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Mercy
A PRIEST AND HIS ANGEL...
Father Ilya Pavlovich Sokolovis a lonely priest and pariah of his small town. Tasked with killing an injured monster in the woods, Ilya is certain of his death. Instead, he heals the monster’s injury and lifts its curse, revealing a handsome, memory-less man.
Cocksure Danya is a man lost in an unfamiliar world. He struggles to recall his past life, flashes returning as he and Ilya grow closer. Soon, his appearance begins to change once more, but not into a beast — instead, Danya grows into something just like the Sun that Ilya has worshiped all his life.
With complicated pasts between them, the two must work together to deal with the corruption of Ilya's own church, as well as their blooming feelings for one another.
Father Ilya Pavlovich Sokolovis a lonely priest and pariah of his small town. Tasked with killing an injured monster in the woods, Ilya is certain of his death. Instead, he heals the monster’s injury and lifts its curse, revealing a handsome, memory-less man.
Cocksure Danya is a man lost in an unfamiliar world. He struggles to recall his past life, flashes returning as he and Ilya grow closer. Soon, his appearance begins to change once more, but not into a beast — instead, Danya grows into something just like the Sun that Ilya has worshiped all his life.
With complicated pasts between them, the two must work together to deal with the corruption of Ilya's own church, as well as their blooming feelings for one another.
322 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 19, 2023
171 people are currently reading
2970 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 227 reviews
October 26, 2024
This book doesn’t know what it wants to be. It longs for an aesthetic it can’t uphold.
If I wasn’t so opposed to DNFing books I would’ve kicked this one to the curb around page 30.
The writing includes phrases like:
- “what’s with the boob window?”
- “you saved my ass”
- “this fucking blows”
- “what’s the big bad priest going to do to a naughty little boy like me?”
- “my dick is going to retreat back inside of my body if I’m in this cold a single second longer.”
Nothing anyone would say in 1920s Russia. Sure, it’s fantasy, but slang is formed naturally through history with the shift of culture.
If you’re going to add in “take a picture, it’ll last longer” and “this looks like dogshit” you need to give me a good reason.
1920’s Russia. This book includes 152 variations of “fuck” and “fucking”. 90% of them said by the angel. In 1920.
What I’m trying to say is: the author’s ass must be horribly chafed from sitting on that fence. Pick a side.
You can’t possibly deliver horrid dialogue and follow it up with purple prose exposition and descriptors. I will not be swayed by a pretty paragraph about the beauty of a church and the dichotomy of God’s love when the next sentence is literally “you’ve been in a fucking mood. What’s your damage?” or “my balls are about to retreat into my body.” IN 1920
Oddly enough, the grammar used is at its most ye olden days during the sex scenes. Danya will say “fuck” twice every sentence and then whip out a “allow me to ravish you”.
I need a gun.
I assume the writing style was meant to be… comedic? This book desperately tries to make the reader laugh but it comes across as the equivalent of a middle schooler giggling at someone saying “shit”. Get a grip.
Story wise:
5% into the book the characters meet for the first time and already regard the other with a familiarity that’s wholly underserved. How are you going to wake up with amnesia after being trapped as a murderous beast for months and the first thing you do is FLIRT WITH THE PRIEST
I don’t know how old these people are meant to be, but I’ve come across 13 year olds with better critical thought.
24 hours after meeting Ilya is sobbing his eyes out because mother dearest didn’t love him as a child and Danya is comforting him. 24 hours.
There was an attempt at found family. Attempt, keyword.
ROMANCE:
It just happens.
They never interact as strangers, it’s like they knew each other beforehand. We get time jumps off the bat so we don’t see the evolution of it and then suddenly Danya is protective of Ilya and holding him to sleep on page 70. Okay.
A passage:
“Why are you crying, Ilyushka?”
“Because you’re nice to me,” Ilya croaked, lip quivering as he tried to find his words, “And I don’t know how to deal with that.”
This is an adult. A priest. An adult priest in 1920.
At this point I’m just confused.
“You make me feel very special” ????? YOUVE KNOWN HIM A MONTH
I’m going to eat a cactus.
I never pegged myself as a masochist but after reading AND FINISHING this thing I might have to reevaluate.
If I wasn’t so opposed to DNFing books I would’ve kicked this one to the curb around page 30.
The writing includes phrases like:
- “what’s with the boob window?”
- “you saved my ass”
- “this fucking blows”
- “what’s the big bad priest going to do to a naughty little boy like me?”
- “my dick is going to retreat back inside of my body if I’m in this cold a single second longer.”
Nothing anyone would say in 1920s Russia. Sure, it’s fantasy, but slang is formed naturally through history with the shift of culture.
If you’re going to add in “take a picture, it’ll last longer” and “this looks like dogshit” you need to give me a good reason.
1920’s Russia. This book includes 152 variations of “fuck” and “fucking”. 90% of them said by the angel. In 1920.
What I’m trying to say is: the author’s ass must be horribly chafed from sitting on that fence. Pick a side.
You can’t possibly deliver horrid dialogue and follow it up with purple prose exposition and descriptors. I will not be swayed by a pretty paragraph about the beauty of a church and the dichotomy of God’s love when the next sentence is literally “you’ve been in a fucking mood. What’s your damage?” or “my balls are about to retreat into my body.” IN 1920
Oddly enough, the grammar used is at its most ye olden days during the sex scenes. Danya will say “fuck” twice every sentence and then whip out a “allow me to ravish you”.
I need a gun.
I assume the writing style was meant to be… comedic? This book desperately tries to make the reader laugh but it comes across as the equivalent of a middle schooler giggling at someone saying “shit”. Get a grip.
Story wise:
5% into the book the characters meet for the first time and already regard the other with a familiarity that’s wholly underserved. How are you going to wake up with amnesia after being trapped as a murderous beast for months and the first thing you do is FLIRT WITH THE PRIEST
I don’t know how old these people are meant to be, but I’ve come across 13 year olds with better critical thought.
24 hours after meeting Ilya is sobbing his eyes out because mother dearest didn’t love him as a child and Danya is comforting him. 24 hours.
There was an attempt at found family. Attempt, keyword.
ROMANCE:
It just happens.
They never interact as strangers, it’s like they knew each other beforehand. We get time jumps off the bat so we don’t see the evolution of it and then suddenly Danya is protective of Ilya and holding him to sleep on page 70. Okay.
A passage:
“Why are you crying, Ilyushka?”
“Because you’re nice to me,” Ilya croaked, lip quivering as he tried to find his words, “And I don’t know how to deal with that.”
This is an adult. A priest. An adult priest in 1920.
