The Nightfall Trials

by Jessica Griffin

Centuries of war between the Unseelie and Seelie Fae have reduced the world to a blood-soaked wasteland, unleashing a powerful curse: the Elders’ Hex.
Nights stretch on for weeks, and magic is the only barrier against the terrors lurking in the darkness. But magic is scarce, controlled by the ruthless Unseelie, the rulers of these desolate lands.

Talysse, a human and a daughter of traitors, defies the odds stacked against her. She’s not just surviving the back alleys as an outlaw, but thriving, risking her life in daring schemes and dreaming of the day she can escape this gods-forsaken city with her little sister. But Talysse has a dangerous secret, and one wrong move sends her fragile world crashing down.

When her secret is exposed, Talysse is thrust into the Nightfall Trials—a deadly contest where only the victor survives. She has a plan: avoid other contestants, collect the magical relics, and, above all, survive. But her resolve is tested when the brutal Unseelie Prince enters the Trials. Rumored to have killed his own brother for the crown, he is the very same Prince who sent her parents to the gallows and shattered her life.

As the Trials become bloodier and more unpredictable than ever, the Unseelie Prince and Talysse find themselves drawn to each other in a way that defies their circumstances. Are their fates intertwined by more than mere chance? Have the cruel gods truly cursed and abandoned this world, or is there a greater game at play?

Can a duty-bound Prince and a tormented street urchin defy their destinies before the sun sets forever?

The Elders’ Hex Duet is a dark fantasy with enemies-to-lovers romance that gets spicier, political intrigue, and a world teetering on the edge of eternal night. Recommended for mature audiences.

Genres: Fantasy, Romantasy, Fae, Enemies To Lovers, Fantasy Romance

354 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 13, 2024

Reviews

[L · Rating 1 out of 5]

This was incredibly painful to read and I regret every minute I wasted on this book. The sad thing is that it would probably be at least tolerable with a decent editor. It takes A LOT to to distract me from the immersion I tend to throw myself into when reading fiction. But the numerous typos and grammatical errors, awkward sentence structure, plot errors (though minor), and the fucking weird-as-hell dialogue (seriously, NO ONE speaks like that) made me cringe nonstop. I can’t with this book, and I’m avoiding this author moving forward; it was that bad.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

02.2025 reread - I still enjoy this story. I have the ARC copy from previously and it could desperately use an editor but the story is good at its roots. I am a bit disappointed with the amount of AI artwork prevalent on the authors pages, but the story holds its own.

I've read most everything this author has written. This one is by far my favorite! Seelie, unseelie, deadly trials..oh my!

Already looking forward to book 2
*I received an eARC*

[emmy; fire breathing kitty queen · Rating 2 out of 5]

⭐️ ⭐️ 🌗 2.5 Stars, rounded down.

I had… many, many feelings about this book. Including, but not limited to, the need to throw it at the wall.


📚 This Book at a Glance:
.
⏩️ Romantasy
⏩️ Contest/Trial to the death
⏩️ Thief and a Prince
⏩️ Enemies-to-lovers
⏩️ Medium burn (tension and confusion and angst, but not true slow burn)
⏩️ Kind of love triangle
⏩️ Touch her and die
⏩️ Who did this to you?
⏩️ One bed trope
⏩️ Fae & Humans & Demons (“Shadowfeeders”)
⏩️ Morally grey MMC
⏩️ Animal sidekicks
⏩️ Kind-of post-apocalyptic?
⏩️ Rich, epic fantasy world-building
⏩️ Class Commentary
⏩️ Bad dialogue…

_________________________________

⚠️(Warning: Quotes (& Potential Spoilers) Below)⚠️






I tried so hard with this book, and it really was an uphill battle.


👎🏻 The Negatives 📉

To be totally blunt, it would be easier to use this book as an exercise for English students training to be Editors than market it as a fleshed out, ready-to-well novel.

Students could have tasks set to identify spelling errors, grammatical mistakes, poor dialogue, unnecessary repetition, and small contradictions (for instance, at one point the FMC says she has turned off her light, and in the next line she describes seeing her surroundings in the dim glow of her light…). They’d have an absolute field day dissecting this for a pop quiz.

Behold 🤯: these true marvels of prose that have (somehow) made their way into this final, published version, such as:

“It seems that these Trials just got a lot more entertaining than I have thought.”

“Tendrils of darkness feel their way around the ancient stones. More Sahdowfeeders.”

