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A Legend of Golden Shadows
The Red Bones started out as just a couple people with bold mouths, but have now grown into a well known rebellion group among Veladis. What started as whispers of Pius blood being a curse from the stars, became discussions over drinks, and in turn, plans to overthrow the court. King Pater's reply was simple.
Me.
A Royal Assassin. His Invisible Dagger. The King’s Favorite.
I’m the most feared assassin in the nation and nobody knows my first name, what I look like, or even that I’m a girl. No one would ever suspect a castle healer–let alone a twenty-year old female–to be the king's assassin. They don’t know what to look for or who to expect, and when I come face to face with them, they always underestimate me. Which in turn ends up with either their heads rolling on the floor, or a knife through their foreheads. My only question… who's leading them?
I never once feared that my identity would be discovered, not until the banished prince made his unwelcome return. Will Prince Bennett discover my secret or does he carry some of his own? My once childhood friend is now the center of all my suspicion. I hope I can trust him, or else he may end up like the rest of my victims… with my dagger to his throat.
You’ll love this story if you love these tropes:
Childhood Friends to Enemies to Lovers
Masquerade Ball
One Bed
Knife to Throat
Chosen One
Training Room
Secret Identity
Trapped Together/Forced Proximity
Found Family
Content Warning
Mentions of SA, death, and abuse
Me.
A Royal Assassin. His Invisible Dagger. The King’s Favorite.
I’m the most feared assassin in the nation and nobody knows my first name, what I look like, or even that I’m a girl. No one would ever suspect a castle healer–let alone a twenty-year old female–to be the king's assassin. They don’t know what to look for or who to expect, and when I come face to face with them, they always underestimate me. Which in turn ends up with either their heads rolling on the floor, or a knife through their foreheads. My only question… who's leading them?
I never once feared that my identity would be discovered, not until the banished prince made his unwelcome return. Will Prince Bennett discover my secret or does he carry some of his own? My once childhood friend is now the center of all my suspicion. I hope I can trust him, or else he may end up like the rest of my victims… with my dagger to his throat.
You’ll love this story if you love these tropes:
Childhood Friends to Enemies to Lovers
Masquerade Ball
One Bed
Knife to Throat
Chosen One
Training Room
Secret Identity
Trapped Together/Forced Proximity
Found Family
Content Warning
Mentions of SA, death, and abuse
412 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 17, 2022
145 people are currently reading
4887 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 142 reviews
November 14, 2022
Caution: Mild spoilers will start in the second paragraph. I'm going to be brutally honest and break down exactly what I think is wrong with this book in detail, which I truly hope other prospective readers will value. I'm providing an edited version of the notes I took as I read. I did not go into this story expecting to dislike it. I'd like to highlight several key points from my notes for those who don’t want spoilers: sloppy writing (the sentence structure is begging to be edited), poor + weak characterization (the MC is one of the most unlikable I’ve encountered), and unoriginal plot (beyond beloved tropes which I take no issue with, there is straight up copying of a certain author
*coughSJMcough*
). This was almost unbearable to read, even for a debut. I have to say, I’m very disappointed. After reading good reviews and checking out the summary I was very excited going into it. Unfortunately, this book reads like a bad YA fantasy fanfiction.
The MC (Rhia) herself- inconsistent and unbearable:
-I was thrilled to see an older protagonist at a whopping 20 years old, as most of this genre are late teenagers, but Rhia reads like a 15 or 16-year-old.
-Rhia’s comebacks were consistently terrible and made her seem very young. Immaturity or a carefree attitude are very different from reading as a literal child.
-She’s very much your average “not like other girls” heroine, and I found her completely unlikeable. We learn in the first few pages that she doesn’t like dresses and she stands up to authority while her best friend Amica doesn’t, something Rhia just can’t understand. I rolled my eyes.
-She of course has to have a traumatic backstory, which was written in a way that felt insulting to survivors. It had absolutely no use in the plot and was hurriedly stated as a past event. Its effects are only used when convenient, not when it would realistically have an impact. For a story the author claims is one of ‘escapism,’ this aspect should have been removed if it wasn’t going to be handled correctly or have the proper time dedicated to flesh out severe trauma. I find throwing SA into your storyline as a meaningless plot device to be problematic.
-Every character finds Rhia remarkably attractive.
-Rhia is painted as exceptional in combat, she states that the only opponent who’s ever been better than her is Bennett (LI), yet a thirteen-year-old child keeps pace with her during training? And in the rest of the book, she consistently and easily beats Bennett? This made no sense as Bennett is someone who: is #1 a man whose life and supernatural gifts revolve around combat #2 has abilities that are basically super strength and super speed. It is explicitly mentioned they can’t be turned off. But I guess Rhia is just too clever to be affected by Bennett’s gifts. Again, just very inconsistent.
-Nothing about Rhia is endearing. Truly nothing.
-If Rhia is supposed to be the best and cleverest, then wow everyone else must be pathetic and stupid! And honestly, they kind of are!
The writing and plot- overall very weak:
-As per usual, white secondary characters will be written as having “glowing tan skin” and gold eyes which always makes me raise an eyebrow.
-The whole story was very Wattpad original, especially the over-detailed descriptions (taking up all the longest paragraphs of the story) of the character's looks and outfits- which often feature a large slit. I was half expecting to see something about her “green orbs.”
-I read the Amazon Kindle version which contained several typos aside from the poor editing and clumsily structured sentences.
-The non-stop mentions of almond cocoa made me want to rip my hair out. Also, the never-ending and lengthy descriptions of food, physical appearance, and outfits did nothing for the plot. Way too long and very Wattpad-y.
-There’s a city called “Veladis,” which holds another lush, secret one protected by powerful wards. It has magical glittering stars. The main characters spend time in the artist quarter, meeting thespians, painting, and listening to symphonies… sound familiar? It’s a blatant rip-off of SJM’s Velaris.
-Sentence structure is really lacking, often jumbled, and just very clunky which is apparent from the first page of the book and doesn’t improve. It seemed like it never went through any editing. There’s potential with extensive editing and rewrites.
-Often used random modern phrases that take you out of the story.