At this point I’m just confused.
“You make me feel very special” ????? YOUVE KNOWN HIM A MONTH
I’m going to eat a cactus.
I never pegged myself as a masochist but after reading AND FINISHING this thing I might have to reevaluate.
February 22, 2024
I was really expecting more from this.
To start off:
The language that Haramaki uses took me out of the story so many times because of how modern it was compared to the 1900’s setting of the novel.
The two main characters did not read like adults at ALL. Instead they read like 16-18 year olds with the insane way their emotions would fluctuate. One second they would be discussing something & within the next second they would be holding back tears or full on crying. Which didn’t make any sense for a 30 year old man.
I also found the reasoning behind the entire town hating the priest to be completely ridiculous. Sure his father was very loved by the town of Velak for being a powerful healer. But it didn’t make sense why they hated Ilya so much. It would have made more sense if there were so many demons sightings & deaths caused by demons that the entire town was living in fear & Ilya was incapable of doing anything about it.
& going off his father being a healer. The magic system & world building was completely nonexistent. Which is fine I guess if the romantic aspect is the only important part of the book. But I had so many questions about the types of Demons that exist, why Ilya wasn’t as powerful of a healer as his father, why there was a Moon God & a Sun Goddess but it seems like the Moon’s children are super corrupt? But we also learned next to nothing about the realm of Eternal Night & Eternal Day.
& sure! Danya & Ilya had cute moments! but the way that their romantic relationship evolved so quickly was giving me whiplash. Especially from Danya, who only seems to fall in love with the people that he’s assigned to protect which gives off “baby duckling imprinting”.
I went into this blind after seeing a snippet on TikTok, thinking that this was going to be a story about a Priest dealing with the religious guilt of falling in love with this divine creature. I was not expecting for this to be an instalove story that seemingly has no plot at all.
To start off:
The language that Haramaki uses took me out of the story so many times because of how modern it was compared to the 1900’s setting of the novel.
The two main characters did not read like adults at ALL. Instead they read like 16-18 year olds with the insane way their emotions would fluctuate. One second they would be discussing something & within the next second they would be holding back tears or full on crying. Which didn’t make any sense for a 30 year old man.
I also found the reasoning behind the entire town hating the priest to be completely ridiculous. Sure his father was very loved by the town of Velak for being a powerful healer. But it didn’t make sense why they hated Ilya so much. It would have made more sense if there were so many demons sightings & deaths caused by demons that the entire town was living in fear & Ilya was incapable of doing anything about it.
& going off his father being a healer. The magic system & world building was completely nonexistent. Which is fine I guess if the romantic aspect is the only important part of the book. But I had so many questions about the types of Demons that exist, why Ilya wasn’t as powerful of a healer as his father, why there was a Moon God & a Sun Goddess but it seems like the Moon’s children are super corrupt? But we also learned next to nothing about the realm of Eternal Night & Eternal Day.
& sure! Danya & Ilya had cute moments! but the way that their romantic relationship evolved so quickly was giving me whiplash. Especially from Danya, who only seems to fall in love with the people that he’s assigned to protect which gives off “baby duckling imprinting”.
I went into this blind after seeing a snippet on TikTok, thinking that this was going to be a story about a Priest dealing with the religious guilt of falling in love with this divine creature. I was not expecting for this to be an instalove story that seemingly has no plot at all.
October 15, 2023
I cannot be normal after this. It’s one of my top reads of the year.
(THANK YOU to the author for sending me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.)
Mercy is the fantastic story of a cursed angel who has forgotten who (and what) he is falling in love with the tortured priest that rescued him.
Ilya and Danya are so raw and earnest with one another that it almost hurts. Their care for another (alongside the chemistry) is palpable and so lovely- especially in contrast to the vile people of their small community.
Ian Haramaki has written a love, a god, and a world that is unforgettably tender and magical down to its core. I was barking at the sky and frothing at the mouth the entire time I read this.
CW: murder, death (including dead loved ones), grief, abusive parent (verbal and physical), bullying, explicit sexual content, homophobia, sexual harassment, corrupt church authority figure(s), violence, murder
(THANK YOU to the author for sending me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.)
Mercy is the fantastic story of a cursed angel who has forgotten who (and what) he is falling in love with the tortured priest that rescued him.
Ilya and Danya are so raw and earnest with one another that it almost hurts. Their care for another (alongside the chemistry) is palpable and so lovely- especially in contrast to the vile people of their small community.
Ian Haramaki has written a love, a god, and a world that is unforgettably tender and magical down to its core. I was barking at the sky and frothing at the mouth the entire time I read this.
CW: murder, death (including dead loved ones), grief, abusive parent (verbal and physical), bullying, explicit sexual content, homophobia, sexual harassment, corrupt church authority figure(s), violence, murder
December 17, 2024
"...despite your fears. I promise… You’ll never regret saving that beast in the woods."
The ending had me sobbing right with Danya.
Beautiful cover, dreamy romance, silly banter, oouuu n Danya busting down the confessional door to get his man.
"You’re my perfect, slutty little priest, Ilyushka.”
“Let me worship you on this altar, Ilyushka.”
The way Danya said his momma okayed them getting freaky on the altar 🤣 (when you find out who his momma is, it's funny)
It was slow and boring at times, but I was entertained.. I needed to know where Danya came from and why he was changing like that.. there's too many unanswered questions for this to be over tho.. What's going on at the capital? Why did Nikolai come for them?? What's their purpose?!? I didn't know this was cliffhangery...I hate not knowing!
I'm also bothered how things were left with the shitty townspeople... I wish they pissed in their soup or something! Their reasoning for hating Ilya was wild... his momma wanting him dead for it?? Really? He was 8! They were cruel.
No cheating/sharing/OM.
Around 50%... After their delicious altar scene and love declarations, we flash back to Danya's life before being cursed. He falls in love with a woman, and there's one on-page mf scene. I fucking hated it. Worse timing for a flashback like that. Killed all my feel-good tingles.
I'll be on the lookout for more in this world.
The ending had me sobbing right with Danya.
Beautiful cover, dreamy romance, silly banter, oouuu n Danya busting down the confessional door to get his man.
"You’re my perfect, slutty little priest, Ilyushka.”
“Let me worship you on this altar, Ilyushka.”
The way Danya said his momma okayed them getting freaky on the altar 🤣 (when you find out who his momma is, it's funny)
It was slow and boring at times, but I was entertained.. I needed to know where Danya came from and why he was changing like that.. there's too many unanswered questions for this to be over tho.. What's going on at the capital? Why did Nikolai come for them?? What's their purpose?!? I didn't know this was cliffhangery...I hate not knowing!