“Everyone, big or small, serves a purpose. You cannot discard some just because they appear too insignificant for you. You don’t see the whole picture. None of us does.”

“We’re on an empty alley leading to the white mansion glowing with old magic”

“The Shadowfeeders prefer spawning in the Wastelands, but they won’t shy away from a meal trapped in stonework, too. My bruised legs protest when I stand up and summon a tiny shimmering hallo.”
—— [ok, ngl - this one made me giggle. Like, Guten Tag! Do you mean a “halo”, dear author? Or are we speaking German now?]

“He throws me a long, thoughtful look.
His blade is gone. Dismissed. [… , 1/2 paragraph]
Oblivious to my presence, he snaps his fingers and sparks fly into the kindling.”
—— [one moment he’s throwing you thoughtful looks, five seconds later he’s oblivious to your presence… eh?]

““You better take those wet clothes off,” he says over his shoulder.
“I know you cannot resist me, but in Tenebris, gentlemen should buy me dinner before asking for this,” I spit”
—— [and finally, this is the highest quality piece of dialogue in the whole book… do with that what you will.]

Within The Nightfall Trials, we can see quite a complex societal system, with multiple races and two main classes: Humans (peasants tbh), and Fae (basically the royals 👑). Then, we have the Shadowfeeders - evil demons, that seem to be some sort of creative twist on zombies (who can make meta-zombies?)? But, honestly, nobody seems to really know what they are anyway, so I digress… There’s also an ancient vampire dressed up like a child that seems to just be glossed over, and people with magic - who can be either Fae, or human, with no real distinction as to why or who is born with magic across two separate races.

Now, let’s start with our characters. We have our wishy-washy flippy floppy FMC, who really cant decide how she feels about anything. Think she’s certain she’s feeling boiling hot? Two paragraphs later, and it’s ice. Honestly, if I look at her overall she’s a complete stereotype regurgitated of most popular romantasy FMCs (although thank god she’s got some experience and isn’t the virginal maiden waiting to be deflowered.)

And like, either this girl is just plain stupid or is as fickle as a mixer tap. Oh yes, the bad guy says “I promise I had a good reason for murdering your parents and thousands of other people”, and our FMC thinks “oh, well that’s okay that he murdered my parents then, because he had a GOOD REASON (unspecified reason, mind you) I’m starting to understand him 3”

Our MMC, although layered with a somewhat robust backstory and an, at least attempted exploration into his motivations, fell completely and utterly flat. It was like the whole time, the author was on the precipice of making him real and loveable, but never quite hit the mark, so he stayed a cardboard cutout. And he magically, somehow, doesn’t kill our FMC despite being a hundred times stronger than her? And, predictable as ever, this evil murderous man responsible for genocide and mass murder… Oh yes! of course the evil prince secretly rescues human children and teaches them to read and pays them handsomely, rather than keeping them as slaves (which is what the other peers in his court would do!) despite never having shown another kind bone in his body publically.

Their relationship? Boring, forced, and confusing. There was some sexual tension, definitely (the only redeeming feature of their interactions)… but everything else was about as interesting as a wet fish. Honestly, their actions towards eachother had no justification other than “for the plot”, and the inauthenticity left much to be desired.

And our bright, shiny FMC just-so-happens to make another special male friend who immediately wants to protect her at all costs, which is kind of interesting because they’re in a game to-the-death where the only way to win is to murder everyone else…

And our other characters? Well, let’s dive into them in depth… (oh no, I’ve hit an empty swimming pool floor). They were as flat as a pancake; just a sprinkled mention across a few pages that left us with more confusion than anything else. The most interesting secondary character was the weird talking rat that seemed to have no relevance other than to tick the “animal sidekick” trope box.

But what really had me crawling up the walls? The dialogue. As someone who absolutely lives for a juicy bit of banter… My gods, I didn’t know it was possible to reach this level of sucking. I genuinely had to close the book at least ten times in pure frustration. From spelling errors, to poor grammar, to simply “NOBODY FECKING TALKS LIKE THAT.” And for the icing on the cake, every 2-3 lines of dialogue, the characters say each other’s names after each sentence they speak. You’d think they were battling the risk of amnesia, desperate not to forget one another’s monikers… The sheer unbelievability just had me screeching internally.





👍🏻 The Positives ☀️

On the plus side, I was genuinely interested in the plot of this story - which is why I tried to fight so long to give this book a fair chance.

