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The Elf Queen #1
Bow Before the Elf Queen
In hiding all her life, Layala prepares for the day the wicked High Elf King Thane will come to steal her— his powerful mate. She trains to take her revenge for the wrongful execution of her parents, who died for her freedom.
Now that day has come, forcing her to come face-to-face with what she’s hidden from: a dangerous, dark-haired, warrior king determined to marry her.
After she’s shoved into a black carriage pulled by six ominous steeds, Layala makes plans to take her captors’ lives and free herself...
...but Thane has a secret that makes it impossible for Layala to slay him. She has an even darker truth that makes loving her forbidden, no matter how much Thane wants to touch.
Dare to dive into this whimsical and deeply romantic story inspired by Hades & Persephone, The Lord of the Rings, and a sprinkle of Norse mythology. A tale that will grip you from the first page and stay with you long after the last.
Now that day has come, forcing her to come face-to-face with what she’s hidden from: a dangerous, dark-haired, warrior king determined to marry her.
After she’s shoved into a black carriage pulled by six ominous steeds, Layala makes plans to take her captors’ lives and free herself...
...but Thane has a secret that makes it impossible for Layala to slay him. She has an even darker truth that makes loving her forbidden, no matter how much Thane wants to touch.
Dare to dive into this whimsical and deeply romantic story inspired by Hades & Persephone, The Lord of the Rings, and a sprinkle of Norse mythology. A tale that will grip you from the first page and stay with you long after the last.
506 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 26, 2022
6404 people are currently reading
57869 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 2,499 reviews
May 1, 2022
2.5 Stars
This was pretty bland and very obviously draws from other popular books in the genre.
- A good chunk of the stuff the author says on her TikTok didn't quite match up with what was in this book
- No defined character personalities and overall shallow characterization.
- World building was fairly bland. Not much other than characters talking about the world.
- Writing was fine. Nothing special.
- I got major A Deal with the Elf King vibes from this book. Also some obvious LotR rip offs with a bit of ACOTAR mixed in. Made it feel fairly unoriginal.
- Too long for what goes on in this book, which isn't a lot.
- The twist at the end was obvious.
- The romance was blah. That goes with the uninspired characters. I had no reason to care about their relationship and I felt no actual connection to it.
I mean, if you're looking for a book like A Deal with the Elf King, than this might be good. I just found it bland, and it blends in with the plenty of other books with this exact premise.
This was pretty bland and very obviously draws from other popular books in the genre.
- A good chunk of the stuff the author says on her TikTok didn't quite match up with what was in this book
- No defined character personalities and overall shallow characterization.
- World building was fairly bland. Not much other than characters talking about the world.
- Writing was fine. Nothing special.
- I got major A Deal with the Elf King vibes from this book. Also some obvious LotR rip offs with a bit of ACOTAR mixed in. Made it feel fairly unoriginal.
- Too long for what goes on in this book, which isn't a lot.
- The twist at the end was obvious.
- The romance was blah. That goes with the uninspired characters. I had no reason to care about their relationship and I felt no actual connection to it.
I mean, if you're looking for a book like A Deal with the Elf King, than this might be good. I just found it bland, and it blends in with the plenty of other books with this exact premise.
April 12, 2023
"Love was a powerful force. It could not be bought. It could not be taken or stolen. Although sometimes it must be fought for, it must be given freely."
Read this if you like-
✔️ Lord of the rings
✔️ Hades x Persephone retellings
✔️ Norse mythology
✔️ Elves
✔️ Enemies to lovers (further elaborated)
✔️ Arranged marriage
✔️ Forbidden romance
✔️ Slow burn
✔️ Mates
✔️ Knife to his throat
✔️ He tends to her wounds
✔️ He falls first
It was a pretty good and enjoyable read. I liked the tropes and their execution of it, excluding enemies to lovers one. The world building is simplistic and easy to follow. The plot as an overall is quite interesting, I was immediately engrossed and I do mean by the prologue itself.
Thane, our MMC is a romantic and a guy who will charm one easily. The fact that he falls first, and he falls hard was so nice to read. However, I do feel that the FMC, Layala overpowered him throughout the book. Layala is fierce, badass and knows how to stand her ground. I liked her in the first half of the book, the second half she started to infuriate me. It became clear that her personality is too stubborn and selfish for me. I get that she had her reasons to be the way that she was but she came across as too rigid in her thoughts and it became repetitive soon. Had she been a little less selfish, some of the things that happened at the end could've been avoided.
"I love you, Laya, and I will wait for an eternity, no matter if I see you again in this life or the next."
The banter between the leads was well done. It was fun, smart and flirty 👀 But I kinda disagree that it's enemies to lovers. It sure feels that way at first but once you get to know Thane, you realise that there were no feelings of enmity in his heart in the first place. The romance was adorable.
My other issue was that of the pacing. It was too slow for me. Had it been a bigger book, I would've lost interest but anyway, I really hope the next one is better in that aspect.
The ending was pretty good, even tho I disagreed with Layala's approach to certain things. Am looking forward to reading the next one. Hopefully there will be more character growth and balance and of course, better pacing.
Read this if you like-
✔️ Lord of the rings
✔️ Hades x Persephone retellings
✔️ Norse mythology
✔️ Elves
✔️ Enemies to lovers (further elaborated)
✔️ Arranged marriage
✔️ Forbidden romance
✔️ Slow burn
✔️ Mates
✔️ Knife to his throat
✔️ He tends to her wounds
✔️ He falls first
It was a pretty good and enjoyable read. I liked the tropes and their execution of it, excluding enemies to lovers one. The world building is simplistic and easy to follow. The plot as an overall is quite interesting, I was immediately engrossed and I do mean by the prologue itself.
Thane, our MMC is a romantic and a guy who will charm one easily. The fact that he falls first, and he falls hard was so nice to read. However, I do feel that the FMC, Layala overpowered him throughout the book. Layala is fierce, badass and knows how to stand her ground. I liked her in the first half of the book, the second half she started to infuriate me. It became clear that her personality is too stubborn and selfish for me. I get that she had her reasons to be the way that she was but she came across as too rigid in her thoughts and it became repetitive soon. Had she been a little less selfish, some of the things that happened at the end could've been avoided.
"I love you, Laya, and I will wait for an eternity, no matter if I see you again in this life or the next."
The banter between the leads was well done. It was fun, smart and flirty 👀 But I kinda disagree that it's enemies to lovers. It sure feels that way at first but once you get to know Thane, you realise that there were no feelings of enmity in his heart in the first place. The romance was adorable.
