What do you think?
Saricaeli Saga #1
The Flowered Blade
Crown Prince Silvyr Quilen is the family disappointment. His father, High King Keryth Quilen of Athowen, wanted a son to follow in his image of an elven warlord who rules with no regard for those around him and will do anything to maintain his power. However, the king finds Silvyr's desire to spend his days in the flowers and libraries to be pathetic and useless.
Despite that, Silvyr strives to receive his father's approval. On a diplomatic journey to Xeatia, where he was meant to collect taxes and return with a report on their financial situation, Silvyr is suddenly forced to confront the consequences of his father's actions when the Orcs of Ghizol attack his caravan.
Chief Brokil of Ghizol has been tasked with leading and protecting his people. For years he sacrificed and waged war to ensure the people who voted for him to lead could live in peace. For that reason, the risk was worth the reward. With the approval of the Ghizol council of Elders, Brokil executes his Kidnap the Prince of Athowen Silvyr Quilen and send their ultimatum to the King. Leave Ghizol alone, or have his heir be killed.
Keeping Silvyr as his ward, Brokil finds that while the prince is the most annoying person he's ever met, he is also nothing like his father who carries the name Tyrant King. Absolutely bewildered and exhilarated, Silvyr and Brokil are forced to confront themselves and each other while the looming threat of Ghizol's demands hang over them.
Despite that, Silvyr strives to receive his father's approval. On a diplomatic journey to Xeatia, where he was meant to collect taxes and return with a report on their financial situation, Silvyr is suddenly forced to confront the consequences of his father's actions when the Orcs of Ghizol attack his caravan.
Chief Brokil of Ghizol has been tasked with leading and protecting his people. For years he sacrificed and waged war to ensure the people who voted for him to lead could live in peace. For that reason, the risk was worth the reward. With the approval of the Ghizol council of Elders, Brokil executes his Kidnap the Prince of Athowen Silvyr Quilen and send their ultimatum to the King. Leave Ghizol alone, or have his heir be killed.
Keeping Silvyr as his ward, Brokil finds that while the prince is the most annoying person he's ever met, he is also nothing like his father who carries the name Tyrant King. Absolutely bewildered and exhilarated, Silvyr and Brokil are forced to confront themselves and each other while the looming threat of Ghizol's demands hang over them.
423 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 30, 2024
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 353 reviews
September 10, 2024
When I tell you every fibre of my being wanted to love this book unabashedly… I love cosy fantasy, swoon-worthy romance, comfortably familiar tropes and, best of all, a trans MC in a queer-normative world.
And that’s what I did enjoy: I loved that Silvyr just happens to be a trans man, someone seen for who he is, desired for who he is, loved for who he is, with barely a blink of an eye from the characters around him. There’s always space for stories about the trans struggle, but it’s lovely to read a cosy fantasy where the character just is. Silvyr is insecure, haughty, naïve, beautiful, thoughtful, sexy - never reduced to just his gender. And seeing trans bodies presented in spicy scenes is always awesome.
On top of that, there are some lovely moments. If you like cosy romantasy, this is right up that alley. From Silvyr’s love of flowers, to dreamy descriptions of the orc town, to some genuinely tender moments of romance (think: sitting on a kitchen counter while your love interest cooks a hearty dinner, or lounging in front of a crackling fire).
Then there’s, regrettably, the grammar and spelling. I’m forgiving of the occasional mistake in any book, and especially so in self-published works. I even find myself fond of little writing ‘foibles’ that wouldn’t get through formal publishing’s strict machine. But this book was absolutely littered: 'titled' instead of 'tilted', 'on hand' instead of 'one hand', at such a frequency I found it really distracting. There are random paragraph breaks where they shouldn’t be, whole sentences of paragraphs repeated in barely changed wording. It reads like a first draft that even the author hasn’t proofread – one full of promise but one that, ultimately, shouldn’t be on sale yet without a rigorous edit.
While I thought the spicy scenes were great, they also felt oddly out of place in the flow of the romance. The MCs have sex early on, which is fine, but then proceed to never mention it for the following weeks. They then have sex again and, once more, neither seems to have so much as an inner dialogue on whether their dynamic has changed, whether they’d like to do it again or whether it's playing on their minds. It felt to me like the author wanted a spicy scene every fifty pages or so, which is fine, but I’d have loved to see it make more sense with the characters' relationship development, and for there to be at least a bit of communication around sex between them.
Overall, a book with promise and plenty of heart, but ultimately feels underbaked – I hope the author’s next work is left just a little longer in the oven.
And that’s what I did enjoy: I loved that Silvyr just happens to be a trans man, someone seen for who he is, desired for who he is, loved for who he is, with barely a blink of an eye from the characters around him. There’s always space for stories about the trans struggle, but it’s lovely to read a cosy fantasy where the character just is. Silvyr is insecure, haughty, naïve, beautiful, thoughtful, sexy - never reduced to just his gender. And seeing trans bodies presented in spicy scenes is always awesome.
On top of that, there are some lovely moments. If you like cosy romantasy, this is right up that alley. From Silvyr’s love of flowers, to dreamy descriptions of the orc town, to some genuinely tender moments of romance (think: sitting on a kitchen counter while your love interest cooks a hearty dinner, or lounging in front of a crackling fire).
Then there’s, regrettably, the grammar and spelling. I’m forgiving of the occasional mistake in any book, and especially so in self-published works. I even find myself fond of little writing ‘foibles’ that wouldn’t get through formal publishing’s strict machine. But this book was absolutely littered: 'titled' instead of 'tilted', 'on hand' instead of 'one hand', at such a frequency I found it really distracting. There are random paragraph breaks where they shouldn’t be, whole sentences of paragraphs repeated in barely changed wording. It reads like a first draft that even the author hasn’t proofread – one full of promise but one that, ultimately, shouldn’t be on sale yet without a rigorous edit.
While I thought the spicy scenes were great, they also felt oddly out of place in the flow of the romance. The MCs have sex early on, which is fine, but then proceed to never mention it for the following weeks. They then have sex again and, once more, neither seems to have so much as an inner dialogue on whether their dynamic has changed, whether they’d like to do it again or whether it's playing on their minds. It felt to me like the author wanted a spicy scene every fifty pages or so, which is fine, but I’d have loved to see it make more sense with the characters' relationship development, and for there to be at least a bit of communication around sex between them.
Overall, a book with promise and plenty of heart, but ultimately feels underbaked – I hope the author’s next work is left just a little longer in the oven.
July 11, 2024
5/5. Highlights may contain spoilers. Read at your own risk.
Content Warnings for book: Kidnapping, familial abuse, elements of colonialism and racism, violence, slavery (not between MCs), torture
Kink: Breath play, d/s themes, praise kink
My feelings! My emotions!
I don’t read much fantasy anymore, but I couldn’t resist the cover. I’m so glad I committed because this was SO good!
Brolik and Silvyr were amazing characters and I loved their growth, their connection, and the sex scenes were great too! The world building was really interesting, and I really enjoyed the plot. There were some parts in the middle I felt it dragged on a little bit but overall it was a very enjoyable experience. I loved how expressive and pretty the writing style was without being overbearing or too “purple prose”-y.
The only critique notes I have is that there is some repetitiveness in the middle (with Silvyr’s internal monologue usually), which could’ve been cut down. There was also what seemed to be formatting errors or something because some passages were double-pasted. Otherwise, I have no notes!
I wish I could write more but my brain is mostly AAAAAA because of how good it is.
The trans representation was great, and I’m unsurprised it was written so well by a trans author. I loved reading the author’s note of how writing this helped Hubbard realize his own trans identity. That’s why the queer romance genre is so important.
Please keep writing! I’ll definitely pick up your books.
Content Warnings for book: Kidnapping, familial abuse, elements of colonialism and racism, violence, slavery (not between MCs), torture
Kink: Breath play, d/s themes, praise kink
My feelings! My emotions!
I don’t read much fantasy anymore, but I couldn’t resist the cover. I’m so glad I committed because this was SO good!
