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Dark #1
Dark River
Sitting in a dungeon, miles below the surface of the earth is not the ending she anticipated. Nor is coming face to face with some very lethal dark elves, but Vanadey Adara is particularly good at finding trouble.
Van is not having a pleasant day, but things take a surprising turn when an unconscious dark elf is dragged in by his kin. Some rather unpleasant orks have two prisoners to play with now. Everyone knows dark elves are notorious killers, wicked and malevolent in their ways. That fact becomes irrelevant when you are sitting in a cage waiting to die, and the only option presented is to escape with one.
…Sometimes the hardest battle is against yourself.
The fates may have intervened like divine providence, but personalities mix like oil and water. For a human and a dark elf, freedom comes with a price. If they can trust each other long enough to navigate the perils of Deepearth, outrun evil orks, and evade dangerous dark elves, they might reach the surface in one piece.
Dark River is an adult fantasy romance not meant for young readers. *This book does contain themes of a reverse harem, but ultimately the story will not go in that direction.
Van is not having a pleasant day, but things take a surprising turn when an unconscious dark elf is dragged in by his kin. Some rather unpleasant orks have two prisoners to play with now. Everyone knows dark elves are notorious killers, wicked and malevolent in their ways. That fact becomes irrelevant when you are sitting in a cage waiting to die, and the only option presented is to escape with one.
…Sometimes the hardest battle is against yourself.
The fates may have intervened like divine providence, but personalities mix like oil and water. For a human and a dark elf, freedom comes with a price. If they can trust each other long enough to navigate the perils of Deepearth, outrun evil orks, and evade dangerous dark elves, they might reach the surface in one piece.
Dark River is an adult fantasy romance not meant for young readers. *This book does contain themes of a reverse harem, but ultimately the story will not go in that direction.
208 pages, Kindle Edition
Published May 17, 2020
152 people are currently reading
359 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 62 reviews
August 23, 2020
This was a fun surprise read!
A human, dark elf, (and later a half dark elf/troll) are in a fight for their lives- and have to hit the ground running to escape their enemies. However, in order to reach safety they have to traverse an underground mountain and reach the surface in time before being caught by their persuers- or killed by the dangerous beasties hiding in the darkness.
This is also an adult RH romance (or at least its going that way..?) that I had a lot of fun with! I enjoyed the soft enemies- to-lovers storyline with lots of schmexy times, and liked the main couple--except
So although this is a standalone ATM- I will keep this on my no next book yet list because I would def read more about this story! I need to know how Ren fares on the surface, the possible war, the RH, the succubus, the Gemfinder, and a possible family reunion!
A human, dark elf, (and later a half dark elf/troll) are in a fight for their lives- and have to hit the ground running to escape their enemies. However, in order to reach safety they have to traverse an underground mountain and reach the surface in time before being caught by their persuers- or killed by the dangerous beasties hiding in the darkness.
This is also an adult RH romance (or at least its going that way..?) that I had a lot of fun with! I enjoyed the soft enemies- to-lovers storyline with lots of schmexy times, and liked the main couple--except
So although this is a standalone ATM- I will keep this on my no next book yet list because I would def read more about this story! I need to know how Ren fares on the surface, the possible war, the RH, the succubus, the Gemfinder, and a possible family reunion!
October 18, 2020
At 65% I couldn’t take it anymore. It’s a boring read with a meandering plot that really goes nowhere and characters for whom you couldn’t care less. Superficial TSTL teens. But then everything seemed superficial to me. In theory there’s a war looming but you don’t really feel it.
There wasn’t anything that made it worth (keep) reading.
There wasn’t anything that made it worth (keep) reading.
August 9, 2020
I would love to give this a five. It was freaking amazing. But I don't know. Very few things I didnt like. Still struggling. Review to come. Fucking amazing author discovery
July 31, 2021
Tried it…and at 2% it was already annoying me. Written in a stilted and childish manner, like a middle schooler’s wattpad fic.
Read
January 14, 2023What in the actual wattpad hell am I reading?
Ignoring red flags from the get go, I got 22% through this book in one night and then I had to put it down for 2 whole days because I got so upset over my inability to tell if it was so bad I shouldn't be reading it or if it was so bad it's good or (WHAT IF JUST WHAT IF) there might *actually a part of me that secretly was really enjoying this book* and I'm in denial. I would have loved, loved, LOVED this book when I was 12, and my inner 12 year old is still here. Maybe she's giving me notions.
This book is a not!Forgotten Realms fanfic fever dream with a pickme self insert for the female MC (Vanadey), and not!Drizzt Do'Urden for the male MC (Yidren). There's more to it, but I don't know where to begin.
I do know I couldn't stop thinking about this book for the entire 2 days I DNF'd it for and tonight I started reading it again...and I immediately regret this decision...but I feel *compelled*. What is this? Sigh.
...
UPDATE: After un-DNFing, I finished this book really fast, and it ends extremely abruptly. For some naive reason I did not expect sex scenes, but immediately after picking it up again I discovered there are plenty of them, they're decently and bluntly written and very graphic, and that they make up a decent chunk of the book, probably at least 30% of it.
The main problem with this book is...the female MC. She is SO annoying. This is not just my opinion: She knows she is annoying. She comments on deliberately trying to irk/annoy her main love interest (who is ALSO THE ONLY PERSON WHO CAN ASSURE SHE WON'T DIE and saves her from dying more than once despite how she treats him) repeatedly.
In fact she even boasts about being "the best at it" at one point during one of their sparring snark-banterings, he and other characters comment on it, ask and beg her to stop it multiple times, and she even expresses inner regret at her consistently obnoxious behavior, only to continue it the very next line or paragraph.
She also deliberately endangers both their lives unnecessarily, multiple times, just because she has to be this way.
Many people commented that the writing style of this book is extremely juvenile, and I agree, sort of: I would say that Vanadey (the female MC) is the juvenile and immature one specifically, while the other characters are not very deep, even when they made the occasional stupid or contrived decision, I was never annoyed, mostly just amused. Even if the writing is not always the most mature sounding, it can be forgiven in the case of everyone except Vanadey, who unfortunately is the permanent first person narrator.
