I liked it. There are some issues, though. The worldbuilding continues to be flimsy at best, and some things are retconned from what was said in the pI liked it. There are some issues, though. The worldbuilding continues to be flimsy at best, and some things are retconned from what was said in the previous book to fit the narrative here. I liked Micah, but in the end he just became a clone of Kaysar, to the point where I couldn’t tell them apart, maybe except for Micah’s scars (not that they’re mentioned much, which makes it easy to forget they even exist) and the fact that Micah was pale and Kaysar had “golden skin”. The romance wasn’t there for me. They don’t trust each other, until they just do. Nothing happens to make them change their minds, suddenly they just trust each other. It made no sense, especially from Micah, who had been just betrayed by everyone he loves, and now he suddenly trusts this woman who just admitted to have lied to him from the start. No grand gesture, no apologies, he just trusts her now, when five seconds before he just didn’t. It felt forced. Same with him and Kaysar forgiving each other. They just do. And now I definitely don’t want to read Jareth’s book, not if he’s getting together with Pearl-Jean, as is suggested in this book. I hate her. And he lost a couple of points in this book. Not that it will ever be an issue, since Showalter doesn’t seem to be in a hurry to write it, anyway....more
2.5 stars rounded up These two were super toxic. Kaisar was a villain, yet at times the narrative tried to paint him as an anti-hero. That he wasn’t. H2.5 stars rounded up These two were super toxic. Kaisar was a villain, yet at times the narrative tried to paint him as an anti-hero. That he wasn’t. He’s selfish, vain, mercurial, and an unhinged psychopath. His only redeeming quality seemed to be that he was hot. And of course he has the required traumatic past, so we must forgive everything he does. Cookie does seem to think so, because she forgives him all the shit he does to her the second he says sorry. He promises, over and over, that he won’t hurt her again, yet he does it again and again. But she constantly rationalizes his motives, and he’s hot, so everyone else pushes her to forgive him. This was textbook D. V. Yet we’re supposed to think it’s romantic. TBH, I don’t see these two lasting more than a couple years, with a thousand break-ups in between. There was no plot, and very little worldbuilding. The world felt very empty, too, because other people rarely appear on page, and even when there’s supposedly a crowd, it didn’t feel like it, because only a few characters have dialogues, or do shit. And why the hell did they want two freaking kingdoms, leave Micah to his castle that he spent two hundred years building and go to annoy the people in the Nightlands. There just wasn’t anything that would attack them there, so there would have been absolutely nothing to this book (not that there’s much as it is anyway), that’s why. To create tension because the author didn’t really have a story to tell, just two very toxic people hurting each other and everyone around them. It was entertaining, though, and I liked Cookie (cringey name aside). I’ll read the next (and only other) book, which is Micah’s, because I found him interesting, and one of the two people in this book that deserve a HEA (him and Jareth, the rest can go to hell). ...more
I got tired of it. It was going nowhere. 50% in and they're back to, essentially, square one. So a lot of what happened in that first half was completI got tired of it. It was going nowhere. 50% in and they're back to, essentially, square one. So a lot of what happened in that first half was completely unnecessary. Plus all the abuse and rape gets justified because "boys will be boys" or in this case, alphas. Big no. Also, world building is almost nonexistent. DNF 50%. I managed to get this far because the action is decently written....more
2.5 stars rounded up. The setting was very confusing, especially the clothes. Sometimes they would wear trousers and tunics, sometimes button-ups and l2.5 stars rounded up. The setting was very confusing, especially the clothes. Sometimes they would wear trousers and tunics, sometimes button-ups and leggings. It was hard to get a grip on the place, too. People aren’t described either, except for the MCs. And the story started so well, with a lot of potential, until the second she started lusting after him and seemingly lost any capacity for critical thinking, and all her anger. Way before he showed any redeeming qualities, or even stopped torturing her. Yes, he was torturing her, but hey, she likes pain, so that’s OK, because she liked it. Fuck, I hate that. She goes from “I’m killing these two to protect my secret” to “I want to fuck him” in an instant, and it didn’t even make sense. It was right after he threatened to kill the only person who was slightly nice to her, yet she’s totally OK with her “friend” being traumatized, she forgives him, because he’s hot and she wants to bang him. Now, if you ignore all that torture at the beginning, which didn’t even have to happen at all, because it would have been much better if he had told her from the start what he wanted and how desperate he was (which is actually what happens, BTW, he just does it after the torture), the second part wasn’t too bad. Again, if the torture hadnt happened, this story would be so much better. It was so unnecessary and I have no idea why it was included, since we’re just told about most of it, and only see it once (the one time she’s turned on by it, of course, lest we forget she likes pain). Overall, it was entertaining, and it was short, though the “feral” king wasn’t very feral at all (not even when he was torturing her). This needed more chapters to really make the transition from hating him to allies to friends to lovers. As it is, all of it happens so fast it doesn’t make sense. ...more
It didn’t have any elements of the little mermaid tale. Unless you count him having red hair (which isn’t even mentioned until half way through) and nIt didn’t have any elements of the little mermaid tale. Unless you count him having red hair (which isn’t even mentioned until half way through) and naming objects with nonsensical words as such. It’s clean, and it’s short, but the MCs didn’t have much chemistry. The competition didn’t make much sense either. ...more
There were so many things that were mentioned as if the reader already knew them that it was hard to follow the story. Also, what she did was sexual hThere were so many things that were mentioned as if the reader already knew them that it was hard to follow the story. Also, what she did was sexual harassment. ...more
