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Perilous Courts #1
Prince and Assassin
He’s supposed to kill Prince Julien. Not fall for him.
Whisper doesn’t remember his real name. All he knows is the elite assassin guild that raised him—and controls him with the threat of blood magic. Plagued by nightmares, he doesn’t get to refuse assignments, even when his new job doesn’t make sense:
Infiltrate Prince Julien’s court, protect him until the signal arrives, then kill him.
Julien hides his own schemes behind a sordid reputation. He trusts nobody besides his brothers, and he certainly doesn’t trust the aloof, beautiful new stranger at court. But he doesn’t have to trust the stranger to be drawn to him, especially when he saves Julien’s life.
Then Julien saves Whisper too, and Whisper’s reserve shatters.
Beneath Julien’s playboy facade is a warmth Whisper can’t resist. Whisper’s never been comforted before. He’s never been cared for like this. As his nightmares darken, Julien’s touch is his only solace—but falling in love could ruin them both.
Because Whisper’s mission hasn’t changed, and the price for failure is worse than death.
Prince and Assassin is a high fantasy gay romance, with secret identities, hurt/comfort, and magic tigers with attitude. The Perilous Courts series is best read in order, but each book follows a different prince and his Happily Ever After.
Whisper doesn’t remember his real name. All he knows is the elite assassin guild that raised him—and controls him with the threat of blood magic. Plagued by nightmares, he doesn’t get to refuse assignments, even when his new job doesn’t make sense:
Infiltrate Prince Julien’s court, protect him until the signal arrives, then kill him.
Julien hides his own schemes behind a sordid reputation. He trusts nobody besides his brothers, and he certainly doesn’t trust the aloof, beautiful new stranger at court. But he doesn’t have to trust the stranger to be drawn to him, especially when he saves Julien’s life.
Then Julien saves Whisper too, and Whisper’s reserve shatters.
Beneath Julien’s playboy facade is a warmth Whisper can’t resist. Whisper’s never been comforted before. He’s never been cared for like this. As his nightmares darken, Julien’s touch is his only solace—but falling in love could ruin them both.
Because Whisper’s mission hasn’t changed, and the price for failure is worse than death.
Prince and Assassin is a high fantasy gay romance, with secret identities, hurt/comfort, and magic tigers with attitude. The Perilous Courts series is best read in order, but each book follows a different prince and his Happily Ever After.
283 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 1, 2022
967 people are currently reading
8313 people want to read
About the author
Tavia Lark
30 books743 followersTavia Lark writes m/m fantasy romance and erotica. Her favorite romance tropes include hurt/comfort, sharing a bed, and enemies to lovers. She writes from a sunny little apartment with the constant "help" of her fluffy cat. He just really likes typing, okay.
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Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 796 reviews
November 12, 2023
Everything about this book just fit into place for me, the world building, the characters, the writing style. It all just came together to create this gem. And the hurt/comfort it’s packed with is just 🫶. So I’m very happy I decided to give it a try because I truly found myself a wonder of a story.
May 1, 2025
Lackluster and disappointing.
The premise sounds intriguing, but the characters are paper-thin and have no chemistry. This would give new meaning to slow burn. The text itself reads smoothly, but the courtship aspect moves at a snail’s pace, and when the MCs do get together, it’s uninspired.
When Whisper reflects on Julien asking him if he’s all right, it’s a huge missed moment. We know nothing about Whisper and how he has been molded into a cold-blooded killer. But it’s par for the course here. We also know very little of Julien—he’s nice, not as promiscuous as he pretends to be, and doesn’t want to be king…anything else??
All attempts at passion are negligent and fleeting. The minuscule intimacy that occurs is perfunctory, lamentable, and penned almost entirely in euphemisms. Poor and misused verbiage abounds; little or no reference to proper anatomy or physiology. None of this is aided by the author writing Whisper like a female.
Both men have had traumas in their pasts (especially Whisper), yet there’s no preponderance of said traumas. It takes more than two-thirds of the book for Whisper to realize that Barnaby is a lying and sadistic POS. Who are these people even, and why should we care if they fall in love or end up together?
Inane resolution to the assassination plot. Oversimplified, silly, and like a children’s book. The ending was extremely anticlimactic. When you end up with a prince, you expect a bit…more…
The world-building is mostly adequate and not overwhelming.
The premise sounds intriguing, but the characters are paper-thin and have no chemistry. This would give new meaning to slow burn. The text itself reads smoothly, but the courtship aspect moves at a snail’s pace, and when the MCs do get together, it’s uninspired.
When Whisper reflects on Julien asking him if he’s all right, it’s a huge missed moment. We know nothing about Whisper and how he has been molded into a cold-blooded killer. But it’s par for the course here. We also know very little of Julien—he’s nice, not as promiscuous as he pretends to be, and doesn’t want to be king…anything else??
All attempts at passion are negligent and fleeting. The minuscule intimacy that occurs is perfunctory, lamentable, and penned almost entirely in euphemisms. Poor and misused verbiage abounds; little or no reference to proper anatomy or physiology. None of this is aided by the author writing Whisper like a female.
Both men have had traumas in their pasts (especially Whisper), yet there’s no preponderance of said traumas. It takes more than two-thirds of the book for Whisper to realize that Barnaby is a lying and sadistic POS. Who are these people even, and why should we care if they fall in love or end up together?
Inane resolution to the assassination plot. Oversimplified, silly, and like a children’s book. The ending was extremely anticlimactic. When you end up with a prince, you expect a bit…more…
The world-building is mostly adequate and not overwhelming.
June 4, 2022
Something about this book just worked for me.
The space between them is meaningless when Julien’s presence suffuses every particle of air, fogging the glass around Whisper’s heart.
The premise itself was what hooked me initially. A Prince falling in love with his Assassin?! I'm there like white on rice! I expected angst, pain, agony galore, aaaand I was sorely mistaken. This was so incredibly 🎇wholesome🎇 I still can't exactly put my finger on what it was. Maybe it's the fact that Julien is supposedly this playboy Prince but is actually a golden retriever character who loves to play fetch with his dog LORD CUPCAKE. Maybe it's the fact that Whisper, the assassin, was this smart and sweet and caring boy carrying the weight of the consequences of his occupation on his wrists (literally), maybe it was the fact that they could both talk to giant 400 pound cats.... or or the insta attraction that develops into such a strong emotional connection, subtle touches, Julien always wanting to be near Whisper! so darn cute ahh
“I took this scar for you,” Whisper says. “That’s not a bad thing. I’ll never regret it.”
I just really loved this. I loved the world building, although it was confusing at times (I wish we had a glossary at the beginning), I loved the politics (Julien wanting to make peace with the Draskorans), I loved the relationship between Audric and Julien, ugh I loved how Whisper couldn't finish his task because he'd fallen in love with his mark. And the plot twists!!! they got me ngl. I predicted only one event, but the rest caught me by surprise.
“I’m never going to understand why you like me, but I don’t think I care anymore. I just want you forever.”
While it wasn't overflowing with the type of action you'd expect with the tropes implied, it still had moments that were intense and the last 40-ish% is when things really pick up. I had a few niggles that don't really matter because overall I enjoyed this and found it difficult to put it down. I also had lots of fun buddy reading this with Kati 🥰
The space between them is meaningless when Julien’s presence suffuses every particle of air, fogging the glass around Whisper’s heart.
The premise itself was what hooked me initially. A Prince falling in love with his Assassin?! I'm there like white on rice! I expected angst, pain, agony galore, aaaand I was sorely mistaken. This was so incredibly 🎇wholesome🎇 I still can't exactly put my finger on what it was. Maybe it's the fact that Julien is supposedly this playboy Prince but is actually a golden retriever character who loves to play fetch with his dog LORD CUPCAKE. Maybe it's the fact that Whisper, the assassin, was this smart and sweet and caring boy carrying the weight of the consequences of his occupation on his wrists (literally), maybe it was the fact that they could both talk to giant 400 pound cats.... or or the insta attraction that develops into such a strong emotional connection, subtle touches, Julien always wanting to be near Whisper! so darn cute ahh
“I took this scar for you,” Whisper says. “That’s not a bad thing. I’ll never regret it.”
I just really loved this. I loved the world building, although it was confusing at times (I wish we had a glossary at the beginning), I loved the politics (Julien wanting to make peace with the Draskorans), I loved the relationship between Audric and Julien, ugh I loved how Whisper couldn't finish his task because he'd fallen in love with his mark. And the plot twists!!! they got me ngl. I predicted only one event, but the rest caught me by surprise.
“I’m never going to understand why you like me, but I don’t think I care anymore. I just want you forever.”
While it wasn't overflowing with the type of action you'd expect with the tropes implied, it still had moments that were intense and the last 40-ish% is when things really pick up. I had a few niggles that don't really matter because overall I enjoyed this and found it difficult to put it down. I also had lots of fun buddy reading this with Kati 🥰
October 16, 2023
Just read this in one go. And what can I say, just wow, I'm impressed. This was my first book by Tavia Lark and the style fits perfectly for me.
