What do you think?
Rate this book
The Lost Faces #1
The Nichan Smile
The Gods smiled upon their offsprings from the skies, loving, generous. But that was before. For the sky is now tainted, and the people deprived of their creators overnight have been orphans for nearly two centuries.Since that fateful day, the Corruption has reigned over the world. It defiled the clouds, covered the lands with a veil of darkness. The first conflicts arose in the east of the Coroman continent, some under the impulse of beliefs calling for blood and flames. As hatred continues to spread, the vanished Gods no longer answering any prayers, some fight for a peaceful life.In the midst of this madness, two children meet each other. One of them is human. The other is nichan. The boys are two opposite minds and fates, yet connected irrevocably. The days, then the passing years bring them together. But life reminds them of their differences and works to crush the remnants of their innocence.Between joys and sorrows, friendship and savagery, a smile is sometimes enough to change everything…
484 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 1, 2021
117 people are currently reading
5076 people want to read
About the author
C.J. Merwild
3 books333 followersFirst known for her illustrations, C.J. Merwild (you can call her Coco) was born and raised in France where she fell in love with writing, fantasy, and characters at a very young age. When she’s not creating stories or drawing, she’s seeking inspiration in video games, books, documentaries… or in her incessant daydreaming.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 228 reviews
November 17, 2022
Trigger warnings and the reason why I rated this book so low: dub/non-con between adults and minors, and graphic depiction of a sexual assault to a minor.
~
I heard C.J. Merwild is French, which makes the fact that she wrote a book in English very impressive. That being said, this book is in desperate need of a better editor. There were a lot of typos, grammatical mistakes and weird wording. You could tell the author wasn’t native and the story suffered greatly from it.
Writing aside, there wasn’t much of a plot. This is more of a romance fantasy book, heavily focused on the romance. The poor world building in the background made no sense, with many scenes of info dumping that led nowhere. There were a lot of different ideas that never got fully developed. Reading about characters who refused to act or change out of pure stubbornness and nonsense was frustrating to say the least.
I could’ve overlooked all this in favor of the romance. The beginning of the story was promising enough that I thought I had found a possible new favorite. Then, Merwild made some plot choices that left me quite disturbed.
Some spoilers ahead, consider these a ⚠️ warning ⚠️ before you decide to read:
The first thing that crossed a line for me was the fact that a 30-something year old female character propositioned to Domino when he was 13. She was taking care of some kids when it happened. She was even carrying a baby in that moment. The idea of a pedophile in charge of little kids made me sick.
To make things worse, later on she had sex with him when Domino was 16 and under the influence of what we know as “going into heat” in the A/B/O fanfic world. So the consent was dubious at best to being with, plus he was still a minor. Merwild decided to go even further though and the female character tried to force the teenager to keep going once Domino wanted to stop.
It left me feeling very uncomfortable. And I still don’t see the relevance to the plot. Do all Nichan rape underage members of their communities? Or was that only this woman? It’s never explained. And it didn’t add anything to the plot. Merwild made a conscious decision here that didn’t sit well with me at all.
The obvious misogyny in the lack of female characters and how the few existing ones were treated is sadly too common in m/m romance written by women. Someone make it make sense. From the fanart she posted based on this book before it was released, she baited us about all her strong and important female protagonists and then it turned out to be a big bluff.
Then, they forgot to include another trigger warning on the summary: necrozoophilia, which I have no fucking clue if it’s a thing, but there’s a scene of a monster raping the bowels of a dead deer in very graphic detail, and I’d have loved a heads up to be fucking honest with y’all. So you know, there’s your general warning, book fam.
My favorite character was Gus and it made me sad to see everyone treating him so bad, except for Domino. They had a very codependent relationship that kind of muddied their romance for me. Because do you even have much of a choice when there’s only one person in the whole world who treats you right? Romance works when they actively choose each other over everyone else, but what kind of choice did Gus have?
What happened to Gus needs another trigger warning for graphic, on page, sexual assault to a minor. I could tell it was going to happen but still, I felt shook at the level of detail. Again, that kind of conscious choice from the author made me very uncomfortable. And Gus was only 16 when it happened... and his rapist was an adult. Again, it didn’t add anything to the plot. Sexual abuse should never be used to further a character’s development but in this case it’s even worse because it changed nothing. Which in turn, made it only glorified porn.
Gus’ refusal to accept help from Matta and his inaction against the violence he was suffering made me so incredibly frustrated. I failed to see the logic behind these actions and that pissed me off.
And Domino was just dumb and useless. I have nothing nice to say about him lol He was just there and let things happen to him and around him without much reaction apart from wallowing in his own misery.
Anyway. Perhaps this won’t make sense to anyone else but this story felt dated, like your typical mm fanfic from 2012, that your online friends beta read for you and you published on AO3 with a fake cover and playlist. I appreciate the enthusiasm but my god, find better advance readers and editors for the next one. There’s potential here but it’s buried in a shit ton of unnecessary trigger warnings and poor choices.
~
I heard C.J. Merwild is French, which makes the fact that she wrote a book in English very impressive. That being said, this book is in desperate need of a better editor. There were a lot of typos, grammatical mistakes and weird wording. You could tell the author wasn’t native and the story suffered greatly from it.
Writing aside, there wasn’t much of a plot. This is more of a romance fantasy book, heavily focused on the romance. The poor world building in the background made no sense, with many scenes of info dumping that led nowhere. There were a lot of different ideas that never got fully developed. Reading about characters who refused to act or change out of pure stubbornness and nonsense was frustrating to say the least.
I could’ve overlooked all this in favor of the romance. The beginning of the story was promising enough that I thought I had found a possible new favorite. Then, Merwild made some plot choices that left me quite disturbed.
Some spoilers ahead, consider these a ⚠️ warning ⚠️ before you decide to read:
The first thing that crossed a line for me was the fact that a 30-something year old female character propositioned to Domino when he was 13. She was taking care of some kids when it happened. She was even carrying a baby in that moment. The idea of a pedophile in charge of little kids made me sick.
To make things worse, later on she had sex with him when Domino was 16 and under the influence of what we know as “going into heat” in the A/B/O fanfic world. So the consent was dubious at best to being with, plus he was still a minor. Merwild decided to go even further though and the female character tried to force the teenager to keep going once Domino wanted to stop.
It left me feeling very uncomfortable. And I still don’t see the relevance to the plot. Do all Nichan rape underage members of their communities? Or was that only this woman? It’s never explained. And it didn’t add anything to the plot. Merwild made a conscious decision here that didn’t sit well with me at all.
The obvious misogyny in the lack of female characters and how the few existing ones were treated is sadly too common in m/m romance written by women. Someone make it make sense. From the fanart she posted based on this book before it was released, she baited us about all her strong and important female protagonists and then it turned out to be a big bluff.
Then, they forgot to include another trigger warning on the summary: necrozoophilia, which I have no fucking clue if it’s a thing, but there’s a scene of a monster raping the bowels of a dead deer in very graphic detail, and I’d have loved a heads up to be fucking honest with y’all. So you know, there’s your general warning, book fam.
My favorite character was Gus and it made me sad to see everyone treating him so bad, except for Domino. They had a very codependent relationship that kind of muddied their romance for me. Because do you even have much of a choice when there’s only one person in the whole world who treats you right? Romance works when they actively choose each other over everyone else, but what kind of choice did Gus have?
What happened to Gus needs another trigger warning for graphic, on page, sexual assault to a minor. I could tell it was going to happen but still, I felt shook at the level of detail. Again, that kind of conscious choice from the author made me very uncomfortable. And Gus was only 16 when it happened... and his rapist was an adult. Again, it didn’t add anything to the plot. Sexual abuse should never be used to further a character’s development but in this case it’s even worse because it changed nothing. Which in turn, made it only glorified porn.
Gus’ refusal to accept help from Matta and his inaction against the violence he was suffering made me so incredibly frustrated. I failed to see the logic behind these actions and that pissed me off.
And Domino was just dumb and useless. I have nothing nice to say about him lol He was just there and let things happen to him and around him without much reaction apart from wallowing in his own misery.
Anyway. Perhaps this won’t make sense to anyone else but this story felt dated, like your typical mm fanfic from 2012, that your online friends beta read for you and you published on AO3 with a fake cover and playlist. I appreciate the enthusiasm but my god, find better advance readers and editors for the next one. There’s potential here but it’s buried in a shit ton of unnecessary trigger warnings and poor choices.
August 24, 2021
i think most YA readers are familiar with merwild and her book-inspired art (
this
picture of rowan is one of my all time faves). i had no idea she was also into writing so, when i heard of this book, i was surprised and a little hesitant. as with most artists/vloggers/actors/social media influencers turned author, i have to wonder did they only get published because of their name and fan base, or because they actually wrote a good story?
in this particular case, i think its maybe a combination of both?
i was really into this for the first half or so. i thought the characters were interesting and found myself super invested in their lives. the most compelling thing about the story is the bond between domino and gus. but about halfway through, they are separated and that made me realise just how little this book actually has to offer.
both domino and gus are different creatures? beings? species? i dont know how to describe it because there is literally zero world-building. some weak attempts are made, but it doesnt really explain anything about the world the characters live in. there is also no plot. again, this didnt initially bother me because it was a joy to read about domino and gus and how they grew up together in a strange village. but once they were separated, i honestly had no idea what the point of the story was. there is no discernible direction and i didnt like it. and the writing is a bit… odd. nothing major that i could put my finger on. it just feels unedited, if that makes sense.
overall, a really promising beginning that had me excited to read the story, but ultimately, too many things prevented me from enjoying it further. still a fan of merwilds art, but i dont think i will be continuing this series.
