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The Black Prince Trilogy #2
The White Queen
The captivating sequel to The Demon of Darkling Reach… Having survived the harrowing experience of her courtship, Isla must now make a decision. A decision that will affect the course of her life and that, if she chooses unwisely, indeed might end that life before it’s truly begun. But before she can take control of her future, there are things she needs to know about the lover who remains so much a stranger. Is this dark, tormented man merely misunderstood? Or is he, in fact, the Devil made flesh? What truly motivates him—and what does he want from her? And what, indeed, does she want for herself?
430 pages, Paperback
First published August 14, 2014
35 people are currently reading
229 people want to read
About the author
P.J. Fox
33 books142 followersP.J. Fox published her first story when she was ten. Between then and the present moment, she detoured to, in no particular order, earn several degrees (including a law degree), bore everyone she knew with lectures about medieval history, get married, and start a family. She realized, ultimately, that she had to make a go of this writing thing because nothing else would ever make her happy.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 58 reviews
October 14, 2018
The White Queen is a kind of odd book in that its somewhat bizarrely formatted. It was very enjoyable to read, in my opinion, but I found it rather peculiar that this book didn't follow much of a traditional structure.
The first 31% actually goes back in time to describe Tristan, the human, conjuring the demon who would take over his body and assume his identity, and how that demon's past unfolded and all that sort of backstory. Then we catch up to Isla on the road to Caer Addanc, Tristan's home in Darkling Reach, which takes up a good 35%, as well as some cutaways to what Tristan is doing during this time, such as talking to Isla's old witch friend, who we learn has a past with Tristan. The remaining 34% chronicles, essentially, Isla and Tristan's wedding.
In that regard, the book doesn't really have much a goal or a traditional three act structure, but is kind of 400 pages of information and events. Like, if you wanted to assign this book a goal it would be "Isla and Tristan get married" which takes place at 85% in, with the final 15% mostly covering Isla and Tristan consummating their union and undergoing what Tristan calls a "bonding."
But despite this lacking much structure, it was still an enjoyable read. I like the detailing and thought that was put into this fantasy. It's very well developed. I also like how this is a dark book and it really wants to examine the ethics and morals of things and it doesn't shy away from its darkness or try to justify it. The people are awful and know they're awful and exist in a very grey space. I'd normally call out male protagonists like Tristan because oh my god has he done some awful stuff, but he is a literal demon and the way he's crafted makes it work very well. The push and pull between how he thinks and acts and what's perceived as gentleness and cruelty from a creature largely incapable of emotion is very fascinating, while on the opposite hand, we see how Isla, as human as anyone, contends with the ramifications of her choices, her nature, and Tristan's nature.
You could, of course, argue the folly of Isla's actions, but there's a certain understanding I have about her situation. Tristan clearly has extreme power over her to an unhealthy, terrifying extent, but she realizes her lot in life will never fully be her own anyway, so what harm is there in submitting to someone who has treated her decently after her own family and friends have turned on her with jealousy and spite and hatred despite how much she loved them? The book is mean to be dark and difficult and it does a splendid job of making a situation that's awful have these elements that make it hard to outright denounce or condemn, even when takes elements we once saw as worthwhile and twists them.
This book really takes the phrase "nothing is pure" to a new level.
So, because this book is intended to be dark, there are ample warnings of severe things. References of rape, sexual extortion, dubious consent, cannibalism, human sacrifice, execution, murder... There's not a lot of gratuitous descriptions, and even the sex scenes are kept rather mild considering, but this world is meant to be very dark and depraved.
It is, after all, focusing on a human woman in the dark ages who falls in love with a literal demon inhabiting a human body that he forcibly took.
So, of course, there are a lot of gross things in this book, things I don't agree with, but the reason why I'm not harping on them is that this book isn't pretending to not be full of awful things. The series relishes its darkness, its evilness, its uncomfortable things, and wants to analyze them, think about them, act on them.
I'd recommend this series if you like stories laden with details and backstories and history, but can tolerate the darkness and the moral/ethical complexities that happen every other page.
Though, to be sure, the first book was a better read. I hope the next two books (the author titles this series as a trilogy but the "third" book is split into two books, which the author refers to as books 3 and 4 so I'm personally gonna refer to them as separate books not 1/2 of a single volume lol) focus more on the relationship between Isla and Tristan and we are given more of a plot structure.
The first 31% actually goes back in time to describe Tristan, the human, conjuring the demon who would take over his body and assume his identity, and how that demon's past unfolded and all that sort of backstory. Then we catch up to Isla on the road to Caer Addanc, Tristan's home in Darkling Reach, which takes up a good 35%, as well as some cutaways to what Tristan is doing during this time, such as talking to Isla's old witch friend, who we learn has a past with Tristan. The remaining 34% chronicles, essentially, Isla and Tristan's wedding.
In that regard, the book doesn't really have much a goal or a traditional three act structure, but is kind of 400 pages of information and events. Like, if you wanted to assign this book a goal it would be "Isla and Tristan get married" which takes place at 85% in, with the final 15% mostly covering Isla and Tristan consummating their union and undergoing what Tristan calls a "bonding."
But despite this lacking much structure, it was still an enjoyable read. I like the detailing and thought that was put into this fantasy. It's very well developed. I also like how this is a dark book and it really wants to examine the ethics and morals of things and it doesn't shy away from its darkness or try to justify it. The people are awful and know they're awful and exist in a very grey space. I'd normally call out male protagonists like Tristan because oh my god has he done some awful stuff, but he is a literal demon and the way he's crafted makes it work very well. The push and pull between how he thinks and acts and what's perceived as gentleness and cruelty from a creature largely incapable of emotion is very fascinating, while on the opposite hand, we see how Isla, as human as anyone, contends with the ramifications of her choices, her nature, and Tristan's nature.
You could, of course, argue the folly of Isla's actions, but there's a certain understanding I have about her situation. Tristan clearly has extreme power over her to an unhealthy, terrifying extent, but she realizes her lot in life will never fully be her own anyway, so what harm is there in submitting to someone who has treated her decently after her own family and friends have turned on her with jealousy and spite and hatred despite how much she loved them? The book is mean to be dark and difficult and it does a splendid job of making a situation that's awful have these elements that make it hard to outright denounce or condemn, even when takes elements we once saw as worthwhile and twists them.
This book really takes the phrase "nothing is pure" to a new level.
So, because this book is intended to be dark, there are ample warnings of severe things. References of rape, sexual extortion, dubious consent, cannibalism, human sacrifice, execution, murder... There's not a lot of gratuitous descriptions, and even the sex scenes are kept rather mild considering, but this world is meant to be very dark and depraved.
It is, after all, focusing on a human woman in the dark ages who falls in love with a literal demon inhabiting a human body that he forcibly took.
So, of course, there are a lot of gross things in this book, things I don't agree with, but the reason why I'm not harping on them is that this book isn't pretending to not be full of awful things. The series relishes its darkness, its evilness, its uncomfortable things, and wants to analyze them, think about them, act on them.
I'd recommend this series if you like stories laden with details and backstories and history, but can tolerate the darkness and the moral/ethical complexities that happen every other page.
Though, to be sure, the first book was a better read. I hope the next two books (the author titles this series as a trilogy but the "third" book is split into two books, which the author refers to as books 3 and 4 so I'm personally gonna refer to them as separate books not 1/2 of a single volume lol) focus more on the relationship between Isla and Tristan and we are given more of a plot structure.
September 1, 2015
It's too bad I love the setting of this series, because everything else about it is terrible. This is a book where a woman loses every little bit of her autonomy. Its saving grace might be that she recognizes this, but for a book that wears its feminism on its sleeve, it's really fucking gross. Plus, it doubles down on the whole "all other women are bitches" aspect of the first novel and many of the women behave in entirely contradictory ways just so they can be randomly mean to the put upon protagonist for manufactured drama. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
I give up. I'm going to go read some Tamora Pierce or something.
I give up. I'm going to go read some Tamora Pierce or something.
September 13, 2014
This review contains minor spoilers.
Instead of immediately picking up where "The Demon of Darkling Reach" left off, "The White Queen" goes back to the very beginning and tells the tale of how the original Tristan came to be possessed by the demon and in doing so paints a very vivid picture of what a demon is and isn't in this world.
"When a demon first possessed a human host, it took the initial step in a difficult and complex process that ultimately ended with the creation of a hybrid: a half-human, half-demon capable of regenerating and maintaining it's form almost indefinitely."
Demons being another species from another plane, are not inherently evil. The demon/Tristan hybrid wanted, if not love; then companionship and understanding from an accepting partner. And while demons may think more in terms of "need" and "crave" instead of love; they also mate for life.
