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kerrygeyer01's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
jolleeneng's review
dark
emotional
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Wow, this book had me hooked from the first chapter. I could not put it down! It was intense, sad, heartbreaking at times but I fell in love with Nora. She has been through a lot of trauma and still pushes ahead. I can’t wait to see how she grows when book two comes out. There better be a book two because the ending was a cliffhanger!
Definitely a top read for 2023!
Definitely a top read for 2023!
gummybear_smutbookreader's review
5.0
This had me hooked I never knew what way the book was going to go it absolutely kept me on the edge of my seat Elaenor was some what sheltered however she has a fighting spirit I highly recommend 10/10
caireeds's review
5.0
My.HEART.
I am not sure if I can even put into words the emotions I'm left with after finishing this book.
Let me start with this:
Please check the trigger warnings before you read. I'm not going to spoil anything but you will thank me later :-)
Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. This book is a Fantasy/Romantasy lovers dream. It had some spice, forbidden love, dark themes, all while still having a very strong story driven plot.
There's nothing I love more than following the story of an incredibly strong and resilent woman like Elanor. Her journey through this book was both tragic and inspiring. The book dragged me through the MUD until it lifted me up at the last second and drenched me in warmth....the warmth of a woman bent on making all the worthless, cowardly men in her life pay for the things they forced her to endure.
The cliffhanger at the end though......MS. CELAENA CUICO......I will be *impatiently* waiting for (hopefully) a next book.
Thank you so much for this great read!
I am not sure if I can even put into words the emotions I'm left with after finishing this book.
Let me start with this:
Please check the trigger warnings before you read. I'm not going to spoil anything but you will thank me later :-)
Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. This book is a Fantasy/Romantasy lovers dream. It had some spice, forbidden love, dark themes, all while still having a very strong story driven plot.
There's nothing I love more than following the story of an incredibly strong and resilent woman like Elanor. Her journey through this book was both tragic and inspiring. The book dragged me through the MUD until it lifted me up at the last second and drenched me in warmth....the warmth of a woman bent on making all the worthless, cowardly men in her life pay for the things they forced her to endure.
The cliffhanger at the end though......MS. CELAENA CUICO......I will be *impatiently* waiting for (hopefully) a next book.
Thank you so much for this great read!
readingwithtam23's review
5.0
Eleanor is merely a pawn on a chessboard with too many Kings. Being ripped from one loveless home to be placed in another, Nora is forced to marry a future King. A princess in her own right, she has to learn how to navigate her new role as Queen all while falling for a man she can't have and figuring out the truth behind her mother's death. War, betrayal, devastation fill her world as she fights to survive. A strange dream fills her mind nightly, taunting her with an unknown man with green eyes and images of shattered glass, broken bones, and destruction. What could it mean? Is it merely a dream or a warning? She has a choice to make royalty and power with a man who terrifies her, or the chance at true love with someone who is forbidden. Or is it possible fighting to stay alive is her only option?
This book is absolutely amazing. Eleanor is absolutely the strongest and bravest character. She has every reason to give up yet still remains hopeful. This book brought out so many emotions out of me. I cried, got mad, and got happy and hopeful. The author Celaena Cuico admits she isn't a fan of happy endings, and this book was no exception. It is beautifully written and a little painful to read. Not because the story line isn't good, I just related to Nora on so many levels. Celaena makes you fall in love with the characters, and you will find yourself wanting to protect Nora. Make sure to check the trigger warnings, because there are multiple mentions of rape, domestic violence, and somnophillia to name a few. It's a must read and is set to be released October 3 and is available for preorder now.
This book is absolutely amazing. Eleanor is absolutely the strongest and bravest character. She has every reason to give up yet still remains hopeful. This book brought out so many emotions out of me. I cried, got mad, and got happy and hopeful. The author Celaena Cuico admits she isn't a fan of happy endings, and this book was no exception. It is beautifully written and a little painful to read. Not because the story line isn't good, I just related to Nora on so many levels. Celaena makes you fall in love with the characters, and you will find yourself wanting to protect Nora. Make sure to check the trigger warnings, because there are multiple mentions of rape, domestic violence, and somnophillia to name a few. It's a must read and is set to be released October 3 and is available for preorder now.
readwithdesiree's review against another edition
dark
slow-paced
2.5
ARC Review!
First of all, I’d like to throw out a huge THANK YOU to the author for including a pronunciation guide at the beginning of the book. This needs to be the new standard!
Also, check the TW listed right after the pronunciation guide.
I struggled to get into the story for most of the book; I felt like there was a lot of info dumping and pages-worth of reiterating the same points. Not to take away from the severity of the life Elaenor/Nora has lived, but the point seemed to be driven constantly within the first several chapters as a reminder to the reader that Nora has endured a terrible life, but I promise you the reader did not have a chance to forget.
I did feel that the first person POV was used to tell the reader how the character feels instead of showing/describing those feelings and to blatantly pose questions to the reader instead of trusting that the reader could make the connections themselves (which were already made before the questions were posed). I found myself frustrated when Nora mentioned AGAIN that she could only hope her new life would be better than the one she left, but knew it probably wouldn’t be. It was difficult to understand some of the decisions and actions made by many characters as they seemed to come out of left field. Overall, I would characterize Nora as a damsel in distress who cannot put two and two together.
Although I was not a fan of this book, I am intrigued by the story as a whole. I do find myself thinking about it from time to time and am interested to see what happens next. Will I read the next book? No. But I would read a spoiler synopsis.
Thank you to the author for the opportunity to read this book for an honest review!
First of all, I’d like to throw out a huge THANK YOU to the author for including a pronunciation guide at the beginning of the book. This needs to be the new standard!
Also, check the TW listed right after the pronunciation guide.
I struggled to get into the story for most of the book; I felt like there was a lot of info dumping and pages-worth of reiterating the same points. Not to take away from the severity of the life Elaenor/Nora has lived, but the point seemed to be driven constantly within the first several chapters as a reminder to the reader that Nora has endured a terrible life, but I promise you the reader did not have a chance to forget.
I did feel that the first person POV was used to tell the reader how the character feels instead of showing/describing those feelings and to blatantly pose questions to the reader instead of trusting that the reader could make the connections themselves (which were already made before the questions were posed). I found myself frustrated when Nora mentioned AGAIN that she could only hope her new life would be better than the one she left, but knew it probably wouldn’t be. It was difficult to understand some of the decisions and actions made by many characters as they seemed to come out of left field. Overall, I would characterize Nora as a damsel in distress who cannot put two and two together.
Although I was not a fan of this book, I am intrigued by the story as a whole. I do find myself thinking about it from time to time and am interested to see what happens next. Will I read the next book? No. But I would read a spoiler synopsis.
Thank you to the author for the opportunity to read this book for an honest review!
melv2052's review
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
5.0
This book was just so much everything. I could have read this in one sitting because I did not want to put it down. But I also didn’t want it to end. I cannot wait for book two.
There is SO much emotion in all of this book. The hope, the sadness, the betrayal, the shame, the love, the humor, the masking, the just all of it. I don’t want to give any spoilers.
This is 100% worth the read. But for sure check the triggers. The author wrote them out completely.
There is SO much emotion in all of this book. The hope, the sadness, the betrayal, the shame, the love, the humor, the masking, the just all of it. I don’t want to give any spoilers.
This is 100% worth the read. But for sure check the triggers. The author wrote them out completely.