↠ 2.5 stars
in this particular case, i think its maybe a combination of both?
i was really into this for the first half or so. i thought the characters were interesting and found myself super invested in their lives. the most compelling thing about the story is the bond between domino and gus. but about halfway through, they are separated and that made me realise just how little this book actually has to offer.
both domino and gus are different creatures? beings? species? i dont know how to describe it because there is literally zero world-building. some weak attempts are made, but it doesnt really explain anything about the world the characters live in. there is also no plot. again, this didnt initially bother me because it was a joy to read about domino and gus and how they grew up together in a strange village. but once they were separated, i honestly had no idea what the point of the story was. there is no discernible direction and i didnt like it. and the writing is a bit… odd. nothing major that i could put my finger on. it just feels unedited, if that makes sense.
overall, a really promising beginning that had me excited to read the story, but ultimately, too many things prevented me from enjoying it further. still a fan of merwilds art, but i dont think i will be continuing this series.
↠ 2.5 stars
Want to read
January 26, 2021a reminder: this is not a YA or NA book! triggers warnings can be found in the synopsis
1. THIS. COVER. IS. STUNNING. (the author is also the artist)
2. A forbidden friendship between a god/demigod and a human? Am I reading this right? 🥺✨
1. THIS. COVER. IS. STUNNING. (the author is also the artist)
2. A forbidden friendship between a god/demigod and a human? Am I reading this right? 🥺✨
May 11, 2022
May 10 2022: Coco is still a goddess
Wow. I’m in absolute awe. That was such a horrifically intriguing roller coaster of emotions. I’ve stunned into silence...
The Nichan Smile was perfect. Absolutely perfect, and I’ll tell you why. It’s tailored for someone like me that enjoys heavily character-driven novels. This was very focused on both the internal and external growths and the journeys of Domino and Gus. Even though they are basically joined at the hip, I loved that their respective development felt very separate.
Domino was such a sweetheart. He’s literally the equivalent of a big teddy bear. He was just trying to survive and care for the human the he and his brothers had stumbled upon at the start. Throughout the book, I loved how he grew strong and more rebellious against the tribe who continuously suppressed him and Gus. And eventually, he grows into a man who—makes some questionable decisions—but ultimately learns develops a sense of independence and confidence.
Gus is such a tragic but loving protagonist. All he has done is suffer and all he continues to do IS suffer. Oh boy. What I realized, honestly, is that he comes full circle. I love that he goes from feeling alone and helpless, to learning to have a friend who he can rely on, to learning what it feels like to love, to being right back where he started; alone and scared but he finally realized that he deserved so much more than his life had to offer him so far. I ship him with his own happiness and I just want him to find it 😩.
I saw the plot come into more fruition towards the end when a lot of new characters are introduced, and I’m intrigued to see where it goes. What is Domino going to do next? Will we see more of the Blessers and get to know them? Will Gus find happiness? Who the f*** knows 🤣.
My last note is for the world building which was so unique, I was in awe. The corruption rain? Loved it. The Nichan’s whole story? Loved it. Gimmie more Coco. Gimmie more.
So in all this was 10/10 just as I expected it to be. Everyone read this book when it comes out in June!
(Pre review)
Betting all my money that this book will be one of the best releases of 2021✨.
Also the author/artist is such a sweetheart. She deserves the world 🖤.
Wow. I’m in absolute awe. That was such a horrifically intriguing roller coaster of emotions. I’ve stunned into silence...
The Nichan Smile was perfect. Absolutely perfect, and I’ll tell you why. It’s tailored for someone like me that enjoys heavily character-driven novels. This was very focused on both the internal and external growths and the journeys of Domino and Gus. Even though they are basically joined at the hip, I loved that their respective development felt very separate.
Domino was such a sweetheart. He’s literally the equivalent of a big teddy bear. He was just trying to survive and care for the human the he and his brothers had stumbled upon at the start. Throughout the book, I loved how he grew strong and more rebellious against the tribe who continuously suppressed him and Gus. And eventually, he grows into a man who—makes some questionable decisions—but ultimately learns develops a sense of independence and confidence.
Gus is such a tragic but loving protagonist. All he has done is suffer and all he continues to do IS suffer. Oh boy. What I realized, honestly, is that he comes full circle. I love that he goes from feeling alone and helpless, to learning to have a friend who he can rely on, to learning what it feels like to love, to being right back where he started; alone and scared but he finally realized that he deserved so much more than his life had to offer him so far. I ship him with his own happiness and I just want him to find it 😩.
I saw the plot come into more fruition towards the end when a lot of new characters are introduced, and I’m intrigued to see where it goes. What is Domino going to do next? Will we see more of the Blessers and get to know them? Will Gus find happiness? Who the f*** knows 🤣.
My last note is for the world building which was so unique, I was in awe. The corruption rain? Loved it. The Nichan’s whole story? Loved it. Gimmie more Coco. Gimmie more.
So in all this was 10/10 just as I expected it to be. Everyone read this book when it comes out in June!
(Pre review)
Betting all my money that this book will be one of the best releases of 2021✨.
Also the author/artist is such a sweetheart. She deserves the world 🖤.
June 8, 2021
Y'all be lying in the reviews and ratings for what? Smh.
The Nichan Smile is about a nichan boy named Domino who meets a human boy named Gus. A nichan is another being that used to be able to shift shapes but ever since the mysterious Corruption took over, they are stuck as human. As the years go on, the two boys grow closer and their fates are tied together.
No shade to the author but kinda shade? This book was originally written in French, then translated to English... and then published as English. It wouldn't have been such a thing if it were originally published in French but yikes my dude. Translated books always read so bizarre and this one was extra wild. I can't even properly judge if the author is good or not because honest to god have no idea what they were trying to say half the time. But with what they have given me here, I'm inclined to believe writing isn't for everyone.
This book tries to do so many things but none of them worked. Every other page we get namedropped something else and after the first dozen weren't explained, I didn't care. It's like giving different names to the most boring things and people. The world building was just awful and I still have no idea what any of this was. The backdrop for the entire book really felt like a bunch of assholes in the woods and like 3 shitty tents, no joke. The atmosphere that was hyped up so badly was a joke.
The plot was ??? Plot who? It really felt like a bunch of men dicking around for 400+ pages and that was it. The pacing is so off and while everyone (including the author) is saying this is not YA, it reads 100% YA. Until it gets to the middle when the MC goes into this really fucking awful sex frenzy.
It's his SEASON so of course he gets super horny and he HAS to have aggressive and violent sex with two women where he just keeps coming and coming and not seeing them as people. Up to this point in the book, female characters were nonexistent and to finally have them as fucking sex dolls only here to please the piece of shit stinky teenager was disgusting in ways I want to scream about. Like the dude was even getting horny from his female cousin being around him because he jUsT cAnT cOnTroL it. Men are ANIMALS they just can't CONTROL THEIR FUCKING DICKS and if they don't have sex oh my god they will DIE? Literally choke thank you.
I wasn't going to rate this book out of respect for the fact that I didn't think I would like this in the first place but when you pull this bullshit, you are getting that 1 star and I have no damn respect to give. I know mating and nasty shit like that is a staple in some ~romance~ and wattpad hell but yea no fuck that.
I don't know why m/m books have to go out of their way to shit on women but it feels like every time these days and I'm honest to god sick of it. The fact this level of misogyny is coming from a woman is even grosser to me. Do fucking better.
The Nichan Smile is about a nichan boy named Domino who meets a human boy named Gus. A nichan is another being that used to be able to shift shapes but ever since the mysterious Corruption took over, they are stuck as human. As the years go on, the two boys grow closer and their fates are tied together.
No shade to the author but kinda shade? This book was originally written in French, then translated to English... and then published as English. It wouldn't have been such a thing if it were originally published in French but yikes my dude. Translated books always read so bizarre and this one was extra wild. I can't even properly judge if the author is good or not because honest to god have no idea what they were trying to say half the time. But with what they have given me here, I'm inclined to believe writing isn't for everyone.
This book tries to do so many things but none of them worked. Every other page we get namedropped something else and after the first dozen weren't explained, I didn't care. It's like giving different names to the most boring things and people. The world building was just awful and I still have no idea what any of this was. The backdrop for the entire book really felt like a bunch of assholes in the woods and like 3 shitty tents, no joke. The atmosphere that was hyped up so badly was a joke.
The plot was ??? Plot who? It really felt like a bunch of men dicking around for 400+ pages and that was it. The pacing is so off and while everyone (including the author) is saying this is not YA, it reads 100% YA. Until it gets to the middle when the MC goes into this really fucking awful sex frenzy.
It's his SEASON so of course he gets super horny and he HAS to have aggressive and violent sex with two women where he just keeps coming and coming and not seeing them as people. Up to this point in the book, female characters were nonexistent and to finally have them as fucking sex dolls only here to please the piece of shit stinky teenager was disgusting in ways I want to scream about. Like the dude was even getting horny from his female cousin being around him because he jUsT cAnT cOnTroL it. Men are ANIMALS they just can't CONTROL THEIR FUCKING DICKS and if they don't have sex oh my god they will DIE? Literally choke thank you.
I wasn't going to rate this book out of respect for the fact that I didn't think I would like this in the first place but when you pull this bullshit, you are getting that 1 star and I have no damn respect to give. I know mating and nasty shit like that is a staple in some ~romance~ and wattpad hell but yea no fuck that.
I don't know why m/m books have to go out of their way to shit on women but it feels like every time these days and I'm honest to god sick of it. The fact this level of misogyny is coming from a woman is even grosser to me. Do fucking better.
December 3, 2022
EDITED 31.10.21
Review of «The Nichan Smile» by C. J. Merwild
** THIS IS A NON-SPOILER REVIEW **
I recieved this book from the author as a surprise gift, (omg!!!) and as a thank you, I will give my honest review.
*
This is one of the best books I’ve read, and I am dead serious. I rarely read adult books, but now I know what I am missing for only reading YA. Shame on me! This was my most anticipated book for 2021 and I am not dissapointed!
