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Venom & Vow
Two enemy kingdoms are forced to work together to break a curse in this lush YA fantasy, featuring a transgender prince and a bigender dama/assassin in the lead roles.
Keep your enemy closer.
Cade McKenna is a transgender prince who’s doubling for his brother.
Valencia Palafox is a young dama attending the future queen of Eliana.
Gael Palma is the infamous boy assassin Cade has vowed to protect.
Patrick McKenna is the reluctant heir to a kingdom, and the prince Gael has vowed to destroy.
Cade doesn’t know that Gael and Valencia are the same person.
Valencia doesn’t know that every time she thinks she’s fighting Patrick, she’s fighting Cade.
And when Cade and Valencia blame each other for a devastating enchantment that takes both their families, neither of them realizes that they have far more dangerous enemies.
Cowritten by married writing team Anna-Marie and Elliott McLemore, Venom & Vow is a lush and powerful YA novel about owning your power and becoming who you really are - no matter the cost.
Keep your enemy closer.
Cade McKenna is a transgender prince who’s doubling for his brother.
Valencia Palafox is a young dama attending the future queen of Eliana.
Gael Palma is the infamous boy assassin Cade has vowed to protect.
Patrick McKenna is the reluctant heir to a kingdom, and the prince Gael has vowed to destroy.
Cade doesn’t know that Gael and Valencia are the same person.
Valencia doesn’t know that every time she thinks she’s fighting Patrick, she’s fighting Cade.
And when Cade and Valencia blame each other for a devastating enchantment that takes both their families, neither of them realizes that they have far more dangerous enemies.
Cowritten by married writing team Anna-Marie and Elliott McLemore, Venom & Vow is a lush and powerful YA novel about owning your power and becoming who you really are - no matter the cost.
336 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 16, 2023
43 people are currently reading
5479 people want to read
About the author
Anna-Marie McLemore
31 books3,496 followersAnna-Marie McLemore (they/them) is the author of William C. Morris Debut Award Finalist The Weight of Feathers; Wild Beauty; Blanca & Roja, one of TIME Magazine’s 100 Best Fantasy Novels of All Time; Indie Next List title Dark and Deepest Red; Lakelore, an NECBA Windows & Mirrors title; and National Book Award longlist selections When the Moon Was Ours, which was also a Stonewall Honor Book; The Mirror Season; and Self-Made Boys: A Great Gatsby Remix. Their latest release is Venom & Vow, co-authored with Elliott McLemore, and Flawless Girls will be released by from Feiwel & Friends in May 2028. Their adult debut, The Influencers, is forthcoming from Dial Press.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 347 reviews
Want to read
January 16, 2022this is about a transgender prince and a bigender boy assassin/lady-in-waiting who are “simultaneously falling for and trying to destroy each other”… if there’s anyone who could redeem YA fantasy for me, it’d be Anna-Marie McLemore!
November 24, 2022
Two trans / nonbinary, disabled main characters in an enemies-to-lovers situation - This book is all I ever wanted. I hope other readers love it too once it comes out.
I was reading from an uncorrected, advanced bound manuscript I got at NCTE, with thanks to Macmillan.
I was reading from an uncorrected, advanced bound manuscript I got at NCTE, with thanks to Macmillan.
January 26, 2023
I started this book reading slowly and carefully because it just wasn’t clicking with me. I was hoping if I carefully continued reading everything would click. That wasn’t really the case.
I really liked the representation in this book. I think the overall concept was interesting but this book was super confusing. The plot was all over the place. I got the gist of it but was fairly lost for most of the book. Some points were predictable and characters were jumping to way too many conclusions without actual evidence. I questioned the reasoning of so many events and characters. Like I was always missing something.
The world-building was totally lost on me as well. It’s like we were supposed to know what was going on with this world before we started, nothing was fully explained. I kept questioning myself thinking that I just missed the prior explanation but honestly there just wasn’t one.
I did like Valencia and Cade and what they represented. Some moments in the book were fun to read but this book was just too confusing for me to be onboard.
*Received via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review*
I really liked the representation in this book. I think the overall concept was interesting but this book was super confusing. The plot was all over the place. I got the gist of it but was fairly lost for most of the book. Some points were predictable and characters were jumping to way too many conclusions without actual evidence. I questioned the reasoning of so many events and characters. Like I was always missing something.
The world-building was totally lost on me as well. It’s like we were supposed to know what was going on with this world before we started, nothing was fully explained. I kept questioning myself thinking that I just missed the prior explanation but honestly there just wasn’t one.
I did like Valencia and Cade and what they represented. Some moments in the book were fun to read but this book was just too confusing for me to be onboard.
*Received via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review*
Want to read
January 31, 2022'A YA fantasy about a transgender prince doubling for his brother, and a bigender boy assassin/lady-in-waiting, who, thanks to their concealed identities, don't realize they're simultaneously falling for and trying to destroy each other.'
bruh McLemore writing fantasy?? they really know how to come for my heart
bruh McLemore writing fantasy?? they really know how to come for my heart
Want to read
April 28, 2024TBR REVIEW: I'm a simple man. I see "Transgender Prince" in the blurb, I add to my TBR
May 17, 2023
I received an ARC from the Edelweiss
TW: war, knife violence, poison
4
If you’re here for trans royalty, assassination attempts, and star crossed lovers, then you’re in the right place!
There’s a lot to like here. There’s banter and romantic tension, but also plenty of political tension, and the apprehension and uncertainty of needing to protect your community while in danger by part of your other community. I like the layers at play, and it’s easy to get drawn in.
The tangled web of politics was just complicated enough to be easy to follow and easy to root for the right end goal. And I can say the same about the romance. It’s meant to be a difficult situation, but it’s also not trying to create another war in the place of romance. Val and Cade fall in love easily, as do the secondary romance, which makes this a quick somewhat light read, assassination attempts aside.
