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The Fae Tales Verse #2
Game Theory
Six months after Gwyn's defeat of the once Unseelie King, Augus Each Uisge, Gwyn has the fae waterhorse locked down in a cell, beneath the Seelie Court. In a difficult position himself, ruling an unwanted throne and waiting out the years between now and the time he can step down as King, Gwyn finds himself unable to stay away.
(The most popular original work on Ao3)
Warnings: Dark, Non-Con, Violence
Words:425,561 complete
Cover by Tiferet
(The most popular original work on Ao3)
Warnings: Dark, Non-Con, Violence
Words:425,561 complete
Cover by Tiferet
1278 pages, ebook
First published March 21, 2014
6 people are currently reading
197 people want to read
About the author
Pia Foxhall
16 books173 followersPronouns: They/them
Aka not_poignant
http://not-poignant.tumblr.com/
http://archiveofourown.org/users/not_...
http://archiveofourown.org/users/thes...
NEWSLETTER: http://eepurl.com/dJsDhQ
Aka not_poignant
http://not-poignant.tumblr.com/
http://archiveofourown.org/users/not_...
http://archiveofourown.org/users/thes...
NEWSLETTER: http://eepurl.com/dJsDhQ
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Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews
October 22, 2021
Reread October 2021:
Just as good as the first time around! 🎉 It took me longer than I’d thought to reread this — because rl's been a bitch lately… — but reading it slower, I could appreciate all the wonderful nuances I’d missed before, especially concerning Gwyn’s character development. Can’t wait to read the final, edited version sometime; I’d love to have these in paperback!
~*~*~*~
Phew! This will be a tough one to review.
I feel that because I’d chosen a different starting point — beginning my journey with The Ice Plague series, which is more or less a standalone, but still a part/continuation of the bigger Fae Tales Verse series — my reaction to some of the things happening in this huge, massive work of fiction was somewhat unconventional. I knew the MCs, I knew that somewhere along the way they had formed a stable, loving relationship. Turns out, I needed that reassurance, that spoilery safety cushion so much, because even then, this one fucking HURT.
The author referred to this as an ‘idfic’ more than once, and after researching the term, I couldn’t agree more. It’s twisted, unapologetic, and certainly not for everyone. It takes the kinks you might know and love and intensifies them, bends and warps them into something almost unrecognizable, until you feel like your gut’s in a vise, you feel sick, but you still can’t look away, because it speaks to some baser part of you.
In short, this was a trip and a half!
I found it very hard to get through the first 10-11 chapters (15% or so) — I am not as tough as I used to be once upon a time, and I’d bonded with one of the MCs earlier, while reading Foxhall’s other work — which I think was the author playing around with some boundaries before they decided what they really wanted out of this story. It was basically hateporn with thin threads of plot. Ugh. Not my favorite. All that nasty warning tags you see concern that first, ugly — but unfortunately, not redundant — part of the story. The plot does eventually thicken, though.
Here I’ll take a moment to compliment the author for being so responsible, careful and thorough with the content warnings. I know that some writers avoid CWs because of ‘spoilers’ and so on, don’t disclose them in book blurbs, and even ask readers not to include them in their reviews, but seriously, FUCK THEM! CWs are there for a reason, some people don’t want to be scarred for life!
Right. Where was I?
This book is NOT light reading material. It’s enemies to lovers in the purest sense of the term, featuring two hurt, fucked-up, world-weary fae who find themselves is an impossible, nasty situation. Before you think of that, there’s NO Stockholm syndrome trope here, that would be so tedious. No, this is infinitely more complex.
I spent a huge chunk of this story hating Gwyn’s guts, which later changed to pity and then grudging admiration. I don’t think I’ll ever love him as much as I love my dear, monstrous Augus, who is so caring and gentle when he wants to be, and terrifyingly good at manipulating others the rest of the time. And so freaking powerful, too. The scene with that bastard Albion gave me goosebumps, no joke.
Um. I should probably mention that there’s about million sex scenes in this, every one of them very much NSFW, for different reasons. It features ‘transformative kink,’ and long, intense, unrealistic (remember, people, it’s fantasy) BDSM scenes (I’m NOT talking about those first chapters, of course). Definitely not everyone’s cuppa. But, it turns out, mine?
Just as good as the first time around! 🎉 It took me longer than I’d thought to reread this — because rl's been a bitch lately… — but reading it slower, I could appreciate all the wonderful nuances I’d missed before, especially concerning Gwyn’s character development. Can’t wait to read the final, edited version sometime; I’d love to have these in paperback!
~*~*~*~
Phew! This will be a tough one to review.
I feel that because I’d chosen a different starting point — beginning my journey with The Ice Plague series, which is more or less a standalone, but still a part/continuation of the bigger Fae Tales Verse series — my reaction to some of the things happening in this huge, massive work of fiction was somewhat unconventional. I knew the MCs, I knew that somewhere along the way they had formed a stable, loving relationship. Turns out, I needed that reassurance, that spoilery safety cushion so much, because even then, this one fucking HURT.
The author referred to this as an ‘idfic’ more than once, and after researching the term, I couldn’t agree more. It’s twisted, unapologetic, and certainly not for everyone. It takes the kinks you might know and love and intensifies them, bends and warps them into something almost unrecognizable, until you feel like your gut’s in a vise, you feel sick, but you still can’t look away, because it speaks to some baser part of you.