Brolik and Silvyr were amazing characters and I loved their growth, their connection, and the sex scenes were great too! The world building was really interesting, and I really enjoyed the plot. There were some parts in the middle I felt it dragged on a little bit but overall it was a very enjoyable experience. I loved how expressive and pretty the writing style was without being overbearing or too “purple prose”-y.
The only critique notes I have is that there is some repetitiveness in the middle (with Silvyr’s internal monologue usually), which could’ve been cut down. There was also what seemed to be formatting errors or something because some passages were double-pasted. Otherwise, I have no notes!
I wish I could write more but my brain is mostly AAAAAA because of how good it is.
The trans representation was great, and I’m unsurprised it was written so well by a trans author. I loved reading the author’s note of how writing this helped Hubbard realize his own trans identity. That’s why the queer romance genre is so important.
Please keep writing! I’ll definitely pick up your books.
Did Not Finish
July 4, 2024DNF 56% because virtually nothing has happened since 10%. also really needs an editor ― lots of typos and several instances where sentences or paragraphs would be repeated successively with different phrasing, as if the author had been testing out different iterations and just forgot to delete the ones they didn’t choose
September 3, 2024
SO GOOD THIS WAS SO GOOD I ABSOLUTELY LOVED IT
June 21, 2024
The Flowered Blade by Taylor Hubbard is a tale of love and security blooming in the most unlikely of places. After Prince Sylvr is kidnapped for ransom by Chief Brokil in his attempt to save his people, the two are forced to reconcile their assumptions and ignorance about each other with the reality of the person they have been forcibly tethered to.
I loved the narrative foils of Brokil and Sylvr, and how they each struggle to balance the expectations that have been placed on their shoulders. The difference between balancing expectations you are born into versus those that are placed on you as a result of your own work is demonstrated through the main characters, and serves their growth well throughout the novel.
The romance at the heart of this book is slow and sweet. Sylvr and Brokil are both characters you can’t help but fall in love with and their growing affections for one another felt so believable and lovely. They recognize and bring out the best in each other; from Brokil recognizing the innate strength and endurance that comes so naturally to Sylvr, to Sylvr, in turn, seeing the kindness and care that lies beyond Brokil's brutish exterior.
At certain parts, the pacing was slow for my taste, and the frequent repetition of the character's ongoing moral dilemmas created some instances where I felt like I was rereading a section I had seen fifty pages before. That said, the ending sequences of the book were a great emotional payout to the thoughts that had been brewing in these characters from the start.
The Flowered Blade is a book full of ruminations on growing beyond one's predetermined fate, seeking self-fulfillment, and the true nature of a person's strength. It's a sweet, spicy, and thoroughly hopeful read!
I loved the narrative foils of Brokil and Sylvr, and how they each struggle to balance the expectations that have been placed on their shoulders. The difference between balancing expectations you are born into versus those that are placed on you as a result of your own work is demonstrated through the main characters, and serves their growth well throughout the novel.
The romance at the heart of this book is slow and sweet. Sylvr and Brokil are both characters you can’t help but fall in love with and their growing affections for one another felt so believable and lovely. They recognize and bring out the best in each other; from Brokil recognizing the innate strength and endurance that comes so naturally to Sylvr, to Sylvr, in turn, seeing the kindness and care that lies beyond Brokil's brutish exterior.
At certain parts, the pacing was slow for my taste, and the frequent repetition of the character's ongoing moral dilemmas created some instances where I felt like I was rereading a section I had seen fifty pages before. That said, the ending sequences of the book were a great emotional payout to the thoughts that had been brewing in these characters from the start.
The Flowered Blade is a book full of ruminations on growing beyond one's predetermined fate, seeking self-fulfillment, and the true nature of a person's strength. It's a sweet, spicy, and thoroughly hopeful read!
Read
March 31, 2025DNF @70%. Yeah, time to pull the plug, this is not sparking any joy for me😔
May 20, 2026
Ah, this was a bummer because the idea was solid and I liked the broad shape of the plot, but the writing overall was a bit rough. A good editor would have made a significant difference here on a few fronts. There was an egregious number of grammatical errors - everything from punctuation issues to misspelled words (even a misspelled name once or twice) to bigger problems like repeated sentences back to back. A decent editor would also have urged the author to reduce the amount of repetition throughout - particularly surrounding Silvyr's thoughts. That repetition in the first half had me constantly checking my progress to see how much of the book was left.
Outside of that there were also a couple plot points that felt not well thought out, and the pacing felt inconsistent. It seemed like the first chunk of the book covered an age even though it was only a couple months. But then the last quarter or so of the book was rushed - it was also several months but in a much more condensed page count. It made sense for the story I guess but I felt it in a way that made it seem not right to me. I also struggled a little with the violence between the MCs in the beginning, but this was a true enemies to lovers situation so it fit - I just struggle with physical violence between MCs when there's a real power imbalance. But that's not this book's fault, it's part of the genre.
That's a lot of problems but I do still think there was a good story in here. I liked both MCs separately and, though there was maybe a little inconsistency to their characters in the beginning, they felt pretty solid by like 30% in. I enjoyed most of the larger plot points and the hurt/comfort moments. I loved all the little domestic routines and Silvyr finally feeling free to be himself (even though he was a literal captive). There were lots of cute little moments and even though it took me a minute to get on board because of how it started, I really did like them as a couple in the end.
I liked that Silvyr being trans simply was. There were a few scenes where it was mentioned but it was very straightforward and it was never a source of angst for Silvyr and there was no negativity from anyone. I was pretty jarred by the fact that the author chose to use female terms for his genitalia but the character himself thought of his body that way so it wasn't an issue for the MC, just sort of unexpected for me to read. I got used to it but it took me a minute to adjust to Brokil calling Silvyr a good boy while also talking about his cunt.
The steam was good in that it very much felt like a reflection of where they were at in their emotional relationship. It was decently hot (despite the unexpected verbiage) but to me it mostly served as insight into what they needed from each other at those points in the story. I do love a blushing brat though and Silvyr was very much that.
I have no idea if this was a debut for this author or what (I didn't even look at the publication date so maybe it's old) but I think a lot more work needed to be done on the writing. The idea was good though so I'd maybe be interested to see what other ideas the author has down the line.
Pet names: boy, Little Flower
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Safety (may contain spoilers)
SA/rape: None. Silvyr was technically a captive for pretty much all of their encounters but not only was he a willing participant, he was the initiator of basically all of them.
Other person drama: None. There is information enough to know that both MCs have been with other people before but no details.
Outside of that there were also a couple plot points that felt not well thought out, and the pacing felt inconsistent. It seemed like the first chunk of the book covered an age even though it was only a couple months. But then the last quarter or so of the book was rushed - it was also several months but in a much more condensed page count. It made sense for the story I guess but I felt it in a way that made it seem not right to me. I also struggled a little with the violence between the MCs in the beginning, but this was a true enemies to lovers situation so it fit - I just struggle with physical violence between MCs when there's a real power imbalance. But that's not this book's fault, it's part of the genre.
That's a lot of problems but I do still think there was a good story in here. I liked both MCs separately and, though there was maybe a little inconsistency to their characters in the beginning, they felt pretty solid by like 30% in. I enjoyed most of the larger plot points and the hurt/comfort moments. I loved all the little domestic routines and Silvyr finally feeling free to be himself (even though he was a literal captive). There were lots of cute little moments and even though it took me a minute to get on board because of how it started, I really did like them as a couple in the end.
I liked that Silvyr being trans simply was. There were a few scenes where it was mentioned but it was very straightforward and it was never a source of angst for Silvyr and there was no negativity from anyone. I was pretty jarred by the fact that the author chose to use female terms for his genitalia but the character himself thought of his body that way so it wasn't an issue for the MC, just sort of unexpected for me to read. I got used to it but it took me a minute to adjust to Brokil calling Silvyr a good boy while also talking about his cunt.
The steam was good in that it very much felt like a reflection of where they were at in their emotional relationship. It was decently hot (despite the unexpected verbiage) but to me it mostly served as insight into what they needed from each other at those points in the story. I do love a blushing brat though and Silvyr was very much that.
I have no idea if this was a debut for this author or what (I didn't even look at the publication date so maybe it's old) but I think a lot more work needed to be done on the writing. The idea was good though so I'd maybe be interested to see what other ideas the author has down the line.