I guessed her to be about 16-18 years old based on her behavior and inner narrative, but when it comes to anything sexual, she suddenly transforms from a contrary and moody teenage girl into a young woman who is already extremely familiar and very comfortable with sex for reasons we never find out. Her inner thoughts sound like a sexually experienced and confident person who knows what she wants and isn't afraid to express it or try to get it (But, since she has poor impulse control, this is not necessarily a good thing).
The tone shift is a little jarring, but to be honest it is for the better, and the sex scenes improved this book massively, solely because during most of them we (mostly) get a break from her awful socially inappropriate behavior.
I just wanna reiterate: Vanadey literally acknowledges that she takes pleasure in riling and snarking at others at least once, maybe twice, using that specific word (snark) to describe it.
If there is one trait I liked about Vanadey, it was that she was just as/more interested in initiating sex as any of the male characters, and just as likely to want to do it, but she is actually a very sexually submissive character once she starts. She's also confident in her ability to consent (even when she arguably shouldn't be? More on that in the spoiler tags)
So even if she's often doing it for the wrong reasons, it was the one thing that made her feel relatable.
In short: The large chunk of this book that is sex scenes gives the MC less opportunities to be an unlikable and selfish jerk. I think she still manages to pull this off a few times during them, though...I'll get to that in a minute (also under spoiler tags).
About the pickme energy: Vanadey radiates and seethes with it. In the first few chapters we learn that she literally has a twin sister, and comes from a wealthy family, but chose to run away (for no specific reason other than not "fitting in" with the aristos).
Her sister has perfectly styled hair, hers is always messy. Her sister enjoys the frivolity and intricacy of high society, Van hates it and literally ran away from her super privileged life to work a crappy job in a sleazy inn in borderline poverty where she has started to develop a gambling problem, because she is so contrarian.
She makes many comparisons to her twin sister being her complete opposite, but honestly there is no evidence that her sister is a bad person or even that her sister's perceived shallowness is a negative as opposed to just being a product of her upbringing without delving more into the fact that the sister apparently has good intentions: The only time we meet her in person, they're having an argument where her sister is begging her to come home, for her own good but also for the sake of the family. Her sister literally has no ulterior motives beyond this.
Aside from being infuriated by Vanadey--who wouldn't be--there's no evidence that the sister is a bad or lesser person despite her differences in personality. And it's not as if Vanadey is not shallow, despite her constant implications that her sister is! Vanadey later lusts openly over the men she meets in the not!Underdark from a purely physical vantage very, very quickly and intensely.
I genuinely think I would have preferred it if the twin sister was the one who ended up lost in the Underdark with a hot dark elf/possible monster harem. A high society lady in the wilds of deep underground Drow territory! It has potential, right?
Vanadey, on the other hand, is obnoxious, obstinate, stubborn, and impulsive. This is supposed to be a charm point and is done deliberately: It's showcased constantly as just being "her quirky strong unique personality" (xD) throughout the whole book and we are reminded of it at every opportunity.
One other thing that I keep thinking about: This book is labeled as reverse harem on some shelves, but...it kind of goes weird on that subject. Around the 22% mark we have Instalust kick in between the two MCs, by 50% both the MCs have had intense sex at least once, and at 75% the Instalust begins to turn into crystallized Instalove.
All very well for this type of book, but the thing is...between the 50% and 75% marks, Vanadey...
Anyway, all this doesn't quite add up to me.
It's hinted heavily there will be a 3rd male love/sex interest in the next book, so I am confused about all this flip-flopping, and sort-of conflating polyamory/gamy with some kind of undefined promiscuity, in a lusty lust book where the characters have sex with each other literally--LITERALLY--within minutes or hours of meeting each other. Vanadey and Yidren have known eachother for about 24 hours, possibly less, when they decide they want to do "monogamy".
What else? Well, there is another weird inconsistency with gender roles from Yidren and Vanadey's respective cultures. Yidren comes straight from a Not!Underdark/SpiderQueen Matriarchy, so basically a brutal and sadistic society where men must obey women at all times and are secondary citizens not much better than slaves.
There is a scene early in the book where he unquestionably obeys something random that Vanadey says, and when questioned as to why he immediately obeyed, he says it is because she is a woman (She is instantly openly tempted to abuse this for sexual purposes; it happens a while before they have consensual sex for the first time. Thank god she does not).
The issue with this is...most of Yidren's dialogue in the book is giving Vanadey commands and telling HER what to do! Which is not a character fault, since pretty much everything he ever says to her boils down to: Please shut up, you're being loud and attracting monsters to our location and we're going to die if you don't do what I say.
He also calls her "Woman" and not "Van/Vanadey" almost every time when he could or should address her by name, which is often. I can't imagine he would address a dark elf female this way, so why did he suddenly act like he was in the presence of one for that weird moment where Vanadey was tempted to give him some extremely inappropriate commands?
Moreover, this really doesn't flow with his choices and behavior in the weird diversion later on involving
So he clearly doesn't actually hold her to the standard of dark elf females in regard to how he acts around her 99% of the time. Why in this random moment, then never again? Again, it feels kind of contrived, simply to titillate and tempt Vanadey into making one of the few poor decisions she actually doesn't go through with.
OK, in summary: Despite literally everything, this book would have been a 100% super guilty pleasure read for me with a different female MC. The male characters are both tolerable and attractive to me, although I've spared criticisms of them from this review simply because any character who was not Vanadey got an automatic pass by comparison.
I went into this book really wanting to like Vanadey and be attracted to her too, but it's just impossible.
I also REALLY LIKE the trope of forced-allies-to-lovers and that was a huge motivation for me to both pick up and keep reading this book. When done well it is one of my favorite tropes ever. This book is not an example of that, but...I see what the author was trying to do, and I badly wanted them to accomplish it!
I've tried and failed to write this type of story myself before: For me it is definitely a difficult trope to write. I want to commend the author for trying. We clearly like some similar things.
Hence why I'm feeling so conflicted about it, why I DNF'd it but picked it up again, and I don't want to rate it because of that. This was not a hate-read but it was...something! I genuinely like many of the (super cliche) tropes in this book and so I was in a perpetual state of wanting to like it so badly, and battling the infuriating existence of Vanadey.