In short, this was a trip and a half!
I found it very hard to get through the first 10-11 chapters (15% or so) — I am not as tough as I used to be once upon a time, and I’d bonded with one of the MCs earlier, while reading Foxhall’s other work — which I think was the author playing around with some boundaries before they decided what they really wanted out of this story. It was basically hateporn with thin threads of plot. Ugh. Not my favorite. All that nasty warning tags you see concern that first, ugly — but unfortunately, not redundant — part of the story. The plot does eventually thicken, though.
Here I’ll take a moment to compliment the author for being so responsible, careful and thorough with the content warnings. I know that some writers avoid CWs because of ‘spoilers’ and so on, don’t disclose them in book blurbs, and even ask readers not to include them in their reviews, but seriously, FUCK THEM! CWs are there for a reason, some people don’t want to be scarred for life!
Right. Where was I?
This book is NOT light reading material. It’s enemies to lovers in the purest sense of the term, featuring two hurt, fucked-up, world-weary fae who find themselves is an impossible, nasty situation. Before you think of that, there’s NO Stockholm syndrome trope here, that would be so tedious. No, this is infinitely more complex.
I spent a huge chunk of this story hating Gwyn’s guts, which later changed to pity and then grudging admiration. I don’t think I’ll ever love him as much as I love my dear, monstrous Augus, who is so caring and gentle when he wants to be, and terrifyingly good at manipulating others the rest of the time. And so freaking powerful, too. The scene with that bastard Albion gave me goosebumps, no joke.
Um. I should probably mention that there’s about million sex scenes in this, every one of them very much NSFW, for different reasons. It features ‘transformative kink,’ and long, intense, unrealistic (remember, people, it’s fantasy) BDSM scenes (I’m NOT talking about those first chapters, of course). Definitely not everyone’s cuppa. But, it turns out, mine?
April 17, 2017
5 stars. A dark compelling unputdownable epic from Pia Foxhall. Antihero Augus Each Uisge is held prisoner by Seelie king Gwyn ap Nudd after Augus in his madness has wreaked devastation across the fae world. Both characters are damaged by their past and drawn together by a need to dominate each other. Excellent dark sex, plot twists and angst, I look forward to the sequel's completion!
Art by fanartdrawer
'This is a dangerous game you play with me Gwyn, Augus snarled. 'The next time you need to be broken, perhaps I will truly break you. Who will run your precious Kingdom then?'
Art by tiniestrebelwitharainbow
Art by fanartdrawer
'This is a dangerous game you play with me Gwyn, Augus snarled. 'The next time you need to be broken, perhaps I will truly break you. Who will run your precious Kingdom then?'
Art by tiniestrebelwitharainbow
maybe
December 5, 2016Another instance of where GR and peer pressure has led me into a 1200 page story. Just when I thought my Atlas Shrugged and Shōgun years were over. I'm packing provisions. *le sigh*
Got 50% through, stalled, and hesitant to pick it up, again. Pushing it off to my maybe pile.
Got 50% through, stalled, and hesitant to pick it up, again. Pushing it off to my maybe pile.
February 2, 2022
1278 pages and they still haven’t confessed their love 🤣
October 24, 2021
Re-read 24/10/2021: This time I made highlights. There's just too many to put anything here. I blame Augus and his filthy mouth.
I had the same experience as before. Again, I had to slow down or stop when things got heavier emotionally and again when the kink got too much. Actually the two things are connected. Augus brings out the bestworst in Gwyn.
I no longer think that the Guardians fanfic is necessary to read, even tho I still have some questions about that part. But they're not that significant and we get a general idea about those past events in this book and later in the series. It is enough information to understand every character's feelings and reasonings.
I also added a hurt/comfort tag, just so you know. :)
__________
First I'd like to say, this is not the starting point of this whole universe, despite the author saying that every book is written the way that does not require any pre-reading. But since these events follow each other, for example in Game Theory we see the consequences to the events that happened in the Shadows and Light series, and I found myself frustrated when I didn't know what past events they were talking about (hence the 4-star rating).
My deduction is that the reading order should be this, chronologically (not including novellas and short stories and such):
1. Deeper Into the Woods (Gwyn and Augus prequel, it gives a good introduction what one can expect going forward, but it could be read any time)
2. Shadows and Light series (Rise of the Guardians fanfic)
3. The Fae Tales Verse (Gwyn and Augus)
4. The Ice Plague series
The best thing for me in Game Theory was the character development. There is lots of sex, basically every chapter is dedicated to a specific kink (see the trigger warnings at the beginning of every chapter), but beyond that the whole book is designed to show character growth. And oh boy, these two are traumatized as hell. I loved the way they opened up to each other, veeeerrrry slowly. XD And every time I saw them soften a bit and maybe talk about feelings, the claws would come out again. I could never know what to expect. And I liked that they are not 'straight-out-of-the-box' characters that once you read a few chapters, you can expect the same from them going forward. The sub-dom relationship is really muddled here.
'Porn with plot' is not quite accurate. I mean, the plot is there underneath it all from the beginning, you can see where the story is going, but it is pushed into the background; basically the characters aren't actively trying to find a solution to the problem that's looming ahead of them. But I say the 'getting to know each other' phase is really important and it takes however long it takes (about 70% to be exact :) ). And that's when something more significant stuff happens. After that, the sex mostly gets abandoned in favor of the plot.