I also really loved the magic here. Anna-Marie McLemore is always fantastic at threading magic into the nonmagical, but this full out fantasy world holds that some mysterious glimmer of the unknown. The way the castle changes, and the curse itself, was so cool to see.
The only thing that let me down was that I just wanted a bit more. I was hoping the mistaken identity/hidden identity plot in the case of Val would have been used a bit longer- as that’s the main hook that had me excited. I also kept waiting for faeries!
This is a sweeping romance of political power, gender euphoria, and creating ones fate.
Pre-review comments below
TRANS PRINCE
BIGENDER ASSASSIN
FAKE IDENTITIES MAKING ENEMIES ACCIDENTALLY FALL IN LOVE
ANNA-MARIE MCLEMORE!!!!!!!!!!
TW: war, knife violence, poison
4
If you’re here for trans royalty, assassination attempts, and star crossed lovers, then you’re in the right place!
There’s a lot to like here. There’s banter and romantic tension, but also plenty of political tension, and the apprehension and uncertainty of needing to protect your community while in danger by part of your other community. I like the layers at play, and it’s easy to get drawn in.
The tangled web of politics was just complicated enough to be easy to follow and easy to root for the right end goal. And I can say the same about the romance. It’s meant to be a difficult situation, but it’s also not trying to create another war in the place of romance. Val and Cade fall in love easily, as do the secondary romance, which makes this a quick somewhat light read, assassination attempts aside.
I also really loved the magic here. Anna-Marie McLemore is always fantastic at threading magic into the nonmagical, but this full out fantasy world holds that some mysterious glimmer of the unknown. The way the castle changes, and the curse itself, was so cool to see.
The only thing that let me down was that I just wanted a bit more. I was hoping the mistaken identity/hidden identity plot in the case of Val would have been used a bit longer- as that’s the main hook that had me excited. I also kept waiting for faeries!
This is a sweeping romance of political power, gender euphoria, and creating ones fate.
Pre-review comments below
TRANS PRINCE
BIGENDER ASSASSIN
FAKE IDENTITIES MAKING ENEMIES ACCIDENTALLY FALL IN LOVE
ANNA-MARIE MCLEMORE!!!!!!!!!!
April 3, 2024
this book caught me off guard in so many ways.
dawno swiat i historia tak mnie nie porwaly. mam o niej duzo do powiedzenia, a jednoczesnie potrzebuje troche czasu, zeby to zrobic. ciezko mi powiedziec, dlaczego skradla mi serce, bo z pewnoscia nie jest czyms w 100% nowym, jednak wszystkie znane mi rzeczy zostaly w niej tutaj wykorzystane w tak swietny i nowatorski sposob, ze sie zakochalem.
tak strasznie tesknie po niej za fantasy, ze mam ochote pozrec wszystkie takie ksiazki zalegajace na moich polkach, a w dodatku od razu zamowic ,,sezon luster” i ,,lakelore”.
,,przysiega i trucizna” uleczyla czesci mnie, o ktorych pojecia nie mialom i przypomniala o tych, ktore dlugo byly uspione. i loved it.
cade moj chlopak ogolnie
dawno swiat i historia tak mnie nie porwaly. mam o niej duzo do powiedzenia, a jednoczesnie potrzebuje troche czasu, zeby to zrobic. ciezko mi powiedziec, dlaczego skradla mi serce, bo z pewnoscia nie jest czyms w 100% nowym, jednak wszystkie znane mi rzeczy zostaly w niej tutaj wykorzystane w tak swietny i nowatorski sposob, ze sie zakochalem.
tak strasznie tesknie po niej za fantasy, ze mam ochote pozrec wszystkie takie ksiazki zalegajace na moich polkach, a w dodatku od razu zamowic ,,sezon luster” i ,,lakelore”.
,,przysiega i trucizna” uleczyla czesci mnie, o ktorych pojecia nie mialom i przypomniala o tych, ktore dlugo byly uspione. i loved it.
cade moj chlopak ogolnie
May 15, 2023
2.5 stars rounded up.
The trans and bigender representation was excellent in Venom & Vow, but everything else fell really flat for me.
I'll start with the positives. I loved how the authors presented both MCs' LGBT journeys and growth. Over the course of the novel, we get to learn how Cade, who's trans, and Val, who's bigender, came to terms with themselves, how they presented themselves, and how they wanted others to view them. There's a lot of inner conflict that really lends weight to their experiences, which readers might really connect with.
I also liked the contrast between the two characters. Cade knows that he's trans since he was young, but Val, who doesn't have role models (as opposed to Cade who grew up in a monastery with other trans men), is conflicted about their identities and the ramifications of presenting themself as either a man or woman or both.
I liked how after the midpoint, they both start helping each other in their journeys and it turned out to be such a positive thing. There was like literally no hate or judgement. It was so cool.
Also, the fact that both MCs deal with chronic pain but that they're both still seen as bad ass was super cool. The authors kept mentioning how they hurt and how they dealt with the pain, and it all felt very realistic. It made the MCs feel very real.
But other than that, both the story and writing just weren't good. I'm not sure how else to say it. There were many times where I felt as if the novel needed another pass or two with an editor. Val's chapters kept repeating certain phrases right after it was written and it was jarring and made me think I misread something.
Anything related to diplomacy was just glazed over. In the beginning, Cade (as his brother, Patrick the Adare prince) captures Val (as Gael) and brings them to the Elianan palace. The way that it's written makes it seem like the Adare prince could willy nilly cross the border of a country they're at war with and grant an audience with the ruler. And everyone's just cool with it.
Second, the passage of time made no sense at all. There's a scene where it sounds like Adare is preparing for the Elianan delegation to arrive (so they're decorating the palace and stuff), and then suddenly the delegation just arrives? I had to reread the passage to figure out that Cade only saw the decorations right before the Elianans arrived, and that his close circle were just arguing over some minor decorating detail. It wasn't some random time jump, but it sure as hell felt like it.