-The author doesn’t know how to convey something without having the characters explicitly state it. There’s no discovery, people are just told things.
-Random girl boss inner monologue moments that seem super out of place. I love girl bosses and female empowerment, but not the long inner monologue cheesy kind that sounds like it’s parroted off of TikTok and not consistent with other characterizations. Again, the author needs to learn how to work with nuance. Everything is often just flatly stated, seems clunky.
-The lack of women’s rights just seemed like an unnecessary inclusion in a fantasy escapist world if it's frequently disregarded. Emphasizing specific inequalities characters would face and tackle would have been ideal, rather than writing extremes that seem very out of place and are flat out ignored usually with no fear: women aren’t allowed to train at all or be accepted into nightlife in Vicinus to the extent that they would be locked up. Again, I find the inclusion of serious topics as a weak plot device to be problematic.
-An odd thing to write that the world you’ve created is rampantly sexist but disregard that whenever it’s convenient and you want to have some cheesy girl power moment. It just wasn’t consistent with the girl boss gimmick the author is forcing most of the time. Didn’t fit the actions or words of most characters if women are meant to be so restricted. I want to see legitimate, realistic repercussions on the character's way of thinking and actions if that is the society you’ve chosen to create. You shouldn't write about tricky, complicated topics if you’re going to make them seem hollow and insubstantial. If you want them to act otherwise, create a different world.
-The characters are rarely prepared or equipped for any situation they encounter which gets annoying quickly. They sneak into an establishment without paying, somehow lose all of their money when confronted, and are thrown into the boxing ring (instead of idk, jail?) so there can be another fight between the romantic leads and we can once again hear that “everyone is underestimating Rhia and she’s the #1 girlboss in the country.” It’s gimmick after gimmick after gimmick. The constant hopping from trope to trope is exhausting and boring. I adore tropes, but to use so many cliches you need to master the basics of characterization and plot. The characters come across as very stupid when so many allowances have to be made to set up the next cliche.
-Why is Bennett the “Prince” of Vesper? Why did he just randomly start helping run things? He has no title there. Makes no sense. Some lame excuse about the king not having children. Plot armor moment.
-Truly, little in this story is executed well. Everything comes across as very amateurish. You can see what the author was trying to do, but it’s never portrayed appropriately.
-I could guess every plot twist from the first chapter of the book. It’s extremely predictable, basic, and you can clearly see what books the author draws inspiration from. Truly, I’ve read much better fanfiction. This was like a formulaic copy-paste of every trope with no originality and personality. As much as I love some cliches, I don’t enjoy knowing exactly which one will happen every time the setting changes. The tackiness and character interactions often reminded me of the horrible acting and pointless plot in The Summer I Turned Pretty.
Characterization- rickety at best, incomprehensible at worst:
-Inconsistent and weak. Conversations where the romantic leads are meant to be trading fiery insults were embarrassing and unrealistic. The dialogue does not read smoothly, I joked that it seemed like “bot reads 500 hours of enemies to lovers and writes a book.”
--I found no differentiation between the character’s voices, they often speak and act like they’re the same person, which is super odd. We learn of their supposed personalities through narration, but they are never displayed. They all speak and act very similarly in conversation and you can’t tell the difference between their literary voices without notation.
--Everyone is just so attractive, witty, fierce, and clever (little of which comes across as true even though we are told it is), despite some characters meant to be otherwise. The things they said were so odd I would think that these characters were insane if they existed in real life.
-Has the bodyguard hardcore flirt with Rhia and then immediately abandons and forgets about that whole conversation- suddenly he’s dating her friend. Rhia also doesn’t seem to understand his flirtatious comments which is very gimmicky and inconsistent with other characterizations of her. She’s dumb when it’s convenient for the plot, and suddenly smart when that's convenient.
-Bennett literally tried to murder Rhia and tied her down with his shadows while she was sleeping which doesn’t seem to bother her much at all? She brings it up several times but never seems to be upset about it nor does it cause her to fear Bennett, which also seems inconsistent with her backstory of sexual assault.
--The author is trying to tackle every social issue imaginable without the skill to do so, which really creates a lot of imbalance and inconsistency. The character's behavior is not appropriate or accurate to the world that is described. I would have been happy to see independent, empowered women fighting for change instead of all main characters having characterizations that don’t fit the world-building.
To Conclude:
If you enjoy meaningless light reading, go for it, but it was so badly written I found no enjoyment. I’m very disappointed, I really hoped for more from this book. It felt like a story that wasn’t ready to be published. There's some potential, maybe if the author went with several rounds of intensive editing (truly, it was begging for an editor). I think that with time, this author could potentially produce some good writing, but she needs more practice. If you were looking for similar tropes I would skip this read and go for any SJM, specifically TOG or ACOTAR, Mindee Arnett’s Onyx and Ivory duology, or The Red Queen series which are all better-written versions of the same formula.
The MC (Rhia) herself- inconsistent and unbearable:
-I was thrilled to see an older protagonist at a whopping 20 years old, as most of this genre are late teenagers, but Rhia reads like a 15 or 16-year-old.
-Rhia’s comebacks were consistently terrible and made her seem very young. Immaturity or a carefree attitude are very different from reading as a literal child.
-She’s very much your average “not like other girls” heroine, and I found her completely unlikeable. We learn in the first few pages that she doesn’t like dresses and she stands up to authority while her best friend Amica doesn’t, something Rhia just can’t understand. I rolled my eyes.
-She of course has to have a traumatic backstory, which was written in a way that felt insulting to survivors. It had absolutely no use in the plot and was hurriedly stated as a past event. Its effects are only used when convenient, not when it would realistically have an impact. For a story the author claims is one of ‘escapism,’ this aspect should have been removed if it wasn’t going to be handled correctly or have the proper time dedicated to flesh out severe trauma. I find throwing SA into your storyline as a meaningless plot device to be problematic.
-Every character finds Rhia remarkably attractive.