The world-building is or would be really good, but like I said this book should not be read as the first one in this universe, so I assume that everything is explained more in the Shadows and Light series. As it is, there were some odd elements that initially made me laugh out loud, well, just one, really, but the more I read the more it made sense and I accepted it as part of their world, and it's a good thing, since it has become a significant element of the story. lol
Mythological elements (not counting the characters themselves) are few and far between and I wish there was more of it. One such chapter have reminded me of some Sarah J. Maas books. :) I just really like that vibe; mysterious, ancient, otherworldly.
I love love love all the characters; good, evil, somewhere in between (which is most of them), and Ash. XD
I had the same experience as before. Again, I had to slow down or stop when things got heavier emotionally and again when the kink got too much. Actually the two things are connected. Augus brings out the best
I no longer think that the Guardians fanfic is necessary to read, even tho I still have some questions about that part. But they're not that significant and we get a general idea about those past events in this book and later in the series. It is enough information to understand every character's feelings and reasonings.
I also added a hurt/comfort tag, just so you know. :)
__________
First I'd like to say, this is not the starting point of this whole universe, despite the author saying that every book is written the way that does not require any pre-reading. But since these events follow each other, for example in Game Theory we see the consequences to the events that happened in the Shadows and Light series, and I found myself frustrated when I didn't know what past events they were talking about (hence the 4-star rating).
My deduction is that the reading order should be this, chronologically (not including novellas and short stories and such):
1. Deeper Into the Woods (Gwyn and Augus prequel, it gives a good introduction what one can expect going forward, but it could be read any time)
3. The Fae Tales Verse (Gwyn and Augus)
4. The Ice Plague series
The best thing for me in Game Theory was the character development. There is lots of sex, basically every chapter is dedicated to a specific kink (see the trigger warnings at the beginning of every chapter), but beyond that the whole book is designed to show character growth. And oh boy, these two are traumatized as hell. I loved the way they opened up to each other, veeeerrrry slowly. XD And every time I saw them soften a bit and maybe talk about feelings, the claws would come out again. I could never know what to expect. And I liked that they are not 'straight-out-of-the-box' characters that once you read a few chapters, you can expect the same from them going forward. The sub-dom relationship is really muddled here.
'Porn with plot' is not quite accurate. I mean, the plot is there underneath it all from the beginning, you can see where the story is going, but it is pushed into the background; basically the characters aren't actively trying to find a solution to the problem that's looming ahead of them. But I say the 'getting to know each other' phase is really important and it takes however long it takes (about 70% to be exact :) ). And that's when something more significant stuff happens. After that, the sex mostly gets abandoned in favor of the plot.
The world-building is or would be really good, but like I said this book should not be read as the first one in this universe, so I assume that everything is explained more in the Shadows and Light series. As it is, there were some odd elements that initially made me laugh out loud, well, just one, really, but the more I read the more it made sense and I accepted it as part of their world, and it's a good thing, since it has become a significant element of the story. lol
Mythological elements (not counting the characters themselves) are few and far between and I wish there was more of it. One such chapter have reminded me of some Sarah J. Maas books. :) I just really like that vibe; mysterious, ancient, otherworldly.
I love love love all the characters; good, evil, somewhere in between (which is most of them), and Ash. XD
October 13, 2021
’You love him,’ Augus couldn’t pick her expression. Disgust? Horror? Recognition?
‘Well, you know what that’s like, don’t you?’ Augus said, voice hoarse. ‘You have your own idiot.’
I am so glad I came back to finish this.
It was long, and sometimes slooow... but completely worth it
The first %40 felt to me like this was a very, VERY dark and erotic tale with lots of extreme BDSM fantasies... it was very well written, just not the kind of genre I normally read. Not much happened aside from two non-human creatures having all kinds of carnal interactions with each other.
After finishing the first 20 chapters, I had to take a break in order to recharge 🙈, even if the MCs were interesting, the book was too intense for me.
I came back, and slowly, the story started to give way to some promising plot.
The last %35 was so good! It was everything I was hoping for: politics, treasons, magic, feelings, family, allegiance, feelings, revealed truths, did I say Feelings?!!
An amazing story! And it kind of gave that long first half a new perspective and reasons to be as it was.
I liked this world and main couple a lot. Gwyn and Augus are the type of characters that make it straight to Favorite Characters Shelves. Right from the start they felt alive and complex, and as eternal and vicious as they were meant to be.
’I have spent my entire life waiting for someone […]to see in me something that I could not see in myself. And I see something in him that others do not see. And that is the only truth I know, when it comes to him. Should I judge him based on his betrayals […]? Should I look at him superficially, judge him for being a captor, when it was obvious that he was more a captive than I ever was? You don’t know him as I do. He is complex. A lost boy and a fierce man and a beast and an idiot. If you could just try to understand that he is not like the man of shadows at all, I would be grateful.’
Some personal, maybe whimsical opinions:
*I still would have liked for that first part (that felt to me as a lengthy preamble) to be shorter, but I must say that I can see how it could work much better to other readers.
*There was too much sex scenes! Through the entire book. I skimmed most of them, only stoping to read the dialogs.
*Augus and Gwynn’s clashing personalities were the main focus of the entire story. I really liked the two of them, together and separately. But sometimes I felt that apart from those two, there was no other plot device or character important enough to keep the whole story interesting.
*
*
‘Well, you know what that’s like, don’t you?’ Augus said, voice hoarse. ‘You have your own idiot.’
