Reviews

What a delightful read! I love the smatterings of world building and the use of language to really sell the time period. The beginning and ending were the strong points, and Velasin in particular I really loved. The pacing keeps this from a 5 star for me, as it does drag a bit in the middle and also the timeline of events is kind of unbelievable to me at least. But I enjoyed it nonetheless, and really liked the ride this book took me on. A queer romantasy with actual world building? Wild concept haha

ithianna's review against another edition

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1.0

Alas. This is just more mid. I get that a lot of people find this book to be really comforting, but it’s just not well written at all. The first half was better than the end. Nothing really happens. It’s chock full of a cast of indistinguishable puppets. There’s no real concept of setting, culture, or place. There’s a lot of made up words to give the feeling of otherness, but it just makes the writing clunky. One country is homophobic, religiously dogmatic, and conservative. The other one is some kinda lgbt utopia where everything is fine (except it obviously isn’t). It reads like porn without plot except there’s like. One sex scene in the novel and it’s very mediocre and short. This is just mashed potatoes with no gravy. Boring. Bland. Disappointing

kaytealin's review against another edition

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5.0

4.5 but I couldn't put it down. Read the trigger warnings because they are a main thread in the book.

_anxietea_'s review against another edition

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adventurous emotional hopeful fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

When Velasin is betrothed to the princess of a neighboring kingdom, he is prepared to do his duty. But after a traumatic event exposes his true preferences, the kingdom of Tithenai offers an unexpected alternative—their prince.

I absolutely adored this book and I had no idea how much I needed it. The writing is lyrical and beautiful, the characters are well rounded, diverse and heartfelt, and the plot is wonderfully engaging without being so intense that it becomes overwhelming. But mostly, reading about a queernormative society, free of sexism and racism—while idealistic—was exactly the kind of escape my soul needed given the state of the real world. Tithenai, even with its political intrigue, feels like a paradise, and I’d give anything to be there right now.

If you’re looking for a beautifully written escape, I can’t recommend this book enough.

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