My other issue was that of the pacing. It was too slow for me. Had it been a bigger book, I would've lost interest but anyway, I really hope the next one is better in that aspect.
The ending was pretty good, even tho I disagreed with Layala's approach to certain things. Am looking forward to reading the next one. Hopefully there will be more character growth and balance and of course, better pacing.
May 12, 2022
3.5 - ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
“if he wishes to threaten my mate in any way, he will find me as a shadow at the foot of his bed. It will be the last thing he ever sees.”
Bow Before the Elf Queen is an Elven Fantasy Romance peppered with many beloved tropes and draws it's inspiration from Hades and Persephone and the Lord of the Rings.
• Fantasy Romance
• Enemies to lovers
• Forbidden Romance
• Arranged Marriage
• Mates
• Slowburn
• Court Drama
• "Touch her and you die"
• Dagger to the Throat
• One Horse Trope
• Naughty Banter
• Badass FMC and MMC
• Elves
• Magic
The characters were entertaining and it's packed with banter and witty dialogue. Most fantasy books these days always feature Faeries or Shifters so it's refreshing to have the good ol' Elves back.
The world itself is intriguing and makes me want to explore every corner, every forest, every Kingdom, and all the magic, be it good or dark, within it.
This book seems like a nod to classic fantasy but is also a specially-made scrumptious treat for modern fantasy romance readers.
It doesn't take long for events to kick off and it hooked me right from the start. The characters were a delight and their interactions entertained me. Especially the banter between our protagonist Layala and her mate and "betrothed", Thane.
“What brings you to Briar Hollow, stranger? Business or pleasure?”
“I was here on business but having seen you, a little of both, I think.”
Layala and Thane's chemistry sparked upon their first meeting and to Thane's delight, his fiery mate never allowed him to savor a moment of rest.
Thane could be all sweet and endearing but oh boy if someone if they so much harm a hair on her head... RIP them. Thane goes feral where Layala's safety is considered.
Love was a powerful force. It could not be bought. It could not be taken or stolen. Although sometimes it must be fought for, it must be given freely.
I think I had two issues with this book:
• The Pacing: the pacing started out as great in the beginning but there instances where the story kind of lost me in the second half.
• Layala and Thane's dynamic: since it was advertised as an enemies-to-lovers romance I expected some push-and-pull and tension between the two. It feels like Thane was a little too easy on Layala and trusted her way too quickly. Even if she was his mate, she was still a stranger. Don't get me wrong I adored their romance, it just I was hoping for a little angst and fire between the two and more of the pull-and-push where both are struggling with their feelings. So I don't really consider it as if they were "enemies", Layala didn't trust Thane or the Elves for a good reason due to her past.
But overall, I do like the characters and I'm interested enough to follow through and read the sequel.
“if he wishes to threaten my mate in any way, he will find me as a shadow at the foot of his bed. It will be the last thing he ever sees.”
Bow Before the Elf Queen is an Elven Fantasy Romance peppered with many beloved tropes and draws it's inspiration from Hades and Persephone and the Lord of the Rings.
• Fantasy Romance
• Enemies to lovers
• Forbidden Romance
• Arranged Marriage
• Mates
• Slowburn
• Court Drama
• "Touch her and you die"
• Dagger to the Throat
• One Horse Trope
• Naughty Banter
• Badass FMC and MMC
• Elves
• Magic
The characters were entertaining and it's packed with banter and witty dialogue. Most fantasy books these days always feature Faeries or Shifters so it's refreshing to have the good ol' Elves back.
The world itself is intriguing and makes me want to explore every corner, every forest, every Kingdom, and all the magic, be it good or dark, within it.
This book seems like a nod to classic fantasy but is also a specially-made scrumptious treat for modern fantasy romance readers.
It doesn't take long for events to kick off and it hooked me right from the start. The characters were a delight and their interactions entertained me. Especially the banter between our protagonist Layala and her mate and "betrothed", Thane.
“What brings you to Briar Hollow, stranger? Business or pleasure?”
“I was here on business but having seen you, a little of both, I think.”
Layala and Thane's chemistry sparked upon their first meeting and to Thane's delight, his fiery mate never allowed him to savor a moment of rest.
Thane could be all sweet and endearing but oh boy if someone if they so much harm a hair on her head... RIP them. Thane goes feral where Layala's safety is considered.
Love was a powerful force. It could not be bought. It could not be taken or stolen. Although sometimes it must be fought for, it must be given freely.
I think I had two issues with this book:
• The Pacing: the pacing started out as great in the beginning but there instances where the story kind of lost me in the second half.
• Layala and Thane's dynamic: since it was advertised as an enemies-to-lovers romance I expected some push-and-pull and tension between the two. It feels like Thane was a little too easy on Layala and trusted her way too quickly. Even if she was his mate, she was still a stranger. Don't get me wrong I adored their romance, it just I was hoping for a little angst and fire between the two and more of the pull-and-push where both are struggling with their feelings. So I don't really consider it as if they were "enemies", Layala didn't trust Thane or the Elves for a good reason due to her past.
But overall, I do like the characters and I'm interested enough to follow through and read the sequel.
October 26, 2022
After a reread, I agree with all of my previous reasons for loving this book. But mostly… Thane. And HOW did I remember such a different ending?!? Also this might not be YA after all. 😏 I can’t wait for Long Live the Elf Queen tomorrow.
(First read review below.)
Do you aspire to be Lady Arwen “Evenstar” Undómiel? *Looks around… Oh, just me?* 👀
Do you also love an angsty, well done enemies to lovers scenario? Then look no further.
Elves. Need I say more?
Enemies to lovers
Torturous slow burn
Mate bond/Fated mates
One horse
Touch her and you die
Mysterious dragon sorceress
He *might* fall first 😏
Multiple sword to throat situations
I was sent to kill you but “accidentally” fell in love with you
Found family
The Brutal Warrior Prince but yet a delicious cinnamon roll 🫦
Honestly I was attracted to this gorgeous cover and the fact it was about elves. There are SO many fantasy romance series about Fae (don’t get me wrong, I love the diversity within the Fae realm.) But before I even knew about Fae, I fell in love with the elves of Rivendell. Between the feisty FMC, Layala, and the different types of elves, this was a fun & beautiful example of elven lore.