Here's my confession: I wanted to keep reading when it ended. Why. Too many reasons, but maybe probably because it wrapped up so abruptly, more in the manner of a story arc ending than a true book ending (yes, I know that's not unusual for books like this and yes, I see book 2 on KU) and towards the end I wanted the characters to deal with the conceit of the plot even a little bit more than they actually did, even though it's a very barebones one that mostly exists to cause relationship antics and mild peril.
Anddd... one more reason: *Definitely* for the sake of my inner 12-year-old lonely/horny fangirl who wants a cool hot sexy dark elf/monster boyfriend (or two?).
Ignoring red flags from the get go, I got 22% through this book in one night and then I had to put it down for 2 whole days because I got so upset over my inability to tell if it was so bad I shouldn't be reading it or if it was so bad it's good or (WHAT IF JUST WHAT IF) there might *actually a part of me that secretly was really enjoying this book* and I'm in denial. I would have loved, loved, LOVED this book when I was 12, and my inner 12 year old is still here. Maybe she's giving me notions.
This book is a not!Forgotten Realms fanfic fever dream with a pickme self insert for the female MC (Vanadey), and not!Drizzt Do'Urden for the male MC (Yidren). There's more to it, but I don't know where to begin.
I do know I couldn't stop thinking about this book for the entire 2 days I DNF'd it for and tonight I started reading it again...and I immediately regret this decision...but I feel *compelled*. What is this? Sigh.
...
UPDATE: After un-DNFing, I finished this book really fast, and it ends extremely abruptly. For some naive reason I did not expect sex scenes, but immediately after picking it up again I discovered there are plenty of them, they're decently and bluntly written and very graphic, and that they make up a decent chunk of the book, probably at least 30% of it.
The main problem with this book is...the female MC. She is SO annoying. This is not just my opinion: She knows she is annoying. She comments on deliberately trying to irk/annoy her main love interest (who is ALSO THE ONLY PERSON WHO CAN ASSURE SHE WON'T DIE and saves her from dying more than once despite how she treats him) repeatedly.
In fact she even boasts about being "the best at it" at one point during one of their sparring snark-banterings, he and other characters comment on it, ask and beg her to stop it multiple times, and she even expresses inner regret at her consistently obnoxious behavior, only to continue it the very next line or paragraph.
She also deliberately endangers both their lives unnecessarily, multiple times, just because she has to be this way.
Many people commented that the writing style of this book is extremely juvenile, and I agree, sort of: I would say that Vanadey (the female MC) is the juvenile and immature one specifically, while the other characters are not very deep, even when they made the occasional stupid or contrived decision, I was never annoyed, mostly just amused. Even if the writing is not always the most mature sounding, it can be forgiven in the case of everyone except Vanadey, who unfortunately is the permanent first person narrator.
I guessed her to be about 16-18 years old based on her behavior and inner narrative, but when it comes to anything sexual, she suddenly transforms from a contrary and moody teenage girl into a young woman who is already extremely familiar and very comfortable with sex for reasons we never find out. Her inner thoughts sound like a sexually experienced and confident person who knows what she wants and isn't afraid to express it or try to get it (But, since she has poor impulse control, this is not necessarily a good thing).
The tone shift is a little jarring, but to be honest it is for the better, and the sex scenes improved this book massively, solely because during most of them we (mostly) get a break from her awful socially inappropriate behavior.
I just wanna reiterate: Vanadey literally acknowledges that she takes pleasure in riling and snarking at others at least once, maybe twice, using that specific word (snark) to describe it.
If there is one trait I liked about Vanadey, it was that she was just as/more interested in initiating sex as any of the male characters, and just as likely to want to do it, but she is actually a very sexually submissive character once she starts. She's also confident in her ability to consent (even when she arguably shouldn't be? More on that in the spoiler tags)
So even if she's often doing it for the wrong reasons, it was the one thing that made her feel relatable.
In short: The large chunk of this book that is sex scenes gives the MC less opportunities to be an unlikable and selfish jerk. I think she still manages to pull this off a few times during them, though...I'll get to that in a minute (also under spoiler tags).
About the pickme energy: Vanadey radiates and seethes with it. In the first few chapters we learn that she literally has a twin sister, and comes from a wealthy family, but chose to run away (for no specific reason other than not "fitting in" with the aristos).
Her sister has perfectly styled hair, hers is always messy. Her sister enjoys the frivolity and intricacy of high society, Van hates it and literally ran away from her super privileged life to work a crappy job in a sleazy inn in borderline poverty where she has started to develop a gambling problem, because she is so contrarian.
She makes many comparisons to her twin sister being her complete opposite, but honestly there is no evidence that her sister is a bad person or even that her sister's perceived shallowness is a negative as opposed to just being a product of her upbringing without delving more into the fact that the sister apparently has good intentions: The only time we meet her in person, they're having an argument where her sister is begging her to come home, for her own good but also for the sake of the family. Her sister literally has no ulterior motives beyond this.
Aside from being infuriated by Vanadey--who wouldn't be--there's no evidence that the sister is a bad or lesser person despite her differences in personality. And it's not as if Vanadey is not shallow, despite her constant implications that her sister is! Vanadey later lusts openly over the men she meets in the not!Underdark from a purely physical vantage very, very quickly and intensely.
I genuinely think I would have preferred it if the twin sister was the one who ended up lost in the Underdark with a hot dark elf/possible monster harem. A high society lady in the wilds of deep underground Drow territory! It has potential, right?
Vanadey, on the other hand, is obnoxious, obstinate, stubborn, and impulsive. This is supposed to be a charm point and is done deliberately: It's showcased constantly as just being "her quirky strong unique personality" (xD) throughout the whole book and we are reminded of it at every opportunity.
One other thing that I keep thinking about: This book is labeled as reverse harem on some shelves, but...it kind of goes weird on that subject. Around the 22% mark we have Instalust kick in between the two MCs, by 50% both the MCs have had intense sex at least once, and at 75% the Instalust begins to turn into crystallized Instalove.
All very well for this type of book, but the thing is...between the 50% and 75% marks, Vanadey...
Anyway, all this doesn't quite add up to me.
It's hinted heavily there will be a 3rd male love/sex interest in the next book, so I am confused about all this flip-flopping, and sort-of conflating polyamory/gamy with some kind of undefined promiscuity, in a lusty lust book where the characters have sex with each other literally--LITERALLY--within minutes or hours of meeting each other. Vanadey and Yidren have known eachother for about 24 hours, possibly less, when they decide they want to do "monogamy".
What else? Well, there is another weird inconsistency with gender roles from Yidren and Vanadey's respective cultures. Yidren comes straight from a Not!Underdark/SpiderQueen Matriarchy, so basically a brutal and sadistic society where men must obey women at all times and are secondary citizens not much better than slaves.
There is a scene early in the book where he unquestionably obeys something random that Vanadey says, and when questioned as to why he immediately obeyed, he says it is because she is a woman (She is instantly openly tempted to abuse this for sexual purposes; it happens a while before they have consensual sex for the first time. Thank god she does not).
The issue with this is...most of Yidren's dialogue in the book is giving Vanadey commands and telling HER what to do! Which is not a character fault, since pretty much everything he ever says to her boils down to: Please shut up, you're being loud and attracting monsters to our location and we're going to die if you don't do what I say.
He also calls her "Woman" and not "Van/Vanadey" almost every time when he could or should address her by name, which is often. I can't imagine he would address a dark elf female this way, so why did he suddenly act like he was in the presence of one for that weird moment where Vanadey was tempted to give him some extremely inappropriate commands?
Moreover, this really doesn't flow with his choices and behavior in the weird diversion later on involving
So he clearly doesn't actually hold her to the standard of dark elf females in regard to how he acts around her 99% of the time. Why in this random moment, then never again? Again, it feels kind of contrived, simply to titillate and tempt Vanadey into making one of the few poor decisions she actually doesn't go through with.
OK, in summary: Despite literally everything, this book would have been a 100% super guilty pleasure read for me with a different female MC. The male characters are both tolerable and attractive to me, although I've spared criticisms of them from this review simply because any character who was not Vanadey got an automatic pass by comparison.
I went into this book really wanting to like Vanadey and be attracted to her too, but it's just impossible.
I also REALLY LIKE the trope of forced-allies-to-lovers and that was a huge motivation for me to both pick up and keep reading this book. When done well it is one of my favorite tropes ever. This book is not an example of that, but...I see what the author was trying to do, and I badly wanted them to accomplish it!
I've tried and failed to write this type of story myself before: For me it is definitely a difficult trope to write. I want to commend the author for trying. We clearly like some similar things.
Hence why I'm feeling so conflicted about it, why I DNF'd it but picked it up again, and I don't want to rate it because of that. This was not a hate-read but it was...something! I genuinely like many of the (super cliche) tropes in this book and so I was in a perpetual state of wanting to like it so badly, and battling the infuriating existence of Vanadey.
Here's my confession: I wanted to keep reading when it ended. Why. Too many reasons, but maybe probably because it wrapped up so abruptly, more in the manner of a story arc ending than a true book ending (yes, I know that's not unusual for books like this and yes, I see book 2 on KU) and towards the end I wanted the characters to deal with the conceit of the plot even a little bit more than they actually did, even though it's a very barebones one that mostly exists to cause relationship antics and mild peril.
Anddd... one more reason: *Definitely* for the sake of my inner 12-year-old lonely/horny fangirl who wants a cool hot sexy dark elf/monster boyfriend (or two?).
January 18, 2023
DNF
Dark River's biggest problem is that it needs an editor. Bad. I feel like the book could have been so much easier (and more enjoyable) to consume had some of the fat been trimmed off and the typos/grammatical errors fixed. Sure, it would have made the story much shorter but after moving on to the second book to see if maybe it gets better, I think just shortening both of them and making them one book would've been more beneficial for the plot. There were a lot of typos that were easily caught with a single read-through; words missing in sentences, wrong pronouns used for characters which sometimes caused confusion on who's talking to whom or doing what, etc.
I also found a lot of the characters annoying and immature for their apparent ages: the heroine for example was just really... really aggravating from the get-go. She's one of those characters that talk a lot for comedic relief because "they talk a lot when they're nervous/scared" but it wasn't executed well enough to be neither funny nor realistic to her personality or the situation. Then there were side characters that did stupid things for the convenience of the plot. I generally felt like i was following some teenagers going through a fantasy world setting where their actions don't have any real impact on the things/people around them.
The only character I liked, a whole lot actually, was the male lead. I very rarely see dark elves as heroes in fantasy stories let alone the romantic interest, and i was even more pleasantly surprised that he was a morally grey character with a personality and wit. I found him rather charming and complex. He single-handedly drove me to continue on with this story until it got to a point where he wasn't there for a significant chunk. At that point, the plot, the other characters, but specifically the main character just reminded me how much I didn't like this book on a base level.
There were a couple of things that just put me off with this book, which I'll include cause some might consider it warnings/triggers:
There were just so many instances where it didn't feel very realistic or believable, especially for an adult fantasy novel with sex, blood, and killing. I saw the potential here and there for a really good story but the writing, fast pace, and characters just made this a "meh" read for me. If i had been in a better mood I'd probably be more forgiving but for now, I can't really rate this very high. I do, though, think the author has really good potential and with more time and experience (or even just a good editor to get feedback from and correct some things) could make a really great fantasy story.
I'm giving it 1 star because I found the world (and its creatures) to be interesting and engaging but was hindered by the bland story and poor characters. Ren adds another star and is literally the only thing keeping this from a 1-star review.
Dark River's biggest problem is that it needs an editor. Bad. I feel like the book could have been so much easier (and more enjoyable) to consume had some of the fat been trimmed off and the typos/grammatical errors fixed. Sure, it would have made the story much shorter but after moving on to the second book to see if maybe it gets better, I think just shortening both of them and making them one book would've been more beneficial for the plot. There were a lot of typos that were easily caught with a single read-through; words missing in sentences, wrong pronouns used for characters which sometimes caused confusion on who's talking to whom or doing what, etc.
I also found a lot of the characters annoying and immature for their apparent ages: the heroine for example was just really... really aggravating from the get-go. She's one of those characters that talk a lot for comedic relief because "they talk a lot when they're nervous/scared" but it wasn't executed well enough to be neither funny nor realistic to her personality or the situation. Then there were side characters that did stupid things for the convenience of the plot. I generally felt like i was following some teenagers going through a fantasy world setting where their actions don't have any real impact on the things/people around them.
The only character I liked, a whole lot actually, was the male lead. I very rarely see dark elves as heroes in fantasy stories let alone the romantic interest, and i was even more pleasantly surprised that he was a morally grey character with a personality and wit. I found him rather charming and complex. He single-handedly drove me to continue on with this story until it got to a point where he wasn't there for a significant chunk. At that point, the plot, the other characters, but specifically the main character just reminded me how much I didn't like this book on a base level.
There were a couple of things that just put me off with this book, which I'll include cause some might consider it warnings/triggers:
There were just so many instances where it didn't feel very realistic or believable, especially for an adult fantasy novel with sex, blood, and killing. I saw the potential here and there for a really good story but the writing, fast pace, and characters just made this a "meh" read for me. If i had been in a better mood I'd probably be more forgiving but for now, I can't really rate this very high. I do, though, think the author has really good potential and with more time and experience (or even just a good editor to get feedback from and correct some things) could make a really great fantasy story.
I'm giving it 1 star because I found the world (and its creatures) to be interesting and engaging but was hindered by the bland story and poor characters. Ren adds another star and is literally the only thing keeping this from a 1-star review.
November 29, 2020
I like YA, but this book really put the young in Young Adult. The writing felt simple and the world, although interesting and complex, never felt actualized to its full potential. I didn't like the prose nor the main character and struggled to finish.
I don't want to even write a thorough review. The book was just 'meh' to me.
However, I don't want to disparage the book or author; there will be many people who will enjoy this book, it just isn't me.
I don't want to even write a thorough review. The book was just 'meh' to me.
However, I don't want to disparage the book or author; there will be many people who will enjoy this book, it just isn't me.
June 23, 2020
Good story
I am thinking this is going to be a series and I am not real keen on multiple books about the same characters with added drama.
HOWEVER
I really loved the story. It flowed, it was action packed, and the characters were so well made. The way it ended left me happy. Even if this is a series or future series. I suggest if you want a great read.
I am thinking this is going to be a series and I am not real keen on multiple books about the same characters with added drama.
HOWEVER
I really loved the story. It flowed, it was action packed, and the characters were so well made. The way it ended left me happy. Even if this is a series or future series. I suggest if you want a great read.
July 8, 2020
3.5
this is a RH isn't it......
i'm a sucker for enemies to lovers fae books but i'm not a fan of why choose romances (thanks goodreads tags)
this is a RH isn't it......
i'm a sucker for enemies to lovers fae books but i'm not a fan of why choose romances (thanks goodreads tags)
February 3, 2021
It was good but it needed editing. I liked the world building and even if the heroine was reckless and not my cup of tea, i liked her. I would have prefered it to be a reverse harem but at the blurb says it's not, so i don't know if i would read the next book. All in all it was an adventurous and entertaining story.
June 28, 2020
Get it
Unexpected read that i thoroughly enjoyed.
I picked up the book by just seeing the cover. I didn’t read the synopsis so I didn’t know what I was getting myself in to however I wasn’t disappointed. The point of view is from our main character Van, whose snarky whit brings a light heartedness into the dreary mess she found herself involved in. Ren is a character that grew on me from the beginning. What can I say? I love the dark broody types. The further I got into the book I realized the world building or should I say UNDER world building was amazing. The author instantly takes you into Rens home and you feel like you’re there experiencing it with Van. The only that that kept tripping me up was the love interest(s).... I didn’t know if I was getting myself into a RH or what.. remember I didn’t read the synopsis. I skipped the most intimate scenes as I wanted to get back to more of their escape. But I RECOMMEND 💯
Unexpected read that i thoroughly enjoyed.
I picked up the book by just seeing the cover. I didn’t read the synopsis so I didn’t know what I was getting myself in to however I wasn’t disappointed. The point of view is from our main character Van, whose snarky whit brings a light heartedness into the dreary mess she found herself involved in. Ren is a character that grew on me from the beginning. What can I say? I love the dark broody types. The further I got into the book I realized the world building or should I say UNDER world building was amazing. The author instantly takes you into Rens home and you feel like you’re there experiencing it with Van. The only that that kept tripping me up was the love interest(s).... I didn’t know if I was getting myself into a RH or what.. remember I didn’t read the synopsis. I skipped the most intimate scenes as I wanted to get back to more of their escape. But I RECOMMEND 💯
July 12, 2020
I haven't enjoyed a fantasy romance like this in a long time. I love the romance, and I love the characters. The main man manages to be arrogant, but not relentlessly overbearing. The heroine is a bit silly, a bit naive, and it didn't annoy me at all because it feels right for the situation she's in. How often can I say that? I'm so glad I stumbled across this so I could see those two tropes done right. It does read like a first novel, there are a fair few editing issues and I would make some better choices for how the settings are described, and the villains are a bit flat: despite all that, the world is so interesting and the relationships are so well-done, I can't wait for the sequel and to see Van's other men get a little more screen time!
July 2, 2020
A couple issues
Good but riddled with spelling errors. The characters would speak...well old timey, however, at times there was an awkwardness to it. Another example of an error was “feminine wilds” as opposed to “feminine wiles.” Other than these types of errors, the story was unique and good. I definitely recommend and I’m looking forward to reading more (but hopefully with a bit more editing).
Good but riddled with spelling errors. The characters would speak...well old timey, however, at times there was an awkwardness to it. Another example of an error was “feminine wilds” as opposed to “feminine wiles.” Other than these types of errors, the story was unique and good. I definitely recommend and I’m looking forward to reading more (but hopefully with a bit more editing).
December 21, 2020
The writing was so irksome. The main character felt so childish.
It was boring.
Right at the beginning I knew its not for me, but I wanted to make sure I'm not doing any mistake by dropping it so fast. 'cause you see,
I LOVE DARK ELVES.
So I came here to read other's reviews. That's when I realized I wasn't making a mistake. this one isn't for me Dark elf or not.
DNF10%
It was boring.
Right at the beginning I knew its not for me, but I wanted to make sure I'm not doing any mistake by dropping it so fast. 'cause you see,
I LOVE DARK ELVES.
So I came here to read other's reviews. That's when I realized I wasn't making a mistake. this one isn't for me Dark elf or not.
DNF10%
October 22, 2020
I couldn’t go on with the immature behaviour and thoughts of the lead female.
It was frustrating, childish and at times ludicrous.
This is a young young young adult book lol
It was frustrating, childish and at times ludicrous.
This is a young young young adult book lol
September 12, 2020
Addig klassz volt, amíg a hősnő kicsit át nem nyergelt egy új pasira. Ez nekem kinyírta a románcot.
January 30, 2021
Second time reading this book and I just love it. AR Keo does an amazing job of world building and all of her characters are so likable. Her work flows easily and she has a real talent for character interactions- I chuckled several times. Love scenes are very sensual and not too frequent to make this smut. I can’t wait for more books from this talented author!!
June 27, 2020
Phenomenal story!
Great world building, dynamic characters, and incredibly witty banter between heroine and Hero. Cannot wait for the next book! Great start to a new series.
Great world building, dynamic characters, and incredibly witty banter between heroine and Hero. Cannot wait for the next book! Great start to a new series.
August 1, 2020
Fascinating read
I gave this book 5 stars because the story created wonderful imagery. I really enjoyed the main characters as well as the supporting cast. I hope there is a book 2.
I gave this book 5 stars because the story created wonderful imagery. I really enjoyed the main characters as well as the supporting cast. I hope there is a book 2.
February 10, 2021
Dark elves, ork and trolls, oh my
Van has a goal- own her very own inn. Disillusioned ship merchant's daughter turned barmaid, likes her job but wants to own one instead of be an employee. Step 1 involves money, so she spends the last of hers buying a gemfinder stone and goes traipsing into Deepearth for riches. But her fellow miners are killed, she's thrown into a cell, and lucky her, gets front row seats to the torture of 1 dark elf by another. Feeling bad for him, but knowing when they tire and turn on her things will get even worse has her nerves frazzled. And then the elf being tortured suddenly manages to kill his torturer. While he's still chained. Keys are lifted off the dead guy and then the great escape occurs. Now they have to stay alive being chased by orks, trolls, demon pig/dog/octopus things and some angry dark elves. She's so going to get this poor guy killed because humans are clumsy, can't see in the dark and can't hear and smell danger approaching. Bet he wishes he left her behind.
Spoilers ahead.
So, the cover is a little misleading. Van appears tough and independent. She starts off so, but only due to a charm. One with some interesting side effects. After that's gone, she sort of looses it. She is way too talkative for someone running from danger. But it's also part of her charm. Ren is who he's been raised to be- a cold, hardened dark elf warrior who needs no one. Only, that isn't who he wants to be, just who he had to be. The infuriating, overly chatty, refuses to listen, blundering human should have driven him to kill her after her usefulness ended. Instead he keeps dragging her along. Keeps rescuing her. The dry jokes, give and take relationship that develops is fun and a little odd. This is definitely character driven, with only scant world building. Mostly we get little bits, here and there, in the form of explanations by various characters. This isn't an RH, but it does include intimate moments with more than 1 person on behalf of the fmc. It's not cheating, it isn't a love triangle, it's hard to explain without major spoilers. The main plot remains unresolved and looks to carry over into the next book. There's a lot going on here but it was a really fun read. I'd love to know a bit more about the dark elves other than bad guys and matriarchal. Orks seem to be labor crew and cannon fodder. Trolls have societies, both underground and on the surface. Why the split? Are dark elves and surface elves related? Since succubi are both male and female, some mythology variations have occurred here. So I'm curious to see what else breaks from the norms. While we get bits and pieces on individual characters, we don't get much on this world they inhabit.
There are a lot of errors in this book. Speaking quotations are dropped, or added, randomly. Commas of address are hit or miss in usage. Dropped words, incorrect participles, apostrophes used in plurals- it needs a thorough editing. But the story itself is good. And thank you for him realizing that her initial attraction to him was a side effect so that he stopped things and didn't take advantage of the situation. On the same note, coerced intimate moments, even as a prank, isn't consent, either. Sort of nullified the first with the second.
Van has a goal- own her very own inn. Disillusioned ship merchant's daughter turned barmaid, likes her job but wants to own one instead of be an employee. Step 1 involves money, so she spends the last of hers buying a gemfinder stone and goes traipsing into Deepearth for riches. But her fellow miners are killed, she's thrown into a cell, and lucky her, gets front row seats to the torture of 1 dark elf by another. Feeling bad for him, but knowing when they tire and turn on her things will get even worse has her nerves frazzled. And then the elf being tortured suddenly manages to kill his torturer. While he's still chained. Keys are lifted off the dead guy and then the great escape occurs. Now they have to stay alive being chased by orks, trolls, demon pig/dog/octopus things and some angry dark elves. She's so going to get this poor guy killed because humans are clumsy, can't see in the dark and can't hear and smell danger approaching. Bet he wishes he left her behind.
Spoilers ahead.
So, the cover is a little misleading. Van appears tough and independent. She starts off so, but only due to a charm. One with some interesting side effects. After that's gone, she sort of looses it. She is way too talkative for someone running from danger. But it's also part of her charm. Ren is who he's been raised to be- a cold, hardened dark elf warrior who needs no one. Only, that isn't who he wants to be, just who he had to be. The infuriating, overly chatty, refuses to listen, blundering human should have driven him to kill her after her usefulness ended. Instead he keeps dragging her along. Keeps rescuing her. The dry jokes, give and take relationship that develops is fun and a little odd. This is definitely character driven, with only scant world building. Mostly we get little bits, here and there, in the form of explanations by various characters. This isn't an RH, but it does include intimate moments with more than 1 person on behalf of the fmc. It's not cheating, it isn't a love triangle, it's hard to explain without major spoilers. The main plot remains unresolved and looks to carry over into the next book. There's a lot going on here but it was a really fun read. I'd love to know a bit more about the dark elves other than bad guys and matriarchal. Orks seem to be labor crew and cannon fodder. Trolls have societies, both underground and on the surface. Why the split? Are dark elves and surface elves related? Since succubi are both male and female, some mythology variations have occurred here. So I'm curious to see what else breaks from the norms. While we get bits and pieces on individual characters, we don't get much on this world they inhabit.
There are a lot of errors in this book. Speaking quotations are dropped, or added, randomly. Commas of address are hit or miss in usage. Dropped words, incorrect participles, apostrophes used in plurals- it needs a thorough editing. But the story itself is good. And thank you for him realizing that her initial attraction to him was a side effect so that he stopped things and didn't take advantage of the situation. On the same note, coerced intimate moments, even as a prank, isn't consent, either. Sort of nullified the first with the second.
December 18, 2020
4-4.5 stars
This book's history, character races and landscape all reminded me of DnD. and that is ALWAYS a good thing.
I couldn't help but love these characters. And I LOVED that all of the characters reasonings were sound. There was little to no eye rolling "this is a book so OF COURSE they act like this" type of actions. And that is huge for me.
Van and Ren are such interesting characters, and I'm honestly such a sucker for a love interest thats extremely dangerous, and a bit bloodthirsty/dark, but also unfamiliar with the world around them. So you end up getting this huge hunk of badassery whos prone to adorable bouts of "I do not know this thing" for the simple things in life. I dunno, having to explain the beauty of the different seasons of the outsideworld to an unfeeling assassin just does it for me okay? It was giving me hard Zylas from Taming Demons for Beginners vibes and I am ALL for that.
I loved the use of a fear 'eating' magic item to get us introduced to the character, and the 'Dark Blood" (or what ever Bone Arrow calls it) to get the characters into situations they normally wouldn't be in as quickly.
I'd call this a medium burn romance. My only gripe is that when the characters start falling in love it happens quite fast, and with almost 100% complete "I'll die for you" devotion by the 60% mark or so. And I would have liked a little more of a slow burn. I'm very excited for the next book! As well as a bit heart broken that there aren't any other books by this author for me to sink my teeth into afterward.
This book's history, character races and landscape all reminded me of DnD. and that is ALWAYS a good thing.
I couldn't help but love these characters. And I LOVED that all of the characters reasonings were sound. There was little to no eye rolling "this is a book so OF COURSE they act like this" type of actions. And that is huge for me.
Van and Ren are such interesting characters, and I'm honestly such a sucker for a love interest thats extremely dangerous, and a bit bloodthirsty/dark, but also unfamiliar with the world around them. So you end up getting this huge hunk of badassery whos prone to adorable bouts of "I do not know this thing" for the simple things in life. I dunno, having to explain the beauty of the different seasons of the outsideworld to an unfeeling assassin just does it for me okay? It was giving me hard Zylas from Taming Demons for Beginners vibes and I am ALL for that.
I loved the use of a fear 'eating' magic item to get us introduced to the character, and the 'Dark Blood" (or what ever Bone Arrow calls it) to get the characters into situations they normally wouldn't be in as quickly.
I'd call this a medium burn romance. My only gripe is that when the characters start falling in love it happens quite fast, and with almost 100% complete "I'll die for you" devotion by the 60% mark or so. And I would have liked a little more of a slow burn. I'm very excited for the next book! As well as a bit heart broken that there aren't any other books by this author for me to sink my teeth into afterward.
February 7, 2021
This is a book that is most effective in making you feel stuff if you know absolutely nothing about what will happen. So if you haven't read it, stop reading this, and just read the book. If you want something spicy, exciting, and fun, this is for you. Try not to over analyze and take it too seriously, and it will win you over.
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God, in the past few weeks I've picked up like ten books, and dropped them like hot potatoes because I just couldn't get in the right mood. I dunno why, but this little gem really hit the spot. Honestly, this book reads like a weird mating between a Tolkien and a Skyrim fanfic. It was awesome. And very adult.
At times it was grammatically strange, and there were a few editing mistakes, but it was easy to look over once you really get into it.
Though you don't get too too much info, enough was sprinkled in that you really get a solid feel for the setting. In terms of world building, it was just right. Enough to keep you interested, and not enough to overload you. It was also imagery rich, without being overly descriptive. The story and characters had nice and natural progression, despite everything happening fairly quickly. This author gets the concept that sometimes, dangerous situations and adrenaline can bond people more than they realize, and they utilized it well here.
This isn't the greatest book ever written. It certainly had it's issues. But it was ridiculously, ridiculously fun.
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God, in the past few weeks I've picked up like ten books, and dropped them like hot potatoes because I just couldn't get in the right mood. I dunno why, but this little gem really hit the spot. Honestly, this book reads like a weird mating between a Tolkien and a Skyrim fanfic. It was awesome. And very adult.
At times it was grammatically strange, and there were a few editing mistakes, but it was easy to look over once you really get into it.
Though you don't get too too much info, enough was sprinkled in that you really get a solid feel for the setting. In terms of world building, it was just right. Enough to keep you interested, and not enough to overload you. It was also imagery rich, without being overly descriptive. The story and characters had nice and natural progression, despite everything happening fairly quickly. This author gets the concept that sometimes, dangerous situations and adrenaline can bond people more than they realize, and they utilized it well here.
This isn't the greatest book ever written. It certainly had it's issues. But it was ridiculously, ridiculously fun.
January 3, 2022
I really enjoyed this and I know my enthusiasm is due to the fact that this book scratched an itch I didn't have. I'm new to fantasy romance (and fantasy in general...), but this hit the spot. THIS is how I want my fantasy romance. I love characters like Ren and the relationship formed between him and Van was excellent to see crystalize throughout the book. Also, the sex scenes were delicious.
If I were to take off my rose-tinted glasses with this, I could point out the minor editing errors and the fact that Van can't do a damn thing for herself (she's told how stupid, foolish, and weak she is multiple times, even when trying to save people's lives!), but I pretty much overlooked these because, again, this hit the spot.
I can't wait to read the next book because I'm interested to see Ren meet Van's family and see where the relationship with Bone Arrow goes, but I'm nervous because the third one isn't out yet..!
If I were to take off my rose-tinted glasses with this, I could point out the minor editing errors and the fact that Van can't do a damn thing for herself (she's told how stupid, foolish, and weak she is multiple times, even when trying to save people's lives!), but I pretty much overlooked these because, again, this hit the spot.
I can't wait to read the next book because I'm interested to see Ren meet Van's family and see where the relationship with Bone Arrow goes, but I'm nervous because the third one isn't out yet..!