I'm also bothered how things were left with the shitty townspeople... I wish they pissed in their soup or something! Their reasoning for hating Ilya was wild... his momma wanting him dead for it?? Really? He was 8! They were cruel.
No cheating/sharing/OM.
Around 50%... After their delicious altar scene and love declarations, we flash back to Danya's life before being cursed. He falls in love with a woman, and there's one on-page mf scene. I fucking hated it. Worse timing for a flashback like that. Killed all my feel-good tingles.
I'll be on the lookout for more in this world.
April 3, 2025
DNF 50%
Está muy mal construido todo, los personajes, el mundo, el romance. Fue una recomendación de un amigo y yo me sentí interesada por la portada, pero no es lo que busco en libros "chatarra" y definitivamente NO es un libro serio.
Los personajes hablan como típico libro gringo de MM y el mundo es un desastre difícil de imaginar, es como si ni el propio autor supiera qué quería realmente, ya que todo se siente como un revoltijo de ideas y estilos que no cuaja. La sinopsis vende una historia algo seria, pero esto no tiene nada de serio, y para ser un libro "para pasar el rato" le falta acción y sentido del humor.
Está muy mal construido todo, los personajes, el mundo, el romance. Fue una recomendación de un amigo y yo me sentí interesada por la portada, pero no es lo que busco en libros "chatarra" y definitivamente NO es un libro serio.
Los personajes hablan como típico libro gringo de MM y el mundo es un desastre difícil de imaginar, es como si ni el propio autor supiera qué quería realmente, ya que todo se siente como un revoltijo de ideas y estilos que no cuaja. La sinopsis vende una historia algo seria, pero esto no tiene nada de serio, y para ser un libro "para pasar el rato" le falta acción y sentido del humor.
April 18, 2024
DNF at 84%
I can't do it anymore. I was dedicated to finishing this one because it is coming in one of my special edition book boxes, but I can't get through it. I wanted to like this SO badly but it feels like a sloppy mess.
The time period is a mystery. It feels very lamp-lighter-punk, with new tech like radios and cars existing rarely, but the dialogue cpuld be torn out of any modern romcom. It doesn't fit. It makes the characters feel flat and boring. I'm unsure how the author made an angel of the Sun goddess feel like the neighborhood's boring jock bro, but...
Man, I REALLY wanted to like this. I was hoping for so much more and it has a great hook to it. The start is beautifully flavored, and then it falls apart. There isnt any feeling to the world. The words are all said, not felt.
This really is just another typical bl erotica trying to masquerade as a deep romantic fantasy. It just doesn't have the depth.
Like so many of this genre, I think that this could be a 5 star book if the author had an editor team dedicated to helping them reshape it. The ideas are there!! The plot is there!! The execution is miserable. We are having an epidemic of authors paying money for incredible covers, but neglecting to put the same money into the words.
I can't do it anymore. I was dedicated to finishing this one because it is coming in one of my special edition book boxes, but I can't get through it. I wanted to like this SO badly but it feels like a sloppy mess.
The time period is a mystery. It feels very lamp-lighter-punk, with new tech like radios and cars existing rarely, but the dialogue cpuld be torn out of any modern romcom. It doesn't fit. It makes the characters feel flat and boring. I'm unsure how the author made an angel of the Sun goddess feel like the neighborhood's boring jock bro, but...
Man, I REALLY wanted to like this. I was hoping for so much more and it has a great hook to it. The start is beautifully flavored, and then it falls apart. There isnt any feeling to the world. The words are all said, not felt.
This really is just another typical bl erotica trying to masquerade as a deep romantic fantasy. It just doesn't have the depth.
Like so many of this genre, I think that this could be a 5 star book if the author had an editor team dedicated to helping them reshape it. The ideas are there!! The plot is there!! The execution is miserable. We are having an epidemic of authors paying money for incredible covers, but neglecting to put the same money into the words.
January 19, 2025
‘What’s with the boob window’ - said by the angel love interest in 1920’s russia after knowing the MC for approximately 5 minutes. I’m out.
May 10, 2024
i don't have anything nice to say
February 15, 2025
I'll start off by saying that I really enjoyed this book. It's a 4 star read for me (although I am judging it based on the idea that this will be a series...). The 1920s alternate earth russia inspired setting stood out a lot. And then it's built on with a church that worships the sun/moon, solar/lunar magic, monsters, and angels.
On top of that, it had a hurt/comfort slow burn romance that is exactly what I was in the mood for. Ilya and Danya deserve the world after the crap they've been through.
My one criticism is that the super interesting world building was in some places only vaguely explored. That might be intentional because there is a lot of room for sequels. Still, there is so much we don't know that I really wanted to know. For one, the magic system(and especially the way sun priests gain their power)is teased in a way that is begging for flashbacks and explanations.
Overall, I really enjoyed this book. It's one I'll be hoping has a sequel.
On top of that, it had a hurt/comfort slow burn romance that is exactly what I was in the mood for. Ilya and Danya deserve the world after the crap they've been through.
My one criticism is that the super interesting world building was in some places only vaguely explored. That might be intentional because there is a lot of room for sequels. Still, there is so much we don't know that I really wanted to know. For one, the magic system(and especially the way sun priests gain their power)is teased in a way that is begging for flashbacks and explanations.
Overall, I really enjoyed this book. It's one I'll be hoping has a sequel.
Read
January 11, 2024think mid-tier destiel priest dean au on ao3
January 25, 2025
2.5 stars. I'm really sad that this ended up not really working for me. It has its positives, but it just wasn't really what I wanted from an angel/priest fantasy romance. (And I REALLY wanted an angel/priest romance; that whole premise is what got me to pick this up.) But it was badly paced, not very well edited, and I just didn't love the way the story was structured and some of the writing decisions. I did like the romance! The book has lots of good ideas, but they're not well-executed, which left me frustrated and disappointed for what could have been.
This is a fantasy world with a lot of similarities to early 1900s Earth. Father Ilya is a Sun Priest of the Church of the Eclipse, in a small town that hates him. His father, the former priest, was much beloved, and the entire town blames Ilya for his death. When a terrible monster from the woods begins killing villagers, the town demands that he takes care of it somehow, despite the fact that he is a healer, and has no martial experience. But off Ilya goes anyway, and when he confronts the beast, he ends up curing it instead of killing it, and it's revealed to be a handsome man who's lost all his memories. All this happens really early, like in the first 5%. And I was pretty hopeful for the story at this point, but, unfortunately, I didn't love what followed. There was nothing majorly bad, nothing that made me want to DNF, but there were a bunch of little things that added up.