________________________________________

“Why did you save me? Did I infect you with some disease unnatural for your kind, like conscience?”
________________________________________

I am surprised at the amount of times I closed it, then forced myself to open it again (and I really had to hype myself up), just so that I could find out what happened next. I found myself thinking of the storyline at random times of the day, and then groaning when I realised I’d have to suffer through another fifty pages of the driest dialogue known to man, like-the-Sahara-desert-may-as-well-be-an-ocean.

I think the world building, ancient/recent history set-up, and idea for re magic system was intriguing. The existing society, power and class dynamics, and overall beautiful descriptions were genuinely interesting.

________________________________________

“Humans don’t have the Unseelie’s sharp night vision, nor their speed and weapon skills, honed by centuries of warfare. What I have is the courage of desperation: the strength of the condemned fighting to flee the scaffold before the ax falls, the strength of a mother dragging her family out of a burning house.”
________________________________________

Unfortunately, I was left with more questions than answers in regards to the magic system - which was frankly confusing and contradictory, however the magic’s basic premise was interesting, and I would like to see it explored more robustly.

The author described many areas of scenery, theory, and characters really beautifully, like painting a really detailed canvas, and I could imagine it vividly.

________________________________________

“The Elders were too cruel, creating the cursed Unseelie so beautiful. And this murderer shines like the first sun rays after a long night, like a green shore before the eyes of a drowning man.”
________________________________________

If I’m being fair, ignoring the spelling errors and grammatical mistakes, during pages with detailed world description I think there are some areas of the book written almost poetically. Elegant world building and philosophical wondering.

________________________________________

“Sunsets are the most dreadful thing. The death of the light is even worse when you know what lurks in the dark, and you hope and pray that you will live to see the sunrise.”
________________________________________

It’s really difficult to review the book as a whole, because there seems to be a lot of up-and-down - and I think I need to mention that there are a few “ups” that deserve some praise. I honestly think that without the dialogue this book had the potential to be a solid 3.5 stars; that is how bad it was.

There are a few pages that could equivalent rich tapestries of colour of scene-setting, and there are some quite cutesy little pondering thoughts and internal monologues from our FMC that I genuinely enjoyed a bit. Like, what a piece of art:

________________________________________

“At the center of the hall stands a long, grand table, its surface a gleaming expanse of onyx inlaid with veins of gold. It’s loaded with an extravagant array of delicacies: roasted game birds, their crispy skins glistening with honey and spices, platters of exotic fruits, and decadent pastries in various shapes and colors. Goblets of Fae wine, shimmering with an otherworldly glow, stand before each guest.
The guests, clad in deep velvets, silks, and brocades, are carried away in conversations; the air around them is heavy with fine perfumes and incense. The women wear gowns adorned with gemstones that sparkle like stars, their hair styled in elaborate twists and braids. It’s such a relief not to feel overdressed anymore. Ayrene knew what she was doing—seeing the cut of the gowns and the hairdos of the court ladies, I easily blend in. Music fills the air, a haunting melody played by unseen musicians. The delicate sound of a harp, intertwined with the deep tones of a cello, creates a symphony that resonates with the very soul of the palace.”
________________________________________

💬 In conclusion… 🧐

Overall, sadly this book let me down. I really loved the descriptive world building and the overarching plot, but the dialogue fell completely flat and our characters were more 2 Dimensional than 3.

With an excellent editor, and multiple drafts of revisions, I think this book had real potential to be a bestseller. Unfortunately, I’m not even sure that it had a single draft checked, given some of the spelling errors that AutoCheck on Microsoft Word would have pulled up…





🔮 Continuing the series… 📖

I actually think I’m going to torture myself and keep reading book two. The plot of this book, however badly written it may be, has genuinely grabbed me by the butt and I’m going to have to go along with it, kicking and screaming, until it’s done.

Honestly, only pick up this book if you want to torture yourself for the foreseeable future. (Unless you have a magical ability to disregard poor writing to enjoy plot!) I’m going to be off crying while I force myself to keep reading this cursed series. 🤣

(I think this book is actually cursed, why do I have to keep reading it despite it being so painful)

[Kez Marie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a gripping story filled with dark creatures, adventurous quests and a journey of survival and secrets. It was like a paranormal version of hunger games with the nightfall trials pitting powerful contestants against each other and them facing monstrous tainted creatures.
I loved the enemy to lover intensity between Talysse and Aeidas, and seeing their bond develop. His vulnerability, protective instincts and 'who hurt you' vibes were on point, alongside his 'touch her and die' and deadly unseelie persona. And I loved Talysse's character, seeing her resilience, determination and powers.
They both have very different reasons for needing to win the trials, but only one can survive. This has great magic systems which I can't wait to see more of, and some fabulous twists! Can't wait for the next book.


