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Fire & Metal #1
Metal Slinger
Brynn has spent the better part of her life waiting for the chance to attend the annual market hosted by the Kenta, the very same people who exiled the Alaha to live a life over the sea. A rite of passage for all young guards, she’s not sure what to expect from it, but breaking a century- long peace treaty certainly isn’t on her map.
Neither is the encounter with an enemy soldier.
Returning home to Alaha, she’s confronted with the aftermath of the day’s events. The future is uncertain as the threat of hunger looms over the people. With rumors of a growing rebellion, Brynn and her closest friends promise to stick together.
When an unexpected visitor arrives, Brynn’s loyalty will be tested as she learns of a world of magic and treachery. Once her enemy, always her enemy, right? But the dark, knowing eyes of a stranger make her question everything…
…including her heart.
Neither is the encounter with an enemy soldier.
Returning home to Alaha, she’s confronted with the aftermath of the day’s events. The future is uncertain as the threat of hunger looms over the people. With rumors of a growing rebellion, Brynn and her closest friends promise to stick together.
When an unexpected visitor arrives, Brynn’s loyalty will be tested as she learns of a world of magic and treachery. Once her enemy, always her enemy, right? But the dark, knowing eyes of a stranger make her question everything…
…including her heart.
497 pages, Kindle Edition
Published May 12, 2024
About the author
Rachel Schneider
4 books655 followersRachel Schneider lives in South Louisiana with her husband and daughter. She loves curse words, crawfish, and all things romance.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 3,164 reviews
December 2, 2024
*Update: It has been over 1 month and I still think about this book every single day. One of my favourite reads EVER.*
My jaw is on the ground and I’m going to need 2-3 business days to process this story.
The blurb doesn’t do this book justice, the story is so much more. This book is extremely fast paced so it might not be for everyone, especially as it can get ahead of you at times. For me this was exactly what I needed to read at the right time and it gave me all of those five star feelings.
I’m obsessed with all of the characters and their dynamics. The world and politics were so interesting to me and I ate up everything to do with the magic system. It was all so entertaining I had to physically restrain myself to put the book down at times because I just kept wanting to read on. I spent so much of this book feeling giddy, kicking my feet and screaming!
So many twists and turns, never a dull moment. The way everything connects at the end is quite frankly, insane. The ending?? The. Ending. You’ll either love or hate it and I absolutely devoured it. The author is a mastermind. Romantasy is back!!!!
I already need more!!!!
My jaw is on the ground and I’m going to need 2-3 business days to process this story.
The blurb doesn’t do this book justice, the story is so much more. This book is extremely fast paced so it might not be for everyone, especially as it can get ahead of you at times. For me this was exactly what I needed to read at the right time and it gave me all of those five star feelings.
I’m obsessed with all of the characters and their dynamics. The world and politics were so interesting to me and I ate up everything to do with the magic system. It was all so entertaining I had to physically restrain myself to put the book down at times because I just kept wanting to read on. I spent so much of this book feeling giddy, kicking my feet and screaming!
So many twists and turns, never a dull moment. The way everything connects at the end is quite frankly, insane. The ending?? The. Ending. You’ll either love or hate it and I absolutely devoured it. The author is a mastermind. Romantasy is back!!!!
I already need more!!!!
September 25, 2024
4.5⭐️ MY HEART IS IN SHAMBLES!! THAT ENDING?!!! What. The. Actual. Fuck. Give me all the painful cliffhangers every damn day of the week but holy hell, that one hurt DIFFERENT.
Listen, I’m not going to sit here and tell you I always see the ending of books coming and I am not easily fooled… because well that would be a lie. However, when I say I wouldn’t have seen this plot twist coming if my life depended on it… I mean it. Holy. Hell. THE SWEETEST BETRAYAL!!
Ending aside this book was truly such a fun and easy read. Fantasy romance as it’s finest. I was incapable of putting it down from the moment I picked it up. And I was in a mega slump so that’s saying something… it contains a lot of your classic romantasy tropes so it’s important to know that going in if that isn’t your favorite! But for me personally… GIVE ME ALL the tropes especially when executed perfectly like they were in this book and given their own unique flair!
The world building was so easy to digest without being too vague. I think this would also be a perfect romantasy for beginners! The world is divided by the Alaha, those who live on the water, and Kenta, those who live on land, who have being living in peace for centuries. So things get a bit dicey when our FMC Brynn threatens that peace at the very beginning of the book. When Brynn finds herself face to face with the mysterious dark haired enemy soldier she discovers that nothing in her life is as it seems. Her loyalty is tested when secrets are revealed and she is thrust into a world of magic and a looming rebellion….. god it was fun!
Our MMC is scrumptious…. The second I found out he had a nose ring. I folded. And that mouth…. There’s something about a man who’s subtly obsessed, like he keeps himself restrained but you can see the obsessiveness and possession in his little tells…. GIVE IT TO ME!
I loved our FMC as well, she was smart, sure of herself, and never backed down to the threats of a man. And I know she’s only going to get better in book two!!
This book is for you if you like
- Forced proximity
- Slow burn
- He falls first
- Elemental magic
- Touch her and die
- Plot twists
- Political intrigue
Not quite 5 stars just because I felt like the pacing was a bit slow in the middle, would have loved to see a bit more action there! But the ending made up for it!
Listen, I’m not going to sit here and tell you I always see the ending of books coming and I am not easily fooled… because well that would be a lie. However, when I say I wouldn’t have seen this plot twist coming if my life depended on it… I mean it. Holy. Hell. THE SWEETEST BETRAYAL!!
Ending aside this book was truly such a fun and easy read. Fantasy romance as it’s finest. I was incapable of putting it down from the moment I picked it up. And I was in a mega slump so that’s saying something… it contains a lot of your classic romantasy tropes so it’s important to know that going in if that isn’t your favorite! But for me personally… GIVE ME ALL the tropes especially when executed perfectly like they were in this book and given their own unique flair!
The world building was so easy to digest without being too vague. I think this would also be a perfect romantasy for beginners! The world is divided by the Alaha, those who live on the water, and Kenta, those who live on land, who have being living in peace for centuries. So things get a bit dicey when our FMC Brynn threatens that peace at the very beginning of the book. When Brynn finds herself face to face with the mysterious dark haired enemy soldier she discovers that nothing in her life is as it seems. Her loyalty is tested when secrets are revealed and she is thrust into a world of magic and a looming rebellion….. god it was fun!