Another thing, so I assumed that the monastery where Cade grew up in is in some remote place in Adare. Maybe I misread a description, but color me surprised when Cade and Val show up to the monastery like right after leaving the Adare castle. Literally no time went by.
And then Val just disappears into the orchard to change after arriving on only one horse with Cade. This is after the monks see them and help Cade off the horse.
But after that, no one followed Val? I was so confused to the point that I couldn't suspend my disbelief anymore.
I saw some Goodreads reviews where people DNF early because the world building was so confusing. I didn't have a lot of issues, but I do agree with them to an extent. I feel like the would building could've been tighter. It honestly kind of felt all over the place, and I think I was fine with it only because I'm a seasoned fantasy reader.
So, the characterization of the secondary characters was also subpar. I won't lie, everyone else but the MCs, Bryna, and Patrick just blended together. They had no distinctive personalities and were just there most of the time. Shit, even the mini Big Bad was so obvious to the point where it was kind of cringe in a way.
Also, there's one thing that really bothered me for some reason. There's a scene where Cade (as Patrick) tells a town that everything's gonna be a-okay, but suddenly a sea monster shows up. Cade sees it as an omen and then the chapter just ends.
So did the townspeople not react or anything? They were totally cool with some random sea monster just showing up? I was waiting for some Cade vs. sea monster action where he saves the people, but then that plot point was only mentioned again once or twice in passing??
I'm so confused.
Also one last thing, I promise. So Cade and Bryna have to marry because they're both the eldest heirs. But Cade and Val are in love, and Bryna and Patrick are in love. So... Just marry for political reasons and be with the person you love on the side? Isn't this a thing with monarchs? And all four are cool with each other. Literally no one hates anyone, so what's the issue??
Okay, I lied about that being the last thing. The fight scenes were so confusing. I liked that the authors included the MCs' fighting styles with their canes, but the way that the fights were written made it sound so technical to the point where I wasn't sure who was actually doing what.
Lastly, wtf is that last minute tacked on lesbian romance between Ondina and Nessa? It just appeared out of nowhere. Lesbians deserve better.
I'll end on a good note. The Adare castle was really cool. It felt like its own secondary character with the way that it could magically change its construction, grow plants, create rivers, etc. It was so cool!
Thank you to Feiwel & Friends and NetGalley for this arc.
The trans and bigender representation was excellent in Venom & Vow, but everything else fell really flat for me.
I'll start with the positives. I loved how the authors presented both MCs' LGBT journeys and growth. Over the course of the novel, we get to learn how Cade, who's trans, and Val, who's bigender, came to terms with themselves, how they presented themselves, and how they wanted others to view them. There's a lot of inner conflict that really lends weight to their experiences, which readers might really connect with.
I also liked the contrast between the two characters. Cade knows that he's trans since he was young, but Val, who doesn't have role models (as opposed to Cade who grew up in a monastery with other trans men), is conflicted about their identities and the ramifications of presenting themself as either a man or woman or both.
I liked how after the midpoint, they both start helping each other in their journeys and it turned out to be such a positive thing. There was like literally no hate or judgement. It was so cool.
Also, the fact that both MCs deal with chronic pain but that they're both still seen as bad ass was super cool. The authors kept mentioning how they hurt and how they dealt with the pain, and it all felt very realistic. It made the MCs feel very real.
But other than that, both the story and writing just weren't good. I'm not sure how else to say it. There were many times where I felt as if the novel needed another pass or two with an editor. Val's chapters kept repeating certain phrases right after it was written and it was jarring and made me think I misread something.
Anything related to diplomacy was just glazed over. In the beginning, Cade (as his brother, Patrick the Adare prince) captures Val (as Gael) and brings them to the Elianan palace. The way that it's written makes it seem like the Adare prince could willy nilly cross the border of a country they're at war with and grant an audience with the ruler. And everyone's just cool with it.
Second, the passage of time made no sense at all. There's a scene where it sounds like Adare is preparing for the Elianan delegation to arrive (so they're decorating the palace and stuff), and then suddenly the delegation just arrives? I had to reread the passage to figure out that Cade only saw the decorations right before the Elianans arrived, and that his close circle were just arguing over some minor decorating detail. It wasn't some random time jump, but it sure as hell felt like it.
Another thing, so I assumed that the monastery where Cade grew up in is in some remote place in Adare. Maybe I misread a description, but color me surprised when Cade and Val show up to the monastery like right after leaving the Adare castle. Literally no time went by.
And then Val just disappears into the orchard to change after arriving on only one horse with Cade. This is after the monks see them and help Cade off the horse.
But after that, no one followed Val? I was so confused to the point that I couldn't suspend my disbelief anymore.
I saw some Goodreads reviews where people DNF early because the world building was so confusing. I didn't have a lot of issues, but I do agree with them to an extent. I feel like the would building could've been tighter. It honestly kind of felt all over the place, and I think I was fine with it only because I'm a seasoned fantasy reader.
So, the characterization of the secondary characters was also subpar. I won't lie, everyone else but the MCs, Bryna, and Patrick just blended together. They had no distinctive personalities and were just there most of the time. Shit, even the mini Big Bad was so obvious to the point where it was kind of cringe in a way.
Also, there's one thing that really bothered me for some reason. There's a scene where Cade (as Patrick) tells a town that everything's gonna be a-okay, but suddenly a sea monster shows up. Cade sees it as an omen and then the chapter just ends.
So did the townspeople not react or anything? They were totally cool with some random sea monster just showing up? I was waiting for some Cade vs. sea monster action where he saves the people, but then that plot point was only mentioned again once or twice in passing??
I'm so confused.
Also one last thing, I promise. So Cade and Bryna have to marry because they're both the eldest heirs. But Cade and Val are in love, and Bryna and Patrick are in love. So... Just marry for political reasons and be with the person you love on the side? Isn't this a thing with monarchs? And all four are cool with each other. Literally no one hates anyone, so what's the issue??