"I cannot put my finger on it, but I feel the pull, the undeniable allure of danger and darkness that has brought so many to an early grave"

"When life gives you sour apples, steal some milk, flour and eggs and bake a fucking pie is the motto I live by"

"The thoughts of hurting her disturbs me deeply, it's like a briar rising from the gloomy depths of my soul, it's thorns ripping at my heart, drawing thick, red blood"

"He is the type of man who would drain seas, split mountains, and burn cities for love"

"There's a fire in you. I can see the appeal. But treat with care, fiery human. You've just made an enemy"

"Who did this to you?"

[Book.Wolf · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5/5

I loved every single book of this author, and this book did not disappoint.
The story was compelling and makes me want to read book 2 asap.
The way the author writes the tension between fmc and mmc is amazing. you can almost feel it through the book. And I loved it!

It's action packed and relatable (to a certain level)

So yea I definitely recommend this book.. or any of her books really

[Katt Faëhart · Rating 2 out of 5]

The idea of this book was awesome. But the writing was not it.
Now I’m usually not very critical of a book. I don’t really mind minor plot holes or a bit of grammar issues or whatever. But I do want stuff to make sense. And be believable while still being fantasy.

So let me explain. This is going to contain spoilers.

I immediately knew before even starting that this chick is definitely not some mere human and is probably seelie. Ad surprise! I was right. So she has been surviving on the streets by stealing and helping serve drinks at the bar. So obviously she hasn’t had any fight training or anything like that. But when her bracelet was broken and she transformed into her seelie form she says that she just suddenly knows how to fight. And I’m like….what? How even? She also can just summon a blade because it’s “instinct”. Like sure babe.
Now let’s talk about her bracelet that kept her hidden and human for most her life. Since she put that thing on she has NEVER not once taken it off. Because her mother told her it is supposed to help hide her burn scar. Make it less noticeable. Yet the scar is still pink and very noticeable? And she does not question this. She’s just like ‘ oh it would probably be so much worse without the bracelet’. How do you not wonder or question this? How do you not want to check how bad the scar actually is? Make it make sense.

Anyway moving on to the prince.

Now none of the characters really had any personality. But the prince was just confusing. So he is this badass, murderous unseelie fae. He gets excited by killing. You like the games. Has no mercy. But also he loves gardening. Actually acts like an excited child when they find some mushrooms. Then he tells her how the dryad who practically raised him that all life matters and should be appreciated. So how does this butterfly loving prince also get excited by killing and is merciless but also values all life. I just… I can’t.

Now for their relationship. How can they love each other if they don’t even know each other? Be a they’re mates? But all that time they’ve spent together was just her being scared of him. And him trying to tell her he wants to break the curse. Oh and of course some sexy time. Do they get to know each other really? No. But yet they are in love. And I’m just left thinking about how they don’t even know each other. Like she hates him, fears him and he issued the order for her parent’s execution. But she also now loves him wile also still doubting him. How?

Oh and what is with people saying her name EVERY-TIME they talk to her? Weird.

I think the author has potential. But really this book needs work.

[Christina Yau · Rating 5 out of 5]

This action fantasy/romantsy has it all! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ read for me!

☑️dark creatures
☑️quest
☑️secrets
☑️trials where there can only be one winner
☑️relationships and growth
☑️who hurt you vibes
☑️magic
☑️plot twists
☑️enemies to lovers

I enjoyed the pace of the book and the world building. The magic, trials that pit contestants against contestants then against the creatures was brilliant. I enjoyed watching Talysse and Aeidas relationship develop and the growth. There's loyalty, tests and so much more! I need book 2 like yesterday!

[Beth Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really didn't want to put this down as it had me hooked from the start.

It has everything we LOVE:
Enemies to lovers
Deadly trials
Prophecies
One horse
And our favourie- Who did this to you

OMG, Aeidas had me giggling when he saw the mushrooms, and from there, he can do no wrong in my eyes! He must be protected at all costs.

Talysse was strong and resourceful from the start, which you don't often get. After that twist (IYKYK), I'm looking forward to her learning more and what she can do for the kingdom.