Always with those moods ... I wanted to read a very specific book: epic fantasy but not epic. Entertaining but with depth. A unique world of its own, but not overly complicated, making it an eternally long book. Focus on single important and impressive characters with magic as an undertone but not too much magic.
Me and my standards ... This book had all of that. And I am just soooo incredibly happy.
Whisper/Will and Julian have such sizzling chemistry and even though it feels like it takes forever for them to get together, it didn't get boring one bit. The interactions between the two captivated me and I just sat there the whole time crossing my fingers that everything would work out.
I am so endlessly grateful that there was not too much melodrama, that the troubles were resolved in a relatively simple way. Yes, I know, some will criticize exactly that, but I just don't like the drama of the third act in general.
I love the amusing parts of this book.
„I’m a responsible royal scion. I’ll keep my dick in ungrateful, backstabbing courtiers where it belongs.”
“It belongs in a cage,” Nadine mutters. Julien taps his chin thoughtfully.
“Is that treason? I think that might be treason.”
“Report me to Her Majesty and see if she agrees,” Nadine says. 😂💞😂
I love the emotional parts.
Julien’s question from the garden haunts Whisper for the rest of the day, growing louder as night falls. Whisper can’t remember the last time someone asked if he was all right. He doesn’t know what ‘all right’ means. 😢🥺😢
I love the sexy moments.
Julien licks his lips. “Could you come just from me looking at your cock and telling you how much I want to taste you?” 🥵🔥🥵
I love the blossoming of the deeper feelings.
Between Julien’s soft stroking down his spine and the heat lingering in his veins—the strange sense of security he finds in submitting to Julien—Whisper wants to say things he’s never said out loud before. 🌸🌹🌸
Always with those moods ... I wanted to read a very specific book: epic fantasy but not epic. Entertaining but with depth. A unique world of its own, but not overly complicated, making it an eternally long book. Focus on single important and impressive characters with magic as an undertone but not too much magic.
Me and my standards ... This book had all of that. And I am just soooo incredibly happy.
Whisper/Will and Julian have such sizzling chemistry and even though it feels like it takes forever for them to get together, it didn't get boring one bit. The interactions between the two captivated me and I just sat there the whole time crossing my fingers that everything would work out.
I am so endlessly grateful that there was not too much melodrama, that the troubles were resolved in a relatively simple way. Yes, I know, some will criticize exactly that, but I just don't like the drama of the third act in general.
I love the amusing parts of this book.
„I’m a responsible royal scion. I’ll keep my dick in ungrateful, backstabbing courtiers where it belongs.”
“It belongs in a cage,” Nadine mutters. Julien taps his chin thoughtfully.
“Is that treason? I think that might be treason.”
“Report me to Her Majesty and see if she agrees,” Nadine says. 😂💞😂
I love the emotional parts.
Julien’s question from the garden haunts Whisper for the rest of the day, growing louder as night falls. Whisper can’t remember the last time someone asked if he was all right. He doesn’t know what ‘all right’ means. 😢🥺😢
I love the sexy moments.
Julien licks his lips. “Could you come just from me looking at your cock and telling you how much I want to taste you?” 🥵🔥🥵
I love the blossoming of the deeper feelings.
Between Julien’s soft stroking down his spine and the heat lingering in his veins—the strange sense of security he finds in submitting to Julien—Whisper wants to say things he’s never said out loud before. 🌸🌹🌸
June 9, 2022
Loooved this book!!!! Loved everything of it!!! Looooveeedddd. 👁❤️👁
What can I say about it?
✔️ It had magic.
✔️ It was epic.
✔️ It had all the stuff that comes from kingdoms, the courts, the conspiracy, everything!!!
✔️ People trying to kill the prince of course.
✔️ Magic creatures.
✔️ Love.
✔️ Did I say people trying to kill the prince? Oh I did but I forgot to add: including the lead character. 🤯🤯🤯
Say whuuut??? Yep, but love got in the way and I just was so happy with the development of the story, how every character was used, how they evolved, how they were described even! (The assassin was apparently a twink with skills to kill ❤️🔥❤️🔥❤️🔥) and I loved the prince, he got a reputation of a Casanova but the author managed to make him so much more. *swoons*
I fell in love with all of it!! Can't wait for the next, are we gonna get dragons finally or whut? *squeals* *faints*
What can I say about it?
✔️ It had magic.
✔️ It was epic.
✔️ It had all the stuff that comes from kingdoms, the courts, the conspiracy, everything!!!
✔️ People trying to kill the prince of course.
✔️ Magic creatures.
✔️ Love.
✔️ Did I say people trying to kill the prince? Oh I did but I forgot to add: including the lead character. 🤯🤯🤯
Say whuuut??? Yep, but love got in the way and I just was so happy with the development of the story, how every character was used, how they evolved, how they were described even! (The assassin was apparently a twink with skills to kill ❤️🔥❤️🔥❤️🔥) and I loved the prince, he got a reputation of a Casanova but the author managed to make him so much more. *swoons*
I fell in love with all of it!! Can't wait for the next, are we gonna get dragons finally or whut? *squeals* *faints*
June 9, 2022
…did I actually like it? Yes, yes I did
- pretty slow burn but good chemistry imo
-characters weren’t “different” but still remained interesting
- I enjoyed the fantasy element quite a bit
- quirky animals
- pretty good sex
-overall, I would continue on
- pretty slow burn but good chemistry imo
-characters weren’t “different” but still remained interesting
- I enjoyed the fantasy element quite a bit
- quirky animals
- pretty good sex
-overall, I would continue on
June 4, 2022
2.5*** stars
Honestly people, this book was a bitch to rate. I WAS INTRIGUED the second I saw it in my feed. So I teamed up with Gloria for buddy-reading it, because we were both freaking excited about it.
*********
It started out strong. With a gripping plot and very likable main characters. But then the pace felt off, I started to get bored, nothing really happened until around the last third and then the story suddenly kind of like exploded, the plot went all over the place and I had no idea wtf was happening anymore.
And don’t even get me started on the romance - I didn’t get it. I couldn’t feel the chemistry between Whisper and Julien while the story said they were totally gone for each other.
As for the fantasy aspect of the book… well, I expected more. There wasn’t really any world building. You are thrown into it and that’s it. I would’ve loved to learn more about the workings of this world - especially about the magic. Or the worlds mystical creatures like the fellcats that played a rather big part in this story. Also a map may have been a nice thing.
I’m kind of mad at this book. When the story really kicked off in the last third, the thrill began and all was revealed I thought it would make up for the dull middle section of the book. But unfortunately the excitement didn’t last very long and I went back to being bored and rather uninvested for the rest of it.
*********
I don’t hate it, believe me, but there was also no way I could’ve loved it either.
But despite all my complaints I give this one 3 stars because I really loved the idea of this story -- I was also willing to read it until the end and there were (!!) parts I really enjoyed and loved.
I think I’ll give this series another shot when the second book Prince in Disguise comes out next fall because all three books feature one of my favorite tropes and the blurbs are killing me with anticipation.
Haha, true dat. What you can't achieve with having sex alone!
*********
@Gloria - Thank you buddy, for reading with me ♥︎♥︎ That at least was awesome and I’m happy you liked this book far more than I did!
Go read her review. One might think we read two totally different books *lol
Honestly people, this book was a bitch to rate. I WAS INTRIGUED the second I saw it in my feed. So I teamed up with Gloria for buddy-reading it, because we were both freaking excited about it.
*********
“I could have died because I fell in love with him. Instead, I’m alive because he fell in love with me.”
It started out strong. With a gripping plot and very likable main characters. But then the pace felt off, I started to get bored, nothing really happened until around the last third and then the story suddenly kind of like exploded, the plot went all over the place and I had no idea wtf was happening anymore.
And don’t even get me started on the romance - I didn’t get it. I couldn’t feel the chemistry between Whisper and Julien while the story said they were totally gone for each other.
“Your Highness, we’ve secured the rest of the hostages,” Nadine calls out. “What do you—oh, for fuck’s sake. I’ll report when you’re done.”
[caught kissing right down there in a cellar after a rescue]
As for the fantasy aspect of the book… well, I expected more. There wasn’t really any world building. You are thrown into it and that’s it. I would’ve loved to learn more about the workings of this world - especially about the magic. Or the worlds mystical creatures like the fellcats that played a rather big part in this story. Also a map may have been a nice thing.
I’m kind of mad at this book. When the story really kicked off in the last third, the thrill began and all was revealed I thought it would make up for the dull middle section of the book. But unfortunately the excitement didn’t last very long and I went back to being bored and rather uninvested for the rest of it.
*********
I don’t hate it, believe me, but there was also no way I could’ve loved it either.
But despite all my complaints I give this one 3 stars because I really loved the idea of this story -- I was also willing to read it until the end and there were (!!) parts I really enjoyed and loved.
I think I’ll give this series another shot when the second book Prince in Disguise comes out next fall because all three books feature one of my favorite tropes and the blurbs are killing me with anticipation.
[From the epilogue: Prince Julien talking to his brother, Prince Audric]
“Come on, I handled it great. You wouldn’t have seduced anyone, so you’d probably be dead. Meanwhile, by fucking my assassin, I neutralized the threat, uncovered a conspiracy against the realm, strengthened the border, and found the love of my life.”
