take, and I’m very interested in seeing what she is going to do for the second book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexism, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Violence, War, Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Abortion
*Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me an advance reader copy of this book*
The Absinthe Underground is a sapphic novel, filled with magic, heist adventure and even fae fantasy.
One of the reasons why I immediately got attracted by this book is for the Art Nouveau style front cover. Me being an art student, I was just in heaven.
I found the book light, wholehearted and beautiful to read.
For the first time I found a sapphic book where the characters aren't sexualised. Aren't made for men. The romance between Esme and Sybil is sweet, innocent and it makes your heart flutter. A best friends to lovers that are both so in love but so blind at the same time. Two girls which have totally different backgrounds, but despite so, they are as close as ever.
I found the heist part slightly slow, as there aren't many suspenseful moments, but that gives a sense of comfort almost. It's a journey about two friends, soon lovers, who for each other's love decide to go on extreme ends, even on a heist in the fae world.
Overall, it was a sweet read. And one of my favourite books of the year. If you're looking for a fantasy, sapphic, fae fantasy book this is the book of the year!
slow-paced
The book is rather slow pace. Some things dragged too long, the slow burn was seriously a slow burn. Sometimes too much. There was so much miscommunication, so much not talking between the characters I wanted to rip my hairs out. The ending of the book was rather stale in the sense that it just kept dragging and dragging, and after we reached what we were all waiting for (not gonna do spoilers but something between Persephone and hades) it almost seemed the book was stuck on a loop? Keep repeating the same things all over again? I enjoyed seeing a more “strong” Persephone, one of the issuers of these types of retailing is falling for the good innocent girl x bad boy trope. This book didn’t.
slow-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
I found the book very interesting. That’s without saying tho, that I struggled with understanding at some point. With Olivie Blake books I have such a relationship. I read them the first time: I exit it by feeling stunned and lost. I read it the second time: I exit by suddenly have a different approach on life.
I enjoy the book and the idea. It’s very different from the atlas six books, which is what made me discover Blake in the first place. This book doesn’t shy away from swearing and being explicit, love that. Is less “heavy” in a way too. The book overall is of slow pace. Some chapters are very quick and keep you hooked. Others don’t make sense immediately but as you keep reading they start connecting, I found myself going back and forth in the book as the pieces started to connect. Tho, I found this approach makes the story a bit difficult to follow. I didn’t truly, and maybe still haven’t, completely grasped the concept of the game. I admit it took me awhile.
Mayra and Cal. I love how she is characterised. She is such an interesting character. And I love them as a couple, and the fact that they passed the offer for paradise to stay with fox? Crying my eyes out.
I hated Tom at the beginning. He was annoying. To say the least. I still found him annoying by the end of the book, but, I also didn’t dislike him. It was obvious something was gonna happen with V and him, and i felt at peace after 375 pages, yes 375, they finally kissed. I liked how their story turned out.
Now, fox and brandt… god how I hated Brandt. From start to end. The headaches I got from him were… a lot. He was insufferable at times to read. I thought I was gonna dislike fox too, but by the end, I felt pretty neutral about him. I feel their relationship is very complex. There is about 2 centuries of story behind. I feel torn. In a way I see why they ended up once again together at the end. They truly never got to enjoy their love. From Brandt situation and all. Yet, I almost wished they didn’t ended up together. Maybe fox needed to find himself. To move on in a way. I wished we had perhaps a little snipped of them, of what happened to them after everything. If they grew old together and all. (About all of the couples actually).
Doesn’t even deserve one star. What the hell is going on? Is this how Gotham war ends? Seriously? Unanswered questions about Jason, does he will have to live for the REST OF HIS LIFE, with the toxins Bruce injected into him? Bruce leaving as soon as someone calls him up on his shitty behaviour. Selina falling into death and then she is alive? Batman’s identity getting discovered? The art style changing and going back to that atrocious art style from the beginning at the end? Why? It was so not necessary. This whole issue, along side the other Gotham war ones, are just a MESS. Ruined years of progress made into the batfamily storyline just to scrap everything out again. And the dialogue, don’t get me started on the writing. Atrocious.
1824, friends to lovers. Penelope and Colin love story is something so simple yet so heartwarming. Because it something that many people could relate to. Having a childhood friend, knowing someone for so long, being used to be around them to care for them.. and then one day everything changes. You start to properly look at them. Noticing the way their eyes aren’t just brown, but a softer shade of brown with a gold ring around. You will start noticing how perhaps their lips look perfectly kissable. You will start to wonder, “what is this feeling? Why am I blushing like a madman?” Truth is, Penelope and Colin love story is sweet, is giddy. I like to say Penelope manifested everything. Manifesting queen 1824.
Either way, I enjoyed the book. I love those two and the book is now one of my favourites from the bridgerton universe. However, there are a few things that I didn’t particularly like. For example, the way Colin would snap or just be rude, very rude, to Penelope and never fully apologising to her. Never being on his damn knees apologising, begging her to take him back. Especially after the whole “I will never marry Penelope” thing in the prologue, years went by and he even acknowledged… he never apologised for it. And that really icked me.
Another thing is the way Penelope is written.
Either way, I enjoyed the book. I love those two and the book is now one of my favourites from the bridgerton universe. However, there are a few things that I didn’t particularly like. For example, the way Colin would snap or just be rude, very rude, to Penelope and never fully apologising to her. Never being on his damn knees apologising, begging her to take him back. Especially after the whole “I will never marry Penelope” thing in the prologue, years went by and he even acknowledged… he never apologised for it. And that really icked me.
Another thing is the way Penelope is written.
Throughout the book we see her trying to fight for her voice. There were instances were she really pushed through, she was standing her ground and we like that! But, two pages later the author went back to write her as little lost girl Penelope. And I think that's really not fair. She should have had her big glow up, personality wise. There were so many scenes with Colin where I just wished she just snapped at him.
Infuse some common sense into him. And yet she didn't. She took it all. And sometimes I dare say let him walk over her, and I didn't like that.
Book wise they are a better couple than Kate and Anthony (come for me I dare you). In the show, I hope we will see a Colin who will jealous.
Desperate. So damn desperate to be with Penelope, I want to see Colin so down bad, that I have to stop the show out of secondhand embarrassment for him. I want to see him distraught at the thought of her marrying someone else. I want ANGST. I want him BEGGING, for her to get married with him. For her to reject him. Or to at least make him work for it. I don't need something "easy" like in the book. Where after the carriage scene he just slips in the proposal and that was it.