Also, Gale!!!!! Well, I definitely need more to his story.

I'm desperate for the next book already!

I received an ARC for an honest review.

[Terri West · Rating 5 out of 5]

A brilliant read for any fan of fantasy fiction. Jessica creates exquisite worlds with her cleverly written words that take you deep into the realms of a devastated world, destroyed by Fae greed. Then there is the characters, although an anti-hero you can't help but love Aeidas and his protective instincts towards Talysse. Of course, Talysse is a strong female MFC who absolutely grabbed my heart and held on tight.
I am so excited to read the next book in this adventure.

[Dida Andreea · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I started this book I had no expectations. I was just curious. And let me tell you, I regret that I didn't have any because this book would of been exceeded all expectatios. The writing style is amazing. You can smell the smells, hear the sounds, touch the textures, feel the feelings the characters have, you're almost cold, almost hurt, almost flushed with emotions. It's an universe well constructed where you can live for a few hours during reading...and dream about it for a few days afterwards.
I only have one big complaint, where is the second book? 🫣

[Frankie Bell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Could not put this book down! All the twists and turns! Ugh perfect. I’m a sucker for enemies to lovers and this book was chefs kiss perfect!!!! Beautifully written and had me hooked all the way through!!!

[Heather Santos · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an interesting story! It had lots of adventure! From beginning to end I couldn’t put it down! I loved all the characters! Amazingly written by a talented writer!

[Theresa Styles · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book and the way the writing is done sets the scene so well that I felt like I was with the sisters. I felt like this was a twisted play on kinda the hunger games with them facing trials of twists & turns of paranormal creatures. Was definitely interesting. I'll be looking forward to the next book

[Crystal DiBlasio · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enemies to lovers, forbidden love , touch her and die! This book had it all. Snatches your attention from the first chapter til the end. Strong FMC possessive MMC a little spice. Definitely worth the read. Cannot wait to read book 2.

[Lilimomlovesbooks · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book had a bit of a slow start for me and confused me a little, but once I got more into the story, it gripped me and wouldn't let me go. Great characters and story!

[Stephanie · Rating 2 out of 5]

I fully intended to give this one star until the very end, when my interest was piqued enough that I decided to try book two, even if I have to speedread it.

My issue with this book isn't the plot itself (although it - and the romance - certainly would have benefited from a bit more fleshing out) but the writing, which is atrocious. I'm seeing a growing trend in some KU books that goes far beyond the basic typos typical of many (but not all) self-pubbed books. I'm seeing convoluted and confusing sentence structure, incorrect verb tenses, and, more and more often, the entirely wrong word being used to describe something (i.e., decorum instead of decorative)...as if people are letting AI write entire portions of their books for them. Either that or the education system seriously let them down. Please, please, please edit your books, people. You do a disservice to readers everywhere by throwing out subpar work to make a quick buck.

Heat index: two sex scenes.

Profanity meter: occasional harsh profanity.

[Jussie · Rating 4 out of 5]

*******ARC review*******
4.5 ⭐

The Nightfall Trials is the first book Jessica Griffins new high fantasy series „The Elders‘ Hex“.
It's a fast-paced story with intricate world-building and deep lore with attention to detail.

It follows the quick-witted orphaned human FMC Talysse, who is wanting a better life
for herself and sister. Talysse carries magic within her which is forbidden
amongst humans and is „volunteered“ as tribute for the High stakes Nightfall Trials.

🗡️ Action packed from the get go!
🗡️ Full of disturbing creatures and demons out to get you 🧟‍♂️ 🧟‍♀️
🗡️ The vibes of the book can be described as dash of Powerless, a sprinkle of Lightlark, a smidge of
The Hunger Games and with a splash of Phantasma (without the gothic).
🗡️ There is a swoon worthy MMC - Crown Prince Aeidas of the Unseelie 💅🏻

Tropes include
🔪🩸 Who did this to you
🔪🩸 Touch her and die
🔪🩸 Enemies to lovers have to work together
🔪🩸 Twisty twists

Deep down I'm an urban fantasy/Paranormal fantasy girl at heart BUT I really enjoyed this and can't wait to read book 2
Hopefully something from above has piqued your interest and you give this indie author a chance, you won't regret it.

With luck you'll enjoy the story just as much as I did!