I was surprised to learn after I read this, that the author purposely wrote a YA, fantasy romance. And I’m glad I found that out afterward, because I probably wouldn’t have picked this up. With that being said… I can’t remember EVER liking a YOUNG ADULT fantasy romance. But I loved this one! The banter, tension, pining, and almost constant physical contact might’ve helped. I also found a great amount of depth to these characters, and thoroughly enjoyed the world building & plot twists! I already need book 2.
(First read review below.)
Do you aspire to be Lady Arwen “Evenstar” Undómiel? *Looks around… Oh, just me?* 👀
Do you also love an angsty, well done enemies to lovers scenario? Then look no further.
Elves. Need I say more?
Enemies to lovers
Torturous slow burn
Mate bond/Fated mates
One horse
Touch her and you die
Mysterious dragon sorceress
He *might* fall first 😏
Multiple sword to throat situations
I was sent to kill you but “accidentally” fell in love with you
Found family
The Brutal Warrior Prince but yet a delicious cinnamon roll 🫦
Honestly I was attracted to this gorgeous cover and the fact it was about elves. There are SO many fantasy romance series about Fae (don’t get me wrong, I love the diversity within the Fae realm.) But before I even knew about Fae, I fell in love with the elves of Rivendell. Between the feisty FMC, Layala, and the different types of elves, this was a fun & beautiful example of elven lore.
I was surprised to learn after I read this, that the author purposely wrote a YA, fantasy romance. And I’m glad I found that out afterward, because I probably wouldn’t have picked this up. With that being said… I can’t remember EVER liking a YOUNG ADULT fantasy romance. But I loved this one! The banter, tension, pining, and almost constant physical contact might’ve helped. I also found a great amount of depth to these characters, and thoroughly enjoyed the world building & plot twists! I already need book 2.
September 18, 2022
It started off much to my liking. The writing was good and Layala seemed like a headstrong, cool female protagonist. But honestly- I pretty soon got really annoyed by her. Layala was not necessarily a traditional pick me but she was definitely “one of the boys” and not like the other girls. And I dislike that trope very much. There’s a way to write that without coming off as annoying; it didn’t work out in this instance.
Layala was already the most beautiful, the strongest, the most skilled. She didn’t ever really seem to grow and learn. She even told Thane “I don’t need you to teach me anything” after he beat her during training. I hate characters like that. They need development, they need to be put through stuff that changes and impacts them. But even almost dying never did anything to her. War and seeing dead people never even really made her lose sleep for a night.
She also became really irrational and the stupid plot about her ex and her powers became a tiring excuse of creating “””angst””” and not let the main characters be together after the first 25% of the plot. Stuff like the stone and looking for the dragon shifter sorceress never paid off or made for filler and a boring time.
Thane was alright. I get his morals and devotion to Layala because of the mating bond but no one can be devoted to a stranger like this and then be kicked over and over again and still be like <3
Anyway - I was somewhat excited but it went downhill pretty fast. Most is this book felt like filler and I lost interest about halfway into the undercooked story.
Layala was already the most beautiful, the strongest, the most skilled. She didn’t ever really seem to grow and learn. She even told Thane “I don’t need you to teach me anything” after he beat her during training. I hate characters like that. They need development, they need to be put through stuff that changes and impacts them. But even almost dying never did anything to her. War and seeing dead people never even really made her lose sleep for a night.
She also became really irrational and the stupid plot about her ex and her powers became a tiring excuse of creating “””angst””” and not let the main characters be together after the first 25% of the plot. Stuff like the stone and looking for the dragon shifter sorceress never paid off or made for filler and a boring time.
Thane was alright. I get his morals and devotion to Layala because of the mating bond but no one can be devoted to a stranger like this and then be kicked over and over again and still be like <3
Anyway - I was somewhat excited but it went downhill pretty fast. Most is this book felt like filler and I lost interest about halfway into the undercooked story.
July 28, 2022
Sometimes the most gorgeous things were the most deadly.
I wanted to love this so much I was pretty sure I'd end up hating it, and while I didn't look loathe it in the end, I felt a bit betrayed.
Bow Before the Elf Queen is the most YA adult book I've ever read.
I has trouble deciding whether the characters had a distinct personality or they simply weren't characterized all that well.
The world-building needs improvement and the difficulties and quibbles our main characters encounter during the unnecessary amount of pages, could have easily been resolved which makes me wonder if the author wasn't maybe too focused on the romance aspect to notice her plot was weak. (Exhibit 1: )
Speaking of romance, I didn't mind it all that much. I'd dare even go so far as to say it was the thing I liked the most about this book, even though I didn't really like Layla nor Thane. And, not gonna lie, I also definitely expected more action.
Last but not least, the unsubtle characters' names. The villain's called King Tenebris. You're basically giving him permission to be an asshole.
May 4, 2022
This was just.. bland. It felt like a mash up of a bunch of other popular fantasy books. The characters had zero personality/chemistry with each other (especially the two mc’s) the writing was decent but the story was just meh.
Cover is beautiful tho.
Cover is beautiful tho.
May 3, 2022
I... did not enjoy this. Maybe the idea of the plot itself wasn't bad, but the way information was conveyed took any enjoyment out of it for me
•Every character says exactly what they mean, there is no concealing going on
•The names of the "evil" characters are chosen to specifically to show that they are evil
•Generally shallow characterisation
•Predictable outcomes
•Arguably unoriginal worldbuilding
•Illogical choices made by illogical characters
•Everything is being told rather than shown
If I could've just read a summary of the book instead of the entire thing, I think I would've been more into the story. So much of it could've been edited out without affecting the overall experience
•Every character says exactly what they mean, there is no concealing going on
•The names of the "evil" characters are chosen to specifically to show that they are evil
•Generally shallow characterisation
•Predictable outcomes
•Arguably unoriginal worldbuilding
•Illogical choices made by illogical characters
•Everything is being told rather than shown
If I could've just read a summary of the book instead of the entire thing, I think I would've been more into the story. So much of it could've been edited out without affecting the overall experience
December 18, 2023
3.5-3.75 Stars
Meet Layala, a fierce elf who lives among humans, training herself day and night to one day kill the King who wrongfully executed her parents. Her heart is filled with vengeance, and she will stop at nothing until justice is served. But before she could make her move, fate had other plans for her. She was taken away from her home to fulfill her betrothal, a promise made when she was just born.
Layala's world turns upside down when she finds out that the warrior who abducted her is none other than her betrothed. What's more, they're bonded. Will she be able to find a way to break the bond with Thane? Will she ever be able to avenge her parents? Follow Layala on this thrilling journey filled with action, adventure, and romance.