Haha, true dat. What you can't achieve with having sex alone!
*********
@Gloria - Thank you buddy, for reading with me ♥︎♥︎ That at least was awesome and I’m happy you liked this book far more than I did!
Go read her review. One might think we read two totally different books *lol
September 11, 2023
"I took this scar for you," Whisper says. "That's not a bad thing. I'll never regret it"
Julien's breath breaks on his fingertips, and Whisper isn't sure which of them surges first into the kiss. He has to close his eyes as Julien kisses his cheek, his temples, his eyelids, and with every tender touch, the cold eases from his heart.
Prince and Assassin took a bit for me to get into, but after that I got fully invested.
An assassin falling in love with his mark, and a prince falling in love with his potential murderer, set in a high fantasy world with adorable Fellcats (basically magical big cats) and plots upon political plots.
Also the Rainbowcrate edition has such a gorgeous cover!!
Read
January 4, 2024DNF @ 31%
No rating
This is a case of "It's not you; it's me."
There's nothing wrong with the story or writing style.
There was just so much going on, I couldn't focus on a single thing: assassins, poison, court intrigue, politics, talking cats, magic. The romance was an aside at best.
The MCs, particularly Julien the prince, felt flat.
Julien is a pretty boy who fucks other pretty boys incessantly. Yawn.
Not "slut" shaming, but why do authors think this needs to be a character's entire personality?
Whisper is ... something.
High fantasy is definitely not my genre, at least the way Tavia Lark writes it.
No rating
This is a case of "It's not you; it's me."
There's nothing wrong with the story or writing style.
There was just so much going on, I couldn't focus on a single thing: assassins, poison, court intrigue, politics, talking cats, magic. The romance was an aside at best.
The MCs, particularly Julien the prince, felt flat.
Julien is a pretty boy who fucks other pretty boys incessantly. Yawn.
Not "slut" shaming, but why do authors think this needs to be a character's entire personality?
Whisper is ... something.
High fantasy is definitely not my genre, at least the way Tavia Lark writes it.
June 20, 2025
Whoops, I forgot my rating.
5 solid stars for the fellcats. 4 very enjoyable stars for the book in general.
Quite an indirect path to pick up a book I've had on my Shallow Grave shelf for over a year.
I stumbled across Tavia Lark 's Redbubble account and saw stickers (and whatnot) of two huge tiger-looking cats, one a gorgeous royal blue and the other a seafoam green. And so I had to read the book with the two fellcats, Rumi and Fisk.
I love these cats. Do I need stickers? Maybe...
5 solid stars for the fellcats. 4 very enjoyable stars for the book in general.
Quite an indirect path to pick up a book I've had on my Shallow Grave shelf for over a year.
I stumbled across Tavia Lark 's Redbubble account and saw stickers (and whatnot) of two huge tiger-looking cats, one a gorgeous royal blue and the other a seafoam green. And so I had to read the book with the two fellcats, Rumi and Fisk.
I love these cats. Do I need stickers? Maybe...
June 4, 2022
I love the trope "I have to kill him but fall in love instead" 🥰the romance was awesome and the story really good.. well done!
February 9, 2025
“I could have died because I fell in love with him. Instead, I’m alive because he fell in love with me.”
Audiobook:
Kirt Graves: 5/5 - amazing as ever!
John Solo: 3/5 - umm...not particularly bad, but his narration style (or maybe just one of the voices he does) is distracting AF.
3.5~3.6/5 stars rounded down!
I was tempted to give it 4 stars, but that felt undeserving for several reasons. I wanted to love this, but it kept taking away my reasons.
What didn't work for me:
- The playboy Prince & his emotionally burned-out Assassin. It sounds perfect in theory, but the execution leaves much to be desired. It starts out strong with a promising premise and intriguing character introductions. But then it standstills for the next 30-40% of the book. I have mixed feelings on characterization.
- Insta-lust/love that deepens too quickly. The romance didn't make sense. I didn't feel any chemistry between them until verrrrry later - post 70% mark maybe. I couldn't make sense of why Julien would fall for him. He was skeptical but not nearly enough. He was very quick to pull his guards down - if there were any to begin with. Not a convincing quality for a Prince and it made his character appear weak and incomplete.
- Whisper was hardly assassin-like. He is easily courted and doesn't show much reluctance. I would've been fine with his neutral sense but he gets biased towards the Prince so pliantly it doesn't feel real.
- I can understand why Julien would trust Whisper, but except Nadine, it doesn't make sense for anyone else to trust Whisper again so easily. Julien's family was so...liberal with it as if assassinations are no big deal at all. No reservations towards Whisper at all???
- Worldbuilding has huge potential to be explored. I loved it. But I would've enjoyed it even better if I had some idea of how the magic worked or its roots or any history at all. I felt clueless going in and had to figure it out myself.
- Extension of the last point - Julien's Rue magic. We are told he started practicing his Rue origin magic, but never shown. I would have liked to see him struggle and fight with his magic that he had been so reluctant to use all his life. That was a huge missed opportunity for his character development.
I feel like anything that could've been used to bring out his character is just told and brushed away. For that reason, I couldn't feel connected with the him for the most parts. It felt as if we didn't have his POV at all.
- The excitement was just starting to hit post the "This is your signal" part, but then it ended too soon for my liking, leaving me with anti-climatic feeling. Another missed opportunity on the possible trauma (or anything at all, really) after the betrayal by the only person Whisper ever came close to calling his family.
- Covers with faces. That's just a me-thing. It irks me so much I have to force myself into believing it doesn't exist. But that was least of my problems regarding the book.
- This might be another me-thing, but I get distracted by the modern phrases in fantasy or historical fiction.
After all that said, I want to clear that I did not hate it but it surely felt like a shame to miss on so many opportunities over and over again. And since I liked the writing, am intrigued by the worldbuilding and the exciting tropes it promises for #2, I will be giving the series another try and hope it'd be better than this one.
Audiobook:
Kirt Graves: 5/5 - amazing as ever!
John Solo: 3/5 - umm...not particularly bad, but his narration style (or maybe just one of the voices he does) is distracting AF.
3.5~3.6/5 stars rounded down!
I was tempted to give it 4 stars, but that felt undeserving for several reasons. I wanted to love this, but it kept taking away my reasons.
What didn't work for me:
- The playboy Prince & his emotionally burned-out Assassin. It sounds perfect in theory, but the execution leaves much to be desired. It starts out strong with a promising premise and intriguing character introductions. But then it standstills for the next 30-40% of the book. I have mixed feelings on characterization.
- Insta-lust/love that deepens too quickly. The romance didn't make sense. I didn't feel any chemistry between them until verrrrry later - post 70% mark maybe. I couldn't make sense of why Julien would fall for him. He was skeptical but not nearly enough. He was very quick to pull his guards down - if there were any to begin with. Not a convincing quality for a Prince and it made his character appear weak and incomplete.
- Whisper was hardly assassin-like. He is easily courted and doesn't show much reluctance. I would've been fine with his neutral sense but he gets biased towards the Prince so pliantly it doesn't feel real.
- I can understand why Julien would trust Whisper, but except Nadine, it doesn't make sense for anyone else to trust Whisper again so easily. Julien's family was so...liberal with it as if assassinations are no big deal at all. No reservations towards Whisper at all???
- Worldbuilding has huge potential to be explored. I loved it. But I would've enjoyed it even better if I had some idea of how the magic worked or its roots or any history at all. I felt clueless going in and had to figure it out myself.
- Extension of the last point - Julien's Rue magic. We are told he started practicing his Rue origin magic, but never shown. I would have liked to see him struggle and fight with his magic that he had been so reluctant to use all his life. That was a huge missed opportunity for his character development.
I feel like anything that could've been used to bring out his character is just told and brushed away. For that reason, I couldn't feel connected with the him for the most parts. It felt as if we didn't have his POV at all.
- The excitement was just starting to hit post the "This is your signal" part, but then it ended too soon for my liking, leaving me with anti-climatic feeling. Another missed opportunity on the possible trauma (or anything at all, really) after the betrayal by the only person Whisper ever came close to calling his family.
- Covers with faces. That's just a me-thing. It irks me so much I have to force myself into believing it doesn't exist. But that was least of my problems regarding the book.
- This might be another me-thing, but I get distracted by the modern phrases in fantasy or historical fiction.
After all that said, I want to clear that I did not hate it but it surely felt like a shame to miss on so many opportunities over and over again. And since I liked the writing, am intrigued by the worldbuilding and the exciting tropes it promises for #2, I will be giving the series another try and hope it'd be better than this one.
February 6, 2025
January 2025 re-read: I didn’t enjoy this as much on re-reading, but it was still fun, with some good romantic moments. The attraction between Whisper and Julien felt a bit forced this time around, and the eventual conflict between them didn’t make me feel much. I continue to like that Julien is much smarter than people around him give him credit for. I don’t think the romance would have worked if Julien was a himbo.
---
Original review: 4.5/5 stars. An assassin has to protect a prince, then kill him, but falls for him in the process.
