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elementchaos's review against another edition
3.0
A cute hate to love romance. It felt very short, and I really wanted more background of the world this is set in. The politics that we do get sounds so good!
Characters were good. I liked Scarlet, though he did feel very teen-aged, I hope to see him grow as a person in the next books. Liall was just an angsty backstory main-guy. I don't yet have any feels for him.
The plot was pretty awesome, but again, felt like it could have been expanded.
Overall, I did not think this was deep - but it was very cute and I had so much fun reading it!
Characters were good. I liked Scarlet, though he did feel very teen-aged, I hope to see him grow as a person in the next books. Liall was just an angsty backstory main-guy. I don't yet have any feels for him.
The plot was pretty awesome, but again, felt like it could have been expanded.
Spoiler
I mean potential genocide of the current ruling class?! That is some deep dark stuff!Overall, I did not think this was deep - but it was very cute and I had so much fun reading it!
graceby's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
onlyongracexm's review against another edition
challenging
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
Oh my god, they were soulmates.
With any new fantasy series, I personally approach the beginning very precariously. I feel it out, I scope it out, I test the air with my komodo dragon tongue (and yes, I literally have the tongue of a komodo dragon).
This book stumbled around quite a bit at the beginning, which is what lost points for me. All the in-world terminology hitting me one after the other made my head swim and the world-building fleshed out the sex industry more than anything else, which, eh, you know, made me question what this book wanted to focus on. However, it did manage to find its footing as the story went on. I can see myself continuing with this series if I'm convinced by someone.
Big question though: how old is Liall??
With any new fantasy series, I personally approach the beginning very precariously. I feel it out, I scope it out, I test the air with my komodo dragon tongue (and yes, I literally have the tongue of a komodo dragon).
This book stumbled around quite a bit at the beginning, which is what lost points for me. All the in-world terminology hitting me one after the other made my head swim and the world-building fleshed out the sex industry more than anything else, which, eh, you know, made me question what this book wanted to focus on. However, it did manage to find its footing as the story went on. I can see myself continuing with this series if I'm convinced by someone.
Big question though: how old is Liall??
emilystyles's review against another edition
5.0
OMG possibly longer review to come later but!!!!! PLEASE READ!!!!!
My only regret is I finished way sooner than i thought and don’t have book 2 yet!!!!!
My only regret is I finished way sooner than i thought and don’t have book 2 yet!!!!!
junojuniper's review against another edition
25% of a book is a lot for NOTHING to have happened.
World-building, world-building and wait, what's that? Oh. More world-building. Names of towns and cities and regions and people and invented names for everyday shit that does nothing but confuse me and make me wonder if it's important that I remember all these. It's just info-dumping and I hate it. I wanted to read a slow-burn enemies-to-lovers story, not a goddamn history book.
Nothing. Has. Happened. Yet.
Liall offended/angered Scarlet by asking for sex as his toll. That's it. The rest is world-building and what looks to be shaping up to be a women-hating world. And this is only two chapters.
I wanted to give it another chapter but after a page, I lost all patience and gave up.
World-building, world-building and wait, what's that? Oh. More world-building. Names of towns and cities and regions and people and invented names for everyday shit that does nothing but confuse me and make me wonder if it's important that I remember all these. It's just info-dumping and I hate it. I wanted to read a slow-burn enemies-to-lovers story, not a goddamn history book.
Nothing. Has. Happened. Yet.
Liall offended/angered Scarlet by asking for sex as his toll. That's it. The rest is world-building and what looks to be shaping up to be a women-hating world. And this is only two chapters.
I wanted to give it another chapter but after a page, I lost all patience and gave up.
teenykins's review against another edition
3.0
This is an incredibly, adventurous fairy tale, loosely based on Red Riding Hood for some key components and phrases, which were quite turned around as well.
It is the story of Scarlet, a redbird, as the pedlars are known because of the Red Coat with the deep hood, they all wore to be distinguished as such and Liall the Wolf who is the Atya of a Kasiri tribe and in the way of one of Scarlet's routes.
I won't go into details about the story and it wasn't very clear how they fell in love with one another but it was quite an enjoyable read with all the feelings, excellent world building, character development, pace and writing style.