-Rhia is painted as exceptional in combat, she states that the only opponent who’s ever been better than her is Bennett (LI), yet a thirteen-year-old child keeps pace with her during training? And in the rest of the book, she consistently and easily beats Bennett? This made no sense as Bennett is someone who: is #1 a man whose life and supernatural gifts revolve around combat #2 has abilities that are basically super strength and super speed. It is explicitly mentioned they can’t be turned off. But I guess Rhia is just too clever to be affected by Bennett’s gifts. Again, just very inconsistent.
-Nothing about Rhia is endearing. Truly nothing.
-If Rhia is supposed to be the best and cleverest, then wow everyone else must be pathetic and stupid! And honestly, they kind of are!
The writing and plot- overall very weak:
-As per usual, white secondary characters will be written as having “glowing tan skin” and gold eyes which always makes me raise an eyebrow.
-The whole story was very Wattpad original, especially the over-detailed descriptions (taking up all the longest paragraphs of the story) of the character's looks and outfits- which often feature a large slit. I was half expecting to see something about her “green orbs.”
-I read the Amazon Kindle version which contained several typos aside from the poor editing and clumsily structured sentences.
-The non-stop mentions of almond cocoa made me want to rip my hair out. Also, the never-ending and lengthy descriptions of food, physical appearance, and outfits did nothing for the plot. Way too long and very Wattpad-y.
-There’s a city called “Veladis,” which holds another lush, secret one protected by powerful wards. It has magical glittering stars. The main characters spend time in the artist quarter, meeting thespians, painting, and listening to symphonies… sound familiar? It’s a blatant rip-off of SJM’s Velaris.
-Sentence structure is really lacking, often jumbled, and just very clunky which is apparent from the first page of the book and doesn’t improve. It seemed like it never went through any editing. There’s potential with extensive editing and rewrites.
-Often used random modern phrases that take you out of the story.
-The author doesn’t know how to convey something without having the characters explicitly state it. There’s no discovery, people are just told things.
-Random girl boss inner monologue moments that seem super out of place. I love girl bosses and female empowerment, but not the long inner monologue cheesy kind that sounds like it’s parroted off of TikTok and not consistent with other characterizations. Again, the author needs to learn how to work with nuance. Everything is often just flatly stated, seems clunky.
-The lack of women’s rights just seemed like an unnecessary inclusion in a fantasy escapist world if it's frequently disregarded. Emphasizing specific inequalities characters would face and tackle would have been ideal, rather than writing extremes that seem very out of place and are flat out ignored usually with no fear: women aren’t allowed to train at all or be accepted into nightlife in Vicinus to the extent that they would be locked up. Again, I find the inclusion of serious topics as a weak plot device to be problematic.
-An odd thing to write that the world you’ve created is rampantly sexist but disregard that whenever it’s convenient and you want to have some cheesy girl power moment. It just wasn’t consistent with the girl boss gimmick the author is forcing most of the time. Didn’t fit the actions or words of most characters if women are meant to be so restricted. I want to see legitimate, realistic repercussions on the character's way of thinking and actions if that is the society you’ve chosen to create. You shouldn't write about tricky, complicated topics if you’re going to make them seem hollow and insubstantial. If you want them to act otherwise, create a different world.
-The characters are rarely prepared or equipped for any situation they encounter which gets annoying quickly. They sneak into an establishment without paying, somehow lose all of their money when confronted, and are thrown into the boxing ring (instead of idk, jail?) so there can be another fight between the romantic leads and we can once again hear that “everyone is underestimating Rhia and she’s the #1 girlboss in the country.” It’s gimmick after gimmick after gimmick. The constant hopping from trope to trope is exhausting and boring. I adore tropes, but to use so many cliches you need to master the basics of characterization and plot. The characters come across as very stupid when so many allowances have to be made to set up the next cliche.
-Why is Bennett the “Prince” of Vesper? Why did he just randomly start helping run things? He has no title there. Makes no sense. Some lame excuse about the king not having children. Plot armor moment.
-Truly, little in this story is executed well. Everything comes across as very amateurish. You can see what the author was trying to do, but it’s never portrayed appropriately.
-I could guess every plot twist from the first chapter of the book. It’s extremely predictable, basic, and you can clearly see what books the author draws inspiration from. Truly, I’ve read much better fanfiction. This was like a formulaic copy-paste of every trope with no originality and personality. As much as I love some cliches, I don’t enjoy knowing exactly which one will happen every time the setting changes. The tackiness and character interactions often reminded me of the horrible acting and pointless plot in The Summer I Turned Pretty.
Characterization- rickety at best, incomprehensible at worst:
-Inconsistent and weak. Conversations where the romantic leads are meant to be trading fiery insults were embarrassing and unrealistic. The dialogue does not read smoothly, I joked that it seemed like “bot reads 500 hours of enemies to lovers and writes a book.”
--I found no differentiation between the character’s voices, they often speak and act like they’re the same person, which is super odd. We learn of their supposed personalities through narration, but they are never displayed. They all speak and act very similarly in conversation and you can’t tell the difference between their literary voices without notation.
--Everyone is just so attractive, witty, fierce, and clever (little of which comes across as true even though we are told it is), despite some characters meant to be otherwise. The things they said were so odd I would think that these characters were insane if they existed in real life.
-Has the bodyguard hardcore flirt with Rhia and then immediately abandons and forgets about that whole conversation- suddenly he’s dating her friend. Rhia also doesn’t seem to understand his flirtatious comments which is very gimmicky and inconsistent with other characterizations of her. She’s dumb when it’s convenient for the plot, and suddenly smart when that's convenient.
-Bennett literally tried to murder Rhia and tied her down with his shadows while she was sleeping which doesn’t seem to bother her much at all? She brings it up several times but never seems to be upset about it nor does it cause her to fear Bennett, which also seems inconsistent with her backstory of sexual assault.
--The author is trying to tackle every social issue imaginable without the skill to do so, which really creates a lot of imbalance and inconsistency. The character's behavior is not appropriate or accurate to the world that is described. I would have been happy to see independent, empowered women fighting for change instead of all main characters having characterizations that don’t fit the world-building.