Our MMC is scrumptious…. The second I found out he had a nose ring. I folded. And that mouth…. There’s something about a man who’s subtly obsessed, like he keeps himself restrained but you can see the obsessiveness and possession in his little tells…. GIVE IT TO ME!
I loved our FMC as well, she was smart, sure of herself, and never backed down to the threats of a man. And I know she’s only going to get better in book two!!
This book is for you if you like
- Forced proximity
- Slow burn
- He falls first
- Elemental magic
- Touch her and die
- Plot twists
- Political intrigue
Not quite 5 stars just because I felt like the pacing was a bit slow in the middle, would have loved to see a bit more action there! But the ending made up for it!
November 21, 2024
This is unfortunately a little too unpolished for me to rate it any higher. The transitions between chapters jump time in ways that are confusing. The big twist/reveal in the final two chapters doesn’t logically make sense when considering character motivations/reactions from all the preceding events. It’s really unclear what it is that they are trying to accomplish, so it just comes across as being a twist for the sake of being a surprise twist. I won’t be continuing on with this series.
September 28, 2024
4.5* YOU’RE JOKINGGGGGG
this book was so much fun! interesting world and politics, amazing tension and banter, and the entire time I was reading it I could feel *something* was coming. but when I tell you I NEVER could’ve predicted that plot twist!!! truly shocked me like besties I felt my heart DROP.
the only reason it’s not a 5 star is the middle suffered some pacing issues. I still overall enjoyed this book so much though and need book 2 more than life. gonna go stare at a wall now bye!
this book was so much fun! interesting world and politics, amazing tension and banter, and the entire time I was reading it I could feel *something* was coming. but when I tell you I NEVER could’ve predicted that plot twist!!! truly shocked me like besties I felt my heart DROP.
the only reason it’s not a 5 star is the middle suffered some pacing issues. I still overall enjoyed this book so much though and need book 2 more than life. gonna go stare at a wall now bye!
December 9, 2024
this sh*t was devoured in less than 24 hours. WHAT DO YOU MEAN RACHEL???? WHAT DO YOU MEAN THATS HOW IT ENDS?????? never EVER have I been so thoroughly bamboozled. I feel winded. I could easily commit a homicide or sacrificial act for the 2nd book to be in my hands rn <3
aside from the ending…….. this book slapped so unbelievably hard. I feel like non-stop fantasy girl fall had me slumping a bit, and metal slinger SLUNG me out of that slump so hard I went through the wall like that guy with the bowlcut in The Incredibles. you get the vision????
Acker has my whole entire heart rn. I was genuinely giggling & kicking my feet over him every single second of this book, if they mess with his character integrity in book 2 I’m starting a riot. xoxoxo. AND MESSER! MY LOVE! UGH. our FMC… too many layers to unpack rn. I think, I love her? but I KNOWWWW her arc is about to be juicy af. UGH.
The pacing, the setting, the romance, the dialogue, all of it was chefs kiss. I’m so upset and elated at the same f**king time.
aside from the ending…….. this book slapped so unbelievably hard. I feel like non-stop fantasy girl fall had me slumping a bit, and metal slinger SLUNG me out of that slump so hard I went through the wall like that guy with the bowlcut in The Incredibles. you get the vision????
Acker has my whole entire heart rn. I was genuinely giggling & kicking my feet over him every single second of this book, if they mess with his character integrity in book 2 I’m starting a riot. xoxoxo. AND MESSER! MY LOVE! UGH. our FMC… too many layers to unpack rn. I think, I love her? but I KNOWWWW her arc is about to be juicy af. UGH.
The pacing, the setting, the romance, the dialogue, all of it was chefs kiss. I’m so upset and elated at the same f**king time.
November 21, 2024
5 stars
What the fuck just happened
I get the hype. It’s worth the hype. Oh my god this was so good.
All you need to know is that there are two groups of people, the Alaha, who have been exiled to live on the water, and the Kenta, who live on land to do the exiling. There is a VERY fragile peace treaty between the Alaha and the Kenta. Brynn, our FMC gets to go to the Market on land (something for soldiers and it only happens once a year, if I’m remembering correctly). She unintentionally stomps all over that peace treaty and shit starts stirring from there.
HOLY SHIT THIS WAS SO GOOD. I’m mad for putting it off for so long. You’re thrown right into the story, and it has super easy yet unique world building and magic. The side characters were great (the bird is still my favorite). Brynn was SUCH a great FMC. I really really liked being in her head. She wasn’t annoying at all and honestly sometimes that’s hard to do. Acker, the MMC, hot man with a nose ring and plenty of secrets, I adore him.
I don’t want to say too much because I don’t want to spoil, but just know that ending will make you GASP. I didn’t see it coming from a mile away.
Fabulous. Can’t wait for book 2!
What the fuck just happened
I get the hype. It’s worth the hype. Oh my god this was so good.
All you need to know is that there are two groups of people, the Alaha, who have been exiled to live on the water, and the Kenta, who live on land to do the exiling. There is a VERY fragile peace treaty between the Alaha and the Kenta. Brynn, our FMC gets to go to the Market on land (something for soldiers and it only happens once a year, if I’m remembering correctly). She unintentionally stomps all over that peace treaty and shit starts stirring from there.
HOLY SHIT THIS WAS SO GOOD. I’m mad for putting it off for so long. You’re thrown right into the story, and it has super easy yet unique world building and magic. The side characters were great (the bird is still my favorite). Brynn was SUCH a great FMC. I really really liked being in her head. She wasn’t annoying at all and honestly sometimes that’s hard to do. Acker, the MMC, hot man with a nose ring and plenty of secrets, I adore him.
I don’t want to say too much because I don’t want to spoil, but just know that ending will make you GASP. I didn’t see it coming from a mile away.
Fabulous. Can’t wait for book 2!
September 30, 2024
RUN, DON’T WALK. READ THIS RIGHT NOW. It’s so much better to go into this book completely blind for the ultimate experience! You won’t regret it.
This actually reminds me of the feelings I had reading ACOMAF for the first time, but without feeling like a lesser version of it. The tension, the forced proximity, the magic system, the banter, the slow burn—it’s all there. Yet, this story felt completely original in its own right. I fell in love with Kai, but fell even harder with Acker!!! It’s always the dark mysterious guy right? But also, Messer is something else! The magic system is so unique, with the added mystery of the matching bonds, plus all the political intrigue and rebellions—this book has it all. This is enemies-to-lovers, romantasy at its best! Give me 14 of them right now.