Meet Layala, a fierce elf who lives among humans, training herself day and night to one day kill the King who wrongfully executed her parents. Her heart is filled with vengeance, and she will stop at nothing until justice is served. But before she could make her move, fate had other plans for her. She was taken away from her home to fulfill her betrothal, a promise made when she was just born.
Layala's world turns upside down when she finds out that the warrior who abducted her is none other than her betrothed. What's more, they're bonded. Will she be able to find a way to break the bond with Thane? Will she ever be able to avenge her parents? Follow Layala on this thrilling journey filled with action, adventure, and romance.
January 17, 2023
5 Flower Crown Stars ⭐
This was a surprising delight wrapped up in a perfect little bow of what I love in a book.
I didn’t know what to expect when starting this. None of the usual people who’s reviews I follow for a “taste test” had read this, I couldn’t even remember how it even ended up on my TBR…
All I can say is I am *absolutely* flipping happy that this book was there! I couldn’t put it down and when I had to (for work) couldn’t stop thinking of the next moment I could pick this up.
I saw a few reviews mention this is like The Cruel Prince… to me this is what The Cruel Prince should have been…
Let’s go over the tropes I loved!
1) Enemies to lovers (duh probably the best trope in this book)
2) Fated Mates
3) One horse (almost as good as the one bed :p)
4) Found family
5) Arranged marriage
6) He falls first
7) Kidnapping
8) Morally grey love interest
9) Strong female MC who can kick ass and knows her way with a sword!
These are my perfect formula in a book! I loved the way JMK played with my emotions from start to Finish. From not liking Thane at the start to growing to really care for him by the end as Layala develops her feelings. The turn from enemies to lovers felt natural and gradual… it wasn’t that “one day I hate you and the next I love you”. They displayed a mature relationship and I really liked that at times they were able to trust and talk to each other about aspects that they were concerned about. Very often in books (especially YA) “conflict” is created due to miscommunication and I felt that very little of the conflict in this was due to the characters not listening (which is a big plus) - this might be cause they were a little older that this would be more intro into Adult but kept the content PG13.
This is very action packed with high stake situations and aspects move fast but the book is very easy to read and understand in these scenes!
I do think this is one of the most underrated books I have ever read but if this is the quality of JMK’s writing, she just became of my favourite authors… I am instantly putting her other books on my TBR and am so thankful I do not have to wait long for the sequel (which releases in a few days) because a long wait would have been absolutely torture!
I haven’t even touched on the glorious world building this book had. I can’t believe this is indie published because the quality of writing and level of detail was magnificent!
You would do yourself a disservice not reading this especially if you love Fae Enemies to Lovers books!
This was a surprising delight wrapped up in a perfect little bow of what I love in a book.
I didn’t know what to expect when starting this. None of the usual people who’s reviews I follow for a “taste test” had read this, I couldn’t even remember how it even ended up on my TBR…
All I can say is I am *absolutely* flipping happy that this book was there! I couldn’t put it down and when I had to (for work) couldn’t stop thinking of the next moment I could pick this up.
I saw a few reviews mention this is like The Cruel Prince… to me this is what The Cruel Prince should have been…
Let’s go over the tropes I loved!
1) Enemies to lovers (duh probably the best trope in this book)
2) Fated Mates
3) One horse (almost as good as the one bed :p)
4) Found family
5) Arranged marriage
6) He falls first
7) Kidnapping
8) Morally grey love interest
9) Strong female MC who can kick ass and knows her way with a sword!
These are my perfect formula in a book! I loved the way JMK played with my emotions from start to Finish. From not liking Thane at the start to growing to really care for him by the end as Layala develops her feelings. The turn from enemies to lovers felt natural and gradual… it wasn’t that “one day I hate you and the next I love you”. They displayed a mature relationship and I really liked that at times they were able to trust and talk to each other about aspects that they were concerned about. Very often in books (especially YA) “conflict” is created due to miscommunication and I felt that very little of the conflict in this was due to the characters not listening (which is a big plus) - this might be cause they were a little older that this would be more intro into Adult but kept the content PG13.
This is very action packed with high stake situations and aspects move fast but the book is very easy to read and understand in these scenes!
I do think this is one of the most underrated books I have ever read but if this is the quality of JMK’s writing, she just became of my favourite authors… I am instantly putting her other books on my TBR and am so thankful I do not have to wait long for the sequel (which releases in a few days) because a long wait would have been absolutely torture!
I haven’t even touched on the glorious world building this book had. I can’t believe this is indie published because the quality of writing and level of detail was magnificent!
You would do yourself a disservice not reading this especially if you love Fae Enemies to Lovers books!
May 14, 2022
This book made me so mad, I can't even begin to describe how I'm feeling about it. Before I finished this book, I was going to watch Over The Hedge, and write this review after I'd had two fun things done in a row. The first was supposed to be this book, the second, the movie. But this book caused me so much rage.
The beginning portion of the book actually had some substance to it, where Layala gets taken away by her fiancé, and they obviously meet the mean sister. It had the stereotypical vibes that I was going for, but then, oh then, it got super weird. The MC went from being this badass "I don't take any shit from anyone" type of personality, to someone who complains about everything. I honestly couldn't take it. It took me 8 days to read this book because of that.
Also, I thought that this book was marketed as some adult romance, right? I was expecting smut. The video that advertised this book on Instagram even insinuated to it, but to my dismay, there was none. I read who knows how many pages, hoping for some steamy, enemies-to-lovers sex, but there was none. I only learnt at the end of the book in my quick skim of the author's description thingy, that this particular author likes to quote, "Keep it PG-13."
I originally was leaning towards 4 stars, but those few things combined with the plot holes just did it in for me, and dropped this book to 2.5/5.
The beginning portion of the book actually had some substance to it, where Layala gets taken away by her fiancé, and they obviously meet the mean sister. It had the stereotypical vibes that I was going for, but then, oh then, it got super weird. The MC went from being this badass "I don't take any shit from anyone" type of personality, to someone who complains about everything. I honestly couldn't take it. It took me 8 days to read this book because of that.
Also, I thought that this book was marketed as some adult romance, right? I was expecting smut. The video that advertised this book on Instagram even insinuated to it, but to my dismay, there was none. I read who knows how many pages, hoping for some steamy, enemies-to-lovers sex, but there was none. I only learnt at the end of the book in my quick skim of the author's description thingy, that this particular author likes to quote, "Keep it PG-13."
I originally was leaning towards 4 stars, but those few things combined with the plot holes just did it in for me, and dropped this book to 2.5/5.