Okay, I lied about that being the last thing. The fight scenes were so confusing. I liked that the authors included the MCs' fighting styles with their canes, but the way that the fights were written made it sound so technical to the point where I wasn't sure who was actually doing what.
Lastly, wtf is that last minute tacked on lesbian romance between Ondina and Nessa? It just appeared out of nowhere. Lesbians deserve better.
I'll end on a good note. The Adare castle was really cool. It felt like its own secondary character with the way that it could magically change its construction, grow plants, create rivers, etc. It was so cool!
Thank you to Feiwel & Friends and NetGalley for this arc.
Want to read
January 16, 2022Every single book by Anna-Marie McLemore sounds PHENOMENAL, seriously how can one person come up with so many absolutely amazing ideas?
April 25, 2024
Jak tylko zobaczyłxm, zapowiedź tej książki, wiedziałxm, że będę musiałx ją przeczytać. Po pierwsze dlatego, że została napisana przez duet Anna-Marie McLemore (jedna z moich ulubionych osób autorskich) i Elliott McLemore (osoba partnerska A-M), a po drugie – bo fabuła brzmiała fantastycznie.
Co powiecie na to? Transpłciowy książę i dama dworu/zamachowiec bigender, 2 królestwa, wojna, tajemnice, klasztor, latające noże (dużo latających noży), fantastyczne stworzenia, odkrywanie swojej tożsamości, zakazana miłość i od nienawiści do miłości.
Brzmi extra? Brzmi, ale też jest extra. Naprawdę bawiłxm się świetnie. Dzięki podwójnemu punktowi widzenia i stosunkowo krótkim rozdziałom czyta się to błyskawicznie. PiT wciąga i angażuje, ale najważniejsze dla mnie jest to, że związałxm się z bohaterami. Mimo początkowego zdezorientowania: kto jest kim?, jakie są relacje między nimi? i jak wygląda rozdział dwóch królestw?, wszystko rozjaśniło się po kilkunastu stronach, więc to na duży plus, bo jednak przy fantastyce jest to ważne. Cała fantastyczna obudówka jest w porządku, ale moją miłość do tej pozycji rozbudziły kwestie tożsamościowe, które zaprzątają głowy bohaterów i były zbliżone do moich. Może właśnie dlatego, tak się związałxm z tym światem i nie chciałxm kończyć tej przygody. Szczególnie, że napisana jest pięknym stylem, dynamiczne opisy walk są świetne, tempo jest idealnie wyważone, a rozdziały kończą się w takich momentach, że po prostu trzeba zacząć kolejny.
Nie mogło być inaczej – jest miłość. Będę o niej pamiętać i czekać na kolejne książki Anna-Marie w Polsce, a wy powinniście je przeczytać!
Co powiecie na to? Transpłciowy książę i dama dworu/zamachowiec bigender, 2 królestwa, wojna, tajemnice, klasztor, latające noże (dużo latających noży), fantastyczne stworzenia, odkrywanie swojej tożsamości, zakazana miłość i od nienawiści do miłości.
Brzmi extra? Brzmi, ale też jest extra. Naprawdę bawiłxm się świetnie. Dzięki podwójnemu punktowi widzenia i stosunkowo krótkim rozdziałom czyta się to błyskawicznie. PiT wciąga i angażuje, ale najważniejsze dla mnie jest to, że związałxm się z bohaterami. Mimo początkowego zdezorientowania: kto jest kim?, jakie są relacje między nimi? i jak wygląda rozdział dwóch królestw?, wszystko rozjaśniło się po kilkunastu stronach, więc to na duży plus, bo jednak przy fantastyce jest to ważne. Cała fantastyczna obudówka jest w porządku, ale moją miłość do tej pozycji rozbudziły kwestie tożsamościowe, które zaprzątają głowy bohaterów i były zbliżone do moich. Może właśnie dlatego, tak się związałxm z tym światem i nie chciałxm kończyć tej przygody. Szczególnie, że napisana jest pięknym stylem, dynamiczne opisy walk są świetne, tempo jest idealnie wyważone, a rozdziały kończą się w takich momentach, że po prostu trzeba zacząć kolejny.
Nie mogło być inaczej – jest miłość. Będę o niej pamiętać i czekać na kolejne książki Anna-Marie w Polsce, a wy powinniście je przeczytać!
October 1, 2023
4.5
i f'ing love t4t romance, i want to read more of it <333333
i f'ing love t4t romance, i want to read more of it <333333
Read
April 1, 2024More generalized Latinx rep in fantasy 🫠. Authors, it’s okay to write about a specific community within the diaspora and place them in a made up place. The two mcs had nice overall development and I loved the relationship that developed between the two. I actually liked the plot a lot, but I was surprised it ended where it did because it didn’t feel complete.
- Lackluster monolith Latinx “rep”
- Transgender pseudo prince
- Bigender assassin/dama
- Lackluster monolith Latinx “rep”
- Transgender pseudo prince
- Bigender assassin/dama
March 23, 2024
moje serce zostało skradzione przez transpłciowego księcia oraz bigender zamachowca/damę dworu. Val and Cade are my children 🥹
May 31, 2023
"Like the boy you love telling you that he wants you, days after telling you that he needs to stop fighting, after you've seen the ways that war has broken him down."
5 reasons why you should read the YA queer high Fantasy novel Venom and Vow:
The characters:
Representation: Latinx, Transgender, Bigender, and disability Representation
World building
The story: told by the points of view of both Cade, a Transgender prince and Valencia, a bigender dama to the princess. Venom and Vow fast paced and has lots of action.
The cover: fierce, powerful and beautiful
5 reasons why you should read the YA queer high Fantasy novel Venom and Vow:
The characters:
Representation: Latinx, Transgender, Bigender, and disability Representation
World building
The story: told by the points of view of both Cade, a Transgender prince and Valencia, a bigender dama to the princess. Venom and Vow fast paced and has lots of action.