Prince and Assassin has the same perfect ratio of fantasy and romance as the Radiance series, and showcases Lark’s worldbuilding skills, which were always good and keep getting better.
The world of the Perilous Courts series has new and intriguing forms of magic (plant and air magic are featured here), magical creatures, and what appears to be a complex system of political factions and alliances. Lark skillfully weaves these details into the story, and it’s impressive just how much worldbuilding is accomplished in 250 pages. Most importantly, this book has magical cats! And they’re full-on side characters who accompany the main characters on various adventures! I hope every book in this series has magical cats because they’re amazing.
As for the romance, the character and pairing tropes are both embraced and subverted to excellent effect. Whisper is a conflicted assassin, though not necessarily a reluctant one, but also compassionate and fair-minded. Julien is a playboy prince, but also politically savvy and an ally to his more serious older brother rather than antagonistic. Together, they alternate between playful and protective, and I loved watching them bring out the best in each other – and kept me hoping for a way they could avoid the inevitable betrayal.
I also loved that being queer is totally normal and accepted in this world. A lot of fantasy series import real-world homophobia and other prejudices for the sake of some sort of “realism,” even though it isn’t necessary. I appreciated that Lark didn’t do that here.
I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys fantasy romance. Those who loved the Radiance series will love this one, too.
I received an ARC in exchange for my honest review.
---
Original review: 4.5/5 stars. An assassin has to protect a prince, then kill him, but falls for him in the process.
Prince and Assassin has the same perfect ratio of fantasy and romance as the Radiance series, and showcases Lark’s worldbuilding skills, which were always good and keep getting better.
The world of the Perilous Courts series has new and intriguing forms of magic (plant and air magic are featured here), magical creatures, and what appears to be a complex system of political factions and alliances. Lark skillfully weaves these details into the story, and it’s impressive just how much worldbuilding is accomplished in 250 pages. Most importantly, this book has magical cats! And they’re full-on side characters who accompany the main characters on various adventures! I hope every book in this series has magical cats because they’re amazing.
As for the romance, the character and pairing tropes are both embraced and subverted to excellent effect. Whisper is a conflicted assassin, though not necessarily a reluctant one, but also compassionate and fair-minded. Julien is a playboy prince, but also politically savvy and an ally to his more serious older brother rather than antagonistic. Together, they alternate between playful and protective, and I loved watching them bring out the best in each other – and kept me hoping for a way they could avoid the inevitable betrayal.
I also loved that being queer is totally normal and accepted in this world. A lot of fantasy series import real-world homophobia and other prejudices for the sake of some sort of “realism,” even though it isn’t necessary. I appreciated that Lark didn’t do that here.
I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys fantasy romance. Those who loved the Radiance series will love this one, too.
I received an ARC in exchange for my honest review.
Read
January 19, 2023DNF @65%...
might finish it who knows, but jesus i was bored.. i felt nothing for either MC i was more interested in the talking cats haha not even the audiobook could save this for me.. my mind kept wandering and i just didn't care anymore.
i don't think this is going to be a series to for me. both MC's did nothing for me. Julien was boring, he just is known as a player who has sex with every man who walks by him obviously until Whisper (aka Will). and Whisper is an assassin who is trying to get close to Julien and not kill him until he is given the signal...which don't know if he knows what the signal is.. haha
overall this book had potential but it just fell real flat for me.
might finish it who knows, but jesus i was bored.. i felt nothing for either MC i was more interested in the talking cats haha not even the audiobook could save this for me.. my mind kept wandering and i just didn't care anymore.
i don't think this is going to be a series to for me. both MC's did nothing for me. Julien was boring, he just is known as a player who has sex with every man who walks by him obviously until Whisper (aka Will). and Whisper is an assassin who is trying to get close to Julien and not kill him until he is given the signal...which don't know if he knows what the signal is.. haha
overall this book had potential but it just fell real flat for me.
Read
September 26, 2022dnf @ 25%. no rating. this was just not keeping my interest. i might try it again someday.
September 17, 2024
“I could have died because I fell in love with him. Instead, I’m alive because he fell in love with me.”
ONE OF MY FAV QUOTES OF ALL TIME 🥹🫶 [Rtc]
ONE OF MY FAV QUOTES OF ALL TIME 🥹🫶 [Rtc]
March 31, 2025
Rereading to prepare for the next in the series, and as a bonus, I discovered that I like John Solo’s voice
It was entertaining enough a bit angsty and with a dash of insta-love/lust but I'm ok with that. It did feel a bit rushed there at the end but it is what it is.
It was entertaining enough a bit angsty and with a dash of insta-love/lust but I'm ok with that. It did feel a bit rushed there at the end but it is what it is.
September 13, 2022
"Prince and Assassin" is a high fantasy gay romance that follows a prince and a assassin (obvs). It's the first book in Tavia Lark's "Perilous Court" series. But it can be read as a standalone. Each book follows a different prince.
Basically an assassin is sent to the courts to kill Prince Jiluen. Instead, they fall in love with each other....
A few days ago, I realized that reading so much Adult Epic fantasies is tiring me out. My exams are due in a week. My mother seized my phone cause I keep reading books, when I should study. All in one, the last few weeks have been a crazy for me. I'm also stressed and my anxiety in one its peak. I love readingn, it helps me to cope with stuffs...but I couldn't concentrate in any complex fantasy book neither did I want to start a new series. So, basically I have been reading random books. Surprisingly though, all of them are proving to be amazing reads...Take "Prince and Assassin" for instance.
I haven't read anything from this author before. I saw some of my friends reading and loving this book by her, so I decided to give it a try. And turns out, it's wonderful. I had no literal expectations but "Prince and Assassin" blew my mind away. It's the kind of Fantasy romance I like. Good mm Fantasy romance books are hard to find. I am so glad I read it. The romance was so sweet, swoony and heart-warming. Both of the main characters are well developed and mature. I loved their dynamic. Really liked the world building. The magic system was fantastic. Loved the political intrigue. It wasn't heavy with political turmoil but still the tension was there. The animal companions made the book even better.
Overall an fantabulous book. Can't wait to continue with the series.
Basically an assassin is sent to the courts to kill Prince Jiluen. Instead, they fall in love with each other....
A few days ago, I realized that reading so much Adult Epic fantasies is tiring me out. My exams are due in a week. My mother seized my phone cause I keep reading books, when I should study. All in one, the last few weeks have been a crazy for me. I'm also stressed and my anxiety in one its peak. I love readingn, it helps me to cope with stuffs...but I couldn't concentrate in any complex fantasy book neither did I want to start a new series. So, basically I have been reading random books. Surprisingly though, all of them are proving to be amazing reads...Take "Prince and Assassin" for instance.
I haven't read anything from this author before. I saw some of my friends reading and loving this book by her, so I decided to give it a try. And turns out, it's wonderful. I had no literal expectations but "Prince and Assassin" blew my mind away. It's the kind of Fantasy romance I like. Good mm Fantasy romance books are hard to find. I am so glad I read it. The romance was so sweet, swoony and heart-warming. Both of the main characters are well developed and mature. I loved their dynamic. Really liked the world building. The magic system was fantastic. Loved the political intrigue. It wasn't heavy with political turmoil but still the tension was there. The animal companions made the book even better.
Overall an fantabulous book. Can't wait to continue with the series.
October 25, 2023
I am a fool for not reading this sooner! Loved it. Will die for Whisper. And the Fellcats. Julien too.
This was such a great book, the hidden identity and accidentally falling in love, the slow relationship bonding, getting to see each lead's POV on the little things they notice about the other. The cats, so many sassy cat moments.
The plot in this also managed to be present, engaging, enough that you learned about the world and royalty/kingdom, while not feeling like a high fantasy infodump. Sure, I loved the Radiance series, but this felt like a little bit stronger of writing from Lark as well as including so many little tropes and details that hit me straight through the heart. Emotional bathing scene? Check. Magic and politicking in the court? Check. Sad boy assassin who reaaaaally doesn't want to do his job? Check. Flirty prince who also has a tender little heart? Check. Giant magical cats being huge divas? Check.
I listened to the audiobook, I think for this one I'd give the book content a 6/5 stars (I loved it, ok??), Kirt Graves gets a 5/5 star performance, and John Solo gets a 4/5 star performance. Overall, great experience.
This was such a great book, the hidden identity and accidentally falling in love, the slow relationship bonding, getting to see each lead's POV on the little things they notice about the other. The cats, so many sassy cat moments.
The plot in this also managed to be present, engaging, enough that you learned about the world and royalty/kingdom, while not feeling like a high fantasy infodump. Sure, I loved the Radiance series, but this felt like a little bit stronger of writing from Lark as well as including so many little tropes and details that hit me straight through the heart. Emotional bathing scene? Check. Magic and politicking in the court? Check. Sad boy assassin who reaaaaally doesn't want to do his job? Check. Flirty prince who also has a tender little heart? Check. Giant magical cats being huge divas? Check.
I listened to the audiobook, I think for this one I'd give the book content a 6/5 stars (I loved it, ok??), Kirt Graves gets a 5/5 star performance, and John Solo gets a 4/5 star performance. Overall, great experience.