There were parts of the romance I thought were really cute. I liked the dynamic between the characters, and lots of moments were really sweet and sexy. They had some great moments together. I'm REALLY REALLY into the idea of a priest/angel romance, so honestly, my own excitement and enthusiasm were doing a lot of heavy lifting here. Some of the imagery that was painted: top notch! Especially anything to do with the wings. But all in all, I just wasn't super impressed with this, and I'm sad it didn't really work for me.
This is a fantasy world with a lot of similarities to early 1900s Earth. Father Ilya is a Sun Priest of the Church of the Eclipse, in a small town that hates him. His father, the former priest, was much beloved, and the entire town blames Ilya for his death. When a terrible monster from the woods begins killing villagers, the town demands that he takes care of it somehow, despite the fact that he is a healer, and has no martial experience. But off Ilya goes anyway, and when he confronts the beast, he ends up curing it instead of killing it, and it's revealed to be a handsome man who's lost all his memories. All this happens really early, like in the first 5%. And I was pretty hopeful for the story at this point, but, unfortunately, I didn't love what followed. There was nothing majorly bad, nothing that made me want to DNF, but there were a bunch of little things that added up.
There were parts of the romance I thought were really cute. I liked the dynamic between the characters, and lots of moments were really sweet and sexy. They had some great moments together. I'm REALLY REALLY into the idea of a priest/angel romance, so honestly, my own excitement and enthusiasm were doing a lot of heavy lifting here. Some of the imagery that was painted: top notch! Especially anything to do with the wings. But all in all, I just wasn't super impressed with this, and I'm sad it didn't really work for me.
January 11, 2025
Priests learned the will of the Sun, became a source of light and warmth for their communities, burning out their eyes to truly see Her. It was the Moon that granted the strength to protect from the evils of the night. That was where the hunters drew their power from, shrouded in shadow to see every bump in the night.
content warnings: explicit sexual content, suicidal ideation, abusive parental figures, alcoholic parental figures, deceased parental figures, parental violence, homophobia, death of a romantic partner, physical assault, sexual harassment, abusive church dynamics
the cover is so, so pretty - and sadly one of the only things i actually liked about this book. the story itself had potential but felt really flat with almost nothing happening only to then ask myself at the end "okay, so what was this all for?". i don't know.
i really liked the religion introduced (see quote above) but ultimately it just didn't really...work? or at least it was not used as much as a plot point as i would've hoped.
the pacing was AWFUL, especially regarding the relationship of the main couple. sure, i expected sexual content, but...they kissed ONCE and then immediately had sex - and not even well written one at that. most sentences in the sex scenes started with their names which soon became rather repetitive and overall boring.
if the author had focused on the religion they introduced and the obvious religious guilt, tackling all that, rather than the very sexual and possessive as well as obsessive nature of the main relationship, i would've enjoyed this much more than i did.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 10, 2024
truly at a loss of words to even describe how bad this book was. the lack of effort in any part of it was insulting. in story, characters, world building, overall writing. I can’t think of a single nice thing to say about it.
January 25, 2024
2.5 Stars
This book sounded like something right up my alley - and in theory - it was. I enjoyed the story enough- the characters were likable if not more combative for my taste (I think there is a good way and a poor way to write an asshole with a good heart and Danya was somewhere in between those) - and the plot was average.
Now usually, as a Heather myself, I am a fan of all and any Heathers reference. But I gotta say, the juxtaposition of the line “What’s your damage?” under a chapter header of September 16th, 1927… Yeah that’s a no from me honestly.
This really just leads me into the main thing that didn’t work for me in this novel and that is the language. The author built us an entire religion with mythical creatures and demons and placed it in a little tiny town in the woods - but felt the need to tie it to the 1920’s? Now listen, I’m not a stickler for extreme period accuracy - but if you place me in a time setting I am expecting some of the major things to add up. The author did address the choice to have their characters speak in modern language (including pop culture references and slag) and said something along lines of “Because I think it’s funny” - which I have to then ask -
Why? What about it is funny? Because if this story were a comedy or something outlandishly cheeky (Something Spectacular by Alexis Hall did a FANTASTIC job of using more modern language in a way that played up the silliness and really fit the theme instead of distracting from it) then sure... But this book has very serious and dark tones. I personally did not find it funny and instead found myself feeling distracted whenever a modern one liner was thrown in.
This book sounded like something right up my alley - and in theory - it was. I enjoyed the story enough- the characters were likable if not more combative for my taste (I think there is a good way and a poor way to write an asshole with a good heart and Danya was somewhere in between those) - and the plot was average.
Now usually, as a Heather myself, I am a fan of all and any Heathers reference. But I gotta say, the juxtaposition of the line “What’s your damage?” under a chapter header of September 16th, 1927… Yeah that’s a no from me honestly.
This really just leads me into the main thing that didn’t work for me in this novel and that is the language. The author built us an entire religion with mythical creatures and demons and placed it in a little tiny town in the woods - but felt the need to tie it to the 1920’s? Now listen, I’m not a stickler for extreme period accuracy - but if you place me in a time setting I am expecting some of the major things to add up. The author did address the choice to have their characters speak in modern language (including pop culture references and slag) and said something along lines of “Because I think it’s funny” - which I have to then ask -
Why? What about it is funny? Because if this story were a comedy or something outlandishly cheeky (Something Spectacular by Alexis Hall did a FANTASTIC job of using more modern language in a way that played up the silliness and really fit the theme instead of distracting from it) then sure... But this book has very serious and dark tones. I personally did not find it funny and instead found myself feeling distracted whenever a modern one liner was thrown in.
January 6, 2024
1.5 stars
The disappointment I'm feeling is currently immeasurable.
I saw this book recommended on tiktok and on the premise alone I was immediately sold: tortured priest falls in love with a man turning into an angel in a rural Russian inspired town in the 20s.
What I got however was a book that needed at least two more rounds of editing.
I think this book would've benefitted from being set in the modern world, because the language used for dialogues and descriptions read nothing like 'rural Russian town in the 20s' and a lot like 'two teenagers having a crisis in the late 2010s':
"Fuck, I can't think straight with you doing that," Danya gasped.
Ilya laughed and replied, "Can you think gayly instead?"
The two main character also call each other pet names constantly, to the point that every string of dialogue has them calling each other their names even when they are already talking and in the midst of a conversation. Nobody talks like that!
And on the topic of dialogues, they were what really ruined the book for me: they were stilted, sometimes non consequential and made every interaction between the character feel weird and awkward.