I am so glad I came back to finish this.
It was long, and sometimes slooow... but completely worth it
The first %40 felt to me like this was a very, VERY dark and erotic tale with lots of extreme BDSM fantasies... it was very well written, just not the kind of genre I normally read. Not much happened aside from two non-human creatures having all kinds of carnal interactions with each other.
After finishing the first 20 chapters, I had to take a break in order to recharge 🙈, even if the MCs were interesting, the book was too intense for me.
I came back, and slowly, the story started to give way to some promising plot.
The last %35 was so good! It was everything I was hoping for: politics, treasons, magic, feelings, family, allegiance, feelings, revealed truths, did I say Feelings?!!
An amazing story! And it kind of gave that long first half a new perspective and reasons to be as it was.
I liked this world and main couple a lot. Gwyn and Augus are the type of characters that make it straight to Favorite Characters Shelves. Right from the start they felt alive and complex, and as eternal and vicious as they were meant to be.
’I have spent my entire life waiting for someone […]to see in me something that I could not see in myself. And I see something in him that others do not see. And that is the only truth I know, when it comes to him. Should I judge him based on his betrayals […]? Should I look at him superficially, judge him for being a captor, when it was obvious that he was more a captive than I ever was? You don’t know him as I do. He is complex. A lost boy and a fierce man and a beast and an idiot. If you could just try to understand that he is not like the man of shadows at all, I would be grateful.’
Some personal, maybe whimsical opinions:
*I still would have liked for that first part (that felt to me as a lengthy preamble) to be shorter, but I must say that I can see how it could work much better to other readers.
*There was too much sex scenes! Through the entire book. I skimmed most of them, only stoping to read the dialogs.
*Augus and Gwynn’s clashing personalities were the main focus of the entire story. I really liked the two of them, together and separately. But sometimes I felt that apart from those two, there was no other plot device or character important enough to keep the whole story interesting.
*
*
April 30, 2015
The absolute best kind of PWP, ever. Read this and you'll get a primer on how to deconstruct, then remake a character, harrowing sex scene by torrid sex scene. By the time the plot thickens, I was hooked anyway, and would have kept on reading no matter what.
I thought this was a standalone and could be read without being knowledgeable about the works it's based on. Not true. There are constant references to previous works, though I can say that enough background is given to make sense, if not fully understandable. Also, this story could have been more concise, compact, and have better pacing, but most free online serial fics have this problem. It was inspiring, though, to find barely any grammatical or spelling errors. For a work over 400,000 words, that is quite an achievement. As it stands, this work already easily rivals and even surpasses probably about half of the published stuff I pay to read. If it is ever published or if the author decides to submit it for some merciless content editing, it'll be a 5-star read, no question.
There are three other related stories, which I've already downloaded, so thirsty am I to stay in the company of Gwyn and Augus. If you like a good mix of Fantasy, BDSM, and M/M, don't be afraid of the length, this is most definitely worth your time.
I thought this was a standalone and could be read without being knowledgeable about the works it's based on. Not true. There are constant references to previous works, though I can say that enough background is given to make sense, if not fully understandable. Also, this story could have been more concise, compact, and have better pacing, but most free online serial fics have this problem. It was inspiring, though, to find barely any grammatical or spelling errors. For a work over 400,000 words, that is quite an achievement. As it stands, this work already easily rivals and even surpasses probably about half of the published stuff I pay to read. If it is ever published or if the author decides to submit it for some merciless content editing, it'll be a 5-star read, no question.
There are three other related stories, which I've already downloaded, so thirsty am I to stay in the company of Gwyn and Augus. If you like a good mix of Fantasy, BDSM, and M/M, don't be afraid of the length, this is most definitely worth your time.
July 10, 2014
My love for this story knows no bounds. I've cried with these assholes, feared for them, wanted to smash things into tiny pieces or howl in frustration, and of course enjoyed their, uhm, adult activities a whole lot. If you like your books sprawling, beautiful, epic, intense, with extensive worldbuilding and impeccable character development, if you want to sit down in the middle of the night wondering how the hell have you come to love the characters so much, even those who seemed completely villainous and irredeemable, Game Theory (and the whole of the Fae Tales Verse) certainly won't disappoint you.
September 24, 2015
2* for being of mind-boggling length and free, and including quite some worldbuilding.
I'm definitely over such stories, else. I think these kinds of stories may have a watershed, agewise. Maybe I would have fangirled when I fangirled for de Sade, but by now I'm not anymore appreciating such wholescale angsty drama llama with a side serving of tortureporn.
I DNF-ed not because it got too hefty, more because it was too long, too repetitive, trying too hard to be transgressive, and without the slightest bit of irony, or maybe a wink, or even just some minor lightening up. Or maybe my patience is lacking these days. In short, it's a wild mix of trying to out-do every other tortureporn out there, every long!fic, and every hurt!hurt you could chance upon, which makes it... too much.
That said, the writing itself isn't bad, if somewhat verbose, and with a good beta/editor and cut down to maybe a third that length, there'd be something stronger and less self-indulgent. Yes, I am not entirely fair there, but given that I read a similar length of "The Last Hour of Gann" without any signs of fatigue, while here I found myself flagging after the first 100k or so, I can honestly say it's not the length per se.
