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A Court of Gilt and Shadow #1
Within Obsession and Lies
Within Obsession and Lies is the sexy, action-packed first book in A Court of Gilt and Shadow Series by bestselling authors Stacy Jones and Harper Wylde.
Power. Obsession. Lies.
Other people dream of being special. They wouldn’t, if they knew what a nightmare it is.
Arawyn would give anything to be ordinary and rid herself of the power that lives inside her. Dangerous and alluring, it’s caused nothing but pain and horror, making her the dark obsession of anyone who gets too close.
After years of barely containing it, Arawyn thought she had control… until the night it bursts free and pulses like a beacon.
As threats emerge from the shadows, each one more fixated on her than the last, she finds her life infiltrated by three mysterious men.
A mafia boss, a psychopath, and a killer.
Rathe, Viper, and Fear are much more than they seem. They taste of power and feel impossibly familiar. They call to her soul in a way she’s never experienced and might have answers to questions she’s been asking her entire life.
But darkness and secrets surround them, ones covered in blood and mire.
When the monsters stalking her endanger not only her power but her life, she’ll have to make a decision: take a risk and let these dangerous men in, or do what she’s always done—walk away and try to survive on her own.
Trusting them would be a mistake. Yet, she may not have a choice.
The monsters hunting her aren’t human and they’re out for blood. Rathe, Viper, and Fear might be her only chance of making it through this alive.
There’s only one problem. They aren’t human either…
From bestselling authors, Stacy Jones and Harper Wylde, comes a darkly seductive new series that blends romance, danger, and the supernatural into an unforgettable read.
Power. Obsession. Lies.
Other people dream of being special. They wouldn’t, if they knew what a nightmare it is.
Arawyn would give anything to be ordinary and rid herself of the power that lives inside her. Dangerous and alluring, it’s caused nothing but pain and horror, making her the dark obsession of anyone who gets too close.
After years of barely containing it, Arawyn thought she had control… until the night it bursts free and pulses like a beacon.
As threats emerge from the shadows, each one more fixated on her than the last, she finds her life infiltrated by three mysterious men.
A mafia boss, a psychopath, and a killer.
Rathe, Viper, and Fear are much more than they seem. They taste of power and feel impossibly familiar. They call to her soul in a way she’s never experienced and might have answers to questions she’s been asking her entire life.
But darkness and secrets surround them, ones covered in blood and mire.
When the monsters stalking her endanger not only her power but her life, she’ll have to make a decision: take a risk and let these dangerous men in, or do what she’s always done—walk away and try to survive on her own.
Trusting them would be a mistake. Yet, she may not have a choice.
The monsters hunting her aren’t human and they’re out for blood. Rathe, Viper, and Fear might be her only chance of making it through this alive.
There’s only one problem. They aren’t human either…
From bestselling authors, Stacy Jones and Harper Wylde, comes a darkly seductive new series that blends romance, danger, and the supernatural into an unforgettable read.
399 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 1, 2021
737 people are currently reading
9735 people want to read
About the author
Stacy Jones
28 books818 followersStacy Jones is an award-winning romance author living in beautiful Hot Springs, Arkansas. She can usually be found at her desk, with an oversized coffee cup, bringing the fantastical worlds and captivating characters in her imagination to life.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 399 reviews
October 2, 2021
Bechdel Fail
What adult woman wears a lace and silk teddy to sleep at night?
The fmc, who has the popular LARPing name Arawyn, is every man’s dream girl with even less pigment than body fat anywhere on her tiny body save for a hint of green in her eyes, and her gigantic breasts. When she’s not padding about her mansion in lingerie waiting for random men to happen upon her in a state of deshabille, she wears skin-tight leather because that wouldn’t make a person boiling hot paired with her high-heeled knee-high motorcycle boots, a sartorial choice that always comes off a comically ridiculous to me like the episode of Friends where Ross starts wearing leather in an effort to appear cool.
Honestly, this book reads like the authors consulted teenage boys on what they think is the ideal fantasy woman that exists solely in their fevered imaginations. I suspect that the authors don’t realize that other women are the top consumers of books that feature fictional female characters and maybe they don’t need to commit to such a hard sell on their super special gal whose milkshake brings all the boys to the yard. Perhaps it’s just me, but I tend to find female characters more interesting if they have a personality rather than a catalogue of sexual characteristics designed to appeal to men. I genuinely wish that more female authors would try out some of the things they dream up for their fictional characters to see if their ideas make sense - like wearing a teddy to hang around the house or wearing leather from head to toe or maybe having a female friend in addition to having literally every man on planet earth trying to get into her sweaty, smelly pants.
What adult woman wears a lace and silk teddy to sleep at night?
The fmc, who has the popular LARPing name Arawyn, is every man’s dream girl with even less pigment than body fat anywhere on her tiny body save for a hint of green in her eyes, and her gigantic breasts. When she’s not padding about her mansion in lingerie waiting for random men to happen upon her in a state of deshabille, she wears skin-tight leather because that wouldn’t make a person boiling hot paired with her high-heeled knee-high motorcycle boots, a sartorial choice that always comes off a comically ridiculous to me like the episode of Friends where Ross starts wearing leather in an effort to appear cool.
Honestly, this book reads like the authors consulted teenage boys on what they think is the ideal fantasy woman that exists solely in their fevered imaginations. I suspect that the authors don’t realize that other women are the top consumers of books that feature fictional female characters and maybe they don’t need to commit to such a hard sell on their super special gal whose milkshake brings all the boys to the yard. Perhaps it’s just me, but I tend to find female characters more interesting if they have a personality rather than a catalogue of sexual characteristics designed to appeal to men. I genuinely wish that more female authors would try out some of the things they dream up for their fictional characters to see if their ideas make sense - like wearing a teddy to hang around the house or wearing leather from head to toe or maybe having a female friend in addition to having literally every man on planet earth trying to get into her sweaty, smelly pants.
May 5, 2022
This book was a welcome surprise. I didn't quite know what to expect from this story to be honest but i liked the premise of the book enough to be intrigued by it.
Despite wanting more from the plot especially the assassins part of it, i did enjoy the world building very much and i can't wait to see more of it. The characters were very well written and very unique which I 𝐋𝐎𝐕𝐄𝐃 very much.
]|I{•---------⋘⋙---------------•⪼⦕࿅⦖⪻•---------------⋘⋙---------•}I|[
🌙 Arawyn has lived in isolation for the past 10 years of her life. Because of her newly find abilities, well one in particular. She has lived through hell because of it. Her scars, nightmares, guilt and the blood on her hands are a Constant reminder of that. But despite it all she has found a new normal. Living in the middle of nowhere she focuses on doing the only thing that brings her joy and that is creating very deadly and beautiful weapons.
Even if the loneliness of it all is taking it's toll on her the knowledge of what would happen if she didn't keep to herself is enough to make her stay away from the world. But all That changes the second her power escape from the well inside her and leads her to 3 mysterious men that calls to her soul and powers.
]|I{•---------⋘⋙---------------•⪼⦕࿅⦖⪻•---------------⋘⋙---------•}I|[
🐍My favorite would be 𝑽𝒊𝒑𝒆𝒓 of course. Since I do have a thing for mentally instable characters and our 𝑪𝒐𝒐𝒌𝒊𝒆 𝑴𝒐𝒏𝒔𝒕𝒆𝒓 is exactly that. He is the kind of man you know would burn you and yet, you still want to dance in the flames. But he is so much more than just psychotic, he's funny, thoughtful and caring. Loyal and respectful. And his scars matches hers so perfectly. Both of them suffered so much and yet they're still trying very hard to hold on and not drown in the darkness and horror of what happened to them.