The cover: fierce, powerful and beautiful
Want to read
January 16, 2022Anna-Marie McLemore's ability to just constantly produce more books is truly shocking (one published last year, two to be published this year, and this one next year I think?). I've only read 1 (and a half) of McLemore's books (the half was that they co-authored one, not that I DNFed it or anything) and I honestly do need to read more. These concepts all sound sooooo good.
January 15, 2023
Thank you to the publisher for allowing me to read this eARC!
This wasn't good...I loved the representation in this book but it fell flat. The characters weren't super interesting, the plot was lackluster and boring, and like the other reviews, it was just confusing. I did DNF at 35% so maybe it gets better past that, but I couldn't keep going.
This wasn't good...I loved the representation in this book but it fell flat. The characters weren't super interesting, the plot was lackluster and boring, and like the other reviews, it was just confusing. I did DNF at 35% so maybe it gets better past that, but I couldn't keep going.
May 22, 2023
DNF 30%
I was really intruiged by the characters and if this was character centered I probably would have kept reading. But its too plot heavy and I just completly felt lost. The plot and setting was underexplained and the setting seemed to just change with little explaining where they were going or what they were doing
I was just to lost to continue
I was really intruiged by the characters and if this was character centered I probably would have kept reading. But its too plot heavy and I just completly felt lost. The plot and setting was underexplained and the setting seemed to just change with little explaining where they were going or what they were doing
I was just to lost to continue
May 16, 2023
I absolutely loved the transgender and bigender and just plain genderqueer representation in this book and will be recommending it to many people for that purpose alone.
In terms of the plot and characters, I struggled to get fully invested with motive and plot the entire way through, it was a little underwhelming, because I was kind of expecting a super epic adventure and it just fell a little flat. I did like the story and I will still absolutely recommend it, but I have also heard that other titles from these authors are great, so I think I will be giving those a shot as well.
In terms of the plot and characters, I struggled to get fully invested with motive and plot the entire way through, it was a little underwhelming, because I was kind of expecting a super epic adventure and it just fell a little flat. I did like the story and I will still absolutely recommend it, but I have also heard that other titles from these authors are great, so I think I will be giving those a shot as well.
June 22, 2023
This was like...a 2.5-star read, rounded up for the diverse representation and cool world.
I wanted to love this book, truly. The world was fascinating--two nations, one Latine-inspired, the other Scottish-inspired. Sea monsters. Quetzals and jaguars coming to life out of tapestries. Giant colorful magic foxes. Enchanted trees. A cane with a sentient owl attached. Monasteries where trans folks pretend to be doing religious stuff but are actually learning to pass as their true gender??? Such a good concept! Plus, Latine representation, two trans characters (one FTM, the other questioning/likely genderfluid), and BOTH main characters are cane users.
But sadly, the plot was a mess. It was boring even in its most action-packed moments. It was confusing, poorly paced (often slow but then sometime rushing with time jumps of a few...hours? days? It wasn't always clear?), and contained some "twists" that didn't make sense, not to mention lots of repetitive moments that felt clumsy to say the least. Most of the side characters were flimsy and kind of blurred into each other, especially on Cade's side. And I am still confused about how Val managed to put so many knives in her hair--those things are heavy (they have to be, if she wields them by throwing, which she does) and wouldn't stay hidden well, especially if there were more than, like, three, so while I liked it in theory, I just couldn't buy it that she had literally a dozen knives or more tucked into her braid at any given time.
I almost DNF'd the book multiple times, pushing through mostly because (a) the representation and the world were still good, and (b) it was an ARC so I felt kind of obligated to finish. Honestly, while I'm not exactly mad that I finished it, I also don't think I would have regretted it if I had given up.
All in all, one of my biggest disappointments--so much potential, let down by a mediocre-at-best storyline.
(Please forgive the informal nature of this review; I'm a little tired but wanted to get my thoughts out.)
I wanted to love this book, truly. The world was fascinating--two nations, one Latine-inspired, the other Scottish-inspired. Sea monsters. Quetzals and jaguars coming to life out of tapestries. Giant colorful magic foxes. Enchanted trees. A cane with a sentient owl attached. Monasteries where trans folks pretend to be doing religious stuff but are actually learning to pass as their true gender??? Such a good concept! Plus, Latine representation, two trans characters (one FTM, the other questioning/likely genderfluid), and BOTH main characters are cane users.
But sadly, the plot was a mess. It was boring even in its most action-packed moments. It was confusing, poorly paced (often slow but then sometime rushing with time jumps of a few...hours? days? It wasn't always clear?), and contained some "twists" that didn't make sense, not to mention lots of repetitive moments that felt clumsy to say the least. Most of the side characters were flimsy and kind of blurred into each other, especially on Cade's side. And I am still confused about how Val managed to put so many knives in her hair--those things are heavy (they have to be, if she wields them by throwing, which she does) and wouldn't stay hidden well, especially if there were more than, like, three, so while I liked it in theory, I just couldn't buy it that she had literally a dozen knives or more tucked into her braid at any given time.
I almost DNF'd the book multiple times, pushing through mostly because (a) the representation and the world were still good, and (b) it was an ARC so I felt kind of obligated to finish. Honestly, while I'm not exactly mad that I finished it, I also don't think I would have regretted it if I had given up.
All in all, one of my biggest disappointments--so much potential, let down by a mediocre-at-best storyline.
(Please forgive the informal nature of this review; I'm a little tired but wanted to get my thoughts out.)
September 10, 2023
had interesting ideas but unfortunately the execution is just unsatisfying. the pacing is confusing, the characters are alright but could have been more convincing and honestly i was not that invested in what was happening. the use of irish surprised me though, props for that, maith sibh.
i hope this doesn't sound too mean but it felt like it was saying 'look, we can put diversity into fantasy!' and every page just said that and nothing particularly original and/or engaging. characters agonise over their queer identities and being accepted but there is never any indication that they have to worry or real exploration of their societies' views on queerness, just vague allusions to the need for change. it was all so boring.
i hope this doesn't sound too mean but it felt like it was saying 'look, we can put diversity into fantasy!' and every page just said that and nothing particularly original and/or engaging. characters agonise over their queer identities and being accepted but there is never any indication that they have to worry or real exploration of their societies' views on queerness, just vague allusions to the need for change. it was all so boring.