April 4, 2022
4.5 ⭐️I was pleasantly surprised by this book! I read it in 2 sittings (would have been 1, but I needed sleep) the prologue sucked me in and then I couldn’t stop. I need to sit on my review for a minute so I can do this book justice.
December 25, 2022
“Layala Fightbringer,” the fire-haired Leif shouted, and many laughed. He put his arm casually around her shoulders. “You think she’s a Raven, boys?”
“Caw, Caw!” Then they roared with cheers.
Caw.
Ah, there goes my virginity. The Kings elite guards at it again just dropping panties left and right out in these dusty mountains.
I had high hopes for the romance in the beginning - especially with the whole kidnapping and girl, I love a long, angsty ride to the capitol. But somewhere it just lost me. My first sense of foreboding came when Thane was actually accommodating and downright pleasant to Layala.
Gross.
Thane was nice. Really, really nice. He just said nice things and did nice things and never pushed and wasn't at all the brutal young king that the rumors made him out to be.
I hated it. My tastes have obviously been polluted since every nice little remark and understanding moment from him made me roll my eyes so hard that I could see the Void. I wanted him to be brutal. I wanted him to be the famed warrior king who ruthlessly cut down his enemies and kept his people in line. I mean the guy killed his own fucking father. Push her against a wall and growl at her Thane - Jesus do I have to do all the work in this imaginary relationship? At every turn he disappointed me. He never yelled, never growled and the chemistry was cloudy day than sauna. He was like a vanilla wafer made completely of the creamy center.
And then there was Layla. She was rageful. Vindictive and powerful in her own right. Somehow she did barely anything with all that venom though and just ended up following all of Thane's boring rules. But like in an edgy, irritating way to make it steamy 🙄. The truth was that all she really did was go to dinner and arrive at events a couple of minutes later than when Thane wanted her to. Sometimes I think she actually came early??? Just really making Thane regret all of his life choices with her punctuality.
There were also many, many things that didn't make any sense to me:
The fact that Layala believed every little rumor that the human villagers and her aunt shoved down her throat was one.
The fact that Thanes mom and sister were so utterly incompetent and venomous harpies even though they had a first-row seat to the prior kings' vile ways. I at least expected them to be cunning. You don't keep that position without knowing how to handle yourself but what do I know?
The fact that Thane kept saying Layala was free to go and that he wanted her to be happy but then didn't once offer to take her back to visit her friends or family.
The fact that Layala's aunts house was trashed before Thane kidnapped her - blood on the walls, threats, blah blah blah - but Thane doesn't even seem to care or look into it further than a concerned shrug.
Also - the King needs to get some better trackers or something because the fact that some commoners can just steal your sons new bride is fucking pathetic. Pull some of those fae back from the wall because you can't be having peasants making you look like a fool like that. In your own house? Really????
Also. Thane's friend's fucking suck (except for you, Piper. We really enjoy your grumpiness and badassery.) They keep low-key threatening Layala that they're going to end her if she runs away or hurts one perfectly windswept hair on Thane's body. Also they let Thane's rodent of a sister talk all the shit she wants to Layala. And they act like she should be GRATEFUL that Thane dragged her away from her home. The amount of gaslighting I was seeing was almost laughable.
Caw, Caw, witches. Caw, caw.
“Caw, Caw!” Then they roared with cheers.
Caw.
Ah, there goes my virginity. The Kings elite guards at it again just dropping panties left and right out in these dusty mountains.
I had high hopes for the romance in the beginning - especially with the whole kidnapping and girl, I love a long, angsty ride to the capitol. But somewhere it just lost me. My first sense of foreboding came when Thane was actually accommodating and downright pleasant to Layala.
Gross.
Thane was nice. Really, really nice. He just said nice things and did nice things and never pushed and wasn't at all the brutal young king that the rumors made him out to be.
I hated it. My tastes have obviously been polluted since every nice little remark and understanding moment from him made me roll my eyes so hard that I could see the Void. I wanted him to be brutal. I wanted him to be the famed warrior king who ruthlessly cut down his enemies and kept his people in line. I mean the guy killed his own fucking father. Push her against a wall and growl at her Thane - Jesus do I have to do all the work in this imaginary relationship? At every turn he disappointed me. He never yelled, never growled and the chemistry was cloudy day than sauna. He was like a vanilla wafer made completely of the creamy center.
And then there was Layla. She was rageful. Vindictive and powerful in her own right. Somehow she did barely anything with all that venom though and just ended up following all of Thane's boring rules. But like in an edgy, irritating way to make it steamy 🙄. The truth was that all she really did was go to dinner and arrive at events a couple of minutes later than when Thane wanted her to. Sometimes I think she actually came early??? Just really making Thane regret all of his life choices with her punctuality.
There were also many, many things that didn't make any sense to me:
The fact that Layala believed every little rumor that the human villagers and her aunt shoved down her throat was one.
The fact that Thanes mom and sister were so utterly incompetent and venomous harpies even though they had a first-row seat to the prior kings' vile ways. I at least expected them to be cunning. You don't keep that position without knowing how to handle yourself but what do I know?
The fact that Thane kept saying Layala was free to go and that he wanted her to be happy but then didn't once offer to take her back to visit her friends or family.
The fact that Layala's aunts house was trashed before Thane kidnapped her - blood on the walls, threats, blah blah blah - but Thane doesn't even seem to care or look into it further than a concerned shrug.
Also - the King needs to get some better trackers or something because the fact that some commoners can just steal your sons new bride is fucking pathetic. Pull some of those fae back from the wall because you can't be having peasants making you look like a fool like that. In your own house? Really????
Also. Thane's friend's fucking suck (except for you, Piper. We really enjoy your grumpiness and badassery.) They keep low-key threatening Layala that they're going to end her if she runs away or hurts one perfectly windswept hair on Thane's body. Also they let Thane's rodent of a sister talk all the shit she wants to Layala. And they act like she should be GRATEFUL that Thane dragged her away from her home. The amount of gaslighting I was seeing was almost laughable.
Caw, Caw, witches. Caw, caw.
August 16, 2022
Holy grammar disaster, Batman! Did anyone with more than a 13-year-old's grasp of English edit this? It was distractingly bad. I haven't read prose this disastrous since I was reading fanfiction written by teenagers back in the mid-aughts, and even then, some of them were still doing a better job than this dumpster fire of a story. If someone informed me this was a final project for 8th grade English, the quality would at least make sense, but alas, that does not appear to be the case...