Pet names: boy, Little Flower
He had felt small before, all his life, but on the ground with Brokil lording over him like a statue carved of marble, he was truly powerless.
Silvyr still wouldn’t look at him. Brokil wanted to reach out and grab his face to force him to look. Wanted to poke and prod until he figured out what made the boy burn.
Yes, he decided, he could die between Silvyr’s legs with the taste of ambrosia on his tongue.
He should stop talking. He shouldn't let this man know his weaknesses, or know that he was comfortable here. He shouldn't be. Regardless of where he was, the floor or the bed, he was Brokil's captive. But Silvyr was a fool, and he wanted so desperately to feel like he belonged somewhere.
“Touch me,” he breathed. “Where?” “Everywhere, please.”
“I’m so sorry, Silvyr. I’m so sorry, my Little Flower.” “I don’t want to be away from you again,” Silvyr told him, his bottom lip quivering. “Please, I want to stay with you.” “Then stay with me,” Brokil said, knowing the words should have never left his mouth. He did not regret them. “Stay with me, Silvyr.”
More than the nightmares, I dreamt of you,”
“Tell me you’re mine, Little Flower.” “I’m yours,” Silvyr moaned against his lips, keeping one hand in Brokil’s hair, the other clawing desperately at his back. “Forever. I promised you, and I meant it.” “Forever,” Brokil agreed.
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Safety (may contain spoilers)
SA/rape: None. Silvyr was technically a captive for pretty much all of their encounters but not only was he a willing participant, he was the initiator of basically all of them.
Other person drama: None. There is information enough to know that both MCs have been with other people before but no details.
June 17, 2025
Safety info, content warnings and tropes down below.
It took me quite a bit of time to fully get into this story, as the beginning/almost middle was quite slow. I’d heard a lot of good things about it tho so I kept going. By the second half I was thoroughly hooked, and was so fond of poor Silvyr. He has not had an easy life, and I cried for him so much. One of my favorite character types is prickly-and-defensive brat on the outside, secretly-a-very-sad-boi on the inside, and that is Silvyr to a t.
There is a lot to love here and I felt like the book and the writing improved as it went. The characters were lovely, and the not-so-lovely characters were well written. And of course there’s good trans rep as well.
With all of the things to love, there were also things I didn’t love. I was very surprised by how bad the editing was. Both in terms of straight up typos and mistakes and bigger issues with repeated sentences. You can always expect some typos in books, but there’s a point where you can’t just ignore it anymore. I think if that was cleaned up and it wasn’t so slow in the middle ish, it would be an absolute banger for me.
I loved all the descriptions of the orc city, the meadow, the flowers and horses, and all that good stuff. Made me want to visit a fictional place which is always a good sign. I’m certainly going to try more from this author in the future.
Somewhere between 3.5 and 4 ⭐️
Blanket spoiler warning ⬇️
⚠️ Tropes & content tags ⚠️
Trans MC
Elf prince
Chief orc
Fantasy romance
Size difference
Captor/captive
Bratty MC
Forced proximity
⚠️ Spice menu ⚠️
Secret wank
Quarelling as foreplay
Hand-collaring
Squirting
‘good boy’
Mild spanking
Begging
Multiple orgasms
Wall-banging
Belly-bulging-banging
Sleepy morning sex
Eaten out in a meadow
2.5 🌶️
⚠️ Content warning ⚠️
MC abducted and held captive multiple times
MC beaten on page
Graphic violence
Themes of slavery
On-page murder or bad guy
Injured MCs
Explicit sexual content
MC’s genitals referred to as pussy/clit/cunt
Mild erotic spanking
MC slapping other MC
MC spitting in other MC’s mouth
Alcohol consumption
Mention of past physical abuse
Unsafe sex
Off-page torture of MC (detailed injuries)
Xenophobia
Self-inflicted injury (punching mirror)
Mentions of death of parent (past)
MC verbally abused by parent (past and present)
Past and present whipping of MC (no graphic details)
⚠️Book safety ⚠️
Cheating: No
Other person drama: No
Breakup: No, but separated for months
POV: 3rd person, dual
Genre: Fantasy, romance
Pairing: M/M
Strict roles or versatile: Strict roles
Main characters’ age: 30 and not specified
Series: Standalone
Kindle Unlimited: Yes
Pages: 423
Happy ending: Yes
He pressed his lips tight instead, wondering how it was this dumb horrible brute was managing to make him smile at all.
Did that fucking prince have any idea that he settled roots in the pit of Brokil’s stomach and invaded his senses like a nymph from the realms of fae? Dangerous and beautiful.
Not taking Silvyr’s threat of boredom seriously would be the death of him. Only a few days in the house was all it took for Silvyr to become a complete nuisance.
Regardless of where he was, the floor or the bed, he was Brokil's captive. But Silvyr was a fool, and he wanted so desperately to feel like he belonged somewhere.
You can find most of my reviews on Instagram as well: https://www.instagram.com/booksafety?...
It took me quite a bit of time to fully get into this story, as the beginning/almost middle was quite slow. I’d heard a lot of good things about it tho so I kept going. By the second half I was thoroughly hooked, and was so fond of poor Silvyr. He has not had an easy life, and I cried for him so much. One of my favorite character types is prickly-and-defensive brat on the outside, secretly-a-very-sad-boi on the inside, and that is Silvyr to a t.
There is a lot to love here and I felt like the book and the writing improved as it went. The characters were lovely, and the not-so-lovely characters were well written. And of course there’s good trans rep as well.
With all of the things to love, there were also things I didn’t love. I was very surprised by how bad the editing was. Both in terms of straight up typos and mistakes and bigger issues with repeated sentences. You can always expect some typos in books, but there’s a point where you can’t just ignore it anymore. I think if that was cleaned up and it wasn’t so slow in the middle ish, it would be an absolute banger for me.
I loved all the descriptions of the orc city, the meadow, the flowers and horses, and all that good stuff. Made me want to visit a fictional place which is always a good sign. I’m certainly going to try more from this author in the future.
Somewhere between 3.5 and 4 ⭐️
Blanket spoiler warning ⬇️
⚠️ Tropes & content tags ⚠️
Trans MC
Elf prince
Chief orc
Fantasy romance
Size difference
Captor/captive
Bratty MC
Forced proximity
⚠️ Spice menu ⚠️
Secret wank
Quarelling as foreplay
Hand-collaring
Squirting
‘good boy’
Mild spanking
Begging
Multiple orgasms
Wall-banging
Belly-bulging-banging
Sleepy morning sex
Eaten out in a meadow
2.5 🌶️
⚠️ Content warning ⚠️
MC abducted and held captive multiple times
MC beaten on page
Graphic violence
Themes of slavery
On-page murder or bad guy
Injured MCs
Explicit sexual content
MC’s genitals referred to as pussy/clit/cunt
Mild erotic spanking
MC slapping other MC
MC spitting in other MC’s mouth
Alcohol consumption
Mention of past physical abuse
Unsafe sex
Off-page torture of MC (detailed injuries)
Xenophobia
Self-inflicted injury (punching mirror)
Mentions of death of parent (past)
MC verbally abused by parent (past and present)
Past and present whipping of MC (no graphic details)
⚠️Book safety ⚠️
Cheating: No
Other person drama: No
Breakup: No, but separated for months
POV: 3rd person, dual
Genre: Fantasy, romance
Pairing: M/M
Strict roles or versatile: Strict roles
Main characters’ age: 30 and not specified
Series: Standalone
Kindle Unlimited: Yes
Pages: 423
Happy ending: Yes
He pressed his lips tight instead, wondering how it was this dumb horrible brute was managing to make him smile at all.
Did that fucking prince have any idea that he settled roots in the pit of Brokil’s stomach and invaded his senses like a nymph from the realms of fae? Dangerous and beautiful.
Not taking Silvyr’s threat of boredom seriously would be the death of him. Only a few days in the house was all it took for Silvyr to become a complete nuisance.
Regardless of where he was, the floor or the bed, he was Brokil's captive. But Silvyr was a fool, and he wanted so desperately to feel like he belonged somewhere.