2.5 stars rounded down, because it doesn't deserve three. It felt a bit like cultural appropriation. Descriptions of everything, from places to clothe2.5 stars rounded down, because it doesn't deserve three. It felt a bit like cultural appropriation. Descriptions of everything, from places to clothes, were inconsistent. Sometimes the bed was floor-level mats, the next scene in it it was raised and had a mattress. Same with the tables. The language used to describe the characters’ actions around those things changed, seemingly because the author forgot they weren’t western style stuff and wrote as if they were, and went back to describe them as asian-style when she remembered. It was very confusing. The plot was OK, but after a point it just stopped. It became a series of scenes that led to the sex and nothing more. Shumei's characterization was very inconsistent. One moment she's an inexperienced virgin, the next she's a vixen, the next she's shy, the next she's coy. Sometimes she’s impulsive, sometimes she isn’t. She’s always stupid, though. At the beginning, Shumei doesn’t have magic, then a lot of stuff happened and now she has it. And at first she didn’t know anything about it, and was learning, but all of a sudden she has some vision or something and now she’s better at it than the centuries old demons. Then she forgets again and is weak because the "plot" needed her to be weak for a second, then she has another vision and she's super strong again. Actually, every character was very inconsistent. The threat doesn’t feel like a threat, mostly because Shumei defeats the witch with ease, goes away and then we hear nothing of this witch until conveniently Valen finds out and we are told there is a threat (Why is Valen the only one without an Asian-sounding name, huh? gave me colonizer vibes, this guy, especially because he seemed to be the only one wearing European-style clothes). Oh, and the evil witch had to be a lesbian, and a sex predator, of course, why would it be otherwise? God forbid a woman is not straight, she must be a villain, and she can’t be sex positive, she must be a predator. The sex was OK, except it gave me the creeps because Valen infantilizes Shumei so much, and manipulated her a lot when it came to sex. And you can tell the sex was the focus of the book, because the romance is not developed at all, we’re just told some time passed and now they’re in love, but we see very few of their conversations, most of which revolve around sex, and the “plot” was mostly a series of excuses for these two to get it on. And we get to witness every freaking time they do it, which gets old after a while, because, for a sex demon, Valen was very vanilla, and they were in the same position every time except for once when they had a threesome with Rosuke. And after that Valen is super possessive, as if he remembered he didn’t like threesomes all of a sudden. And, finally, (view spoiler)[Shumei is no leader. I could hardly believe anyone, let alone a god, would choose her to lead a child’s game, let alone an empire. She was a doormat, stupid and weak (not just physically). (hide spoiler)] ...more
The characters are very shallowly constructed and I had trouble connecting with them. We’re told Kate is fierce, and doesn’t want anyone to control heThe characters are very shallowly constructed and I had trouble connecting with them. We’re told Kate is fierce, and doesn’t want anyone to control her, and the second Roan starts touching her she’s a doormat. She forgets all he’s done to her and her brother whenever the plot deems it convenient, and she hardly thinks of anything other than Roan and how hot he is. In the beginning, we’re told going to college is so important for her, yet I have no idea what she was going to study (other than one subject we see in a memory Roan steals), and she doesn’t think of college beyond: “Oh, I was going to college to be free”. Her stepmother seems to be mean for the sake of being mean, and she doesn’t even seem to have friends. She thinks about how intelligent she is, but she doesn’t show it. Roan or someone else has to save her over and over from the consequences of her foolish and rash decisions. The most grievous of which is the “bargain” she makes with Roan. She asks no questions, not even about giving a piece of herself to him every night. What does he mean? a limb? or something else? How big is the piece he’s going to take? Is something of herself going to remain after the 29th day? Is he going to return the pieces he took if she solves the labyrinth? She asks none of that, yet I’m supposed to believe she’s intelligent. We’re told Kate’s so virginal, yet the author based the relationship between Roan and Kate solely on sexual attraction. I have no idea why Roan is so obsessed, he just says, over and over, she changed him, but it didn’t seem that way to me. He’s a possessive asshole, and everytime he talks to or about Kate, it is to say how he owns her, how she’s his, and how she must submit herself to him. He constantly uses his magic to manipulate Kate, to show her visions, to make her feel a certain way, and he never hesitates to use the power he has to get his way. That bothered me. Kate didn’t have any power to change things, not really, because he had decided she would stay with him before even asking, so he was essentially gaslighting her. Plus, 50% in and they had talked a total of four times, one of which ended in him fingering her (consent be damned, BTW), but they just did some small talk, nothing more. These two can’t be in love, they don’t know each other! It felt more like they fell for their ideal of the other, not the real person. Because I sure as hell couldn’t understand how Kate saw all those good things she said she saw in him, when all he’s talked about is owning her, and all he’s done is kidnapping her and her brother (who, for all she knows, is in a dungeon cell; he isn’t but she doesn’t know). She pushes back for all of one chapter, and then she just gives in without a thought for anything else....more
It was OK. There were a bunch of plot holes, and the worldbuilding was minimal. At about 40-ish percent, it turns out he has a beard that wasn’t mentiIt was OK. There were a bunch of plot holes, and the worldbuilding was minimal. At about 40-ish percent, it turns out he has a beard that wasn’t mentioned before. It’s entertaining, even though it has a lot of tropes held together by a thread and not much more....more
It was OK, there’s some worldbuilding, though a lot of it is surface level. Some parts were funny, and there were some sad and tense moments. The actiIt was OK, there’s some worldbuilding, though a lot of it is surface level. Some parts were funny, and there were some sad and tense moments. The action is OK. The narrators did a very good job. ...more
**spoiler alert** It wasn’t good. It needed several more rounds of editing. So many extra or misplaced words, sentences that made absolutely no sense,**spoiler alert** It wasn’t good. It needed several more rounds of editing. So many extra or misplaced words, sentences that made absolutely no sense, like this gem:
“... now fear had disappeared, leaving me afraid and shaking…”
So, which is it? Are you afraid or not?