"So long as it fed. The man-demon did not age as mortals understood the term, although with time it could learn to grow and adapt".
Which is where a beautiful love story between two emotionally isolated individuals, neither of whom fit neatly into the world around them; gets a little sticky...the whole "feeding" part.
As Isla said in "The Demon of Darkling Reach", "Lions hunt, and wolves, and I eat meat". But there's no getting around the moral ambiguity of Tristan's need for the "other" other white meat. Nor about what it says about Isla that she is willing to become complicit in her condoning of this need.
Towards the end Isla finds herself questioning what her connection to Tristan will ultimately entail:
"But - was it right? Was it moral? She didn't know. And then an unwelcome voice spoke from somewhere deep inside her mind: had killing Alice been right or moral? Alice, whose only
crime had been a fascination with a rich and handsome man".
At about the 30% mark "The White Queen" picks up with Isla on her wedding journey north. As the first third of the story was a study of Tristan's character; here we delve into Isla's nature further: her thoughts, her relationships with others and her past experiences. Isla is a fascinating character. I've always been a fan of the morally ambiguous hero; but it's rare to find a well written, plausible morally ambiguous heroine. Isla acknowledges all of what Tristan is and accepts her desire and choice to be with him without sugar coating it.
Along the journey Isla gains a clearer understanding of her family and she doesn't apologize for standing up for herself when she realizes their true nature. Isla grows into a woman who
will fight back instead of finding virtue in taking the higher road and turning the other cheek (and I like that about her).
Rowena: "You've changed"
Isla: "No I haven't"
Rowena: "Yes you have. You've grown cold"
Isla: "No, I've just grown up".
Rowena: "You were never cruel"
Isla: "You were never evil".
Rowena paused. "Now you're both".
Isla spoke without turning. "Yes, perhaps I am."
Left alone with primarily her thoughts for companionship on the arduous journey, she starts getting cold feet, questioning Tristan's motives and wondering if she didn't just jump at the first opportunity to escape an oppressive existence - at the same time she also realizes that there is no going back.
My only disappointment with "The White Queen" is that Tristan and Isla aren't reunited until the last 30% of the story. Initially there is a bit of tension as they are both insecure for their own reasons, but they resolve their issues quickly and Tristan makes it known he intends to give Isla a hell of a wedding gift:
"There is something I want from you. Something beyond a mere joining of the flesh".
"Will it...hurt me"?
"It will..." He paused, considering the term. Almost tasting it. "It will hurt, yes. But not hurt you. I would never hurt you".
As the story ends, the final installment in the trilogy is beautifully set up: Hart has sold his soul, Rose in on the menu, Isla is about to learn she is much more than she thought and always was, Tristan and Father Justin are cultivating a whole new relationship and one hell of a storm is coming!!!!
Instead of immediately picking up where "The Demon of Darkling Reach" left off, "The White Queen" goes back to the very beginning and tells the tale of how the original Tristan came to be possessed by the demon and in doing so paints a very vivid picture of what a demon is and isn't in this world.
"When a demon first possessed a human host, it took the initial step in a difficult and complex process that ultimately ended with the creation of a hybrid: a half-human, half-demon capable of regenerating and maintaining it's form almost indefinitely."
Demons being another species from another plane, are not inherently evil. The demon/Tristan hybrid wanted, if not love; then companionship and understanding from an accepting partner. And while demons may think more in terms of "need" and "crave" instead of love; they also mate for life.
"So long as it fed. The man-demon did not age as mortals understood the term, although with time it could learn to grow and adapt".
Which is where a beautiful love story between two emotionally isolated individuals, neither of whom fit neatly into the world around them; gets a little sticky...the whole "feeding" part.
As Isla said in "The Demon of Darkling Reach", "Lions hunt, and wolves, and I eat meat". But there's no getting around the moral ambiguity of Tristan's need for the "other" other white meat. Nor about what it says about Isla that she is willing to become complicit in her condoning of this need.
Towards the end Isla finds herself questioning what her connection to Tristan will ultimately entail:
"But - was it right? Was it moral? She didn't know. And then an unwelcome voice spoke from somewhere deep inside her mind: had killing Alice been right or moral? Alice, whose only
crime had been a fascination with a rich and handsome man".
At about the 30% mark "The White Queen" picks up with Isla on her wedding journey north. As the first third of the story was a study of Tristan's character; here we delve into Isla's nature further: her thoughts, her relationships with others and her past experiences. Isla is a fascinating character. I've always been a fan of the morally ambiguous hero; but it's rare to find a well written, plausible morally ambiguous heroine. Isla acknowledges all of what Tristan is and accepts her desire and choice to be with him without sugar coating it.
Along the journey Isla gains a clearer understanding of her family and she doesn't apologize for standing up for herself when she realizes their true nature. Isla grows into a woman who
will fight back instead of finding virtue in taking the higher road and turning the other cheek (and I like that about her).
Rowena: "You've changed"
Isla: "No I haven't"
Rowena: "Yes you have. You've grown cold"
Isla: "No, I've just grown up".
Rowena: "You were never cruel"
Isla: "You were never evil".
Rowena paused. "Now you're both".
Isla spoke without turning. "Yes, perhaps I am."
Left alone with primarily her thoughts for companionship on the arduous journey, she starts getting cold feet, questioning Tristan's motives and wondering if she didn't just jump at the first opportunity to escape an oppressive existence - at the same time she also realizes that there is no going back.
My only disappointment with "The White Queen" is that Tristan and Isla aren't reunited until the last 30% of the story. Initially there is a bit of tension as they are both insecure for their own reasons, but they resolve their issues quickly and Tristan makes it known he intends to give Isla a hell of a wedding gift:
"There is something I want from you. Something beyond a mere joining of the flesh".
"Will it...hurt me"?
"It will..." He paused, considering the term. Almost tasting it. "It will hurt, yes. But not hurt you. I would never hurt you".
As the story ends, the final installment in the trilogy is beautifully set up: Hart has sold his soul, Rose in on the menu, Isla is about to learn she is much more than she thought and always was, Tristan and Father Justin are cultivating a whole new relationship and one hell of a storm is coming!!!!
March 16, 2020
4 stars
RTC
RTC
April 21, 2016
The beginning of this book was so promising. It had a lot more of the fantasy elements than the "romance" (please note the sarcasm I'm intending by the quotation marks), and Tristan's backstory is far more interesting than the drivel that comprises the rest of this novel and its precursor,
The Demon of Darkling Reach
. I hadn't actually intended to read this entire book since the first one was so bad, but I had hopes, after the first quarter of The White Queen, that this one would be a big improvement.
We go straight back to Isla's point of view. Isla is pathetic. Isla is annoying. Isla thinks her betrothed is going to dump her every time he's out of her sight. "And then what would I do with my life? I'm ugly and weird and nobody likes me."
Oh, please. Get over it.
I read this book mostly to find out what Tristan actually is (spoiler alert: the Demon of Darkling Reach is....guess what? LOL) and what would happen to Isla if he actually married her. But this is still another bloated, boring, and anti-feminist work in a serial of them.
TL;DR: Stick a fork in it - I'm done. These books were not written for women with a functional sense of self.
*****************************************
Nope. That's it. I'm done with this series. Reasons why forthcoming.
We go straight back to Isla's point of view. Isla is pathetic. Isla is annoying. Isla thinks her betrothed is going to dump her every time he's out of her sight. "And then what would I do with my life? I'm ugly and weird and nobody likes me."
Oh, please. Get over it.
I read this book mostly to find out what Tristan actually is (spoiler alert: the Demon of Darkling Reach is....guess what? LOL) and what would happen to Isla if he actually married her. But this is still another bloated, boring, and anti-feminist work in a serial of them.
TL;DR: Stick a fork in it - I'm done. These books were not written for women with a functional sense of self.
*****************************************
Nope. That's it. I'm done with this series. Reasons why forthcoming.
January 4, 2023
The goal of this book is to see Isla and Tristan get married. Unfortunately, the reader has to wade through copious amounts of backstory, descriptions, and non-relevant side stories to get there. What prevented this book from being a flop was the wonderful surprise of getting a well done fully fleshed out backstory for Tristan’s demon possession. Once I settled into that part of the story I was deeply enamored with the thrill and demonic sorcery surrounding Tristan’s human life. So much so that when the story bounced back to Isla I could not stand her whiney and self-loathing attitude. All the terrible people in Isla’s life are still hanging around to torment her further and wedding her husband does little to change their attitudes of superiority. The reader has to suffer through more big sister versus little sister jealous scenes along with her father and handmaiden acting as though the mud on their shoes is better tolerated than Isla. The author seems determined to paint Isa’s life as though being with a supernatural demon from Hell is truly the only and in some cases best option for Isla. As a woman with few options, little prospects, and not enough money being married to a powerful demon that may or may not truly love her is a risk worth taking even if it costs her independence and soul.