To Conclude:
If you enjoy meaningless light reading, go for it, but it was so badly written I found no enjoyment. I’m very disappointed, I really hoped for more from this book. It felt like a story that wasn’t ready to be published. There's some potential, maybe if the author went with several rounds of intensive editing (truly, it was begging for an editor). I think that with time, this author could potentially produce some good writing, but she needs more practice. If you were looking for similar tropes I would skip this read and go for any SJM, specifically TOG or ACOTAR, Mindee Arnett’s Onyx and Ivory duology, or The Red Queen series which are all better-written versions of the same formula.
February 14, 2023
Okay I genuinely think this is now one of my favorite books of all time I’m not kidding 😭 it had so many tropes I love and it created a sense of home. There were moments that felt like starfall from acomaf, a place I want to live in forever, and characters I fell in love with. Thank you Victoria for sharing this incredible story <3 it will stick with me forever.
June 5, 2022
Oh gosh where do I start !! Initially I was going to give it 4 stars because although I loved Bennett I couldn’t excuse him for his actions and not acknowledging the things he did was an issue for me, but Victoria delivered bc we got a beautiful apology that basically made me cry so it was no longer fitting as a 4 but in fact 5/5.
The plot and pacing was phenomenal, though I was looking for the plot twists and who might be the bad guy, it didn’t feel like it was obvious. To be honest I would have missed it if I hadn’t been making several notes 😂 there were many twists and turns and I love the world too it’s so vibrant… it’s been a while I’ve realised since I’ve read a fantasy like this.
The friendships felt like they had real charisma and chemistry which I often feel like is missing. Rhiannon and Bennett also had immaculate chemistry and the best way I can describe the feeling this story gave me was a court of mist and fury when they’re in Velaris but like with our the horrible toxicity that surrounds those books. My main thing was I felt comforted, I laughed, I cried I screamed and I simply couldn’t put the book down.
Thank you Victoria for allowing me to be a beta reader ❤️
The plot and pacing was phenomenal, though I was looking for the plot twists and who might be the bad guy, it didn’t feel like it was obvious. To be honest I would have missed it if I hadn’t been making several notes 😂 there were many twists and turns and I love the world too it’s so vibrant… it’s been a while I’ve realised since I’ve read a fantasy like this.
The friendships felt like they had real charisma and chemistry which I often feel like is missing. Rhiannon and Bennett also had immaculate chemistry and the best way I can describe the feeling this story gave me was a court of mist and fury when they’re in Velaris but like with our the horrible toxicity that surrounds those books. My main thing was I felt comforted, I laughed, I cried I screamed and I simply couldn’t put the book down.
Thank you Victoria for allowing me to be a beta reader ❤️
April 5, 2023
it was overwhelming clear which stories/authors this author took inspiration from and some of the language used shattered the immersion.
for example
“He was always kind to me during our sessions and matched my energy, which I appreciated.”
“I know this is probably the suckiest apology in history”
“the Lantern Festival is one of the most iconic annual festivals”
“You’re shitting yourself if you think this doesn’t change anything.”
for example
“He was always kind to me during our sessions and matched my energy, which I appreciated.”
“I know this is probably the suckiest apology in history”
“the Lantern Festival is one of the most iconic annual festivals”
“You’re shitting yourself if you think this doesn’t change anything.”
June 25, 2022
BIG FIVE STARS, HOLY SHOT. I WANT BOOK 2 nooowwww
October 9, 2022
Plot ⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
Spice 0/5 (but the ROMANCE!!)
Romance 🧡🧡🧡🧡
Vibes ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
1st person POV - Rhia
Tropes: hidden identity, female assassin, friends to enemies to lovers, one bed (AND SHE HAS A NIGHTMARE!!), the beginnings of a found family
The Plot:
A Legend of Golden Shadows is the debut novel from Victoria Vredevoogd and it was amazing! Our FMC, Rhia, lived a childhood of pain and abuse in the circus when she is discovered using her Golden gifts of healing on the King's son and they bring her to the palace, as is mandated by the law. She grows close with the King's sons and is practically adopted by the royal family. A few years later after the Queen's sudden murder, our MMC Bennett, blames her death on 12 year-old Rhia for not using her powers to heal his mother after he found her poisoned, despite the fact she had been dead for far too long. In anger, he lashes out and tries to kill her with his Shadow powers. When the King learns of this, he sends Bennett away to the neighboring kingdom where his brother rules to keep the palace safe from his anger.
Our story starts 8 years later with Rhia on an assignment from the King. Rhia had always trained with Bennett and Miles but as she got older, the King had her trained even more so she could be his secret assassin. We see her ruthlessness and skill as she neutralizes a small group of Red Bones (the current rebel faction trying to bring down the King and anyone with Artis blood). When she returns, she finds out that Bennett is back after these 8 long years away and is still blaming her for his mother's assassination. This book follows Rhia as she attempts to continue her duties as the King's Favorite Assassin working to uncover the plans of the Red Bones while finding herself stuck once again in Bennett's orbit.
"That night at the circus I couldn’t stop myself from running to you, it was like I was acting on instinct. Even now, I will chase you until the end of the world and beyond."
The Relationships:
Rhia's best friends are Amica, fellow Golden blood healer, and Miles, the King's second son and Bennett's brother. Throughout the book we see how deep this trio's friendship runs and both Amica and Miles have such unique personalities. I absolutely love their friendships. Only Amica knows that Rhia is the King's Favorite and even that shouldn't be allowed, but the King isn't aware that Amica knows.
Once Rhia and Bennett start to work through their issues, the romance and tension shoots off the pages. They both learn that things may not be as they seem, and Rhia also learns that Bennett feels so much regret with how he acted the night his mother died. He apologies a couple times and we really get to see his true personality after they get past their egos and defenses. They always had a special connection as children and watching them reconnect and learn to trust each other again was heartwarming. There's no spice except for a couple passionate kisses but the tension and the romance are ramping us up to some hot scenes, I can already tell. Bennett's devotion to Rhia is bone-deep and he is not afraid to show it (in private at least, they have to keep appearances up at the palace because the King can't know they have reconciled). Their banter and teasing was so enjoyable and humorous that you can't help but fall for Bennett. I am obsessed with him.
"You deserve to be happy and I want that for you. I will let you go, but I’ll never not be yours. You will always hold my heart, Rhia; you’ve always held it. It was always yours to break and only yours to take. My heart only wants what you want, so do what you please with it."