Characters change their hair color for a few chapters, only to go back to their original hair color later. And it’s so repetitive. The author wastes no opportunity to mention how sad fMC’s backstory is. And she doesn’t trust the reader to read between the lines, because every allegory and symbolism are explained immediately. I will say that Laura’s response was very realistic, for someone with her past, and what really grinds my gears was that nobody explained anything to her and yet treated her like a stupid child for not knowing, and expected her to make great decisions without any information whatsoever.
And that ending was frustrating, because, after shoving Laura's sad past in my face every chance she got, the author decided that it was an obstacle for her happiness so Laura is pushed back to Earth by Mal (even when she repeatedly told him she didn't want to go), and all those bad things are completely erased, they never happened and it was just a dream. And after the reset she just goes back. But she's still herself, even when all that trauma that made her who she was never happened. God, it was annoying! Like she was less because of her trauma, or that she couldn't possibly be happy and love Mal unless her past didn't happen. I didn't like the message that the ending sent....more
It was a bit boring, and repetitive. In about four chapters, there's seven POV characters, and we change POVs two or three times in a chapter, only toIt was a bit boring, and repetitive. In about four chapters, there's seven POV characters, and we change POVs two or three times in a chapter, only to repeat the events we saw in one character's POV, but in another perspective that added absolutely nothing to the story. Some of the names are too similar (Hikaru and Hotaru, brothers, both with a POV), and the character's voices aren't distinct, so having multiple (too many) POVs was useless because I had trouble knowing who's POV I was reading, and the head-hopping didn't help any. ...more
It was OK. Reva’s hate of Crow made absolutely no sense. She blamed him for things someone else did (and the worst part is that she actually acknowledIt was OK. Reva’s hate of Crow made absolutely no sense. She blamed him for things someone else did (and the worst part is that she actually acknowledged that) for half the book, and then she just forgets about her anger and starts making out with him. There are way too many things happening and everything felt rushed and underwhelming. He was so in love, she knew him so well, until he started revealing secrets he kept from the mother of his child, like having a sister, a brother in law and two nieces. I mean, WTF? And why did he keep going back to his evil ex, when he knew she was way more powerful than him, that she was going to torture him as soon as she had her hands on him. He goes back to this woman two times! After escapes that ended up with someone dead, someone who helped him. He wasn’t hiding at all, she could have easily sent people any time to get him, and he was pretty much powerless to avoid it. And the authors tried to tell me he was smart. Book smart, maybe, since he reads a lot, but he doesn’t come out as smart in any sense of the word. Sassy, sure, charming, yes, but not particularly intelligent, not as intelligent as the authors told me he was. Reva was stronger than Crow, which isn’t very common, and she was older than him, too (though that isn’t revealed until the last chapter). It was entertaining, overall....more
3.5 stars rounded up. It was dark, and gory, and I liked it. You have to suspend your disbelief on a couple things, though, or you’ll start to question3.5 stars rounded up. It was dark, and gory, and I liked it. You have to suspend your disbelief on a couple things, though, or you’ll start to question the setting and it doesn’t stand a closer scrutiny. How could Langwidere use other people’s heads, why could she survive without her own (not to mention questions like what happens with personal identity and head transplants), are things that never get explained. The world needs explaining as well, but there are two other books (I'm not counting the prequel, though maybe Lagwidere and her heads are explained there), so maybe things get explained further. It felt very empty, though maybe that was by design, since the characters are traveling mostly through a place ravaged by constant violence. But then, where the hell did all those fresh bodies and heads come from, hmm? (see what I mean when I say it doesn't stand scrutiny?). Anyway, I enjoyed it, it was entertaining, but it did require to suspend my disbelief a lot....more