March 21, 2025
entertaining! trashy, a bit ridiculous, but very cute, and both characters were loveable. lots of fun, a very quick, easy read.
November 11, 2024
˗ˏˋ ꒰ 𝟓/𝟓 ★ ꒱ ˎˊ˗
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𝐬𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐝 𝐫𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝 | 𝐨𝐜𝐭𝐨𝐛𝐞𝐫 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟒 | 𝐩𝐚𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐛𝐚𝐜𝐤
when real life is too chaotic, comfort reads are like warm hugs to the soul; & it's like reuniting with old friends at last🫂💙🧡🍂🔥🐅✨
i have no additional thoughts for this review; i just adore this book with all my heart!🖤 (also shy, blushing assassins will be the death of me istg)
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
𝐫𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝 | 𝐚𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐥 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟑 | 𝐚𝐮𝐝𝐢𝐨𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤
i'm so obsessed with this series, after about a month of reading this book for the first time, i found myself listening to the audiobook - it's soo good & addictive!!🖤
🎙 5/5 [dual narration]
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𝐟𝐢𝐫𝐬𝐭 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝 | 𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐜𝐡 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟑 | 𝐞𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤
❝ 𝓣𝓱𝓮 𝓼𝓹𝓪𝓬𝓮 𝓫𝓮𝓽𝔀����𝓮𝓷 𝓽𝓱𝓮𝓶 𝓲𝓼 𝓶𝓮𝓪𝓷𝓲𝓷𝓰𝓵𝓮𝓼𝓼 𝔀𝓱𝓮𝓷 𝓙𝓾𝓵𝓲𝓮𝓷’𝓼 𝓹𝓻𝓮𝓼𝓮𝓷𝓬𝓮 𝓼𝓾𝓯𝓯𝓾𝓼𝓮𝓼 𝓮𝓿𝓮𝓻𝔂 𝓹𝓪𝓻𝓽𝓲𝓬𝓵𝓮 𝓸𝓯 𝓪𝓲𝓻, 𝓯𝓸𝓰𝓰𝓲𝓷𝓰 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝓰𝓵𝓪𝓼𝓼 𝓪𝓻𝓸𝓾𝓷𝓭 𝓦𝓱𝓲𝓼𝓹𝓮𝓻’𝓼 𝓱𝓮𝓪𝓻𝓽. ❞
༄˖°. 🫙🫀🩸 .｡𖦹°‧ ೄ
wow this book was fantastic!!👏 it had such an intriguing plot!👏 & it was soo beautiful to see the MCs' relationship blossom! i also especially loved the siblings with an us-against-the-world mentality👏 & Mr. Cupcake!!🐕 & the giant cats!!!🐅
so yes i just loved everytime & adored this book even despite some confusing things, like getting thrown into a new world with many different places described (my graphic/visual-loving brain would love to see a map*!!) & many characters introduced - that may be just a me thing cuz i couldn't always keep track of who were who exactly but that also worked when the plot was trying to mystify who hired Whisper so the confusing part with lots of names thrown in actually worked well😆 so there are some interesting twists & turns👀 which i have to say was executed very well with the writing bc i sometimes struggle getting into 3rd person perspective but here, bc the writing was excellent, i felt a great connection to the characters whom i truly adored with all their flaws, especially with their flaws🥺🖤
· · ─────── ⊹𓃭܀⊹ ─────── · ·
👤 Whisper: 20 y/o, young look, small built, messy blond hair, violet eyes
👤 Julien Sandry: 23 y/o, second prince of Silaise, brown hair, hazel-gold eyes
· · ─────── ⊹𓃭܀⊹ ─────── · ·
💬 ᴛʜɪʀᴅ ᴘᴇʀsᴏɴ, ᴅᴜᴀʟ ᴘᴏᴠ
🏳🌈 ᴍᴍ
🏰 ʜɪɢʜ ғᴀɴᴛᴀsʏ
🏰 ᴘʟᴀʏʙᴏʏ ᴘʀɪɴᴄᴇ × sᴀᴅ ᴀssᴀssɪɴ
🏰 (ᴋɪɴᴅᴀ) ᴇɴᴇᴍɪᴇs ᴛᴏ ʟᴏᴠᴇʀs ᴠɪʙᴇs
🏰 sᴇᴄʀᴇᴛ ɪᴅᴇɴᴛɪᴛɪᴇs
🏰 ғᴏʀʙɪᴅᴅᴇɴ ʀᴇʟᴀᴛɪᴏɴsʜɪᴘ ᴠɪʙᴇs
🏰 ᴍᴏʀᴀʟʟʏ ɢʀᴇʏ ᴄʜᴀʀᴀᴄᴛᴇʀs
🏰 ʜᴜʀᴛ/ᴄᴏᴍғᴏʀᴛ
🏰 ᴀɴɪᴍᴀʟ ᴄᴏᴍᴘᴀɴɪᴏɴs
🏰 ʟɪɢʜᴛ ᴅ/s ᴘʟᴀʏ
🏰 ᴍᴇᴅɪᴜᴍ ʙᴜʀɴ, ʟᴏᴡ sᴘɪᴄᴇ (ɴᴏᴛ ғᴛʙ)
🏰 sᴛᴀɴᴅᴀʟᴏɴᴇ ɪɴ ᴀ sᴇʀɪᴇs
⚠️ ᴛᴡ: ᴀssᴀssɪɴ-ᴛʏᴘɪᴄᴀʟ ᴠɪᴏʟᴇɴᴄᴇ, ᴘᴀsᴛ ᴄʜɪʟᴅ ᴀʙᴜsᴇ (ᴏғғ-ᴘᴀɢᴇ), ᴅᴇᴀᴛʜ ᴏғ ᴘᴀʀᴇɴᴛ, ᴍᴇɴᴛɪᴏɴ ᴏғ ᴍᴜʀᴅᴇʀ, ᴍᴜʀᴅᴇʀ ᴀᴛᴛᴇᴍᴘᴛ, ᴋɪᴅɴᴀᴘᴘɪɴɢ, ᴍᴇɴᴛɪᴏɴ ᴏғ sᴜɪᴄɪᴅᴇ
[ ɴᴏʀᴍᴀʟɪᴢᴇ ʟɪsᴛɪɴɢ ᴛᴡ/ᴄᴡ (ʟɪᴋᴇ ᴀᴜᴛʜᴏʀs ʟɪsᴛ ᴛʀᴏᴘᴇs) ʙᴄ ᴛʜᴇʏ ᴀʀᴇ ɴᴏᴛ sᴘᴏɪʟᴇʀs! ]
· · ─────── ⊹𓃭܀⊹ ─────── · ·
* i stalked the author, there's a map - i included it in my moodboard but then came across more info provided by the author that it's not exactly perfect.. also manyy ppl have been asking about a map so i'm not that weird apparently lol
🖼: moodboard by me 「pics from Pinterest」
![](https://i.imgur.com/bUtHttF.jpg"/)
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𝐬𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐝 𝐫𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝 | 𝐨𝐜𝐭𝐨𝐛𝐞𝐫 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟒 | 𝐩𝐚𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐛𝐚𝐜𝐤
when real life is too chaotic, comfort reads are like warm hugs to the soul; & it's like reuniting with old friends at last🫂💙🧡🍂🔥🐅✨
i have no additional thoughts for this review; i just adore this book with all my heart!🖤 (
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
𝐫𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝 | 𝐚𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐥 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟑 | 𝐚𝐮𝐝𝐢𝐨𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤
i'm so obsessed with this series, after about a month of reading this book for the first time, i found myself listening to the audiobook - it's soo good & addictive!!🖤
🎙 5/5 [dual narration]
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
𝐟𝐢𝐫𝐬𝐭 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝 | 𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐜𝐡 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟑 | 𝐞𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤
❝ 𝓣𝓱𝓮 𝓼𝓹𝓪𝓬𝓮 𝓫𝓮𝓽𝔀����𝓮𝓷 𝓽𝓱𝓮𝓶 𝓲𝓼 𝓶𝓮𝓪𝓷𝓲𝓷𝓰𝓵𝓮𝓼𝓼 𝔀𝓱𝓮𝓷 𝓙𝓾𝓵𝓲𝓮𝓷’𝓼 𝓹𝓻𝓮𝓼𝓮𝓷𝓬𝓮 𝓼𝓾𝓯𝓯𝓾𝓼𝓮𝓼 𝓮𝓿𝓮𝓻𝔂 𝓹𝓪𝓻𝓽𝓲𝓬𝓵𝓮 𝓸𝓯 𝓪𝓲𝓻, 𝓯𝓸𝓰𝓰𝓲𝓷𝓰 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝓰𝓵𝓪𝓼𝓼 𝓪𝓻𝓸𝓾𝓷𝓭 𝓦𝓱𝓲𝓼𝓹𝓮𝓻’𝓼 𝓱𝓮𝓪𝓻𝓽. ❞
༄˖°. 🫙🫀🩸 .｡𖦹°‧ ೄ
wow this book was fantastic!!👏 it had such an intriguing plot!👏 & it was soo beautiful to see the MCs' relationship blossom! i also especially loved the siblings with an us-against-the-world mentality👏 & Mr. Cupcake!!🐕 & the giant cats!!!🐅
so yes i just loved everytime & adored this book even despite some confusing things, like getting thrown into a new world with many different places described (my graphic/visual-loving brain would love to see a map*!!) & many characters introduced - that may be just a me thing cuz i couldn't always keep track of who were who exactly but that also worked when the plot was trying to mystify who hired Whisper so the confusing part with lots of names thrown in actually worked well😆 so there are some interesting twists & turns👀 which i have to say was executed very well with the writing bc i sometimes struggle getting into 3rd person perspective but here, bc the writing was excellent, i felt a great connection to the characters whom i truly adored with all their flaws, especially with their flaws🥺🖤
· · ─────── ⊹𓃭܀⊹ ─────── · ·
👤 Whisper: 20 y/o, young look, small built, messy blond hair, violet eyes
👤 Julien Sandry: 23 y/o, second prince of Silaise, brown hair, hazel-gold eyes
· · ─────── ⊹𓃭܀⊹ ─────── · ·
💬 ᴛʜɪʀᴅ ᴘᴇʀsᴏɴ, ᴅᴜᴀʟ ᴘᴏᴠ
🏳🌈 ᴍᴍ
🏰 ʜɪɢʜ ғᴀɴᴛᴀsʏ
🏰 ᴘʟᴀʏʙᴏʏ ᴘʀɪɴᴄᴇ × sᴀᴅ ᴀssᴀssɪɴ
🏰 (ᴋɪɴᴅᴀ) ᴇɴᴇᴍɪᴇs ᴛᴏ ʟᴏᴠᴇʀs ᴠɪʙᴇs
🏰 sᴇᴄʀᴇᴛ ɪᴅᴇɴᴛɪᴛɪᴇs