Other Notes (mild/no spoilers):
I have not experienced the JAW DROP from a stylistic choice in length of chapter since Twilight New Moon and my heart cracked a little hearing Bennett's pleading words. IYKYK
LOVE the cover!!! Absolutely gorgeous.
There were a few typos and punctuation errors, but not enough to pull me out of the story. There was also a slight overuse of exclamation points, but not enough to annoy me. Since this is a debut novel, I am obviously more lenient, but these were still just minor issues.
The pacing could be strange at times since there were multiple days that had so much detail and were just packed, and then a few weeks or even a month would go by without much mention of what happened, even if insignificant. But I was so obsessed with Rhia and Bennett that I soaked up every word when they were on page together.
While this ends on a cliffhanger, it's not too emotionally disturbing (at least IMO) but I am still anxiously awaiting book 2. There are also several plot points/issues that were raised throughout this book that will need to be addressed soon (the prisoners in the dungeons, Miles' reaction after learning that Rhia was an assassin, Amica's relationship with Mendex, the consequences of not following through with the King's last order, etc). That said, I think it was the perfect amount of unresolved issues to leave for book 2. Since this was a debut novel, I'm not sure how long it will be until the sequel is even announced, but I know I will be rushing to read it as soon as it's released!
Final Notes (spoilers):
Spice 0/5 (but the ROMANCE!!)
Romance 🧡🧡🧡🧡
Vibes ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
1st person POV - Rhia
Tropes: hidden identity, female assassin, friends to enemies to lovers, one bed (AND SHE HAS A NIGHTMARE!!), the beginnings of a found family
The Plot:
A Legend of Golden Shadows is the debut novel from Victoria Vredevoogd and it was amazing! Our FMC, Rhia, lived a childhood of pain and abuse in the circus when she is discovered using her Golden gifts of healing on the King's son and they bring her to the palace, as is mandated by the law. She grows close with the King's sons and is practically adopted by the royal family. A few years later after the Queen's sudden murder, our MMC Bennett, blames her death on 12 year-old Rhia for not using her powers to heal his mother after he found her poisoned, despite the fact she had been dead for far too long. In anger, he lashes out and tries to kill her with his Shadow powers. When the King learns of this, he sends Bennett away to the neighboring kingdom where his brother rules to keep the palace safe from his anger.
Our story starts 8 years later with Rhia on an assignment from the King. Rhia had always trained with Bennett and Miles but as she got older, the King had her trained even more so she could be his secret assassin. We see her ruthlessness and skill as she neutralizes a small group of Red Bones (the current rebel faction trying to bring down the King and anyone with Artis blood). When she returns, she finds out that Bennett is back after these 8 long years away and is still blaming her for his mother's assassination. This book follows Rhia as she attempts to continue her duties as the King's Favorite Assassin working to uncover the plans of the Red Bones while finding herself stuck once again in Bennett's orbit.
"That night at the circus I couldn’t stop myself from running to you, it was like I was acting on instinct. Even now, I will chase you until the end of the world and beyond."
The Relationships:
Rhia's best friends are Amica, fellow Golden blood healer, and Miles, the King's second son and Bennett's brother. Throughout the book we see how deep this trio's friendship runs and both Amica and Miles have such unique personalities. I absolutely love their friendships. Only Amica knows that Rhia is the King's Favorite and even that shouldn't be allowed, but the King isn't aware that Amica knows.
Once Rhia and Bennett start to work through their issues, the romance and tension shoots off the pages. They both learn that things may not be as they seem, and Rhia also learns that Bennett feels so much regret with how he acted the night his mother died. He apologies a couple times and we really get to see his true personality after they get past their egos and defenses. They always had a special connection as children and watching them reconnect and learn to trust each other again was heartwarming. There's no spice except for a couple passionate kisses but the tension and the romance are ramping us up to some hot scenes, I can already tell. Bennett's devotion to Rhia is bone-deep and he is not afraid to show it (in private at least, they have to keep appearances up at the palace because the King can't know they have reconciled). Their banter and teasing was so enjoyable and humorous that you can't help but fall for Bennett. I am obsessed with him.
"You deserve to be happy and I want that for you. I will let you go, but I’ll never not be yours. You will always hold my heart, Rhia; you’ve always held it. It was always yours to break and only yours to take. My heart only wants what you want, so do what you please with it."
Other Notes (mild/no spoilers):
I have not experienced the JAW DROP from a stylistic choice in length of chapter since Twilight New Moon and my heart cracked a little hearing Bennett's pleading words. IYKYK
LOVE the cover!!! Absolutely gorgeous.
There were a few typos and punctuation errors, but not enough to pull me out of the story. There was also a slight overuse of exclamation points, but not enough to annoy me. Since this is a debut novel, I am obviously more lenient, but these were still just minor issues.
The pacing could be strange at times since there were multiple days that had so much detail and were just packed, and then a few weeks or even a month would go by without much mention of what happened, even if insignificant. But I was so obsessed with Rhia and Bennett that I soaked up every word when they were on page together.
While this ends on a cliffhanger, it's not too emotionally disturbing (at least IMO) but I am still anxiously awaiting book 2. There are also several plot points/issues that were raised throughout this book that will need to be addressed soon (the prisoners in the dungeons, Miles' reaction after learning that Rhia was an assassin, Amica's relationship with Mendex, the consequences of not following through with the King's last order, etc). That said, I think it was the perfect amount of unresolved issues to leave for book 2. Since this was a debut novel, I'm not sure how long it will be until the sequel is even announced, but I know I will be rushing to read it as soon as it's released!
Final Notes (spoilers):
July 11, 2022
One of the best fantasy books I have ever read!! There were parts were I would laugh at something Rhiannon or Bennett said and there were parts were I was sobbing my heart out. Bennett has raised my standards higher now; if he isn’t Bennett we basically don’t want him. While reading you could really feel this connection with each character, their emotions, their feelings, all of it. The plot twists began midway through the book and every now and then a page would have me gasping at a twist or shocking new piece information. I really enjoyed reading the book and would 100% reread it again hopefully in a physical form next so that I could annotate. Waiting impatiently for a sequel because I NEED to know what happens after being left on a HUGE cliffhanger.