Terrible English aside, the story itself was poorly constructed. It was a mishmash of popular tropes clumsily thrown together. Characters had inconsistent patterns of speech and no one had a clear voice. Descriptions were clunky; random things were described in excess detail that neither gave the story ambience nor moved the plot forward. Attempts at foreshadowing were also clumsily done, as something was dramatically brought up early with no context, then never mentioned again until later in a really dramatic way *eye roll* Honestly, this was so painful to read. Do yourself a favor and skip it entirely.
Terrible English aside, the story itself was poorly constructed. It was a mishmash of popular tropes clumsily thrown together. Characters had inconsistent patterns of speech and no one had a clear voice. Descriptions were clunky; random things were described in excess detail that neither gave the story ambience nor moved the plot forward. Attempts at foreshadowing were also clumsily done, as something was dramatically brought up early with no context, then never mentioned again until later in a really dramatic way *eye roll* Honestly, this was so painful to read. Do yourself a favor and skip it entirely.
August 6, 2024
Yazım dili biraz zorladı ama yine de keyifle okudum. Oluşturulan evren ve karakterleri sevdim. Özellikle Thane kesinlikle favori erkek karakterlerim arasına girdi. Layala ise büyürken ona öğretilenler sebebiyle davranışlarında haklıydı. Zaten çok geçmeden de öğrendiği her şeyin farklı olduğunu görünce toparladı. Yan karakterlerden Tiffapine'ye bayıldım. Keşke öyle bir yardımcım olsa, müthiş eğlenirdik. İkinci kitap için heyecanlıyım, umarım çabuk gelir.
April 25, 2022
First of all can we have a round of applause for this cover?!
**Starts slow clap.**
I HIGHLY enjoyed this story! The prologue was fire! It dunks you head first in a bucket full of feels.
Layala is the first elf born with magic in hundreds of years. The evil king wants to use her as a tool to defeat his enemies. So he decides to magically bind her as his son's mate (At 7 days old!) and take her from her loving parents. I don't want to give much away but Layala's life is never the same and she ends up living in the human world to evade this king. She trains her entire life to kill the evil tyrant king and her mate who rumor has it is more bloodthirsty than his father.
But there is much she doesn't know tucked away in the human world.
The story and world-building were fantastic, the writing was beautiful!
If you love...
Arranged marriage
Slow burn
Mates
Forced proximity
A man who will plow down anyone who touches you (Including his own mother!)
Strong female lead
Then I HIGHLY recommend this one. I loved it enough I will be buying a physical copy for my trophy shelf to reread later.
**Starts slow clap.**
I HIGHLY enjoyed this story! The prologue was fire! It dunks you head first in a bucket full of feels.
Layala is the first elf born with magic in hundreds of years. The evil king wants to use her as a tool to defeat his enemies. So he decides to magically bind her as his son's mate (At 7 days old!) and take her from her loving parents. I don't want to give much away but Layala's life is never the same and she ends up living in the human world to evade this king. She trains her entire life to kill the evil tyrant king and her mate who rumor has it is more bloodthirsty than his father.
But there is much she doesn't know tucked away in the human world.
The story and world-building were fantastic, the writing was beautiful!
If you love...
Arranged marriage
Slow burn
Mates
Forced proximity
A man who will plow down anyone who touches you (Including his own mother!)
Strong female lead
Then I HIGHLY recommend this one. I loved it enough I will be buying a physical copy for my trophy shelf to reread later.
June 6, 2025
book one reread in anticipation of book 4 complete! 4.5/5 stars
it was such a joy to be back in adalon alongside some of my fave book characters of all time for this reread. i forgot how immersive this book was—once i started i just could not stop reading. the pacing in this book is perfect for someone like me who needs the action to start right from the jump. there is always something going on in this book, whether it’s a quest, battle scene, or emotional love scene, and i can really appreciate the diversity in huge plot point moments. the tropes, while very classic to the romantasy genre, just work sooo well together. enemies to lovers, fated mates, he falls first and HARD, the chosen one, caretaker. it’s just so damn good, and i especially love this take on fated mates since it was more forced than god/divinely granted.
the character chemistry is off the charts, and this may be one of my favourite grouping of side characters of all time. they all banter so well together and it makes it feel like there is genuine connection which is so important to me as a lover of found family. SPEAKING OF BANTER thaneeeee athayel……he is the king of banter and shameless flirtation. i forgot how much this man had me swooning back in the day!! he is the perfect mmc (also HES the virgin waiting for his first time to be either his mate), so sweet and loving, but so so deadly and powerful which is actually the perfect combination. while there are some definite frustrating moments from layala (damn is she ever stubborn), she experiences a lot of character growth which i can appreciate.
i think my favourite thing about this reread was noticing all of the easter eggs thrown in that you would only realize if you knew what happens in book 3. this shows a meticulous level of planning from jm kearl, which i have a massive amount of respect for. i can’t wait to move on to book two!!!
it was such a joy to be back in adalon alongside some of my fave book characters of all time for this reread. i forgot how immersive this book was—once i started i just could not stop reading. the pacing in this book is perfect for someone like me who needs the action to start right from the jump. there is always something going on in this book, whether it’s a quest, battle scene, or emotional love scene, and i can really appreciate the diversity in huge plot point moments. the tropes, while very classic to the romantasy genre, just work sooo well together. enemies to lovers, fated mates, he falls first and HARD, the chosen one, caretaker. it’s just so damn good, and i especially love this take on fated mates since it was more forced than god/divinely granted.
the character chemistry is off the charts, and this may be one of my favourite grouping of side characters of all time. they all banter so well together and it makes it feel like there is genuine connection which is so important to me as a lover of found family. SPEAKING OF BANTER thaneeeee athayel……he is the king of banter and shameless flirtation. i forgot how much this man had me swooning back in the day!! he is the perfect mmc (also HES the virgin waiting for his first time to be either his mate), so sweet and loving, but so so deadly and powerful which is actually the perfect combination. while there are some definite frustrating moments from layala (damn is she ever stubborn), she experiences a lot of character growth which i can appreciate.
i think my favourite thing about this reread was noticing all of the easter eggs thrown in that you would only realize if you knew what happens in book 3. this shows a meticulous level of planning from jm kearl, which i have a massive amount of respect for. i can’t wait to move on to book two!!!
May 15, 2023
*AUDIOBOOK LISTEN*
I absolutely adored this story! The characters are fierce and lovable. The slow-burn romance is completely swoon-worthy (for spice lovers: although the feel of it was adult, it was fade-to-black).
