Ariadne Pagakis
Added to list🪻2025 - 2027 fantasy recs 🪻with 2 books.
Added to list🪻 2025 TBR 🪻with 10 books.
Added to list🪻 2025 TBR 🪻with 9 books.
This is great for what it is, a fun, fast paced romance novel set in a fantasy setting. Great if you're looking for a fun popcorn read, but don't go into it expecting excellent prose, character development or exploration of the human condition. It's not that kind of story, and that's totally fine, fun popcorn reads have their place.
I went into this thinking it might be a regular New Adult action/fantasy novel, and the description made it seem that way, but past chapters 5 - 6 it's basically romance/smut. I gave it to a friend who enjoy that kind of content more.
The Good
+ It's decent written, the prose is quite good and you can tell the author is experienced in her craft. Nothing revolutionary of course.
+ The story is entertaining, fast paced, and well organized. If you enjoy contemporary romance but also action and fantasy you will really like this book.
+ The dialogue style is very accessible, the characters speak as though they're in a contemporary romance, despite the setting being more fantastical. If you're coming from contemporary romance you will enjoy this writing style.
+ The dialogue is mostly good and pretty vibrant and believable
The bad
- The characters are a bit flat, like, Violet is a self insert protagonist, and doesn't have much of a personality outside of being weak and smart, but I guess it fits the tone of the story.
- The main love interest doesn't have much of a personality outside of being a douche and his rival doesn't have many other traits outside of being very possessive. If you're looking for nuanced characters, deep character growth and introspection this isn't the book for you.
If you're looking for a fun gripping read, and enjoy romance and action, this is the book for you.
Overall: 4 stars.
Personal rating: 3.5 stars, not my thing.
This is great for what it is, a fun, fast paced romance novel set in a fantasy setting. Great if you're looking for a fun popcorn read, but don't go into it expecting excellent prose, character development or exploration of the human condition. It's not that kind of story, and that's totally fine, fun popcorn reads have their place.
I went into this thinking it might be a regular New Adult action/fantasy novel, and the description made it seem that way, but past chapters 5 - 6 it's basically romance/smut. I gave it to a friend who enjoy that kind of content more.
The Good
+ It's decent written, the prose is quite good and you can tell the author is experienced in her craft. Nothing revolutionary of course.
+ The story is entertaining, fast paced, and well organized. If you enjoy contemporary romance but also action and fantasy you will really like this book.
+ The dialogue style is very accessible, the characters speak as though they're in a contemporary romance, despite the setting being more fantastical. If you're coming from contemporary romance you will enjoy this writing style.
+ The dialogue is mostly good and pretty vibrant and believable
The bad
- The characters are a bit flat, like, Violet is a self insert protagonist, and doesn't have much of a personality outside of being weak and smart, but I guess it fits the tone of the story.
- The main love interest doesn't have much of a personality outside of being a douche and his rival doesn't have many other traits outside of being very possessive. If you're looking for nuanced characters, deep character growth and introspection this isn't the book for you.
If you're looking for a fun gripping read, and enjoy romance and action, this is the book for you.
Overall: 4 stars.
Personal rating: 3.5 stars, not my thing.
Added to listmaybe readwith 5 books.
Added to listmaybe readwith 4 books.
Added to listlighter fantasywith 2 books.
Added to listhistorical fictionwith 6 books.
Added to listthich nhat hanh books + buddhist non-fictionwith 1 book.