You can find most of my reviews on Instagram as well: https://www.instagram.com/booksafety?...
November 1, 2024
Cosy perfection until Mr. Hubbard squeezes your heart in your chest only to put it back together a bit after. Silvyr and Brokil are true enemies, their prejudices against each other slowly being destroyed by their proximity and their experiences together. Silvyr is soft and not made for war. And Brokil is kind and a protector. Them coming together is an absolute delight. The intimacy between them was so beautiful (and HOOOT). Most of the book is quite cosy until the 70% mark when all hell breaks loose, but then we get the greatest HEA.
Extra points for Salthu and Urzul, the warrior and the healer. Love them both.
Extra extra points for the hurt/comfort
And as always, happy trans people living their best lives get all stars. And yes, Silvyr is a trans elf that has a p*ssy and cries and is soft and gentle and caring and beautiful, and has long flowing hair and loves flowers and has been treated like crap all his life for being different (personality-wise nothing to do with his gender) but he is strong and fvcking valid. And I love him.
Extra points for Salthu and Urzul, the warrior and the healer. Love them both.
Extra extra points for the hurt/comfort
And as always, happy trans people living their best lives get all stars. And yes, Silvyr is a trans elf that has a p*ssy and cries and is soft and gentle and caring and beautiful, and has long flowing hair and loves flowers and has been treated like crap all his life for being different (personality-wise nothing to do with his gender) but he is strong and fvcking valid. And I love him.
September 3, 2024
This basically has all of my favorite romance tropes. So after all that sexual tension, court politics, and personal turmoil I fully accepted the cheesy ending and embraced it. I will always love a good emotional slow burn that stomps on my feelings in the way that usually only fanfiction can achieve.
December 30, 2024
I don't normally write lengthy reviews, but I feel compelled to write one this time because this book pissed me off so bad. I desperately wanted to like this book. I was excited for its release, but so far it's just been a disappointment. Right now I'm at page 200 (of about 400-ish) so I'm about halfway through and I'm DNF'ing for now, though I may return to this book at a later date. This is a pretty big deal for me, as I basically never DNF a book even if I'm not enjoying it. Review below:
I want to start by saying that, as far as I know, this is an indie-published book and I'm aware that indie authors have fewer resources at their disposal than authors backed by a trad publishing house. Generally speaking, indie authors have limited access to editors, which is a big deal because an editor can make or break a book. I'm aware of this plight and I think it's admirable that so many indie authors manage to produce impeccable work despite these limitations. I think supporting indie work is going to be the future of publishing, and I intend to continue supporting this author. I think his next book is coming out soon and I do plan on snagging a copy of that to read. "Flowered Blade" may not have been for me, but maybe the next one will be - you never know! That said, this book did not treat me right and now I'm going to talk about it. If the author is reading this...please don't? This review is for me and for other readers, not for you. Thanks!
When this book was announced, I was super excited. I'm a certified orc apologist. Orcs are one of my all-time favorite fantasy creatures and despite their arguably racist origins, I love seeing what this new generation of writers has done to humanize them (think "The Unspoken Name" by AK Larkwood or "The Orc's Treasure" by Kevin Anderson & Alex Nino.) This book was also advertised as having a transmasc protagonist, an enemies-to-lovers dynamic, and a couple other tropes and features I've enjoyed in the past (I was especially excited for a trans MC since I'm trans myself!) Suffice it to say: I went in with high expectations. Those expectations were dashed to pieces almost immediately.
My first (and least important) complaint is that the writing simply isn't good quality. The prose is competent, but barely. It's not totally unsalvageable writing; I've definitely read worse. But yeah, it's...just not good. Full of repetition, ill-fitting descriptors, and language that flip-flops between weirdly stiff and weirdly modern. There are sections where the author uses a description that just doesn't make sense, or one that feels too contemporary for a pseudo-medieval high fantasy setting. The most annoying sections are the passages where the writing feels like it's trying too hard to "sound old" or "sound formal," when in reality it just sounds awkward. If I had to describe the writing style in one word, I think I'd describe it as "lazy." It's not the worst prose ever, but it strikes me as lazy. It reads like an early draft instead of a polished product.
My second (and more substantive!) complaint is that Brokil kind of sucks as a love interest. He's really weird. He's got redeeming qualities, sure - he's clever, noble, and playful - but none of these positive traits make up for how bizarrely he behaves for the 200 pages of this book that I read. Brokil is constantly infantilizing Silvyr: he refuses to call him by his name (which I'll admit makes sense as a subtle weapon of war; it helps the captor resist sympathizing with their captive) and instead calls him "boy," even during sex. When we're inside Brokil's head (this is a dual POV book), he consistently compares Silvyr to a child. In Brokil's internal narration, everything Silvyr does is "childish." According to Brokil, he looks like a child, acts like a child, speaks like a child. And at a certain point, it definitely starts getting weird. These two men, I'll remind you, are fucking. But despite their sexual relationship (which begins VERY early on in this 400+ page book), the language Brokil uses to describe Silvyr (both verbally and in his head) is evocative of adolescence. I'm gonna be honest here: it's not hot. I signed up for smut between two grown men, not a grown man and the guy he sees as an adolescent. Don't get me wrong, this wasn't marketed as an age gap romance and I don't get the impression it's supposed to be one...but so much of the language feels like it's pointing the dynamic in that direction. At best, this feature makes the book feel extra lazy. At worst, it makes Brokil look like a creep. I don't think this was intentional on the author's part, but that lack of intention almost makes it worse.
My third complaint is that the characterization of both MCs feels inconsistent. Their developing relationship and individual character trajectories have been really poorly mismanaged in this book. When Silvyr and Brokil first meet, they see each other as uncivilized killers. We're told orcs and elves don't like each other and that each group sees the other as inherently violent, incapable of kindness and honor, etc. Very run-of-the-mill fantasy animosity (I'm not going to say "fantasy racism" here because honestly the usual high fantasy themes of race and empire are not properly explored in this book, merely gestured towards.) At any rate, they hate each other on sight. Now, you'd think that the natural trajectory for their relationship would lean heavily on the mutual realization that neither orcs nor elves are inherently violent, and that the forced proximity of Silvyr's capture would present the opportunity for this realization to occur. Except that's...not exactly what happens. I'm sure that's what the author THINKS happened in this book, but speaking from a reader's perspective? Nope! My expectation for Brokil's arc was that he would treat captive Silvyr exceptionally well, which would lead Silvyr to question what he's been taught about "brutish" Orcs. But what happens instead is that Brokil doesn't treat Silvyr well, he does in fact abuse the authority he has over his prisoner! Sure, Brokil makes sure the captive is well fed and protected from violence, but he still fucks him. As Brokil's prisoner, Silvyr cannot truly consent even if he WANTS to sleep with Brokil (which, to be clear, he does) because there are some dynamics that negate consent entirely: just as a child cannot consent to sex with an adult, a political prisoner cannot consent to sex with their captor. When Brokil propositions Silvyr, inviting him to give in to lust, it's not hot because it's a blatant abuse of power that both of the characters (and the book itself tbh) are seemingly unaware of. Again, I want to be clear: I'm not a puritan. I can get behind some fun dubcon scenarios in romance books. But for me personally, this particular dubcon dynamic was incapable of actually being sexy because it totally lacked any form of self-awareness. Where is Brokil's guilt? Where is Silvyr's leveraging of sex to his advantage? Ultimately, we don't have the setup for a satisfying character arc here because Brokil IS INDEED just as bad as Silvyr has been taught. The fact that Brokil is the one to initiate sex with his prisoner totally undermines all the work this author has done to characterize Brokil as honorable. By comparison, Silvyr's character arc makes a bit more sense: he's the ill-favored son of a tyrant king; everyone around him believes him to be weak and stupid, and throughout the course of this book, the reader is led to expect that through his relationship with Brokil, Silvyr will eventually come to value himself and finally be seen as capable and clever. The setup for this arc is executed better than the setup for Brokil's arc in that we do see how other characters speak to/about Syl, and through Silvyr's internal monologue we come to understand that this character has very low self-esteem. After being kidnapped by the Orcs, Silvyr is given opportunities to put his medicinal knowledge to good use, which allows him to flourish and gradually improves Silvyr's self-esteem. That said, even this part of the book isn't really functioning as intended because while Silvyr's estimation if himself improves, Brokil's seemingly...doesn't? Sure, Brokil is surprised to learn that the elf prince is curious, precocious, and has real tangible skills - and he STILL infantilizes him! Even 100 pages after Silvyr impresses the orcs by healing Brokil's wounds, Brokil is STILL making comments (both verbally and internally) about how childish Silvyr is, how naive he is, how stupid he is. I am halfway through this book now, and it's still going on! This is really frustrating because I can so clearly picture the relationship dynamic these characters were supposed to have, but we just aren't getting there. This book is one of those rare cases where dual POV actually hinders more than helps the story achieve the desired effect, because being in Brokil's head dismantles good character work rather than adding it. Infuriating!
