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A Court of Greed and Excess
Last night’s hookup? An arrogant fae prince who wants my throne.
Last night's hookup was just supposed to be a fun distraction from my mundane life in the mortal world. But when I wake up to find that my sexy stranger is actually a fae prince—and my direct competition for the throne of the Realm of Indulgence—I realize I've stumbled into a deadly game of power and seduction.
He's a cruel bully who wants nothing more than to crush me under his heel, but I won't back down. With wolf shifters, sensual lures, and war wielders all vying for my throne (and my head), I'll need to rely on my scrappy street smarts and my hidden powers to survive.
And as I grow closer to the dangerously attractive fae prince, I realize that my heart may be my most vulnerable asset of all. But can I trust him—or anyone—in this treacherous realm where everyone seems to have a hidden agenda?
In this dark enemies-to-lovers romance filled with secrets, danger, and steamy passion, I'll fight for what's mine—even if it means taking on the biggest bully of them all.
Last night's hookup was just supposed to be a fun distraction from my mundane life in the mortal world. But when I wake up to find that my sexy stranger is actually a fae prince—and my direct competition for the throne of the Realm of Indulgence—I realize I've stumbled into a deadly game of power and seduction.
He's a cruel bully who wants nothing more than to crush me under his heel, but I won't back down. With wolf shifters, sensual lures, and war wielders all vying for my throne (and my head), I'll need to rely on my scrappy street smarts and my hidden powers to survive.
And as I grow closer to the dangerously attractive fae prince, I realize that my heart may be my most vulnerable asset of all. But can I trust him—or anyone—in this treacherous realm where everyone seems to have a hidden agenda?
In this dark enemies-to-lovers romance filled with secrets, danger, and steamy passion, I'll fight for what's mine—even if it means taking on the biggest bully of them all.
294 pages, Paperback
Published April 20, 2023
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 63 reviews
April 23, 2023
2.5 rounded down.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m very grateful to have been given an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my review, but I have to be really honest with this one.
I totally understand that writing a book is no easy feat. I’ve been a part of the beta and advanced reader teams for quite a few authors now, but I would HIGHLY advise that this book goes through another round of editing.
I thought the idea of the book was awesome. There’s huge potential for it to be a very fascinating, very gripping, and a little bit steamy, BUT, the execution… it really wasn’t there.
The book is short. If it’s meant to be a Novella, I can excuse the book from not being entirely fleshed out for the sake of keeping it brief, but with a lore, realm, policial and magic system as complicated as it is in this book, I can’t excuse the most important plot points being limited to a paragraph of two (or less than a page).
The writing style itself felt really unpolished to me. I didn’t like the inner voice of the MC’s, and the descriptives made the setting, the characters, and the relationships feel very two-dimensional.
Again, I think the book has potential. It has the tropes to prop it up, but the book needs more support if it’s going to be a overall hit.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m very grateful to have been given an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my review, but I have to be really honest with this one.
I totally understand that writing a book is no easy feat. I’ve been a part of the beta and advanced reader teams for quite a few authors now, but I would HIGHLY advise that this book goes through another round of editing.
I thought the idea of the book was awesome. There’s huge potential for it to be a very fascinating, very gripping, and a little bit steamy, BUT, the execution… it really wasn’t there.
The book is short. If it’s meant to be a Novella, I can excuse the book from not being entirely fleshed out for the sake of keeping it brief, but with a lore, realm, policial and magic system as complicated as it is in this book, I can’t excuse the most important plot points being limited to a paragraph of two (or less than a page).
The writing style itself felt really unpolished to me. I didn’t like the inner voice of the MC’s, and the descriptives made the setting, the characters, and the relationships feel very two-dimensional.
Again, I think the book has potential. It has the tropes to prop it up, but the book needs more support if it’s going to be a overall hit.
May 24, 2023
In this first book in Zara Dusk's Royal Fae of Arathay series, A Court of Greed and Excess, we meet a beautiful and strong-willed heroine named Neela Flora. A proud young woman who has traveled to the fae realm to participate in the trials for her birthright, she is not afraid to speak her mind and is determined to find her way in this new and treacherous world.
"A less brave person would call herself lost, but not me: I was adventuring." - Neela
Neela and Ronan Mentium had an unexpected and passionate encounter, but when Neela arrives for the trials, she finds herself at odds with Ronan. He is an heir to the throne and an arrogant opponent who refuses to acknowledge her place in their ruling Houses. But soon enough, Ronan begins to realize that his feelings for Neela are too strong to ignore… he is willing to risk everything to keep her safe.
"'Why are you helping me?' He looked at me, bright sunlight setting golden sparkles in his raven hair. 'Because I have to, tomcat. My soul won't let me make any other choice. It chooses you.'" - Neela and Ronan
A Court of Greed and Excess is full of adventure, magic, and romance! You'll love how Neela defies expectations with her determination and independence—and how Ronan fights against his prejudices as he begins to fall for her.
The world crafted by Zara Dusk is intriguing, featuring characters with plenty of sass and complexity that will definitely win your heart! For those seeking a thrilling and enjoyable fantasy romance with witty dialogues and delightful chemistry (plus some amazing secondary characters), you won't want to miss this book!
Multi POV - Neela, Ronan, with (2) chapters dedicated to secondary characters
I believe this series has an interconnected storyline aimed at defeating an evil threatening their realm while featuring a new couple in each book. Next in the series is A Court of Fur and Fangs
Tropes: enemies to lovers, found family, one-night stand disaster, trials for the throne, touch her and die.
Safety Info / Content Warning:
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
"A less brave person would call herself lost, but not me: I was adventuring." - Neela
Neela and Ronan Mentium had an unexpected and passionate encounter, but when Neela arrives for the trials, she finds herself at odds with Ronan. He is an heir to the throne and an arrogant opponent who refuses to acknowledge her place in their ruling Houses. But soon enough, Ronan begins to realize that his feelings for Neela are too strong to ignore… he is willing to risk everything to keep her safe.
"'Why are you helping me?' He looked at me, bright sunlight setting golden sparkles in his raven hair. 'Because I have to, tomcat. My soul won't let me make any other choice. It chooses you.'" - Neela and Ronan
A Court of Greed and Excess is full of adventure, magic, and romance! You'll love how Neela defies expectations with her determination and independence—and how Ronan fights against his prejudices as he begins to fall for her.
The world crafted by Zara Dusk is intriguing, featuring characters with plenty of sass and complexity that will definitely win your heart! For those seeking a thrilling and enjoyable fantasy romance with witty dialogues and delightful chemistry (plus some amazing secondary characters), you won't want to miss this book!
Multi POV - Neela, Ronan, with (2) chapters dedicated to secondary characters
I believe this series has an interconnected storyline aimed at defeating an evil threatening their realm while featuring a new couple in each book. Next in the series is A Court of Fur and Fangs
Tropes: enemies to lovers, found family, one-night stand disaster, trials for the throne, touch her and die.
Safety Info / Content Warning:
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
August 29, 2023
ooooooh so moody
Omg. Each and every single one of these characters brought out something special and unique for me and I absolutely loved it.
Starting with enemies and strongly becoming lovers like golden retriever boyfriend black cat girlfriend and it’s SO GOOD.
The overall flow and depth of each character is so well written you can feel each and every single emotion coming through the writing.
While I normally don’t like to predict where a series will go. Us with this one it’s hard to see why booktok hasn’t found it yet. The amount of filth mixed with the overall quality of the journey was perfectly balanced and executed.
And don’t even get me started on Ronan because like that boy is literally it. Dark, moody, and a mad puppy dog lover? Sign me up!!!
Anyway if you’re looking for a quality book that will have you on the edge of your seat rooting for the underdog while low key falling in love with the bad boys this is the book for you. These characters are not one you’ll soon forget.
Omg. Each and every single one of these characters brought out something special and unique for me and I absolutely loved it.