I also thought the motivation for the hatred towards Ilya was really weak, as well as anything going on in the plot, which was so sparsely sprinkled in the prose to the point where I almost thought there was no plot at all.
Another pitfall was the romantic relationship: it goes from zero to a hundred so fast I did not even have time to get close to the character as individuals. It was to the point that I had to skip the sex scenes because I was bored!
This is underlined by the inconsistent characterization: Ilya contradicts himself almost every chapter (he also cries in every chapter), and Danya's personality shifts into whatever the book needs him to be.
The intermissions were also put in the wrong place, so that we, the readers, knew more informations than the characters themselves, making third quarter of the book incredibly frustrating.
The last blunder was the inconsistent cultural references, from croissants instead of rogaliki, Ilya ingesting aspirins in, once again, RURAL RUSSIAN TOWN IN THE 20s, and the use of the word misogynist.
All in all, even after all I've said, it's not a terrible story, the author definitely has a lot of potential, but it was not a fully realized book.
The disappointment I'm feeling is currently immeasurable.
I saw this book recommended on tiktok and on the premise alone I was immediately sold: tortured priest falls in love with a man turning into an angel in a rural Russian inspired town in the 20s.
What I got however was a book that needed at least two more rounds of editing.
I think this book would've benefitted from being set in the modern world, because the language used for dialogues and descriptions read nothing like 'rural Russian town in the 20s' and a lot like 'two teenagers having a crisis in the late 2010s':
"Fuck, I can't think straight with you doing that," Danya gasped.
Ilya laughed and replied, "Can you think gayly instead?"
The two main character also call each other pet names constantly, to the point that every string of dialogue has them calling each other their names even when they are already talking and in the midst of a conversation. Nobody talks like that!
And on the topic of dialogues, they were what really ruined the book for me: they were stilted, sometimes non consequential and made every interaction between the character feel weird and awkward.
I also thought the motivation for the hatred towards Ilya was really weak, as well as anything going on in the plot, which was so sparsely sprinkled in the prose to the point where I almost thought there was no plot at all.
Another pitfall was the romantic relationship: it goes from zero to a hundred so fast I did not even have time to get close to the character as individuals. It was to the point that I had to skip the sex scenes because I was bored!
This is underlined by the inconsistent characterization: Ilya contradicts himself almost every chapter (he also cries in every chapter), and Danya's personality shifts into whatever the book needs him to be.
The intermissions were also put in the wrong place, so that we, the readers, knew more informations than the characters themselves, making third quarter of the book incredibly frustrating.
The last blunder was the inconsistent cultural references, from croissants instead of rogaliki, Ilya ingesting aspirins in, once again, RURAL RUSSIAN TOWN IN THE 20s, and the use of the word misogynist.
All in all, even after all I've said, it's not a terrible story, the author definitely has a lot of potential, but it was not a fully realized book.
January 2, 2025
I can't remember why I started reading this book. I think I thought the cover was cool, to be honest. But that just proves the whole judging a book thing, because this book was a mess. It just didn't know what it wanted to be. It seems to be set in some sort of alternative-earth historical timeline, the chapter headings are dated to 1928, which I'm not sure added anything because it certainly isn't written like a book set in 1928 on this planet.
The premise is that a priest of a religion that is not Christianity (but for all intents and purposes might as well be because the vibe is 100% the same) is tasked with hunting a monster menacing a small town in what seems to be AU Eastern Europe, I think. This priest is a kind of pathetic character - lonely and bullied by everyone in the town, pathologically incapable of standing up for himself, he lives a small grey existence, so he goes after this creature because he doesn't care whether he lives or dies. He ends up healing the hurt creature, who turns out to be a handsome man under some sort of curse, who has no memories at all. The story from there is just the priest and the stranger orbiting around each other in the church, falling in love, having sex, and the slow revelation that this person is actually a foul-mouthed angel.
That's not a bad plot, but like, it just did not work. The writing was so irritating. The tone and language is decidedly modern, and it was so anachronistic. It just didn't suit the vibe of the story or the setting, so right from the start it all just felt off. I didn't like either of our MCs, and the chemistry between them was forced. There are a few sex scenes that were just unsexy for whatever reason. The last 20% or so, which represents the climax of the story, was just a series of idiotic decisions and high drama. I had pushed through in order to see how it ended, but when we got there, I just didn't care any more.
Idk. It had potential, but the reality of it just felt confused and garbled. Not a great read for me.
The premise is that a priest of a religion that is not Christianity (but for all intents and purposes might as well be because the vibe is 100% the same) is tasked with hunting a monster menacing a small town in what seems to be AU Eastern Europe, I think. This priest is a kind of pathetic character - lonely and bullied by everyone in the town, pathologically incapable of standing up for himself, he lives a small grey existence, so he goes after this creature because he doesn't care whether he lives or dies. He ends up healing the hurt creature, who turns out to be a handsome man under some sort of curse, who has no memories at all. The story from there is just the priest and the stranger orbiting around each other in the church, falling in love, having sex, and the slow revelation that this person is actually a foul-mouthed angel.
That's not a bad plot, but like, it just did not work. The writing was so irritating. The tone and language is decidedly modern, and it was so anachronistic. It just didn't suit the vibe of the story or the setting, so right from the start it all just felt off. I didn't like either of our MCs, and the chemistry between them was forced. There are a few sex scenes that were just unsexy for whatever reason. The last 20% or so, which represents the climax of the story, was just a series of idiotic decisions and high drama. I had pushed through in order to see how it ended, but when we got there, I just didn't care any more.
Idk. It had potential, but the reality of it just felt confused and garbled. Not a great read for me.
December 7, 2023
I’m like shocked at the lack of world building. I don’t buy that these people are Russian, I don’t buy that they’re in the 1900’s and I definitely don’t buy their chemistry. The characters were so flat that when they got together it was kind of like??? I guess??? I’m like 50% of the way through and nothing has really happened. I wish any of these characters had some personality but they do not! Go girl give us nothing
(Also the whole town hating Ilya makes no sense, especially considering the beast was only terrorizing them for what? A couple of weeks? They were all just made to be hated with no thought put into their individual personalities, it’s super disappointing)
(Also the whole town hating Ilya makes no sense, especially considering the beast was only terrorizing them for what? A couple of weeks? They were all just made to be hated with no thought put into their individual personalities, it’s super disappointing)
January 29, 2024
This was diabolical.
- the setting makes 0 sense
- the language doesn't make sense for the nonsensical setting. modern lingo in the 1900s?
- why is everyone russian? It lends 0 relevance to either points up top.
- no one acts their supposed age
- the magic? don't even get me started
But there are nuggets of potential, unfortunately they're burried under all that crap.