My final complaint is that the sex scenes are boring. They're not the worst (Wattpad-tier) but they aren't achieving anything. Sex scenes in fiction should be a character interaction before anything else. They can be a character interaction that gets your reader off (as is usually expected with smut), but they do have to be a character interaction! The hottest sex scenes in fiction aren't just hot because the characters make each other cum, they're hot because by the time these people have sex, we the readers should be desperate for these specific people (!!!) to fuck. For a sex scene to truly be hot, we need to know each of the characters involved individually, we need to understand what their desires are, what their fears and anxieties are, what they gain by fucking AND what's at risk if they do fuck. Hot sex has stakes because it's not just two people having sex, it's an exchange of power between two people who want something. The sex scenes in "Flowered Blade" are boring not because they're especially cringe, but because they feel like they could be copy-pasted from anywhere. The characters having sex are Brokil and Silvyr, but they could be anyone! Who cares! Not me and apparently not the author!
I have other complaints about this book, but these are the main ones. I went in expecting tense, politically-charged slowburn enemies-to-lovers. What I got was not that.
I want to start by saying that, as far as I know, this is an indie-published book and I'm aware that indie authors have fewer resources at their disposal than authors backed by a trad publishing house. Generally speaking, indie authors have limited access to editors, which is a big deal because an editor can make or break a book. I'm aware of this plight and I think it's admirable that so many indie authors manage to produce impeccable work despite these limitations. I think supporting indie work is going to be the future of publishing, and I intend to continue supporting this author. I think his next book is coming out soon and I do plan on snagging a copy of that to read. "Flowered Blade" may not have been for me, but maybe the next one will be - you never know! That said, this book did not treat me right and now I'm going to talk about it. If the author is reading this...please don't? This review is for me and for other readers, not for you. Thanks!
When this book was announced, I was super excited. I'm a certified orc apologist. Orcs are one of my all-time favorite fantasy creatures and despite their arguably racist origins, I love seeing what this new generation of writers has done to humanize them (think "The Unspoken Name" by AK Larkwood or "The Orc's Treasure" by Kevin Anderson & Alex Nino.) This book was also advertised as having a transmasc protagonist, an enemies-to-lovers dynamic, and a couple other tropes and features I've enjoyed in the past (I was especially excited for a trans MC since I'm trans myself!) Suffice it to say: I went in with high expectations. Those expectations were dashed to pieces almost immediately.
My first (and least important) complaint is that the writing simply isn't good quality. The prose is competent, but barely. It's not totally unsalvageable writing; I've definitely read worse. But yeah, it's...just not good. Full of repetition, ill-fitting descriptors, and language that flip-flops between weirdly stiff and weirdly modern. There are sections where the author uses a description that just doesn't make sense, or one that feels too contemporary for a pseudo-medieval high fantasy setting. The most annoying sections are the passages where the writing feels like it's trying too hard to "sound old" or "sound formal," when in reality it just sounds awkward. If I had to describe the writing style in one word, I think I'd describe it as "lazy." It's not the worst prose ever, but it strikes me as lazy. It reads like an early draft instead of a polished product.
My second (and more substantive!) complaint is that Brokil kind of sucks as a love interest. He's really weird. He's got redeeming qualities, sure - he's clever, noble, and playful - but none of these positive traits make up for how bizarrely he behaves for the 200 pages of this book that I read. Brokil is constantly infantilizing Silvyr: he refuses to call him by his name (which I'll admit makes sense as a subtle weapon of war; it helps the captor resist sympathizing with their captive) and instead calls him "boy," even during sex. When we're inside Brokil's head (this is a dual POV book), he consistently compares Silvyr to a child. In Brokil's internal narration, everything Silvyr does is "childish." According to Brokil, he looks like a child, acts like a child, speaks like a child. And at a certain point, it definitely starts getting weird. These two men, I'll remind you, are fucking. But despite their sexual relationship (which begins VERY early on in this 400+ page book), the language Brokil uses to describe Silvyr (both verbally and in his head) is evocative of adolescence. I'm gonna be honest here: it's not hot. I signed up for smut between two grown men, not a grown man and the guy he sees as an adolescent. Don't get me wrong, this wasn't marketed as an age gap romance and I don't get the impression it's supposed to be one...but so much of the language feels like it's pointing the dynamic in that direction. At best, this feature makes the book feel extra lazy. At worst, it makes Brokil look like a creep. I don't think this was intentional on the author's part, but that lack of intention almost makes it worse.
My third complaint is that the characterization of both MCs feels inconsistent. Their developing relationship and individual character trajectories have been really poorly mismanaged in this book. When Silvyr and Brokil first meet, they see each other as uncivilized killers. We're told orcs and elves don't like each other and that each group sees the other as inherently violent, incapable of kindness and honor, etc. Very run-of-the-mill fantasy animosity (I'm not going to say "fantasy racism" here because honestly the usual high fantasy themes of race and empire are not properly explored in this book, merely gestured towards.) At any rate, they hate each other on sight. Now, you'd think that the natural trajectory for their relationship would lean heavily on the mutual realization that neither orcs nor elves are inherently violent, and that the forced proximity of Silvyr's capture would present the opportunity for this realization to occur. Except that's...not exactly what happens. I'm sure that's what the author THINKS happened in this book, but speaking from a reader's perspective? Nope! My expectation for Brokil's arc was that he would treat captive Silvyr exceptionally well, which would lead Silvyr to question what he's been taught about "brutish" Orcs. But what happens instead is that Brokil doesn't treat Silvyr well, he does in fact abuse the authority he has over his prisoner! Sure, Brokil makes sure the captive is well fed and protected from violence, but he still fucks him. As Brokil's prisoner, Silvyr cannot truly consent even if he WANTS to sleep with Brokil (which, to be clear, he does) because there are some dynamics that negate consent entirely: just as a child cannot consent to sex with an adult, a political prisoner cannot consent to sex with their captor. When Brokil propositions Silvyr, inviting him to give in to lust, it's not hot because it's a blatant abuse of power that both of the characters (and the book itself tbh) are seemingly unaware of. Again, I want to be clear: I'm not a puritan. I can get behind some fun dubcon scenarios in romance books. But for me personally, this particular dubcon dynamic was incapable of actually being sexy because it totally lacked any form of self-awareness. Where is Brokil's guilt? Where is Silvyr's leveraging of sex to his advantage? Ultimately, we don't have the setup for a satisfying character arc here because Brokil IS INDEED just as bad as Silvyr has been taught. The fact that Brokil is the one to initiate sex with his prisoner totally undermines all the work this author has done to characterize Brokil as honorable. By comparison, Silvyr's character arc makes a bit more sense: he's the ill-favored son of a tyrant king; everyone around him believes him to be weak and stupid, and throughout the course of this book, the reader is led to expect that through his relationship with Brokil, Silvyr will eventually come to value himself and finally be seen as capable and clever. The setup for this arc is executed better than the setup for Brokil's arc in that we do see how other characters speak to/about Syl, and through Silvyr's internal monologue we come to understand that this character has very low self-esteem. After being kidnapped by the Orcs, Silvyr is given opportunities to put his medicinal knowledge to good use, which allows him to flourish and gradually improves Silvyr's self-esteem. That said, even this part of the book isn't really functioning as intended because while Silvyr's estimation if himself improves, Brokil's seemingly...doesn't? Sure, Brokil is surprised to learn that the elf prince is curious, precocious, and has real tangible skills - and he STILL infantilizes him! Even 100 pages after Silvyr impresses the orcs by healing Brokil's wounds, Brokil is STILL making comments (both verbally and internally) about how childish Silvyr is, how naive he is, how stupid he is. I am halfway through this book now, and it's still going on! This is really frustrating because I can so clearly picture the relationship dynamic these characters were supposed to have, but we just aren't getting there. This book is one of those rare cases where dual POV actually hinders more than helps the story achieve the desired effect, because being in Brokil's head dismantles good character work rather than adding it. Infuriating!