June 17, 2023
Duuuuuuuuudddddddeeeeee
I started this at like 9 am at work on friday. Fast forward 12:30 am and I finished it.
So yeah, it was good. Also, THIS ISN'T A STAND ALONE!!!! I feel betrayed and I'm questioning why I picked it up in the first place because now I am suffering since there's nothing more for the time being.
I started this at like 9 am at work on friday. Fast forward 12:30 am and I finished it.
So yeah, it was good. Also, THIS ISN'T A STAND ALONE!!!! I feel betrayed and I'm questioning why I picked it up in the first place because now I am suffering since there's nothing more for the time being.
August 23, 2022
Spoilers ahead**
1. The names. This is going to be nitpicky but the king's name is Pater, which means 'father' in latin, and he's like a father figure to our MC, Rhia. I mean, that's laying it on a little thick but I thought 'ok whatever, it's not that bad'. But then her best friend's name is Amica... Amica?? That means 'friend' in latin, which I just thought was so stupid. You couldn't think of an actual name for this poor girl?
2. Rhia is your 'I'm not like other girls', whiny MC. We hear constantly how she's so clever, and lethal, and the best fighter there is. But are we actually shown any of this through her actions? No. And ofc she wants her future hubby to be able to best her in a fight, which is like why? You can only be attracted to a man who can beat you in a fight? Where's the actual girl power? She is also extremely immature. A lot of her dialogue with Bennett comes off as childish (she's 20) and whiny. And she's the 'I can't be feminine or wear revealing clothes unless I'm forced to' type of girl.
3. Bennett was a walking red flag. He tried to kill her when they were kids... But she forgives him for it immediately. He also bullied her and made her feel like crap, then left for 8 years. Now they meet as adults but he's cold and rude to her again, oh no I'm going to swoon (jk). There's other romance stories where princes fall for the commoner MC, and the princes do have more power and authority but they usually don't lord it over the girl they're interested in. Bennett does, repeatedly. He constantly tells her how she's nothing and when he's king he'll have all the power over her, like what?
4. It's literally a knockoff of SJM's Aelin. 1. She has scars on her back that she learns to love. 2. She has a power that scares her. 3. She's revealed to be a queen, also something that she wants and doesn't want at the same time. 4. She's an assassin, the 'best' assassin there is. 5. She loves to read. -- She also tries to be the snarky, arrogant character that Aelin is, but it comes off as annoying and childish with Rhia.
5. I'm just going to say, neither Bennett or Rhia actually care about anyone other than themselves. Sure Rhia has like 3 friends, but they're inconsequential to the story. It's all about Bennett with her. Bennett apparently loves his people in Vesper but doesn't care for the people in Veladis. And Rhia, she says she cares about the people but doesn't make an effort to learn about them. Also, when she gives her first order as future queen, she doesn't try to save the innocent prisoners in Veladis, no mention of them. They're not likable characters, they lack depth and development.
If I could give this book a zero, I would. I know a lot of work goes into writing most books, but this book was just a copy of other plots/tropes/ characters.
1. The names. This is going to be nitpicky but the king's name is Pater, which means 'father' in latin, and he's like a father figure to our MC, Rhia. I mean, that's laying it on a little thick but I thought 'ok whatever, it's not that bad'. But then her best friend's name is Amica... Amica?? That means 'friend' in latin, which I just thought was so stupid. You couldn't think of an actual name for this poor girl?
2. Rhia is your 'I'm not like other girls', whiny MC. We hear constantly how she's so clever, and lethal, and the best fighter there is. But are we actually shown any of this through her actions? No. And ofc she wants her future hubby to be able to best her in a fight, which is like why? You can only be attracted to a man who can beat you in a fight? Where's the actual girl power? She is also extremely immature. A lot of her dialogue with Bennett comes off as childish (she's 20) and whiny. And she's the 'I can't be feminine or wear revealing clothes unless I'm forced to' type of girl.
3. Bennett was a walking red flag. He tried to kill her when they were kids... But she forgives him for it immediately. He also bullied her and made her feel like crap, then left for 8 years. Now they meet as adults but he's cold and rude to her again, oh no I'm going to swoon (jk). There's other romance stories where princes fall for the commoner MC, and the princes do have more power and authority but they usually don't lord it over the girl they're interested in. Bennett does, repeatedly. He constantly tells her how she's nothing and when he's king he'll have all the power over her, like what?
4. It's literally a knockoff of SJM's Aelin. 1. She has scars on her back that she learns to love. 2. She has a power that scares her. 3. She's revealed to be a queen, also something that she wants and doesn't want at the same time. 4. She's an assassin, the 'best' assassin there is. 5. She loves to read. -- She also tries to be the snarky, arrogant character that Aelin is, but it comes off as annoying and childish with Rhia.
5. I'm just going to say, neither Bennett or Rhia actually care about anyone other than themselves. Sure Rhia has like 3 friends, but they're inconsequential to the story. It's all about Bennett with her. Bennett apparently loves his people in Vesper but doesn't care for the people in Veladis. And Rhia, she says she cares about the people but doesn't make an effort to learn about them. Also, when she gives her first order as future queen, she doesn't try to save the innocent prisoners in Veladis, no mention of them. They're not likable characters, they lack depth and development.
If I could give this book a zero, I would. I know a lot of work goes into writing most books, but this book was just a copy of other plots/tropes/ characters.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 1, 2022
‘A Legend Of Golden Shadows’ is a 5 star read and I definitely added this to my favourites list!
I would recommend this book to anyone looking for a fantasy romance read with tropes including: childhood friends to enemies to lovers, masquerade ball, one bed and much more!
There are so many plot twists and an unexpected antagonist!
I would recommend this book to anyone looking for a fantasy romance read with tropes including: childhood friends to enemies to lovers, masquerade ball, one bed and much more!
There are so many plot twists and an unexpected antagonist!
June 25, 2023
First of all, THE COVER ART
second THE STORY!!! Ate. It. Up. The world building the plot the friends we love the twists!!