And then… THIS BOOK DID A COMPLETE 180! I didn’t see that plot twist coming at all. And it made this reading experience so much special. The author is a real mastermind!!!!! This book is insane. It’s even mind-blowing that everything was right in front of me the whole time, hidden in the little details that weren’t so little after all, and I never figured it out. I feel so deceived—I’ve never felt this fooled! Now I’m completely wrecked. Jaw on the floor, tears flowing, heart shattered. It’s been so long since a book’s ending gripped me this hard! I was left staring at the wall, contemplating everything I just read. I can’t wait to re-read this knowing what I know now.
Also, am I about to witness the greatest, most flawlessly executed enemies-to-lovers story ever written in the next book?!
This actually reminds me of the feelings I had reading ACOMAF for the first time, but without feeling like a lesser version of it. The tension, the forced proximity, the magic system, the banter, the slow burn—it’s all there. Yet, this story felt completely original in its own right. I fell in love with Kai, but fell even harder with Acker!!! It’s always the dark mysterious guy right? But also, Messer is something else! The magic system is so unique, with the added mystery of the matching bonds, plus all the political intrigue and rebellions—this book has it all. This is enemies-to-lovers, romantasy at its best! Give me 14 of them right now.
And then… THIS BOOK DID A COMPLETE 180! I didn’t see that plot twist coming at all. And it made this reading experience so much special. The author is a real mastermind!!!!! This book is insane. It’s even mind-blowing that everything was right in front of me the whole time, hidden in the little details that weren’t so little after all, and I never figured it out. I feel so deceived—I’ve never felt this fooled! Now I’m completely wrecked. Jaw on the floor, tears flowing, heart shattered. It’s been so long since a book’s ending gripped me this hard! I was left staring at the wall, contemplating everything I just read. I can’t wait to re-read this knowing what I know now.
Also, am I about to witness the greatest, most flawlessly executed enemies-to-lovers story ever written in the next book?!
September 24, 2024
IVE BEEN REVIVED!! This is for the Romantasy girlies!! A MUST READ!! Honestly this is criminally underrated?! Full of banter, twisty turns (like I’m talking I’m actually unwell with the ending?! And I need the next book pronto!!) the tension between the fmc and mmc was DELICIOUS to say the least and I foamed at the mouth multiple times because they were so HOT!! He’s her enemy, so obviously I was sat! I loved what I got to see for the magic in this and I can’t wait to see more of it!
I’ve been hella slumpy and nothings been holding my attention BUT this grabbed me by the neck! It was so incredibly fast paced and just the best time! Probably a fav fantasy read for me this year!! Brb while I go stare at a wall while I recover.
4.5⭐️ 2🌶️
I’ve been hella slumpy and nothings been holding my attention BUT this grabbed me by the neck! It was so incredibly fast paced and just the best time! Probably a fav fantasy read for me this year!! Brb while I go stare at a wall while I recover.
4.5⭐️ 2🌶️
October 12, 2024
⊹ ⁺ ₊ ✧
Metal Slinger
┊
3 stars
✧ ₊ ⁺ ⊹
☆₊⋆ → thoughts┊I had such high hopes for this. For the first 50% I was hooked and I did not want to put it down. Then I got the ick.
☆₊⋆ → characters┊Listen to me when I tell you they had potential! But the pace of the romance was off and it went from 0 to 100 in a fucking blink. I wasn’t feeling it. A random love confession was thrown in there for absolutely no reason and it wasn’t even addressed.
⋆╰┈✩ Brynn my sweet girlie pop… please my darling you need to get a backbone and stand up to that piece of trash man you’re stuck with. Be so for real, he does not deserve you. I just needed her to have a bit more emotional complexity and I don’t know… a personality? She did not even think about the information she was given and just accepted it.
☆₊⋆ → plot/world-building┊The story had promising elements and I was interested in the world-building, but the execution of the plot was messy and inconsistent. The plot-twist I hear people raving about? No thanks. It didn’t match up with her first-person narration and it made the FMC unreliable, it just did not fit the story at all. There was no hints whatsoever prompting at the plot-twist. However, it was refreshing to have it the other way around cause I’m sick of the MMCs always being to one to betray the FMCs, and honestly this MMC deserved it.
౨ৎ happy reading ౨ৎ
☆₊⋆ → thoughts┊I had such high hopes for this. For the first 50% I was hooked and I did not want to put it down. Then I got the ick.
☆₊⋆ → characters┊Listen to me when I tell you they had potential! But the pace of the romance was off and it went from 0 to 100 in a fucking blink. I wasn’t feeling it. A random love confession was thrown in there for absolutely no reason and it wasn’t even addressed.
⋆╰┈✩ Brynn my sweet girlie pop… please my darling you need to get a backbone and stand up to that piece of trash man you’re stuck with. Be so for real, he does not deserve you. I just needed her to have a bit more emotional complexity and I don’t know… a personality? She did not even think about the information she was given and just accepted it.
☆₊⋆ → plot/world-building┊The story had promising elements and I was interested in the world-building, but the execution of the plot was messy and inconsistent. The plot-twist I hear people raving about? No thanks. It didn’t match up with her first-person narration and it made the FMC unreliable, it just did not fit the story at all. There was no hints whatsoever prompting at the plot-twist. However, it was refreshing to have it the other way around cause I’m sick of the MMCs always being to one to betray the FMCs, and honestly this MMC deserved it.
✧⋄⋆⋅⋆⋄☆⋄⋆⋅⋆⋄✧
౨ৎ happy reading ౨ৎ
September 23, 2024
If you take one romantasy book recommendation from me this year, make it this one. I haven’t stayed up reading into the wee hours in awhile. I could not put this down.
I am being very honest when I say I don’t read books like this often: ones that incite *very* mixed feelings about the characters, that genuinely surprise me with its grand reveals and wrap me up in a romance where I am unsure about my own feelings.
Needless to say: I am currently in a very big book hangover.
The pace is fast, but it doesn’t get away from you. The romantic relationship is built properly, the world is big and lush, but not overwhelming. And no large information dumps. THE CONFLICT MAKES SENSE. And every time you think something might not make sense or might be out of place…I promise it’s not, but you are about to get your socks blown off.
This is a perfect book club choice, there are lots of tensions to discuss and I guarantee you’ll have a 50/50 divide over the ending. THE ENDING from which I will never recover.