Be aware that the heat level is 1 here.
It is the story of Scarlet, a redbird, as the pedlars are known because of the Red Coat with the deep hood, they all wore to be distinguished as such and Liall the Wolf who is the Atya of a Kasiri tribe and in the way of one of Scarlet's routes.
I won't go into details about the story and it wasn't very clear how they fell in love with one another but it was quite an enjoyable read with all the feelings, excellent world building, character development, pace and writing style.
Be aware that the heat level is 1 here.
slammy90's review against another edition
4.0
In realtà è un volume molto introduttivo a quella che si prospetta essere una bella storia.. Spesso il libro mi ha fatto pensare alla Flewelling (♥) e a "A strong and sudden thaw", quindi super Yei!
Liall è decisamente il mio preferito!!! *_*
Liall è decisamente il mio preferito!!! *_*
cgirl98's review against another edition
3.0
This was very enjoyable. I laughed outloud at many points at these antics Scarlet got up to get past that roadblock. Those scenes were well written and lovely. This book was kind of an old fashion romance...we were treated to the characters getting to know each other and growing into their feelings rather than just immediate jumping into love and sex. Instead we were taken on a journey. I liked it. I grew to love them both and can't wait for to continue their story.
haldoor's review against another edition
4.0
Really enjoyed this book; the characters were believable and it wasn't all wine and roses. The ending, of course, left me wanting more, so I will be seeking out the next book in the series very soon!
talysalankil's review against another edition
Review edited on 27/2/2014
Did not finish this book.
Being gay, or accepting of queer people in general, is not an excuse for misogyny. I say it when bloggers like Perez Hilton sexually harass an actress claiming "I'm gay so it's okay" and I'll say it when a book is riddled with too much misogyny for my brain to process.
It's one thing to enforce gender roles in a society inspired by our own. It's another to create a society from scratch where polygamy is allowed, and each "wife" is essentially a slave. Not even necessarily a sex slave, because this book apparently assumes every man is secretly gay and/or homo-leaning bisexual. I guess women are inferior lovers on top of inferior beings, or something.
Oh, and it's one of these books where the heteronormativity is still present, apparently. Add the misogyny to that and the "passive" men in a same-sex relationship are mocked as much as women. I think one of the main characters is good because… he only mocks him instead of outright calling him a non-manly abomination? Yeah no. Thank you but no.
Also, I really don't need to be told on every page that the characters are handsome.
ETA: I don't know why it took me so long to notice, but I haven't even mentioned the worst part about those two chapters:
The premise of the romance in this book is rape.
I'm not kidding. Maybe it gets better later on, but when Scarlet and Liall first meet, Liall goes "I want to fuck you, but I won't physically force you, so instead I'll prevent you from taking this road which means I'm taking your livelihood from you".
Rape is not just physically forcing yourself on someone. Consent under pressure is not consent. So this is rape.
Did not finish this book.
Being gay, or accepting of queer people in general, is not an excuse for misogyny. I say it when bloggers like Perez Hilton sexually harass an actress claiming "I'm gay so it's okay" and I'll say it when a book is riddled with too much misogyny for my brain to process.
It's one thing to enforce gender roles in a society inspired by our own. It's another to create a society from scratch where polygamy is allowed, and each "wife" is essentially a slave. Not even necessarily a sex slave, because this book apparently assumes every man is secretly gay and/or homo-leaning bisexual. I guess women are inferior lovers on top of inferior beings, or something.
Oh, and it's one of these books where the heteronormativity is still present, apparently. Add the misogyny to that and the "passive" men in a same-sex relationship are mocked as much as women. I think one of the main characters is good because… he only mocks him instead of outright calling him a non-manly abomination? Yeah no. Thank you but no.
Also, I really don't need to be told on every page that the characters are handsome.
ETA: I don't know why it took me so long to notice, but I haven't even mentioned the worst part about those two chapters:
The premise of the romance in this book is rape.
I'm not kidding. Maybe it gets better later on, but when Scarlet and Liall first meet, Liall goes "I want to fuck you, but I won't physically force you, so instead I'll prevent you from taking this road which means I'm taking your livelihood from you".
Rape is not just physically forcing yourself on someone. Consent under pressure is not consent. So this is rape.