[Pam Harper · Rating 3 out of 5]

While the story line was good and had great potential, the writing was clunky and not very polished. Character & world development could have used more attention and detail. Both books in the duology are super short & easy reads so the fuller exploration of the plot, characters, world would not have been a negative....In addition there were may editing errors (sentence structure, missing words in a sentence, etc.) that did not help with the flow. That being said, I did read the second book just to see what happened.

[Melissa Melmch · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is nothing short of amazing!! It is a beautiful story of love, war, loyalty and sadness. I love the FMC Talysse she is a smart strong woman who doesn’t back down from a challenge and who has a great banter with her enemy Aeidas the crowned prince of the Unseelie. I cannot wait to read book 2 this book had me hooked from the first chapter.
Tropes include: enemies to lovers, touch her and die, forbidden love, Quest, soulmates

[Kendra Dawn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Devoured this book!

The only negative I have with this book was that I finished it too fast and now I have to wait impatiently for book two.

Jessica Griffin has an amazing talent for world building in a way that you become immersed almost immediately. This book had me hooked by page one. I love Talks we'd characters and I loved how there were several different characters from different kingdoms but was never lost or confused as a reader. Also Desmond is my favorite. Iykyk.

[Debbie Eyre · Rating 5 out of 5]

The nightfall trials are an incredible read. A gripping and thrilling romantasy read with incredible world building and a fantabulous fmc. Talysse Is strong, smart and has a secret and once exposed she finds herself thrown into the deadly nightfall trials! Enter the unseelie prince Aeidas who’s Talysse’s arch enemy and we find ourselves hooked and on the edge of our seats. Twists and turns, danger, drama, magic and intrigue, I thoroughly enjoyed this and cannot wait for more.

[Sadie P L · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oooooo Just starting to get really good

Omg you can't leave me like that. Slow to start with while story telling, world building and getting to know the characters, love the action and the characters. Really can't wait for the next book, to see what happens and how the mfc is going to act now she knows what she is and clearly what she can do. Sooooo next book Jessica Griffin I need please 🤣🤣

[Christi · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great first half!

I’ve been reading lots of romantasy lately, and there’s a lot of it that is just plain bad. Then there’s a lot that’s just ok. But this story? It’s great! It has a great premise, great world building, and even when you see some of the twists coming, the MMC and the FMC are just great, well written characters grappling with real issues. Thanks to the author for this great book… can’t wait for the second one!

[Gemma Williamson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Defo a 5 ⭐ read in my opinion it's got everything U ever need in a good book Fae and fights and seelie and U seelie and hot spice it's not out until 13th Oct but I already can't wait to read book 2 and find out what happens next it's brilliant and so superbly written all flows together and pulls you right in and you see the images in your mind as well as you read blooming amazing xxx

[MorallyGreyMuse · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have to say, the world-building was pretty cool and very well done. It felt like I was really there, exploring this magical realm. The characters were interesting, too. I'm not normally a reader of fantasy fiction but there were a few twists that kept me on my toes. The writing style was easy to follow, and the author did a good job of creating a sense of atmosphere.

[Nicole Simpson · Rating 5 out of 5]

such a good adventure

There were some minor editing issues. But overall the story was good. I was super confused towards the end when the climax occurred. Without giving it away…based on everything else the mmc had said and believed, I wouldn’t have expected what happened. Anyway, on to book 2.

[Abigail Pulling · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is entertaining with a good storyline, but I strongly suggest the author have an editor look over it. The dialogue does not flow well, many character responses just don’t make sense. There’s also a frequent misuse of past, present and future tense with all three oftentimes being used in the same sentence when they shouldn’t be.

I think this book could be so much better, it just needs another (or a few) round of editing.

[Tarot Vixen · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wanted to like this because the plot seemed interesting, but I highly suspect the author has never set foot in an English class a day in their life. I wouldn’t be surprised to learn that the rough draft was fed to AI for editing instead of seeing a human editor. I finished the book, but I’m pretty sure I suffered some brain damage forcing myself to do it.

[Niki · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF at 45%. The plot was good, but I can't get past the editing. It all feels very "uncanny valley". Tenses changing mid-sentence. Phrases that could work, but somehow just don't. Spellings that only work in other contexts. Flowing descriptions, yet stiff dialogue. I don't know. It just doesn't work somehow.

[Deborah Savoia-Pearl · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved this book. It was the perfect blend of everything I love about romantasy. Magic, intrigue, two enemies thrown together in the trials. Just a great read that I couldn't put down. I very much can't wait to read the sequel.