Starting with enemies and strongly becoming lovers like golden retriever boyfriend black cat girlfriend and it’s SO GOOD.
The overall flow and depth of each character is so well written you can feel each and every single emotion coming through the writing.
While I normally don’t like to predict where a series will go. Us with this one it’s hard to see why booktok hasn’t found it yet. The amount of filth mixed with the overall quality of the journey was perfectly balanced and executed.
And don’t even get me started on Ronan because like that boy is literally it. Dark, moody, and a mad puppy dog lover? Sign me up!!!
Anyway if you’re looking for a quality book that will have you on the edge of your seat rooting for the underdog while low key falling in love with the bad boys this is the book for you. These characters are not one you’ll soon forget.
May 29, 2023
I rated this a high 2.5 stars. I saw this all over tiktok and I was so excited for it! I’m really glad I picked it up but from the promo I think I had it in my head it was a longer novel and it was under 300 pages. So I can understand why it’s not as fleshed out as I had anticipated it to be. The premise is great and I really think this series has potential.
Personally I feel this book could be more fleshed out and given more depth, more world building and the issues seemed resolved quickly so there wasn’t that tension. As a side note It was nice not reading about your typical long flowing hair FMC. However, I also think that these things will naturally happen throughout the series. I’m definitely looking forward to the next one.
Although there is a sprinkling of spice it’s not as spicy as I Anticipated from marketing so if your not a spice reader don’t let that put you off. If you are after a quick, easy fantasy read that doesn’t get bogged down with world building and has a dash of spice, it’s perfect!!
Personally I feel this book could be more fleshed out and given more depth, more world building and the issues seemed resolved quickly so there wasn’t that tension. As a side note It was nice not reading about your typical long flowing hair FMC. However, I also think that these things will naturally happen throughout the series. I’m definitely looking forward to the next one.
Although there is a sprinkling of spice it’s not as spicy as I Anticipated from marketing so if your not a spice reader don’t let that put you off. If you are after a quick, easy fantasy read that doesn’t get bogged down with world building and has a dash of spice, it’s perfect!!
May 29, 2023
I really did think the concept behind the book was really good and there’s a lot of potential for it to be a great story but I do think it needs more work before it will get there, the execution isn’t really what it should be. The book is too short for the complex magic and political systems involved, the book needs more editing as the characters and their relationships feel unfinished and unrealistic, a bit flat. I do think the book has so much potential to be a great story, but to me it needs more refining first.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
April 30, 2023
3.5⭐️
I was grateful to be part of the arc team for this book and I looked forward to it for months with all the hype, but I felt like it was either too fast pacing or not enough pacing in some parts of the book at times. Not only that I felt it was a little misleading with it supposedly being a really steamy enemies to lovers, I rated it more a 2 on the 🌶️ scale. I did love that it was fae, and had a unique storyline with the touch her and die vibes but again some points could have been a little bit vertex done instead of rushed.
I was grateful to be part of the arc team for this book and I looked forward to it for months with all the hype, but I felt like it was either too fast pacing or not enough pacing in some parts of the book at times. Not only that I felt it was a little misleading with it supposedly being a really steamy enemies to lovers, I rated it more a 2 on the 🌶️ scale. I did love that it was fae, and had a unique storyline with the touch her and die vibes but again some points could have been a little bit vertex done instead of rushed.
May 16, 2023
I wanted to love this but I just didn't. I couldn't connect with the characters. It states that Neela turns 25 but she just felt so immature. Ronan was a jerk. It felt like the spicy scenes were in there just to be in there.
I received an advanced copy of this book for review purposes. All opinions are my own
I received an advanced copy of this book for review purposes. All opinions are my own
May 16, 2023
*3.5
Neela, a trashbag human thief, finds herself in quite the predicament when she steals an enchanted bracelet that melds itself to her body and leads her into the Fae world, Arathay. Once there, she realizes she must pretend to be the long lost Fae Princess of House Flora, who must now fight for the throne of the Realm of Verda.. while falling for the cruel bully, Prince Ronan of House Mentium, that’s her competition.
Don’t let the rating fool you, I did enjoy this story and would definitely continue reading the series; however, I feel the details in certain aspects of the story were lacking. A Court of Greed and Excess has the potential to be an incredible series because it has an amazingly unique magical and political system, but I wish the author would’ve dove deeper into the world building and really expanded upon everything that this story and characters have to offer. There is a good backbone, although it felt as though there were some time jumps just to get through the story, which could’ve been beautiful opportunities to include some more substance. Between the Dual POV of Ronan and Neela, you get a feel for how things are in the Fae realm of Arathay on more of a 2D- surface level from an insider perspective and outsider perspective. There is not much background given on any of the characters, which could either turn into a cool way to bring in plots twists further into the series or could possibly be detrimental for readers to really, fully connect with the characters, especially the FMC & MMC.
The tropes throughout the story were well done (I’m a sucker for enemies-to-lovers, touch her and die type vibes) and included just a sprinkle of spice. I loved how each character had their own unique personalities and really portrayed their houses. The slight plot twist at the end with a certain character is really intriguing and I can’t wait to see what develops with them in the next book.
Thank you to Zara Dusk for giving me the opportunity to read an ARC of this book, I enjoyed it. I am excited to see where the story goes from here!
Neela, a trashbag human thief, finds herself in quite the predicament when she steals an enchanted bracelet that melds itself to her body and leads her into the Fae world, Arathay. Once there, she realizes she must pretend to be the long lost Fae Princess of House Flora, who must now fight for the throne of the Realm of Verda.. while falling for the cruel bully, Prince Ronan of House Mentium, that’s her competition.
Don’t let the rating fool you, I did enjoy this story and would definitely continue reading the series; however, I feel the details in certain aspects of the story were lacking. A Court of Greed and Excess has the potential to be an incredible series because it has an amazingly unique magical and political system, but I wish the author would’ve dove deeper into the world building and really expanded upon everything that this story and characters have to offer. There is a good backbone, although it felt as though there were some time jumps just to get through the story, which could’ve been beautiful opportunities to include some more substance. Between the Dual POV of Ronan and Neela, you get a feel for how things are in the Fae realm of Arathay on more of a 2D- surface level from an insider perspective and outsider perspective. There is not much background given on any of the characters, which could either turn into a cool way to bring in plots twists further into the series or could possibly be detrimental for readers to really, fully connect with the characters, especially the FMC & MMC.
The tropes throughout the story were well done (I’m a sucker for enemies-to-lovers, touch her and die type vibes) and included just a sprinkle of spice. I loved how each character had their own unique personalities and really portrayed their houses. The slight plot twist at the end with a certain character is really intriguing and I can’t wait to see what develops with them in the next book.
Thank you to Zara Dusk for giving me the opportunity to read an ARC of this book, I enjoyed it. I am excited to see where the story goes from here!
June 15, 2023
Enjoyable opening to the Royal Fae of Arathay series
We open with an orphaned young woman living by her wits on the streets. She's a thief and dodging the darker elements of the city. She's fleet of foot and knows her way around every area of the city, by necessity. When she heads toward the wealthier section, she becomes inexplicably drawn to a mansion. She's able to pass through the gate and into the house undetected, even snatching a piece of jewelry... a bracelet that she pops on her wrist. But it isn't just an ordinary bracelet, and it's never coming off her wrist... and it's leading her away from her old life, toward the fae realm that she's always wished to see.
It's closer than not to a YA story with a massive libido. The main characters are in their 20s. Not entirely likable. Well, Neela and Ronan are likable. Collectively, the group of them are interesting. I did not want to put the book down, wanting to know where it all was heading. I enjoyed it, and I'm looking forward to the second book's release later this month. (Caveat: often crass, and not suitable for younger readers.)