There’s a Flerken-type character, but bird form. Need I say more?
Thank you to the author for sending me a copy, I promise this glowing review is 100% my own opinions.
I am being very honest when I say I don’t read books like this often: ones that incite *very* mixed feelings about the characters, that genuinely surprise me with its grand reveals and wrap me up in a romance where I am unsure about my own feelings.
Needless to say: I am currently in a very big book hangover.
The pace is fast, but it doesn’t get away from you. The romantic relationship is built properly, the world is big and lush, but not overwhelming. And no large information dumps. THE CONFLICT MAKES SENSE. And every time you think something might not make sense or might be out of place…I promise it’s not, but you are about to get your socks blown off.
This is a perfect book club choice, there are lots of tensions to discuss and I guarantee you’ll have a 50/50 divide over the ending. THE ENDING from which I will never recover.
There’s a Flerken-type character, but bird form. Need I say more?
Thank you to the author for sending me a copy, I promise this glowing review is 100% my own opinions.
November 14, 2024
FAV FAV FAV FAV ✨✨✨✨✨
Purée de purée cette fin !!!! Digne d’un plot twist de thriller !!! JE HURLE
Le Pont des Tempêtes x Spark of the Everflame
Purée de purée cette fin !!!! Digne d’un plot twist de thriller !!! JE HURLE
Le Pont des Tempêtes x Spark of the Everflame
October 28, 2024
DNF at 22% (page 105 of 490). Should’ve DNF’d sooner. The FMC is bland, the world building is lacking, the writing is clumsy at best, the only other female character is not the FMC’s friend… I grew out of this type of book this year.
November 2, 2024
This book was almost a DNF at 30% and should have been. I don’t understand the hype at all. The writing is clumsy at best. World building is minimal despite it being a unique world that could be really interesting - your society lives in trees in the ocean, please tell me more about that! Sadly, no. A new character arrives and just explains the FMC’s mysterious backstory that we hadn’t gotten even a whiff of yet so feeling incredibly tell not show. It was reminiscent of Harry Potter’s beginning when Hagrid shows up to announce he’s a wizard, only with no pomp or flare in this case. This kind of storytelling continued throughout with incongruous details and conversations just haphazardly thrown in without any foreshadowing or justifying depth of explanation. A lot of repetition in the writing too. There are some fae vibes in the beginning that seem to be abandoned for the rest of the story. So many predictable tropisms that I rolled my eyes multiple times. And the FMC is the most bland character I have read in a long time with no defining personality characteristics, almost no internal conflict or reflection, poorly defined motivations, wavering skill sets (she’s a master swordsman at the beginning and then cowers the whole rest of the story), etc. She was boring to read and the MMC was only mildly more interesting. But no chemistry between the two despite so many opportunities to build some. The side characters were actually better developed than the main characters. The actual romance scenes were a bit too violent with him forcing her to kiss him while she resisted or grabbing her by the throat then tying her up and it was off putting.
But the twist at the end was unbelievable, as in actually could not believe that was even attempted. It negates so much of the rest of the story in a truly unrealistic way and made no sense. There needed to be WAY more work put into foreshadowing or time spent going back and explaining how so many things actually occurred since the reader was misled for 95% of the book to make that work. It’s not the twist itself that bothers me, although it does make the FMC an abhorrent person, but the execution! You can’t have a story from a single first person POV with internal monologue and then find out later that the entire POV was a lie to the reader because a whole plotline involving her is happening off page! Make it dual POV with Acker’s interpretation of things, or events related through journal entries so that twist could have been earned! A reveal like that needs to at least have breadcrumbs throughout the story that suddenly make sense at the end or account for those enormous plot holes differently or else is just a poorly constructed story, and that’s what this was. I wanted to like this one but the storytelling fell so flat for me and the ending failed/made it a completely different story that I hated.
But the twist at the end was unbelievable, as in actually could not believe that was even attempted. It negates so much of the rest of the story in a truly unrealistic way and made no sense. There needed to be WAY more work put into foreshadowing or time spent going back and explaining how so many things actually occurred since the reader was misled for 95% of the book to make that work. It’s not the twist itself that bothers me, although it does make the FMC an abhorrent person, but the execution! You can’t have a story from a single first person POV with internal monologue and then find out later that the entire POV was a lie to the reader because a whole plotline involving her is happening off page! Make it dual POV with Acker’s interpretation of things, or events related through journal entries so that twist could have been earned! A reveal like that needs to at least have breadcrumbs throughout the story that suddenly make sense at the end or account for those enormous plot holes differently or else is just a poorly constructed story, and that’s what this was. I wanted to like this one but the storytelling fell so flat for me and the ending failed/made it a completely different story that I hated.
November 21, 2024
I’m sorry, WHAT?!?
I will not know peace until book 2 is in my hands
I will not know peace until book 2 is in my hands
November 27, 2024
I HAVE BEEN DYING FOR EVERY THING THAT THIS BOOK GAVE ME. THAT ENDING. HOLY SHIT.
December 11, 2024
UMMMM EXCUSE MEEE???? I BEG YOUR VERY FINEST PARDON??????????????????????? guys. guys. i’m not okay. genuinely not. this was- WHERE IS BOOK 2 IM SCREAMING. how rude to put this book out into the world WITHOUT BOOK 2 AT THE READY????? when’s the release date?? huh?? guys im sick. i’m gonna be sick. what. i need retribution RIGHT NEOW☝🏼☝🏼☝🏼😭😭😭
literally such a banger. the bangerest of bangers to banger if im being honest with myself. this was straight fire. i have not read TENSION like this in so long i needed that. this was spectacular🤓☝🏼 ALSO CAN WE TALK ABT HOW THAT WAS WRITTEN??? I HAD NO CLUE. not a clue. THAT. is how. you write. a PLOT TWIST people!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! i’m still screaming. i swear i was reading the last 10% with my jaw on the floor my throat is sore from mouth breathing.
acker. ace. the man that you are. feral. absolutely feral at the thought of him. new blueprint unlocked if i’m being real. i know what im asking for for christmas🤭🤭🤭 (him btw) i need fanart of him asap to frame thanks guys.
b/brynn/jo- honestly icon i hate u and i love u. i wanna say you’re a b!tch but you really did that and i cant lie it was 💅🏼💅🏼 kind of slayed this book despite me HATING YOU FOR IT.