]|I{•---------⋘⋙---------------•⪼⦕࿅⦖⪻•---------------⋘⋙---------•}I|[
🐉Than we have our beautiful Stranger 𝑭𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒔𝒐𝒏. Oh my gentle, caring, respectful Giant, he is everything you would need and want from your 𝑺𝒐𝒖𝒍𝒎𝒂𝒕𝒆. From that first encounter we knew they would be no other option except to fall in Love with this man. We get to know exactly what kind of friend and warrior he is and how loyal he is to Rathe and their kingdom and yet he would commit treason in a heartbeat in order to keep her safe from both.
]|I{•---------⋘⋙---------------•⪼⦕࿅⦖⪻•---------------⋘⋙---------•}I|[
👑 And finally our 𝑭𝒂𝒍𝒍𝒆𝒏 𝑨𝒏𝒈𝒆𝒍 , boy was that an accurate description. 𝑹𝒂𝒕𝒉𝒆 our prince of darkness, son of a tyrant and heir to corrupt kingdom. But those tittle are not important right now because the two only things that matter to him are his brother and best friend. Their safety and well being is his sole purpose. Especially after witnessing the cruelty by which his brother was treated by their fathers he will do anything to never let that happen again. And the never ending blood on his hands are proof of that. That is until she came waltzing in. And we get to see that control of his collapse and slowly but surely give in to that pull they feel.
]|I{•---------⋘⋙---------------•⪼⦕࿅⦖⪻•---------------⋘⋙---------•}I|[
🦁We also have 𝑩𝒓𝒂𝒗𝒆𝒏 which I can't wait to know more about in the next book. Also I want a lot more of our sassy cat 𝑨𝒔𝒔𝒉𝒐𝒍𝒆.
Can't wait for book II to have more of 𝐄𝐕𝐄𝐑𝐘𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐍𝐆. This kinda ends on a Cliffhanger with one hell of an information bomb ...
Despite wanting more from the plot especially the assassins part of it, i did enjoy the world building very much and i can't wait to see more of it. The characters were very well written and very unique which I 𝐋𝐎𝐕𝐄𝐃 very much.
]|I{•---------⋘⋙---------------•⪼⦕࿅⦖⪻•---------------⋘⋙---------•}I|[
🌙 Arawyn has lived in isolation for the past 10 years of her life. Because of her newly find abilities, well one in particular. She has lived through hell because of it. Her scars, nightmares, guilt and the blood on her hands are a Constant reminder of that. But despite it all she has found a new normal. Living in the middle of nowhere she focuses on doing the only thing that brings her joy and that is creating very deadly and beautiful weapons.
Even if the loneliness of it all is taking it's toll on her the knowledge of what would happen if she didn't keep to herself is enough to make her stay away from the world. But all That changes the second her power escape from the well inside her and leads her to 3 mysterious men that calls to her soul and powers.
]|I{•---------⋘⋙---------------•⪼⦕࿅⦖⪻•---------------⋘⋙---------•}I|[
🐍My favorite would be 𝑽𝒊𝒑𝒆𝒓 of course. Since I do have a thing for mentally instable characters and our 𝑪𝒐𝒐𝒌𝒊𝒆 𝑴𝒐𝒏𝒔𝒕𝒆𝒓 is exactly that. He is the kind of man you know would burn you and yet, you still want to dance in the flames. But he is so much more than just psychotic, he's funny, thoughtful and caring. Loyal and respectful. And his scars matches hers so perfectly. Both of them suffered so much and yet they're still trying very hard to hold on and not drown in the darkness and horror of what happened to them.
]|I{•---------⋘⋙---------------•⪼⦕࿅⦖⪻•---------------⋘⋙---------•}I|[
🐉Than we have our beautiful Stranger 𝑭𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒔𝒐𝒏. Oh my gentle, caring, respectful Giant, he is everything you would need and want from your 𝑺𝒐𝒖𝒍𝒎𝒂𝒕𝒆. From that first encounter we knew they would be no other option except to fall in Love with this man. We get to know exactly what kind of friend and warrior he is and how loyal he is to Rathe and their kingdom and yet he would commit treason in a heartbeat in order to keep her safe from both.
]|I{•---------⋘⋙---------------•⪼⦕࿅⦖⪻•---------------⋘⋙---------•}I|[
👑 And finally our 𝑭𝒂𝒍𝒍𝒆𝒏 𝑨𝒏𝒈𝒆𝒍 , boy was that an accurate description. 𝑹𝒂𝒕𝒉𝒆 our prince of darkness, son of a tyrant and heir to corrupt kingdom. But those tittle are not important right now because the two only things that matter to him are his brother and best friend. Their safety and well being is his sole purpose. Especially after witnessing the cruelty by which his brother was treated by their fathers he will do anything to never let that happen again. And the never ending blood on his hands are proof of that. That is until she came waltzing in. And we get to see that control of his collapse and slowly but surely give in to that pull they feel.
]|I{•---------⋘⋙---------------•⪼⦕࿅⦖⪻•---------------⋘⋙---------•}I|[
🦁We also have 𝑩𝒓𝒂𝒗𝒆𝒏 which I can't wait to know more about in the next book. Also I want a lot more of our sassy cat 𝑨𝒔𝒔𝒉𝒐𝒍𝒆.
Can't wait for book II to have more of 𝐄𝐕𝐄𝐑𝐘𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐍𝐆. This kinda ends on a Cliffhanger with one hell of an information bomb ...
October 1, 2021
This review may be sort of gushing and include lots of superlatives because good gracious this book is fantastic! What Ms. Jones and Ms. Wylde have put together in this first in series makes me desperate for the rest of the series, I'm that in love with the characters and the plot. This is a slow burn start, but still with some steam *and* monstrous love interests are popular right now right? Right and the fellas that Arawyn gets lucky enough to meet are gorgeous in human form, plus they have a more monstrous/unglamored form that she finds sexy too with all their "extras". The book is written in third person with multiple POVs throughout.
Characters - Arawyn is one of those FMCs who's a fighter (physically and emotionally) along with being a vulnerable, kind, and generous person. She's experienced past traumas because of an unknown power she can't always control. Because of that, she cuts herself off from most extended human contact. She has a small business making weapons (the descriptions of which are beautiful) and she has one friend, who I want to learn more about. She unexpectedly gets drawn to three gorgeous, intriguing, possibly dangerous men.
Rathe, Viper, and Fear are fae living in the human realm who have also experienced past traumas and get completely surprised by meeting Arawyn. There's a mix of suspicion (because of their roles) and overwhelming attraction. I loved all three guys from the get-go, even the suspicious Rathe who takes some time to come around. Viper is a ball of adorable crazy who latches on to Arawyn immediately and Fear is a caring and protective giant who can also steam up some situations.
The majority of this first book focuses on introducing the characters and world building. We get to revel in all the tension and chemistry as the plot unfolds too. However, there are dangers popping up from an unknown source and as Arawyn gets more entangled with the guys for protection, she starts getting hints (and eventually answers) as to what they and she are. Her ideas about what they possibly are were hilarious and had me cracking up.
This first book ends on a revealing cliffhanger and please see above comment where I'm desperate for the rest of this series. There's no mm or ff and no other woman drama. I appreciated that there's also a glossary and character art at the end of the book, it's such a wonderful touch.
Characters - Arawyn is one of those FMCs who's a fighter (physically and emotionally) along with being a vulnerable, kind, and generous person. She's experienced past traumas because of an unknown power she can't always control. Because of that, she cuts herself off from most extended human contact. She has a small business making weapons (the descriptions of which are beautiful) and she has one friend, who I want to learn more about. She unexpectedly gets drawn to three gorgeous, intriguing, possibly dangerous men.