We open with an orphaned young woman living by her wits on the streets. She's a thief and dodging the darker elements of the city. She's fleet of foot and knows her way around every area of the city, by necessity. When she heads toward the wealthier section, she becomes inexplicably drawn to a mansion. She's able to pass through the gate and into the house undetected, even snatching a piece of jewelry... a bracelet that she pops on her wrist. But it isn't just an ordinary bracelet, and it's never coming off her wrist... and it's leading her away from her old life, toward the fae realm that she's always wished to see.
It's closer than not to a YA story with a massive libido. The main characters are in their 20s. Not entirely likable. Well, Neela and Ronan are likable. Collectively, the group of them are interesting. I did not want to put the book down, wanting to know where it all was heading. I enjoyed it, and I'm looking forward to the second book's release later this month. (Caveat: often crass, and not suitable for younger readers.)
May 27, 2023
Neela was delt a bad cards to the start of her life which just breaks my heart and makes me want to just hug her <3. Neela and Ronan deserve each other in the best way possible because they are able to build off of each other and care about one another deeply. I wanted to punch Ronan when he told Neela what they all did to get her here because he lied and broke her trust and he grinned like an idiot. But I can't wait to read the second book to find out what happens to Leif because he just too good for this world, he's probably my favorite since he's a cinnamon roll :3.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
May 28, 2023
I need more
I received this book as an Arc…
In this book we are introduced to Ronan and Neela, our main characters who are just everything… Their chemistry is off the charts, and their love-hate dynamic keeps you on your toes. Loved that Neela is so fierce and independent. I love the enemies-to-lovers/bully romance trope. Also that it’s fae, and had a unique storyline with the touch her and die vibes.
The plot twists in this book are next level!
I feel like it needed a little more details and more world building, but overall, I thought this was a fun and quick read. I finished it in one sitting.
I received this book as an Arc…
In this book we are introduced to Ronan and Neela, our main characters who are just everything… Their chemistry is off the charts, and their love-hate dynamic keeps you on your toes. Loved that Neela is so fierce and independent. I love the enemies-to-lovers/bully romance trope. Also that it’s fae, and had a unique storyline with the touch her and die vibes.
The plot twists in this book are next level!
I feel like it needed a little more details and more world building, but overall, I thought this was a fun and quick read. I finished it in one sitting.
May 28, 2023
This author is new to me and after seeing some teasers on social media I was intrigued by this book. I really enjoyed this. It is moderately paced and is full of adventure, romance and magical experience. The world building is good and sets the scene well. The banter is witty.
Loved Neela as the FMC, she is strong and capable of holding her own. Her chemistry with Ronan is undeniable and their push/ pull makes for a good read. The side characters are also really likeable and Would be good to see them get their own book.
If you enjoy fantasy romance with enemies to lovers
Themes you’ll enjoy this
Loved Neela as the FMC, she is strong and capable of holding her own. Her chemistry with Ronan is undeniable and their push/ pull makes for a good read. The side characters are also really likeable and Would be good to see them get their own book.
If you enjoy fantasy romance with enemies to lovers
Themes you’ll enjoy this
May 21, 2023
I enjoyed this book very much. Its an enemies to lovers to enemies and back to lovers again! You really don't know where this migth take you. The fae are all about deceiving and power, if you're weak they Will Kiko you but if you're strong... I enjoyed Neela's Ascension and how She just Marched forward and made her Path. The other heirs are also interesting and I would love to know where this gets us.
June 3, 2023
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
This book was a great start to a new series for me. I always love a good enemy-to-lover trope and Neela and Ronan chemistry in the book was amazing. There a lot of world building in this book which was hard to follow at time but it was still done very well. I'm looking forward to continuing the series with Leif story.
This book was a great start to a new series for me. I always love a good enemy-to-lover trope and Neela and Ronan chemistry in the book was amazing. There a lot of world building in this book which was hard to follow at time but it was still done very well. I'm looking forward to continuing the series with Leif story.
May 30, 2023
I really enjoyed A Court of Greed and Excess. It was a quick read (so if I wanted to give any complaint, I could have read way more of Ronan and Neela scenes!) and I felt provided a good foundation to build up on with the world building and character relationships. I am looking forward to the next book!!
June 21, 2023
I received an advanced reader copy of this book in exchange for an honest review; and I am so grateful that I was given the opportunity to read this before its release.
I will say that I did actually like the story, it is just that there was so much more that I didn't like that really drew my rating down. The main gist of the story is a street rat posing as a missing fae princess in the fae realm amongst a bunch of other royals and having to overcome a bunch of challenges that could kill her. Neela and Ronan have a run in prior to meeting as 'royals' and form an instantly challenging relationship that blossoms into more. Its fast paced, has action, romance and some spice...
I would have loved to rate this higher, but I can really only offer a 2.75 star rating due to how much I struggled to get passed my issues.
One of my issues with this was that it felt like a rough draft. The pacing was off... At the start everything happened so quickly that I was confused by what was actually happening, and then after the half way point events happened really slowly for a period... and then there was a time skip and we were back at being fast paced. I understand that this is a shorter story, but it could have had more consistent pacing of events and it would have really improved how everything came across.
My main dislike of all of this was how there was a sincere lack of emotion in the story. Sure, the characters felt things, but as a reader I didn't 'feel' any of it. I was told how Neela felt constantly. Told that Ronan was grieving, told that they were enjoying they were enjoying their nights together. None of it had emotion behind it. This was probably due to a lack of descriptive language used, which led to me being confused about settings and what was happening. A lot.
This then brings me to the characters... I don't think the characters were fleshed out enough, it felt as though their personalities would change as it suited the plot. Especially the main characters Neela and Ronan. They were inconsistent between POV's or even the same chapter... I didn't like either Neela or Ronan because of this and the fact that both of them were just generally shitty people...
Neela comes across as an uncompassionate despite the challenges she has faced in her life, and will either randomly jump down someone's throat for no reason or act as though she is best friends with everyone. I could have understood her character better if she gradually changed, but everything about her would jump so drastically. For example, late into the story she finds out a (very obvious) truth about Ronan and the other royals, and she goes - with out warning- from happy and in love to angry and murderous. She went from thinking 'these are my best friends' to trying to murder them? And then a chapter later - with no apology - is back to being friends with them. Ronan is better, he seems to change at a more reasonable pace, but still it feels like insta-hate jumps to insta-love really quickly and for no reason... He hates Neela for no fault of her own, and then because they had an 'amazing' night together once he can't get her out of his head and falls in love with her... At least he stays an asshole for the large majority of the story...
My favourite characters are Leif and Gabrielle. Although it feels as though Leif's character does change a bit from how Neela and Ronan describe him and his POV chapter. Gabrielle is the only character that I thought was consistent throughout everyone's POV, including her own.
I will be reading A Court of Fur and Fangs because I do adore Leif and can only hope that the writing improves.
I will say that I did actually like the story, it is just that there was so much more that I didn't like that really drew my rating down. The main gist of the story is a street rat posing as a missing fae princess in the fae realm amongst a bunch of other royals and having to overcome a bunch of challenges that could kill her. Neela and Ronan have a run in prior to meeting as 'royals' and form an instantly challenging relationship that blossoms into more. Its fast paced, has action, romance and some spice...
I would have loved to rate this higher, but I can really only offer a 2.75 star rating due to how much I struggled to get passed my issues.
One of my issues with this was that it felt like a rough draft. The pacing was off... At the start everything happened so quickly that I was confused by what was actually happening, and then after the half way point events happened really slowly for a period... and then there was a time skip and we were back at being fast paced. I understand that this is a shorter story, but it could have had more consistent pacing of events and it would have really improved how everything came across.
My main dislike of all of this was how there was a sincere lack of emotion in the story. Sure, the characters felt things, but as a reader I didn't 'feel' any of it. I was told how Neela felt constantly. Told that Ronan was grieving, told that they were enjoying they were enjoying their nights together. None of it had emotion behind it. This was probably due to a lack of descriptive language used, which led to me being confused about settings and what was happening. A lot.