kai- first time i met a kai i didnt like. FCK THAT BEACH! get off my lawn rn bro im not kidding.
beau- queen you ate this up. period.
hallis- BIGGGGGG ELM ENERGY OVER HERE. wuv dis dude teehee i feel like he’ll have such a big part in the next one☝🏼😗
messer- cutie pie i could never hate u bsffr.
everyone else- probably fck off i don’t have the energy for u rn.
this was so good im not kidding tho like this is what i expect out of romantasies people!!!!! THIS. i will say be prepared i had a couple chapters there that lagged a bit but it was so good overall idgafrick!!!!!!!! read this if u love urself okay byeeeeeeee😗😗❣️❣️
literally such a banger. the bangerest of bangers to banger if im being honest with myself. this was straight fire. i have not read TENSION like this in so long i needed that. this was spectacular🤓☝🏼 ALSO CAN WE TALK ABT HOW THAT WAS WRITTEN??? I HAD NO CLUE. not a clue. THAT. is how. you write. a PLOT TWIST people!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! i’m still screaming. i swear i was reading the last 10% with my jaw on the floor my throat is sore from mouth breathing.
acker. ace. the man that you are. feral. absolutely feral at the thought of him. new blueprint unlocked if i’m being real. i know what im asking for for christmas🤭🤭🤭 (him btw) i need fanart of him asap to frame thanks guys.
b/brynn/jo- honestly icon i hate u and i love u. i wanna say you’re a b!tch but you really did that and i cant lie it was 💅🏼💅🏼 kind of slayed this book despite me HATING YOU FOR IT.
kai- first time i met a kai i didnt like. FCK THAT BEACH! get off my lawn rn bro im not kidding.
beau- queen you ate this up. period.
hallis- BIGGGGGG ELM ENERGY OVER HERE. wuv dis dude teehee i feel like he’ll have such a big part in the next one☝🏼😗
messer- cutie pie i could never hate u bsffr.
everyone else- probably fck off i don’t have the energy for u rn.
this was so good im not kidding tho like this is what i expect out of romantasies people!!!!! THIS. i will say be prepared i had a couple chapters there that lagged a bit but it was so good overall idgafrick!!!!!!!! read this if u love urself okay byeeeeeeee😗😗❣️❣️
July 18, 2024
in hellos and goodbyes, to condolences and congratulations. we are one.
a vast majority of this book follows acker and brynn’s adventures at sea or in the forest. it felt like it anyway.
before we embark on the wild adventure with mother nature, we’re introduced to brynn, a guard of alaha in training. she attends the annual market event held by kenta, a nation that exiled alaha to the sea centuries ago and who the alaha lean towards for survival via trade negotiations. brynn meets a kenta soldier who calls her “thief” before an unexpected explosion in the market forces the alaha guards to escape. the mysterious kenta soldier resurfaces, arriving at alaha, with every intention of leaving but not without brynn.
brynn frustrated me. she lacked emotion and reacted in odd ways to certain situations, or after having life changing information revealed to her. at one point, acker calls her jovie inside the prison and she did not flinch. she did not correct acker and tell him her name is brynn. it’s like those moments when someone is talking to you, but you’re not really listening so you can only nod your head and smile in acknowledgement. that’s brynn.
the world building felt kind of lacking, but not at the same time. it was weird. the sea and boat scenes were so freaking long, i would’ve jumped overboard and drowned myself to end the misery of eating countless raw fish and the endless nightmare of being surrounded by fathomless ocean. it’s insane that acker and brynn lasted as long as they did on the boat with what little food and water they consumed. how acker did not die from his wound infection, i have no idea, i’m fucking shocked and baffled!
given the alaha and kenta long-term tension, this had the chance to be a slow burn, enemies to lovers romance and the forced proximity would’ve had me eat it up. jokes on me, we got none of that. acker and brynn had this weird friends to lovers situationship happening. it went from zero to “we’re bonded/matched” with nothing in between. some lingering glances maybe, but nothing that made me kick my feet in excitement. they were in that damn boat for what felt like forever, but the romance did not blossom like i wanted! where’s the slow burn and the tension? they had some conversations, fished like they were playing animal crossing and wallowed.
you can’t tell me acker actually loves brynn. when acker brings brynn to his kingdom, all of the lights are turned off because they oppose light-wielders. someone throws a rotten tomato at brynn and acker does nothing. my brother in christ, brynn’s supposed to be your bonded/matched! and you don’t do anything?! count your days, acker.
i didn’t love this, but didn’t hate this either. i’m indifferent. i found the start of metal slinger to be slow. the introduction to the characters and the world-building didn’t have me reeling with anticipation. the action and the adventure doesn’t really start until about 30%. it’s the execution that bothers me—things just happened with no real, or clear direction. the ending was somewhat shocking, but expected at the same time. it was not heart racing, or mind numbing and nothing that we haven’t already read in fantasy books before.
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November 26, 2024
Obsessed🙌🏼 I went into this knowing there was a big plot twist at the end which had me on high alert for plot holes. Were they all answered at the end ? No. Does the magic system still confuse me? Yes… but did I have a good time? Absolutely yes!! I LOVED this book & I’ll be racing to read book 2 on release day🎉
November 23, 2024
How is this the book everyone is talking about right now? This book needs to be actually edited so badly, It read like a first draft that hadn't gone through any kind of editing yet. Also the pacing is so off it made the book read even worse, SO much happened in the first 100 pages to the point I got whiplash but for the next 100 pages nothing at all happened?..
This book also relied on bad plot twists every 50 or so pages to keep the reader engaged because both the plot and romance was dull and she had no chemistry at all with him. Both characters were so boring.
The plot twist at the end was terrible and made literally no sense whatsoever given the story we were just told. It was pure shock factor and was not thought through or executed well.
This book also relied on bad plot twists every 50 or so pages to keep the reader engaged because both the plot and romance was dull and she had no chemistry at all with him. Both characters were so boring.
The plot twist at the end was terrible and made literally no sense whatsoever given the story we were just told. It was pure shock factor and was not thought through or executed well.
October 11, 2024
Really enjoyed this book…until the ending.