- the setting makes 0 sense
- the language doesn't make sense for the nonsensical setting. modern lingo in the 1900s?
- why is everyone russian? It lends 0 relevance to either points up top.
- no one acts their supposed age
- the magic? don't even get me started
But there are nuggets of potential, unfortunately they're burried under all that crap.
May 4, 2024
mirthless & insulting fluff. does not appear to even be copyedited, much less structurally edited, despite the claims in the acknowledgements. but i suppose if you don't bother to engage with the barest threads of the world you're trying to weave for the audience, what's several punctuation and grammatical errors?
August 31, 2023
*Provided an e-ARC*
AAAAAAAAAA, you are all in for a treat! The romance, the tension, the domesticity, the sex. This is spectacular. You'll never look at breakfast the same way again.
AAAAAAAAAA, you are all in for a treat! The romance, the tension, the domesticity, the sex. This is spectacular. You'll never look at breakfast the same way again.
June 4, 2025
DNF @ P. 232 / 75%
One star. If Goodreads would let me rate it lower, I would. Serves me right for buying a book based solely on the cover.
I HATE DNFing books. Hate. It. But unfortunately, I have to admit when I'm beat, because even thinking about this book makes me physically ill. Pushing to read it has been akin to clenching my hands around broken glass just to prove that I can do it. Could I finish this book if I really wanted to? Sure. But who am I proving anything to? And who is it hurting? No one.
And me.
Dramatic? Of course (it is me, after all). But the writing is so abysmal that I found I was actually recalibrating my brain just to make it make sense. Worse still, I didn't even realize it at the time. It was only when I went back to read an actual book by a skilled author did I notice that I was getting a headache from over analyzing the text, having been swimming through a mental quagmire from translating English into, well, better English in this book. Mercy accomplishes a marvelous feat in that it tells you almost nothing about the world or the characters despite it being a fully fledged novel of just over 300 pages.
Think of your first foray into fanfiction writing in, say, junior high or high school. That same level of quality and attention to detail can be found here. Except instead of lingering on a website, locked behind an email address and password you forgot long ago, this shit got published. Trees died for this, and I'm going to have to live with that guilt for the rest of my life.
But what's the plot?
Father Ilya Pavlovich Sokolov is a Sun Priest.
What's that?
Fuck if I know, and I don't think the author does either. In fact I don't even think Ilya knows, because at one point he announces his intentions to ask the local seamstress about demons, which I feel like should be in his wheelhouse? But I digress.
The people of the village he lives in hate him. Like REALLY hate him, because he is a healer who couldn't save their last priest, who just so happened to also be Ilya's father. Nevermind that he was like seven when it happened. They all think he's a murderer now and tell him they hate him every chance they get. Like, literally. Just walking down the street, minding his own business frequently renders a "Fuck you, Father. We hate you and hope you die." Not even saying good morning first. I think I'm supposed to be offended and sad for Ilya, but it's such an implausible situation to be in, and handled so poorly, that in the end it's comical because people just don't behave this way.
This is the type of character writing I would expect from a 12 year old. Not an (assumedly) adult.
In the first chapter, Ilya finds a monster in the woods and heals it (despite it killing townsfolk, which paints a rather clearer picture on why the townspeople actually hate Ilya) only to find it's actually a foul mouthed angel with memory loss and a massive schlong. The angel and schlong parts are revealed later, mind. Ilya then does the one thing all our mothers tell us not to do with naked men in the woods: brings him home. But Ilya's mother hates him more than anyone else in the town of Who Cares, I Already Forgot, a fact we learn later when she outright assaults him, so maybe she never taught him stranger danger.
Angel man (Dean Danya) seems normal at first. But as time passes his hair color changes. He gets some glow in the dark freckles -
- and, eventually, wings. Ilya is understandably surprised by all of this. What I'm surprised by is how this actually doesn't change a fucking thing about Ilya's life except that there's now an angel fucking him six ways to Sunday every opportunity he gets.
The townspeople still hate him, though not as much as he hates himself (and still not as much as I hate this book). Actually, they hate him more when they find out he's been hiding Danya, because they think Ilya wanted him all to himself. Which is actually true, though not for the reason everyone suspects.
He also can't leave said town because the "Church" won't let him, but if he ditches his post they'll send people to kill him, which feels more costly than bringing in a replacement, but no one's asking questions here so we're expected to just run with it.
Most of this book is Ilya whining and crying; being less priestly and more a piss sack full of self pity. If it were written better, I'd probably care. But because he never changes (even when we're being told he is changing) it just becomes boring. The book cycles through the same three conversations and monologues for the 230 pages I managed to get through:
1) Ilya is awful garbage and doesn't deserve love
2) Danya says he's a good person and beautiful
3) Maybe Ilya isn't so bad and maybe he should learn to let someone love him even if he's scared to
4) See Step 1 Again.
Rinse. Repeat.
Ilya is, and remains, a sad sack of shit.
Danya adds nothing except some growling, sex, and a laser beam that he can shoot out of his head when in Angel Mode. After his identity is revealed to the townsfolk, the Church decides they're going to investigate. Or I at least assume it does. I took out my bookmark and closed it when Danya went through a whole chapter of trying to identify a voice on the telephone because it sounded familiar, recalling whose voice it was, only to forget and try to place it all over again.
See what I mean?
At least a third of this book is rehashing shit that it already told us. Another third is it dropping information on us as if we should have known it already. The final third is the story, or whatever semblance of one the author cobbled together.
Also, everyone keeps talking about Ilya's burnt out eyes, but it's very clear he isn't blind, so I don't know what this means and I'd be lying if I said this wasn't one of the most frustrating parts of this whole damned book.
I have 60 pages left, and truthfully, for as little as that is, I don't think I have the strength to push through. This is garbage. People talk and yet say nothing. The dialogue is so wooden that it'll give your brain splinters. I don't think the author actually knows how to write, and I genuinely wondered several times if this was written by AI for how stilted the prose was. It reads like a bad dub for a bad film, but doesn't possess the charm that would make such a thing acceptable.
Another review labelled this as mid-tier Destiel fanfiction and I think they were right on the money. Priest Cas, Dean angel, just to flip the script for some originality. It's a story that doesn't know where or when it wants to be, (electric generator in 1920's rural Russia?) or what point it's trying to make. It's certainly a pretty book, but the writing doesn't live up to the aesthetic and I should have known better than to be caught up by a pretty cover.
It's not the worst book I've ever read, but it may win the award for lowest effort.
I really hope this author never writes anything again.