🏰 ғᴏʀʙɪᴅᴅᴇɴ ʀᴇʟᴀᴛɪᴏɴsʜɪᴘ ᴠɪʙᴇs
🏰 ᴍᴏʀᴀʟʟʏ ɢʀᴇʏ ᴄʜᴀʀᴀᴄᴛᴇʀs
🏰 ʜᴜʀᴛ/ᴄᴏᴍғᴏʀᴛ
🏰 ᴀɴɪᴍᴀʟ ᴄᴏᴍᴘᴀɴɪᴏɴs
🏰 ʟɪɢʜᴛ ᴅ/s ᴘʟᴀʏ
🏰 ᴍᴇᴅɪᴜᴍ ʙᴜʀɴ, ʟᴏᴡ sᴘɪᴄᴇ (ɴᴏᴛ ғᴛʙ)
🏰 sᴛᴀɴᴅᴀʟᴏɴᴇ ɪɴ ᴀ sᴇʀɪᴇs
⚠️ ᴛᴡ: ᴀssᴀssɪɴ-ᴛʏᴘɪᴄᴀʟ ᴠɪᴏʟᴇɴᴄᴇ, ᴘᴀsᴛ ᴄʜɪʟᴅ ᴀʙᴜsᴇ (ᴏғғ-ᴘᴀɢᴇ), ᴅᴇᴀᴛʜ ᴏғ ᴘᴀʀᴇɴᴛ, ᴍᴇɴᴛɪᴏɴ ᴏғ ᴍᴜʀᴅᴇʀ, ᴍᴜʀᴅᴇʀ ᴀᴛᴛᴇᴍᴘᴛ, ᴋɪᴅɴᴀᴘᴘɪɴɢ, ᴍᴇɴᴛɪᴏɴ ᴏғ sᴜɪᴄɪᴅᴇ
[ ɴᴏʀᴍᴀʟɪᴢᴇ ʟɪsᴛɪɴɢ ᴛᴡ/ᴄᴡ (ʟɪᴋᴇ ᴀᴜᴛʜᴏʀs ʟɪsᴛ ᴛʀᴏᴘᴇs) ʙᴄ ᴛʜᴇʏ ᴀʀᴇ ɴᴏᴛ sᴘᴏɪʟᴇʀs! ]
· · ─────── ⊹𓃭܀⊹ ─────── · ·
* i stalked the author, there's a map - i included it in my moodboard but then came across more info provided by the author that it's not exactly perfect.. also manyy ppl have been asking about a map so i'm not that weird apparently lol
🖼: moodboard by me 「pics from Pinterest」
November 14, 2023
I did not expect this book to be as good as it ended up being. I have been fortunate lately as a mood reader to keep finding books that are tickling my fancy and this one was just what I was after.
Trained assassin with *emotions* gets hired to kill a philandering prince for a secret plot. Except “oh no, he’s hot, clever AND nice” and the wheels immediately start to come off the plan. The humor and tone of this story worked for me. It’s a simple read and good for some quick entertainment.
Whisper and Julian were a fun couple- emotionally very sweet and there was a bit of spice. Although I think for the sexual tension and pining earlier on was actually hotter than the spice itself though. Their dynamic was alot of fun and I enjoyed them both as characters and on their own as well. Also the hurt/comfort elements throughout were pretty tasty.
The world building was actually surprisingly involved and I found myself wanting to know more about the world, the magic system and political intrigues between the countries in the background. Honestly this book could easily have been the bones for a significantly more involved, complicated and serious romantasy if it chose to be.
However, this book joins the ranks of “The Knight and the Necromancer” for fantastic fantasy reads with absolutely godawful covers (even more so in this case cause neither of the MCs are described to look remotely like this monstrosity- like why bother??)
Trained assassin with *emotions* gets hired to kill a philandering prince for a secret plot. Except “oh no, he’s hot, clever AND nice” and the wheels immediately start to come off the plan. The humor and tone of this story worked for me. It’s a simple read and good for some quick entertainment.
Whisper and Julian were a fun couple- emotionally very sweet and there was a bit of spice. Although I think for the sexual tension and pining earlier on was actually hotter than the spice itself though. Their dynamic was alot of fun and I enjoyed them both as characters and on their own as well. Also the hurt/comfort elements throughout were pretty tasty.
The world building was actually surprisingly involved and I found myself wanting to know more about the world, the magic system and political intrigues between the countries in the background. Honestly this book could easily have been the bones for a significantly more involved, complicated and serious romantasy if it chose to be.
However, this book joins the ranks of “The Knight and the Necromancer” for fantastic fantasy reads with absolutely godawful covers (even more so in this case cause neither of the MCs are described to look remotely like this monstrosity- like why bother??)
September 11, 2022
The good
+ Magic cats
+ Julien learning a language just to talk with magic cats
+ Julien's suspicions of Will. This isn't one of those secret identity books where the other party is completely oblivious. Julien just doesn't know exactly what's up
+ Whisper coming out of his shell around Julien, and showing more and more true parts of himself
+ Julien complimenting Will for taking a bribe, and advising him to demand a counter-bribe next time instead of sharing the information about the bribe for free
+ Julien's intelligence. He was described as a playboy prince, but he was actually really savvy and a good leader
+ Julien giving up his playboy prince behavior immediately upon meeting Will
+ Both of them simultaneously figuring out they're in love with the other, and deciding it's reciprocated without hearing the words
+
+
+ Head cook Sybil
The neutral
o The number of characters in court was enormous. I really don't know who were friends or enemies, who Julien trusted and didn't trust. They all started blurring together
The bad
- The next book is not about the same couple! I am not yet ready to say goobye to Julien and Whisper :(
- Whisper's past is definitely going to come back to haunt him. () I don't like that Whisper's plot is going to be resolved in someone else's book
Quotes
x
x "I didn't seduce you. I courted you."
I have been in a kind of slump lately. I was cranky about books I would have possibly enjoyed otherwise and felt like I didn't read a real good book for ages. This book was exactly what I needed. The romance is awesome, the characters are great, and there are giant magic cats. This book has it all. I would definitely recommend this book!
+ Magic cats
+ Julien learning a language just to talk with magic cats
+ Julien's suspicions of Will. This isn't one of those secret identity books where the other party is completely oblivious. Julien just doesn't know exactly what's up
+ Whisper coming out of his shell around Julien, and showing more and more true parts of himself
+ Julien complimenting Will for taking a bribe, and advising him to demand a counter-bribe next time instead of sharing the information about the bribe for free
+ Julien's intelligence. He was described as a playboy prince, but he was actually really savvy and a good leader
+ Julien giving up his playboy prince behavior immediately upon meeting Will
+ Both of them simultaneously figuring out they're in love with the other, and deciding it's reciprocated without hearing the words
+
+
+ Head cook Sybil
The neutral
o The number of characters in court was enormous. I really don't know who were friends or enemies, who Julien trusted and didn't trust. They all started blurring together
The bad
- The next book is not about the same couple! I am not yet ready to say goobye to Julien and Whisper :(
- Whisper's past is definitely going to come back to haunt him. () I don't like that Whisper's plot is going to be resolved in someone else's book
Quotes
x
x "I didn't seduce you. I courted you."
I have been in a kind of slump lately. I was cranky about books I would have possibly enjoyed otherwise and felt like I didn't read a real good book for ages. This book was exactly what I needed. The romance is awesome, the characters are great, and there are giant magic cats. This book has it all. I would definitely recommend this book!