This then brings me to the characters... I don't think the characters were fleshed out enough, it felt as though their personalities would change as it suited the plot. Especially the main characters Neela and Ronan. They were inconsistent between POV's or even the same chapter... I didn't like either Neela or Ronan because of this and the fact that both of them were just generally shitty people...
Neela comes across as an uncompassionate despite the challenges she has faced in her life, and will either randomly jump down someone's throat for no reason or act as though she is best friends with everyone. I could have understood her character better if she gradually changed, but everything about her would jump so drastically. For example, late into the story she finds out a (very obvious) truth about Ronan and the other royals, and she goes - with out warning- from happy and in love to angry and murderous. She went from thinking 'these are my best friends' to trying to murder them? And then a chapter later - with no apology - is back to being friends with them. Ronan is better, he seems to change at a more reasonable pace, but still it feels like insta-hate jumps to insta-love really quickly and for no reason... He hates Neela for no fault of her own, and then because they had an 'amazing' night together once he can't get her out of his head and falls in love with her... At least he stays an asshole for the large majority of the story...
My favourite characters are Leif and Gabrielle. Although it feels as though Leif's character does change a bit from how Neela and Ronan describe him and his POV chapter. Gabrielle is the only character that I thought was consistent throughout everyone's POV, including her own.
I will be reading A Court of Fur and Fangs because I do adore Leif and can only hope that the writing improves.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 19, 2023
1.5/5 stars (rounded up)
I wanted to go into this book with an open mind. Normally, I don’t normally read steamy romance books, but when I applied for the second book’s ARC, I wanted to give the genre a shot. Not to mention, the covers in the series are both so stunning!
The plot of this book seemed enticing and I’m a big fan of enemies-to-lovers romances with elements of fae lore and world-building sprinkled in. The trial system and the competition between all of the heirs for the ruling throne was also such an interesting plot point and that definitely encouraged me to keep reading through it.
Unfortunately, both the fantasy and romance aspects of this book were a bit lacking for me.
With most of the book centred around Neela and Ronan’s relationship, I found it hard for myself to root for either of them to end up with each other. I understand the enemies-to-lovers aspect of their dynamic, but I did find their hatred of one another a bit forced. Especially from Ronan’s perspective as he completely switched up after a week of meeting Neela. For somebody mourning the death of their best friend and so dedicated to fulfilling his oath to him, it felt almost out of character to throw that promise away in favour of a person he’s known in such a short amount of time. Overall, the course of their relationship flipped too quickly and too suddenly between love and hate, and as a reader I was never left with the opportunity to really savour the enemies or lovers part of their romance.
I’m not really an avid reader of spicy books (personally not my cup of tea, but I don’t mind encountering it every now and then). Honestly, after the blurb, I was fully expecting a lot more steamy scenes than what actually was included in the book. For more passionate spice readers, it might leave some room to be desired on that front.
The world-building in A Court of Greed & Excess showed a lot of promise at first. However, there were a few throwaway lines that made it hard to suspend my disbelief. From my understanding, this book is somewhere along the lines of a modern fantasy with both human and faerie realms. But it never truly explained to me how that whole system worked— for example, did these two realms ever interact, save for when the Faeries want to avoid Gaia’s curse? I found that the novel had planted so many seeds for this world but none of them ever truly came to flourish.
Perhaps a majority of the issues that I had with this book would be improved had it been longer. Seeking to tell a story with a complicated magical/political system and establish a meaningful relationship between the two leads (and the rest of the heirs) may have been too ambitious in just under 300 pages. If the book had been given more time to flesh out the realm of Verda and the complicated relationship between Neela and Ronan, I would definitely have been much more invested. A Court of Greed & Excess may have sought to do too much in its short time frame, and as a result, it didn’t quite stick the landing for me.
But don’t get me wrong… There were some points of this book that I did enjoy! Characters like Leif and Gabrelle were high points in A Court of Greed and Excess, and I enjoyed seeing their personalities! They really stole the scene away and I’m looking forward to reading A Court of Fur and Fangs to see more of Leif’s character. The magic systems were also interesting, and I just wish that the book had explored or dove deeper into how everything worked.
I wanted to go into this book with an open mind. Normally, I don’t normally read steamy romance books, but when I applied for the second book’s ARC, I wanted to give the genre a shot. Not to mention, the covers in the series are both so stunning!
The plot of this book seemed enticing and I’m a big fan of enemies-to-lovers romances with elements of fae lore and world-building sprinkled in. The trial system and the competition between all of the heirs for the ruling throne was also such an interesting plot point and that definitely encouraged me to keep reading through it.
Unfortunately, both the fantasy and romance aspects of this book were a bit lacking for me.
With most of the book centred around Neela and Ronan’s relationship, I found it hard for myself to root for either of them to end up with each other. I understand the enemies-to-lovers aspect of their dynamic, but I did find their hatred of one another a bit forced. Especially from Ronan’s perspective as he completely switched up after a week of meeting Neela. For somebody mourning the death of their best friend and so dedicated to fulfilling his oath to him, it felt almost out of character to throw that promise away in favour of a person he’s known in such a short amount of time. Overall, the course of their relationship flipped too quickly and too suddenly between love and hate, and as a reader I was never left with the opportunity to really savour the enemies or lovers part of their romance.
I’m not really an avid reader of spicy books (personally not my cup of tea, but I don’t mind encountering it every now and then). Honestly, after the blurb, I was fully expecting a lot more steamy scenes than what actually was included in the book. For more passionate spice readers, it might leave some room to be desired on that front.
The world-building in A Court of Greed & Excess showed a lot of promise at first. However, there were a few throwaway lines that made it hard to suspend my disbelief. From my understanding, this book is somewhere along the lines of a modern fantasy with both human and faerie realms. But it never truly explained to me how that whole system worked— for example, did these two realms ever interact, save for when the Faeries want to avoid Gaia’s curse? I found that the novel had planted so many seeds for this world but none of them ever truly came to flourish.
Perhaps a majority of the issues that I had with this book would be improved had it been longer. Seeking to tell a story with a complicated magical/political system and establish a meaningful relationship between the two leads (and the rest of the heirs) may have been too ambitious in just under 300 pages. If the book had been given more time to flesh out the realm of Verda and the complicated relationship between Neela and Ronan, I would definitely have been much more invested. A Court of Greed & Excess may have sought to do too much in its short time frame, and as a result, it didn’t quite stick the landing for me.
But don’t get me wrong… There were some points of this book that I did enjoy! Characters like Leif and Gabrelle were high points in A Court of Greed and Excess, and I enjoyed seeing their personalities! They really stole the scene away and I’m looking forward to reading A Court of Fur and Fangs to see more of Leif’s character. The magic systems were also interesting, and I just wish that the book had explored or dove deeper into how everything worked.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 25, 2023
A Court Of Greed And Excess is the first book in the Royal Fae of Arathay series. This book features Neela Flora and Roman Mentium.
We first meet Neela in the mortal realm of Hebes. She is a street orphan who has learned to be tough in order to survive. She doesn't like to fight, but is pretty quick on her feet, and has learned to navigate the city in order to hide out. On one such occasion, Neela flees into a more affluent area, and ends up entering a large home. She doesn't really understand why she's being so brazen, but she follows her intuition into the living room where she locates a bracelet. Curious, she slips it on, and quickly realizes her mistake. The bracelet shrinks into her wrist, becoming part of her. The bracelet causes her pain when she moves in the "wrong" direction. Looking to ease the agonizing torture, she eventually ends up at the docks and falls asleep in a fishing boat.
When she wakes up, she finds herself headed towards the magical barrier to the fae realm. While she has always dreamed of going there, she is suddenly filled with dread and decides to jump out of the boat. Pain shoots though her wrist causing her to fall, and she ends up traversing the barrier into Verda, the Realm of Indulgence. Falling into old patterns, she goes to the Slippery Silkworm tavern to find a mark. It is here that she meets Roman.