And, to have it said, please, just don't associate the acronym BDSM with this sort of thing. It's sadomasochism. Or torture. Or rape. It's not BDSM. It's not even within spitting reach of what BDSM stands for. When people non-consensually cause pain or have sex, that's plain old torture, rape or sadism for you. That's what *these* terms are for.
I'm definitely over such stories, else. I think these kinds of stories may have a watershed, agewise. Maybe I would have fangirled when I fangirled for de Sade, but by now I'm not anymore appreciating such wholescale angsty drama llama with a side serving of tortureporn.
I DNF-ed not because it got too hefty, more because it was too long, too repetitive, trying too hard to be transgressive, and without the slightest bit of irony, or maybe a wink, or even just some minor lightening up. Or maybe my patience is lacking these days. In short, it's a wild mix of trying to out-do every other tortureporn out there, every long!fic, and every hurt!hurt you could chance upon, which makes it... too much.
That said, the writing itself isn't bad, if somewhat verbose, and with a good beta/editor and cut down to maybe a third that length, there'd be something stronger and less self-indulgent. Yes, I am not entirely fair there, but given that I read a similar length of "The Last Hour of Gann" without any signs of fatigue, while here I found myself flagging after the first 100k or so, I can honestly say it's not the length per se.
And, to have it said, please, just don't associate the acronym BDSM with this sort of thing. It's sadomasochism. Or torture. Or rape. It's not BDSM. It's not even within spitting reach of what BDSM stands for. When people non-consensually cause pain or have sex, that's plain old torture, rape or sadism for you. That's what *these* terms are for.
January 31, 2015
4.5 stars
This won't be much of a review, but I just have to gush a bit. :-)
I loved this!
The world, the characters, everything. Especially Augus and Gwyn. *sigh*
True, it is a bit confusing at the beginning, since there is a prequel that explains some of the background (the prequel is Legend of the Guardians fanfic, but this is mostly original characters; in fact the author is working on making this completely original). But, things get cleared up soon. And then it becomes amazing!!!! :-)
Highly recommended! But, before going into this, do read the warnings on AO3. The author is pretty good in listing all of the possible triggers.
This won't be much of a review, but I just have to gush a bit. :-)
I loved this!
The world, the characters, everything. Especially Augus and Gwyn. *sigh*
True, it is a bit confusing at the beginning, since there is a prequel that explains some of the background (the prequel is Legend of the Guardians fanfic, but this is mostly original characters; in fact the author is working on making this completely original). But, things get cleared up soon. And then it becomes amazing!!!! :-)
Highly recommended! But, before going into this, do read the warnings on AO3. The author is pretty good in listing all of the possible triggers.
July 17, 2022
A beautifully crafted bdsm romance story featuring the damaged fae pairing of King Gwyn ap Nudd and his lover Augus Each Uisge. I'm really grateful to the autor for creating this world, can't wait to follow more of their journey together.
May 21, 2016
Well, you can definitely tell that it was written before Deeper into the Woods, especially at first. But, as the author reports in their note in the beginning, it does seem to fall into some sort of rhythm. I think the prologue - rough as it is - compounded with the author's note, do help recontextualize it.
It's got a good balance of darkness and believability, I feel. I think...I don't know, maybe identifying itself as an idfic helped? That was the framework with which I approached it; perhaps I would have been more critical of certain things if I'd approached it cold. But whatever, I don't begrudge it. It was interesting to observe the characters and how they developed and transformed. It didn't have quite the same extended immersive quality the first one had - but then, it's longer, and has more by way of plot and political intrigue and such, so I think that's actually a good thing.
I'm rather sad at the declaration that there'd be no more mentions of centres/heartsongs; I took rather a shine to this idea. [\o/ it lives fully in its (new) incarnation as heartsong (like in the first one); apparently centres were a RotG thing? I have 0 clue I have not watched that movie.] And I'm a bit unsure about reading the next one. I kind of want to skip to the fourth, which seems more Gwyn/Augus centered. But at 3k words, I might just go for it, see how it turns out.
Edit: jk changed my mind, I think I'm just going to dive right into The Court of Five Thrones, since it seems like the next one's actually marked as a .5 (which...yeah, AO3 doesn't allow for that kind of numbering I think) and if I flounder, I flounder
Edit: and yeah I ended up sort of skimming the one marked 2.5 here but honestly I'm in this for Gwyn and Augus and it didn't have enough Gwyn and Augus for me so I just dived right into Court of Five Thrones. It's...actually worked out okay; I've been able to slot in the new names/backstory. Might or might not help that I have little knowledge of RotG and no investment in that fandom *shrug*
It's got a good balance of darkness and believability, I feel. I think...I don't know, maybe identifying itself as an idfic helped? That was the framework with which I approached it; perhaps I would have been more critical of certain things if I'd approached it cold. But whatever, I don't begrudge it. It was interesting to observe the characters and how they developed and transformed. It didn't have quite the same extended immersive quality the first one had - but then, it's longer, and has more by way of plot and political intrigue and such, so I think that's actually a good thing.