Spoilers
It’s not that I mind an unreliable narrator or an unexpected villain. It’s the execution that ruined this for me. The big reveal was equivalent to the ending of Lost (they were dead the whole time? Really?). I think the plot twist could have worked with more attention to how it was achieved. The book was entirely in first person from Jovie’s POV. This format just doesn’t work for such a plot twist in the last 2 chapters of a 400+ page book. There weren’t enough hints crafted throughout the 50+ chapters of her thoughts and experiences. And we get a lot of her worries and concerns and sense of betrayal of Kai. When this is all revealed to be totally untrue, it just feels like a cheap trick. This always comes off as the author being heavy handed vs. the character being an unreliable narrator. It left the plot twist feeling unidimensional and unbelievable…just a major plot device that felt forced for shock value. I wish there was more attention paid to how to properly craft an unreliable narrator. There’s no shortage of masterful examples out there. And, I know it’s hard to achieve but I think the author has the writing skill to have achieved it (she needed some better feedback on her drafts)! The last 2 chapters were honestly a 1 star read for me, while the rest of the book was 5+ stars! Rating as 3 stars because it’s ultimately the craft that was my complaint. A twist executed like that takes away from the whole reading experience.
Spoilers
It’s not that I mind an unreliable narrator or an unexpected villain. It’s the execution that ruined this for me. The big reveal was equivalent to the ending of Lost (they were dead the whole time? Really?). I think the plot twist could have worked with more attention to how it was achieved. The book was entirely in first person from Jovie’s POV. This format just doesn’t work for such a plot twist in the last 2 chapters of a 400+ page book. There weren’t enough hints crafted throughout the 50+ chapters of her thoughts and experiences. And we get a lot of her worries and concerns and sense of betrayal of Kai. When this is all revealed to be totally untrue, it just feels like a cheap trick. This always comes off as the author being heavy handed vs. the character being an unreliable narrator. It left the plot twist feeling unidimensional and unbelievable…just a major plot device that felt forced for shock value. I wish there was more attention paid to how to properly craft an unreliable narrator. There’s no shortage of masterful examples out there. And, I know it’s hard to achieve but I think the author has the writing skill to have achieved it (she needed some better feedback on her drafts)! The last 2 chapters were honestly a 1 star read for me, while the rest of the book was 5+ stars! Rating as 3 stars because it’s ultimately the craft that was my complaint. A twist executed like that takes away from the whole reading experience.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Shelved as 'did-not-finish'
November 28, 2024˖ ࣪ ⟡˚ DNF @ 20% ˚⟡ ࣪ ˖
⤷ 28/11/2024 ⋆ˎˊ˗
i’m done with reading mediocre books recommended on BookTok.
i only managed to read 100 pages of this, and in those 100 pages there was 0 world-building and 0 action.
genuinely nothing happened. the characters were just having dumb conversations with each other.
additionally, it was already setting up a love triangle plot (i’m love triangles #1 hater), so i’m glad i decided to DNF.
⤷ 28/11/2024 ⋆ˎˊ˗
i’m done with reading mediocre books recommended on BookTok.
i only managed to read 100 pages of this, and in those 100 pages there was 0 world-building and 0 action.
genuinely nothing happened. the characters were just having dumb conversations with each other.
additionally, it was already setting up a love triangle plot (i’m love triangles #1 hater), so i’m glad i decided to DNF.
September 25, 2024
So disappointed - I really wanted to love this. Between the choppy writing, super short chapters, and barely-there world building, I couldn’t ever get into this the way I hoped.
The first problem is that this world doesn’t really ever get explored. This is extremely fast paced, literally from page 1 we are dropped in the middle of the story/action, and it doesn’t ever stop. Because of that, I was very hopeful in the beginning. With no long info-dumps or any setup to the world prior to getting into the story, I felt like I was going in blind and was immediately interested to see where this was going. I did enjoy the high-seas vibes, but I didn’t really get a sense of the entire world beyond that.
The second is the characters, both MC’s were ok but too forgettable. I feel like everyone lacked chemistry between each other and everyone came across pretty juvenile. The ending didn’t end up packing a punch for me because I just wasn’t invested in any of the characters or main conflict.
I also think this book definitely could have benefited from longer chapters. There were so many shorter chapters and it came across really choppy with so much stopping and starting.
I can see people loving this, but this just wasn’t for me.
The first problem is that this world doesn’t really ever get explored. This is extremely fast paced, literally from page 1 we are dropped in the middle of the story/action, and it doesn’t ever stop. Because of that, I was very hopeful in the beginning. With no long info-dumps or any setup to the world prior to getting into the story, I felt like I was going in blind and was immediately interested to see where this was going. I did enjoy the high-seas vibes, but I didn’t really get a sense of the entire world beyond that.
The second is the characters, both MC’s were ok but too forgettable. I feel like everyone lacked chemistry between each other and everyone came across pretty juvenile. The ending didn’t end up packing a punch for me because I just wasn’t invested in any of the characters or main conflict.
I also think this book definitely could have benefited from longer chapters. There were so many shorter chapters and it came across really choppy with so much stopping and starting.
I can see people loving this, but this just wasn’t for me.
October 29, 2024
4.5 stars⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 Oh I absolutely ATE THIS UP!!!! Give me ocean journeys, shocking plot twists and tension-filled romance forever and ever. The summary really only gets at the first 100 pages of the book and then the story becomes so much more! The writing flowed off the page and transported me straight into the story. I also thought that the pacing was IMPECCABLE. I was quite literally never bored. This made me feel kind of similar to how Quicksilver made me feel. It definitely falls into the same book category in my mind (feral fantasy.)
I would have loved to uncover more of the overarching plot towards the last third rather than only focusing exclusively on the romance, but I am really excited to see where this goes!!
I would have loved to uncover more of the overarching plot towards the last third rather than only focusing exclusively on the romance, but I am really excited to see where this goes!!
November 21, 2024
It just read a little young and wasn’t crazy about the romance or the big plot twist… 😞
October 31, 2024
I wanted to love this novel. At first, I did. I was fully enraptured by the ending, how it fooled me, the crazy wild ride, it was great. Then, once I had finished the novel and really started thinking about it, I couldn’t help but find more and more plot holes throughout the novel. Many of these can be rectified within the next novel, and I’d be so happy if they were, but there were also a series of inconsistencies throughout that took me out of the novel.
What I liked:
-I enjoyed the romance and I liked the whole “match” connection that they had (for the most part).
-I think this book did something that not many romance novels do a good job of: actively demonstrating how these two fell in love. The forced proximity, the special moments, the banter. I actively saw (read) these two fall in love and it was beautiful.
-The writing is really easy to read and understand. It’s fast paced and it doesn’t stop.
-The ending did have me fooled. I didn’t see it coming. I was very shocked.