August 19, 2023
3.5
This was a really good book but I think this could've been much better if there was more world-building and explanations that were at the beginning rather than put in the middle or near the end. The entire plot of this confused me a little bit, but I loved the representation. Cade and Valencia/Gael were excellent characters and overall, this was very entertaining to read!
This was a really good book but I think this could've been much better if there was more world-building and explanations that were at the beginning rather than put in the middle or near the end. The entire plot of this confused me a little bit, but I loved the representation. Cade and Valencia/Gael were excellent characters and overall, this was very entertaining to read!
March 24, 2024
Recenzja Przedpremierowa 🏳️🌈🏳️🌈🏳️🌈🏳️⚧️🏳️⚧️🏳️⚧️
„— Dodałam trochę trucizny do twojej pomadki”.
Lubicie Ya fantasy? Kiedy napisałam do wydawnictwa z prośbą o współpracę przy tym tytule i otrzymałam pozytywną odpowiedź zwrotną, byłam szczęśliwa. Już sam opis mi się spodobał i zapowiadał świetną historię...
„— Kim ty jesteś? — pytam.
— Kim ty jesteś?
— Przysięgam, że nie znaczę tyle, co ty — mówię.
— Myślę, że znaczysz”.
Od samego początku książka mnie wciągnęła i szłam dalej, trzymając kciuki, żeby nie zapeszyć. Modliłam się, żeby ta historia zdobyła moje serce. I tak się też stało. Nie nudziłam się w ogóle, bardzo dobrze się bawiłam. Valencia i Cade zostali bardzo dobrze wykreowani, ale miałam wrażenie, że to główna bohaterka bardziej wysuwała się na przód. Wątki zawarte w tej młodzieżówce według mnie osoby autorskie rozpisały i poprowadziły je pod każdym względem. Akcja w ogóle nie zwalniała tempa. A kiedy zbliżałam się do końca, to nie chciałam zamknąć książki. Nie mogłam się żegnać z naszymi głównymi bohaterami, moje serce mówiło "nie''. Jedyne czego żałuję to to, że świat przedstawiony w tej historii mogłyby być ciut lepiej wykreowany.
„Przysięga I Trucizna” była udaną lekturą ya fantasy, na której się nie zawiodłam. Do tego piękna okładka i wklejka. Wyprowadziła mnie z zastoju czytelniczego. Do tej pory mam uśmiech na ustach.
"PrzysięgaITrucizna#queerowafantastyka#fantasy#YAfantasy#reprezentacjaLGBTQ+#enemiestolovers#odkrywaniesiebie#zakazanamiłość#LGBTQIA
http://bookaholicandwriter.blogspot.c...
https://www.instagram.com/p/C46VmF0NG...
https://twitter.com/Bookaholic22er/st...
https://lubimyczytac.pl/ksiazka/przys...
„— Dodałam trochę trucizny do twojej pomadki”.
Lubicie Ya fantasy? Kiedy napisałam do wydawnictwa z prośbą o współpracę przy tym tytule i otrzymałam pozytywną odpowiedź zwrotną, byłam szczęśliwa. Już sam opis mi się spodobał i zapowiadał świetną historię...
„— Kim ty jesteś? — pytam.
— Kim ty jesteś?
— Przysięgam, że nie znaczę tyle, co ty — mówię.
— Myślę, że znaczysz”.
Od samego początku książka mnie wciągnęła i szłam dalej, trzymając kciuki, żeby nie zapeszyć. Modliłam się, żeby ta historia zdobyła moje serce. I tak się też stało. Nie nudziłam się w ogóle, bardzo dobrze się bawiłam. Valencia i Cade zostali bardzo dobrze wykreowani, ale miałam wrażenie, że to główna bohaterka bardziej wysuwała się na przód. Wątki zawarte w tej młodzieżówce według mnie osoby autorskie rozpisały i poprowadziły je pod każdym względem. Akcja w ogóle nie zwalniała tempa. A kiedy zbliżałam się do końca, to nie chciałam zamknąć książki. Nie mogłam się żegnać z naszymi głównymi bohaterami, moje serce mówiło "nie''. Jedyne czego żałuję to to, że świat przedstawiony w tej historii mogłyby być ciut lepiej wykreowany.
„Przysięga I Trucizna” była udaną lekturą ya fantasy, na której się nie zawiodłam. Do tego piękna okładka i wklejka. Wyprowadziła mnie z zastoju czytelniczego. Do tej pory mam uśmiech na ustach.
"PrzysięgaITrucizna#queerowafantastyka#fantasy#YAfantasy#reprezentacjaLGBTQ+#enemiestolovers#odkrywaniesiebie#zakazanamiłość#LGBTQIA
http://bookaholicandwriter.blogspot.c...
https://www.instagram.com/p/C46VmF0NG...
https://twitter.com/Bookaholic22er/st...
https://lubimyczytac.pl/ksiazka/przys...
dnf
April 8, 2024[ wspolpraca reklamowa ]
Gdy zobaczyłam zapowiedź tej książki bardzo się nią zaciekawiłam i wręcz nie mogłam się doczekać aż ją przeczytam. Jednak moje oczekiwania były za bardzo wygórowane :/
Zacznijmy od tego, że — niestety — dałam tej książce dnf. Naprawdę starałam się przez nią przejść, ale w pewnym momencie już zaczęłam zmuszać się do czytania. Powiedziałabym nawet, że czytanie tej pozycji zaczęło być dla mnie nieprzyjemne.