My final complaint is that the sex scenes are boring. They're not the worst (Wattpad-tier) but they aren't achieving anything. Sex scenes in fiction should be a character interaction before anything else. They can be a character interaction that gets your reader off (as is usually expected with smut), but they do have to be a character interaction! The hottest sex scenes in fiction aren't just hot because the characters make each other cum, they're hot because by the time these people have sex, we the readers should be desperate for these specific people (!!!) to fuck. For a sex scene to truly be hot, we need to know each of the characters involved individually, we need to understand what their desires are, what their fears and anxieties are, what they gain by fucking AND what's at risk if they do fuck. Hot sex has stakes because it's not just two people having sex, it's an exchange of power between two people who want something. The sex scenes in "Flowered Blade" are boring not because they're especially cringe, but because they feel like they could be copy-pasted from anywhere. The characters having sex are Brokil and Silvyr, but they could be anyone! Who cares! Not me and apparently not the author!
I have other complaints about this book, but these are the main ones. I went in expecting tense, politically-charged slowburn enemies-to-lovers. What I got was not that.
April 14, 2024
In a truly glorious read, Taylor Hubbard has crafted a book that has become so close to my heart, following Brokil, an orc chief and his soft-hearted fae prince, Silvyr, as they overcome prejudice from each of their very different worlds to find harmony.
Journeying through Ghizol with tender but bratty (at times) prince who’s not what everyone wants–or expects him to be–this romantasy standalone presents a full cast of lovable characters that throw up obstacles at every turn. Silvyr was always punished when he wasn’t the hard-willed, sharp-tongued prince his father wanted him to be. However, all Silvyr wants is his flowers, books, and to heal rather than to hurt. And this book does that–it heals, it comforts, it soothes a painful part for those who grew up defying expectations, who craved to be soft and gentle. Being a trans, autistic lead, Silvyr gave me so much comfort. His story made me laugh, weep, yell, and find solace and representation.
Taylor Hubbard has crafted a sweeping landscape with gorgeous world-building, lush romance, humor, and a good dose of angst. Together, this forms a beautiful book that captures the essence of home being a person. Blending captive x captor romance with political intrigue, THE FLOWERED BLADE blooms with lyrical prose, intoxicating dialogue, and a romance to die for.
Once again, Hubbard has proved he is a powerhouse in the romantasy genre, writing books that belong on bookshelves and in the hands of readers who need these stories. THE FLOWERED BLADE is nothing short of a delight–and an ache in some harder scenes which are handled very sensitively–and its one that’s hard to put down. For readers seeking a beautiful and cozy blend of romance, high heat scenes that are VERY hot (Daddy Brokil for DAYS), with gorgeous backgrounds for reluctant love to blossom, TFB is not to be missed.
Journeying through Ghizol with tender but bratty (at times) prince who’s not what everyone wants–or expects him to be–this romantasy standalone presents a full cast of lovable characters that throw up obstacles at every turn. Silvyr was always punished when he wasn’t the hard-willed, sharp-tongued prince his father wanted him to be. However, all Silvyr wants is his flowers, books, and to heal rather than to hurt. And this book does that–it heals, it comforts, it soothes a painful part for those who grew up defying expectations, who craved to be soft and gentle. Being a trans, autistic lead, Silvyr gave me so much comfort. His story made me laugh, weep, yell, and find solace and representation.
Taylor Hubbard has crafted a sweeping landscape with gorgeous world-building, lush romance, humor, and a good dose of angst. Together, this forms a beautiful book that captures the essence of home being a person. Blending captive x captor romance with political intrigue, THE FLOWERED BLADE blooms with lyrical prose, intoxicating dialogue, and a romance to die for.
Once again, Hubbard has proved he is a powerhouse in the romantasy genre, writing books that belong on bookshelves and in the hands of readers who need these stories. THE FLOWERED BLADE is nothing short of a delight–and an ache in some harder scenes which are handled very sensitively–and its one that’s hard to put down. For readers seeking a beautiful and cozy blend of romance, high heat scenes that are VERY hot (Daddy Brokil for DAYS), with gorgeous backgrounds for reluctant love to blossom, TFB is not to be missed.
January 31, 2025
dnf’d @ 25%
not to yuck anyone’s yum but my god this was such a yuck for me
outside of the glaring issues in terms of editing & story composition, i absolutely despised brokil as a character & hated the dynamic between the two leads
i actually quite liked silvyr, but brokil exclusively referring to him as “boy” over & over both as a term of address & in his own POV genuinely made me cringe, not to mention how grossly aggressive & downright mean he is to silvyr throughout
not to yuck anyone’s yum but my god this was such a yuck for me
outside of the glaring issues in terms of editing & story composition, i absolutely despised brokil as a character & hated the dynamic between the two leads
i actually quite liked silvyr, but brokil exclusively referring to him as “boy” over & over both as a term of address & in his own POV genuinely made me cringe, not to mention how grossly aggressive & downright mean he is to silvyr throughout
August 12, 2024
Elf x Orc queer trans smut wasn't on my 2024 bingo card but I here I am.
But honestly this book is so much more than really exceptionally good smut. It's about this elf prince who is kidnapped by this orc leader in hopes of ransoming off and bargaining with the king. Except the orc overestimated how much the king would want the elf back and how annoyingly bratty the elf would be. And the elf overestimated how much he would enjoy living with the orcs and having the freedom which sounds counterproductive since he's being held prisoner essentially.
The two of them very slowly begin to trust each other and to see the goodness in each other even though they've been told their entire lives how terrible the others are. The elf is able to embrace himself and his true calling and to find a place where he actually fits in in the orc is able to find someone to provide for and show his community that leading by example is the most important thing there is.
I don't know how to explain how great this book is. If you don't mind explicit scenes in books, I highly recommend this one. The descriptions of everything are really exceptional but I especially love the descriptions of the top surgery scars. Truly beautiful. 10/10 recommend
But honestly this book is so much more than really exceptionally good smut. It's about this elf prince who is kidnapped by this orc leader in hopes of ransoming off and bargaining with the king. Except the orc overestimated how much the king would want the elf back and how annoyingly bratty the elf would be. And the elf overestimated how much he would enjoy living with the orcs and having the freedom which sounds counterproductive since he's being held prisoner essentially.
The two of them very slowly begin to trust each other and to see the goodness in each other even though they've been told their entire lives how terrible the others are. The elf is able to embrace himself and his true calling and to find a place where he actually fits in in the orc is able to find someone to provide for and show his community that leading by example is the most important thing there is.
I don't know how to explain how great this book is. If you don't mind explicit scenes in books, I highly recommend this one. The descriptions of everything are really exceptional but I especially love the descriptions of the top surgery scars. Truly beautiful. 10/10 recommend
July 7, 2024
The writting is not working for me at all.
Read
August 24, 2024DNF at 56%. Nothing happens after the prince is kidnapped. Also the prince doesn't speak the orc language, but somehow he can read it? Come on.
December 6, 2025
an elf ✅️
an Orc ✅️
one gets abducted by the other✅️
they fall in love✅️
what else do I have to say?
an Orc ✅️
one gets abducted by the other✅️
they fall in love✅️
what else do I have to say?
August 3, 2024
3.25 stars
(Extra .25 bc I love queer people being happy)
I bought this book on a whim bc i loved the cover, its gorgeous and I also love when men have long hair - sue me.