Verda has five ruling houses: Roman is the heir to the House of Mentium, Dion is heir to the House of Dionysus, Gabrelle is heir to the House of Allura, Leif is heir to the House of Caro, and Sebarah (Seb) was heir to the House of Flora. Seb was Roman's best friend, but he and his parents were killed and there is no one left to rule House of Flora.
When Roman and Neela meet, neither know who the other is and they share a very passionate moment. However, when Roman later finds out that Neela is Seb's long lost sister and has returned to Verda, he gets very angry. He swore a blood oath to Seb that he would never let her sit on the Flora throne. They quickly become enemies and Roman, along with his fellow heirs, aim to take her down. Neela knows she isn't the true princess, but she has no desire to return to Hebes so she needs to play along until she can figure out another plan.
This was a fun enemies-to-lovers fantasy. The book laid out a lot of information about the fae realm and key characters but still left me wanting to know more about the heirs and their background. Perhaps there will be more to come in the future books from this series.
While I love the enemies-to-lovers trope, I find that it is often poorly executed or rushed. I prefer a gradual transition rather than a quick flip as it feels more authentic. This one felt too fast for me. I did however enjoy the gradual found family trope.
I enjoyed Neela's character. She was sassy and feisty, and tough as nails. She knew what she wanted and went for it. Roman wasn't my favourite as he frequently behaves like an entitled jerk, and he flip flops in his attitude. #whiplash Of the heirs, I think Leif was my favourite, and I look forward to reading more about the sexy wolf shifter. I also enjoyed Liz's humor and would welcome learning more about her. Special shout out to Herb and Doug. I love those two!
We first meet Neela in the mortal realm of Hebes. She is a street orphan who has learned to be tough in order to survive. She doesn't like to fight, but is pretty quick on her feet, and has learned to navigate the city in order to hide out. On one such occasion, Neela flees into a more affluent area, and ends up entering a large home. She doesn't really understand why she's being so brazen, but she follows her intuition into the living room where she locates a bracelet. Curious, she slips it on, and quickly realizes her mistake. The bracelet shrinks into her wrist, becoming part of her. The bracelet causes her pain when she moves in the "wrong" direction. Looking to ease the agonizing torture, she eventually ends up at the docks and falls asleep in a fishing boat.
When she wakes up, she finds herself headed towards the magical barrier to the fae realm. While she has always dreamed of going there, she is suddenly filled with dread and decides to jump out of the boat. Pain shoots though her wrist causing her to fall, and she ends up traversing the barrier into Verda, the Realm of Indulgence. Falling into old patterns, she goes to the Slippery Silkworm tavern to find a mark. It is here that she meets Roman.
Verda has five ruling houses: Roman is the heir to the House of Mentium, Dion is heir to the House of Dionysus, Gabrelle is heir to the House of Allura, Leif is heir to the House of Caro, and Sebarah (Seb) was heir to the House of Flora. Seb was Roman's best friend, but he and his parents were killed and there is no one left to rule House of Flora.
When Roman and Neela meet, neither know who the other is and they share a very passionate moment. However, when Roman later finds out that Neela is Seb's long lost sister and has returned to Verda, he gets very angry. He swore a blood oath to Seb that he would never let her sit on the Flora throne. They quickly become enemies and Roman, along with his fellow heirs, aim to take her down. Neela knows she isn't the true princess, but she has no desire to return to Hebes so she needs to play along until she can figure out another plan.
This was a fun enemies-to-lovers fantasy. The book laid out a lot of information about the fae realm and key characters but still left me wanting to know more about the heirs and their background. Perhaps there will be more to come in the future books from this series.
While I love the enemies-to-lovers trope, I find that it is often poorly executed or rushed. I prefer a gradual transition rather than a quick flip as it feels more authentic. This one felt too fast for me. I did however enjoy the gradual found family trope.
I enjoyed Neela's character. She was sassy and feisty, and tough as nails. She knew what she wanted and went for it. Roman wasn't my favourite as he frequently behaves like an entitled jerk, and he flip flops in his attitude. #whiplash Of the heirs, I think Leif was my favourite, and I look forward to reading more about the sexy wolf shifter. I also enjoyed Liz's humor and would welcome learning more about her. Special shout out to Herb and Doug. I love those two!
May 4, 2023
I was kindly gifted an ARC of this book and was excited to read it as it sounded like it ticked all my boxes -
Fae World
Smut
Bullymance
Enemies to Lovers
Touch her and Die vibes
Unfortunately, it fell flat for me.
The world building lacked something and I didn't quite understand what the world is or how it works etc. I personally felt like it needed to be fleshed out more. Maybe a re-read would help with my understanding of it, but I do not see me re-reading this book.
I didn't gel with the MFC, Neela, and for me when reading a book which has multiple POV in the first person, I need to be able to connect with the characters to be able to really get into it and enjoy it. I just didn't with this.
Neela is taken to the Fae world by some magical bracelet she has no control over and once there just accepts this and assumes the persona of the lost princess without question. She is also thrown into this world and the trials with little to no warning or preparation. To me it felt forced and rushed so that we get to the main storyline quickly.
The first bits of spice we get is literally a semi-public, random hook-up with no build up whatsoever (NB: I had to go back and re-read the chapter because I genuinely did not understand how they just started fucking in the corner of a pub with no care for the fact they are in public and there is one throw away line about the corner being "half in darkness").
The MMC, Ronan (who by no surprise is the 'random hook-up') instantly dislikes Neela because of a pact he made with his best friend, who happens to be Neela's brother (that she has no idea existed) but we get very little back story into why the pact was made, or why her brother did not want her on the throne. Unless I missed something, I didn't understand this. He makes a big thing about how he made this pact and won't break it, but breaks faster than a kit-kat! His mentality changes so quickly from hating Neela and literally breaking her ankles in hate, to suddenly wanting to protect her, that it gave me whiplash!
Less than a week after the whole ankle-breaking situation, he literally says to her "I will never harm you again, tomcat. I will die before I let any harm come to you". Like, what???
This book had so much potential and I think with a little fine tuning, and more fleshing out, it would be a brilliant read. However, at the moment it just didn't do anything for me.
I am so grateful for the ARC but I really must be honest with my review. I received the ARC on 21st April but due to life getting in the way, I didn't get a chance to start it until a week later. It usually takes me 1-2 days to read a book like this, but it has been nearly a week.
Fae World
Smut
Bullymance
Enemies to Lovers
Touch her and Die vibes
Unfortunately, it fell flat for me.
The world building lacked something and I didn't quite understand what the world is or how it works etc. I personally felt like it needed to be fleshed out more. Maybe a re-read would help with my understanding of it, but I do not see me re-reading this book.
I didn't gel with the MFC, Neela, and for me when reading a book which has multiple POV in the first person, I need to be able to connect with the characters to be able to really get into it and enjoy it. I just didn't with this.
Neela is taken to the Fae world by some magical bracelet she has no control over and once there just accepts this and assumes the persona of the lost princess without question. She is also thrown into this world and the trials with little to no warning or preparation. To me it felt forced and rushed so that we get to the main storyline quickly.
The first bits of spice we get is literally a semi-public, random hook-up with no build up whatsoever (NB: I had to go back and re-read the chapter because I genuinely did not understand how they just started fucking in the corner of a pub with no care for the fact they are in public and there is one throw away line about the corner being "half in darkness").
The MMC, Ronan (who by no surprise is the 'random hook-up') instantly dislikes Neela because of a pact he made with his best friend, who happens to be Neela's brother (that she has no idea existed) but we get very little back story into why the pact was made, or why her brother did not want her on the throne. Unless I missed something, I didn't understand this. He makes a big thing about how he made this pact and won't break it, but breaks faster than a kit-kat! His mentality changes so quickly from hating Neela and literally breaking her ankles in hate, to suddenly wanting to protect her, that it gave me whiplash!