I strongly feel this book is much better than the first but it also makes the reader work for every little inch of good story with unnecessary descriptions, POV’s, and other explanations delving into side characters. This is a story for people who enjoy lengthy and overly descriptive well written medieval based villain plots. As the romance element of the story is practically non-existent which is a shame. As I feel that being courted by a demon is something worth writing about in great detail. Ultimately, the author knows her history and facts but spends to much time trying to impress the reader with her knowledge rather than focusing on propelling the story and building up the action. If this book was edited properly I’m sure the same story could have been told in one or two books. As it stands the series is overly bloated but worth a read if the entire series manages to bring about a coherent ending that makes this lengthy non-traditional supernatural journey worth it in the end.
I strongly feel this book is much better than the first but it also makes the reader work for every little inch of good story with unnecessary descriptions, POV’s, and other explanations delving into side characters. This is a story for people who enjoy lengthy and overly descriptive well written medieval based villain plots. As the romance element of the story is practically non-existent which is a shame. As I feel that being courted by a demon is something worth writing about in great detail. Ultimately, the author knows her history and facts but spends to much time trying to impress the reader with her knowledge rather than focusing on propelling the story and building up the action. If this book was edited properly I’m sure the same story could have been told in one or two books. As it stands the series is overly bloated but worth a read if the entire series manages to bring about a coherent ending that makes this lengthy non-traditional supernatural journey worth it in the end.
August 15, 2020
How do I explain this book? It is so utterly different than anything else I've read.
I love the history and the clear research into the time period- both The White Queen and The Demon of Darkling Reach were chock-full of interesting details that showed how well this author knows the period. It was like nothing I've ever read before.
Even the narrative is different; I expected to get straight into the story, where we left off with Isla and Tristan's romance, but instead, we get Tristan's backstory for at least the first 1/3, then we are bounced back and forth between Isla and Tristan as the clan travels to Caer Addanc.
I think this would be better marketed as a dark fantasy rather than a romance. While I enjoyed the spectacular world building and Tristan's history, I was left rather unsatisfied with the romance between him and Isla. Furthermore, I read a spoiler which made me utterly nauseous and forced me to end the series here.
Yet, I loved the darkness that was contained within this book. It fascinated me and it made me question my own morals. Along with the clear philosophical and political undercurrents that kept this book moving, the history of the time period enraptured me while reading. While chunks of the first book felt like an information dump, I appreciated the context that the history brought to the story in this second book of the series.
I'm disappointed that I won't be moving on with the third and fourth book, but I ultimately started this for the romance, and since the romance contains the one thing I won't force myself to stomach, I will have to let it go. I will highly recommend the first two books to anyone who is interested in dark fantasy and morally questionable characters, but I will unfortunately have to steer them away from finishing the series. Boo.
I love the history and the clear research into the time period- both The White Queen and The Demon of Darkling Reach were chock-full of interesting details that showed how well this author knows the period. It was like nothing I've ever read before.
Even the narrative is different; I expected to get straight into the story, where we left off with Isla and Tristan's romance, but instead, we get Tristan's backstory for at least the first 1/3, then we are bounced back and forth between Isla and Tristan as the clan travels to Caer Addanc.
I think this would be better marketed as a dark fantasy rather than a romance. While I enjoyed the spectacular world building and Tristan's history, I was left rather unsatisfied with the romance between him and Isla. Furthermore, I read a spoiler which made me utterly nauseous and forced me to end the series here.
Yet, I loved the darkness that was contained within this book. It fascinated me and it made me question my own morals. Along with the clear philosophical and political undercurrents that kept this book moving, the history of the time period enraptured me while reading. While chunks of the first book felt like an information dump, I appreciated the context that the history brought to the story in this second book of the series.
I'm disappointed that I won't be moving on with the third and fourth book, but I ultimately started this for the romance, and since the romance contains the one thing I won't force myself to stomach, I will have to let it go. I will highly recommend the first two books to anyone who is interested in dark fantasy and morally questionable characters, but I will unfortunately have to steer them away from finishing the series. Boo.
March 4, 2020
34% flashbacks that drag and the book has a terrible premise.
After watching her fiancé, who she'd been scared of rip a servant girl to shreds and eat her, Isla's biggest worry is whether the marriage will go ahead and whether Tristan's big dick energy extends to the marriage bed.
Unless you've lived in a North Korean concentration camp where everyone eats corpses and people regularly sell out their parents or lovers for "transgressions" which get them being executed - you have no business dreaming up sexytimes with this guy. None.
One does not simply watch a grizzly disembowel and eat an acquaintance, then laugh and fuck the grizzly. It isn't done. I don't mean that Isla is crazy, because no one is that crazy. It's psychologically impossible to process something like that when you SEE IT HAPPEN. Unless you've seen it a million times and just numb out to your natural stress and your complex PTSD is so ingrained you don't notice other people's pain anymore, it isn't possible. Nobody processes shit like that quickly, if at all. Maybe, if it remains a vague, offhand idea and you never see it, it's a see no evil, hear no evil kind of thing and you can live with it.
I can't recommend these books because even people who won't be disgusted will find this to be a head scratcher. Much like the Dark Duet series where a kidnapped sex slave to be can't get over how HAWT AMAZING her personal sex slave trainer is. It's all a pile of shit and it's starting to stink.
Just write reasonable characters, what's so difficult about that? Stockholm psycho syndrome isn't attractive or realistic.
After watching her fiancé, who she'd been scared of rip a servant girl to shreds and eat her, Isla's biggest worry is whether the marriage will go ahead and whether Tristan's big dick energy extends to the marriage bed.
Unless you've lived in a North Korean concentration camp where everyone eats corpses and people regularly sell out their parents or lovers for "transgressions" which get them being executed - you have no business dreaming up sexytimes with this guy. None.
One does not simply watch a grizzly disembowel and eat an acquaintance, then laugh and fuck the grizzly. It isn't done. I don't mean that Isla is crazy, because no one is that crazy. It's psychologically impossible to process something like that when you SEE IT HAPPEN. Unless you've seen it a million times and just numb out to your natural stress and your complex PTSD is so ingrained you don't notice other people's pain anymore, it isn't possible. Nobody processes shit like that quickly, if at all. Maybe, if it remains a vague, offhand idea and you never see it, it's a see no evil, hear no evil kind of thing and you can live with it.
I can't recommend these books because even people who won't be disgusted will find this to be a head scratcher. Much like the Dark Duet series where a kidnapped sex slave to be can't get over how HAWT AMAZING her personal sex slave trainer is. It's all a pile of shit and it's starting to stink.
Just write reasonable characters, what's so difficult about that? Stockholm psycho syndrome isn't attractive or realistic.
July 23, 2019
2.75
oh this poor dumb girl. She walked her ass right into that cage, called it gilded, and threw away the key.
She seemed to come to her senses a bit while she had time away from him and actually thought about the consequences, but the second they get a little lusty thats all out the window. By the time she learns that lust does not equate love she won't even have a choice to walk away-hes already in her head.
I also really hated this 'i've already come this far mentality'. I get that at that point she really only had her brother left (and not even then as he was moving in a different direction) but I felt so trapped just reading it.
Oh yay I get to live a long life as a slave who's thoughts will never be their own, and eventually I won't even HAVE thoughts of my own. wohoo :/
oh this poor dumb girl. She walked her ass right into that cage, called it gilded, and threw away the key.
She seemed to come to her senses a bit while she had time away from him and actually thought about the consequences, but the second they get a little lusty thats all out the window. By the time she learns that lust does not equate love she won't even have a choice to walk away-hes already in her head.
I also really hated this 'i've already come this far mentality'. I get that at that point she really only had her brother left (and not even then as he was moving in a different direction) but I felt so trapped just reading it.
Oh yay I get to live a long life as a slave who's thoughts will never be their own, and eventually I won't even HAVE thoughts of my own. wohoo :/
September 3, 2014
I'm going to give this one 3 stars. The info dumps and unnecessary information just got to be too much. As graphic as this book was in some respects, I was expecting more from the love scenes. Also, the heroine is a very unreliable narrator, and that also got to be a bit much in this sequel. I've come to distrust her perspective on events and people. I question her judgment and motivation. The book keeps saying that "people see what they want to see". At this point, I just wonder if what I'm seeing through the heroine's perspective is real or not.
I've seen this book/series described as "Twilight for grownups". That's a horrible description, but I can see why it was made. But don't let it deter you from reading this series. I look forward to reading the third installation of this trilogy.
I've seen this book/series described as "Twilight for grownups". That's a horrible description, but I can see why it was made. But don't let it deter you from reading this series. I look forward to reading the third installation of this trilogy.
August 30, 2019
I'd say it was good but the plot felt even slower.
I still fear that Isla bargained for more that she could stand...
I still fear that Isla bargained for more that she could stand...
December 18, 2024
I don’t know why I thought this book would be more interesting than the first 😂
October 17, 2015
Fans of dark paranormal may enjoy this more than me.
This is an earthy, gritty, graphic medieval fantasy. It contains little dialogue with lots of thinking by multiple characters. The dialogue there is is crass or blunt. The sex talk got old, although it did make the world sordid. This led me to believe there would be more than what there was on the wedding night and thereafter.
The backstory for the demon is interesting and encourages sympathy for him--. More POV in this book than the first show how naive and self-absorbed the heroine is, which she starts to realize even though it will not change her circumstances. It was hard to like her.
So ends book 2. I was disappointed.
mature content
This is an earthy, gritty, graphic medieval fantasy. It contains little dialogue with lots of thinking by multiple characters. The dialogue there is is crass or blunt. The sex talk got old, although it did make the world sordid. This led me to believe there would be more than what there was on the wedding night and thereafter.
The backstory for the demon is interesting and encourages sympathy for him--. More POV in this book than the first show how naive and self-absorbed the heroine is, which she starts to realize even though it will not change her circumstances. It was hard to like her.
So ends book 2. I was disappointed.
mature content
November 20, 2020
The info dumps take me out of the plot, as do the side quests to tell everyone else's life story. This whole series could have been condensed into one book if we didn't have to read half a chapter on how pages are assimilated into their new households. I think most people have at least a basic knowledge of ducal/chivalric politics if they do any romance reading.
Authors that have no problem giving graphic detail on violence and murder, but then throw a few tame sex scenes in the mix just don't do it for me. I was hopeful for this story, but I feel cheated.
Authors that have no problem giving graphic detail on violence and murder, but then throw a few tame sex scenes in the mix just don't do it for me. I was hopeful for this story, but I feel cheated.
March 26, 2021
DNF , I stopped when I realized that isla is actually a dumb b ; like really you’re supposed to be smart and you don’t take 1 minute to think about wearing the ring and becoming a mindless slave???? Like i thought this book was supposed to have some feminist undertones - it doesn’t Isla is such a pick me girl who of course is hated by other women but it’s okay because they’re bitches ??? Anyway can’t believe I wasted my time on this
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 6, 2020
3.25 stars
Tristan was her only hope. She’d pinned all her dreams of escape on him, all her dreams for a future that meant something. But what if he was a false hope?
To live as a demon in a human world was to live as an outcast.
I like this series because it really makes me question if love is better or if understanding between "people" is. Love may not last, but true understanding is almost deeper. It implies knowing someone and accepting them as they are.
Tristan is a demon inhabiting a human host but seems to really understand Isla- he is a man with an extended knowledge of various things (wordly and otherworldy) and who also has proven to show more interest in Isla's welfare than her own family. We find out within the first 30% of the book through Tristan's point of view that Isla's sister Rowena actually offered herself to him after it seemed Isla was starting to form an attachment to Tristan: Rowena who, although Isla didn’t know it, had come to his room and offered herself to him after Isla had gone to bed. We saw the implosion of the sisterly relationship between Rowena and Isla after Isla offered to take Rowena's place in a marriage offer to Tristan in the first book. To Isla this was a sacrifice for sisterly love, but it becomes obvious that Rowena comes to see this as Isla taking the best opportunity for Rowena off the table. Rowena's resentment grows and it begins to start coming out in passive aggressive ways. It's implied that she starts to steal from Isla. I believe she steals something that Hart gave her. I'm wondering if there is a deeper meaning for this, like Rowena trying to take away any representation of love that Isla has received or perhaps Rowena needed this for some scheme.
Some readers actually felt that Isla was annoying in this book because of her ambivalent nature but I argue wouldn't anyone else be? She hasn't heard from Tristan in over a month (and although he was keeping track of her she doesn't know this), and she's constantly reminded that she is 'other' by her family and the other soldiers who travel with her to the North for her marriage. Tristan's arrival to her home in the first novel is the catalyst that makes Isla finally break her familial bonds with her father and sister, and without Tristan there she's left wondering if it was worth it. Additionally, the gnome that accompanies her, Eir, makes remarks about how Isla has powers and is different, again reiterating to Isla that she is 'other' when compared to her family: “If it’s still there,” Isla grumbled morosely. Eir turned sharply. “You have had a vision?”
I thought it was very interesting that at the beginning of Isla's journey she is afraid of the supernatural and the unknown but she gradually becomes more attached to that part than the human side: her relationship with Rowena and her father erodes, she turns away while her maid is eaten by her lover, she admits she misses Eir, a gnome's, presence, and by the end accepts that her relationship with Rose (human maid) has eroded as well and she turns to her new maid (a half gnome herself) for friendship. By the end she fully embraces that she has to leave the precipice of her humanity, and becomes the 'other' that was hinted at during her journey. Isla comments to herself that she couldn’t have said when, precisely, the transition began to occur because it had been so gradual and I was confused because Tristan makes her a supernatural being in one night so how was it gradual? But now that I think about it I believe Fox meant something more here- that Isla was transitioning to something different for a long time, way before Tristan actually physically made her different.
I'm a bit concerned with the relationship between Tristan and Isla. As the reader we read about his thoughts on controlling her fighting nature. At one point he performs a ritual that makes her a subordinate to him so he can view her thoughts and he can send her knowledge and yeah it seems like they are starting to become almost a unit- but I'm uncertain. As a demon he can only desire, he can only want. And I think he wants control. Before I mentioned that understanding may be better than love, and perhaps Tristan wants to deepen this understanding with Isla. But at what point does she give so much of herself to him that she stops being the person he grew an attachment to? So I'm very concerned for Isla. Isla does have an innate magic and she mentions that Callas, a soldier who accompanies her to the North still sent a shiver down Isla’s spine . Her half-brother Hart starts to cultivate a friendship with Callas and we get some scenes from his point of view that maybe hints Hart takes Callas up on his offer to join some form of a cult. After Isla's transformation, Hart is the only one to approach her from her old life who is indifferent to her change. It's implied that he himself has changed. Again didn't this happen over the course of a week? So I'm not sure what happened with Hart. It was very unclear so I hope that the 3rd book expands on this. Fox is definitely setting something up in the bigger picture of the country's rule which I think Callas will factor into. Maybe he will threaten Asher or try to kidnap him, putting Hart in the middle of an internal conflict between his new brotherhood and his sister.
I rated this 3.25 stars because the book didn't seem as intriguing or mysterious as the first book (3.5 stars). I really enjoy how deep Fox gets in their writing and the character development is great, but there is something about the execution of the writing that can be a little better. Some things are disjointed or unclear in their execution. Although I liked Tristan's background in the beginning it was still very unclear what exactly went down with his former betrothed and people were mentioned who have little impact on the story. That definitely could have been cut down. Like I mentioned above with Hart, it seems like his perspective and his story is missing from this. There is a difference between implying something and just being unclear, and I think Fox's writing leans a lot more to the later. I am still really enjoying this series, and I look forward to the next installment.
Tristan was her only hope. She’d pinned all her dreams of escape on him, all her dreams for a future that meant something. But what if he was a false hope?
To live as a demon in a human world was to live as an outcast.
I like this series because it really makes me question if love is better or if understanding between "people" is. Love may not last, but true understanding is almost deeper. It implies knowing someone and accepting them as they are.
Tristan is a demon inhabiting a human host but seems to really understand Isla- he is a man with an extended knowledge of various things (wordly and otherworldy) and who also has proven to show more interest in Isla's welfare than her own family. We find out within the first 30% of the book through Tristan's point of view that Isla's sister Rowena actually offered herself to him after it seemed Isla was starting to form an attachment to Tristan: Rowena who, although Isla didn’t know it, had come to his room and offered herself to him after Isla had gone to bed. We saw the implosion of the sisterly relationship between Rowena and Isla after Isla offered to take Rowena's place in a marriage offer to Tristan in the first book. To Isla this was a sacrifice for sisterly love, but it becomes obvious that Rowena comes to see this as Isla taking the best opportunity for Rowena off the table. Rowena's resentment grows and it begins to start coming out in passive aggressive ways. It's implied that she starts to steal from Isla. I believe she steals something that Hart gave her. I'm wondering if there is a deeper meaning for this, like Rowena trying to take away any representation of love that Isla has received or perhaps Rowena needed this for some scheme.
Some readers actually felt that Isla was annoying in this book because of her ambivalent nature but I argue wouldn't anyone else be? She hasn't heard from Tristan in over a month (and although he was keeping track of her she doesn't know this), and she's constantly reminded that she is 'other' by her family and the other soldiers who travel with her to the North for her marriage. Tristan's arrival to her home in the first novel is the catalyst that makes Isla finally break her familial bonds with her father and sister, and without Tristan there she's left wondering if it was worth it. Additionally, the gnome that accompanies her, Eir, makes remarks about how Isla has powers and is different, again reiterating to Isla that she is 'other' when compared to her family: “If it’s still there,” Isla grumbled morosely. Eir turned sharply. “You have had a vision?”
I thought it was very interesting that at the beginning of Isla's journey she is afraid of the supernatural and the unknown but she gradually becomes more attached to that part than the human side: her relationship with Rowena and her father erodes, she turns away while her maid is eaten by her lover, she admits she misses Eir, a gnome's, presence, and by the end accepts that her relationship with Rose (human maid) has eroded as well and she turns to her new maid (a half gnome herself) for friendship. By the end she fully embraces that she has to leave the precipice of her humanity, and becomes the 'other' that was hinted at during her journey. Isla comments to herself that she couldn’t have said when, precisely, the transition began to occur because it had been so gradual and I was confused because Tristan makes her a supernatural being in one night so how was it gradual? But now that I think about it I believe Fox meant something more here- that Isla was transitioning to something different for a long time, way before Tristan actually physically made her different.
I'm a bit concerned with the relationship between Tristan and Isla. As the reader we read about his thoughts on controlling her fighting nature. At one point he performs a ritual that makes her a subordinate to him so he can view her thoughts and he can send her knowledge and yeah it seems like they are starting to become almost a unit- but I'm uncertain. As a demon he can only desire, he can only want. And I think he wants control. Before I mentioned that understanding may be better than love, and perhaps Tristan wants to deepen this understanding with Isla. But at what point does she give so much of herself to him that she stops being the person he grew an attachment to? So I'm very concerned for Isla. Isla does have an innate magic and she mentions that Callas, a soldier who accompanies her to the North still sent a shiver down Isla’s spine . Her half-brother Hart starts to cultivate a friendship with Callas and we get some scenes from his point of view that maybe hints Hart takes Callas up on his offer to join some form of a cult. After Isla's transformation, Hart is the only one to approach her from her old life who is indifferent to her change. It's implied that he himself has changed. Again didn't this happen over the course of a week? So I'm not sure what happened with Hart. It was very unclear so I hope that the 3rd book expands on this. Fox is definitely setting something up in the bigger picture of the country's rule which I think Callas will factor into. Maybe he will threaten Asher or try to kidnap him, putting Hart in the middle of an internal conflict between his new brotherhood and his sister.
I rated this 3.25 stars because the book didn't seem as intriguing or mysterious as the first book (3.5 stars). I really enjoy how deep Fox gets in their writing and the character development is great, but there is something about the execution of the writing that can be a little better. Some things are disjointed or unclear in their execution. Although I liked Tristan's background in the beginning it was still very unclear what exactly went down with his former betrothed and people were mentioned who have little impact on the story. That definitely could have been cut down. Like I mentioned above with Hart, it seems like his perspective and his story is missing from this. There is a difference between implying something and just being unclear, and I think Fox's writing leans a lot more to the later. I am still really enjoying this series, and I look forward to the next installment.
Want to read
August 16, 2020DNF for now at 15%
Have to come back to this one, just too dense for my frail pandemic riddle mindset right now.
Have to come back to this one, just too dense for my frail pandemic riddle mindset right now.
February 28, 2022
ALERTA DE CONTEÚDO: O livro é o segundo da série The Dark Prince, livros do gênero Dark e a premissa é uma jovem do séc. XV se apaixonando por um demônio. Vários temas são abordados, como tortura, canibalismo – se é que podemos chamar assim, mas basicamente é um demônio possuindo um cara e tendo que comer carne humana pra sobreviver –, sangue, morte, dependência emocional, MUITO slut-shaming, estupro, escravidão sexual, pedofilia, zoofilia, violência doméstica, feminicídio, entre outros. O livro é extremamente mais pesado que o primeiro da série e não há nada muito ruim que não seja parte da narrativa, então se você é sensível a um ou mais temas, não leia o livro ou leia-o com cuidado.
Eu já disse todos os porquês de eu ler esse livro na minha resenha do primeiro, The Demon of Darkling Reach.
O livro é grotesco e serei a primeira a criticar tudo que há nele (e olha que não são poucas coisas). Dito isso, como anteriormente, eu disse que queria ler algo Dark e é isso que o livro entrega.
Eu tô bem triste que não consegui gostar de The White Queen tanto quanto The Demon of Darkling Reach.
Como eu suspeitava, The White Queen é bem mais pesado que o seu antecessor. O livro expande os pontos de vista e podemos ler não só como Isla enxerga os acontecimentos, mas também saber como Tristan - o demônio - e Hart - irmão de Isla - pensam.
Eu gostei dessa expansão e acho que trás ao leitor a oportunidade de conhecer o mundo da série por olhos não tão dependentes ou enviesados quanto os de Isla.
E é infelizmente nesse ponto que o livro se perde um pouco.
Se eu dou 3 estrelas pra esse livro, é pelos flashbacks do Tristan e pela história dele.
Como personagem, ele é simplesmente fascinante. É muito interessante ler como a autora decidiu criar ele e ver realmente tudo que ele passou e como foi a transição de um demônio sem corpo para um demônio dentro de um hospedeiro.
A escrita pelo ponto de vista dele é *chef's kiss*.
E consequentemente, 90% do horror do livro acontece por conta de Tristan.
Embora fosse de esperar, graças a sua natureza, ainda é bem difícil de ler tudo que ele fez. Ele é simplesmente o cara mais merda que já existiu na face da terra e isso acaba com a vontade do leitor de tentar entender a Isla e o motivo de ela gostar tanto dele.
É muito, MUITO, difícil não ficar sentindo repulsa por tudo que ele fez.
Não sei como a autora conseguiu, mas ela fez um demônio ser o típico cara que não aguenta rejeição e depois pune todas as mulheres do mundo por isso (nem todas, mas enfim).
Metade dos avisos são por coisas que ele fez.
E embora seja da natureza dele, a mágica acaba.
Enquanto a gente não sabe realmente o quê ele fez, mas sabe que algo rolou, é fácil ver ele como um personagem de aura misteriosa e chamativa, mas depois que descobrimos, ainda mais pela visão sem remorso nenhum dele, é complicado sequer categorizar ele como um par romântico bom.
É mais complicado ainda entender o que a Isla vê de tão interessante nele.
O cara é uma marmota o livro todo. Até pela visão dela, ele é um chato completo. Não há UMA qualidade de redenção nele que faça ele ser o personagem simpático que uma vez foi. Ele diz que no mínimo ele se importa com a Isla, mas até nas narrações dele não há nada que confirme isso. E embora isso possa ser usado como artifício de narrativa, ligando às passagens que a própria Isla fala que não sabe o que ele quer com ela, é só insuportável ler um cara que aparentemente tá cagando pra tudo.
Eu simplesmente não sei dizer quantas vezes eu li que ele não amava pois era um demônio e ele não tinha sentimentos. Chegou num ponto que eu queria gritar que eu TINHA entendido, não precisava falar mais.
Mesmo assim, eu espero que os próximos livros compensem isso. Foi EXTREMAMENTE interessante ver como o Tristan se tornou quem é, mas também quebrou todos os encantos que ele poderia ter.
Outro ponto que detona o livro um pouco são os pontos de vista da Isla.
Enquanto ela tinha me irritado um pouco em The Demon of Darkling Reach, eu ainda conseguia gostar dela. Aqui, ela está a personagem mais insuportável do rolê.
Eu entendo completamente que ela é totalmente dependente do Tristan e que ele mesmo já disse que é o negócio dele querer tirar as barreiras dela e possuí-la totalmente, mas é desgastante ver esse processo acontecer.
Ainda mais quando ela se contradiz tanto. Os pensa dela falam uma coisa, mas ela diz outras pro Tristan como se fosse o que ela estivesse pensando. Acho que isso é mais falha da escrita da autora do que da personagem. É totalmente sem nexo ler o que ela diz e chega a dar nos nervos. Todo parágrafo dela é refutado pelas falas.
A viagem até Darkling Reach também foi um saco. Eu não poderia me importar menos com a viagem, embora eu aprecie as cenas estarem lá, já que criou um desenvolvimento pro Hart.
Outra coisa que eu estranhei nesse livro que fez ele ser mediano, foi o desenvolvimento e o pacing, que antes foram tão bons no primeiro da série, foi totalmente esquisito em The White Queen.
Se o livro fosse com foco total na história do Tristan, eu teria achado incrível: seria outra camada do quadro que a Isla pintou dele.
Entretanto, o livro se divide entre os flashbacks, a chegada da Isla ao castelo e o casamento dos dois.
Dá pra ver que a autora quis encaixar tudo num livro isso e ficou como ficou. Muito da história do Tristan no final foi enxugada (como a história dele com o rei atual), bem como o casamento.
Foi super sem graça a transformação da Isla em uma alma conjunta com a do Tristan e eu imagino que deveria ter um impacto maior na história. As decisões dela foram super impulsivas só pra história ir pra frente.
A situação do anel, com ele entrando na cabeça dela pra sempre e ele ligando a alma dela ao corpo dele foram SUPER interessantes, mas super corridas. Não teve desenvolvimento nenhum e essa rapidez fez com que até os pensamentos da Isla fossem cortados. Ela não tem tempo de lidar com as transformações e muito menos o leitor.
Eu também achei bem merda a primeira vez dos dois ser forçado daquele jeito como parte do ritual e as vezes seguintes que nem descrevem nada.
Foi criada toda uma tensão no primeiro livro que não foi resolvida numa boa forma aqui. Eu achei que por tudo que falam do Tristan, de ele ficar com deus e o mundo, homens e mulheres, a cena de sexo entre a Isla e ele seria mais interessante, mas foi uma chatice. Eu não estava totalmente dependente dessa cena, mas pela importância dela, achei que seria melhor.
Outro ponto que ocorreu em The Demon of Darkling Reach e que se repetiu aqui, foi o súbito pulo de séculos nos pensamentos dos personagens. É um livro que se passa no séc. XV, mas magicamente o Tristan e a Isla sabem o que é e o que significa feminismo. É bizarro ler os dois falando disso quando eles estão no SÉCULO XV.
E chega a ser cômico também a Isla bater tanto na tecla de independência feminina quando o que o livro mais tem é mulheres que não lutam umas pelas outras e só brigam, assim como elas são manipuladas e a própria Isla é totalmente dependente do Tristan.
Enfim, o desenvolvimento aqui foi esquisito pra caramba. Não deu tempo de lidar com todas as nuances e por isso eu acho que se tivessem sido só os flashbacks ou só pelo ponto de vista do Tristan, seria melhor explorado.
Bom, é isso. Eu realmente só achei mediano pela história do Tristan, que foi muito bem contada, tirando isso, acho que eu daria 2 pra esse livro. Enquanto eu devorei o primeiro, demorei quase 2 semanas pra ler The White Queen.
É bem triste pensar assim, pois eu acho a ambientação da história super envolvente, independente do que estão nas páginas. É impossível não querer saber todos os mistérios e ver o que vai rolar.
Bem abalada de não ter gostado tanto. Espero que os próximos consigam me prender mais e que não me deixem perguntando quem nesse livro tem pelo menos uma qualidade que me faça torcer para que eles pelo menos não morram, pois agora eu tô ao ponto de não ligar pra ninguém mais.
Eu já disse todos os porquês de eu ler esse livro na minha resenha do primeiro, The Demon of Darkling Reach.
O livro é grotesco e serei a primeira a criticar tudo que há nele (e olha que não são poucas coisas). Dito isso, como anteriormente, eu disse que queria ler algo Dark e é isso que o livro entrega.
Eu tô bem triste que não consegui gostar de The White Queen tanto quanto The Demon of Darkling Reach.
Como eu suspeitava, The White Queen é bem mais pesado que o seu antecessor. O livro expande os pontos de vista e podemos ler não só como Isla enxerga os acontecimentos, mas também saber como Tristan - o demônio - e Hart - irmão de Isla - pensam.
Eu gostei dessa expansão e acho que trás ao leitor a oportunidade de conhecer o mundo da série por olhos não tão dependentes ou enviesados quanto os de Isla.
E é infelizmente nesse ponto que o livro se perde um pouco.
Se eu dou 3 estrelas pra esse livro, é pelos flashbacks do Tristan e pela história dele.
Como personagem, ele é simplesmente fascinante. É muito interessante ler como a autora decidiu criar ele e ver realmente tudo que ele passou e como foi a transição de um demônio sem corpo para um demônio dentro de um hospedeiro.
A escrita pelo ponto de vista dele é *chef's kiss*.
E consequentemente, 90% do horror do livro acontece por conta de Tristan.
Embora fosse de esperar, graças a sua natureza, ainda é bem difícil de ler tudo que ele fez. Ele é simplesmente o cara mais merda que já existiu na face da terra e isso acaba com a vontade do leitor de tentar entender a Isla e o motivo de ela gostar tanto dele.
É muito, MUITO, difícil não ficar sentindo repulsa por tudo que ele fez.
Não sei como a autora conseguiu, mas ela fez um demônio ser o típico cara que não aguenta rejeição e depois pune todas as mulheres do mundo por isso (nem todas, mas enfim).
Metade dos avisos são por coisas que ele fez.
E embora seja da natureza dele, a mágica acaba.
Enquanto a gente não sabe realmente o quê ele fez, mas sabe que algo rolou, é fácil ver ele como um personagem de aura misteriosa e chamativa, mas depois que descobrimos, ainda mais pela visão sem remorso nenhum dele, é complicado sequer categorizar ele como um par romântico bom.
É mais complicado ainda entender o que a Isla vê de tão interessante nele.
O cara é uma marmota o livro todo. Até pela visão dela, ele é um chato completo. Não há UMA qualidade de redenção nele que faça ele ser o personagem simpático que uma vez foi. Ele diz que no mínimo ele se importa com a Isla, mas até nas narrações dele não há nada que confirme isso. E embora isso possa ser usado como artifício de narrativa, ligando às passagens que a própria Isla fala que não sabe o que ele quer com ela, é só insuportável ler um cara que aparentemente tá cagando pra tudo.
Eu simplesmente não sei dizer quantas vezes eu li que ele não amava pois era um demônio e ele não tinha sentimentos. Chegou num ponto que eu queria gritar que eu TINHA entendido, não precisava falar mais.
Mesmo assim, eu espero que os próximos livros compensem isso. Foi EXTREMAMENTE interessante ver como o Tristan se tornou quem é, mas também quebrou todos os encantos que ele poderia ter.
Outro ponto que detona o livro um pouco são os pontos de vista da Isla.
Enquanto ela tinha me irritado um pouco em The Demon of Darkling Reach, eu ainda conseguia gostar dela. Aqui, ela está a personagem mais insuportável do rolê.
Eu entendo completamente que ela é totalmente dependente do Tristan e que ele mesmo já disse que é o negócio dele querer tirar as barreiras dela e possuí-la totalmente, mas é desgastante ver esse processo acontecer.
Ainda mais quando ela se contradiz tanto. Os pensa dela falam uma coisa, mas ela diz outras pro Tristan como se fosse o que ela estivesse pensando. Acho que isso é mais falha da escrita da autora do que da personagem. É totalmente sem nexo ler o que ela diz e chega a dar nos nervos. Todo parágrafo dela é refutado pelas falas.
A viagem até Darkling Reach também foi um saco. Eu não poderia me importar menos com a viagem, embora eu aprecie as cenas estarem lá, já que criou um desenvolvimento pro Hart.
Outra coisa que eu estranhei nesse livro que fez ele ser mediano, foi o desenvolvimento e o pacing, que antes foram tão bons no primeiro da série, foi totalmente esquisito em The White Queen.
Se o livro fosse com foco total na história do Tristan, eu teria achado incrível: seria outra camada do quadro que a Isla pintou dele.
Entretanto, o livro se divide entre os flashbacks, a chegada da Isla ao castelo e o casamento dos dois.
Dá pra ver que a autora quis encaixar tudo num livro isso e ficou como ficou. Muito da história do Tristan no final foi enxugada (como a história dele com o rei atual), bem como o casamento.
Foi super sem graça a transformação da Isla em uma alma conjunta com a do Tristan e eu imagino que deveria ter um impacto maior na história. As decisões dela foram super impulsivas só pra história ir pra frente.
A situação do anel, com ele entrando na cabeça dela pra sempre e ele ligando a alma dela ao corpo dele foram SUPER interessantes, mas super corridas. Não teve desenvolvimento nenhum e essa rapidez fez com que até os pensamentos da Isla fossem cortados. Ela não tem tempo de lidar com as transformações e muito menos o leitor.
Eu também achei bem merda a primeira vez dos dois ser forçado daquele jeito como parte do ritual e as vezes seguintes que nem descrevem nada.
Foi criada toda uma tensão no primeiro livro que não foi resolvida numa boa forma aqui. Eu achei que por tudo que falam do Tristan, de ele ficar com deus e o mundo, homens e mulheres, a cena de sexo entre a Isla e ele seria mais interessante, mas foi uma chatice. Eu não estava totalmente dependente dessa cena, mas pela importância dela, achei que seria melhor.
Outro ponto que ocorreu em The Demon of Darkling Reach e que se repetiu aqui, foi o súbito pulo de séculos nos pensamentos dos personagens. É um livro que se passa no séc. XV, mas magicamente o Tristan e a Isla sabem o que é e o que significa feminismo. É bizarro ler os dois falando disso quando eles estão no SÉCULO XV.
E chega a ser cômico também a Isla bater tanto na tecla de independência feminina quando o que o livro mais tem é mulheres que não lutam umas pelas outras e só brigam, assim como elas são manipuladas e a própria Isla é totalmente dependente do Tristan.
Enfim, o desenvolvimento aqui foi esquisito pra caramba. Não deu tempo de lidar com todas as nuances e por isso eu acho que se tivessem sido só os flashbacks ou só pelo ponto de vista do Tristan, seria melhor explorado.
Bom, é isso. Eu realmente só achei mediano pela história do Tristan, que foi muito bem contada, tirando isso, acho que eu daria 2 pra esse livro. Enquanto eu devorei o primeiro, demorei quase 2 semanas pra ler The White Queen.
É bem triste pensar assim, pois eu acho a ambientação da história super envolvente, independente do que estão nas páginas. É impossível não querer saber todos os mistérios e ver o que vai rolar.
Bem abalada de não ter gostado tanto. Espero que os próximos consigam me prender mais e que não me deixem perguntando quem nesse livro tem pelo menos uma qualidade que me faça torcer para que eles pelo menos não morram, pois agora eu tô ao ponto de não ligar pra ninguém mais.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 11, 2019
Buddy read with the lovely Nenia
3.5/5
The White Queen is the second book in the Dark Prince trilogy, continuing shortly after where The Demon of Darkling Reach had ended (Isla traveling to meet her betrothed at his home so they may finally get married). This is a much darker novel than the first one, and, I found, more engrossing due to less info dumps (but yes there are still quite a few that I may have skimmed over).
In this installment, we follow Isla, and sometimes Hart as well as Tristan. We begin with Tristan's backstory (how he came to possess the real Tristan, lose his first 'love', gain his reputation, and how he came to be the Duke), and then follow Isla's journey to him, and then their marriage and all the dark rituals and bonding that occur for a lifelong partnership (I love the dark aspects, honestly).
"when a demon selected a partner, it did so forever" 3%
Isla gains a few new friends while she also loses some, as well as she becomes more confident in terms of how she dealt with those around her that fail to truly care about her. We see not only more of Isla's character, but also Tristan and Hart's. We see more bonds and secrets and revelations throughout the novel that help connect readers to characters and the story.
Isla and Tristan on the other hand, get serious. There are intimate scenes, and there are scenes where Isla gives up certain things to be with Tristan. Sacrifice, rituals, bonding. It is very exciting!
“I’d be your willing captive.” 75%
Overall, this was a good follow up to the first novel and I am interested in reading the next book to discover the rest of Tristan's secrets (and also to see what happens to Hart). However, be warned of mistakes in the writing (the author mixed up the names of the characters in some scenes).
3.5/5
The White Queen is the second book in the Dark Prince trilogy, continuing shortly after where The Demon of Darkling Reach had ended (Isla traveling to meet her betrothed at his home so they may finally get married). This is a much darker novel than the first one, and, I found, more engrossing due to less info dumps (but yes there are still quite a few that I may have skimmed over).
In this installment, we follow Isla, and sometimes Hart as well as Tristan. We begin with Tristan's backstory (how he came to possess the real Tristan, lose his first 'love', gain his reputation, and how he came to be the Duke), and then follow Isla's journey to him, and then their marriage and all the dark rituals and bonding that occur for a lifelong partnership (I love the dark aspects, honestly).
"when a demon selected a partner, it did so forever" 3%
Isla gains a few new friends while she also loses some, as well as she becomes more confident in terms of how she dealt with those around her that fail to truly care about her. We see not only more of Isla's character, but also Tristan and Hart's. We see more bonds and secrets and revelations throughout the novel that help connect readers to characters and the story.
Isla and Tristan on the other hand, get serious. There are intimate scenes, and there are scenes where Isla gives up certain things to be with Tristan. Sacrifice, rituals, bonding. It is very exciting!
“I’d be your willing captive.” 75%
Overall, this was a good follow up to the first novel and I am interested in reading the next book to discover the rest of Tristan's secrets (and also to see what happens to Hart). However, be warned of mistakes in the writing (the author mixed up the names of the characters in some scenes).
May 21, 2015
Danger is all around Isla, but she doesn't quite grasp the depth of the morass into which she has wandered. Honestly, this young woman can barely take a breath without being threatened. As she journeys to Darkling Reach to meet her betrothed, Tristan, the only person who seems to be without rancor is her half-brother - and he might not be strong enough to protect her. Without Tristan's presence, a feeling of dread and doubt settles around Isla. It is ironic that a man purported to be a demon can make Isla feel more reassured.
These dark feelings and well-done Gothic foreshadowing plague Isla and her family caravan during their weeks-long journey. The middle part of the book is consumed with Isla second-guessing her decision to marry Tristan, and what a future with him would involve. As her apprehension builds, it is matched with a more forbidding landscape as the weather turns bitter and the roads become mountainous. Even the medieval town settings are filled with doom and gloom. Fox creates an other-worldliness that is palpable.
The first third of the novel delves into Tristan's backstory. It is fascinating and terrible.
Somehow, through these two books (first book was The Demon of Darkling Reach), Fox has managed to build a plausible - even ardent - romance between a malevolent anti-hero and an unworldly but earnest young woman. However, the reader cannot escape the overwhelming sense that Isla is marching toward her doom. Will her love be enough?
These dark feelings and well-done Gothic foreshadowing plague Isla and her family caravan during their weeks-long journey. The middle part of the book is consumed with Isla second-guessing her decision to marry Tristan, and what a future with him would involve. As her apprehension builds, it is matched with a more forbidding landscape as the weather turns bitter and the roads become mountainous. Even the medieval town settings are filled with doom and gloom. Fox creates an other-worldliness that is palpable.
The first third of the novel delves into Tristan's backstory. It is fascinating and terrible.
Somehow, through these two books (first book was The Demon of Darkling Reach), Fox has managed to build a plausible - even ardent - romance between a malevolent anti-hero and an unworldly but earnest young woman. However, the reader cannot escape the overwhelming sense that Isla is marching toward her doom. Will her love be enough?
July 5, 2021
I found out the author has a degree in medieval history... no wonder she weaves in such descriptive historical-inspired details. This book had the same gothic horror/suspense/romance vibes as the previous but is even better because a large part of it is centered around Tristan, who is by far the most interesting character. I loved reading about how the demon came to take over the host and how it had lived through the years and its relationships with other characters like Brenna, Tristan's old servants, and his previous wives. The cat and mouse undertone of Tristan and Isla's romance is also depicted so well. This book was very slow burn though, the couple doesn't meet until 70% in and the wedding doesn't happen until about 80%. But lots of exciting things (rituals) happened towards the end.
August 20, 2020
Good story but soooooo much unnecessary descriptions of what everyone's wearing. Found myself skimming a lot of paragraphs to get to the good stuff. Im interested in the story but I'm not sure I can do two more books worth of this.
December 18, 2025
The Demon of Darkling Reach(The Black Prince Trilogy, if you prefer) is dark fantasy done right. Through and in it, we get to explore the grey area of morality, look into the dichotomy of right and wrong and really question our true motivations in doing things. Oftentimes we fool ourselves, we convince ourselves that we do what we do from a selfless, wholly good place when what we are doing is in fact serving our own self-interest. We get to ask if being self-interested is evil and of course, whether morality is absolute or relative.
People who write dark fantasy often shy away from bringing in the morally questionable, repulsive topics. They merely flirt with the macabre and fear a dally with it. The only author I knew(until now) who did justice to dark fantasy was Anne Rice and now after reading The Demon Of Darkling Reach and The White Queen(the second book in the trilogy), I can call P.J Fox a dark fantasy writer worthy of the name.
The eponymous/titular character is a character that will stay with me forever. He is incredibly well-written and is amoral rather than immoral. He is alien and “other”, a fact solidified by his complete lack of moral bearing. He is, I would say, evil if we judge him by our moral standards and yet he has not proven to be a character difficult to like, if not love. The heroine, Isla, and the other characters are also well-written. I loved hating some of them and yelling at them for the choices they made like my life depended on it. The Demon of Darkling Reach is captivating and morbidly delightful. It is a seance with the dark, a hellish crusade. I am yet to see another character like Tristan.
People who write dark fantasy often shy away from bringing in the morally questionable, repulsive topics. They merely flirt with the macabre and fear a dally with it. The only author I knew(until now) who did justice to dark fantasy was Anne Rice and now after reading The Demon Of Darkling Reach and The White Queen(the second book in the trilogy), I can call P.J Fox a dark fantasy writer worthy of the name.
The eponymous/titular character is a character that will stay with me forever. He is incredibly well-written and is amoral rather than immoral. He is alien and “other”, a fact solidified by his complete lack of moral bearing. He is, I would say, evil if we judge him by our moral standards and yet he has not proven to be a character difficult to like, if not love. The heroine, Isla, and the other characters are also well-written. I loved hating some of them and yelling at them for the choices they made like my life depended on it. The Demon of Darkling Reach is captivating and morbidly delightful. It is a seance with the dark, a hellish crusade. I am yet to see another character like Tristan.
January 27, 2023
Ah. Well. No.
One of my biggest pet peeves is smart woman who become idiots for a man.
Please. Enough. Ill do anything to make it stop.
Isla is educated, intelligent, a bit naive but nevertheless, loyal and kind. Why give us such a beautiful character and then make her into a dumb slave? Maybe thats the point of the book, but its why i dont like it.
On the other hand,
Tristan needs to make up his fucking mind? How the fuck a demon bipolar? I cant tell if hes selfish or ignorant. Actually screw that, hes both!
He sees himself as this big bad demon who likes to play with his food and then longs to fit in. He says he takes what he wants no matter what As iS hIS RiGhT🤡, and then begs Isla to be willing. MAN WTF IS IT GONNA BE??? I liked him in book 1, i think because i didnt have his pov. Now that i do, i realize hes an immature little demon. Again, maybe thats the point of the book, to show his “young-in-demon-age” side.
HOWEVERRRR THIS A SILVER LINING LADIES AND GENTS :
Hart❤️
I love him. So sweet, so kind, so hardworking. I dont want to spoil anything so ill keep it vague. He starts coming into himself and learning who he wants to be. Its for him and him only that i kept reading through that millennia long journey they took.
One of my biggest pet peeves is smart woman who become idiots for a man.
Please. Enough. Ill do anything to make it stop.
Isla is educated, intelligent, a bit naive but nevertheless, loyal and kind. Why give us such a beautiful character and then make her into a dumb slave? Maybe thats the point of the book, but its why i dont like it.
On the other hand,
Tristan needs to make up his fucking mind? How the fuck a demon bipolar? I cant tell if hes selfish or ignorant. Actually screw that, hes both!
He sees himself as this big bad demon who likes to play with his food and then longs to fit in. He says he takes what he wants no matter what As iS hIS RiGhT🤡, and then begs Isla to be willing. MAN WTF IS IT GONNA BE??? I liked him in book 1, i think because i didnt have his pov. Now that i do, i realize hes an immature little demon. Again, maybe thats the point of the book, to show his “young-in-demon-age” side.
HOWEVERRRR THIS A SILVER LINING LADIES AND GENTS :
Hart❤️
I love him. So sweet, so kind, so hardworking. I dont want to spoil anything so ill keep it vague. He starts coming into himself and learning who he wants to be. Its for him and him only that i kept reading through that millennia long journey they took.
January 29, 2021
I wasn’t sure if I‘d like to read the sequel but I started it right after finishing “The Demon of Darkling Reach”.
I was surprised to find that the beginning of the story was told from Tristan’s POV what was very interesting and thrilling.
Turning back to Isla’s POV the pace slowed down again but this time, the book contained also other people’s POVs what gave those characters far more depth. Also Isla, although still the over-thinker, became more interesting and I really enjoyed to see her character growing (like clapping back to her horrible family).
But like the first book, this one is rather about character development (and abstract history lessons) than action and plot.
I’m sure I’ll read the other remaining books cause I really want to know what will happen to Isla and how her relationship with Tristan will develop (now after some certain dark ceremonies).
I was surprised to find that the beginning of the story was told from Tristan’s POV what was very interesting and thrilling.
Turning back to Isla’s POV the pace slowed down again but this time, the book contained also other people’s POVs what gave those characters far more depth. Also Isla, although still the over-thinker, became more interesting and I really enjoyed to see her character growing (like clapping back to her horrible family).
But like the first book, this one is rather about character development (and abstract history lessons) than action and plot.
I’m sure I’ll read the other remaining books cause I really want to know what will happen to Isla and how her relationship with Tristan will develop (now after some certain dark ceremonies).
September 4, 2019
We found out how Tristan was taken over by the demon and his transformation. We also got to read about Isla's journey to Tristan's home for the wedding. However, I thought those parts were pretty slow. I enjoyed the book the most once they were together and that didn't happen until almost 70%. But, that last 70% was pretty intense and made up a lot for the slow beginning. I do enjoy Hart and am interested to see what happens with him. Rowena is a pain and I'm kinda hoping that Tristan kills her. I do love that Tristan protects her from her family who are just such a**holes. I'm def looking forward to the next two books.
November 27, 2021
this book took me longer to get into as the first 70% didn’t have the main characters together BUT i still loved it and enjoyed myself immensely!!! i definitely enjoyed the last 30% the most though bc i’m a sucker for the romance even if it is problematic at times <333 i just love the vibes of this series so much, it really does feel like a classic but with much darker themes and i just love the characters and the story so much. i’ve been reading a lot of fast paced books this year and reading them really quickly, but with this series it’s a lot slower paced and i feel like i’m able to take my time and enjoy the experience more !!!
November 26, 2024
Waited 60 % of the book for Tristan and Isla to reunite. Way too damn long!
Why did we have to read about his past? No offense but I truly didn’t care…
Also what in the LOTR quest shit was that on Isla’s side??
So unnecessary to describe all and everything. Ngl I skipped those. It didn’t add anything more to the plot.
Now the reunion was a let down, I wanted Tristan to be more expressive. But as we know he can’t, also why are all the women around Isla jealous bitches to her??
F*ck dem!
Isla your love makes yoh stupid, you say amen to everything your man tells you to do? Like please stand up!
3 ⭐️ let’s read book 3!
Why did we have to read about his past? No offense but I truly didn’t care…
Also what in the LOTR quest shit was that on Isla’s side??
So unnecessary to describe all and everything. Ngl I skipped those. It didn’t add anything more to the plot.
Now the reunion was a let down, I wanted Tristan to be more expressive. But as we know he can’t, also why are all the women around Isla jealous bitches to her??
F*ck dem!
Isla your love makes yoh stupid, you say amen to everything your man tells you to do? Like please stand up!
3 ⭐️ let’s read book 3!
December 1, 2020
I read these first two books in a few days because I loved this one so much. I loved Isla and her family dynamics and the realism of the setting. I liked that Tristan was an anti-hero of sorts but you could still empathize and relate with him.
However, it all goes downhill after Isla goes away with him. She loses basically all autonomy and character and becomes everything she was determined not to be.
I'm still salty about this. I read the reviews for the next few books and it just gets worse.
For my cousins: CLEAN.
However, it all goes downhill after Isla goes away with him. She loses basically all autonomy and character and becomes everything she was determined not to be.
I'm still salty about this. I read the reviews for the next few books and it just gets worse.
For my cousins: CLEAN.
June 9, 2020
The White Queen, starts off with tristans pov, long before the events of the demon of darkling reach. After this, we get onto Isla’s pov, whilst travelling up north for her wedding, honestly i think this part of the book dragged a bit too much, as it last around half the book and could’ve been cut down easily.
I still really enjoy the books, and believe that Tristan is a great villain to love, and i’m looking forward to the next book 😌
I still really enjoy the books, and believe that Tristan is a great villain to love, and i’m looking forward to the next book 😌
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