I think Taylor Hubbard has a lot of potential and I will be watching his journey very closely, excited to read anything he puts out. I found the dual pov lacking in the beginning and often found myself forgetting who's pov it was until Brokil would start swearing about Silvyr and calling him a brat in his head, I would've liked a richer distinction but I understand it would be difficult to change writing styles so frequently.
This book was a rather slow read, not that this story is poor or isn't worth it, but it didn't feel like it had a current - I wasn't being pulled forward by anything except I was pushing myself to read it. I also think it would have done better as two novels, splitting the time Silvyr spends in Athowen and Ghizol, I think it would have let us feel those relationships with Azcal and Arlen and love these characters a lot more.
(Extra .25 bc I love queer people being happy)
I bought this book on a whim bc i loved the cover, its gorgeous and I also love when men have long hair - sue me.
I think Taylor Hubbard has a lot of potential and I will be watching his journey very closely, excited to read anything he puts out. I found the dual pov lacking in the beginning and often found myself forgetting who's pov it was until Brokil would start swearing about Silvyr and calling him a brat in his head, I would've liked a richer distinction but I understand it would be difficult to change writing styles so frequently.
This book was a rather slow read, not that this story is poor or isn't worth it, but it didn't feel like it had a current - I wasn't being pulled forward by anything except I was pushing myself to read it. I also think it would have done better as two novels, splitting the time Silvyr spends in Athowen and Ghizol, I think it would have let us feel those relationships with Azcal and Arlen and love these characters a lot more.
March 20, 2025
Audiobook review :)
I am so glad I held out reading this until the audiobook was released.
Excellent narration! No notes. I loved every second of this!
This is what I beg for fantasy genre reads to bring! I want the plot and the romance. And this has both!
I liked how this really came down to politics/royalty shenanigans from each country. I grew to love everyone in Ghizol, I was vibing in the flowers, I was along for the ride. The romance was both emotional intimate and the sex scenes were so hot! We love balance! Bratty prince, flower puns, look at you moments. I loved it!
Check out CWs; there's a very shitty king and some murder and whatnot.
I am so glad I held out reading this until the audiobook was released.
Excellent narration! No notes. I loved every second of this!
This is what I beg for fantasy genre reads to bring! I want the plot and the romance. And this has both!
I liked how this really came down to politics/royalty shenanigans from each country. I grew to love everyone in Ghizol, I was vibing in the flowers, I was along for the ride. The romance was both emotional intimate and the sex scenes were so hot! We love balance! Bratty prince, flower puns, look at you moments. I loved it!
Check out CWs; there's a very shitty king and some murder and whatnot.
Did Not Finish
November 12, 2024DNF at 11%.
I really wanted to like this but it's written so clunkily. It's very 'tell, don't show' and the orc is a massive bully and a dick.
And if i have to see the phrase 'grinned smugly' one more time I'm gonna scream.
I really wanted to like this but it's written so clunkily. It's very 'tell, don't show' and the orc is a massive bully and a dick.
And if i have to see the phrase 'grinned smugly' one more time I'm gonna scream.
April 11, 2025
4.25
What a freaking delight!
I've had this novel on my TBR for ages now, mainly because of that absolutely gorgeous cover and the promising blurb. I'm so glad I finally gave in and read it.
"The Flowered Blade" is an enemies-to-lovers romance between an orc and his captive/held-for-ransom elf (I LOVE CAPTOR/CAPTIVE ROMANCES SO MUCH!!!), featuring forbidden love, a whole lot of hurt/comfort, a even bigger lot of "who hurt you" and the most delicious pining ever! Plus WHEW, the steam.
Also, did I mention trans rep? Because YES! We've got a trans elf prince who'd much prefer to be a healer. And did I mention he's a delight?
I adored both protagonists to bits, but Silvyr, our elf prince, was my favourite. He's a cutie-patootie, absolutely friggin' adorable delight of an elf, with a whole lot of baggage.
He's also stupidly horny 24/7, and I had only respect for him for that. He either wanted to look at flowers, heal people OR climb Brokil like a tree. Only respect for our horny, botanist king 🙏🏻
That aside, I loved him so so so so much! I wanted to jump into the book and protect him. I also wanted to run his father over with a truck. I wanted to whisk him away until Brokil learnt to treat him better too.
Thankfully our (equally horny) orc got with the program after a bit; seeing them slowly learn to trust each other, fall for one another, spend quite a lot of pages being pining fools, was a delight.
I loved their romance so, so much! It had so much hurt/comfort, so much protective deliciousness from Brokil. This book was really written to hit alllllll my buttons.
Also, the steam factor was *chef's kiss* very, very, very good.
I loved the setting and I loved the side characters too! I never wanted to leave.
Was this book perfect? Probably not. It could have been trimmed at bit, edited slightly better as well, but did I care? Nope. I had the time of my life with it, and I'm really looking forward to reading more by this author.
Wholly recommended!
TWs/CWs: physical and emotional abuse from a parent, parent neglect, suicide ideation, torture, PTSD from said torture, violence, death.
What a freaking delight!
I've had this novel on my TBR for ages now, mainly because of that absolutely gorgeous cover and the promising blurb. I'm so glad I finally gave in and read it.
"The Flowered Blade" is an enemies-to-lovers romance between an orc and his captive/held-for-ransom elf (I LOVE CAPTOR/CAPTIVE ROMANCES SO MUCH!!!), featuring forbidden love, a whole lot of hurt/comfort, a even bigger lot of "who hurt you" and the most delicious pining ever! Plus WHEW, the steam.
Also, did I mention trans rep? Because YES! We've got a trans elf prince who'd much prefer to be a healer. And did I mention he's a delight?
I adored both protagonists to bits, but Silvyr, our elf prince, was my favourite. He's a cutie-patootie, absolutely friggin' adorable delight of an elf, with a whole lot of baggage.
He's also stupidly horny 24/7, and I had only respect for him for that. He either wanted to look at flowers, heal people OR climb Brokil like a tree. Only respect for our horny, botanist king 🙏🏻
That aside, I loved him so so so so much! I wanted to jump into the book and protect him. I also wanted to run his father over with a truck. I wanted to whisk him away until Brokil learnt to treat him better too.
Thankfully our (equally horny) orc got with the program after a bit; seeing them slowly learn to trust each other, fall for one another, spend quite a lot of pages being pining fools, was a delight.
I loved their romance so, so much! It had so much hurt/comfort, so much protective deliciousness from Brokil. This book was really written to hit alllllll my buttons.
Also, the steam factor was *chef's kiss* very, very, very good.
I loved the setting and I loved the side characters too! I never wanted to leave.
Was this book perfect? Probably not. It could have been trimmed at bit, edited slightly better as well, but did I care? Nope. I had the time of my life with it, and I'm really looking forward to reading more by this author.
Wholly recommended!
TWs/CWs: physical and emotional abuse from a parent, parent neglect, suicide ideation, torture, PTSD from said torture, violence, death.
July 11, 2024
3.75 stars
Basics
Authors: he/him (austistic, trans man)
Genre: MM romance, fantasy
Setting: fantasy world
Themes: finding your place, acceptance
Mood: soft, sweet, tender
Pros
+ LGBTQIA rep: trans-man MC, MM romance, bi/pan rep
+ Silvyr - elf prince more taken with plants, healing, and books than the art of war
+ Brokil - orc chief of the mountain range who is powerful but wants peace
+ Brokil takes Silvyr as his captive in order to brook negotiations between his clan and the elven kingdom
+ romance tropes: MM, elf/orc, captive/captor, size difference, rescue, hurt/comfort, bickery banter, bratting, he fell first he fell harder, touch-him-and-die, soft/hard
Cons
- In general, I thought it was slightly overwritten. Not enough to put me off reading, but just enough for me not to love it more than I did.
- I wish the pre-sex sexual tension had been drawn out way more. It was so good! The steam got let out of that boiling pot a little too quickly, imo.
- Some of the sex scene feats had me rolling my eyes a bit. But, hey. Fantasy.