Edit: jk changed my mind, I think I'm just going to dive right into The Court of Five Thrones, since it seems like the next one's actually marked as a .5 (which...yeah, AO3 doesn't allow for that kind of numbering I think) and if I flounder, I flounder
Edit: and yeah I ended up sort of skimming the one marked 2.5 here but honestly I'm in this for Gwyn and Augus and it didn't have enough Gwyn and Augus for me so I just dived right into Court of Five Thrones. It's...actually worked out okay; I've been able to slot in the new names/backstory. Might or might not help that I have little knowledge of RotG and no investment in that fandom *shrug*
May 24, 2015
Epic read. I loved the complex layers of the story, and of the characters. At times unflinching in its cruelty and brutality. I was repelled but oddly appreciative the author didn't pretty it up. My heart still hurt, though, and I did plenty of flinching of my own as I protested the unnecessary cruelty. Frequent breaks helped.
November 16, 2017
I absolutely loved these characters and couldn't get enough of their journey.
March 15, 2024
I just reread this in Narxh 2024, it's been a couple of years. This I still soo good.
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I loved this.
The first book to this series, 'Deeper into the Woods' is the first interaction between Augus and Gwyn. This second book takes place a couple hundred years after (these characters are fae and very long lived), and the book is 10 times longer than the first. So much happens. I enjoyed seeing how everything progressed. The characters really make this series amazing. I can't get tired reading about this world or its characters.
Its an enemy to lovers story. There's a lot of violence, and sex. The author gives a warning at the beginning of each chapter of what to expect in terms of subject matter. There's quite a lot of fucked up things that happens, cruelty, etc. There's also a lot of sweet and compassionate moments. Tenderness too.
I read books 1 and 2 of The Ice Plague, before starting the books from The Fae Tales Verse, so I first got to know about Gwyn and Augus Through the point of view of other characters. And interestingly, I'm glad that I did that - because this series, and also The Ice Plague series would have been a completely different experience (not a bad experience..just a different one). I enjoyed reading The Ice Plague series from the point of view of characters that didn't know August or Gwyn, and even feared them. That being said, I'm seriously considering re-reading The Ice Plague 1 and 2 after I finish the next book of The Fae Tales Verse. Because it will be a different experience reading it a second time knowing all I know about Gwyn and Augus right now.
It took me almost a month to read this book, it's lengthy. This book was over 1,000 pages! I'm pretty certain it's the longest book I've ever read. But I enjoyed every page. Lately I haven't had time during the day to read, so I would always spend 1-2 hours before going to bed to read this. I really enjoyed reading every bit.
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I loved this.
The first book to this series, 'Deeper into the Woods' is the first interaction between Augus and Gwyn. This second book takes place a couple hundred years after (these characters are fae and very long lived), and the book is 10 times longer than the first. So much happens. I enjoyed seeing how everything progressed. The characters really make this series amazing. I can't get tired reading about this world or its characters.
Its an enemy to lovers story. There's a lot of violence, and sex. The author gives a warning at the beginning of each chapter of what to expect in terms of subject matter. There's quite a lot of fucked up things that happens, cruelty, etc. There's also a lot of sweet and compassionate moments. Tenderness too.
I read books 1 and 2 of The Ice Plague, before starting the books from The Fae Tales Verse, so I first got to know about Gwyn and Augus Through the point of view of other characters. And interestingly, I'm glad that I did that - because this series, and also The Ice Plague series would have been a completely different experience (not a bad experience..just a different one). I enjoyed reading The Ice Plague series from the point of view of characters that didn't know August or Gwyn, and even feared them. That being said, I'm seriously considering re-reading The Ice Plague 1 and 2 after I finish the next book of The Fae Tales Verse. Because it will be a different experience reading it a second time knowing all I know about Gwyn and Augus right now.
It took me almost a month to read this book, it's lengthy. This book was over 1,000 pages! I'm pretty certain it's the longest book I've ever read. But I enjoyed every page. Lately I haven't had time during the day to read, so I would always spend 1-2 hours before going to bed to read this. I really enjoyed reading every bit.
February 17, 2023
I've read this twice now, I love the dynamic between Gwynn and August.
Gwyn trying to be the villain and failing spectacularly is so endearing.
Gwyn trying to be the villain and failing spectacularly is so endearing.
April 16, 2024
4.6
So. sosssosoosososososo
What an incredible story. I started without a lot of excitement, I am not the biggest fan of Gwyn and Augus (I read underline the black and Spoils/FFS first), but I started to like this characters, slowly, slowly and then I cried.
I think I started liking Augus when he cried because Gwyn was using comfort as a weapon, and when I realized how Gwyn treated the Trows.
And then the big reveal happen, and I could not sleep until I finish the book. I AM SO EXCITED FOR THE NEXT ONE! AND EVERYTHING ELSE!! OMYGOD.
So. sosssosoosososososo
What an incredible story. I started without a lot of excitement, I am not the biggest fan of Gwyn and Augus (I read underline the black and Spoils/FFS first), but I started to like this characters, slowly, slowly and then I cried.
I think I started liking Augus when he cried because Gwyn was using comfort as a weapon, and when I realized how Gwyn treated the Trows.
And then the big reveal happen, and I could not sleep until I finish the book. I AM SO EXCITED FOR THE NEXT ONE! AND EVERYTHING ELSE!! OMYGOD.
July 10, 2020
I downloaded the kindle format from the fanfic website and it is a whopper! I ended up DNF it because it did get monotonous. However, i was quite taken with it up until about 65% but when you realize how long it is, you also realize it will be more of the same. If you like fantasy, mm romance, magic, and bdsm, slaves, rulers, enemies to lovers, then this is for you
October 14, 2017
4.7 stars. Love the dynamic (and amorous?) relationship between the two tough but fragile faes. XD!