The Nichan Smile is a very, very dark ADULT fantasy – it’s about Domino (the nichan) and Gus (the human). The first chapter drags you straight into the story, a dramatic start where you meet the main characters of the book and some other significant characters.
This book does have some loveable characters, some strong and amazing ladies, and also some "less likeable" characters – exactly like what a book should contain. I would not say there is a true villain. That totally depends on the perspective you view the characters.
The story is original. Story and plot IS character based, and I have never read anything like this before. It was so refreshing. The world building got a really great potential for the future books, we get to know a little about some cities and history about the land, and I am excited to see what places we will explore and meet in the next book. I literally could not stop reading once I got into it. If you get stuck, there is a glossary in the back of the book--which was really helpful!
There is some romance (without telling more), and there is lgbt+ content. This book also contained some of the most uncomfortable scenes I have ever read considering the rapes and all that, and I can't even begin to imagine all the trauma and PTSD some of these chatacters are sitting on.
!!!This book IS NOT for everyone///Not for the faint of heart. As said it's an ADULT book, and got LOTS of explicit language, violence, sex, rape and horrendous abuse to mention some triggers!!! Some of these scenes are very heart breaking, disgusting and all that, all credit to Merwild to be able to write something so gruesome, but I also think it is important to remember that things like this also happens in the real world, I think this book also can strengthen the awareness and reflection of our own world as well.
I've read some other reviews of this book, that it feels unifinished and badly edited. As a non-native english speaker myself, I did not have any issues with the writing, although there were some sentences I did question a bit, but I don't feel like the book is unfinished. Merwild did a glorious job to what is her debut novel! Can't wait for book 2!
I now have the biggest book hangover and how am I supposed to find my next read?
I can’t really say anymore becuase of potential spoilers, and since the book is not yet out, I won’t say more. But what I will say is that YOU HAVE TO READ IT if you have the heart for it!
Review of «The Nichan Smile» by C. J. Merwild
** THIS IS A NON-SPOILER REVIEW **
I recieved this book from the author as a surprise gift, (omg!!!) and as a thank you, I will give my honest review.
*
This is one of the best books I’ve read, and I am dead serious. I rarely read adult books, but now I know what I am missing for only reading YA. Shame on me! This was my most anticipated book for 2021 and I am not dissapointed!
The Nichan Smile is a very, very dark ADULT fantasy – it’s about Domino (the nichan) and Gus (the human). The first chapter drags you straight into the story, a dramatic start where you meet the main characters of the book and some other significant characters.
This book does have some loveable characters, some strong and amazing ladies, and also some "less likeable" characters – exactly like what a book should contain. I would not say there is a true villain. That totally depends on the perspective you view the characters.
The story is original. Story and plot IS character based, and I have never read anything like this before. It was so refreshing. The world building got a really great potential for the future books, we get to know a little about some cities and history about the land, and I am excited to see what places we will explore and meet in the next book. I literally could not stop reading once I got into it. If you get stuck, there is a glossary in the back of the book--which was really helpful!
There is some romance (without telling more), and there is lgbt+ content. This book also contained some of the most uncomfortable scenes I have ever read considering the rapes and all that, and I can't even begin to imagine all the trauma and PTSD some of these chatacters are sitting on.
!!!This book IS NOT for everyone///Not for the faint of heart. As said it's an ADULT book, and got LOTS of explicit language, violence, sex, rape and horrendous abuse to mention some triggers!!! Some of these scenes are very heart breaking, disgusting and all that, all credit to Merwild to be able to write something so gruesome, but I also think it is important to remember that things like this also happens in the real world, I think this book also can strengthen the awareness and reflection of our own world as well.
I've read some other reviews of this book, that it feels unifinished and badly edited. As a non-native english speaker myself, I did not have any issues with the writing, although there were some sentences I did question a bit, but I don't feel like the book is unfinished. Merwild did a glorious job to what is her debut novel! Can't wait for book 2!
I now have the biggest book hangover and how am I supposed to find my next read?
I can’t really say anymore becuase of potential spoilers, and since the book is not yet out, I won’t say more. But what I will say is that YOU HAVE TO READ IT if you have the heart for it!
June 18, 2021
Overall rating: 1.5/5 stars. See trigger warnings below, please.
*
Starting off this review, I want to mention that I do am a fan of C.J. Merwild, just not in the context of her being an author. After following her a while ago, I was so excited during the announcement of her book.
Her character art on Instagram was what originally pulled me in. And maybe due to my bias towards the author, I can add the 1.5 stars to the rating; out of sheer sympathy towards her and the skill it takes to publish a book in a second language.
Now, before starting with the juicy bits, I want to mention that there are MANY trigger warnings for this book. Valkyrie already wrote a great review concerning the use of them here on Goodreads. You might want to check that out.
However, due to the lack of warnings given by the author or on Goodreads, I`ll try to create a list down below, that hopefully contains every trigger/content warning for this book. In this review, I´ll try to go into depths as much as possible, so buckle up for a longer ride.
*
Attention! This novel contains the following trigger/content warnings which are often described very explicity!
Gore, death, pedophilia, CP, necrophilia, abuse, mentions of incest, PTSD, depression, rape, trauma, self-harm, xenophobia, misogyny, description of birth. Both CP and rape are very prominent throughout the entire book, so be prepared for that.
*
Setting/Worldbuilding
The action and overall plot takes mostly place in a small rural village, which is described to be very underdeveloped in terms of education or scientific knowledge.
At first, there is no real description of the exterior world outside of that town, except for the prologue. Only during the travel Arc does the reader experience some kind of wordbuilding, which results into an info dump (happens during the last 100 pages.) Nothing feels fleshed out, and random words get thrown into sentences that are never properly explained.
Just as this suggests, the overall pacing is weird and the reader does not know what is going on. "The Corruption" is mentioned throughout the entirety of the story and seems to affect the village, but it is never established what exactly this "apocalypse" is, nor why it happened.
Meaning: the very foundation of the world is lacking. There seems to be a conflict between nations/races, in which the nichans are threatened by the so-called "Blessers". But this supposed-to-be main conflict gets pushed aside by the lackluster setting.
*
Plot
I was promised - and the author even promotes - a character-driven story. But is this truly the case? No. As I mentioned above, the pacing is weird which contributes to the plot being almost non-existent. Nothing ever really happens, neither inside the village nor outside of it during the traveling scenes. The plot cannot be driven by the characters whatsoever because there was essentially no character development. (I`ll come to that soon.)
There wasn`t even a cliffhanger or anything similar at the very end - so why is there a need for a second book? It could have just ended with the main characters finding purpose and parting ways. Even if that is very unfulfilling for the reader, it would still be a proper ending.
The entire plot gets resolved by the mere fact that the protagonists forget about each other (destroying both their developments and that of their relationship) and move on.
So, what was the point of all this built-up tension?
A major aspect of the worldbuilding is a genocide that goes on for centuries. Humans are prejudiced towards monsters and go on a hunt to purify the land from its "abominations". But why does it feel like this is never explicitly mentioned nor explained? The reader gets scraps here and there to weave the story together. But that`s it...
*
Characters
As I said, the novel is supposed to be character-driven and the author promises empowering and likable characters. That is by no means the case.
Yes, the protagonists are somewhat lovable but that`s it. Which makes sense, since both Domino and Gus are the only ones that actually have personalities and that`s a stretch already. We get a vague insight into their lives but after 400 pages, we still don`t know anything about their motivations, goals nor desires. What are they fighting for, when all they get for their actions is misery? Why do they go on? Most of the time, it seems like the main motivator is sheer stubborness.
After experiencing major misfortunes (abuse, rape, etc) they still go on just for the sake of living a normal life. Questionable at best, and definitely lacking in terms of character development.
Another thing which upset me: Domino and Gus are written to be soulmates and have a romantic connection. But at the very end, both seem to forget about their other half; thus their relationship has always been unnecessary. Personally, and as someone who loves the childhood friends-to-lovers trope, their entire relationship and togetherness felt very icky. Both have no close relations to other members of the village and get mistreated by everyone around them. Meaning, they have no choice other than to depend on each other. Resulting into them being together out of sheer necessity.
The overall lack of choice in this book seems...questionable.
Coming to the side characters/ antagonists: Ero nor Beika are well-established characters. They do not have ambitions, nor real character traits. They are in the story just for the sake of making the protagonists` lives awful. And awful they are...Associating characters only with one major character trait is simply bad writing. Ero is the incarnation of domestic abuse, whereas Beika incorporates the entire spectrum from rape, to abuse, to pedophilia. And still, the protagonists are ignorant towards this behavior and willingly choose to stay close to them, never really fighting back.
*
Language and writing
Now, what can I say about the writing style? As someone who is used to the standard of high Fantasy writing, I absolutely hated the language in this book. The entire writing felt over-simplified and very oddly worded. I know that the author wrote the book in French first, and later on translated it via the help of an editor. The question that I have is, whether there actually was an editor or at least a native english-speaking one. Because it didn`t feel like it at all. Bad translations cause the reader to double-read words and the obvious grammar mistakes make it hard to decipher entire sentences.
The overall writing style reminds me of traditional YA books. And not the Dark Adult Fantasy I was promised. Frankly, the writing misses the genre by a mile.
*
Other Issues I had with the book
This is the last and most important part of this review. Honestly, there are so many things that are problematic in this book. Where do I even start?
First of all, the constant oversexualization.
Yes, this book is M/M. Yes, the characters are children (7-16) during the entirety of the book. So, did it make me uncomfortable reading explicit and heavy scenes regarding these characters? Absolutely.
At times, the interactions between them (especially male-female, but also between the main characters) felt extremely icky and heavy with sexual undertones.
As soon as Domino talks to a female character, even when he`s still A CHILD, the conversation always turns into the direction of producing children or mating. At one point, a mother of maybe 30 years of age tries to seduce a 13yo Domino whilst carrying an infant on her back. I needed to take a double-take at that and was honest-to-god disgusted.
Especially the children/teenagers are pushed into a very uncomfortable sexual context, which results into the normalization of rape and pedophilic scenes.
Furthermore, the characters don`t even question said sexual encounters. There`s a heavy ignorance looming over explicit scenes, even leaning towards a justification of the topics in this book. The protagonist (who is a minor) gets raped by 2 women but - hey, it`s ok, because he is in a mating frenzy and does not have control over his urges and environment. -Bullshit!
There was one line when I needed to take another double-take, and almost gagged. The protagonist is in this rut-like state and even considers!!!! raping his cousin.
I know, this is supposed to be used as shock value; but shock value never ever results into the main character being seen in such a negative manner. And at that point, I had no sympathy left for Domino. A main character thinking about raping another person? Unforgivable. And this entire interaction gets ignored, or swept under the rug. What. the. fuck?
This Omegaverse-like scenario seems to serve as a justification for rape and pedophilia and that is inexcusable. Moreover, it reminds me of a bad 2012 Wattpad fanfiction. What is the point in this?! There is none, exactly. Everything mentioned above makes the rape scenes seem more like rape porn. It adds nothing to the plot. Furthermore, there are more detailed non-con descriptions than actual consensual sex scenes. Why is that?
The lack of content warnings for and in this book is also atrocious. There`s a scene (highly-disturbing) in which a dead deer gets raped by a monster. But have I seen any tag involving necrophilia? No, none at all. Even though it should have been the author`s responsibility to add it.
Another thing: As I have briefly mentioned, the author completely missed the genre. Merwild desperately tried to write an Adult novel just by adding shock value and explicit content. But character and writing-wise, this book was on YA level. So what I want to know is: What is the target group supposed to be? Who are these heavy topics for?
I`m under the assumption that only supporters of Merwild rate this book positively just because of them liking the authors art. They are reading for the artist, and not the author`s literary expertise. The reviews I have seen seem lackluster in terms of objectively critizing the author`s choice of using so many triggering features.
There is one review on Instagram, describing the romance as "heartbreaking, amazing, perfect" and the characters as "lovable and flawless" - excuse me? Did we read the same thing? Certainly not.
But maybe this lack of actual critical thinking is caused by Merwild wrongly promoting her book.
In terms of genre, characters and the overall description of the contents - the entire promotion is badly done.
The pure ignorance of her not mentioning half of the trigger warnings or topics necessary is utterly shocking and very problematic at that. The promotion via social media seems to be so disillusioned and false. Even I, before reading the book myself, had an entirely different image in my head.
The book has furthermore been promoted as empowering, since there are supposed to be strong female characters.
Wrong! No female character has a distinct personalty, nor a driving force. Every woman is pushed into stereotypes such as a mother figure, wife, teacher or even that of a "breeding doll". Their personalties are overshadowed by the dominant patriarchal hierarchy in this book. The misogyny is simply astounding, even though the author is female herself.
Weird...Maybe that`s just a pattern in M/M literature written by women.
*
Now, I think I have said everything that needs to be mentioned about this book. There are so many issues and someone needs to speak up about them. Especially when it comes to the author wrongly promoting her own book, misleading her readers, ignoring trigger warnings, and the fandom`s pure ignorance towards said issues.
Overall, not an enjoyable book for me whatsoever.
-
(Edit: the author posted a brief description of her book in her Instagram story today. I dont know whether she made the post herself or reposted that of a reader`s. But words like "slice-of-life", "loss of innocence" and "amazing romance" were used and I am, quite frankly, shocked. This book is neither of those descriptions.
Referring to explicit rape, abuse and pedophilia scenes with these terms says a lot about the author herself and the fanbase. Maybe she just does not realize how awful the topics in her book really are and how much of an impact they can have on a person. But by reducing them to these terms, unknowing readers can get extremely triggered, leading to a very dangerous and misleading promotion of her own book.)
*
Starting off this review, I want to mention that I do am a fan of C.J. Merwild, just not in the context of her being an author. After following her a while ago, I was so excited during the announcement of her book.
Her character art on Instagram was what originally pulled me in. And maybe due to my bias towards the author, I can add the 1.5 stars to the rating; out of sheer sympathy towards her and the skill it takes to publish a book in a second language.
Now, before starting with the juicy bits, I want to mention that there are MANY trigger warnings for this book. Valkyrie already wrote a great review concerning the use of them here on Goodreads. You might want to check that out.
However, due to the lack of warnings given by the author or on Goodreads, I`ll try to create a list down below, that hopefully contains every trigger/content warning for this book. In this review, I´ll try to go into depths as much as possible, so buckle up for a longer ride.
*
Attention! This novel contains the following trigger/content warnings which are often described very explicity!
Gore, death, pedophilia, CP, necrophilia, abuse, mentions of incest, PTSD, depression, rape, trauma, self-harm, xenophobia, misogyny, description of birth. Both CP and rape are very prominent throughout the entire book, so be prepared for that.
*
Setting/Worldbuilding
The action and overall plot takes mostly place in a small rural village, which is described to be very underdeveloped in terms of education or scientific knowledge.
At first, there is no real description of the exterior world outside of that town, except for the prologue. Only during the travel Arc does the reader experience some kind of wordbuilding, which results into an info dump (happens during the last 100 pages.) Nothing feels fleshed out, and random words get thrown into sentences that are never properly explained.
Just as this suggests, the overall pacing is weird and the reader does not know what is going on. "The Corruption" is mentioned throughout the entirety of the story and seems to affect the village, but it is never established what exactly this "apocalypse" is, nor why it happened.
Meaning: the very foundation of the world is lacking. There seems to be a conflict between nations/races, in which the nichans are threatened by the so-called "Blessers". But this supposed-to-be main conflict gets pushed aside by the lackluster setting.
*
Plot
I was promised - and the author even promotes - a character-driven story. But is this truly the case? No. As I mentioned above, the pacing is weird which contributes to the plot being almost non-existent. Nothing ever really happens, neither inside the village nor outside of it during the traveling scenes. The plot cannot be driven by the characters whatsoever because there was essentially no character development. (I`ll come to that soon.)
There wasn`t even a cliffhanger or anything similar at the very end - so why is there a need for a second book? It could have just ended with the main characters finding purpose and parting ways. Even if that is very unfulfilling for the reader, it would still be a proper ending.
The entire plot gets resolved by the mere fact that the protagonists forget about each other (destroying both their developments and that of their relationship) and move on.
So, what was the point of all this built-up tension?
A major aspect of the worldbuilding is a genocide that goes on for centuries. Humans are prejudiced towards monsters and go on a hunt to purify the land from its "abominations". But why does it feel like this is never explicitly mentioned nor explained? The reader gets scraps here and there to weave the story together. But that`s it...
*
Characters
As I said, the novel is supposed to be character-driven and the author promises empowering and likable characters. That is by no means the case.
Yes, the protagonists are somewhat lovable but that`s it. Which makes sense, since both Domino and Gus are the only ones that actually have personalities and that`s a stretch already. We get a vague insight into their lives but after 400 pages, we still don`t know anything about their motivations, goals nor desires. What are they fighting for, when all they get for their actions is misery? Why do they go on? Most of the time, it seems like the main motivator is sheer stubborness.
After experiencing major misfortunes (abuse, rape, etc) they still go on just for the sake of living a normal life. Questionable at best, and definitely lacking in terms of character development.
Another thing which upset me: Domino and Gus are written to be soulmates and have a romantic connection. But at the very end, both seem to forget about their other half; thus their relationship has always been unnecessary. Personally, and as someone who loves the childhood friends-to-lovers trope, their entire relationship and togetherness felt very icky. Both have no close relations to other members of the village and get mistreated by everyone around them. Meaning, they have no choice other than to depend on each other. Resulting into them being together out of sheer necessity.
The overall lack of choice in this book seems...questionable.
Coming to the side characters/ antagonists: Ero nor Beika are well-established characters. They do not have ambitions, nor real character traits. They are in the story just for the sake of making the protagonists` lives awful. And awful they are...Associating characters only with one major character trait is simply bad writing. Ero is the incarnation of domestic abuse, whereas Beika incorporates the entire spectrum from rape, to abuse, to pedophilia. And still, the protagonists are ignorant towards this behavior and willingly choose to stay close to them, never really fighting back.
*
Language and writing
Now, what can I say about the writing style? As someone who is used to the standard of high Fantasy writing, I absolutely hated the language in this book. The entire writing felt over-simplified and very oddly worded. I know that the author wrote the book in French first, and later on translated it via the help of an editor. The question that I have is, whether there actually was an editor or at least a native english-speaking one. Because it didn`t feel like it at all. Bad translations cause the reader to double-read words and the obvious grammar mistakes make it hard to decipher entire sentences.
The overall writing style reminds me of traditional YA books. And not the Dark Adult Fantasy I was promised. Frankly, the writing misses the genre by a mile.
*
Other Issues I had with the book
This is the last and most important part of this review. Honestly, there are so many things that are problematic in this book. Where do I even start?
First of all, the constant oversexualization.
Yes, this book is M/M. Yes, the characters are children (7-16) during the entirety of the book. So, did it make me uncomfortable reading explicit and heavy scenes regarding these characters? Absolutely.
At times, the interactions between them (especially male-female, but also between the main characters) felt extremely icky and heavy with sexual undertones.
As soon as Domino talks to a female character, even when he`s still A CHILD, the conversation always turns into the direction of producing children or mating. At one point, a mother of maybe 30 years of age tries to seduce a 13yo Domino whilst carrying an infant on her back. I needed to take a double-take at that and was honest-to-god disgusted.
Especially the children/teenagers are pushed into a very uncomfortable sexual context, which results into the normalization of rape and pedophilic scenes.
Furthermore, the characters don`t even question said sexual encounters. There`s a heavy ignorance looming over explicit scenes, even leaning towards a justification of the topics in this book. The protagonist (who is a minor) gets raped by 2 women but - hey, it`s ok, because he is in a mating frenzy and does not have control over his urges and environment. -Bullshit!
There was one line when I needed to take another double-take, and almost gagged. The protagonist is in this rut-like state and even considers!!!! raping his cousin.
I know, this is supposed to be used as shock value; but shock value never ever results into the main character being seen in such a negative manner. And at that point, I had no sympathy left for Domino. A main character thinking about raping another person? Unforgivable. And this entire interaction gets ignored, or swept under the rug. What. the. fuck?
This Omegaverse-like scenario seems to serve as a justification for rape and pedophilia and that is inexcusable. Moreover, it reminds me of a bad 2012 Wattpad fanfiction. What is the point in this?! There is none, exactly. Everything mentioned above makes the rape scenes seem more like rape porn. It adds nothing to the plot. Furthermore, there are more detailed non-con descriptions than actual consensual sex scenes. Why is that?
The lack of content warnings for and in this book is also atrocious. There`s a scene (highly-disturbing) in which a dead deer gets raped by a monster. But have I seen any tag involving necrophilia? No, none at all. Even though it should have been the author`s responsibility to add it.
Another thing: As I have briefly mentioned, the author completely missed the genre. Merwild desperately tried to write an Adult novel just by adding shock value and explicit content. But character and writing-wise, this book was on YA level. So what I want to know is: What is the target group supposed to be? Who are these heavy topics for?
I`m under the assumption that only supporters of Merwild rate this book positively just because of them liking the authors art. They are reading for the artist, and not the author`s literary expertise. The reviews I have seen seem lackluster in terms of objectively critizing the author`s choice of using so many triggering features.
There is one review on Instagram, describing the romance as "heartbreaking, amazing, perfect" and the characters as "lovable and flawless" - excuse me? Did we read the same thing? Certainly not.
But maybe this lack of actual critical thinking is caused by Merwild wrongly promoting her book.
In terms of genre, characters and the overall description of the contents - the entire promotion is badly done.
The pure ignorance of her not mentioning half of the trigger warnings or topics necessary is utterly shocking and very problematic at that. The promotion via social media seems to be so disillusioned and false. Even I, before reading the book myself, had an entirely different image in my head.
The book has furthermore been promoted as empowering, since there are supposed to be strong female characters.
Wrong! No female character has a distinct personalty, nor a driving force. Every woman is pushed into stereotypes such as a mother figure, wife, teacher or even that of a "breeding doll". Their personalties are overshadowed by the dominant patriarchal hierarchy in this book. The misogyny is simply astounding, even though the author is female herself.
Weird...Maybe that`s just a pattern in M/M literature written by women.
*
Now, I think I have said everything that needs to be mentioned about this book. There are so many issues and someone needs to speak up about them. Especially when it comes to the author wrongly promoting her own book, misleading her readers, ignoring trigger warnings, and the fandom`s pure ignorance towards said issues.
Overall, not an enjoyable book for me whatsoever.
-
(Edit: the author posted a brief description of her book in her Instagram story today. I dont know whether she made the post herself or reposted that of a reader`s. But words like "slice-of-life", "loss of innocence" and "amazing romance" were used and I am, quite frankly, shocked. This book is neither of those descriptions.
Referring to explicit rape, abuse and pedophilia scenes with these terms says a lot about the author herself and the fanbase. Maybe she just does not realize how awful the topics in her book really are and how much of an impact they can have on a person. But by reducing them to these terms, unknowing readers can get extremely triggered, leading to a very dangerous and misleading promotion of her own book.)
October 16, 2022
Very interesting story, but it left a bitter taste in my mouth. We'll see how it ends in the second book. I was a little upset about all the suffering Gus has experienced, the people of that village are unbearable. I'm so sure Gus dropped these pests and left. The only exciting part of it was seeing Gus coming out of this village of ungrateful bastards. Sincerely.. Domino's wedding was something that didn't go down my throat, all very busy and weird. I'll wait for the second 😒
March 6, 2023
Update: 13 Aug 2021
I’m downgrading my review cause even tho it’s been two months since I read it, the stuff I rant about below still bothers me and from the hints I’ve seen on the authors IG I feel like things won’t change. I more than likely won’t be reading any more of this series. I am also really disappointed that the author never listed any trigger warnings for this book (as far as I saw anyway I was following all details about it until release).
Original review:
Warning: this is more of a rant than a review, but tldr I loved it all except one scene that I absolutely hated and one future promise.
Trigger warnings for this book (and my rant):
Sexual assault (to a minor)
Violence
Am... zoo-necrophilia? I saw someone else use this word and it fits, just use your imagination
Sexual acts with underage characters (the whole thing is set in a world where there’s no age of consent and people basically have sex as soon as they start thinking about it so age is never considered an issue in the book)
I’m so bad at listing trigger warnings but I tried
I really wanted to give this book 5 stars. As soon as I started reading it I fell in love with the characters and everything about the book.
But then something happened that really annoyed me and soured the mood of the book for me. Domino had to go through his “seasons” which is basically like some sort of heat where he has to go fuck one or more women non-stop for several hours to satisfy his needs. Apparently it’s a sign of nichan’s growing up and their bodies urges to breed.
I hated it. I dislike books where we have to read in explicit detail about mc’s sleeping with other people for story progression . I really dislike books where the people aren’t fully human and have deep seated animal instincts to fuck and breed with woman especially when they don’t want to but can’t help it cause it’s “part of them”, even when they are men who love men but the instinct in them is to fuck women.
Warning: I go into graphic details of the trigger warnings below.
It just annoys me so much cause it’s not even that they have the urge to have sex, it’s the urge to breed because Domino was never offered a man to “help” him. And the thing is that there is no homophobia in the book, there are queer couples and no one says anything negative, so again the whole thing is literally just a once off time for men (it doesn’t mention if it happens to women) to have the crazy urge to sleep with women to breed and then that’s it.
I’m also not a fan of sexual scenes that, although they are “consensual”, the participants don’t particularly want to be doing it. Domino didn’t want to sleep with the woman (the two woman volunteered to “help”) but had no other choice, and we got the explicit details of how it went on for so long that he had to be forcefully stopped and how the women were red and raw from it all, most of which Domino was barely aware of because he was just running on instinct to keep going. And as soon as he came back to his right mind, he pushed away the woman who tried to come back onto him and didn’t want to be near them. I would consider this dub-con or even non-con cause I’m his right mind Domino didn’t want this.
Oh also, age in this book is never really considered an issue when it comes to sex. Domino is 16 when his “seasons” happen, and one of the women is over 30 and I’m not sure how old the other is. Now this 30+ year old was trying to get Domino to sleep with her when he was 13, so it added to the ick factor of the “seasons” scene. She is the same one who tried to continue having sex with Domino after his urges past, even though he said he wanted to stop.
This all bothered me so much that it affected how I viewed the rest of this book. I just didn’t see the point of it. Like it happened and that was it, it didn’t have any other affect on the plot so I don’t see why add it in the first place. Unless one of women is gonna end up pregnant so that Domino can have a kid, but if that happens I’ll honestly be so pissed.
What’s even worse is right after this scene we finally get a Domino and Gus moment but it’s not even satisfying because of what just happened.
Then we have the end where Domino promises to marry a woman to unite their clans. They talk about the fact that they will have children, again even tho Domino doesn’t want to be a father, but that’s just what people do apparently 🙄 so what, Domino will marry this woman in the future and Gus will be like his future side piece cause we all know they’re in love, but we’ll still have to see Domino having children with this woman? This is just really not for me.
I’m downgrading my review cause even tho it’s been two months since I read it, the stuff I rant about below still bothers me and from the hints I’ve seen on the authors IG I feel like things won’t change. I more than likely won’t be reading any more of this series. I am also really disappointed that the author never listed any trigger warnings for this book (as far as I saw anyway I was following all details about it until release).
Original review:
Warning: this is more of a rant than a review, but tldr I loved it all except one scene that I absolutely hated and one future promise.
Trigger warnings for this book (and my rant):
Sexual assault (to a minor)
Violence
Am... zoo-necrophilia? I saw someone else use this word and it fits, just use your imagination
Sexual acts with underage characters (the whole thing is set in a world where there’s no age of consent and people basically have sex as soon as they start thinking about it so age is never considered an issue in the book)
I’m so bad at listing trigger warnings but I tried
I really wanted to give this book 5 stars. As soon as I started reading it I fell in love with the characters and everything about the book.
But then something happened that really annoyed me and soured the mood of the book for me. Domino had to go through his “seasons” which is basically like some sort of heat where he has to go fuck one or more women non-stop for several hours to satisfy his needs. Apparently it’s a sign of nichan’s growing up and their bodies urges to breed.
I hated it. I dislike books where we have to read in explicit detail about mc’s sleeping with other people for story progression . I really dislike books where the people aren’t fully human and have deep seated animal instincts to fuck and breed with woman especially when they don’t want to but can’t help it cause it’s “part of them”, even when they are men who love men but the instinct in them is to fuck women.
Warning: I go into graphic details of the trigger warnings below.
It just annoys me so much cause it’s not even that they have the urge to have sex, it’s the urge to breed because Domino was never offered a man to “help” him. And the thing is that there is no homophobia in the book, there are queer couples and no one says anything negative, so again the whole thing is literally just a once off time for men (it doesn’t mention if it happens to women) to have the crazy urge to sleep with women to breed and then that’s it.
I’m also not a fan of sexual scenes that, although they are “consensual”, the participants don’t particularly want to be doing it. Domino didn’t want to sleep with the woman (the two woman volunteered to “help”) but had no other choice, and we got the explicit details of how it went on for so long that he had to be forcefully stopped and how the women were red and raw from it all, most of which Domino was barely aware of because he was just running on instinct to keep going. And as soon as he came back to his right mind, he pushed away the woman who tried to come back onto him and didn’t want to be near them. I would consider this dub-con or even non-con cause I’m his right mind Domino didn’t want this.
Oh also, age in this book is never really considered an issue when it comes to sex. Domino is 16 when his “seasons” happen, and one of the women is over 30 and I’m not sure how old the other is. Now this 30+ year old was trying to get Domino to sleep with her when he was 13, so it added to the ick factor of the “seasons” scene. She is the same one who tried to continue having sex with Domino after his urges past, even though he said he wanted to stop.
This all bothered me so much that it affected how I viewed the rest of this book. I just didn’t see the point of it. Like it happened and that was it, it didn’t have any other affect on the plot so I don’t see why add it in the first place. Unless one of women is gonna end up pregnant so that Domino can have a kid, but if that happens I’ll honestly be so pissed.
What’s even worse is right after this scene we finally get a Domino and Gus moment but it’s not even satisfying because of what just happened.
Then we have the end where Domino promises to marry a woman to unite their clans. They talk about the fact that they will have children, again even tho Domino doesn’t want to be a father, but that’s just what people do apparently 🙄 so what, Domino will marry this woman in the future and Gus will be like his future side piece cause we all know they’re in love, but we’ll still have to see Domino having children with this woman? This is just really not for me.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 3, 2021
Update after reading:
This was a wild journey. I'm not a crying type of reader and I'm not craving this particular emotion in books, but my heart hurt more than once for Domino and Gus. I wish I could embrace them and tell them everything is going to be alright. But following Coco for quite some time now I can't make this promise to them. I must warn you that the book is brutal. Read the trigger warning in the blurb.
My absolute favorite was Domino. His tender good-natured heart is impossible to resist. His protectiveness and loyalty are the other things to add to a pile of his goodness. And his looks 😍 (Go check out Coco's Instagram page for more art if you haven't).
I'm giving this book 4.5 stars. I'm taking half of a star because of the writing. It's a subjective assessment because it was hard to read for me. The language was more elaborate than I used to. I'm sure native English speakers won't have any problems with it. But once I got over it, the story went smoothly into my mind.
I'm looking forward to the next book and waiting for my Faecrate illustrated edition to arrive. I guess I will have to pet the book while I'm waiting for the next one.
__________________________
I can't wait to read this book. Your art is so beautiful and it kind of builds up the anticipation. I hope someday when you're a popular author you will publish an edition with your art in it. I would definitely buy a copy.
This was a wild journey. I'm not a crying type of reader and I'm not craving this particular emotion in books, but my heart hurt more than once for Domino and Gus. I wish I could embrace them and tell them everything is going to be alright. But following Coco for quite some time now I can't make this promise to them. I must warn you that the book is brutal. Read the trigger warning in the blurb.
My absolute favorite was Domino. His tender good-natured heart is impossible to resist. His protectiveness and loyalty are the other things to add to a pile of his goodness. And his looks 😍 (Go check out Coco's Instagram page for more art if you haven't).
I'm giving this book 4.5 stars. I'm taking half of a star because of the writing. It's a subjective assessment because it was hard to read for me. The language was more elaborate than I used to. I'm sure native English speakers won't have any problems with it. But once I got over it, the story went smoothly into my mind.
I'm looking forward to the next book and waiting for my Faecrate illustrated edition to arrive. I guess I will have to pet the book while I'm waiting for the next one.
__________________________
I can't wait to read this book. Your art is so beautiful and it kind of builds up the anticipation. I hope someday when you're a popular author you will publish an edition with your art in it. I would definitely buy a copy.
September 20, 2020
Really good dark fantasy story.
Really interesting characters.
Waiting for the second book.
Really interesting characters.
Waiting for the second book.
January 25, 2021
This book made me feel like my heart was thrown into a tornado and then dropped me off on a roller coaster. I felt ALL OF THE THINGS. It has been a very long time since I felt so invested in a bond between two characters. Yes, I ship the two main characters together but this story is so much more than their romance. Merwild let's us grow up with Domino and Gus and you get so emotionally invested in their growth and bond that it is no longer about if the relationship is romantic or not.
I am usually a skimmer when it comes to setting, I won't lie. I usually focus on more dialogue than where I am placed but I did not skip a single word of this book. The locations were so unique and the world-building was so intriguing that I didn't want to miss a single thing.
Every single supporting character contributed to this story in an important way. I did not feel like any character was useless or just added for filler. They each made their own impact on the lead characters. This book sets up the perfect stage for the series where I cannot wait to learn more about this world and the characters within it.
Please note this book is very adult. There are scenes that will drive you to tears and are meant to do so. Read the trigger warnings before moving forward so you are not taken unaware. I will say that I believe all of these scenes were well done where I did not feel like they were added unnecessarily. They each had very important contributions to the characters and the plot. I hope you all fall hopelessly in love with both Domino and Gus with me!
I am usually a skimmer when it comes to setting, I won't lie. I usually focus on more dialogue than where I am placed but I did not skip a single word of this book. The locations were so unique and the world-building was so intriguing that I didn't want to miss a single thing.
Every single supporting character contributed to this story in an important way. I did not feel like any character was useless or just added for filler. They each made their own impact on the lead characters. This book sets up the perfect stage for the series where I cannot wait to learn more about this world and the characters within it.
Please note this book is very adult. There are scenes that will drive you to tears and are meant to do so. Read the trigger warnings before moving forward so you are not taken unaware. I will say that I believe all of these scenes were well done where I did not feel like they were added unnecessarily. They each had very important contributions to the characters and the plot. I hope you all fall hopelessly in love with both Domino and Gus with me!
January 26, 2021
If I could 10 star this, I would. This book has everything you need: tears, thrill, friendship, family, love, loss, you name it. I cannot wait to see where this series goes and the chance to get to know the characters that were introduced later in the book! Seriously so heart-wrenchingly beautiful.
July 27, 2021
what an awful book
Merwild what the fuck
Merwild what the fuck
August 1, 2022
The Nichan Smile turned out to be quite a surprise. I wasn’t sure at first I could easily determine the genre of this book, and I am not sure I can now that I have finished it. For me, this first instalment is halfway between romance and dark fantasy, with very important trigger warnings. One cannot dive into this book unaware of the heavy themes The Nichan Smile can pose to the reader, so I would highly recommend looking into these.
That being said, I found the book to have two different paces. The first half sets the background for the two main characters, Domino and Gus. The world building is very rich although at times a bit confusing (I am not sure I grasped the idea of the Matrons for instance), which was rendered a bit difficult to navigate on a kindle as I couldn’t jump between the story and the glossary at the end of the book. I reached a point where I was convinced The Nichan Smile was purely romantasy but quickly enough, the second half of the book came to prove me wrong. The tone of the story got darker and we finally got to explore the intricacies of Merwild’s world and creatures. I really loved reading Domino’s chapters, whereas Gus’ ones were a bit of a let-down for me. I am not entirely sure I understand where the author is trying to go with his arch, while Domino’s adventures allowed a better insight of nichan’s history, the world’s geopolitical stakes and an opening on other interesting characters.
The impeccable writing made the whole experience very smooth, I was very impressed with the level of vocabulary while never feeling like I was too stupid to read/understand the book, which is a quality many other books lack. Another strong point for me was the strong female presence: each female character stands as a badass and doesn’t let a hypothetical patriarchy settle down. Men and women are equal and sometimes end up with the stronger hand.
I wouldn’t say I recommend reading this book purely because of the trigger warnings but I do think it is a strong dark fantasy instalment which gives a promise of an even stronger sequel (which I have pre-ordered of course).
That being said, I found the book to have two different paces. The first half sets the background for the two main characters, Domino and Gus. The world building is very rich although at times a bit confusing (I am not sure I grasped the idea of the Matrons for instance), which was rendered a bit difficult to navigate on a kindle as I couldn’t jump between the story and the glossary at the end of the book. I reached a point where I was convinced The Nichan Smile was purely romantasy but quickly enough, the second half of the book came to prove me wrong. The tone of the story got darker and we finally got to explore the intricacies of Merwild’s world and creatures. I really loved reading Domino’s chapters, whereas Gus’ ones were a bit of a let-down for me. I am not entirely sure I understand where the author is trying to go with his arch, while Domino’s adventures allowed a better insight of nichan’s history, the world’s geopolitical stakes and an opening on other interesting characters.
The impeccable writing made the whole experience very smooth, I was very impressed with the level of vocabulary while never feeling like I was too stupid to read/understand the book, which is a quality many other books lack. Another strong point for me was the strong female presence: each female character stands as a badass and doesn’t let a hypothetical patriarchy settle down. Men and women are equal and sometimes end up with the stronger hand.
I wouldn’t say I recommend reading this book purely because of the trigger warnings but I do think it is a strong dark fantasy instalment which gives a promise of an even stronger sequel (which I have pre-ordered of course).
June 19, 2021
ooof. now that, was hella disappointing.
way to ruin a good story.
way to ruin a good story.
Want to read
November 20, 2020I can't wait to read this book :)
April 18, 2021
Having been a longtime supporter of C.J. Merwild’s art, THE NICHAN SMILE was one of my most anticipated reads of 2021 and one that I’ve been wanting to read for years. Now that I’ve read an ARC of this debut, I can say the wait was worth it. Before getting into this review, I want to remind readers that this is an adult fantasy which faces some difficult topics. Please check the book’s synopsis for the trigger warnings before reading.
The Nichan Smile follows Domino and Gus, respectively a Nichan (a sort of shapeshifter species original to this world) and a Vestige (a human with magic and peculiar physical traits). Domino and his brothers have been separated from their mother and seek sanctuary in their uncle’s Nichan clan. During their journey, they meet Gus and save him from abusive men who have taken him in their custody. From that moment on, the story follows Gus and Domino’s journey from childhood to adolescence through the development of their friendship and…more. Maybe. Who knows *insert cheeky face*.
The story in this first book was very character driven and its strength resides in its protagonists. Gus and Domino couldn’t be more different. Domino is the kind of character that I immediately warm up to and adore: he’s sassy, caring, protective, curious and—especially as he grows into a young man—reckless. Gus, on the other hand, is more reserved and distrusting, a consequence of the abuse he’s endured since childhood and the scorn he’s repeatedly subjected to with the Nichans because of his human nature. Despite their differences, however, Domino and Gus’s personalities were perfectly complimentary and their chemistry was off the charts. I know fantasy readers are all for the enemies to lovers dynamic, but I think there’s something fascinating and real about showing the development of a friendship and the way that bond can deepen over time. Gus and Domino are proof of that. Their banter was filled with moments of hilarity, sass and heartbreaking intensity, made all the more impactful by the years of friendship, devotion and absolute trust.
The Nichan Smile also counted on the support of an incredible cast of secondary characters. Every character introduced was complex, fascinating and morally grey (though there are a few who were absolutely dreadful and have no redeeming qualities whatsoever). It’s because of this complexity that these characters felt real, and those emotions shone through the page and tugged at my heartstrings on multiple occasions. As far as world-building goes, it was very original and though this first book only scratches the surface, you can perceive the vastness of the world and lore, and I’m sure we’ll see far more of both in the future installments.
Overall I really enjoyed the pacing of the story, although I felt it was a bit slower in the second half and I wasn’t as engaged as I was at the start. However, that’s also the part where we start getting deeper into the plot and putting the roots for the future installments, so it was still interesting to read. However, I adored the ending of the book, which felt like coming full circle in Gus and Domino’s journeys while, at the same time, leaving me desperate for the sequel. I can’t wait for everyone to be able to enjoy this read on June 1st!
Thank you to the author for sending me an ARC to review.
The Nichan Smile follows Domino and Gus, respectively a Nichan (a sort of shapeshifter species original to this world) and a Vestige (a human with magic and peculiar physical traits). Domino and his brothers have been separated from their mother and seek sanctuary in their uncle’s Nichan clan. During their journey, they meet Gus and save him from abusive men who have taken him in their custody. From that moment on, the story follows Gus and Domino’s journey from childhood to adolescence through the development of their friendship and…more. Maybe. Who knows *insert cheeky face*.
The story in this first book was very character driven and its strength resides in its protagonists. Gus and Domino couldn’t be more different. Domino is the kind of character that I immediately warm up to and adore: he’s sassy, caring, protective, curious and—especially as he grows into a young man—reckless. Gus, on the other hand, is more reserved and distrusting, a consequence of the abuse he’s endured since childhood and the scorn he’s repeatedly subjected to with the Nichans because of his human nature. Despite their differences, however, Domino and Gus’s personalities were perfectly complimentary and their chemistry was off the charts. I know fantasy readers are all for the enemies to lovers dynamic, but I think there’s something fascinating and real about showing the development of a friendship and the way that bond can deepen over time. Gus and Domino are proof of that. Their banter was filled with moments of hilarity, sass and heartbreaking intensity, made all the more impactful by the years of friendship, devotion and absolute trust.
The Nichan Smile also counted on the support of an incredible cast of secondary characters. Every character introduced was complex, fascinating and morally grey (though there are a few who were absolutely dreadful and have no redeeming qualities whatsoever). It’s because of this complexity that these characters felt real, and those emotions shone through the page and tugged at my heartstrings on multiple occasions. As far as world-building goes, it was very original and though this first book only scratches the surface, you can perceive the vastness of the world and lore, and I’m sure we’ll see far more of both in the future installments.
Overall I really enjoyed the pacing of the story, although I felt it was a bit slower in the second half and I wasn’t as engaged as I was at the start. However, that’s also the part where we start getting deeper into the plot and putting the roots for the future installments, so it was still interesting to read. However, I adored the ending of the book, which felt like coming full circle in Gus and Domino’s journeys while, at the same time, leaving me desperate for the sequel. I can’t wait for everyone to be able to enjoy this read on June 1st!
Thank you to the author for sending me an ARC to review.
August 19, 2021
Sigo a Merwild desde hace muchos años gracias a sus ilustraciones. Hoy me encuentro acabando su libro y claramente necesito más de esta historia.
Es que cómo la deja así? 🙃🙈
Domino y Gus ya tienen un lugar especial en mi cora.
Es que cómo la deja así? 🙃🙈
Domino y Gus ya tienen un lugar especial en mi cora.
June 15, 2021
Woo boy. This was... something.
I feel I have to mention first that English is not this author's first language, but she chose to publish in English first for a wider reach, and while I can admire that, I'm left wondering if she had native English speakers edit this for her (she mentions in acknowledgements that all of her beta readers were French, so I'm assuming no). The translation has moments where it is perfectly fine even if the prose isn't good, with sentences that flow legibly. But there are other sections where you can tell a translation led to statements sounding like a child reading out a medical text, with words that don't fit in the situation placed there because the English version is lacking the nuance (like when you have a child character describing the look of something and they use heterogeneous, which does nothing for a physical description, really). I want to give this author as much credit as I can for translating her book, but I'm left unable to defend it when I feel it needed more native English speakers looking at it, with her choice being to write in English.
Spoilers below.
I see so many things, from the author to other people discussing this, warning people of how this is not YA or NA, it's very much adult and it's dark and graphic. I uhh... I don't know if I agree. The plot is very YA, the character journeys and themes are very YA, there are just a few graphic sexual acts and an assault thrown in. I feel like implying it's adult because of those few scenes rubs me the wrong way - while I would not want a teen reading those scenes, their inclusion doesn't change the overall tone, writing style, and themes. They could have easily been taken out and this book would be YA, which is part of why I feel this way. If more adult themes come into play as the series goes on, that's fine, but this book on its own does nothing other than have a few explicit scenes (tamer, apart from the SA scene, than ACOTAR).
The plot is strangely paced too, and by that I feel like a fair number of things happen that I could list off, but things that are actually necessary for the driving of the plot or the character development feel lacking. I feel like maybe the length of the book could have been cut a fair bit, with maybe more fine tuning of how to show the development without so much empty plot or frivolous scenes. Tightening things could have made the plot more impactful.
Since I follow the author on Instagram I saw her say that this is specifically not a romance book either, but it really read like one to me. I love romance fantasy, there's nothing wrong with it at all, and I don't know but I think the adamant "this is not romance" felt a little judgemental to me, especially when so much of both POVs revolves around romantic/committed feelings to the other character. They even have a sexual experience together and then go "i want to hold my friend" after, which just feels like the author going "they're not a couple yet!!!" but it just... most of the driving force for both characters is the other, and they talk about being attracted to each other constantly, missing them if they're not sharing a bed, wanting to belong to the other. It's not a criticism of the book (though I feel we don't get scenes of their personalities working together, just scenes of them being bonded from a couple childhood moments), I just feel like maybe the author didn't want the stigma of it being considered a "romance" book when that's how I feel about it.
Another symptom of following the author is that I have seen her taste in books change, and I saw that she was trying to separate herself from books that a lot of people followed her for (ToG, ACoTaR), with I think her saying something like "I've grown past those books" (I don't want to be direct quoting, this is just something I remember from IG stories). This lingered in my head when I got this book because it seemed like she was wanting something "more" than those books, so I might have gone into this expecting something that didn't end up happening, which could explain why I disliked it so much. I will say that this book had less em dashes than SJM does, but the rest of it felt like a disappointment based on my expectations.
If you loved this book, I'm really glad, these are just my personal opinions. I really feel like this author would benefit from editors and beta readers in the language that this is published in, and that some more plot tightening or examination of what scenes are necessary for plot development could help a lot. For now I don't think I'll be reading other work by this author, it simply didn't work for me on any level.
I feel I have to mention first that English is not this author's first language, but she chose to publish in English first for a wider reach, and while I can admire that, I'm left wondering if she had native English speakers edit this for her (she mentions in acknowledgements that all of her beta readers were French, so I'm assuming no). The translation has moments where it is perfectly fine even if the prose isn't good, with sentences that flow legibly. But there are other sections where you can tell a translation led to statements sounding like a child reading out a medical text, with words that don't fit in the situation placed there because the English version is lacking the nuance (like when you have a child character describing the look of something and they use heterogeneous, which does nothing for a physical description, really). I want to give this author as much credit as I can for translating her book, but I'm left unable to defend it when I feel it needed more native English speakers looking at it, with her choice being to write in English.
Spoilers below.
I see so many things, from the author to other people discussing this, warning people of how this is not YA or NA, it's very much adult and it's dark and graphic. I uhh... I don't know if I agree. The plot is very YA, the character journeys and themes are very YA, there are just a few graphic sexual acts and an assault thrown in. I feel like implying it's adult because of those few scenes rubs me the wrong way - while I would not want a teen reading those scenes, their inclusion doesn't change the overall tone, writing style, and themes. They could have easily been taken out and this book would be YA, which is part of why I feel this way. If more adult themes come into play as the series goes on, that's fine, but this book on its own does nothing other than have a few explicit scenes (tamer, apart from the SA scene, than ACOTAR).
The plot is strangely paced too, and by that I feel like a fair number of things happen that I could list off, but things that are actually necessary for the driving of the plot or the character development feel lacking. I feel like maybe the length of the book could have been cut a fair bit, with maybe more fine tuning of how to show the development without so much empty plot or frivolous scenes. Tightening things could have made the plot more impactful.