I cannot wait to see what happens next.
Also, the dual narration was done perfectly. All around fantastic!
I absolutely adored this story! The characters are fierce and lovable. The slow-burn romance is completely swoon-worthy (for spice lovers: although the feel of it was adult, it was fade-to-black).
I cannot wait to see what happens next.
Also, the dual narration was done perfectly. All around fantastic!
September 9, 2022
“I will tear this world apart for you, I will fight until I have nothing left to give and destroy anyone who hurts you, and I will guard your heart most of all.”
This was such a fun fantasy romance!!! I thought the concept of a bonding ceremony was a really unique take on the fated mates trope. Layala and Thane have such a complicated relationship - she has been brought up to believe that he would steal her freedom, whereas he has spent his time doing what he can to protect her from afar. I loved their banter, and seeing Layala slowly let down her walls and learn about Thane's true character. Thane is patient and shows her again and again that he is not out to hurt her. Layala's powers are completely badass - I love how she used her vines to defeat her enemies!! Thane also has some cool powers. The stakes for this fantasy romance are really high, and my heart was racing when I was reading the last quarter of this book. I absolutely can't wait for the next installment in this series!!!
This was such a fun fantasy romance!!! I thought the concept of a bonding ceremony was a really unique take on the fated mates trope. Layala and Thane have such a complicated relationship - she has been brought up to believe that he would steal her freedom, whereas he has spent his time doing what he can to protect her from afar. I loved their banter, and seeing Layala slowly let down her walls and learn about Thane's true character. Thane is patient and shows her again and again that he is not out to hurt her. Layala's powers are completely badass - I love how she used her vines to defeat her enemies!! Thane also has some cool powers. The stakes for this fantasy romance are really high, and my heart was racing when I was reading the last quarter of this book. I absolutely can't wait for the next installment in this series!!!
May 1, 2022
Oh man, this book grabbed me by the heart during the prologue and DIDNT 👏🏻 LET 👏🏻 GO 👏🏻
i couldn’t sleep. I couldn’t eat. I could barely even mom and take care of my kids because I was sucked into this world J. M. Kearl had so beautifully written. Thane and Layala’s relationship was a delicious slow burn that had me blushing and smiling at my kindle like a crazy person.
The world building wasn’t complex and was incredibly easy to follow. There is even a map at the beginning of the book! And the author has such an incredible way with words. I felt like I was there with the characters from her descriptions. This is my first book I’ve read from this author and I’m a fan now. I can’t wait to read the second book!! Bravo!!
i couldn’t sleep. I couldn’t eat. I could barely even mom and take care of my kids because I was sucked into this world J. M. Kearl had so beautifully written. Thane and Layala’s relationship was a delicious slow burn that had me blushing and smiling at my kindle like a crazy person.
The world building wasn’t complex and was incredibly easy to follow. There is even a map at the beginning of the book! And the author has such an incredible way with words. I felt like I was there with the characters from her descriptions. This is my first book I’ve read from this author and I’m a fan now. I can’t wait to read the second book!! Bravo!!
April 10, 2022
“Dra-gon”
Total donkey side kick vibes from Tif.
I saw JM Kearls tiktok about the release of this book. I read throne of glass years ago and then picked it up again last year, and I’ve read countless books since then- but I haven’t quite felt the same after TOG. This book gave me that same feeling that I had the first time I read TOG. All the characters development were wonderful, they felt like real people. The world building is incredible and well thought out. There’s good humor, and angst, and jealousy, as well as a strong female lead that can compete with the male lead. That’s probably my favorite part.
I don’t write reviews often, but this one deserves all the hype.
Total donkey side kick vibes from Tif.
I saw JM Kearls tiktok about the release of this book. I read throne of glass years ago and then picked it up again last year, and I’ve read countless books since then- but I haven’t quite felt the same after TOG. This book gave me that same feeling that I had the first time I read TOG. All the characters development were wonderful, they felt like real people. The world building is incredible and well thought out. There’s good humor, and angst, and jealousy, as well as a strong female lead that can compete with the male lead. That’s probably my favorite part.
I don’t write reviews often, but this one deserves all the hype.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 18, 2023
Have you ever wondered what it’s like to read a soggy wet paper bag of a book? Look no further! Contains such wonderbread hits as
-unlikeable MC! (She is NOT like other girls)
-unintelligent prose!
-men with shiny hair and no personality!
-a Frankenstein plot hobbled together from every fantasy book to come out in the last two years!
-a twist you’ll spot immediately and think to yourself “surely not. Surely this is a red herring.” Only to be terribly disappointed to find out you were right!
-more chekhov’s guns than the entirety of Texas!
-cliffhanger ending (spoiler it does NOT make me want to pick up the second one!)!
Contains absolutely nothing spicy and Tik Tok lied to you.
-unlikeable MC! (She is NOT like other girls)
-unintelligent prose!
-men with shiny hair and no personality!
-a Frankenstein plot hobbled together from every fantasy book to come out in the last two years!
-a twist you’ll spot immediately and think to yourself “surely not. Surely this is a red herring.” Only to be terribly disappointed to find out you were right!
-more chekhov’s guns than the entirety of Texas!
-cliffhanger ending (spoiler it does NOT make me want to pick up the second one!)!
Contains absolutely nothing spicy and Tik Tok lied to you.
February 16, 2025
4.5 ⭐️ I feel like I’ve had this on my tbr for so long, and I’m so glad I finally got around to it!! This book has such a good balance of plot, romance, and politics. The cliffhanger has me STRESSED. I had some suspicions about the plot twist, but damn did it hurt anyways.
This had such a good slow burn!! The tension was great—I really just LOVE enemies to lovers. The banter was amazing. I’m so excited to see where the rest of the series goes!!
This had such a good slow burn!! The tension was great—I really just LOVE enemies to lovers. The banter was amazing. I’m so excited to see where the rest of the series goes!!
February 9, 2024
This book sucked me in and I couldn't put it down. It's everything I love in a book, enemies-to-lovers, arranged marriage, fated-mates, dark brooding prince, and high fae. Not only does it have all that, but the book is well paced and the witty banter never stops. I immediately started the second book.