June 13, 2022
4.5 stars. Rounded up because I've been in a reading slump and this was a great way out of it.
I really enjoyed this book. It reminded me a little of PL Nunn's Dynasty of Ghosts, not in content but just in general vibe.
This story involves a reluctant and broken assassin who is sent to kill a playboy prince and poses as a guard in order to get close to him. And get close he does, with some unintended consequences. I really enjoyed the characters, particularly Prince Julien, who was completely charming. And the cats were really the stars of the show. The plot was interesting and kept things ticking along nicely. The romance was unexpectedly sweet, and pretty sexy in the end.
Tavia Lark is a great fantasy writer and I'm super happy that this is the start of a trilogy. Can't wait to see what the rest of the royal brothers get up to.
I really enjoyed this book. It reminded me a little of PL Nunn's Dynasty of Ghosts, not in content but just in general vibe.
This story involves a reluctant and broken assassin who is sent to kill a playboy prince and poses as a guard in order to get close to him. And get close he does, with some unintended consequences. I really enjoyed the characters, particularly Prince Julien, who was completely charming. And the cats were really the stars of the show. The plot was interesting and kept things ticking along nicely. The romance was unexpectedly sweet, and pretty sexy in the end.
Tavia Lark is a great fantasy writer and I'm super happy that this is the start of a trilogy. Can't wait to see what the rest of the royal brothers get up to.
September 30, 2024
It's always harder to write reviews about books you loved! So here's just me gushing about this one, in the hope I'll convince some people to try it. I think most people who like fantasy romance would appreciate this one. It has a lot of fun tropes: a secret identity with a betrayal premise, a small but deadly assassin and the playboy prince he's playing bodyguard to, a size difference, even some slight D/s dynamics... Some reviewers said they expected something darker, but it's really in line with Tavia Lark's precious fantasy books. There are a lot of high-tension situations and emotions and a healthy dose of angst, but the romance is not dark at all: it has a hurt/comfort vibe, lots of caretaking, tender touches and hand kisses, even some emotional bathing! And awesome magical big cats!
I loved the characters, and how they were more than you would expect from their respective archetypes. Julien is described as a playboy prince, and it's true he has no ambition of taking over the throne. But he's still politically savvy and takes his responsibilities seriously, and he uses his promiscuity as a way to navigate the complex political alliances at court. He might seem a little one-track-minded over Whisper sometimes, but he's still observant around him. And Whisper might be a seasoned assassin, but he never really had a choice, and he's not the cold-blooded, arrogant character you would expect.
Their dynamic was so well-done. I loved how smitten Julien was about Whisper, how he always trying to look cool and composed, but was secretly delighted over the small things, like Whisper remembering his birthday. There are so many great moments where Whisper just can't believe someone wants to take care of him. And the fact that this someone is the one he will have to betray makes it even more tragic. I really felt Whisper's inner angst and turmoil, and I thought the whole betrayal plot was well-done and kept me intrigued until the end.
Tavia Lark writes excellent fantasy: it's simple but in a good way, clear and approachable. I thought the writing was even stronger than it was in her Radiance series. The political alliances and magical elements are revealed as needed thorough the story, there's not a lot of info-dumping, and the worldbuilding is impressive despite the short length of the book. More importantly in my eyes, the romance is kept at the forefront of the story, things move along at a good pace, and I was never bored. I'm so excited about the two next books, and they can't come soon enough!
I received a free copy of this book and am providing my honest review voluntarily.
Read this review and more on my blog: https://horsetalkreviews.blogspot.com/
I loved the characters, and how they were more than you would expect from their respective archetypes. Julien is described as a playboy prince, and it's true he has no ambition of taking over the throne. But he's still politically savvy and takes his responsibilities seriously, and he uses his promiscuity as a way to navigate the complex political alliances at court. He might seem a little one-track-minded over Whisper sometimes, but he's still observant around him. And Whisper might be a seasoned assassin, but he never really had a choice, and he's not the cold-blooded, arrogant character you would expect.
Their dynamic was so well-done. I loved how smitten Julien was about Whisper, how he always trying to look cool and composed, but was secretly delighted over the small things, like Whisper remembering his birthday. There are so many great moments where Whisper just can't believe someone wants to take care of him. And the fact that this someone is the one he will have to betray makes it even more tragic. I really felt Whisper's inner angst and turmoil, and I thought the whole betrayal plot was well-done and kept me intrigued until the end.
Tavia Lark writes excellent fantasy: it's simple but in a good way, clear and approachable. I thought the writing was even stronger than it was in her Radiance series. The political alliances and magical elements are revealed as needed thorough the story, there's not a lot of info-dumping, and the worldbuilding is impressive despite the short length of the book. More importantly in my eyes, the romance is kept at the forefront of the story, things move along at a good pace, and I was never bored. I'm so excited about the two next books, and they can't come soon enough!
I received a free copy of this book and am providing my honest review voluntarily.
Read this review and more on my blog: https://horsetalkreviews.blogspot.com/
June 5, 2022
4.25 stars
I could have died because I fell in love with him. Instead, I'm alive because he fell in love with me
Prince Julien is the second son of Silaise royalty - he's the one with the reputation of bedding anyone left and right. While Whisper is one of the best assassin of Kennel Hounds; Julien's is going to be Whisper's promise of a boon since he will be Whisper's sixth assassination. However, it is not a quick job, Whisper is expected to infiltrate Greenhaven Castle first for months before he gets the signal to kill the Prince. And unfortunately for Whisper, Prince Julien is growing on him...
This is my fourth book of Tavia Lark... and well, she's definitely on my to-buy list because I LOVED THIS ONE as well!! The whole "prince and the assassin who is supposed to kill him" romance is not new, right? Character wise, it's also doesn't offer anything unique. But I ADORED Julien and Whisper together (or separately).
Julien maybe a flirt, but he's nobody's fool. Even though Julien seems like he doesn't take thing seriously, but he's observant and smart. Julien knows how to charm people and to find out what's going on. He plays his strength nicely. Julien knows that there's something different about Whisper (whom he knows first as Will) even if he acknowledges his physical attraction to the man. I approved of Julien wanting to know Will's background before he makes his move!
Whisper is the "actually kind-hearted" assassin type. I mean, he befriends two fellcats and actually gains a position as Master of Cats at Greenhaven 😆. He takes mementos of his victims, but not because he's a psychopath or anything... Whisper uses it as a reminder of the people he kills. He doesn't want to forget about them. OMG, Whisper!!! (Hugs Whisper tight)
I loved that Julien is not as "weak" as everyone thinks he is. He has his "secret" magic. I loved that Whisper is actually really sweet (I mean, the fellcats call him "kitten", a nickname Julien giddily uses 😄). I loved their relationship and romance. I hope the author will give updates about Julien and Whisper in the next books.
And I LOVED the cats!!
Cannot wait for Bellamy's story next!
I could have died because I fell in love with him. Instead, I'm alive because he fell in love with me
Prince Julien is the second son of Silaise royalty - he's the one with the reputation of bedding anyone left and right. While Whisper is one of the best assassin of Kennel Hounds; Julien's is going to be Whisper's promise of a boon since he will be Whisper's sixth assassination. However, it is not a quick job, Whisper is expected to infiltrate Greenhaven Castle first for months before he gets the signal to kill the Prince. And unfortunately for Whisper, Prince Julien is growing on him...
This is my fourth book of Tavia Lark... and well, she's definitely on my to-buy list because I LOVED THIS ONE as well!! The whole "prince and the assassin who is supposed to kill him" romance is not new, right? Character wise, it's also doesn't offer anything unique. But I ADORED Julien and Whisper together (or separately).
Julien maybe a flirt, but he's nobody's fool. Even though Julien seems like he doesn't take thing seriously, but he's observant and smart. Julien knows how to charm people and to find out what's going on. He plays his strength nicely. Julien knows that there's something different about Whisper (whom he knows first as Will) even if he acknowledges his physical attraction to the man. I approved of Julien wanting to know Will's background before he makes his move!
Whisper is the "actually kind-hearted" assassin type. I mean, he befriends two fellcats and actually gains a position as Master of Cats at Greenhaven 😆. He takes mementos of his victims, but not because he's a psychopath or anything... Whisper uses it as a reminder of the people he kills. He doesn't want to forget about them. OMG, Whisper!!! (Hugs Whisper tight)
I loved that Julien is not as "weak" as everyone thinks he is. He has his "secret" magic. I loved that Whisper is actually really sweet (I mean, the fellcats call him "kitten", a nickname Julien giddily uses 😄). I loved their relationship and romance. I hope the author will give updates about Julien and Whisper in the next books.
And I LOVED the cats!!
Cannot wait for Bellamy's story next!
August 17, 2023
“Everyone deserves to be known at the end. ”
Primera novela de la saga Perilous Courts. He de admitir que llevo tiempo detrás de ella, pero no me había lanzado a leerla hasta hace poco. Actualmente me encuentro al día y estoy a la espera de la quinta parte que sale en otoño de este año, sin embargo, debido a mi santa procrastinación entre otras cosas, la reseña la estoy haciendo ahora.