Inconsistencies:
-Our heroine’s eyes are described as hazel, then she’s told they’re blue later on when she’s with Merrow, she says “your eyes are blue now” and he responds “so are yours.” Then they’re hazel again by the end of the novel.
-In a conversation with another couple, we’re told the woman was disinherited because she was awakened and married a commoner and then two pages later the prose states she actually hadn’t awakened. So now I’m confused. That whole conversation was also pointless and made me mad because they were supposed to be getting more information on their match and got no new information.
-There is a reveal with Grenadine that doesn’t make sense because wouldn’t Acker have recognized Grenadine when he was on the same ship as her, living right next to her, and when they pay her off before they depart the ship?
-There are a lot of times when the characters’ movements or actions aren’t explained well and it’s clear the author changed something but didn’t change everything around that.
-There are some moments of dialogue, especially at the end, that don’t make sense. The characters dialogue clearly changed and the author didn’t change the dialogue around it.
-In the beginning of the novel it’s established Jovie can call her knife TO her. So, wherever the knife is, it goes from that point, to Jovie. Later on in the novel, Jovie says she will call her knife TO her after 3 days. 3 days later she has a scene where she has to GO TO the knife to get it and then come back, ultimately so that we get a scene where her Mother gets to see her. But that makes no sense with the magic system established.
Questions I needed answered:
Assuming Jovie knew everything about her heritage while living aboard that ship with Wren, I need to know:
-Why she elected to stay there that entire time?
-Who actually kidnapped her or was she kidnapped? How did she actually end up there now that we know she’s aware of her parentage?
-What actually happened with Wren and why were they all exiled if Wren is supposedly a good guy?
-Why does Jovie claim to be the leader of the resistance? And what resistance is she leading? Is it -Wren’s or is it her own or is it Kai’s?
-Why her Mother didn’t do shit to get her back once she knew where her long lost daughter was?
With regards to the evil king:
-We have a King who’s been in power for hundreds of years and yet knows nothing about matches or the power that yields?
-Ok we have two people who have this incredible ability, because they are matched, to be invisible and in whatever place their match is at and the King 1. Doesn’t realize that the match leads to extra incredible powers and 2. Doesn’t realize the potential that would give to his son and ultimately to him and his quest for world domination? Seriously? This King doesn’t realize that these powers would make Jovie and Aleck incredible spies among other uses?
-The ending arc where we have the King who just wants Jovie to be a concubine but that neglects the fact that 1. He needs her Mother as an ally and this would do nothing to win back favor and 2. Jovie’s Mother has the bigger army. Why would this King, who again isn’t stupid, do something so politically dumb?
With regards to the world:
-What is this heir system? It didn’t make any sense to me whatsoever.
-I’m going to need to know what is actually going on with Wren and if he’s a bad guy or a good guy because why he was pushed out and why they’re exiled to the ships now makes no sense.
-Who is the rebellion against? Everyone? Just the king? Wren? Who?
-How the heck did Jovie convince Beau to do that? The fact that it happened off page and we didn’t see an ounce of it doesn’t make sense. I would love to see this explained more in the second book. The fact that this is first person narrative but now we have an unreliable narrator is kind of insane to me.
What I didn’t like in the Romance:
-First I’d like to say that I don’t recall Jovie actually ever trying to actively demonstrate how horrible Aleck’s Father was to him or trying in any way to sway him to see through his Father’s lies. She didn’t even try with him yet somehow managed to convince Beau in .5 seconds.
-The actions at the end? He hits her? No. No I don’t care but no. He literally said he “would never hurt her ever not for any reason” and then this happens and he is beating up on her? No thanks.
-The “I don’t trust you” argument is so repetitive and this couple has the same argument 5x.
-The whole “concubine” arc at the end makes no sense in the world or in the political machinations developed.
Ultimately, yes I’ll be reading the second book because I do want to know what happens. I do. I also want these plot holes filled and I want better development. I want to see what happens. I’m also incredibly frustrated by this read because it had so much potential, but did not live up to it in my opinion.
What I liked:
-I enjoyed the romance and I liked the whole “match” connection that they had (for the most part).
-I think this book did something that not many romance novels do a good job of: actively demonstrating how these two fell in love. The forced proximity, the special moments, the banter. I actively saw (read) these two fall in love and it was beautiful.
-The writing is really easy to read and understand. It’s fast paced and it doesn’t stop.
-The ending did have me fooled. I didn’t see it coming. I was very shocked.
Inconsistencies:
-Our heroine’s eyes are described as hazel, then she’s told they’re blue later on when she’s with Merrow, she says “your eyes are blue now” and he responds “so are yours.” Then they’re hazel again by the end of the novel.
-In a conversation with another couple, we’re told the woman was disinherited because she was awakened and married a commoner and then two pages later the prose states she actually hadn’t awakened. So now I’m confused. That whole conversation was also pointless and made me mad because they were supposed to be getting more information on their match and got no new information.
-There is a reveal with Grenadine that doesn’t make sense because wouldn’t Acker have recognized Grenadine when he was on the same ship as her, living right next to her, and when they pay her off before they depart the ship?
-There are a lot of times when the characters’ movements or actions aren’t explained well and it’s clear the author changed something but didn’t change everything around that.
-There are some moments of dialogue, especially at the end, that don’t make sense. The characters dialogue clearly changed and the author didn’t change the dialogue around it.
-In the beginning of the novel it’s established Jovie can call her knife TO her. So, wherever the knife is, it goes from that point, to Jovie. Later on in the novel, Jovie says she will call her knife TO her after 3 days. 3 days later she has a scene where she has to GO TO the knife to get it and then come back, ultimately so that we get a scene where her Mother gets to see her. But that makes no sense with the magic system established.
Questions I needed answered:
Assuming Jovie knew everything about her heritage while living aboard that ship with Wren, I need to know:
-Why she elected to stay there that entire time?
-Who actually kidnapped her or was she kidnapped? How did she actually end up there now that we know she’s aware of her parentage?
-What actually happened with Wren and why were they all exiled if Wren is supposedly a good guy?
-Why does Jovie claim to be the leader of the resistance? And what resistance is she leading? Is it -Wren’s or is it her own or is it Kai’s?
-Why her Mother didn’t do shit to get her back once she knew where her long lost daughter was?
With regards to the evil king:
-We have a King who’s been in power for hundreds of years and yet knows nothing about matches or the power that yields?