One star. If Goodreads would let me rate it lower, I would. Serves me right for buying a book based solely on the cover.
I HATE DNFing books. Hate. It. But unfortunately, I have to admit when I'm beat, because even thinking about this book makes me physically ill. Pushing to read it has been akin to clenching my hands around broken glass just to prove that I can do it. Could I finish this book if I really wanted to? Sure. But who am I proving anything to? And who is it hurting? No one.
And me.
Dramatic? Of course (it is me, after all). But the writing is so abysmal that I found I was actually recalibrating my brain just to make it make sense. Worse still, I didn't even realize it at the time. It was only when I went back to read an actual book by a skilled author did I notice that I was getting a headache from over analyzing the text, having been swimming through a mental quagmire from translating English into, well, better English in this book. Mercy accomplishes a marvelous feat in that it tells you almost nothing about the world or the characters despite it being a fully fledged novel of just over 300 pages.
Think of your first foray into fanfiction writing in, say, junior high or high school. That same level of quality and attention to detail can be found here. Except instead of lingering on a website, locked behind an email address and password you forgot long ago, this shit got published. Trees died for this, and I'm going to have to live with that guilt for the rest of my life.
But what's the plot?
Father Ilya Pavlovich Sokolov is a Sun Priest.
What's that?
Fuck if I know, and I don't think the author does either. In fact I don't even think Ilya knows, because at one point he announces his intentions to ask the local seamstress about demons, which I feel like should be in his wheelhouse? But I digress.
The people of the village he lives in hate him. Like REALLY hate him, because he is a healer who couldn't save their last priest, who just so happened to also be Ilya's father. Nevermind that he was like seven when it happened. They all think he's a murderer now and tell him they hate him every chance they get. Like, literally. Just walking down the street, minding his own business frequently renders a "Fuck you, Father. We hate you and hope you die." Not even saying good morning first. I think I'm supposed to be offended and sad for Ilya, but it's such an implausible situation to be in, and handled so poorly, that in the end it's comical because people just don't behave this way.
This is the type of character writing I would expect from a 12 year old. Not an (assumedly) adult.
In the first chapter, Ilya finds a monster in the woods and heals it (despite it killing townsfolk, which paints a rather clearer picture on why the townspeople actually hate Ilya) only to find it's actually a foul mouthed angel with memory loss and a massive schlong. The angel and schlong parts are revealed later, mind. Ilya then does the one thing all our mothers tell us not to do with naked men in the woods: brings him home. But Ilya's mother hates him more than anyone else in the town of Who Cares, I Already Forgot, a fact we learn later when she outright assaults him, so maybe she never taught him stranger danger.
Angel man (
- and, eventually, wings. Ilya is understandably surprised by all of this. What I'm surprised by is how this actually doesn't change a fucking thing about Ilya's life except that there's now an angel fucking him six ways to Sunday every opportunity he gets.
The townspeople still hate him, though not as much as he hates himself (and still not as much as I hate this book). Actually, they hate him more when they find out he's been hiding Danya, because they think Ilya wanted him all to himself. Which is actually true, though not for the reason everyone suspects.
He also can't leave said town because the "Church" won't let him, but if he ditches his post they'll send people to kill him, which feels more costly than bringing in a replacement, but no one's asking questions here so we're expected to just run with it.
Most of this book is Ilya whining and crying; being less priestly and more a piss sack full of self pity. If it were written better, I'd probably care. But because he never changes (even when we're being told he is changing) it just becomes boring. The book cycles through the same three conversations and monologues for the 230 pages I managed to get through:
1) Ilya is awful garbage and doesn't deserve love
2) Danya says he's a good person and beautiful
3) Maybe Ilya isn't so bad and maybe he should learn to let someone love him even if he's scared to
4) See Step 1 Again.
Rinse. Repeat.
Ilya is, and remains, a sad sack of shit.
Danya adds nothing except some growling, sex, and a laser beam that he can shoot out of his head when in Angel Mode. After his identity is revealed to the townsfolk, the Church decides they're going to investigate. Or I at least assume it does. I took out my bookmark and closed it when Danya went through a whole chapter of trying to identify a voice on the telephone because it sounded familiar, recalling whose voice it was, only to forget and try to place it all over again.
See what I mean?
At least a third of this book is rehashing shit that it already told us. Another third is it dropping information on us as if we should have known it already. The final third is the story, or whatever semblance of one the author cobbled together.
Also, everyone keeps talking about Ilya's burnt out eyes, but it's very clear he isn't blind, so I don't know what this means and I'd be lying if I said this wasn't one of the most frustrating parts of this whole damned book.
I have 60 pages left, and truthfully, for as little as that is, I don't think I have the strength to push through. This is garbage. People talk and yet say nothing. The dialogue is so wooden that it'll give your brain splinters. I don't think the author actually knows how to write, and I genuinely wondered several times if this was written by AI for how stilted the prose was. It reads like a bad dub for a bad film, but doesn't possess the charm that would make such a thing acceptable.
Another review labelled this as mid-tier Destiel fanfiction and I think they were right on the money. Priest Cas, Dean angel, just to flip the script for some originality. It's a story that doesn't know where or when it wants to be, (electric generator in 1920's rural Russia?) or what point it's trying to make. It's certainly a pretty book, but the writing doesn't live up to the aesthetic and I should have known better than to be caught up by a pretty cover.
It's not the worst book I've ever read, but it may win the award for lowest effort.
I really hope this author never writes anything again.
February 19, 2025
A Joyfully Jay review.
2.75 stars
Initially, I was really intrigued by this story. However, after a lot of confusing, concerning issues that I struggled to understand, I kind of hard a hard time focusing as I listened. The hate Ilya endures was so completely disproportionate to any reality I could have imagined, I was really taken out of the story by it. Also, Danya’s character is so anachronistic. He speaks with a peculiar, modern-day dialect, and so his POV and speech confused me often regarding time/place. He’s an absolute potty-mouth akin to a 2020s online troll. This contrasts incredibly with the agrarian genteelism of the rest of the cast. The story also had weird tangents and arcane syntax, making the prose challenging to follow. I liked the magical parts, but they were so infrequent I sometimes forgot that Ilya and Danya had powers they could exert.
Read Veronica’s review in its entirety here.
2.75 stars
Initially, I was really intrigued by this story. However, after a lot of confusing, concerning issues that I struggled to understand, I kind of hard a hard time focusing as I listened. The hate Ilya endures was so completely disproportionate to any reality I could have imagined, I was really taken out of the story by it. Also, Danya’s character is so anachronistic. He speaks with a peculiar, modern-day dialect, and so his POV and speech confused me often regarding time/place. He’s an absolute potty-mouth akin to a 2020s online troll. This contrasts incredibly with the agrarian genteelism of the rest of the cast. The story also had weird tangents and arcane syntax, making the prose challenging to follow. I liked the magical parts, but they were so infrequent I sometimes forgot that Ilya and Danya had powers they could exert.