Since I follow the author on Instagram I saw her say that this is specifically not a romance book either, but it really read like one to me. I love romance fantasy, there's nothing wrong with it at all, and I don't know but I think the adamant "this is not romance" felt a little judgemental to me, especially when so much of both POVs revolves around romantic/committed feelings to the other character. They even have a sexual experience together and then go "i want to hold my friend" after, which just feels like the author going "they're not a couple yet!!!" but it just... most of the driving force for both characters is the other, and they talk about being attracted to each other constantly, missing them if they're not sharing a bed, wanting to belong to the other. It's not a criticism of the book (though I feel we don't get scenes of their personalities working together, just scenes of them being bonded from a couple childhood moments), I just feel like maybe the author didn't want the stigma of it being considered a "romance" book when that's how I feel about it.
Another symptom of following the author is that I have seen her taste in books change, and I saw that she was trying to separate herself from books that a lot of people followed her for (ToG, ACoTaR), with I think her saying something like "I've grown past those books" (I don't want to be direct quoting, this is just something I remember from IG stories). This lingered in my head when I got this book because it seemed like she was wanting something "more" than those books, so I might have gone into this expecting something that didn't end up happening, which could explain why I disliked it so much. I will say that this book had less em dashes than SJM does, but the rest of it felt like a disappointment based on my expectations.
If you loved this book, I'm really glad, these are just my personal opinions. I really feel like this author would benefit from editors and beta readers in the language that this is published in, and that some more plot tightening or examination of what scenes are necessary for plot development could help a lot. For now I don't think I'll be reading other work by this author, it simply didn't work for me on any level.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Want to read
May 4, 2021am I adding this only for the cover?? yes I am
July 30, 2021
4—4.5* but with high hopes 👀✨ Gus my beloved
June 8, 2021
I so thoroughly enjoyed The Nichan Smile! I easily fell in love with the characters rooting for them from the first chapter. The author really makes you care for her characters both rooting or crying. I really enjoyed the ending as it fits so well with the story. The world-building is wonderful, and I was easily transported into the story.
Side note, the illustrations Coco makes for this are AMAZING and so helpful.
I cannot wait to read more about Gus's journey in the second book!
Side note, the illustrations Coco makes for this are AMAZING and so helpful.
I cannot wait to read more about Gus's journey in the second book!
November 27, 2020
Oh god I thought people only wrote like this in highschool. Recc'd by a friend, whose judgement I no longer trust lol
August 14, 2021
This book had so much potential but it failed miserably. In a dark world two young boys save each other and slowly begin to get close to each other. Such an intriguing world of corruption and despair. I kept wanting to know more about what exactly is going on out there in this world. and there were a couple of well written and explained details but just didn't make a lot of sense overall.
The rape scenes were really unnecessary? And it wasnt even addressed properly. In a way it was promoted??? Also there is essentially no plot????? Things were just happening to the MCs. And that would've been completely fine for a character driven book like this one if one of the main characters (Domino) wasn't just so unlikable.
Domino seemed like a decent enough character in the first few chapters but then he just sort of kept letting things happen to him. It seemed like Domino's decisions and actions, especially in the last part, weren't actually his own. It almost seemed like he was someone else entirely. He kept having all these contradictory thoughts in the last few chapters like he wanted something else but he kept doing the exact opposite. Almost like he was being controlled by Lienne which could've been possible after that oath but the author never made that clear. Like most things and phenomenons in this book the oath thing was just not explained properly. It could also have been that the Nichan in him had different thoughts than his human form or something like that? It's all just very unclear to me.
Gus was probably the only reasonable character and the abuse he has to go through just breaks my heart. He's so pure and lovely and all that happens to him is just so unfair and unreasonable. And it really really bothered me how Gus was literally forced to accept Domino? I get that they're meant to be soulmates or whatever but Gus never really has a choice. Like ever. No one in this whole world except Matta and Domino even like Gus. Even though he's always helpful and he's saved SO many lives.
Overall this book was just really bad. Horrible representation for women. Ero and Bïeka seemed to exist solely to make the lives of Gus and Domino miserable beyond compare. And we saw that blue torture stone once in this whole book when Gus was tormented and then it just disappears? What was the relevance of that torture? Awfully disappointed.
The rape scenes were really unnecessary? And it wasnt even addressed properly. In a way it was promoted??? Also there is essentially no plot????? Things were just happening to the MCs. And that would've been completely fine for a character driven book like this one if one of the main characters (Domino) wasn't just so unlikable.
Domino seemed like a decent enough character in the first few chapters but then he just sort of kept letting things happen to him. It seemed like Domino's decisions and actions, especially in the last part, weren't actually his own. It almost seemed like he was someone else entirely. He kept having all these contradictory thoughts in the last few chapters like he wanted something else but he kept doing the exact opposite. Almost like he was being controlled by Lienne which could've been possible after that oath but the author never made that clear. Like most things and phenomenons in this book the oath thing was just not explained properly. It could also have been that the Nichan in him had different thoughts than his human form or something like that? It's all just very unclear to me.
Gus was probably the only reasonable character and the abuse he has to go through just breaks my heart. He's so pure and lovely and all that happens to him is just so unfair and unreasonable. And it really really bothered me how Gus was literally forced to accept Domino? I get that they're meant to be soulmates or whatever but Gus never really has a choice. Like ever. No one in this whole world except Matta and Domino even like Gus. Even though he's always helpful and he's saved SO many lives.
Overall this book was just really bad. Horrible representation for women. Ero and Bïeka seemed to exist solely to make the lives of Gus and Domino miserable beyond compare. And we saw that blue torture stone once in this whole book when Gus was tormented and then it just disappears? What was the relevance of that torture? Awfully disappointed.
March 8, 2022
Where is the plot??? I am aware there’s more coming but I don’t know man. I was very into it at first but the more I read, the less interesting it got. The world building went nowhere and I’m not sure I’m into the characters as much as I thought I was gonna be. Even by the end of it, I don’t think I understand a single one of them, especially Domino! I’m also not into animalistic behavior in characters (the whole “i can smell when you’re aroused” kind of thing). And all the condoning of pedophilia that goes on??? Big yikes! Why???
I guess all of this played a big part into why it took me so long to finish it… I really wanted to quit but I also wanted to know how bad if would get and.. it was very bad. It’s a shame, because I am a big fan of Merwild and her beautiful art. I was looking forward to this book ever since she announced it but now I’m not interested in continuing with the sequel at all.
I guess all of this played a big part into why it took me so long to finish it… I really wanted to quit but I also wanted to know how bad if would get and.. it was very bad. It’s a shame, because I am a big fan of Merwild and her beautiful art. I was looking forward to this book ever since she announced it but now I’m not interested in continuing with the sequel at all.
October 5, 2021
It was an ok read but when I reached 65% things got really bad. Nothing really happened anymore apart from violence and the characters repeating themselves over and over again. Like really nobody had any kind of development. And the world well the author tells you some informations but nothing really affects the characters orthe story so I personally just didn't care what was going one and still understood the story. In the end I'm really sad this book is a disappointment for me.
July 14, 2021
I‘ve followed the author for some time now where she posted her art. It is really awesome that she wrote and published the book about the characters we know from her art!
October 27, 2025
Не можу ви��начитись з оцінкою між 3 і 3,5. Це непогана фентезі історія яка має в основі романтичний слоу бьорн розвиток, і мені загалом сподобалось, плюс під кінець книжки було приємно дізнатись, що авторка ще й популярна художниця, чиї роботи я неодноразово бачила в інтернеті (арти по шейту з вольтрона! 😭), а також ілюстрації до інших книг, - і що в неї багато ілюстрацій із своїми персонажам з книжки, на яких можна позадивлятись с:
June 9, 2021
Come si fa a recensire un lavoro del genere?
Cioè.
È una lettura super originale, ho adorato l'ambientazione, così tribale e selvaggia.
E i personaggi sono caratterizzati davvero bene, alcuni sono odiosi e poi si apprezzano... solo per tornare a odiarli. Alcuni da odiare e basta, Beika guardo te, ti sei meritato quello che è successo. Gus e Domino, poi, questi protagonisti sono fantastici, ammetto di aver apprezzato molto di più il primo, ma sicuro è per via della situazioni in cui si trova, unico e isolato in un clan che lo ha accolto che ma che un po' lo ignora, un po' lo disprezza e un po' lo teme. È un personaggio che ho adorato, perché ha davvero tante sfaccettature e niente, non credo abbia molto senso riempire questa recensione di complimenti e svarioni vari, ma non c'è stato NIENTE che non mi è piaciuto.
Attenzione, però, questo è un libro davvero cattivo, è crudele, e i personaggi vivono in un mondo segnato dalla Corruzione e le cose brutte sono all'ordine del giorno. Non aspettatevi una lettura leggera, perché non lo è affatto. L'autrice non abbellisce nulla, e questo l'ho apprezzato moltissimo, perché gli orrori accadono, e sono lì, palpabili e reali.
Cioè.
È una lettura super originale, ho adorato l'ambientazione, così tribale e selvaggia.
E i personaggi sono caratterizzati davvero bene, alcuni sono odiosi e poi si apprezzano... solo per tornare a odiarli. Alcuni da odiare e basta, Beika guardo te, ti sei meritato quello che è successo. Gus e Domino, poi, questi protagonisti sono fantastici, ammetto di aver apprezzato molto di più il primo, ma sicuro è per via della situazioni in cui si trova, unico e isolato in un clan che lo ha accolto che ma che un po' lo ignora, un po' lo disprezza e un po' lo teme. È un personaggio che ho adorato, perché ha davvero tante sfaccettature e niente, non credo abbia molto senso riempire questa recensione di complimenti e svarioni vari, ma non c'è stato NIENTE che non mi è piaciuto.
Attenzione, però, questo è un libro davvero cattivo, è crudele, e i personaggi vivono in un mondo segnato dalla Corruzione e le cose brutte sono all'ordine del giorno. Non aspettatevi una lettura leggera, perché non lo è affatto. L'autrice non abbellisce nulla, e questo l'ho apprezzato moltissimo, perché gli orrori accadono, e sono lì, palpabili e reali.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 228 reviews