September 29, 2022
The dynamic between these guys is perfection. Exactly what I've been hoping to find for years.
March 18, 2023
augus is cool but gwyn changed my brain chemistry. i dont think a review can explain what this 420k words (1200 pages) story did to me
May 17, 2024
Stunning. Just stunning. The complexities of the story and characters are woven together so well. Everything is so well balanced. The over 400k word count may seem daunting, but no word is wasted.
June 4, 2024
Starts out with only porn. The porn almost put me off .But you need to give it a chance as the plot builds beautifully and turn into something very captivating.
September 6, 2015
Tas feju geju BDSM mīlasstāsts no fanfiku vietnes archiveofourown.org, kuru izlasīju pēc māsas uzstājīga ieteikuma un arī tāpēc, ka man tiešām patīk fejas un nav principiālu iebildumu pret nevienu citu no teikuma sākumā minētajām lietām.
Godīgi vērtējot, man ir jāliek šim vismaz trīs zvaigznītes, tāpēc ka es tiešām biju (esmu) stāvā sajūsmā par mītu lietojumu un pasaules uzbūves/darbības detaļām, turklāt abi galvenie varoņi un viens vai divi ne-galveni ir stāsta gaitā man iepatikušies un jau kļuvuši par daļu no manām domām un tādējādi dzīves. Un stāsta vidū bija labs, pārsteidzošs pavērsiens. Un vai es pieminēju mītus? ĶELTU mīti.
Man neceļas roka likt vairāk par trim zvaigznītēm, jo man lielu daļu teksta bija grūti lasīt, tāpēc ka Pias Foksholas fejas ir ļoti vardarbīgi radījumi un, ja tās kādreiz ir dzirdējušas par "safe, sane and consensual" seksu, tad šī ideja tās nav interesējusi. Tas nav iemesls teikt, ka teksts ir slikta māksla, - tikai ka man nebija īpaši jautri un patīkami. Un daļa gremdēšanās visās tajās šausmās likās bezmērķīga, bet diez vai man ir tiesības vērtēt veselu žanru (Arhīvā tagi ir žanru vietā, tātad pārfrāzējot - ja es lasīju kaut ko, kas apzīmēts kā #Angst un #Hurt/Comfort, nav ko sūdzēties).
Mani ļoti interesē tas, kā šis teksts ir pa vidu starp fanfiku un oriģinālu darbu. Tas ir daļa no sērijas, kura sākās kā fanfiki un pakāpeniski novirzījās tālāk no sākotnējā teksta, iesaistot oriģinālus varoņus un jaunas vietas un notikumus. Šajā stāstā praktiski viss, sākot ar galvenajiem varoņiem un visiem tieši parādītajiem notikumiem, ir Pias Foksholas izdomāts, un nākamais teksts sērijā ir pilnībā bez atsaucēm uz sākotnējo darbu (izrādās, sākotnējais darbs bija 2012. gada filma "Leģendārais piecinieks" ("Rise of the Guardians")). Stāsts (kaut gan uz 45 nodaļu vali šo vārdu var attiecināt tikai plašajā nozīmē) ir publicēts vietā, kur parasti publicē fanfikus, un sajūta, to lasot, IR lielā mērā, kā lasot fanfiku. Es domāju, ka viens objektīvs iemesls šai sajūtai ir ļoti ciešais fokuss uz diviem galvenajiem varoņiem un viņu attiecībām. Un vēl tas, ka apmēram katra otrā nodaļa ir porno. Kas - atkal - nav pamats teikt, ka kaut kas ir mazāk māksliniecisks (izveidot šāda veida stāstu, kas turas kopā un kaut kur noved, vajadzētu būt grūtāk, nekā, piemēram, uzrakstīt klasisku mīlasstāstu, kurš beidzas ar to, ka varoņi saiet kopā).
Godīgi vērtējot, man ir jāliek šim vismaz trīs zvaigznītes, tāpēc ka es tiešām biju (esmu) stāvā sajūsmā par mītu lietojumu un pasaules uzbūves/darbības detaļām, turklāt abi galvenie varoņi un viens vai divi ne-galveni ir stāsta gaitā man iepatikušies un jau kļuvuši par daļu no manām domām un tādējādi dzīves. Un stāsta vidū bija labs, pārsteidzošs pavērsiens. Un vai es pieminēju mītus? ĶELTU mīti.
Man neceļas roka likt vairāk par trim zvaigznītēm, jo man lielu daļu teksta bija grūti lasīt, tāpēc ka Pias Foksholas fejas ir ļoti vardarbīgi radījumi un, ja tās kādreiz ir dzirdējušas par "safe, sane and consensual" seksu, tad šī ideja tās nav interesējusi. Tas nav iemesls teikt, ka teksts ir slikta māksla, - tikai ka man nebija īpaši jautri un patīkami. Un daļa gremdēšanās visās tajās šausmās likās bezmērķīga, bet diez vai man ir tiesības vērtēt veselu žanru (Arhīvā tagi ir žanru vietā, tātad pārfrāzējot - ja es lasīju kaut ko, kas apzīmēts kā #Angst un #Hurt/Comfort, nav ko sūdzēties).