Less than a week after the whole ankle-breaking situation, he literally says to her "I will never harm you again, tomcat. I will die before I let any harm come to you". Like, what???
This book had so much potential and I think with a little fine tuning, and more fleshing out, it would be a brilliant read. However, at the moment it just didn't do anything for me.
I am so grateful for the ARC but I really must be honest with my review. I received the ARC on 21st April but due to life getting in the way, I didn't get a chance to start it until a week later. It usually takes me 1-2 days to read a book like this, but it has been nearly a week.
February 19, 2025
Neela is a human thief, an orphan on the street. One day she is drawn to a house, finds a bracelet and puts it on. This is the start of her whole new life in the fairy world where she has to pretend she's the heir to one of the fairy thrones.
I liked the story a lot. That is why I did not put down the book even though it is not very well written. And I should not even call it a book at a mere 283 pages for the story. It is short. It is too short, glossing over many scenes it needed to be a good book. And it is not balanced at all.
The author spends a lot of time describing Neela's thoughts and emotions. There are fast-paced action scenes and nice banter. But every time, a turning point in the relationship between the main characters is reached, it is done in about half a page. At one point, we go from love to hate to love again in under 10 pages. And the ten pages include a whole ritual that is said to solidify said hate. The reason for hating him is not some misunderstanding either.
I would have loved for them to work through this whole thing.
The same thing goes for major problems. Like finding loopholes in an oath. The reasons for Neela being on the streets in the first place. Every time there could be many pages of solving problems, interacting, and finding stuff out alongside the characters, the author does a quick summary or straight away jumps to the solution.
I have the feeling these scenes were saved for last while writing and the author did not want to spend any more time with the book. Which is a shame because the story is good. The side characters are interesting. The world-building is there. I'd love to discover what happens to the others and how they will resolve the problem. But I am not sure if I want to read another book full of hints at a good story and only get the summary of the author's idea instead of a whole book.
I liked the story a lot. That is why I did not put down the book even though it is not very well written. And I should not even call it a book at a mere 283 pages for the story. It is short. It is too short, glossing over many scenes it needed to be a good book. And it is not balanced at all.
The author spends a lot of time describing Neela's thoughts and emotions. There are fast-paced action scenes and nice banter. But every time, a turning point in the relationship between the main characters is reached, it is done in about half a page. At one point, we go from love to hate to love again in under 10 pages. And the ten pages include a whole ritual that is said to solidify said hate. The reason for hating him is not some misunderstanding either.
The fae I thought I loved had manipulated my emotions, my hatred, my love, my lust. None of it was me.
I would have loved for them to work through this whole thing.
The same thing goes for major problems. Like finding loopholes in an oath. The reasons for Neela being on the streets in the first place. Every time there could be many pages of solving problems, interacting, and finding stuff out alongside the characters, the author does a quick summary or straight away jumps to the solution.
I have the feeling these scenes were saved for last while writing and the author did not want to spend any more time with the book. Which is a shame because the story is good. The side characters are interesting. The world-building is there. I'd love to discover what happens to the others and how they will resolve the problem. But I am not sure if I want to read another book full of hints at a good story and only get the summary of the author's idea instead of a whole book.
May 15, 2023
~ NEW REVIEW ~
A huge thank you goes to Book Sirens & Zara Dusk for letting me read an e-ARC of A Court of Greed and Excess! I know we’re not meant to be tempted by covers, but how could I resist when this title & image spoke to me?! And when I learned it’s an enemies-to-lovers NA fantasy… Well, I’m only human, right? I had to get it!
Neela is, in her own words, a trashbag thief. But when she escapes the mortal world & finds herself in the fae realm, it isn’t long before a one night stand with a fae prince comes back to haunt her. It turns out that Neela is now in direct competition with her hookup for the throne. Not only that, three other fae royalty are also vying for the top spot. Can a human survive the trials for a throne in the Realm of Indulgence? What will happen if Neela places her trust in the arrogant fae prince, Ronan? And can anyone survive the shadows which are starting to appear?
Within this tale, we get characters who are pushed past their breaking point. Emotions overflow, because there’s grief & love tightly woven around all of these characters’ hearts. Zara makes us ask ourselves, what would we do if we made a promise? How could we survive a new realm where nearly everything wants to kill us? And what happens if you can’t trust that the mood you’re feeling is *actually* your own? Friendships are tested while others are forged… If you love enemies to lovers, found family, fae romance, even trials for a throne? You’ll soon be begging for more from this indie author once you’ve read this beauty!
*** Want to hear even more about this beauty? Just head to the link for my FULL review: https://www.immersedinbooks.com/a-cou... ***
A huge thank you goes to Book Sirens & Zara Dusk for letting me read an e-ARC of A Court of Greed and Excess! I know we’re not meant to be tempted by covers, but how could I resist when this title & image spoke to me?! And when I learned it’s an enemies-to-lovers NA fantasy… Well, I’m only human, right? I had to get it!
Neela is, in her own words, a trashbag thief. But when she escapes the mortal world & finds herself in the fae realm, it isn’t long before a one night stand with a fae prince comes back to haunt her. It turns out that Neela is now in direct competition with her hookup for the throne. Not only that, three other fae royalty are also vying for the top spot. Can a human survive the trials for a throne in the Realm of Indulgence? What will happen if Neela places her trust in the arrogant fae prince, Ronan? And can anyone survive the shadows which are starting to appear?
Within this tale, we get characters who are pushed past their breaking point. Emotions overflow, because there’s grief & love tightly woven around all of these characters’ hearts. Zara makes us ask ourselves, what would we do if we made a promise? How could we survive a new realm where nearly everything wants to kill us? And what happens if you can’t trust that the mood you’re feeling is *actually* your own? Friendships are tested while others are forged… If you love enemies to lovers, found family, fae romance, even trials for a throne? You’ll soon be begging for more from this indie author once you’ve read this beauty!
*** Want to hear even more about this beauty? Just head to the link for my FULL review: https://www.immersedinbooks.com/a-cou... ***
July 12, 2023
The premise was promising, so I requested a copy of the title. I wished the story had more developmental edits or someone to review the plot/storyline.
The summary/blurb is a tad misleading - no heirs/fae want Neela's (FMC) throne. Ronan (MMC) made a pact that he wouldn't let her have the throne. The others have their own thrones; they don't want hers and would prefer it stay empty. So there is no fighting over thrones in the sense that someone else is trying to claim it, only just not have her own it. There isn't one throne to rule them all.
Also, this seems like it was derived from Zodiac Academy with a different vibe? With the heirs, the throne "drama," the heir that didn't know they were fae and was raised/orphaned in the human world, and even shadow creatures - oh, and then getting 'revenge' when she gets her powers (obviously, more powerful than them).
I kept forgetting that these characters were adults. They were very teenager-esque in the way this is written. Which is fine for the fae heirs, because they have a huge lifespan, and being in their twenties IS probably a child...but Neela is nearly twenty-five.
There was a lot of "I cocked my hip out," or something along those lines, whenever she wanted to purposely be annoying? The enemies-to-lovers happened on and off for about 50%, and didn't really lay any groundwork as to why they were even lovers - other than the whole one-night thing.
There were just things that really needed to be fleshed out. The story could have been so much better if there was more information, less "telling" in actions/emotions, and some character/connections ironed out.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
The summary/blurb is a tad misleading - no heirs/fae want Neela's (FMC) throne. Ronan (MMC) made a pact that he wouldn't let her have the throne. The others have their own thrones; they don't want hers and would prefer it stay empty. So there is no fighting over thrones in the sense that someone else is trying to claim it, only just not have her own it. There isn't one throne to rule them all.