Is there a date for the sequel because sign me up
second THE STORY!!! Ate. It. Up. The world building the plot the friends we love the twists!!
Is there a date for the sequel because sign me up
May 31, 2022
I absolutely adored this book. I couldn’t put this down considering it took me about a day to read. I had just been in the biggest reading slump, and this got me out of it quick. Victoria’s writing had me hooked and always on edge. There was not a moment I was bored and I literally could not put this book down. There was a perfect balance between the plot and romance aspect of the book. The mc is so badass, and the love interest had me giggling since he was introduced. I fell in love with the setting so quickly, and could really see how much thought Victoria put into planning this book. I had such a great time beta reading this book and I know it won’t disappoint other readers. <333
February 19, 2025
˗ˏˋ 2 stars ⟡ ݁₊ .
*deep sigh* so where should i start? the fmc rhia reminded me of a washed up version of aelin from TOG. they're both assassins with their backs full of scars.
and the secret city held up by powerful wards called veladis? seriously... like come on dude, i think you can do better than that.
regardless, i still loved that beautiful apology from bennett. the enemies phase was probably the only good part that deserved that one extra star, cuz of how they actually wanted to murder each other.
overall, it was a fast and easy read. but id recommend reading ACOTAR instead of this knock off version.
*deep sigh* so where should i start? the fmc rhia reminded me of a washed up version of aelin from TOG. they're both assassins with their backs full of scars.
and the secret city held up by powerful wards called veladis? seriously... like come on dude, i think you can do better than that.
regardless, i still loved that beautiful apology from bennett. the enemies phase was probably the only good part that deserved that one extra star, cuz of how they actually wanted to murder each other.
overall, it was a fast and easy read. but id recommend reading ACOTAR instead of this knock off version.
Read
April 3, 2024So schlecht geschrieben, dass ich es wieder von meinen Kindle verbannt hab nach ein paar Kapitel. Möchte aber meine 3 Follower warnen.
July 5, 2022
I binge read this book and let me just say... I WILL be coming back for more! I have laughed with these characters and cried with them. This has got to be one of my new favorites. Hands down.
July 3, 2022
OMG… i have no words.. it was so so GOOD, I’M LOVE. With the word, with Bennett❣️And with Rhia. My favourite fantasy book of 2022 AMD i can't wait for the second book.
July 22, 2022
2.5 ⭐️
if it weren’t for the sloppy writing, painfully unoriginal ideas, and questionably problematic aspects, then sure ig this could’ve been good
i liked:
- the tropes. this was very tropey but i loved it. includes lots of tried and true tropes that are popular for a reason
- the “enemies” phase in the whole enemies-to-lovers. there was genuine hate and tension- my favorite
i did not like:
- the main character. she was so dumb and i got so much second-hand embarrassment. you really expect me to believe she’s the “most feared assassin in the entire kingdom”?? LMAO.
- a literal exact copy of the whole velaris plot line from ’a court of mist and fury’. EXACT, DOWN TO A T.
- there were multiple scenes that were straight out of SJM’s books, and it was so obvious. ( 🚩RED FLAG #492- this author is trying to be like SJM)
- the writing was lazy and stilted, even for a debut. it really needed an editor.
- why was there not a SINGLE poc or lgbtq+ character.
- .. but there was a questionable copy of the hindu Holi festival. hm
if it weren’t for the sloppy writing, painfully unoriginal ideas, and questionably problematic aspects, then sure ig this could’ve been good
i liked:
- the tropes. this was very tropey but i loved it. includes lots of tried and true tropes that are popular for a reason
- the “enemies” phase in the whole enemies-to-lovers. there was genuine hate and tension- my favorite
i did not like:
- the main character. she was so dumb and i got so much second-hand embarrassment. you really expect me to believe she’s the “most feared assassin in the entire kingdom”?? LMAO.
- a literal exact copy of the whole velaris plot line from ’a court of mist and fury’. EXACT, DOWN TO A T.
- there were multiple scenes that were straight out of SJM’s books, and it was so obvious. ( 🚩RED FLAG #492- this author is trying to be like SJM)
- the writing was lazy and stilted, even for a debut. it really needed an editor.
- why was there not a SINGLE poc or lgbtq+ character.
- .. but there was a questionable copy of the hindu Holi festival. hm
November 16, 2022
I mean it was interesting hahaha
It was extremely similar to SJM ngl and written in the style of Wattpad.
The fact that author used almost every single trope in one book kinda got on my nerves but I could look past it.
But still because of the cliffhanger I will read the squel as soon as it will be out.
It was extremely similar to SJM ngl and written in the style of Wattpad.
The fact that author used almost every single trope in one book kinda got on my nerves but I could look past it.
But still because of the cliffhanger I will read the squel as soon as it will be out.
April 11, 2023
The plot was good, the execution not so much. I loved the beginning and I loved the ending but everything in between went too fast. Lots of things didn’t make sense and there where many loose threads, unfinished storylines in here. I did still enjoy this book though.
December 17, 2024
THIS WAS SO GOOD! In no way did I expect this to hook me like it did IM SO EXCITED for the second one!!!
July 25, 2022
Okay so where to start?
I didn't have high expectations, the writing was simple maybe too simple for my taste. Nothing special, nothing new. I know I know the tropes are listed in the synopsis and lemme say they are major spoilers? Like what were they thinking putting them there? I knew the king was a bad guy the moment Bennett said he was..?
All the details of the world and dresses felt like a fill in like author just couldn't wait to get over it but honestly same. I don't even know how our girly looks like? Maybe it has skipped my mind but not a thing was remarkable about her well she was kings favourite tool to well.. Kill.
The whole book felt like a dream and not dream wonderful.. Dream weird. Like if the mc said she woke up I would be like.. Good.
The dialogues.. What was wrong with them? Everytime a character opened their mouth it felt like they were in a class reading their paragraphs.
Also the romance? I didn't root for these characters at all. When they got together I was like good 4 u ig.
This book tried too hard to be idk but no I couldn't care less if any of the characters died, lemme tell you there were all annoying as hell except Stella but rip.