TW: slave trade, physical assault, torture, murder
Basics
Authors: he/him (austistic, trans man)
Genre: MM romance, fantasy
Setting: fantasy world
Themes: finding your place, acceptance
Mood: soft, sweet, tender
Pros
+ LGBTQIA rep: trans-man MC, MM romance, bi/pan rep
+ Silvyr - elf prince more taken with plants, healing, and books than the art of war
+ Brokil - orc chief of the mountain range who is powerful but wants peace
+ Brokil takes Silvyr as his captive in order to brook negotiations between his clan and the elven kingdom
+ romance tropes: MM, elf/orc, captive/captor, size difference, rescue, hurt/comfort, bickery banter, bratting, he fell first he fell harder, touch-him-and-die, soft/hard
Cons
- In general, I thought it was slightly overwritten. Not enough to put me off reading, but just enough for me not to love it more than I did.
- I wish the pre-sex sexual tension had been drawn out way more. It was so good! The steam got let out of that boiling pot a little too quickly, imo.
- Some of the sex scene feats had me rolling my eyes a bit. But, hey. Fantasy.
TW: slave trade, physical assault, torture, murder
July 5, 2024
What a lovely queer and transnormative fantasy! I really enjoyed seeing Silvyr and Brokil navigate love across politics, family ties, cultural differences, and long distances. Silvyr in particular undergoes quite the character growth. I initially found him a bit annoying, but loved seeing his personality blossom when given room to flourish.
The characters tend to spend a lot of time in their thoughts, ruminating on their hopes and fears. While I tend to favor medium to fast paced books, this slower pace eventually grew on me. I've often found myself wanting more time with beloved characters, so it was nice to have plenty with Silvyr and Brokil.
Thank you to the author for the chance to check this ARC out for free. I'm leaving this review of my own accord.
The characters tend to spend a lot of time in their thoughts, ruminating on their hopes and fears. While I tend to favor medium to fast paced books, this slower pace eventually grew on me. I've often found myself wanting more time with beloved characters, so it was nice to have plenty with Silvyr and Brokil.
Thank you to the author for the chance to check this ARC out for free. I'm leaving this review of my own accord.
October 12, 2024
5 stars
This was such a cozy queer fantasy with so much emotion. I fell in love with this so easily. I may be a little biased because I can't help but love when I see my own trans experiences in the characters I read, which doesn't happen all that often. I love Silvyr. He is such a sweet character that I was easily able to relate to. The story is simple but so good. The relationship between Silvyr and Brokil was lovely to watch develop. I enjoyed myself so much from start to finish. The world the story is set in is so beautiful to imagine and felt immersive. I always love seeing how an author translates what we know about trans people and their experiences into another fantastical world. I loved this so much. This is easily another new favorite for me.
This was such a cozy queer fantasy with so much emotion. I fell in love with this so easily. I may be a little biased because I can't help but love when I see my own trans experiences in the characters I read, which doesn't happen all that often. I love Silvyr. He is such a sweet character that I was easily able to relate to. The story is simple but so good. The relationship between Silvyr and Brokil was lovely to watch develop. I enjoyed myself so much from start to finish. The world the story is set in is so beautiful to imagine and felt immersive. I always love seeing how an author translates what we know about trans people and their experiences into another fantastical world. I loved this so much. This is easily another new favorite for me.
February 23, 2025
The Flowered Blade by Taylor Hubbard
🩷 Elven Prince x Orc Chief
🩷 Captor x Captive
🩷 Enemies to Lovers
🩷 Transmasc Autistic MC
🩷 Size Difference
🩷 Forced Proximity
Overall: ⭐⭐⭐⭐.5
Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️
Humour: 🤭🤭
Intimacy: 🫂🫂🫂🫂
Angst: 🥺🥺🥺
Third person dual pov 👀
CW (from author): Themes of Anxiety, Harassment, Death, Torture, Confinement, Familial Abuse (Physical and Psychological), Mild Body Horror and Gore, Mild Themes of Slavery, Crude Language, Death of a Family Member, Scenes of Consensual Sex.
CW (extra): Nightmares, Kidnapping, Injury, Physical Violence, Murder, Blood and Gore, War, Physical Injuries to MCs, Animal Injury (horse).
🩷 Elven Prince x Orc Chief
🩷 Captor x Captive
🩷 Enemies to Lovers
🩷 Transmasc Autistic MC
🩷 Size Difference
🩷 Forced Proximity
Overall: ⭐⭐⭐⭐.5
Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️
Humour: 🤭🤭
Intimacy: 🫂🫂🫂🫂
Angst: 🥺🥺🥺
Third person dual pov 👀
CW (from author): Themes of Anxiety, Harassment, Death, Torture, Confinement, Familial Abuse (Physical and Psychological), Mild Body Horror and Gore, Mild Themes of Slavery, Crude Language, Death of a Family Member, Scenes of Consensual Sex.
CW (extra): Nightmares, Kidnapping, Injury, Physical Violence, Murder, Blood and Gore, War, Physical Injuries to MCs, Animal Injury (horse).
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 9, 2025
Every couple of years a print on demand self published gem comes across my Instagram and I buy it, unaware of how much I’m going to eat it right up and this fulfilled the prophecy exactly as I wanted it to. I loved reading this SO MUCH
October 19, 2025
it was such a silly and fun read, even if the book has a lot (!!) of errors.
May 9, 2024
I was provided with an ARC of The Flowered Blade by the author in exchange for an honest review. The book will be released in June 2024.
The Flowered Blade is an achingly tender story. I was immediately invested in the protagonists - especially Silvyr, who I really related to around the themes of family expectations, searching for belonging, staying soft in the face of cruelty and adversity, and carving out a place for yourself in the world.
As the title suggests, the characters bloom and heal together, finding ways to grow that balance fighting for what you believe in while remaining gentle and guided by love.
Hubbard's prose is beautiful. The imagery of wildflower fields and sunshiney countryside, juxtaposed against starry nights and cozy fires was really atmospheric and perfectly emphasized the feelings of safety, peace, and growth that are woven throughout the novel.
So many of my favourite elements and tropes were included! Plenty of spice, hurt/comfort/healing, captor x captive, queer/trans rep, orcs, elves, nature, and herbal medicine to name a few.
A couple things I could have used more of was a little more detail in world building - I wanted to know more about the history/relationship between the orcs and elves. I am so curious about how their cultures got to be how they are. I was also intrigued by the side characters and would've liked to see and understand more of their motivations and development, too.
All that said, I am definitely going to reread this once it is officially released! Planning to check out other works by this author, too. I highly recommend this book if anything said above resonates with you!
The Flowered Blade is an achingly tender story. I was immediately invested in the protagonists - especially Silvyr, who I really related to around the themes of family expectations, searching for belonging, staying soft in the face of cruelty and adversity, and carving out a place for yourself in the world.
As the title suggests, the characters bloom and heal together, finding ways to grow that balance fighting for what you believe in while remaining gentle and guided by love.
Hubbard's prose is beautiful. The imagery of wildflower fields and sunshiney countryside, juxtaposed against starry nights and cozy fires was really atmospheric and perfectly emphasized the feelings of safety, peace, and growth that are woven throughout the novel.
So many of my favourite elements and tropes were included! Plenty of spice, hurt/comfort/healing, captor x captive, queer/trans rep, orcs, elves, nature, and herbal medicine to name a few.
A couple things I could have used more of was a little more detail in world building - I wanted to know more about the history/relationship between the orcs and elves. I am so curious about how their cultures got to be how they are. I was also intrigued by the side characters and would've liked to see and understand more of their motivations and development, too.
All that said, I am definitely going to reread this once it is officially released! Planning to check out other works by this author, too. I highly recommend this book if anything said above resonates with you!
October 9, 2024
I feel like a trans m/m tag would not be amiss. Editing review as I got a few replies calling me transphobic/bigoted. Not trying to hate on trans just wanted to be aware of what I was walking into. Sorry for coming off as hateful, book is well written with fun premise but not my cup of tea. I bumped up the stars so people don’t think I hate trans people. Again sorry. I thought it was common to add tags with gay or straight or mystery and thought trans would be included. Didn’t see how that was being hateful and sorry about that. If you don’t care for whatever you come across this book is for you. Fun clever willful mc from what I remember. ML was turning into an interesting character too before I dropped it. Sorry again, the cover is the tell that it’s trans, didn’t know those tattoos had meaning besides just being pretty. Sorry it was pretty art.
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