Bohaterowie — nawet nie wiem co o nich powiedzieć. Jak mogliście przeczytać w opisie — Valencia i Gael to ta sama osoba, tak samo jak Cade i Patrick. Totalnie się w tym gubiłam i co chwilę musiałam zerkać do opisu i sprawdzać kto jest kim. Ja na przykład nie mogłam w ogóle się przyzwyczaić i zrozumieć kto jest kim — przeczytałam ponad 100 stron tej książki i nawet po takim czasie nie mogłam tego ogarnąć. Co do fabuły — nie było w niej żadnego „wow”. Nawet nie wiem do czego się odnieść. Wszystko opierało się o wojnie i niechęci pomiędzy bohaterami.
Niestety mi ta książka nie przypadła do gustu, ale może akurat wam się spodoba🤺
Gdy zobaczyłam zapowiedź tej książki bardzo się nią zaciekawiłam i wręcz nie mogłam się doczekać aż ją przeczytam. Jednak moje oczekiwania były za bardzo wygórowane :/
Zacznijmy od tego, że — niestety — dałam tej książce dnf. Naprawdę starałam się przez nią przejść, ale w pewnym momencie już zaczęłam zmuszać się do czytania. Powiedziałabym nawet, że czytanie tej pozycji zaczęło być dla mnie nieprzyjemne.
Bohaterowie — nawet nie wiem co o nich powiedzieć. Jak mogliście przeczytać w opisie — Valencia i Gael to ta sama osoba, tak samo jak Cade i Patrick. Totalnie się w tym gubiłam i co chwilę musiałam zerkać do opisu i sprawdzać kto jest kim. Ja na przykład nie mogłam w ogóle się przyzwyczaić i zrozumieć kto jest kim — przeczytałam ponad 100 stron tej książki i nawet po takim czasie nie mogłam tego ogarnąć. Co do fabuły — nie było w niej żadnego „wow”. Nawet nie wiem do czego się odnieść. Wszystko opierało się o wojnie i niechęci pomiędzy bohaterami.
Niestety mi ta książka nie przypadła do gustu, ale może akurat wam się spodoba🤺
April 26, 2024
While I really enjoyed the main characters and how their indentities were handled, I found so much of the plot and the world confusing. At times even character motives weren't clear.
I have a bunch of questions after finishing that the book should have answered. I wish it had given us more about the world and the conflict, why there was a war what was going on with Lowell--Ondina's plan is so strange to me as well.
No one had any meaningful conversations after everything is solved. Bryana was lying for years to Val, Ondina doesn't have a conversation with Bryana after she says that the princess wouldn't support them if she married Patrick? No one cares about Lowell. Val and their father's reunion. Val telling Bryana about themself.
I don't need alllll the conversations but I wanted just a bit more closure at the end.
I have a bunch of questions after finishing that the book should have answered. I wish it had given us more about the world and the conflict, why there was a war what was going on with Lowell--Ondina's plan is so strange to me as well.
No one had any meaningful conversations after everything is solved. Bryana was lying for years to Val, Ondina doesn't have a conversation with Bryana after she says that the princess wouldn't support them if she married Patrick? No one cares about Lowell. Val and their father's reunion. Val telling Bryana about themself.
I don't need alllll the conversations but I wanted just a bit more closure at the end.
November 22, 2024
Dnfed at 4%
I'm so sorry but I could not get over the awkward spanglish. How can you be a Latine author and mess up the spanglish?! Listening to the audiobook made it sound especially clunky and out of place. Maybe it would've gotten better later in the book but I was not going to suffer through 10 hours of the audiobook to figure that out.
I'm so sorry but I could not get over the awkward spanglish. How can you be a Latine author and mess up the spanglish?! Listening to the audiobook made it sound especially clunky and out of place. Maybe it would've gotten better later in the book but I was not going to suffer through 10 hours of the audiobook to figure that out.
August 3, 2023
3.5 ⭐
April 20, 2024
To było genialne, KOCHAM, potrzebuję więcej 😭🫶✨️🌿💗🥹😫🫂
March 26, 2023
This is an honest review of the NetGalley eARC. Thank you to the publisher.
Actual rating: 2.5 stars // I spent this whole book begging for it to let me rate it higher, but it just never came through. I wish it had, because there was a lot to like here.
I have read several books by McLemore before, and they were in a more contemporary/magical realism genre where it's not really required to explain the world or the magic; the whole point is that you're not supposed to know what is real, and what isn't. However, this book is a high fantasy, and the same approach just doesn't work. I don't know why the two kingdoms were at war in the first place, anything about their structure, or how the court and its machinations work. The magic system is so soft it's a puddle of melted butter, including some random orbs that I truly do not understand, and the whole thing is built on a ridiculous misunderstanding between the two main characters. I went back to the beginning after I finished just to check if I had missed something, but I don't think I did. The book honestly just felt incredibly short for the genre, and all the missing content was the worldbuilding. It also switched incredibly fast between the two POV characters, sometimes a chapter would be literally half a page, and often it was a page or two. This created a somewhat whiplash reading experience. I will say that this book has two authors, and I'm not sure how they split up the writing duties, but I didn't notice any annoying difference in style or voice.
On the bright side, I was here for the characters and the diversity they represented and their cute relationship.
Cade is a trans boy who was accepted by some of his family, but has chosen to hide his identity from many people because this world is not without prejudice and, in fact, would have preferred that he was a girl. The representation was lovely and clearly written from experience, and gave the characters access to some forms of transition and acceptance. I thought it was cool that Cade was naturally quite tall and strong, able to keep up with and beat cis guys in fights and battles. He is also disabled, having to use a cane after he experienced a knee injury, but said cane is magic with an owl familiar that helps him in fights.
On top of the misunderstanding about who created the plot conflict, the second lead is bigender and sometimes appears in the guise of noble lady Valencia, others as the boy assassin Gael and Cade doesn't realize she is the same person at first. He ends up in several fights or scenes with Cade but I really felt that the whole thing was discovered and resolved too quickly, though it did lead to some nice conversations and moments of understanding between the two characters. She is also disabled and uses a cane, though the reason appears to be something more akin to severe scoliosis/a lifelong back injury.