Rathe, Viper, and Fear are fae living in the human realm who have also experienced past traumas and get completely surprised by meeting Arawyn. There's a mix of suspicion (because of their roles) and overwhelming attraction. I loved all three guys from the get-go, even the suspicious Rathe who takes some time to come around. Viper is a ball of adorable crazy who latches on to Arawyn immediately and Fear is a caring and protective giant who can also steam up some situations.
The majority of this first book focuses on introducing the characters and world building. We get to revel in all the tension and chemistry as the plot unfolds too. However, there are dangers popping up from an unknown source and as Arawyn gets more entangled with the guys for protection, she starts getting hints (and eventually answers) as to what they and she are. Her ideas about what they possibly are were hilarious and had me cracking up.
This first book ends on a revealing cliffhanger and please see above comment where I'm desperate for the rest of this series. There's no mm or ff and no other woman drama. I appreciated that there's also a glossary and character art at the end of the book, it's such a wonderful touch.
April 10, 2023
3.75⭐️
Let’s start with the fact that I might be bias with this review, because I’m in the mood of reverse harem and insta-lust moments.
Within Obsession and Lies tells us a story about Arawyn, a twenty six years old woman, who had a great deal of power, but had no idea how to control them. She lived in solitary because anyone who spent their time with her ended up being obsessed and tried to harm her.
There were moments when I couldn’t help but snicker. One of those moments was the fact she named her cat Asshole. Come on, it’s funny.
While I enjoyed reading this book, there are some plot holes in this story. For example; Where did she get the money in the first place to forge the weapon? How did she hide from her parents since she ran away at the age of 16?
To summarize, we got:
Reverse Harem
Fae
Insta-lust
Strong FMC
Smut
In short, I had an enjoyable time reading Within Obsession and Lies. If you’re looking for smut and fantasy (but mostly smut), you might enjoy this book.
People were drawn to her like moths to a flame, and the longer she was in their presence, the deeper their infatuation grew.
Let’s start with the fact that I might be bias with this review, because I’m in the mood of reverse harem and insta-lust moments.
Within Obsession and Lies tells us a story about Arawyn, a twenty six years old woman, who had a great deal of power, but had no idea how to control them. She lived in solitary because anyone who spent their time with her ended up being obsessed and tried to harm her.
Her hair lost its color until it was nearly white. Her eyes, once a normal, soft green, were now a green so pale they were nearly silver.
There were moments when I couldn’t help but snicker. One of those moments was the fact she named her cat Asshole. Come on, it’s funny.
While I enjoyed reading this book, there are some plot holes in this story. For example; Where did she get the money in the first place to forge the weapon? How did she hide from her parents since she ran away at the age of 16?
To summarize, we got:
Reverse Harem
Fae
Insta-lust
Strong FMC
Smut
In short, I had an enjoyable time reading Within Obsession and Lies. If you’re looking for smut and fantasy (but mostly smut), you might enjoy this book.
November 17, 2023
4 stars but no OW drama and no past hookups showing up brings it to 5. They didn’t seem like manwhores so a win for me in RH.
One of the guys is a virgin. When he was forced to be with women he made an illusion of himself and it didn’t go beyond touching.
The heroine has never been in love but has had one night stands casually.
Another hero has been with other but has never shared the knotting experience with another
One of the guys is a virgin. When he was forced to be with women he made an illusion of himself and it didn’t go beyond touching.
The heroine has never been in love but has had one night stands casually.
Another hero has been with other but has never shared the knotting experience with another
April 24, 2022
Within Obsession and Lies is, quite frankly, a mess of a novel with an overly sexualized main character, little to no world building, and bland characters.
I read a few other reviews criticizing the opening chapter of Within Obsession and Lies by saying that it reads as if a man wrote it and they are absolutely correct. The main character, Arawyn, is described as wearing lingerie as she forges weapons and thinks about her own curves and sexual needs. This is also in line with my criticism that Arawyn is overly sexualized.
Within Obsession and Lies is a fantasy novel with fae and human realms with different courts. That’s all I can tell you about the world building since there’s so little of it and the information provided is messy at best. Near the end of the novel, it appears as if readers will finally get answers but, instead, are given a paragraph summary of what the characters spoke about.
Jones and Wylde do a lot of telling instead of showing. There’s a slight time jump of about three weeks where Arawyn spent time with the three men. Instead of using this page time to develop the characters and their budding relationship, Jones and Wylde summarized the three weeks in a couple of sentences.
For a novel of this size, nothing happens and none of the characters are developed. The characters are all bland caricatures of every other stereotypical characters in fae fantasy and reverse harems.
Within Obsession and Lies was written to have candles made for it. The amount of times the characters’ smell was emphasized could have gotten me drunk had I been taking a shot everytime it was mentioned. Each character has a distinct smell consisting of three different scents.
Overall, Within Obsession and Lies fails in almost every aspect. The world building is abysmal, the characters barely developed, and a desperate cliffhanger to try to keep readers interested.
I read a few other reviews criticizing the opening chapter of Within Obsession and Lies by saying that it reads as if a man wrote it and they are absolutely correct. The main character, Arawyn, is described as wearing lingerie as she forges weapons and thinks about her own curves and sexual needs. This is also in line with my criticism that Arawyn is overly sexualized.
Within Obsession and Lies is a fantasy novel with fae and human realms with different courts. That’s all I can tell you about the world building since there’s so little of it and the information provided is messy at best. Near the end of the novel, it appears as if readers will finally get answers but, instead, are given a paragraph summary of what the characters spoke about.
Jones and Wylde do a lot of telling instead of showing. There’s a slight time jump of about three weeks where Arawyn spent time with the three men. Instead of using this page time to develop the characters and their budding relationship, Jones and Wylde summarized the three weeks in a couple of sentences.
For a novel of this size, nothing happens and none of the characters are developed. The characters are all bland caricatures of every other stereotypical characters in fae fantasy and reverse harems.
Within Obsession and Lies was written to have candles made for it. The amount of times the characters’ smell was emphasized could have gotten me drunk had I been taking a shot everytime it was mentioned. Each character has a distinct smell consisting of three different scents.
Overall, Within Obsession and Lies fails in almost every aspect. The world building is abysmal, the characters barely developed, and a desperate cliffhanger to try to keep readers interested.
December 30, 2021
Look at the beautiful cover.
Then, look at the blurb.
Then look at my review:
Hard pass. the female main character were annoying and boring, no personality whatsoever, going around in lace-like outfits waiting to be attacked, and more...
I really had hoped this would be good, but for me it was not.
Then, look at the blurb.
Then look at my review:
Hard pass. the female main character were annoying and boring, no personality whatsoever, going around in lace-like outfits waiting to be attacked, and more...
I really had hoped this would be good, but for me it was not.
May 6, 2023
Downrated!! From 4 stars to 2 stars upon reread.
Why? Because this was word soup.
-------
Re-reading because book 3 was released and my memory is sketchy at best.
Already halfway through and I already know that this is getting a massive downrate.
The issue is that it's overwritten. I love all the tropes Stacy Jones typcially uses on her characters (even the insta love), and even though this is with fae, which are not my cup of tea, I could've - and did on the first read - love this.
But now all the monologues explaining character backgrounds and motives and minute thoughts just grate like fingernails on blackboard. I am being ungenerous because I don't have time to sleep much because of work & travel (at least I can read), but the issues here are huge. I do remember not loving this as much as the Chosen series by Jones.
I'm not going to blame Harper Wylde, since I don't know her other works. Probably it's just the complexity of the set up and both authors not knowing what to do instead of info-dumping everything in the readers lap.
The novel does have good parts and the characters could be lively and interesting. Unfortunately they were put in a blender and dyed purple.
-----------
I ... unexpectedly really loved this.
It was set up to be a disaster for me:
- Fae heroes (not just one Legolas, but multiple??)
- Fae heroine who doesn't know it
- of course she's so speshul
- Cliffhanger ending with more books to come and no real resolution
- Heroine isn't clued in to the backstage drama, which means most of the plot is abs and fawning
And yet I absolutely loved every second. I was glued to my kindle while cooking!
I blame Stacy Jones. She hypnotized me with her cuddly heroes and gold star loyal heroine. I love a solid, doggedly loyal heroine. And Stacy Jones writes all her ladies that way. It helped that I adored the cast of heroes as well:
Viper was crazy, like a chewing gum on meth, but he also really fit his nickname "cookie monster".
Fearson was the calm rock of the team, a huge teddy just meant for cuddling.
Rathe was an aloof and suspicious ice queen.
I loved them all.
I liked Arawyn as well, and I am curious to find out more about the weapons she makes. Hopefully this will be a trilogy at leasr and we don't have to wait too long for the sequel.
Maybe if you write over the top instalove harem you need to just really believe in this stuff and have your cast of main characters believe it too. Much like Disney Princess movies, most of the magic is the dopeyness of the people and their charming belief in Goodness and True Love and their undying dedication to each other.
Why? Because this was word soup.
-------
Re-reading because book 3 was released and my memory is sketchy at best.
Already halfway through and I already know that this is getting a massive downrate.
The issue is that it's overwritten. I love all the tropes Stacy Jones typcially uses on her characters (even the insta love), and even though this is with fae, which are not my cup of tea, I could've - and did on the first read - love this.
But now all the monologues explaining character backgrounds and motives and minute thoughts just grate like fingernails on blackboard. I am being ungenerous because I don't have time to sleep much because of work & travel (at least I can read), but the issues here are huge. I do remember not loving this as much as the Chosen series by Jones.
I'm not going to blame Harper Wylde, since I don't know her other works. Probably it's just the complexity of the set up and both authors not knowing what to do instead of info-dumping everything in the readers lap.
The novel does have good parts and the characters could be lively and interesting. Unfortunately they were put in a blender and dyed purple.
-----------
I ... unexpectedly really loved this.
It was set up to be a disaster for me:
- Fae heroes (not just one Legolas, but multiple??)
- Fae heroine who doesn't know it
- of course she's so speshul
- Cliffhanger ending with more books to come and no real resolution
- Heroine isn't clued in to the backstage drama, which means most of the plot is abs and fawning
And yet I absolutely loved every second. I was glued to my kindle while cooking!
I blame Stacy Jones. She hypnotized me with her cuddly heroes and gold star loyal heroine. I love a solid, doggedly loyal heroine. And Stacy Jones writes all her ladies that way. It helped that I adored the cast of heroes as well:
Viper was crazy, like a chewing gum on meth, but he also really fit his nickname "cookie monster".
Fearson was the calm rock of the team, a huge teddy just meant for cuddling.
Rathe was an aloof and suspicious ice queen.
I loved them all.
I liked Arawyn as well, and I am curious to find out more about the weapons she makes. Hopefully this will be a trilogy at leasr and we don't have to wait too long for the sequel.
Maybe if you write over the top instalove harem you need to just really believe in this stuff and have your cast of main characters believe it too. Much like Disney Princess movies, most of the magic is the dopeyness of the people and their charming belief in Goodness and True Love and their undying dedication to each other.
March 11, 2023
Holy freaking-moly. My mind is BLOWN🤯 This is my favorite book of 2021.
I’m a big fan of both of these authors in their respective genres. I was surprised and delighted to see them come together with a new RH fantasy series. This completely surpassed my expectations. I already CANNOT WAIT FOR THE NEXT BOOK😍🙌. This book ends on a major cliffhanger and I am HERE FOR IT.
As a first book in a series I thought this book did an excellent job setting the tone, introducing the characters and the world. And the characters are GREAT. I liked every singe one, but (like many will probably be) I’m obsessed with Viper. He’s so adorably psycho but also broken you just want to hug him.
✔️We have our badass but clueless main lead.
✔️We have our ADORABLY cute and sexy psycho.
✔️ We have our “ruthlessly-murder-anyone-who-ever wronged you and then cuddle” protector.
✔️ We have the tattooed, dark, deadly, and resistant alpha.
It’s every one of my favorite character types in one book😭
If you are a fan of fantasy, romance, reverse harem spice, and morally light grey characters- this is a must read.
I’m a big fan of both of these authors in their respective genres. I was surprised and delighted to see them come together with a new RH fantasy series. This completely surpassed my expectations. I already CANNOT WAIT FOR THE NEXT BOOK😍🙌. This book ends on a major cliffhanger and I am HERE FOR IT.
As a first book in a series I thought this book did an excellent job setting the tone, introducing the characters and the world. And the characters are GREAT. I liked every singe one, but (like many will probably be) I’m obsessed with Viper. He’s so adorably psycho but also broken you just want to hug him.
✔️We have our badass but clueless main lead.
✔️We have our ADORABLY cute and sexy psycho.
✔️ We have our “ruthlessly-murder-anyone-who-ever wronged you and then cuddle” protector.
✔️ We have the tattooed, dark, deadly, and resistant alpha.
It’s every one of my favorite character types in one book😭
If you are a fan of fantasy, romance, reverse harem spice, and morally light grey characters- this is a must read.
September 29, 2021
What an amazing start to a series!
If you are looking for something that has fae that are hot, "alien", and monster-y, then you need to pick this book up!
Arawyn, the female MC, is an absolute bad ass, so if that's your jam, be prepared to have a new girl-crush and idol. The thing about Arawyn is, she doesn't know why she's different, just that she is. As she learns more about who (or what) she is, so do you as the reader, which is my favorite kind of world building.
Rathe, Viper, and Fear ooze sex appeal, mystery, and are the type of anti-heroes a girl can spend hours day dreaming about. They each have their own brand of "touch her and you die" vibes which left me swooning and with hearts in my eyes.
To recap, if you are looking for a book with three hot "monster-y" fae, a bad ass female MC, and mystery/intrigue... oh plus some body tingling spice... you need to grab this book!
***I received an ARC of this book for an honest review
If you are looking for something that has fae that are hot, "alien", and monster-y, then you need to pick this book up!
Arawyn, the female MC, is an absolute bad ass, so if that's your jam, be prepared to have a new girl-crush and idol. The thing about Arawyn is, she doesn't know why she's different, just that she is. As she learns more about who (or what) she is, so do you as the reader, which is my favorite kind of world building.
Rathe, Viper, and Fear ooze sex appeal, mystery, and are the type of anti-heroes a girl can spend hours day dreaming about. They each have their own brand of "touch her and you die" vibes which left me swooning and with hearts in my eyes.
To recap, if you are looking for a book with three hot "monster-y" fae, a bad ass female MC, and mystery/intrigue... oh plus some body tingling spice... you need to grab this book!
***I received an ARC of this book for an honest review
January 2, 2022
Maybe even 4.5.
I shouldn't have liked this as much as I did, mainly because it has lots of tropes I don't usually enjoy or have the patience for. Maybe I was just in the mood for this sort of book, or maybe the tropes just worked for me here. Either way, I really enjoyed this.
We have fated mates, a MC they all think is perfect, insta-love, sort of. But I liked it! I've read very few RH books in the last year, but this book reminded me why I used to love the genre and why I still like to dip my toe in the pool from time to time.
I think it worked because the characters were good and well realised, there was genuine chemistry, there was some interesting ideas with the world building and it both managed to be fast burn, yet not, at the same time.
Regardless, if you like RH then I'm sure you will find something about this enjoyable, even if, like me, the usual tropes typically don't do it for you.
I shouldn't have liked this as much as I did, mainly because it has lots of tropes I don't usually enjoy or have the patience for. Maybe I was just in the mood for this sort of book, or maybe the tropes just worked for me here. Either way, I really enjoyed this.
We have fated mates, a MC they all think is perfect, insta-love, sort of. But I liked it! I've read very few RH books in the last year, but this book reminded me why I used to love the genre and why I still like to dip my toe in the pool from time to time.
I think it worked because the characters were good and well realised, there was genuine chemistry, there was some interesting ideas with the world building and it both managed to be fast burn, yet not, at the same time.
Regardless, if you like RH then I'm sure you will find something about this enjoyable, even if, like me, the usual tropes typically don't do it for you.
December 10, 2021
I really liked this one. The h was really cool and I liked the guys too. Especially Viper he was my favourite.
Good plot and romance. I wish there was more smut tho.
Also there’s like no female characters in the book other than the h which is super weird. Like not even one.
The ending was kinda predictable and ends on a cliffhanger. I’m definitely reading the next one.
Spoilers:
No OW or OM drama, no cheating, talk about SA and violence.
Good plot and romance. I wish there was more smut tho.
Also there’s like no female characters in the book other than the h which is super weird. Like not even one.
The ending was kinda predictable and ends on a cliffhanger. I’m definitely reading the next one.
Spoilers:
No OW or OM drama, no cheating, talk about SA and violence.
November 9, 2024
4,5⭐️Мені прям потрапило в настрій☺️така напруга між цими чоловіками і героїнею. Я не могла відірватися. І щось я дещо розчарована, що не було більше сексуальних сцен, але я зацікавлена продовжувати читати далі і спостерігати над розвитком їх стосунків та пробудження її сили.
October 12, 2021
In that 3.5-4 range for me!
I liked the story, I liked the characters, and I was interested in the premise. Within Obsession and Lies is a book that I'll likely dig into again, and I'm certainly invested in the series and seeing what happens.
Arawyn is an FMC that I can get behind. She's strong, crafty, magically powerful, and it's to her benefit that she really has no clue what she is or what to do with her power. If not for that, I'd almost feel like she might be sliding a little into that "too perfect" category, where she's got all the pluses that can sometimes make you think that it's just too easy. She's a little scarred by her experiences, but with the comfort level that's just ingrained with her when it comes to her men, I think there'll be a pretty fast adjustment for her.
Rathe, Viper, and Fear are good fits for what most RH readers will like. There's an edge to Viper, that little sneaky peek of insanity, that helps him fit in with what a lot of the current trends are asking for. He's a bit funny, and he's also both very aware and unaware of his moments where he's "coo coo for Cocoa Puffs." Sometimes he's all about how dangerous he is- the predator who won't hide that you'd easily be his prey- and other times, he's like a lion who wants to be treated as though he's a house cat.
Rather is the harder one to crack. He's aloof, suspicious, and definitely has his own issues with letting people in. He and Arawyn are a match in that respect, and I think that she's going to give him a very important run for his money because she's got enough power to threaten the authority that he's always held.
Fear is some of the middle ground between the two men. He's dangerous, sure, and he's someone who can revel in that danger, but he's also solid ground. He's more sane than Viper and more in touch with his emotions than Rathe, so between the three of them, we get a complete package when we want it, as well as men to draw us in when they're on their own too.
I do wish there was a bit more plot. I'm a fast reader, so I soared through this one. A lot of this first book is looking at the characters' internals- how they're feeling, what they're thinking in terms of each other and what they might be to one another. Within Obsession and Lies ends with the dropping of a big info bomb, so it's not an action-based cliffhanger, but it's definitely a move to draw up anticipation of what might be coming next. In any case, it worked. I'll be reading book two, and I'm looking forward to some more action and also a deeper look at the worldbuilding that Wylde and Jones are crafting together.
I liked the story, I liked the characters, and I was interested in the premise. Within Obsession and Lies is a book that I'll likely dig into again, and I'm certainly invested in the series and seeing what happens.
Arawyn is an FMC that I can get behind. She's strong, crafty, magically powerful, and it's to her benefit that she really has no clue what she is or what to do with her power. If not for that, I'd almost feel like she might be sliding a little into that "too perfect" category, where she's got all the pluses that can sometimes make you think that it's just too easy. She's a little scarred by her experiences, but with the comfort level that's just ingrained with her when it comes to her men, I think there'll be a pretty fast adjustment for her.
Rathe, Viper, and Fear are good fits for what most RH readers will like. There's an edge to Viper, that little sneaky peek of insanity, that helps him fit in with what a lot of the current trends are asking for. He's a bit funny, and he's also both very aware and unaware of his moments where he's "coo coo for Cocoa Puffs." Sometimes he's all about how dangerous he is- the predator who won't hide that you'd easily be his prey- and other times, he's like a lion who wants to be treated as though he's a house cat.
Rather is the harder one to crack. He's aloof, suspicious, and definitely has his own issues with letting people in. He and Arawyn are a match in that respect, and I think that she's going to give him a very important run for his money because she's got enough power to threaten the authority that he's always held.
Fear is some of the middle ground between the two men. He's dangerous, sure, and he's someone who can revel in that danger, but he's also solid ground. He's more sane than Viper and more in touch with his emotions than Rathe, so between the three of them, we get a complete package when we want it, as well as men to draw us in when they're on their own too.
I do wish there was a bit more plot. I'm a fast reader, so I soared through this one. A lot of this first book is looking at the characters' internals- how they're feeling, what they're thinking in terms of each other and what they might be to one another. Within Obsession and Lies ends with the dropping of a big info bomb, so it's not an action-based cliffhanger, but it's definitely a move to draw up anticipation of what might be coming next. In any case, it worked. I'll be reading book two, and I'm looking forward to some more action and also a deeper look at the worldbuilding that Wylde and Jones are crafting together.
December 21, 2023
Okay… I have a lot to say about this book…
Ahem… starting with…
*places arm over forehead* I didn’t sign up for this when I read the blurb… but why did I scoff it up like it was chocolate?!
Had a seriously manic love/hate relationship with this book, starting with the likes… and there are only some:
Main character set up started off flipping good! Loner Badass who makes magical weapons?! Fuck yes, sign me the hell up!
Mystery of her powers and her tragic back story (only touched upon) had me gripped! Hence why I finished the book and didn’t smack it against my head…
Her back story had me feeling so much sympathy, I generally wanted her to get sucked into this unknown magical world (not a sexual pun), maybe to be led on a wild goose chase till she got answers to why she has powers. I wanted there to be a twist, someone betraying her, more tragedy, more lies (as the title suggested)… only I was slapped with some soft core porn and some weird anatomy descriptions of the male characters genitalia… we lose track of the plot completely during the last half of the book… in it’s place… a looming foursome and calling our main character a lost princess… cool.
I love some good raunchy scenes in my books now and then but the following had me laughing with a bunch of my friends on a camping trip:
There were sooooo many cringy moments that I can’t even list them all without hurting my thumbs (yes I’m staring angrily at the screen right now), but it always started with some sort of pet name… followed by descriptions like ‘purring” or ‘growling’. WHY DO FANTASY AUTHORS ALWAYS HAVE SOMEONE PURRING OR GROWLING?!
As for the characters’ actual names… smh… WHY OH WHY name one of your characters ‘Fearson’ just to nickname them ‘Fear’ (vomits) but ‘Braven’ to ‘Brave’ had me literally laugh crying… it felt like a crime was being committed.
So in short I was not impressed to say the least… not to mention how confused I was with where the hell did the plot went… For instance; why put her so called best friend in about 5 pages worth of this book and not have her wonder where the hell he went? I guess she was too busy being thirsty.. so it didn’t matter where the plot went (no don’t be so silly, you didn’t read a book like this for that) You just wanted to read about a magical fairy foursome… smh.
Sorry to be harsh but this was a big disappointment… why was this so heavily hyped? Nothing actually really happened in this book…
Ahem… starting with…
*places arm over forehead* I didn’t sign up for this when I read the blurb… but why did I scoff it up like it was chocolate?!
Had a seriously manic love/hate relationship with this book, starting with the likes… and there are only some:
Main character set up started off flipping good! Loner Badass who makes magical weapons?! Fuck yes, sign me the hell up!
Mystery of her powers and her tragic back story (only touched upon) had me gripped! Hence why I finished the book and didn’t smack it against my head…
Her back story had me feeling so much sympathy, I generally wanted her to get sucked into this unknown magical world (not a sexual pun), maybe to be led on a wild goose chase till she got answers to why she has powers. I wanted there to be a twist, someone betraying her, more tragedy, more lies (as the title suggested)… only I was slapped with some soft core porn and some weird anatomy descriptions of the male characters genitalia… we lose track of the plot completely during the last half of the book… in it’s place… a looming foursome and calling our main character a lost princess… cool.
I love some good raunchy scenes in my books now and then but the following had me laughing with a bunch of my friends on a camping trip:
There were sooooo many cringy moments that I can’t even list them all without hurting my thumbs (yes I’m staring angrily at the screen right now), but it always started with some sort of pet name… followed by descriptions like ‘purring” or ‘growling’. WHY DO FANTASY AUTHORS ALWAYS HAVE SOMEONE PURRING OR GROWLING?!
As for the characters’ actual names… smh… WHY OH WHY name one of your characters ‘Fearson’ just to nickname them ‘Fear’ (vomits) but ‘Braven’ to ‘Brave’ had me literally laugh crying… it felt like a crime was being committed.
So in short I was not impressed to say the least… not to mention how confused I was with where the hell did the plot went… For instance; why put her so called best friend in about 5 pages worth of this book and not have her wonder where the hell he went? I guess she was too busy being thirsty.. so it didn’t matter where the plot went (no don’t be so silly, you didn’t read a book like this for that) You just wanted to read about a magical fairy foursome… smh.
Sorry to be harsh but this was a big disappointment… why was this so heavily hyped? Nothing actually really happened in this book…
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 28, 2021
We just finished an arc of this book and absolutely loved it.
Arawyn's life has been difficult and lonely ever since she discovered that she was not the same as everyone else. Arawyn is powerful, but she doesn't know why, or the extent of that power. All she knows is that it has only ever brought darkness into her life.
One night her life becomes more complicated when she is drawn to three sexy as hell alpha men, Rathe, Viper and Fear. Rathe is the broody leader, Viper is the lovable psychopath, and Fear is alluring in all of the right ways.
In her quest to find out who she is, and as the path gets more dangerous, she finds herself warring with her intense need to handle things on her own, and the small ounce of hope that maybe these three men could help her.
It ends on a cliffhanger that will have you hanging to read book 2.
Arawyn's life has been difficult and lonely ever since she discovered that she was not the same as everyone else. Arawyn is powerful, but she doesn't know why, or the extent of that power. All she knows is that it has only ever brought darkness into her life.
One night her life becomes more complicated when she is drawn to three sexy as hell alpha men, Rathe, Viper and Fear. Rathe is the broody leader, Viper is the lovable psychopath, and Fear is alluring in all of the right ways.
In her quest to find out who she is, and as the path gets more dangerous, she finds herself warring with her intense need to handle things on her own, and the small ounce of hope that maybe these three men could help her.
It ends on a cliffhanger that will have you hanging to read book 2.
September 30, 2021
This is your book if you are looking for a fierce, weapon-wielding FMC and a harem with a touch of crazy, sweet, psycho, and fae. Honestly, I loved it. I read this as an ARC but will be gladly be adding the next to my list of preorders. The FMC, Arawyn is so compelling as she learns about who and what she is. The boys (or hot fairy man candy) have some fun extra bits that make this 18+ story an eye-popping adventure, but you should know this is a slower burn than some others and is certainly written plot forward. Thanks, ladies, for the fun read! Please give out the next book ASAP because you killed with that cliffhanger!
Read
January 10, 2022ugh like...
i really liked this, however idk if there was a plot? lmao
like i read this in one sitting and i cant for the life of me figure out what happened during the whole book....................
the romance like barely started.... not much action...... WHAT!
i will be reading the sequel 100%
i loved the characters and i NEED to see more
i really liked this, however idk if there was a plot? lmao
like i read this in one sitting and i cant for the life of me figure out what happened during the whole book....................
the romance like barely started.... not much action...... WHAT!
i will be reading the sequel 100%
i loved the characters and i NEED to see more
November 16, 2023
This book surprised me so much! I don't even know how to describe all this book is because there is just so much to it. Arawyn has been on her own since she turned 16 when she all of a sudden developed magic and anyone who spent too much time with her became obsessed with her and hurt her. About 10 years later she is living on her own and has made somewhat of a life for herself. A lonely one with only a cat named Asshole to keep her company. One night her powers flare and she has to leave her home only to find three mysterious men who don't have the same reaction to her as everyone else does.
Rathe who looks like he is a mob boss. Viper the mentally unstable, golden retriever, psychopath assassin. and Fear the protective teddy bear. These men were everything and I loved how fast they fell for Arawyn, well all but one...
Viper literally stole the show with how freaking sweet and unstable he is. And you have to love a man who will do anything to protect you like Fear does. Rathe is the dark and broody man that you just can't help but fall for. I also loved that they didn't just try to put Arawyn in a corner to protect her. They wanted to help her learn how to protect herself. Highly recommend this book to anyone looking for a RH romantasy with a badass FMC and MMCs that will do anything for her.
What you get:
~Fated mates
~Fae
~Golden retriever psychopath
~A cat named Asshole
~Badass FMC
~He fell first and harder
Rathe who looks like he is a mob boss. Viper the mentally unstable, golden retriever, psychopath assassin. and Fear the protective teddy bear. These men were everything and I loved how fast they fell for Arawyn, well all but one...
Viper literally stole the show with how freaking sweet and unstable he is. And you have to love a man who will do anything to protect you like Fear does. Rathe is the dark and broody man that you just can't help but fall for. I also loved that they didn't just try to put Arawyn in a corner to protect her. They wanted to help her learn how to protect herself. Highly recommend this book to anyone looking for a RH romantasy with a badass FMC and MMCs that will do anything for her.
What you get:
~Fated mates
~Fae
~Golden retriever psychopath
~A cat named Asshole
~Badass FMC
~He fell first and harder
October 24, 2022
Tenía potencial: una linda portada y una historia que a priori parecía interesante ¿El problema? La forma en la que esta contada.
Este parece un libro escrito por un hombre, para hombres. Claramente no lo digo como un cumplido. La forma en la que describían a la protagonista fue tan... men. A ver, para que me entiendan, la protagonista era una joven muy linda y flaca, con grandes tetas (no se olviden de esto que no es un detalle menor según lo que dicen), que escucha heavy metal y no es como las otras chicas superficiales que se maquillan... ella anda en moto.
Claro que no es un problema que a ella le gusten todas estas cosas, el problema es que en vez de plantearlo como algo de ella,o plantean como algo para ellos. No se si se entiende lo que quiero decir, pero es que básicamente este personaje fue escrito para agradar y enamorar a los hombres. Casi no nos hablan de ella, de sus expectativas, de como se siente... me da bronca porque pudo haber sido un gran libro.
El único personaje que me gusta mucho, y la razón de esas 2☆ es Viper. Lo amo.
Todo el resto se sintió misogino, y no de la forma que esta hecho a propósito para conscientizar, sino de la forma implícita de misoginia interiorizada.
No se dejen guiar por la bella portada (como hice yo), sinceramente no lo recomendaría
Este parece un libro escrito por un hombre, para hombres. Claramente no lo digo como un cumplido. La forma en la que describían a la protagonista fue tan... men. A ver, para que me entiendan, la protagonista era una joven muy linda y flaca, con grandes tetas (no se olviden de esto que no es un detalle menor según lo que dicen), que escucha heavy metal y no es como las otras chicas superficiales que se maquillan... ella anda en moto.
Claro que no es un problema que a ella le gusten todas estas cosas, el problema es que en vez de plantearlo como algo de ella,o plantean como algo para ellos. No se si se entiende lo que quiero decir, pero es que básicamente este personaje fue escrito para agradar y enamorar a los hombres. Casi no nos hablan de ella, de sus expectativas, de como se siente... me da bronca porque pudo haber sido un gran libro.
El único personaje que me gusta mucho, y la razón de esas 2☆ es Viper. Lo amo.
Todo el resto se sintió misogino, y no de la forma que esta hecho a propósito para conscientizar, sino de la forma implícita de misoginia interiorizada.
No se dejen guiar por la bella portada (como hice yo), sinceramente no lo recomendaría
July 15, 2022
Erm, not quite sure of my thoughts on this book. Like for some reason, the pacing felt weird? Also, the main girl Arawyn being a walking, talking description of a sex doll was a little odd.
I actually really liked the guys in this. Fearson was swoon af, all tall and caring. Viper was the certifiably insane love interest, who def made me giggle. Rathe was fine, although the way he refused to trust Arawyn was sort of annoying (but obvi he got over it).
Maybe one of the reasons I felt disconnected from this book was because Arawyn was a little too badass. She almost seemed written by a man. I just didn't feel connected to her character at all.
This wasn't a bad book at all, but I don't find myself interested enough to continue with the series, even though it ended on a semi-cliffhanger.
I actually really liked the guys in this. Fearson was swoon af, all tall and caring. Viper was the certifiably insane love interest, who def made me giggle. Rathe was fine, although the way he refused to trust Arawyn was sort of annoying (but obvi he got over it).
Maybe one of the reasons I felt disconnected from this book was because Arawyn was a little too badass. She almost seemed written by a man. I just didn't feel connected to her character at all.
This wasn't a bad book at all, but I don't find myself interested enough to continue with the series, even though it ended on a semi-cliffhanger.
January 7, 2022
Fantastic book! It’s a reverse harem, slow burn. I loved all the characters! You have your perfect book boyfriend, your hilarious psycho path, and your broody fallen angel! I love how the main character can hold her own, and is strong and not just a pretty face! Definitely recommend!! Looking forward to reading the second one in march!
October 4, 2025
3.5⭐️
December 14, 2021
I have read a lot of shitty fantasy romances and this one is definitely the shittiest. I went into this expecting a plot of some sort, but boy was I wrong. Read this book if you want sex to be the basis of literally every interaction. Watch as the “strange” 5’3 white blonde girl with green eyes gets turned on by making weapons. Honestly I couldn’t read this straight through without cringing every two seconds. I don’t understand how it has such a high rating, all the characters are boring and the writing style is mediocre. Usually I love some clichés, but holy shit this is ass. The guys names suck, their personality types are stereotypical and boring and there are just so many plot holes that are never resolved. The ending is abrupt, but also welcome. Don’t waste your time.
September 27, 2023
Gonna keep it short and sweet. I put this series off for soooo long! I was an idiot! It’s the perfect blend of mystery, intrigue, and spice. And you can’t forget the men in this harem. They are perfection….the perfect blend of sweet, psychotic, growly, and possessive. Just read it! You won’t regret it!
June 10, 2022
3.8 🌟!! (I couldn’t quite give it 4…)
𝗜𝗳 𝗗𝗲𝗻 𝗼𝗳 𝗩𝗶𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗙𝗹𝗮𝗺𝗲𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗼𝘀 𝗵𝗮𝗱 𝗮 𝗹𝗼𝘃𝗲 𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗱, 𝗶𝘁 𝘄𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗯𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗯𝗼𝗼𝗸…
𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗶𝘀 𝗮 𝗿𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗲-𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗺, 𝘂𝗿𝗯𝗮𝗻 𝗳𝗮𝗻𝘁𝗮𝘀𝘆 𝗿𝗼𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗯𝗼𝗼𝗸 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗮 𝗹𝗼𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝗱𝗮𝗿𝗸 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗺𝗲𝘀…
I had a love-hate relationship with this book but for some reason I couldn’t put it down. It’s one of those books that are slightly cringey but have a fast flowing pace so they’ve very easy to get through.
👫𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀:
Arawyn is low-key a pick me girl but I feel like she’s also just your typical ‘fantasy female character”. She’s sassy, intelligent, capable of anything and has that slightly irritating trait of never following orders. BUT, I’m all for her sex-positive attitude.
Rathe is the ‘leader’ of the group as he is the Prince of the Light Court and supposed future heir…He’s your typical brooding and mysterious character who has an undeniable attraction towards Arawyn but is fighting his desire…obviously…
Viper is your slightly crazy, slightly psychotic character that has a soft side for Arawyn and a dark traumatic past to blame… He’s the bastard brother of Rathe and, as a result, had to deal with a lot of abuse from their Father.
Fearsome, as Rathes’ royal personal guard, was my personal favourite but I can’t exactly describe why. He’s the perfect blend of the other two boys: brooding and mysterious but also slightly psychotic and possessive.
There were a few side characters but the main one is Braven - Arawyns supposed only friend and confidant but yet, he suddenly disappears at one point early on in the book and is never mentioned again (I’m currently reading the second book and am 85% through and he’s still not mentioned!!! PLOT HOLE!!!?)
🌎 𝗪𝗼𝗿𝗹𝗱-𝗕𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴: 𝟮/𝟱
There’s a lot of mentions of random Fae creatures throughout the book but not much is said besides what they are. The world of ‘Faery’ is hardly mentioned at all - all we know is that there is a Light Court and a Night Court. I know this is more of an urban fantasy book BUT, given that every character in the book is FAE, I wanted to know more about the FAE WORLD…(and not just random info summed up in the last few chapters) BUT I’m hoping that the second book will include more of the world building.
🌶 𝗦𝗽𝗶𝗰𝗲: 𝟮/𝟱
The spice wasn’t bad, in fact, it had me blushing, but, there just wasn’t a lot of it in this book. The main 75% of the book was just pure sexual tension which I can’t complain about… the second book in the series has much more spice though if that’s what you’re after!
After finishing this book, I’m not going to lie, I did immediately download the second one of the series and start reading it. Loads of people gave this 5 stars and I can totally see the appeal - if you love an urban fantasy full of sexy Fae men then you should try this book out!!