-Ok we have two people who have this incredible ability, because they are matched, to be invisible and in whatever place their match is at and the King 1. Doesn’t realize that the match leads to extra incredible powers and 2. Doesn’t realize the potential that would give to his son and ultimately to him and his quest for world domination? Seriously? This King doesn’t realize that these powers would make Jovie and Aleck incredible spies among other uses?
-The ending arc where we have the King who just wants Jovie to be a concubine but that neglects the fact that 1. He needs her Mother as an ally and this would do nothing to win back favor and 2. Jovie’s Mother has the bigger army. Why would this King, who again isn’t stupid, do something so politically dumb?
With regards to the world:
-What is this heir system? It didn’t make any sense to me whatsoever.
-I’m going to need to know what is actually going on with Wren and if he’s a bad guy or a good guy because why he was pushed out and why they’re exiled to the ships now makes no sense.
-Who is the rebellion against? Everyone? Just the king? Wren? Who?
-How the heck did Jovie convince Beau to do that? The fact that it happened off page and we didn’t see an ounce of it doesn’t make sense. I would love to see this explained more in the second book. The fact that this is first person narrative but now we have an unreliable narrator is kind of insane to me.
What I didn’t like in the Romance:
-First I’d like to say that I don’t recall Jovie actually ever trying to actively demonstrate how horrible Aleck’s Father was to him or trying in any way to sway him to see through his Father’s lies. She didn’t even try with him yet somehow managed to convince Beau in .5 seconds.
-The actions at the end? He hits her? No. No I don’t care but no. He literally said he “would never hurt her ever not for any reason” and then this happens and he is beating up on her? No thanks.
-The “I don’t trust you” argument is so repetitive and this couple has the same argument 5x.
-The whole “concubine” arc at the end makes no sense in the world or in the political machinations developed.
Ultimately, yes I’ll be reading the second book because I do want to know what happens. I do. I also want these plot holes filled and I want better development. I want to see what happens. I’m also incredibly frustrated by this read because it had so much potential, but did not live up to it in my opinion.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 9, 2024
my brother in CHRIST. WHAT WAS THAT.
I had a feeling I knew what the big reveal was but damn, was it still shocking after. i am bamboozled. hoodwinked. my world axis has tilted!!!!
i before the last 5% of this book, was gonna rate this around a 4 star, but OMG 5 stars!!!! I was not expecting that ending to hit as hard, and now i am DYING FOR THE NEXT BOOK. 😭
10/10, loved all the tropes we know and love, and need the next book like i need water.
I had a feeling I knew what the big reveal was but damn, was it still shocking after. i am bamboozled. hoodwinked. my world axis has tilted!!!!
i before the last 5% of this book, was gonna rate this around a 4 star, but OMG 5 stars!!!! I was not expecting that ending to hit as hard, and now i am DYING FOR THE NEXT BOOK. 😭
10/10, loved all the tropes we know and love, and need the next book like i need water.
November 20, 2024
I needed an hour to process after finishing this.. But EXCUSE ME.
What in the absolute shit was that ending!? I feel absolutely blindsided. I need the next book like yesterday.
I need ANSWERS 😭
What in the absolute shit was that ending!? I feel absolutely blindsided. I need the next book like yesterday.
I need ANSWERS 😭
November 10, 2024
The world building and character work in this was messy for me. It felt like every thing and everyone was left vague to keep us on our toes. Our two characters had very little chemistry imo, and honestly they just had surface level interactions with their motivations really never making any sense with information we are given.
I really wish I had liked it more then I had as everyone keeps talking about it being the next big romantasy but truly I felt like this was every other romantasy book I've read.
I really wish I had liked it more then I had as everyone keeps talking about it being the next big romantasy but truly I felt like this was every other romantasy book I've read.
December 14, 2024
3.5 stars.
idk how to feel!!! did i enjoy this? yes. do i think it’s slightly overrated? also, yes.
it definitely gets points due to the fact i couldn’t put it down, but (at least in my opinion) it had some pacing issues. certain parts of the story felt dragged out, while other parts felt rushed. another issue i had was the authors writing style. i can’t pinpoint exactly what it is about it, but i found myself having to re-read certain parts because the way things were written confused me.
i think the adventurous journey the main characters went on for a good chunk of the book was the shining star and my favorite part about this. it kept me entertained and wondering where they would end up/what was going to happen next. a few of the twists got me. i also (for the most part) liked a lot of the characters. however, the mmc just wasn’t my favorite i’ve read about. he had his moments and i did like him for the most part, but he doesn’t stand out to me compared to others.
same with the fmc. i did like her and she had some really great qualities, but i think the author did themselves a disservice writing this in first person pov. it’s hard to fully explain why without spoiling anything, but the twist at the end was underwhelming to me after hearing over and over again how shocking it is. i didn’t put all the components of the big reveal together, but i guessed the gist of it. let me just say, it would’ve made a lot more sense/been more compelling if this was told in third person pov. the ending is actually the reason i lowered my initial rating before the last two chapters.
i still liked it and will most likely read book 2, but for me personally, i don’t think it’s on par with my favorite fantasy romances.
idk how to feel!!! did i enjoy this? yes. do i think it’s slightly overrated? also, yes.
it definitely gets points due to the fact i couldn’t put it down, but (at least in my opinion) it had some pacing issues. certain parts of the story felt dragged out, while other parts felt rushed. another issue i had was the authors writing style. i can’t pinpoint exactly what it is about it, but i found myself having to re-read certain parts because the way things were written confused me.
i think the adventurous journey the main characters went on for a good chunk of the book was the shining star and my favorite part about this. it kept me entertained and wondering where they would end up/what was going to happen next. a few of the twists got me. i also (for the most part) liked a lot of the characters. however, the mmc just wasn’t my favorite i’ve read about. he had his moments and i did like him for the most part, but he doesn’t stand out to me compared to others.
same with the fmc. i did like her and she had some really great qualities, but i think the author did themselves a disservice writing this in first person pov. it’s hard to fully explain why without spoiling anything, but the twist at the end was underwhelming to me after hearing over and over again how shocking it is. i didn’t put all the components of the big reveal together, but i guessed the gist of it. let me just say, it would’ve made a lot more sense/been more compelling if this was told in third person pov. the ending is actually the reason i lowered my initial rating before the last two chapters.
i still liked it and will most likely read book 2, but for me personally, i don’t think it’s on par with my favorite fantasy romances.
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