Mani ļoti interesē tas, kā šis teksts ir pa vidu starp fanfiku un oriģinālu darbu. Tas ir daļa no sērijas, kura sākās kā fanfiki un pakāpeniski novirzījās tālāk no sākotnējā teksta, iesaistot oriģinālus varoņus un jaunas vietas un notikumus. Šajā stāstā praktiski viss, sākot ar galvenajiem varoņiem un visiem tieši parādītajiem notikumiem, ir Pias Foksholas izdomāts, un nākamais teksts sērijā ir pilnībā bez atsaucēm uz sākotnējo darbu (izrādās, sākotnējais darbs bija 2012. gada filma "Leģendārais piecinieks" ("Rise of the Guardians")). Stāsts (kaut gan uz 45 nodaļu vali šo vārdu var attiecināt tikai plašajā nozīmē) ir publicēts vietā, kur parasti publicē fanfikus, un sajūta, to lasot, IR lielā mērā, kā lasot fanfiku. Es domāju, ka viens objektīvs iemesls šai sajūtai ir ļoti ciešais fokuss uz diviem galvenajiem varoņiem un viņu attiecībām. Un vēl tas, ka apmēram katra otrā nodaļa ir porno. Kas - atkal - nav pamats teikt, ka kaut kas ir mazāk māksliniecisks (izveidot šāda veida stāstu, kas turas kopā un kaut kur noved, vajadzētu būt grūtāk, nekā, piemēram, uzrakstīt klasisku mīlasstāstu, kurš beidzas ar to, ka varoņi saiet kopā).
August 5, 2015
Holy crap. This was pretty amazing. It's not for everyone -- it's dark, and it's twisted, but if you're okay with that it's definitely worth a read. It's long, but it never dragged -- the relationship between the characters, their own stories and backgrounds, the plot -- all make it worth every second. The sex is hot, the story is good, the villains make you want to stab things, the tender moments make you cry.
If you read the tags and know what you're getting into (and the author is so, so good about those) it's seriously a fantastic experience and you should go read it right NOW.
If you read the tags and know what you're getting into (and the author is so, so good about those) it's seriously a fantastic experience and you should go read it right NOW.
July 24, 2015
Seriously, this was incredible! Pia is such an amazing author, her style is really superb! Can't wait to read the sequel.
July 14, 2016
Delightfully comparable to Captive Prince & The Administration Series; I love finding long, plotty, porny original fic, and I essentially haven't come up for air after starting this series.
April 30, 2017
4.5 stars!
I FINALLY FINISHED IT!!!
This was a marvelous, bittersweet, violent and lovely and very, very, very long free-to-read (mostly) original fiction on ao3 .
It's dark, very dark, and yet odly pure in the way Gwyn ap Nudd and Augus Each Uisge develop feelings for each other, despite -or maybe because of- their twisted situation.
The reason why it took me so long to finish is because the pacing and really, the plot, only picks up towards the last third of the story. Many many important things happen before that, but much of it is -or at least seems- aimless, even if it's still fun to read.
What I enjoyed most are the layers and layers of deeply buried information and plot twists that are gently uncovered in each passing chapter - and every time I though I finally reached the core yet another layer was peeled back and revealed a completely new thing that changed all odds.
I already know that there are many more things to be discovered in the sequels.
I do not know much (or really, anything) about "real" fae lore as it is, and thus cannot say how much these interpretation of the characters do them justice. Same goes for the whole universe this is set in. What I can say, though, is that I loved the intricate worldbuilding, and while not all things were explained immediately, it left me wanting to keep reading and find out instead of confusing or frustrating me.
Game Theory is also set in the same universe as a Rise of the Guardians fanfiction by the author. I did not read that fic, and neither did I watch me movies, which at no point was an issue. In book 3, those characters from RotG that are significat for the Fae Tales Verse have been rewritten into OCs.
Fair warning: mind the trigger warnings if you read this. They are vast and plentiful, even though to me they all seemed a lot more intimidating written down than they actually were in the story (which isn't to say that there were no horrible and gruesome and graphic situations)
I FINALLY FINISHED IT!!!
This was a marvelous, bittersweet, violent and lovely and very, very, very long free-to-read (mostly) original fiction on ao3 .
It's dark, very dark, and yet odly pure in the way Gwyn ap Nudd and Augus Each Uisge develop feelings for each other, despite -or maybe because of- their twisted situation.
The reason why it took me so long to finish is because the pacing and really, the plot, only picks up towards the last third of the story. Many many important things happen before that, but much of it is -or at least seems- aimless, even if it's still fun to read.
What I enjoyed most are the layers and layers of deeply buried information and plot twists that are gently uncovered in each passing chapter - and every time I though I finally reached the core yet another layer was peeled back and revealed a completely new thing that changed all odds.
I already know that there are many more things to be discovered in the sequels.
I do not know much (or really, anything) about "real" fae lore as it is, and thus cannot say how much these interpretation of the characters do them justice. Same goes for the whole universe this is set in. What I can say, though, is that I loved the intricate worldbuilding, and while not all things were explained immediately, it left me wanting to keep reading and find out instead of confusing or frustrating me.
Game Theory is also set in the same universe as a Rise of the Guardians fanfiction by the author. I did not read that fic, and neither did I watch me movies, which at no point was an issue. In book 3, those characters from RotG that are significat for the Fae Tales Verse have been rewritten into OCs.
Fair warning: mind the trigger warnings if you read this. They are vast and plentiful, even though to me they all seemed a lot more intimidating written down than they actually were in the story (which isn't to say that there were no horrible and gruesome and graphic situations)
Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews