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Family of Lies #1
Sebastian
Sebastian Orwell did the only thing a smart wizard could do when he stumbled upon the wounded Crown Prince: he healed him and dumped him in a tavern where he could continue not being Sebastian's problem. Unfortunately, the prince isn't content with being alive, and he hunts Sebastian down to thank him personally. Not only is Sebastian stuck with the prince's unwanted affections, he's also confronted by growing evidence linking the assassination attempt to someone from his father's past.
Lord Orwell is a lot of things: thief, liar, drunk, and all around horrible father, but Sebastian knows he's no murderer. In order to prove it, Sebastian has to keep the prince alive long enough to discover the truth--a task made considerably harder because the idiot prince prefers wooing Sebastian over securing his own survival. On top of everything, Sebastian needs to save the day without revealing his magical powers and the real reason he hides his appearance.
Sebastian had no intention of playing the hero, but whoever is stirring up shit in his country will pay for destroying his quiet life.
Lord Orwell is a lot of things: thief, liar, drunk, and all around horrible father, but Sebastian knows he's no murderer. In order to prove it, Sebastian has to keep the prince alive long enough to discover the truth--a task made considerably harder because the idiot prince prefers wooing Sebastian over securing his own survival. On top of everything, Sebastian needs to save the day without revealing his magical powers and the real reason he hides his appearance.
Sebastian had no intention of playing the hero, but whoever is stirring up shit in his country will pay for destroying his quiet life.
324 pages, Paperback
First published March 18, 2015
126 people are currently reading
4821 people want to read
About the author
Sam Argent
6 books441 followersSam Argent is a ball of gluttony who devours delicious food and great books to find whatever pleasure she can in a world getting crazier by the minute. Over the years, she got tired of characters like her dying tragically or excluded from fiction due to “historical accuracy” while totz real creatures such as zombies got a pass. Being a hip writer who still says totz, Sam gathered all of her perverted thoughts, her love of sword and sorcery, and wrote a book. It was a mess, so she wrote a second one that people laughed at for the right reasons. Now, Sam writes full-time because she underestimated how many steamy scenes and knife fights were trapped in her head.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 537 reviews
May 25, 2015
that time i spent all night cackling like a witch.
family, amirite?
so, last night i was all sad and angry over this motherfucker ex, all heartbroke and bitter—tossing and turning, the betrayed expression on my face i could fucking feel without having to look in a mirror bcuz emo dominican with mental health issues—with the pettish scrolling through an endless yet meticulously-curated ibook library of garbage, looking for something to put me to sleep—the sudden recollection that i'd tried to read this book three different times and was pissed-off by the choppy prologue all three times...
...followed by no less than four hours of hilarity and delight, culminating with, i sweardaggod, ten minutes straight of lawling my head off at the last paragraph.
some will say sleep deprivation played a role in my heedless enjoyment of this book, but i maintain simply that my body was not quite ready to have this much fun.
nits you may or may not wish to observe me picking:
comedy gold, people.
gold.
breezy, snappy, bitchy, hurly-burly fantasy escandalo. i lived.
I SAID I LIVED, OK
i started this night like this:
...but finished it like this:
...which prompted me to stalk this debut author's twitter feed.
she's got, like, eleventy squintillion books in progress.
i suggest you read this one at once.
family, amirite?
so, last night i was all sad and angry over this motherfucker ex, all heartbroke and bitter—tossing and turning, the betrayed expression on my face i could fucking feel without having to look in a mirror bcuz emo dominican with mental health issues—with the pettish scrolling through an endless yet meticulously-curated ibook library of garbage, looking for something to put me to sleep—the sudden recollection that i'd tried to read this book three different times and was pissed-off by the choppy prologue all three times...
...followed by no less than four hours of hilarity and delight, culminating with, i sweardaggod, ten minutes straight of lawling my head off at the last paragraph.
some will say sleep deprivation played a role in my heedless enjoyment of this book, but i maintain simply that my body was not quite ready to have this much fun.
nits you may or may not wish to observe me picking:
comedy gold, people.
gold.
breezy, snappy, bitchy, hurly-burly fantasy escandalo. i lived.
I SAID I LIVED, OK
i started this night like this:
...but finished it like this:
...which prompted me to stalk this debut author's twitter feed.
she's got, like, eleventy squintillion books in progress.
i suggest you read this one at once.
February 14, 2025
Hello, I have terrible news everybody! This book was written in 2015 and is called Sebastian (Family of Lies #1). Number one. As in, the first in what I assumed of several! Only, there are no other books that I can find! Guess they really are a family of lies (ha ha). Now, the good news is that I had a great time reading this and at least it feels long enough to be several books taped together. Going into this, I really thought that it’d be more of an edgy, “takes itself too seriously,” affair (I mean, look at that cover, hello Mr. Early 2010’s!), but the tone remained surprisingly light for the duration. So, after adjusting my expectations and getting used to the world, this book became a breeze to read through! Though, I think I’ll talk about a couple minor issues I had with it first. A lot of the times the writing would gloss over details to the point where it was a little jarring. It seriously felt like there were paragraphs missing at several points. Also, new and crucial information was doled out seemingly at random, like it was made up on the spot. Every now and then I’d have to stop and wonder if what I read was something the book told me beforehand! For example, sometimes I’d be like, “oh Sebastian is a wizard,” or “oh, I guess he’ll also live for hundreds of years.” Don’t you think we should know this stuff from the start and not in a couple throwaway lines!? I felt like I was constantly playing catch up! This blasé approach to world building did lend itself to (what I found) funny situations as new siblings of Sebastian would keep showing up throughout the story like clowns coming out of a tiny little clown car. Which actually leads me to my favorite part of the book: the sibling dynamics! They’d bicker constantly, but at the end of the day they had each other’s backs. It was great!
There isn’t much in the way of lore in this fantasy world (I had no sense of where anything was, or what anyone could do!), and I’m pretty sure we’re mostly meant to go into this book with a lot of preconceived notions about generic fantasy worlds (wizards, trolls, elves, you know the drill). While this was bit frustrating at first, I think I enjoyed this a lot more when I realized it was more Shrek than Game of Thrones. That may seem like an insult, but really… there’s no greater praise I can give this book! Moving onto the characters, I loved them all! I really got the sense of family that the narrative was going for; the good and the bad. Sebastian is the youngest sibling and has a sarcastic and quippy cadence that makes his interactions with literally any character a delight to read through and Prince Turren has all the qualities of a fairy-tale prince; he’s kind, brave, and honorable! But personally, I think his most defining characteristic it that he's… down bad for Sebastian. Down really, really, really bad. Anyway, I feel like I’m rambling now, so I’ll just conclude by saying that this book is a lot of fun! It’s not too concerned with its own plot, to the point where it almost feels like an anthology at points, but it has a lot of heart in the places that count. And sure, maybe there are a few eye-roll moments with Sebastian’s characterization. Like in how the prince is too in love with him, or how he hides his face because he’s too beautiful, or how he hides away his magic because he’s too powerful! I mean, he basically won the fantasy character lottery. But if I’m being honest? I kind of liked that aspect of the book. I’ll probably always prefer grounded fantasy, but this is a genre where you can do anything, the only limit being your imagination, so might as well go all out. Why not have a little fun, you know?
“I’m not dreaming. You’re safe?”
“Yes, you brash fool, I’m safe.”
“It’s only brash if I fail. I succeeded, so it’s bravery.”
There isn’t much in the way of lore in this fantasy world (I had no sense of where anything was, or what anyone could do!), and I’m pretty sure we’re mostly meant to go into this book with a lot of preconceived notions about generic fantasy worlds (wizards, trolls, elves, you know the drill). While this was bit frustrating at first, I think I enjoyed this a lot more when I realized it was more Shrek than Game of Thrones. That may seem like an insult, but really… there’s no greater praise I can give this book! Moving onto the characters, I loved them all! I really got the sense of family that the narrative was going for; the good and the bad. Sebastian is the youngest sibling and has a sarcastic and quippy cadence that makes his interactions with literally any character a delight to read through and Prince Turren has all the qualities of a fairy-tale prince; he’s kind, brave, and honorable! But personally, I think his most defining characteristic it that he's… down bad for Sebastian. Down really, really, really bad. Anyway, I feel like I’m rambling now, so I’ll just conclude by saying that this book is a lot of fun! It’s not too concerned with its own plot, to the point where it almost feels like an anthology at points, but it has a lot of heart in the places that count. And sure, maybe there are a few eye-roll moments with Sebastian’s characterization. Like in how the prince is too in love with him, or how he hides his face because he’s too beautiful, or how he hides away his magic because he’s too powerful! I mean, he basically won the fantasy character lottery. But if I’m being honest? I kind of liked that aspect of the book. I’ll probably always prefer grounded fantasy, but this is a genre where you can do anything, the only limit being your imagination, so might as well go all out. Why not have a little fun, you know?
“I’m not dreaming. You’re safe?”
“Yes, you brash fool, I’m safe.”
“It’s only brash if I fail. I succeeded, so it’s bravery.”
July 17, 2017
Lions and tigers and bears, oh my! Well, not really, but it sort of felt that way to me.
This well-paced, action-packed M/M fantasy novel kept me on the edge of my seat from start to finish and I thoroughly enjoyed the read, which clocked in at a bit over 320 pages.
Sebastian is a cursed young wizard who hides his magic from the world behind a spelled cape, a sharp mind and a wicked tongue, while being relentlessly pursued by a very handsome, also magical, prince Turren.
A lot of the action in the story comes from several attempts made on the prince's life by paid assassins, but Sebastian seems to keep being in the right (or wrong, depending on Sebastian's initial point of view) place at the right time to keep Turren upright and breathing.
I absolutely loved the back-and-forth between Sebastian and prince Turren. Although the prince has never, not even once, seen Sebastian's face, he fell in love with the son of a washed-up con man, come (ex?) wizard.
So for all that the prince knew, the cloaked Sebastian was the horribly disfigured product of magical beings, but that didn't matter in the least to the prince. Love is love.
But Sebastian being the very prickly sort, he fought tooth and nail against the prince's advances, until the prince finally wormed his way into the young wizard's heart.
The dialogue in the book is consistently witty, from pretty much every character in the book, even the evil ones, on occasion, so I was constantly smiling. Not rolling on the floor laughing, because it wasn't that type of book, but the abundance of dry humor was definitely one of the strongest draws for me.
Another aspect of the story that I loved was, just like magic being commonplace, there wasn't a single person in the book, good or bad, who had any type of problem with same sex attractions. It simply wasn't an issue. The sky is blue. So? You like men. So? I found that very refreshing.
The world building was both complex and enjoyable, with seemingly more people than not being able to call upon some type of magic or spell craft.
The unintended main star of this book for me was Sebastian's quirky, extremely deadly family. I'm telling you, they were like the Addams Family, but with a lot more snark. And poison. Mustn't forget the poison.
At times, the romance definitely took a back burner to all of the family's pranks on one another and various other shenanigans, but that didn't really affect my overall enjoyment of the book, which did surprise me, as I'm extremely romance-centric.
There are some sexy parts in the book. (Sweet Jesus, save me from the "lover's berries" in the woods scene, because that was straight up, undeniably HOT.)
Overall, the book only had a moderate amount of sex, as the smitten prince's main motive was not to work his way into Sebastian's bed, but to earn a place in Sebastian's heart.
The book was fun, smart and witty, but the snark was what completely sold me.
I highly recommend this one with 4 *you-did-not-just-lick-me-there!* stars.
---------------------------------------------
TIP: There is a Character List at the end of the book. There are approximately *38* characters listed. Before you even read the first word... Print. It. Out. You will thank me.
** My copy of the book was a Kindle lend from my friend, Sara. Thanks, Sara! I really enjoyed it. : )
February 19, 2020
Weird - but in a funny way, so I liked it.
This book is about a wizard and a prince. The wizard is Sebastian and he has a curse so he can't allow anyone to see him or touch him. He's a snarky prick most of the time so that usually isn't a problem. But, there is also a prince who falls in love with this prickly guy, even though he's never seen his face.
Hey, to each his own. Whatever floats your boat.
Even though Sebastian is grouchy, he is funny, which turns into sarcasm, which is funnier. He also has a large, dysfunctional family who are jerks too. It all ends up working out to this book being pretty hilarious.
I was kinda on the mother's side when she wanted to poison some people who decided to pop-in:
"How dare they come to my home uninvited."
Lord Orwell groaned. "Diana, keep an eye on your mother's hands."
"Why should I? I'm fine with poisoning them."
"James, keep an eye on your sister and your mother."
"Great, that's going to be fun," James said.
"We don't kill any of them unless we can kill all of them," Lord Orwell said. "And that's a lot of bodies even for us."
Yeah, this family is pretty cool. You know what they say, "A family that buries the bodies together stays together." Or something like that... But, truly, can anyone blame her for wanting to kill the people who just dropped by?
I think that is a death-penalty-worthy offense. Then again, I live in Texas, we pretty much use the death penalty for everything.
Yeah, we obviously don't get irony here.
The only thing that was odd about this book, to me, was the language was kind of formal at times. I don't know how to describe it other than it felt strange to me. But that also made it more compelling. It was this odd little story that made me laugh. I hope there will be more in the series. This family is comedy gold.
This book is about a wizard and a prince. The wizard is Sebastian and he has a curse so he can't allow anyone to see him or touch him. He's a snarky prick most of the time so that usually isn't a problem. But, there is also a prince who falls in love with this prickly guy, even though he's never seen his face.
Hey, to each his own. Whatever floats your boat.
Even though Sebastian is grouchy, he is funny, which turns into sarcasm, which is funnier. He also has a large, dysfunctional family who are jerks too. It all ends up working out to this book being pretty hilarious.
I was kinda on the mother's side when she wanted to poison some people who decided to pop-in:
"How dare they come to my home uninvited."
Lord Orwell groaned. "Diana, keep an eye on your mother's hands."
"Why should I? I'm fine with poisoning them."
"James, keep an eye on your sister and your mother."
"Great, that's going to be fun," James said.
"We don't kill any of them unless we can kill all of them," Lord Orwell said. "And that's a lot of bodies even for us."
Yeah, this family is pretty cool. You know what they say, "A family that buries the bodies together stays together." Or something like that... But, truly, can anyone blame her for wanting to kill the people who just dropped by?
I think that is a death-penalty-worthy offense. Then again, I live in Texas, we pretty much use the death penalty for everything.
Yeah, we obviously don't get irony here.
The only thing that was odd about this book, to me, was the language was kind of formal at times. I don't know how to describe it other than it felt strange to me. But that also made it more compelling. It was this odd little story that made me laugh. I hope there will be more in the series. This family is comedy gold.
September 3, 2015
Why is this book so popular? It's terrible. A new person is introduced roughly every 4 sentences. And the main guy has so many siblings, I gave up trying to remember who was who after a while. I had no idea what was going on at any point. The plot is unintelligible, the characters unlikable. Except for a couple of pretty memorable sex scenes, it did nothing for me.
April 9, 2015
4.5 stars - Surprisingly, this might be one of my fave reads of the year. Surprisingly because I had some issues, but in the end, I really enjoyed it. For fantasy fans, it can be a fun ride.
Do you like fantasy? If so, that’s good, because I think that might be necessary. This is based in a magical world with wizards, the fey, trolls, and other magical beings. There is little-to-no-explanation or exposition about the world and all the magical beings, so you have to either go in with some idea of fairies and incubi, or just take a relaxed “go with the flow” feeling.
What this reminded me of? Argent’s style, especially with its crowds of characters, reminded me a lot of Diana Wynne Jones' books. Jones, who wrote a truckload of awesome YA fantasy books, also would often toss you into the deep end of the pool with little explanation, and you just had to swim through her imagination and magical worlds.
Argent’s style, especially MC Sebastian, who is quick with an insult, grouchy (yet secretly kind) and loves books, reminded me also of Megan Derr’s works, and other fantasy works from Less Than Three. If you like fantasy, and stories like Derr’s Dance in the Dark or Isabella Carter’s Dragon Slayer, this may also work well for you too. (I’m personally a big fan of both those books.)
What was harder for me? This book is CROWDED. Sebastian has, like, nine siblings? Plus his parents, the kids of some siblings, the partners of other siblings, his romantic interest, the prince (who is gloriously persistent against Sebastian’s grouchiness), the prince’s parents, the castle guards, some villains, LOTS of people. It took a while to sort through, and because there are a lot, I didn’t always feel connected, and at times, they just felt like listed names. I sound like one of the heartless villains, but if I could have removed 3-4 of Sebastian’s siblings, I would have been happier, although his family would not since even when they’re devising poisons for each other, they really do love each other.
The amount of characters and how there was not a lot of explanation were probably the hardest parts for me. I was more frustrated in the beginning, but then I got into the “go with the flow” vibe, and like Sebastian in the story, I warmed to this frenetic world and its devious (but loving) characters, especially Sebastian, who feels like he can never let down his shields, but then he meets his match with the tireless Turren. (I have such a soft spot for those who can wear down grouches!)
When I knew I really dug this book? I have two commute choices—the twenty minute express bus that is usually too crowded to sit or the 40 minute slower bus that leaves at erratic times but you can always get a seat. (Great for reading!) And I found myself making sure I could take the slow bus so I can spend 40 more minutes reading about what will happen to Sebastian next. After wading in, I was HOOKED, and really enjoying the story, the emerging romance, and even the crowded dinner table at Sebastian’s house. (It’s also nicely long! At over 300 pages or 100,000 words, so I was able to enjoy a few commutes with this one!)
If you’re a big fantasy fan, you may also really dig this. Heads-up that it can be confusing, and there are a lot of people running around, but within it, there’s a sweet romance about a young magical man, and his tenacious, ever hopeful prince.
Would I read more? Well, my jury is out. Sebastian was definitely my fave character, so I would be up for reading more with him, but I didn't feel much for other potential romantic leads.
I think Argent did a fun job and is an author I want to keep tabs on. You may also dig this one too.
Do you like fantasy? If so, that’s good, because I think that might be necessary. This is based in a magical world with wizards, the fey, trolls, and other magical beings. There is little-to-no-explanation or exposition about the world and all the magical beings, so you have to either go in with some idea of fairies and incubi, or just take a relaxed “go with the flow” feeling.
What this reminded me of? Argent’s style, especially with its crowds of characters, reminded me a lot of Diana Wynne Jones' books. Jones, who wrote a truckload of awesome YA fantasy books, also would often toss you into the deep end of the pool with little explanation, and you just had to swim through her imagination and magical worlds.
Argent’s style, especially MC Sebastian, who is quick with an insult, grouchy (yet secretly kind) and loves books, reminded me also of Megan Derr’s works, and other fantasy works from Less Than Three. If you like fantasy, and stories like Derr’s Dance in the Dark or Isabella Carter’s Dragon Slayer, this may also work well for you too. (I’m personally a big fan of both those books.)
What was harder for me? This book is CROWDED. Sebastian has, like, nine siblings? Plus his parents, the kids of some siblings, the partners of other siblings, his romantic interest, the prince (who is gloriously persistent against Sebastian’s grouchiness), the prince’s parents, the castle guards, some villains, LOTS of people. It took a while to sort through, and because there are a lot, I didn’t always feel connected, and at times, they just felt like listed names. I sound like one of the heartless villains, but if I could have removed 3-4 of Sebastian’s siblings, I would have been happier, although his family would not since even when they’re devising poisons for each other, they really do love each other.
The amount of characters and how there was not a lot of explanation were probably the hardest parts for me. I was more frustrated in the beginning, but then I got into the “go with the flow” vibe, and like Sebastian in the story, I warmed to this frenetic world and its devious (but loving) characters, especially Sebastian, who feels like he can never let down his shields, but then he meets his match with the tireless Turren. (I have such a soft spot for those who can wear down grouches!)
When I knew I really dug this book? I have two commute choices—the twenty minute express bus that is usually too crowded to sit or the 40 minute slower bus that leaves at erratic times but you can always get a seat. (Great for reading!) And I found myself making sure I could take the slow bus so I can spend 40 more minutes reading about what will happen to Sebastian next. After wading in, I was HOOKED, and really enjoying the story, the emerging romance, and even the crowded dinner table at Sebastian’s house. (It’s also nicely long! At over 300 pages or 100,000 words, so I was able to enjoy a few commutes with this one!)
If you’re a big fantasy fan, you may also really dig this. Heads-up that it can be confusing, and there are a lot of people running around, but within it, there’s a sweet romance about a young magical man, and his tenacious, ever hopeful prince.
Would I read more? Well, my jury is out. Sebastian was definitely my fave character, so I would be up for reading more with him, but I didn't feel much for other potential romantic leads.
I think Argent did a fun job and is an author I want to keep tabs on. You may also dig this one too.
April 13, 2015
I was really looking forward to reading this book from the glowing reviews and having enjoyed the first few chapters, but it ended up being very disappointing.
For a fantasy book, it sadly lacked world building and desriptions of people and places. I wanted to know more about the magical forest that Sebastian's family owned, and why Sebastian had powers over plants and trees. Some explanation of the magic system would've been nice, too. Maybe it was explained somewhere in the 300 pages I skimmed over. Still, it felt like the author just made up stuff as he went along.
The large cast of characters was another problem. Sebastian had like what, 9 siblings? Then there were some random guards, the king, the queen, Lord Orwell, his wife, some wizard bookeeper...Everyone seemed to have the same personalities and mannerisms, and their constant bickering got so repetitive that I might as well be reading the script for a sitcom.
As for the plot umm, was there one? Something about assassins? I must have missed it because nobody did anything but talk talk talk. Every chapter consisted of 95% boring dialogue but not much happening, so it was hard to stay focused. Neither Sebastian nor the prince were ever in any inherent danger (how can you be when you're surrounded by powerful people willing to protect you?) They didn't even go on an adventure, and stayed in one location throughout the book, pretty much.
Sorry this review turned into a rant. I had high hopes for it only to feel like I've wasted four hours reading it. I did enjoy the interactions between Sebastian and Prince Turren, though. Their slow burn romance bumped the rating to 2 stars.
For a fantasy book, it sadly lacked world building and desriptions of people and places. I wanted to know more about the magical forest that Sebastian's family owned, and why Sebastian had powers over plants and trees. Some explanation of the magic system would've been nice, too. Maybe it was explained somewhere in the 300 pages I skimmed over. Still, it felt like the author just made up stuff as he went along.
The large cast of characters was another problem. Sebastian had like what, 9 siblings? Then there were some random guards, the king, the queen, Lord Orwell, his wife, some wizard bookeeper...Everyone seemed to have the same personalities and mannerisms, and their constant bickering got so repetitive that I might as well be reading the script for a sitcom.
As for the plot umm, was there one? Something about assassins? I must have missed it because nobody did anything but talk talk talk. Every chapter consisted of 95% boring dialogue but not much happening, so it was hard to stay focused. Neither Sebastian nor the prince were ever in any inherent danger (how can you be when you're surrounded by powerful people willing to protect you?) They didn't even go on an adventure, and stayed in one location throughout the book, pretty much.
Sorry this review turned into a rant. I had high hopes for it only to feel like I've wasted four hours reading it. I did enjoy the interactions between Sebastian and Prince Turren, though. Their slow burn romance bumped the rating to 2 stars.
March 11, 2017
Oh, how I loved this book! What fun it was! And I don't even care that I didn't understand what the hell was going on half the time! It was that good! This ticked ALL of my boxes! The wit! The snark! The banter! The feels! I loved EVERYONE in this book, every single character! I loved this so much I am ending every sentence with an exclamation point!
READ THE BOOK!!!
READ THE BOOK!!!
April 5, 2015
What's amazing about this book is that it's like watching a movie with adventure, action, fun snappy dialogue as well as romance. I loved grouchy, snarky, good-hearted Sebastian and his insane family, Prince Turren is a true romantic hero and figuring out the mystery while falling into the rich world that the author has created was a gift. I'm going to read it over and over so I'm glad my paperback arrived. I hope there's more, I can hardly wait. Highly recommended.
April 25, 2016
This was edited? I wonder what the original looks like.
April 21, 2015
Ugh. So this book gets a TON of glowing reviews, which baffles me. Afraid I'm going to have to be the dissenting voice in the crowd.
This book needed a thorough editing. It's nearly entirely dialogue, with only brief descriptions when the characters are kissing/sexing. The dialogue wouldn't have been too awful, except there were about a zillion characters. I think the protagonist had 8(?) siblings? And a few of them were married and their husbands/wives were in the story. Plus his parents, and the Prince, the Prince's parents, their advisers, a group of maybe 5 bodyguards who all had names and a part of the story, and a wizard tutor(?) and his girlfriend(?). There were maybe upwards of 30 people in the book and there was nothing to distinguish them except their names. We got no action, no description, just people talking and talking, and I couldn't keep any of them straight.
There was a plot unfolding that could have been interesting - there's an evil wizard sending assassins to get the Prince because he believes he has to eat the Prince's heart in order to get some kind of crazy magic. But it was so difficult to parse through because we're only told the plot through endless conversations, most of which could have been cut, as they're just this enormous family bickering.
This enormous family, by the way, made up of all adult children, of whom Sebastian is the youngest, but it seems like... all of them live at home? Did his parents have a kid a year for a solid decade? How old is Sebastian? "Old enough to marry," he says at one point, but we're given no worldbuilding details to tell us what the marrying age in their world even is.
I was thrown to find out that there were goblins, trolls, fairies, etc. in this world (about 30% of the way through) because up until then, there were no hints to anything about the magical-ness of this world.
Eugh. Plus the prince has serious instalove issues, and the "romantic" plot is basically "prince pesters Sebastian despite his saying no over and over again until Sebastian gives in and dates him," which is kind of gross/creepy/non-consensual ickiness that I found really hard to get behind.
The selling point of this book was Sebastian. I loved his character a lot, and honestly he was the only thing that kept me reading to the 30% mark. Then I decided to start skimming because even he wasn't enough. I really wanted to see the Prince's reaction to Sebastian removing his hood, and once I got that (it's about the 55% mark if you're looking to skim for it), I had no reason to keep reading the book.
This book needed a thorough editing. It's nearly entirely dialogue, with only brief descriptions when the characters are kissing/sexing. The dialogue wouldn't have been too awful, except there were about a zillion characters. I think the protagonist had 8(?) siblings? And a few of them were married and their husbands/wives were in the story. Plus his parents, and the Prince, the Prince's parents, their advisers, a group of maybe 5 bodyguards who all had names and a part of the story, and a wizard tutor(?) and his girlfriend(?). There were maybe upwards of 30 people in the book and there was nothing to distinguish them except their names. We got no action, no description, just people talking and talking, and I couldn't keep any of them straight.
There was a plot unfolding that could have been interesting - there's an evil wizard sending assassins to get the Prince because he believes he has to eat the Prince's heart in order to get some kind of crazy magic. But it was so difficult to parse through because we're only told the plot through endless conversations, most of which could have been cut, as they're just this enormous family bickering.
This enormous family, by the way, made up of all adult children, of whom Sebastian is the youngest, but it seems like... all of them live at home? Did his parents have a kid a year for a solid decade? How old is Sebastian? "Old enough to marry," he says at one point, but we're given no worldbuilding details to tell us what the marrying age in their world even is.
I was thrown to find out that there were goblins, trolls, fairies, etc. in this world (about 30% of the way through) because up until then, there were no hints to anything about the magical-ness of this world.
Eugh. Plus the prince has serious instalove issues, and the "romantic" plot is basically "prince pesters Sebastian despite his saying no over and over again until Sebastian gives in and dates him," which is kind of gross/creepy/non-consensual ickiness that I found really hard to get behind.
The selling point of this book was Sebastian. I loved his character a lot, and honestly he was the only thing that kept me reading to the 30% mark. Then I decided to start skimming because even he wasn't enough. I really wanted to see the Prince's reaction to Sebastian removing his hood, and once I got that (it's about the 55% mark if you're looking to skim for it), I had no reason to keep reading the book.
September 6, 2024
"My family is dinner theater at its worst. "
Sebastian Orwell already has a small history with Prince Turren from when they were children and brawled over a book of all things, but he can't resist saving the Prince from death when he finds hims injured and dying. Not wanting to be recognized or associated with his heroics, he dumps the recovering Prince off at the local tavern, dusts his hands off at the whole ordeal, and calls it a day. Or so he thinks. Because Prince Turren knows enough to go by to find Sebastian - and from there we get hilarity, weird families, obsession with books, an enemy people come together to fight, and of course a sweet love story.
First, Sebastian is awesome. He hides behind a cloak from the world and has since childhood. It's a magically conceived cloak hiding just one of his many secrets. He's a sarcastic loner who finds joy in books and has the dream of opening up his own bookstore. He's cursed with a truly weird, hilarious family that thankfully makes up a large amount of the book. Oh, how I loved that strange gang of misfits and troublemakers! At first they were annoying and I sort of resented them, but trust me when I say that they grow on you.
Prince Turren is also awesome. He does a steady, determined pursuit of the reluctant and seemingly off-hands Sebastian. His personality is playful, fun, and annoying (in a good way.)
From sarcastic fighting to awkward blushing, to funny overheard conversations and morbid family members, this book was hard to put down. Arsten's writing style rocks too, especially with dialogue and making well-rounded characters come alive. There's definitely steamy scenes that are as endearing as they are awkward. The love story between the two isn't even describable.
Definitely one of my top five favorite romances, although the romance in the book took a back-burner some of the time for the family's antics and the bigger picture. The world-building is complex and stylish with all sorts of commonplace magic floating around.
I will say I found the big reveal of his secret under the cloak to the prince to be anti-climactic though. Still more than worth a read for fans of this stuff.
Sebastian Orwell already has a small history with Prince Turren from when they were children and brawled over a book of all things, but he can't resist saving the Prince from death when he finds hims injured and dying. Not wanting to be recognized or associated with his heroics, he dumps the recovering Prince off at the local tavern, dusts his hands off at the whole ordeal, and calls it a day. Or so he thinks. Because Prince Turren knows enough to go by to find Sebastian - and from there we get hilarity, weird families, obsession with books, an enemy people come together to fight, and of course a sweet love story.
First, Sebastian is awesome. He hides behind a cloak from the world and has since childhood. It's a magically conceived cloak hiding just one of his many secrets. He's a sarcastic loner who finds joy in books and has the dream of opening up his own bookstore. He's cursed with a truly weird, hilarious family that thankfully makes up a large amount of the book. Oh, how I loved that strange gang of misfits and troublemakers! At first they were annoying and I sort of resented them, but trust me when I say that they grow on you.
Prince Turren is also awesome. He does a steady, determined pursuit of the reluctant and seemingly off-hands Sebastian. His personality is playful, fun, and annoying (in a good way.)
From sarcastic fighting to awkward blushing, to funny overheard conversations and morbid family members, this book was hard to put down. Arsten's writing style rocks too, especially with dialogue and making well-rounded characters come alive. There's definitely steamy scenes that are as endearing as they are awkward. The love story between the two isn't even describable.
Definitely one of my top five favorite romances, although the romance in the book took a back-burner some of the time for the family's antics and the bigger picture. The world-building is complex and stylish with all sorts of commonplace magic floating around.
I will say I found the big reveal of his secret under the cloak to the prince to be anti-climactic though. Still more than worth a read for fans of this stuff.
April 3, 2015
This was fabulous but in a really low key way and understated way.
It is fantasy with magic, kingdoms and intrigue but it has an amusing caste of characters and a warm hearted romance at its core. I also like the opposites attract element of the story.
The world building is interesting and unique with all kinds of different magic spells, magic places and a young man who is able to wield deep and strong magic but hides it from his family and cloaks himself.
It took me time to understand why he hides his magic and what his father has done in the past to cause difficulty in the present. It also took time to understand who is who but there is a helpful glossary at the back. The characters are just so fantastic, very real, very rude too. This is a story that involves an incredibly unruly family but focuses on the youngest - Sebastian.
Despite hiding his magic and his person under the cloak Sebastian attracts the desire of the Prince even though they had a rather unfortunate childhood encounter. The Prince is smitten and finds that he has to woo the mysterious, distant and politely rude Sebastian.
Sebastian finds that he has to protect the prince and the kingdom from a group of assassins that wish to kill the prince and having protected the price twice Sebastian is also brought into the line of fire but the assassins underestimate Sebastian and Sebastian in turn underestimates his own attraction for the prince and the love the prince has for him.
I enjoyed this story. There are a number of different characters, each with their own quirks, and behaviuors and it took time to sort out who was who but once I did I sat back and enjoyed them.
The story itself with the intrigue and world building took some time to get into but once I did I thought it was fantastic, original and also hugely entertaining.
I will definitely read more from this author.
It is fantasy with magic, kingdoms and intrigue but it has an amusing caste of characters and a warm hearted romance at its core. I also like the opposites attract element of the story.
The world building is interesting and unique with all kinds of different magic spells, magic places and a young man who is able to wield deep and strong magic but hides it from his family and cloaks himself.
It took me time to understand why he hides his magic and what his father has done in the past to cause difficulty in the present. It also took time to understand who is who but there is a helpful glossary at the back. The characters are just so fantastic, very real, very rude too. This is a story that involves an incredibly unruly family but focuses on the youngest - Sebastian.
Despite hiding his magic and his person under the cloak Sebastian attracts the desire of the Prince even though they had a rather unfortunate childhood encounter. The Prince is smitten and finds that he has to woo the mysterious, distant and politely rude Sebastian.
Sebastian finds that he has to protect the prince and the kingdom from a group of assassins that wish to kill the prince and having protected the price twice Sebastian is also brought into the line of fire but the assassins underestimate Sebastian and Sebastian in turn underestimates his own attraction for the prince and the love the prince has for him.
I enjoyed this story. There are a number of different characters, each with their own quirks, and behaviuors and it took time to sort out who was who but once I did I sat back and enjoyed them.
The story itself with the intrigue and world building took some time to get into but once I did I thought it was fantastic, original and also hugely entertaining.
I will definitely read more from this author.
December 30, 2015
This was a very long read but I wish it could have been longer. IT'S ONE OF THE BEST FANTASY BOOKS I'VE READ TO DATE! I love how it didn't focus only on Sebastian and Turren's relationship while the rest of the characters just blended in with their story. No! For me, this is a story of family and how blood will always be thicker than water no matter what. And my, Sebastian's family is a circus! Literally. Seriously, every character had their own personality which I find very endearing. Although I enjoyed immensely Sebastian and Turren's push/pull relationship -- how they started as enemies and worked their way towards a promising love story -- I cherished more the familial bickering in the Orwell household. The characters are very colorful which added to the entertainment value. The conversations were very witty and intellectual. Not overdone but just right. Same with the world they live in: it was not blown out of proportions, turning it into a Michael Bay spectacle. No siree! I was fully engrossed and enamored. From the moment I read the prologue, I knew that this is going to be epic. Sebastian can be a handful, but I love him to pieces. With themes of true love and family (which I cradle dearly), this book is a sure addition to my favorites shelf. Sam Argent, you have me hooked under your literary wizardry.
June 11, 2015
4 shiny happy stars for this fun read, which made me smile, made me laugh, made me happy.
I had a full load of work to do this week and the thought of getting to this book during my breaks was really something I looked forward too.
a happy BR with Maya - thanks honey
March 20, 2015
**** I fell in love with Sebastian from the first page I didn't want this book to end!!!!! I sincerely hope there is more where this came from!!! A deserved 5 stars I haven't enjoyed as many books as I would have like this year (2015) but this ranks with the top of them!
September 18, 2018
This book was so much fun! The entire family was legit hilarious. Totally recommend.
May 11, 2015
2,5*
The only thing that I care and understand in this story is Sebastian & Turren!
Their banters were amusing, their sexing were sweet and hot at the same time!
But the rest of the story were blur to me...
By the end of the story I was frowning because there're unanswered questions left
- Why Sebastian hide his magic when practicing magic was common thing, everybody learns and uses magic
- Why Ophelia treated like China doll, what's the deal about her, is it because she sometimes got vision?
- I dunno what is it that lead all the assassination to whats-that-name...
- They shouldn't got through so many things, if they let some assassin live and interrogated him, who he worked for
- There's no description at all about the characters nor what kind of world they lived! I almost figure things out myself after some frowning! So apparently, the lived in the place and time that you can married anyone or even anything! Human can married inhuman! Magic is all around! There's magic forest! Ok that so far I can figure it out..
- How can a mother said in front of her family that her deceased son wasn't her favorite?!! That's unacceptable!
Maybe I wasn't pay enough attention, maybe it was my poor English, or maybe I just don't give a damn..
The only thing that I care and understand in this story is Sebastian & Turren!
Their banters were amusing, their sexing were sweet and hot at the same time!
But the rest of the story were blur to me...
By the end of the story I was frowning because there're unanswered questions left
- Why Sebastian hide his magic when practicing magic was common thing, everybody learns and uses magic
- Why Ophelia treated like China doll, what's the deal about her, is it because she sometimes got vision?
- I dunno what is it that lead all the assassination to whats-that-name...
- They shouldn't got through so many things, if they let some assassin live and interrogated him, who he worked for
- There's no description at all about the characters nor what kind of world they lived! I almost figure things out myself after some frowning! So apparently, the lived in the place and time that you can married anyone or even anything! Human can married inhuman! Magic is all around! There's magic forest! Ok that so far I can figure it out..
- How can a mother said in front of her family that her deceased son wasn't her favorite?!! That's unacceptable!
Maybe I wasn't pay enough attention, maybe it was my poor English, or maybe I just don't give a damn..
May 21, 2015
3.75 stars. Loads of sardonic humour and quips in this fresh m/m fantasy. Loved the dynamic between surly disinterested Sebastian and noble devoted Prince Turren. The start was confusing. Felt like I was dumped into the action with no explanation of who anyone was or what was going on and it took quite a while to feel engaged. There is a lack of descriptiveness and mood in the writing and I think that's what kept me at a distance emotionally. Still one of the better m/m fantasies out there.
Read
March 14, 2017Once I got used to the whip-fast pacing, I fell in love with this book and storyworld! The banter is so engaging, and the romance between Prince Turren and Sebastian is perfectly developed. LOVED it.
June 22, 2015
3.5 stars.
I love enemies-to-lovers stories, AND I adore friends-to-lovers stories too. This book was sort of a combination and it was great!
It started with the MCs as childhood rivals (so sweet!) and continue with them when they are around 20 years old.
I think the problem for me was when too many side characters kept coming into the story and It took me a while to know who each of them is (one of the MCs have 12 siblings with parts in the story)
Another thing was that between 15-40% it was a little bit too much "magic" for my liking and I was a little bored.
But all in all, a great love story with amazingly lovable characters.
I love enemies-to-lovers stories, AND I adore friends-to-lovers stories too. This book was sort of a combination and it was great!
It started with the MCs as childhood rivals (so sweet!) and continue with them when they are around 20 years old.
I think the problem for me was when too many side characters kept coming into the story and It took me a while to know who each of them is (one of the MCs have 12 siblings with parts in the story)
Another thing was that between 15-40% it was a little bit too much "magic" for my liking and I was a little bored.
But all in all, a great love story with amazingly lovable characters.
January 1, 2017
3.5 stars,This was scatter-brained story-telling, but I liked it. I mean, it is literally all over the place. But I just didn't have a fuck to give because it was so damn charming!
There are 11 siblings - 11!! They are the snarkiest bunch you'll ever meet. And their relationship with their parents. The snark people, the snark! I was all smiles reading this.
Wizards, evil immortals, princes, and more. I honestly couldn't put it down. Sebastian is the youngest of 12 (11 living). He still lives with his parents, as do all of the unmarried siblings. He wears a magical cloak that conceals his face and body from everyone. Only his family and those absolutely closest to him have ever seen him. (And I loved the "why" when this is revealed).
He catches theeye heart of the Crown Prince of the land as a teenager, and Prince Turren has never forgotten him, though they haven't seen each other in years. Sebastian wants nothing to do with the annoying Prince now, but Turren woos him. He fights it.....boy does he fight it. (And the Prince has never even seen his face!)
Snark and swoon on the same page!
Sebastian is all attitude, all the time. In the funniest way possible. But he has a heart of gold. He gets drawn into a murder plot to kill the Prince. And he may SAY that he doesn't have feelings for Turren, but he sure gets his panties in a bunch when he finds out there's a plot to kill hisman acquaintance.
There are A LOT of characters in this book. I took Todd's advice from his review and copied the character list at the end for reference as I read. Believe it. Do it. As I used my handy reference, it was much easier to follow all these wonderful people! Personalities galore!
Sebastian launches his own plans to destroy the murderer's intentions, but his father has plans of his own that involve Sebastian staying away from Turren for his own "good." Because the murderer is an old "friend" of his father, and Father knows how to deal with this evil man.
The sexy times were LOL funny at the same time as being HOT AS HELL. There was one particular berry/forest scene that made me blush a little.
Chaos ensues, wizards offer their help to combat the evil Trenton, and this book is just all kinds of fun!
The love that develops, well, it's so worth it! Recommended for m/m fantasy lovers.
There are 11 siblings - 11!! They are the snarkiest bunch you'll ever meet. And their relationship with their parents. The snark people, the snark! I was all smiles reading this.
Wizards, evil immortals, princes, and more. I honestly couldn't put it down. Sebastian is the youngest of 12 (11 living). He still lives with his parents, as do all of the unmarried siblings. He wears a magical cloak that conceals his face and body from everyone. Only his family and those absolutely closest to him have ever seen him. (And I loved the "why" when this is revealed).
He catches the
"Think of it as a gift to the future Prince Consort." A smile slowly spread across Harold's face.
"I thought wizards had to be a century old before they started losing their minds."
"What would you say about a man who searched seven years for a book he destroyed to give to a man he bullied as a child? Now let's say he volunteered to go into a war-torn country in order to find that book?"
Snark and swoon on the same page!
"I'm being cruel because I'm giving you false hope."
"They may not be as strong as mine, but I know you have feelings for me too."
Sebastian is all attitude, all the time. In the funniest way possible. But he has a heart of gold. He gets drawn into a murder plot to kill the Prince. And he may SAY that he doesn't have feelings for Turren, but he sure gets his panties in a bunch when he finds out there's a plot to kill his
There are A LOT of characters in this book. I took Todd's advice from his review and copied the character list at the end for reference as I read. Believe it. Do it. As I used my handy reference, it was much easier to follow all these wonderful people! Personalities galore!
Sebastian launches his own plans to destroy the murderer's intentions, but his father has plans of his own that involve Sebastian staying away from Turren for his own "good." Because the murderer is an old "friend" of his father, and Father knows how to deal with this evil man.
"The one damn person who might not care about what I look like, and I have to give him up."
The sexy times were LOL funny at the same time as being HOT AS HELL. There was one particular berry/forest scene that made me blush a little.
"I have healing salve," Turren said. "It could soothe any sore muscles and we could try again."
"Your fingers couldn't get deep enough to soothe all my sore muscles, Prince Too-Well-Endowed."
Chaos ensues, wizards offer their help to combat the evil Trenton, and this book is just all kinds of fun!
The love that develops, well, it's so worth it! Recommended for m/m fantasy lovers.
March 8, 2017
OK this book is just a fun, fun, fun fantasy. It's a great read
January 10, 2016
If you are ok spending 300 pages with a bunch of cheeky smartasses who have no problem poisoning or casting spells on those around them so they can further their agendas (or, sometimes, just because they can); who in the midst of assassination attempts against their Prince are perfectly comfortable to wine, dine, and place bets on the intimate life of the said Prince, then you’ll enjoy this book.
I certainly did.
It’s an entertaining story about a dysfunctional family, with hilarious dialogue, and it features two main characters that I adored - a cranky Sir Sebastian and a smitten Prince Turren who refuse to play by the rules of their families thus causing further chaos to the already messed up situation. The interactions of these two were my favorite parts of the book.
3.5 stars because:
I wish there were more details about the world - it’s a place where gender and sexual orientation don’t play any role in the society but, for example, one’s future spouse must possess certain magical power to be eligible.
There were moments when the constant bickering was wearing me down, and I was a bit overwhelmed by the number of characters, but overall, I had a lot of fun reading this book.
Another buddy read with the lovely Sofia who didn’t get annoyed with me when I was becoming impatient with the book.
April 13, 2015
I really, really wanted to like this way more than I did. I loved the idea, love the characters but the persistent use of dialogue was a chore to wade through. I wanted more description, more scene setting and less yaking. I think if it was a manga, or comic it would have totally worked. Then I would have had more of a clue about setting and world building. As it was, this ended up a little disappointing.
One extra star for creative use of berries.
One extra star for creative use of berries.
February 7, 2017
Review Coming Soon...
March 8, 2017
This was cute and snarky....loved the banter. I spent most of the book happily confused and it was wonderful.
dnf
April 26, 2015Read two chapters and ... Nuh-uh. Sebastian is an arrogant prick and the world-building is nil (read: ZERO). Fantasy without world building? Don't waste my time!
May 13, 2025
re-read 8/27/17 I have moved this books to favorites as I have reread it enough time to consider it that.
Re-read 11/26/16 Loved it as much as the first time.
I enjoyed this immensely! Great fantasy with a besotted prince and reluctant wizard. Add in a crazy (very) crazy family and lots of chuckle worthy moments. This was very entertaining.
However, as the plot unravels it was at times hard to follow. But it all gets tied up in the end.
According to the "about the author" section the author spends a lot time hunch over laptop figuring out sex positions. Well that was me reading this book. Lots of head scratching trying to figure out things. To be honest i felt the sex scenes needed some polishing, or fade to black. They were not that great.
Re-read 11/26/16 Loved it as much as the first time.
I enjoyed this immensely! Great fantasy with a besotted prince and reluctant wizard. Add in a crazy (very) crazy family and lots of chuckle worthy moments. This was very entertaining.
However, as the plot unravels it was at times hard to follow. But it all gets tied up in the end.
According to the "about the author" section the author spends a lot time hunch over laptop figuring out sex positions. Well that was me reading this book. Lots of head scratching trying to figure out things. To be honest i felt the sex scenes needed some polishing, or fade to black. They were not that great.
October 25, 2022
Sebastian lo unico que ha querido es poder tener una vida tranquila lejos de su familia, vendiendo libros en su propia tienda. Pero todos sus suenos cambian cuando salva la vida del principe, un hombre al que conocio cuando eran ninos y el que no le agrada para nada. Y aunque salvarle la vida al principe puede ser un gran honor para algunos, para el es solo una molestia, y mas aun cuando se da cuenta que el hombre lo persigue a todas partes y que gracias a eso ahora tambien hay un precio sobre su cabeza. Si solo pudiera estar seguro que los sentimientos del principe son verdaderos, pero ahora hay otro mal que asola al reino, y su padre esta dispuesto a cualquier cosa con tal de mantenerlos a todos a salvo y alejados del principe, incluso si tiene que hacer que Sebastian le rompa el corazon. Ahora, como pueden lograr derrotar al malvado mago y volver al reino a su tranquilidad habitual, asi Sebastian pueda definir de una vez por todas, si los sentimientos del principe son genuinos y si el los corresponde.
La idea general del libro es buena, el enfoque es basicamente en la familia, pero es una familia totalmente disfuncional. La cantidad de diferentes personajes hace que la lectura sea muy complicada de seguir, asi como los cambios de puntos de vista entre un parrafo y otro, ademas del cambio de identificacion de los personajes de un momento a otro.
El complicado manejo de las relaciones entre todos los personajes, y el que a el lector se le hiciera tan dificil seguir lo que estaba pasando, o inclusivo identificar el universo, me hizo la lectura muy pesada. Sin embargo, despues que lees el indice (para identificar los personajes) y comienzas a darte cuenta de lo que esta pasando, todo pasa muy rapido y resulta divertida la intereaccion entre las familias, asi como las de los otros personajes.
En fin, senti que le falto un pequeno capitulo introductorio para que el lector pudiera ubicarse en el ambiente y con los personajes, de manera que fuera mucho mas sencillo de leer. No creo que continue con la lectura de la saga o serie (si el autor vuelve a sacar algun libro mas).
La idea general del libro es buena, el enfoque es basicamente en la familia, pero es una familia totalmente disfuncional. La cantidad de diferentes personajes hace que la lectura sea muy complicada de seguir, asi como los cambios de puntos de vista entre un parrafo y otro, ademas del cambio de identificacion de los personajes de un momento a otro.
El complicado manejo de las relaciones entre todos los personajes, y el que a el lector se le hiciera tan dificil seguir lo que estaba pasando, o inclusivo identificar el universo, me hizo la lectura muy pesada. Sin embargo, despues que lees el indice (para identificar los personajes) y comienzas a darte cuenta de lo que esta pasando, todo pasa muy rapido y resulta divertida la intereaccion entre las familias, asi como las de los otros personajes.
En fin, senti que le falto un pequeno capitulo introductorio para que el lector pudiera ubicarse en el ambiente y con los personajes, de manera que fuera mucho mas sencillo de leer. No creo que continue con la lectura de la saga o serie (si el autor vuelve a sacar algun libro mas).
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