The romance is very YA and not super deep, but it made sense with what we knew about the characters. They grew in some ways throughout the book, but honestly kind of remained static and it felt like we didn't have time to see them learn anything. This could have been a great book if the authors took more time to really build the world and understand the genre they were writing in. Especially after The Mirror Season I thought that the character work would be stronger.
Actual rating: 2.5 stars // I spent this whole book begging for it to let me rate it higher, but it just never came through. I wish it had, because there was a lot to like here.
I have read several books by McLemore before, and they were in a more contemporary/magical realism genre where it's not really required to explain the world or the magic; the whole point is that you're not supposed to know what is real, and what isn't. However, this book is a high fantasy, and the same approach just doesn't work. I don't know why the two kingdoms were at war in the first place, anything about their structure, or how the court and its machinations work. The magic system is so soft it's a puddle of melted butter, including some random orbs that I truly do not understand, and the whole thing is built on a ridiculous misunderstanding between the two main characters. I went back to the beginning after I finished just to check if I had missed something, but I don't think I did. The book honestly just felt incredibly short for the genre, and all the missing content was the worldbuilding. It also switched incredibly fast between the two POV characters, sometimes a chapter would be literally half a page, and often it was a page or two. This created a somewhat whiplash reading experience. I will say that this book has two authors, and I'm not sure how they split up the writing duties, but I didn't notice any annoying difference in style or voice.
On the bright side, I was here for the characters and the diversity they represented and their cute relationship.
Cade is a trans boy who was accepted by some of his family, but has chosen to hide his identity from many people because this world is not without prejudice and, in fact, would have preferred that he was a girl. The representation was lovely and clearly written from experience, and gave the characters access to some forms of transition and acceptance. I thought it was cool that Cade was naturally quite tall and strong, able to keep up with and beat cis guys in fights and battles. He is also disabled, having to use a cane after he experienced a knee injury, but said cane is magic with an owl familiar that helps him in fights.
On top of the misunderstanding about who created the plot conflict, the second lead is bigender and sometimes appears in the guise of noble lady Valencia, others as the boy assassin Gael and Cade doesn't realize she is the same person at first. He ends up in several fights or scenes with Cade but I really felt that the whole thing was discovered and resolved too quickly, though it did lead to some nice conversations and moments of understanding between the two characters. She is also disabled and uses a cane, though the reason appears to be something more akin to severe scoliosis/a lifelong back injury.
The romance is very YA and not super deep, but it made sense with what we knew about the characters. They grew in some ways throughout the book, but honestly kind of remained static and it felt like we didn't have time to see them learn anything. This could have been a great book if the authors took more time to really build the world and understand the genre they were writing in. Especially after The Mirror Season I thought that the character work would be stronger.
May 3, 2023
(Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. This has not impacted my review which is unbiased and honest.)
Venom & Vow is a joyously queer and action packed fantasy story. It is not only centered in both Valencia and Cade's identities - being disabled and queer - but also in the pressures of living behind masks. For Cade and his body doubling and for Valencia and Gael's identity. Behind all these layers, who truly lies beneath and what secrets are they holding? Both mourning their family in suspended animation, who is to blame?
Venom & Vow is a story about secrets and subterfuge. About not knowing who we can trust and when betrayal comes where we least expect it. I was swept away by the action, fight scenes, and moonlight meetings. For the McLemore duo, Venom & Vow is a triumph. It's a story about claiming our happiness and power.
full review: https://utopia-state-of-mind.com/revi...
Venom & Vow is a joyously queer and action packed fantasy story. It is not only centered in both Valencia and Cade's identities - being disabled and queer - but also in the pressures of living behind masks. For Cade and his body doubling and for Valencia and Gael's identity. Behind all these layers, who truly lies beneath and what secrets are they holding? Both mourning their family in suspended animation, who is to blame?
Venom & Vow is a story about secrets and subterfuge. About not knowing who we can trust and when betrayal comes where we least expect it. I was swept away by the action, fight scenes, and moonlight meetings. For the McLemore duo, Venom & Vow is a triumph. It's a story about claiming our happiness and power.
full review: https://utopia-state-of-mind.com/revi...
January 30, 2023
Thank you to Netgalley and Fiewel and Friends for sending me an early copy of this book! All opinions are my own!
Where to start with how I feel about this book!? I absolutely loved the premise and the intrigue that came with it. It's so fun to watch as Val and Cade try to navigate their ~relationships~ as the world around them shifts and brings so many twists and turns at them. I loved how they each had their own story arc and their own journey, but they complemented one another so well, and without one or the other, the story simply would not work. It was so fun to watch unfold!
I was pretty confused for a good while though, and that made it hard for me to get through. It was hard to understand who was who and what their motivations were at the beginning. It was really hard for me to get comfortable with the story, but once I did, it was super enjoyable.
I really loved all the different representation as well! The disability representation is amazing, and I loved the way that it was so seamlessly written into the story. The trans and nonbinary representation is also amazing and gave so much life to the romance and the story overall.
If you're a fantasy lover and looking for a really intriguing read, this is definitely the book for you!
Where to start with how I feel about this book!? I absolutely loved the premise and the intrigue that came with it. It's so fun to watch as Val and Cade try to navigate their ~relationships~ as the world around them shifts and brings so many twists and turns at them. I loved how they each had their own story arc and their own journey, but they complemented one another so well, and without one or the other, the story simply would not work. It was so fun to watch unfold!
I was pretty confused for a good while though, and that made it hard for me to get through. It was hard to understand who was who and what their motivations were at the beginning. It was really hard for me to get comfortable with the story, but once I did, it was super enjoyable.
I really loved all the different representation as well! The disability representation is amazing, and I loved the way that it was so seamlessly written into the story. The trans and nonbinary representation is also amazing and gave so much life to the romance and the story overall.
If you're a fantasy lover and looking for a really intriguing read, this is definitely the book for you!
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