Read Veronica’s review in its entirety here.
October 9, 2023
*ARC READER*
I LOVED LOVED LOVED THIS BOOK!!! I am tremendously grateful to have been an ARC reader for this wonderful novel. I was planning to take my time and savor this book slowly, but the pages wouldn't let me go. I finished it much faster than I expected because I couldn't stop reading. It is definitely one of the best books I've read this year, without a doubt. I don't usually cry while reading books, and with this one, I cried at least three times. It's incredible that this is Ian Haramaki's debut book because it is absolutely perfect, and I highly recommend it. The characters are incredibly lovable. I know I'll be thinking about Ilya and Danya until the next book comes out. Read it immediately!!
I LOVED LOVED LOVED THIS BOOK!!! I am tremendously grateful to have been an ARC reader for this wonderful novel. I was planning to take my time and savor this book slowly, but the pages wouldn't let me go. I finished it much faster than I expected because I couldn't stop reading. It is definitely one of the best books I've read this year, without a doubt. I don't usually cry while reading books, and with this one, I cried at least three times. It's incredible that this is Ian Haramaki's debut book because it is absolutely perfect, and I highly recommend it. The characters are incredibly lovable. I know I'll be thinking about Ilya and Danya until the next book comes out. Read it immediately!!
May 3, 2024
started out pretty good and then oh boi and then. the whole town hating mr priest was just blown out of proportion, i needed something better to believe they would hold a grudge for such a long time. every single character felt like a caricature (the priest’s mother?). main characters were kinda likable (at first at least) but then i just got so tired of them being oh so dramatic and then worse oh so in love. it didn’t help that they got together halfway through the book and i had to suffer till the end. sex scenes were there ig, not the worst, not the best. felt way too modern at times, especially in the dialogue (i will never forgive them for the bird brain and „bratty slut priest” WHO SAYS shit like that). will not attempt to discuss world building bc the world building doesn’t exist)
July 27, 2023
I got to read an early copy of this book and I'm very happy to say how much I enjoyed it! The banter, the romance, the sheer anger-inducing rage of how Ilya is treated by a small town and the angel that shows him he is worthy of so much love. The character growth, the mystery, and that freaking ending had me so happy. It's very different than other angel romances I've seen out there especially with its setting and world-building with a religion that was so unique. I'm incredibly excited to read the sequel.
October 21, 2023
Arc copy review
!!!Y’all it’s a priest and angel love fest you gotta read it!!!
I loved these characters and the story of this book, they are super loveable and to watch them grow together was really fun and they grow in your heart too. They really both deserve so much better and I am glad that they have each other to remind themselves of that even if they never believe it. I am Ilya protector #1 and will kill for him.
you should read it because the story is good and it’s a great book but once again also you should read it because QUEER PRIESTSSSSSSSSSS
!!!Y’all it’s a priest and angel love fest you gotta read it!!!
I loved these characters and the story of this book, they are super loveable and to watch them grow together was really fun and they grow in your heart too. They really both deserve so much better and I am glad that they have each other to remind themselves of that even if they never believe it. I am Ilya protector #1 and will kill for him.
you should read it because the story is good and it’s a great book but once again also you should read it because QUEER PRIESTSSSSSSSSSS
March 11, 2024
DNF really wanted to like it but couldn’t get past 30%
February 8, 2024
3.75 ⭐️
I throughly enjoyed the beginning of the book. It started strongly. Once I got to the little over the halfway mark it started to drag and then so much happened at the end that just made me angry I more or less just skimmed it; also just so much was happening I was a little overwhelmed. It felt rushed.
I was going to give this a solid four stars because of how much I was enjoying it at first and the only reason a star was taken off was because it’s set in 1920’s when really I don’t think we need a date. 1 because it’s not really necessary and 2 the language did not sound like it came from the 20’s. It was fully today’s language.
Extra stars came off because the ending being rushed. And also the characters got a little annoying to me but maybe that was just me being angry at the pacing.
I throughly enjoyed the beginning of the book. It started strongly. Once I got to the little over the halfway mark it started to drag and then so much happened at the end that just made me angry I more or less just skimmed it; also just so much was happening I was a little overwhelmed. It felt rushed.
I was going to give this a solid four stars because of how much I was enjoying it at first and the only reason a star was taken off was because it’s set in 1920’s when really I don’t think we need a date. 1 because it’s not really necessary and 2 the language did not sound like it came from the 20’s. It was fully today’s language.
Extra stars came off because the ending being rushed. And also the characters got a little annoying to me but maybe that was just me being angry at the pacing.
June 18, 2024
4.5 stars.
i feel insane right now. i took .5 off bc sometimes the very modern phrases mixed with the historical fantasy setting threw me out but not enough that i didn’t still
enjoy what i was reading.
i would die for ilya and danya but they’re also ready to die for each other so i don’t matter in this equation.
more in depth & detailed review to come at a later date.
i feel insane right now. i took .5 off bc sometimes the very modern phrases mixed with the historical fantasy setting threw me out but not enough that i didn’t still
enjoy what i was reading.
i would die for ilya and danya but they’re also ready to die for each other so i don’t matter in this equation.
more in depth & detailed review to come at a later date.
February 24, 2024
"I'm not angry, just disappointed"
---
My theory in this book is that Haramaki role played this online with a friend. In a different setting. And then when trying to make it into a Book, came up with the loosest world and a plot of "everybody hates Ilya", and called it good enough.
Sometimes roleplays need to stay in RP form.
World? Bad.
Plot? If you can call it that; Worse.
Vibes? Gone
Characters? Annoying and Shallow
People rating this 5 stars, I don't understand. I wish I did, it has everything I want in a book, but I would rather read Twilight over again if I wanted an annoying wishy-washy awkward romance.
---
My theory in this book is that Haramaki role played this online with a friend. In a different setting. And then when trying to make it into a Book, came up with the loosest world and a plot of "everybody hates Ilya", and called it good enough.
Sometimes roleplays need to stay in RP form.
World? Bad.
Plot? If you can call it that; Worse.
Vibes? Gone
Characters? Annoying and Shallow
People rating this 5 stars, I don't understand. I wish I did, it has everything I want in a book, but I would rather read Twilight over again if I wanted an annoying wishy-washy awkward romance.
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