Also, this seems like it was derived from Zodiac Academy with a different vibe? With the heirs, the throne "drama," the heir that didn't know they were fae and was raised/orphaned in the human world, and even shadow creatures - oh, and then getting 'revenge' when she gets her powers (obviously, more powerful than them).
I kept forgetting that these characters were adults. They were very teenager-esque in the way this is written. Which is fine for the fae heirs, because they have a huge lifespan, and being in their twenties IS probably a child...but Neela is nearly twenty-five.
There was a lot of "I cocked my hip out," or something along those lines, whenever she wanted to purposely be annoying? The enemies-to-lovers happened on and off for about 50%, and didn't really lay any groundwork as to why they were even lovers - other than the whole one-night thing.
There were just things that really needed to be fleshed out. The story could have been so much better if there was more information, less "telling" in actions/emotions, and some character/connections ironed out.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
May 4, 2023
3⭐️
I was lucky enough to receive an advanced copy of this book in exchange for a review so here we go!
I was very excited about this book after reading the blurb. The tropes fae smut, found family, bully loves her, one-night stand disaster, trials for the throne, touch her and die and enemies to lovers is right up my alley. In a lot of ways it has met my expectations - the book has heavy world building, an interesting plot line, dark romance, a little bit of spice and generally has a lot of potential. The inclusion of Gaia also feels right to me, the true enemy (Shadowwalkers) was also set up nicely.
There are a few things worth mentioning though, there are a lot of important plot points that are being skipped over which made it difficult to follow at times. Partially I think this has to do with the length of the book, for a high fantasy book I think it would be more beneficial to have it be a bit longer so that details can be fleshed out more. In addition, the romance developed too fast in my opinion. One chapter they were intimate in public, the next he broke her ankles, then he told her he would die for her, and then he told her he loved her. It was all a bit too fast, I love a tumultuous enemies-to-lovers trope, but this was too fast for me. I do love a slow burn haha.
In summary, this book is great but could use a bit ‘more’. More pages, more details, more character development. The idea of the book is amazing, and I’m so excited to see how this series turns out. The plot has such potential and the trials can be super interesting. But I would like for the next book to be a bit longer and more detailed.
I was lucky enough to receive an advanced copy of this book in exchange for a review so here we go!
I was very excited about this book after reading the blurb. The tropes fae smut, found family, bully loves her, one-night stand disaster, trials for the throne, touch her and die and enemies to lovers is right up my alley. In a lot of ways it has met my expectations - the book has heavy world building, an interesting plot line, dark romance, a little bit of spice and generally has a lot of potential. The inclusion of Gaia also feels right to me, the true enemy (Shadowwalkers) was also set up nicely.
There are a few things worth mentioning though, there are a lot of important plot points that are being skipped over which made it difficult to follow at times. Partially I think this has to do with the length of the book, for a high fantasy book I think it would be more beneficial to have it be a bit longer so that details can be fleshed out more. In addition, the romance developed too fast in my opinion. One chapter they were intimate in public, the next he broke her ankles, then he told her he would die for her, and then he told her he loved her. It was all a bit too fast, I love a tumultuous enemies-to-lovers trope, but this was too fast for me. I do love a slow burn haha.
In summary, this book is great but could use a bit ‘more’. More pages, more details, more character development. The idea of the book is amazing, and I’m so excited to see how this series turns out. The plot has such potential and the trials can be super interesting. But I would like for the next book to be a bit longer and more detailed.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 22, 2023
A great all rounder. An interesting journey for Neela, transcending from the bad-ass end of the universe in her own world, under threat and living on her wits, then she is trapped into crossing the boundary into another world within he world.
The rules are different
The people may be up-market but man of the rough end of town rules still apply.
Neela finds herself playing a role, and trying to foo and kid the royalty of her new world, just to stay alive for now. But there are a number of surprises to come that will turn everything she knows and thinks upside down.
There are a number of important characters to meet and a large number of story lines and hidden tactics. There is an interesting romantic story line that leaves the reader shouting at the screen for them to cop on, as the writing directs us. The romance element sufficiently warm and sufficient quantity to satisfy people looking for a level of smut in a story, but not so much to turn away people after a fun, well thought out fantasy yarn.
This is a very well put together story, very well balanced to attract a large audience base, and leave them satisfied as they get to the end. Most importantly. it left me wanting a book 2 at least. There is so much more to explore with the group of friends, many avenues to follow.
So its a great story that easy to follow, but has many curved balls and twists and turns. It is well worth a read. I thoroughly enjoyed the style of writing, very well paced.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
The rules are different
The people may be up-market but man of the rough end of town rules still apply.
Neela finds herself playing a role, and trying to foo and kid the royalty of her new world, just to stay alive for now. But there are a number of surprises to come that will turn everything she knows and thinks upside down.
There are a number of important characters to meet and a large number of story lines and hidden tactics. There is an interesting romantic story line that leaves the reader shouting at the screen for them to cop on, as the writing directs us. The romance element sufficiently warm and sufficient quantity to satisfy people looking for a level of smut in a story, but not so much to turn away people after a fun, well thought out fantasy yarn.
This is a very well put together story, very well balanced to attract a large audience base, and leave them satisfied as they get to the end. Most importantly. it left me wanting a book 2 at least. There is so much more to explore with the group of friends, many avenues to follow.
So its a great story that easy to follow, but has many curved balls and twists and turns. It is well worth a read. I thoroughly enjoyed the style of writing, very well paced.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
May 17, 2023
*3.5🌟*
I feel like this book has so much potential. The tropes tick a lot of my boxes and I was excited to read it.
-fae
-spice (2 🌶️)
-touch her and die
-enemies to lovers
But this book was really fast paced. The two MCS emotions and actions were all over the place. Like toxic one day and then puppy love/ tearing each others clothes off the next day. The spice was ok, the first experience is in a public bar, they say a few sentences to Each other, and then she just dips. It was a lot of jumping back and forth. The world building and plot could use a little more meat to it. The potential is there, but I just wanted more. More of a background as to why her brother didn’t want her on the throne, was there a prophecy or was it his own greed thinking she would come back before he died? If the fae use “heir” and “contender” interchangeably how does that really count as a loophole? He looses everything and then Neela ultimately becomes a sugar momma? I am interested to see how this series plays out though. The shadow walkers seem to have no weakness and the faes only defense are lights but that doesn’t destroy them. Out of all of the characters I think Leif is my favorite, I think he has the most character development and I would really love to see his story develop in the next book. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
I feel like this book has so much potential. The tropes tick a lot of my boxes and I was excited to read it.
-fae
-spice (2 🌶️)
-touch her and die
-enemies to lovers
But this book was really fast paced. The two MCS emotions and actions were all over the place. Like toxic one day and then puppy love/ tearing each others clothes off the next day. The spice was ok, the first experience is in a public bar, they say a few sentences to Each other, and then she just dips. It was a lot of jumping back and forth. The world building and plot could use a little more meat to it. The potential is there, but I just wanted more. More of a background as to why her brother didn’t want her on the throne, was there a prophecy or was it his own greed thinking she would come back before he died? If the fae use “heir” and “contender” interchangeably how does that really count as a loophole? He looses everything and then Neela ultimately becomes a sugar momma? I am interested to see how this series plays out though. The shadow walkers seem to have no weakness and the faes only defense are lights but that doesn’t destroy them. Out of all of the characters I think Leif is my favorite, I think he has the most character development and I would really love to see his story develop in the next book. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
August 1, 2023
I received this ARC copy in exchange for a review- Huge thank you to the author.
I'm giving this a three star review because i feel that this story has the potential to be even better and would most likely benefit from having more editing and beta reads to help flesh out more of the characters and the story as a whole. More so the characters rather than the story because i did like the plot for the most part- if the plot were an engine then it was lacking a turbo to kick it into drive.
For me, the pacing just didn't keep me wanting to turn the page enough.