Esta saga me la he leído en inglés. El nivel de idioma es de un B1-B2. No cuenta con un vocabulario especifico y su sintaxis es sencilla. No lo recomendaría como primera novela para leer en inglés, pero sí para lectores más acostumbrados. Por otro lado, esta saga no se encuentra oficialmente traducida en español, pero creo que he visto versiones traducidas fans, por si quieren echarle un vistazo.
“+I’m not a Good person. You’re absurd.
-He’s not wrong.”
Siendo sincera esta primera entrega no la considero el mejor libro del mundo, debo admitir que hay otras de las entregas que me han gustado un poco más. Pero de ellas ya tocaran sus respectivas reseñas. Creo que lo que más destaco han sido los personajes, que, aunque pequen de superficiales e imbéciles en algunas escenas, son bastante carismáticos y se les coge cariño.
Ahora considerando desde un punto de vista objetivo la novela, esta deja mucho que desear en el sentido de falta profundización de escenario y de personajes. Aunque en los siguientes libros te cuenta un poco más te vas haciendo una idea del mundo que nos quiere presentar la autora.
En conclusión, una saga que es bastante prometedora, aunque el primer libro no sea el mejor.
“I don’t deserve you”.
Primera novela de la saga Perilous Courts. He de admitir que llevo tiempo detrás de ella, pero no me había lanzado a leerla hasta hace poco. Actualmente me encuentro al día y estoy a la espera de la quinta parte que sale en otoño de este año, sin embargo, debido a mi santa procrastinación entre otras cosas, la reseña la estoy haciendo ahora.
Esta saga me la he leído en inglés. El nivel de idioma es de un B1-B2. No cuenta con un vocabulario especifico y su sintaxis es sencilla. No lo recomendaría como primera novela para leer en inglés, pero sí para lectores más acostumbrados. Por otro lado, esta saga no se encuentra oficialmente traducida en español, pero creo que he visto versiones traducidas fans, por si quieren echarle un vistazo.
“+I’m not a Good person. You’re absurd.
-He’s not wrong.”
Siendo sincera esta primera entrega no la considero el mejor libro del mundo, debo admitir que hay otras de las entregas que me han gustado un poco más. Pero de ellas ya tocaran sus respectivas reseñas. Creo que lo que más destaco han sido los personajes, que, aunque pequen de superficiales e imbéciles en algunas escenas, son bastante carismáticos y se les coge cariño.
Ahora considerando desde un punto de vista objetivo la novela, esta deja mucho que desear en el sentido de falta profundización de escenario y de personajes. Aunque en los siguientes libros te cuenta un poco más te vas haciendo una idea del mundo que nos quiere presentar la autora.
En conclusión, una saga que es bastante prometedora, aunque el primer libro no sea el mejor.
“I don’t deserve you”.
January 6, 2023
Re-read January 2023
Still loved this.
---------------------
4.25 stars
This was such a delight!
I loved how there was no real angst between Julian and Whisper while there was plenty to angst about.
Just good communication, trust, and forgiveness.
Still loved this.
---------------------
4.25 stars
This was such a delight!
I loved how there was no real angst between Julian and Whisper while there was plenty to angst about.
Just good communication, trust, and forgiveness.
June 2, 2022
Tavia Lark has an unrivaled talent for writing high fantasy romance. Her worlds are always richly developed, the characters engaging, and the intrigue carefully designed.
Julien was a well developed character. He starts with a playboy prince type, but he’s never feckless or irresponsible despite using that as a facade. It’s more that people, and him, don’t appreciate (except whisper of course omg) the way his people skills are just as valuable as the more military straightforwardness Audric brings. They complement each other so well, I’m so glad they’re secretly brotherly with each other outside of the public eye.
Whisper too was a fun shift of the assassin archetype. Cold, controlled, and withdrawn on the surface, yet so precious and adorable and caring.
The romance had so many cute hand holding and tiny touches! I love the subtle build. It felt so caring and really built their chemistry and emotional bond for me. It made their love feel real and believable, in overcoming the challenges they face.
I enjoyed the main secondary characters as well - magic kitties! Nadine!! Fully fledged characters that bring depth to the story and the MCs relationship without ever taking away from the spotlight characters. Wonderfully done.
The magic system here is fascinating - hereditary magic, but it can also be transferred manually? Plant and air magic?? So much fun. I look forward to what else this series brings as the world opens up more in the next books!
The only part where I struggled was the large number of secondary (maybe tertiary) court characters - they started blurring together for me at times. (I would die for a map too, but that’s just because I love fantasy world maps, this read fine without one)
Overall, another stunning fantasy read by Tavia Lark, exactly as I expected. I can’t wait to get the rest of the series for the other two princes!
I received this ARC from the author in exchange for my honest review. All the opinions are my own.
Read more reviews on my blog:
https://horsetalkreviews.blogspot.com/
Julien was a well developed character. He starts with a playboy prince type, but he’s never feckless or irresponsible despite using that as a facade. It’s more that people, and him, don’t appreciate (except whisper of course omg) the way his people skills are just as valuable as the more military straightforwardness Audric brings. They complement each other so well, I’m so glad they’re secretly brotherly with each other outside of the public eye.
Whisper too was a fun shift of the assassin archetype. Cold, controlled, and withdrawn on the surface, yet so precious and adorable and caring.
The romance had so many cute hand holding and tiny touches! I love the subtle build. It felt so caring and really built their chemistry and emotional bond for me. It made their love feel real and believable, in overcoming the challenges they face.
I enjoyed the main secondary characters as well - magic kitties! Nadine!! Fully fledged characters that bring depth to the story and the MCs relationship without ever taking away from the spotlight characters. Wonderfully done.
The magic system here is fascinating - hereditary magic, but it can also be transferred manually? Plant and air magic?? So much fun. I look forward to what else this series brings as the world opens up more in the next books!
The only part where I struggled was the large number of secondary (maybe tertiary) court characters - they started blurring together for me at times. (I would die for a map too, but that’s just because I love fantasy world maps, this read fine without one)
Overall, another stunning fantasy read by Tavia Lark, exactly as I expected. I can’t wait to get the rest of the series for the other two princes!
I received this ARC from the author in exchange for my honest review. All the opinions are my own.
Read more reviews on my blog:
https://horsetalkreviews.blogspot.com/
dnf
August 30, 2022dnf @ 40%
After the first few chapters — not long after the two MCs met, but I will come to that in a minute — I rapidly began to lose interest.
The first red — well, maybe orange — flag for me was the way this book’s written. It’s supposedly ‘high fantasy,’ but I’d take simple ‘fantasy,’ or even ‘low fantasy’ — is that a thing? — over this any day if it’s written the right way. I apologize for this simplistic explanation, but if there are princes, and kingdoms, and dragons, and giant magical green and blue cats (yes), I do not want the characters using stupid modern slang! I want just a bit of that otherworldly feeling, is that too much to ask? Otherwise, it’s just like urban fantasy centered around some royal family, and that is not my thing at all.
Okay, back to our MCs. Everything pretty much went downhill the moment they saw each other. I (don't) get it, the author wanted to write a ‘love story’ centered around two beautiful, outwardly perfect specimens of their kind, but do they really have to wax poetic about various features/body parts every time they meet? Rinse, repeat. Ad nauseam. Literally. The thing is, despite this abundance of flowery, purple-prosey ruminations about each other’s attractiveness, I didn’t actually see the attraction? Mostly, it reminded me of my first forays into the ‘romance’ genre when I was a young teen and thought Bella and Edward were the shit.
I tried to grit my teeth and bear it, to wait and see if there’d be some more worldbuilding, or an explanation of the hereditary magic, and was rewarded with more flowery descriptions of eyes, skin, and whateverthefuck. Pass.
After the first few chapters — not long after the two MCs met, but I will come to that in a minute — I rapidly began to lose interest.
The first red — well, maybe orange — flag for me was the way this book’s written. It’s supposedly ‘high fantasy,’ but I’d take simple ‘fantasy,’ or even ‘low fantasy’ — is that a thing? — over this any day if it’s written the right way. I apologize for this simplistic explanation, but if there are princes, and kingdoms, and dragons, and giant magical green and blue cats (yes), I do not want the characters using stupid modern slang! I want just a bit of that otherworldly feeling, is that too much to ask? Otherwise, it’s just like urban fantasy centered around some royal family, and that is not my thing at all.
Okay, back to our MCs. Everything pretty much went downhill the moment they saw each other. I (don't) get it, the author wanted to write a ‘love story’ centered around two beautiful, outwardly perfect specimens of their kind, but do they really have to wax poetic about various features/body parts every time they meet? Rinse, repeat. Ad nauseam. Literally. The thing is, despite this abundance of flowery, purple-prosey ruminations about each other’s attractiveness, I didn’t actually see the attraction? Mostly, it reminded me of my first forays into the ‘romance’ genre when I was a young teen and thought Bella and Edward were the shit.
I tried to grit my teeth and bear it, to wait and see if there’d be some more worldbuilding, or an explanation of the hereditary magic, and was rewarded with more flowery descriptions of eyes, skin, and whateverthefuck. Pass.
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