April 28, 2024
Ooh was it good. Van as a heroine was almost perfect for my taste. Skating near the line of too snarky but fortunately staying where she should. The thing with Bone Arrow was different. Seemingly happening for no purpose but hotness. But I like it when books move a bit unpredictably. So it didn't bother me. I can see why some readers wouldn't enjoy or accept a little side action but the way I see it, Van and Ren were not very well aquainted, she thought she had been abandoned and culturally people living there didn't have as tight morals about sexual relations. No harm done.
The relationship between Van and Ren was done very nicely. Not too sugary, not too spicy. Just the right combination. I liked that they had a lot going on with their lives but they didn't dwell in their problems for long periods or let it bring them down. No needless angst. Enough said. This rocked.
The relationship between Van and Ren was done very nicely. Not too sugary, not too spicy. Just the right combination. I liked that they had a lot going on with their lives but they didn't dwell in their problems for long periods or let it bring them down. No needless angst. Enough said. This rocked.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 20, 2020
I really liked this book. It’s set in not!ForgottenRealms with fun adventure, sweet romance, and steamy smut. The hook of magical artifacts with beneficial properties but sinister implications hooked my Tolkienesque/Hordes of the Underdark sensibilities, and it was a riot all the way through.
Unfortunately I have to echo other reviewers about the editing. While the pacing and structure were both actually quite strong, homophones seemed to have been a struggle. As examples: “shuttered” instead of “shuddered”, “shown” instead of “shone”, and my personal favorite, “fascists” instead of “facets.”
Consider it a mark of my esteem for the bulk of the book that it gets four stars nonetheless! Oh, and the cover is gorgeous.
Unfortunately I have to echo other reviewers about the editing. While the pacing and structure were both actually quite strong, homophones seemed to have been a struggle. As examples: “shuttered” instead of “shuddered”, “shown” instead of “shone”, and my personal favorite, “fascists” instead of “facets.”
Consider it a mark of my esteem for the bulk of the book that it gets four stars nonetheless! Oh, and the cover is gorgeous.
January 11, 2021
Normally I don't like weak women. This time I don't like weak stupid women. My god... Van is so slow. She lives in a world full of the fantastical and she just blindly follows where it all leads. I am glad she did most of it because she finds Ren but most of the time I was seriously screaming at her for being stupid.
Voices talking in your head telling you to have sex with someone you just met.
?????
I think not.
Then she is having these strange feelings and asked the ELF she just met "hey do you think taking demon blood is safe for humans". HE is not a human how would he know????
I am going to read the second book hoping she is going to redeem herself but I am having a hard time liking her.
Voices talking in your head telling you to have sex with someone you just met.
?????
I think not.
Then she is having these strange feelings and asked the ELF she just met "hey do you think taking demon blood is safe for humans". HE is not a human how would he know????
I am going to read the second book hoping she is going to redeem herself but I am having a hard time liking her.
January 3, 2021
Great
What a great read. Strong writing though desperately needs an editor for typos and the like. It deserves a good edit cause it's a good book with a great story and strong, interesting characters. The heroine is a fabulous combination of strong and weak. Very hard, I think, too get the balance right and keep the character likable, interesting, and able to grow. The relationships and self discovery were brilliantly done. Very believable with great connection to the reader. The very end was some of the best thought out writing I've read in a while. I loved how we traveled that last bit of length with the characters.
What a great read. Strong writing though desperately needs an editor for typos and the like. It deserves a good edit cause it's a good book with a great story and strong, interesting characters. The heroine is a fabulous combination of strong and weak. Very hard, I think, too get the balance right and keep the character likable, interesting, and able to grow. The relationships and self discovery were brilliantly done. Very believable with great connection to the reader. The very end was some of the best thought out writing I've read in a while. I loved how we traveled that last bit of length with the characters.
August 12, 2020
Dark River was a surprise read for me.
I don't read books without reading their blurbs first. But since Goodreads don't have a blurb for this one I decided to skip it and dive for the book since readers gave great reviews for this one.
The story was different and unique and characters we're also great even though at certain times I got impulsive urge to smack the heroine on the head. But considering the situation she was in, I can't complain.
At the start of the novel, you might feel a little bored. But I promise as the story develops things will get 'heated ' :)
I don't read books without reading their blurbs first. But since Goodreads don't have a blurb for this one I decided to skip it and dive for the book since readers gave great reviews for this one.
The story was different and unique and characters we're also great even though at certain times I got impulsive urge to smack the heroine on the head. But considering the situation she was in, I can't complain.
At the start of the novel, you might feel a little bored. But I promise as the story develops things will get 'heated ' :)
November 16, 2021
Solid
It has good pacing. The storyline is good. I like the descriptions of the underground world and the world building is excellent. It worth the read and it made me smile.
I would have enjoyed having Ren's perspective. I feel like I miss out because of POV
I struggled to connect to Van. Maybe it's just me. Felt like she took way to long to develop and then not organically. All that said it's a good story the action is good and the romance is good makes sense. It's a solid book
It has good pacing. The storyline is good. I like the descriptions of the underground world and the world building is excellent. It worth the read and it made me smile.
I would have enjoyed having Ren's perspective. I feel like I miss out because of POV
I struggled to connect to Van. Maybe it's just me. Felt like she took way to long to develop and then not organically. All that said it's a good story the action is good and the romance is good makes sense. It's a solid book
November 21, 2023
This book was such a pleasant surprise. I recently went down a rabbit hole of discovering cozy fantasy and somehow that morphed into discovering fantasy romance.
Van was not an obnoxious protagonist, Van and Ren's relationship seemed to flow naturally, I ended up caring quite a bit about one side character and wondering if another might make a reappearance in a later book. And probably best of all...it was romance with an actual plot and held my interest to the end. I really loved the characters and their interactions.
I am so pleased this is a series and am excited to begin the follow up book, Dark Valley.
I hope the author has more books in store in this genre.
Van was not an obnoxious protagonist, Van and Ren's relationship seemed to flow naturally, I ended up caring quite a bit about one side character and wondering if another might make a reappearance in a later book. And probably best of all...it was romance with an actual plot and held my interest to the end. I really loved the characters and their interactions.
I am so pleased this is a series and am excited to begin the follow up book, Dark Valley.
I hope the author has more books in store in this genre.
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