Overall, the characters in the story I did like and thought they were well written but could have benefitted from just a little more development (meaning the main FC & MC). The supporting, or side, characters were wonderfully written and i love seeing the contrast in their personalities when they congregate together.
Some of the interactions between characters felt forced to reinforce the plot and therefore didnt feel believable in my opinion but as the story continues the relationships feel more real and flow as you'd expect.
With a little more work I think this story has potential and the author has designed her world wonderfully! The imagery painted of the magic system and the location of this world was nothing short of stunning in my opinion.
Thank you again for letting me read this ARC ☺️
I'm giving this a three star review because i feel that this story has the potential to be even better and would most likely benefit from having more editing and beta reads to help flesh out more of the characters and the story as a whole. More so the characters rather than the story because i did like the plot for the most part- if the plot were an engine then it was lacking a turbo to kick it into drive.
For me, the pacing just didn't keep me wanting to turn the page enough.
Overall, the characters in the story I did like and thought they were well written but could have benefitted from just a little more development (meaning the main FC & MC). The supporting, or side, characters were wonderfully written and i love seeing the contrast in their personalities when they congregate together.
Some of the interactions between characters felt forced to reinforce the plot and therefore didnt feel believable in my opinion but as the story continues the relationships feel more real and flow as you'd expect.
With a little more work I think this story has potential and the author has designed her world wonderfully! The imagery painted of the magic system and the location of this world was nothing short of stunning in my opinion.
Thank you again for letting me read this ARC ☺️
May 31, 2023
A Court of Greed and Excess is Book one of, and an excellent start to, the Royal Fae of Arathay series.
Finding out that she is a princess is a surprise that Neela wasn't expecting when she ended up in the world of the fae. Finding out that she would have to fight for the throne was nothing new, she'd been fighting to survive for most of her life. Finding out that Ronan, the hot hookup from the night before is a prince and ready to fight her for the throne...well, every girl needs a challenge, right?
This is my first book from this author but not the last. I am interested to see what the author brings us in future books. I feel like the world-building in book one could have been fleshed out a bit more but may have been purposely left in order to have something to add to book two. Readers who enjoy sex and magic and fiesty female leads will enjoy this fast paced read.
Author listed tropes: fae smut, found family, bully loves her, one-night stand disaster, trials for the throne, touch her and die, and enemies to lover.
Author listed warnings: explicit sex scenes, violence, bullying, dubious consent, suicide, kidnapping and abduction, death, and crude language.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Finding out that she is a princess is a surprise that Neela wasn't expecting when she ended up in the world of the fae. Finding out that she would have to fight for the throne was nothing new, she'd been fighting to survive for most of her life. Finding out that Ronan, the hot hookup from the night before is a prince and ready to fight her for the throne...well, every girl needs a challenge, right?
This is my first book from this author but not the last. I am interested to see what the author brings us in future books. I feel like the world-building in book one could have been fleshed out a bit more but may have been purposely left in order to have something to add to book two. Readers who enjoy sex and magic and fiesty female leads will enjoy this fast paced read.
Author listed tropes: fae smut, found family, bully loves her, one-night stand disaster, trials for the throne, touch her and die, and enemies to lover.
Author listed warnings: explicit sex scenes, violence, bullying, dubious consent, suicide, kidnapping and abduction, death, and crude language.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
May 19, 2023
This was a fun book to read! This story has a new take on the magic system that I've not read about before so that was refreshing!
Neela, who is homeless and steals to get by, finds a bracelet that she felt she was drawn to. This bracelet attaches itself to her and then leads her to the Fae realm where she meets Ronan in a bar and let's just say they had a hot heavy first encounter. The bracelet then pulls her to the Floran castle where she meets Liz who says that Neela is the heir to the Floran throne. How could she be though if she is human?
She proceeds to pretend she is a princess and meets the other heirs, one of whom is Ronan. Now she must figure out how to maneuver and stay in the Fae realm or go back to the human realm.
Neela is witty and straightforward. I love this about her. She doesn't take any nonsense from any of the heirs and she knows how to stand up for herself! I love how she grows and learns to make friends along the way
I am very excited to read the next book in the series!
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Neela, who is homeless and steals to get by, finds a bracelet that she felt she was drawn to. This bracelet attaches itself to her and then leads her to the Fae realm where she meets Ronan in a bar and let's just say they had a hot heavy first encounter. The bracelet then pulls her to the Floran castle where she meets Liz who says that Neela is the heir to the Floran throne. How could she be though if she is human?
She proceeds to pretend she is a princess and meets the other heirs, one of whom is Ronan. Now she must figure out how to maneuver and stay in the Fae realm or go back to the human realm.
Neela is witty and straightforward. I love this about her. She doesn't take any nonsense from any of the heirs and she knows how to stand up for herself! I love how she grows and learns to make friends along the way
I am very excited to read the next book in the series!
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
May 25, 2023
This book is a terrific read with a refreshing storyline! It's beautifully written and a page-turner.
This is my first read from Zara Dusk and surely will not be the last as I love her style of writing. It glues you onto your seat and steals away all of your attention.
The storyline was gripping with fantastic characters in it. The main characters of this plot are Neela and Ronan. Neela is fierce and sassy. She radiates determination, confidence, and power. Whereas Ronan is tormented and spoiled as a prince. Despite this, Ronan has a big heart underneath it all. Both were infatuated with one another from the first moment they laid eyes on each other. There is lots to love in this book and I especially enjoyed Neela's witty remarks, adding an exciting rhythm to this plot.
Additionally, there are tons of ups and downs in it contributing to a thrilling journey as a reader.
All in all, it's a mesmerizing tale and an easy read and I recommend it!
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
This is my first read from Zara Dusk and surely will not be the last as I love her style of writing. It glues you onto your seat and steals away all of your attention.
The storyline was gripping with fantastic characters in it. The main characters of this plot are Neela and Ronan. Neela is fierce and sassy. She radiates determination, confidence, and power. Whereas Ronan is tormented and spoiled as a prince. Despite this, Ronan has a big heart underneath it all. Both were infatuated with one another from the first moment they laid eyes on each other. There is lots to love in this book and I especially enjoyed Neela's witty remarks, adding an exciting rhythm to this plot.
Additionally, there are tons of ups and downs in it contributing to a thrilling journey as a reader.
All in all, it's a mesmerizing tale and an easy read and I recommend it!
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
May 30, 2023
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
❗️Disclaimer: This review isn’t to tell the author that they are bad or not. This review is simply based on my own personal opinion of the book. I do suggest you give it a chance before you form an opinion about it and decide whether you like it or not. ❗️
A court of greed and excess is the first book in the Royal Fae of Arathay series. This book had some of the tropes I like the most like Bully romance, enemies to lovers, touch her and you die but in the end I found myself wanting more from the book that we are given. The world building lacked more development to help the reader understand the world better. The characters felt immature and I couldn’t connect with them well. I really disliked Roman and honestly disliked his actitude and pretty much his whole character. I did like the Fae aspect of the book and the story was interesting but this was just not the book for me. If you like the tropes I mentioned I would say give it a chance because in the end everyone’s opinions are diferent.
❗️Disclaimer: This review isn’t to tell the author that they are bad or not. This review is simply based on my own personal opinion of the book. I do suggest you give it a chance before you form an opinion about it and decide whether you like it or not. ❗️
A court of greed and excess is the first book in the Royal Fae of Arathay series. This book had some of the tropes I like the most like Bully romance, enemies to lovers, touch her and you die but in the end I found myself wanting more from the book that we are given. The world building lacked more development to help the reader understand the world better. The characters felt immature and I couldn’t connect with them well. I really disliked Roman and honestly disliked his actitude and pretty much his whole character. I did like the Fae aspect of the book and the story was interesting but this was just not the book for me. If you like the tropes I mentioned I would say give it a chance because in the end everyone’s opinions are diferent.
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