September 22, 2023
Some spoilers
DNF
Started off good then sorta fell off the more I read. The idea is there, but execution is lacking. Heroine hated hero and king and blah and yet she's so quick to change her mind. Her thoughts and opinions are very shallow and she has a weak conviction. There is just no internal struggle which I feel like is required when you have growed up thinking one way for such a long time. Like she hates him, he tells her he's defended her all her life and she believes him so quick and is so fast to think her previous thinking was wrong, even though he's supposed to be her enemy and they just met days before this. It makes no sense. And when she sees his face , she's shocked at who it is, like what a dumbass she is 😭 in fact, both of them aren't the brightest bulbs, and much of what they think or feel is so forced, especially when the hero calls the heroine "vicious" and all that, like it's cringe tbh.
And when she has to go to breakfast with the hero, his mom and his sister, one of the side characters and maids were telling her how they're a piece of work and heroine is all like oh I can handle them and tries to make herself seem tough and badass, and yet she just takes their insults and says nothing and essentially gets upset because the hero and his friend don't defend her as quick as she wants them too even though they're her "enemies".
Not only that, but it wasn't really enemies imo, the dialogue was VERY cliche and contrived. This book felt way too YA and way too similar to every other YA book out there. There was literally nothing new.
Like I get what the author was trying to do with this book, and I think it could have been a lot better if the writing was thought out more and if everything wasn't so shallow and rushed, because when you have cliched YA books like this, there has to be something different about it to make it stand out to other books, and instead, it just felt like she took a bunch of pieces from other YA books and put them all into one. Definitely disappointing.
DNF
Started off good then sorta fell off the more I read. The idea is there, but execution is lacking. Heroine hated hero and king and blah and yet she's so quick to change her mind. Her thoughts and opinions are very shallow and she has a weak conviction. There is just no internal struggle which I feel like is required when you have growed up thinking one way for such a long time. Like she hates him, he tells her he's defended her all her life and she believes him so quick and is so fast to think her previous thinking was wrong, even though he's supposed to be her enemy and they just met days before this. It makes no sense. And when she sees his face , she's shocked at who it is, like what a dumbass she is 😭 in fact, both of them aren't the brightest bulbs, and much of what they think or feel is so forced, especially when the hero calls the heroine "vicious" and all that, like it's cringe tbh.
And when she has to go to breakfast with the hero, his mom and his sister, one of the side characters and maids were telling her how they're a piece of work and heroine is all like oh I can handle them and tries to make herself seem tough and badass, and yet she just takes their insults and says nothing and essentially gets upset because the hero and his friend don't defend her as quick as she wants them too even though they're her "enemies".
Not only that, but it wasn't really enemies imo, the dialogue was VERY cliche and contrived. This book felt way too YA and way too similar to every other YA book out there. There was literally nothing new.
Like I get what the author was trying to do with this book, and I think it could have been a lot better if the writing was thought out more and if everything wasn't so shallow and rushed, because when you have cliched YA books like this, there has to be something different about it to make it stand out to other books, and instead, it just felt like she took a bunch of pieces from other YA books and put them all into one. Definitely disappointing.
April 12, 2023
Okay, maybe I fancy elves too. The torturous slow burn, enemies to lovers had me in a HEAD LOCK. Thane supremacy.
September 18, 2022
Ugh... I really wanted to love this but I'm just annoyed. A ton of complaining incoming. The heroine has some bad ass powers. Towards the end she really wreaks havoc on the bad guys and unleashes her full power and kills many many guards and it was amazing. Otherwise I would have rated this one star. Layala is SO stupid. She really irked me. She spends the whole book fighting against her mate bond and against Thane and against everyone. She intentionally puts herself and everyone else around her in danger to go on these crazy quests to remove the mate bond. And she does the whole thing where she pretends she doesn't love thane in order to ~protect him~ so he is tortured and they are all captured and imprisoned and then her mate mark is removed by force and then the book ENDS. Big cliffhanger. Also there is zero spice. There are some kisses and ~then they joined as one~ but no spicy scenes. Fade to black. Layala just chose the dumbest option in every scenario and she annoyed me to no end. Tif was also very annoying because she was constantly hanging out meaning thane and layala get no alone time. She tags along and clings onto layala for the whole book. This book felt so long and I usually love long books but this took me forever to read and I skimmed the last 15%. I was bored. It has all the right ingredients (enemies to friends to lovers, a very powerful heroine who has the potential to be a bad ass, long journeys where they have to survive although I wish there had been a little more survival stuff) but it just didn't work for me ): the hero is 29ish? The heroine is 25. But this felt like YA to me
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 5, 2022
Fade to Black Spice Level.
This had the most perfect start!! Who doesnt love a hidden princess elf who lives amongst humans. She's been taught to fight and loves her friends and family so much. She is then kidnapped by the enemy where she is told she needs to marry the Prince.
This has Magic, Elves, magical creatures, and a promising plot.
However, this just didn't work for me. The romance is labeled as 'enemies to lovers', but they stop being enemies VERY quick into the book. It turns into a sweet and cheesy romance very soon. The banter was also cringy and immature.
The plot was super slow, and it didn't keep my attention unfortunately.
This had the most perfect start!! Who doesnt love a hidden princess elf who lives amongst humans. She's been taught to fight and loves her friends and family so much. She is then kidnapped by the enemy where she is told she needs to marry the Prince.
This has Magic, Elves, magical creatures, and a promising plot.
However, this just didn't work for me. The romance is labeled as 'enemies to lovers', but they stop being enemies VERY quick into the book. It turns into a sweet and cheesy romance very soon. The banter was also cringy and immature.
The plot was super slow, and it didn't keep my attention unfortunately.
February 4, 2023
Layala has major not-like-other-girls syndrome. Every other female character is a shallow harpy that is jealous of layala because she's so perfect and pretty-- and the most annoying person ever. Except Piper the grumpy tomboy who also doesn't like layala at first.
The premise had potential but fell flat almost immediately.
Thane didn't even have the decency to be villainous. Layala brings up several rumors about how cruel and ruthless he is but none are true. Instead he's literally perfect and is a good king and everyone loves him and has only done bad thing in his life (can you tell I'm rolling my eyes).
It reads like a bad fanfic
The premise had potential but fell flat almost immediately.
Thane didn't even have the decency to be villainous. Layala brings up several rumors about how cruel and ruthless he is but none are true. Instead he's literally perfect and is a good king and everyone loves him and has only done bad thing in his life (can you tell I'm rolling my eyes).
It reads like a bad fanfic
May 23, 2022
I wanted to love this book, it was setting up for some real potential. The plot was frustratingly shallow, the main characters had no depth and every single issue in this book solved itself near instantaneously. Even the implied villain gave no real complication to the storyline. In the end I just didn’t care and it was hard to keep my attention.
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