The reason why I couldn’t give the book quite 4 stars is because I found myself cringing so much at the dialogue at points and a lot of the character traits are stereotypical - so is this a unique urban fantasy? Not by any means BUT, I did enjoy it.
𝗜𝗳 𝗗𝗲𝗻 𝗼𝗳 𝗩𝗶𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗙𝗹𝗮𝗺𝗲𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗼𝘀 𝗵𝗮𝗱 𝗮 𝗹𝗼𝘃𝗲 𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗱, 𝗶𝘁 𝘄𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗯𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗯𝗼𝗼𝗸…
𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗶𝘀 𝗮 𝗿𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗲-𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗺, 𝘂𝗿𝗯𝗮𝗻 𝗳𝗮𝗻𝘁𝗮𝘀𝘆 𝗿𝗼𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗯𝗼𝗼𝗸 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗮 𝗹𝗼𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝗱𝗮𝗿𝗸 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗺𝗲𝘀…
I had a love-hate relationship with this book but for some reason I couldn’t put it down. It’s one of those books that are slightly cringey but have a fast flowing pace so they’ve very easy to get through.
👫𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀:
Arawyn is low-key a pick me girl but I feel like she’s also just your typical ‘fantasy female character”. She’s sassy, intelligent, capable of anything and has that slightly irritating trait of never following orders. BUT, I’m all for her sex-positive attitude.
Rathe is the ‘leader’ of the group as he is the Prince of the Light Court and supposed future heir…He’s your typical brooding and mysterious character who has an undeniable attraction towards Arawyn but is fighting his desire…obviously…
Viper is your slightly crazy, slightly psychotic character that has a soft side for Arawyn and a dark traumatic past to blame… He’s the bastard brother of Rathe and, as a result, had to deal with a lot of abuse from their Father.
Fearsome, as Rathes’ royal personal guard, was my personal favourite but I can’t exactly describe why. He’s the perfect blend of the other two boys: brooding and mysterious but also slightly psychotic and possessive.
There were a few side characters but the main one is Braven - Arawyns supposed only friend and confidant but yet, he suddenly disappears at one point early on in the book and is never mentioned again (I’m currently reading the second book and am 85% through and he’s still not mentioned!!! PLOT HOLE!!!?)
🌎 𝗪𝗼𝗿𝗹𝗱-𝗕𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴: 𝟮/𝟱
There’s a lot of mentions of random Fae creatures throughout the book but not much is said besides what they are. The world of ‘Faery’ is hardly mentioned at all - all we know is that there is a Light Court and a Night Court. I know this is more of an urban fantasy book BUT, given that every character in the book is FAE, I wanted to know more about the FAE WORLD…(and not just random info summed up in the last few chapters) BUT I’m hoping that the second book will include more of the world building.
🌶 𝗦𝗽𝗶𝗰𝗲: 𝟮/𝟱
The spice wasn’t bad, in fact, it had me blushing, but, there just wasn’t a lot of it in this book. The main 75% of the book was just pure sexual tension which I can’t complain about… the second book in the series has much more spice though if that’s what you’re after!
After finishing this book, I’m not going to lie, I did immediately download the second one of the series and start reading it. Loads of people gave this 5 stars and I can totally see the appeal - if you love an urban fantasy full of sexy Fae men then you should try this book out!!
The reason why I couldn’t give the book quite 4 stars is because I found myself cringing so much at the dialogue at points and a lot of the character traits are stereotypical - so is this a unique urban fantasy? Not by any means BUT, I did enjoy it.
May 20, 2023
y’all know my kryptonite is kindle unlimited smutty romantasies.
this was fun, but fun in the same kind of way zodiac academy/ruthless boys/darkmore penitentiary is fun. it’s goofy, it’s weird, it’s completely unserious while also sort of tackling more serious topics, and also existing in that weird space that is urban fantasy. we have ducatis and night clubs and faerie cocaine, but also wings and knotted c*cks.
our FMC — arawyn — has had a life of trauma, due to bizarre and uncontrolled powers of magnetism that make everyone she comes into prolonged contact with utterly obsessed (to a terrifying, dangerous extent) with her. this has left her bereft, lonely, and entirely self-sufficient, but also clueless as to who or what she really is.
the MMCs (MULTIPLE, because this is a why choose!) are three faerie men hanging out earthside to find bad fae to feed to the faerie king — until they meet arawyn, and become so enamored that their whole feeding-people-to-the-king plot gets back-burnered.
the plot and writing here is not great, admittedly, and there’s a character who i truly couldn’t stand for the first 80% of this book because of his intentional buffoonery. if you’ve read darkmore penitentiary, this character is literally identical to sin wilder. if you’ve read ruthless boys, this character has leon’s personality with ryder’s body. it’s just too much goofiness for me to fully immerse myself in the plot.
there are a lot of questions that are danced around (thanks to our FMC’s abject refusal to ask a goddamn question), but ultimately this came together in the end to be a solidly enjoyable experience. i’m intrigued enough — and worn into the idea of viper as a character enough — to continue with the second book.
a solid 3.5, but the last star and a half didn’t show up until about 75% onward. if you’re feeling patient and are interested in magical boyfriends with fun anatomy (wings! horns! knots!), then this will probably be enjoyable for you.
this was fun, but fun in the same kind of way zodiac academy/ruthless boys/darkmore penitentiary is fun. it’s goofy, it’s weird, it’s completely unserious while also sort of tackling more serious topics, and also existing in that weird space that is urban fantasy. we have ducatis and night clubs and faerie cocaine, but also wings and knotted c*cks.
our FMC — arawyn — has had a life of trauma, due to bizarre and uncontrolled powers of magnetism that make everyone she comes into prolonged contact with utterly obsessed (to a terrifying, dangerous extent) with her. this has left her bereft, lonely, and entirely self-sufficient, but also clueless as to who or what she really is.
the MMCs (MULTIPLE, because this is a why choose!) are three faerie men hanging out earthside to find bad fae to feed to the faerie king — until they meet arawyn, and become so enamored that their whole feeding-people-to-the-king plot gets back-burnered.
the plot and writing here is not great, admittedly, and there’s a character who i truly couldn’t stand for the first 80% of this book because of his intentional buffoonery. if you’ve read darkmore penitentiary, this character is literally identical to sin wilder. if you’ve read ruthless boys, this character has leon’s personality with ryder’s body. it’s just too much goofiness for me to fully immerse myself in the plot.
there are a lot of questions that are danced around (thanks to our FMC’s abject refusal to ask a goddamn question), but ultimately this came together in the end to be a solidly enjoyable experience. i’m intrigued enough — and worn into the idea of viper as a character enough — to continue with the second book.
a solid 3.5, but the last star and a half didn’t show up until about 75% onward. if you’re feeling patient and are interested in magical boyfriends with fun anatomy (wings! horns! knots!), then this will probably be enjoyable for you.
January 8, 2022
This book was fabulous and I loved the men who are part of Arawyns harem. Especially Viper - he gives me Diesel from DOV feels, except with less “I’m going to unalive the FMC” vibes. My only issue I had was that I was left with a lot of questions on Arawyns backstory. She had a hard, lonely life growing up but there was no reference to her having a job or how she was able to live the life she was currently which left me with lots of questions. Maybe this will be cleared up in book 2? Either way I’m excited to see how the story progresses!
August 7, 2024
⭐️⭐️! This book was unnecessarily long considering there was little to no world building or character development. Admittedly, it was intriguing at the start but got boring the further in I got. For my first fantasy, it definitely disappointed me sadly!
April 9, 2022
Okay but why was this so good? I seriously couldn’t put this book down!! It delivers EVERYTHING!! Also the fact that it’s beautifully illustrated? Damn.
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