First of all our assassin, what was her name? Rhiannon has like no personality? Or whatsoever? She was good at killing I'd give her that but wth her opponents didn't even tried. They were waiting for real to be struck with her knife. Like when she was not out "assassinating" she was so dumb? She is going to rescue and crying? She doesn't behave as a 20 yo at all! For real, even im not 20 but still I could excuse that behavior for a teen but an adult? No sorry. Immature as hell, half of the things she do, oh she doesn't do much of anything, sorry. (Shoutout to the stars that kept her alive fr)
Lemme tell you she was not like other girls okay? She has a dagger omg and she's kings FAVORITE wow.
There are magic spells in this book as well but instead of abracadabra, we say "stars please" and boom! You come back from the dead, you sprout shadows or whatever.
Then we have our broody prince Bennett, was this supposed to be enemies to lovers? Like fr? The reason he didn't apologize was also shitty as hell? Then there are paragraphs of him excusing and saying that it isn't an excuse? Angry kid? More like an a-hole. Sure you lost your mom kid, so did your brother, he didn't went around trying or in his words losing control to kill a kid. I don't like him okay? Get over it. Maybe its me maybe its him, chances are the latter.
Then there is the brother and suppose a best friend of our girly what was his name? Miles or maybe a tool. Don't get me wrong okay I liked him at first even though he was so cliché but that's every character in this book so moving on to the point where the revelation that his best friend was an assassin dawned he took a 180 turn and became an even more of a freaking asshole. Immaturity at its peak fr like bro? I don't give a shit about your feelings but get over yourself, world doesn't revolve around you. Like our girly just came back from dead and he's like lashing out like an animal. Grow tf up you ain't in no kindergarten.
I wouldn't even have tried to make him understand let him die in the hole of his self misery.
Amica was nice and good until she singed mendex who she knew for what like 5 months all the freaking secrets. Miss gurl tell him YOUR secrets but maybe nothing in her life was interested enough so she just spilled all the secrets she had promised to keep like what? Even the love story of her best friend, maybe rhia should get better friends fr. One is a child other is a goddamn snitch.
I won't lie and say this book had potential because it didn't ok not a single original thing or idea.
In my opinion, the most important, especially for enemies to lovers, is to keep me interested after they come out of the enemies phase, at which this book failed and this couple made me cringe?
the tension was there I agree so was some of angst and when she was dying I cried ( mostly because dynasty was playing in my earphones) but still.
The enemy phase is the reason I give this book 3 stars maybe it would've been better if they stayed enemies or killed each other, even better. And well it was easy to read which was a plus as well but the story could have been better.
I didn't have high expectations, the writing was simple maybe too simple for my taste. Nothing special, nothing new. I know I know the tropes are listed in the synopsis and lemme say they are major spoilers? Like what were they thinking putting them there? I knew the king was a bad guy the moment Bennett said he was..?
All the details of the world and dresses felt like a fill in like author just couldn't wait to get over it but honestly same. I don't even know how our girly looks like? Maybe it has skipped my mind but not a thing was remarkable about her well she was kings favourite tool to well.. Kill.
The whole book felt like a dream and not dream wonderful.. Dream weird. Like if the mc said she woke up I would be like.. Good.
The dialogues.. What was wrong with them? Everytime a character opened their mouth it felt like they were in a class reading their paragraphs.
Also the romance? I didn't root for these characters at all. When they got together I was like good 4 u ig.
This book tried too hard to be idk but no I couldn't care less if any of the characters died, lemme tell you there were all annoying as hell except Stella but rip.
First of all our assassin, what was her name? Rhiannon has like no personality? Or whatsoever? She was good at killing I'd give her that but wth her opponents didn't even tried. They were waiting for real to be struck with her knife. Like when she was not out "assassinating" she was so dumb? She is going to rescue and crying? She doesn't behave as a 20 yo at all! For real, even im not 20 but still I could excuse that behavior for a teen but an adult? No sorry. Immature as hell, half of the things she do, oh she doesn't do much of anything, sorry. (Shoutout to the stars that kept her alive fr)
Lemme tell you she was not like other girls okay? She has a dagger omg and she's kings FAVORITE wow.
There are magic spells in this book as well but instead of abracadabra, we say "stars please" and boom! You come back from the dead, you sprout shadows or whatever.
Then we have our broody prince Bennett, was this supposed to be enemies to lovers? Like fr? The reason he didn't apologize was also shitty as hell? Then there are paragraphs of him excusing and saying that it isn't an excuse? Angry kid? More like an a-hole. Sure you lost your mom kid, so did your brother, he didn't went around trying or in his words losing control to kill a kid. I don't like him okay? Get over it. Maybe its me maybe its him, chances are the latter.
Then there is the brother and suppose a best friend of our girly what was his name? Miles or maybe a tool. Don't get me wrong okay I liked him at first even though he was so cliché but that's every character in this book so moving on to the point where the revelation that his best friend was an assassin dawned he took a 180 turn and became an even more of a freaking asshole. Immaturity at its peak fr like bro? I don't give a shit about your feelings but get over yourself, world doesn't revolve around you. Like our girly just came back from dead and he's like lashing out like an animal. Grow tf up you ain't in no kindergarten.
I wouldn't even have tried to make him understand let him die in the hole of his self misery.
Amica was nice and good until she singed mendex who she knew for what like 5 months all the freaking secrets. Miss gurl tell him YOUR secrets but maybe nothing in her life was interested enough so she just spilled all the secrets she had promised to keep like what? Even the love story of her best friend, maybe rhia should get better friends fr. One is a child other is a goddamn snitch.
I won't lie and say this book had potential because it didn't ok not a single original thing or idea.
In my opinion, the most important, especially for enemies to lovers, is to keep me interested after they come out of the enemies phase, at which this book failed and this couple made me cringe?
the tension was there I agree so was some of angst and when she was dying I cried ( mostly because dynasty was playing in my earphones) but still.
The enemy phase is the reason I give this book 3 stars maybe it would've been better if they stayed enemies or killed each other, even better. And well it was easy to read which was a plus as well but the story could have been better.
June 23, 2022
This book was so good!!! This book had me on the edge of my seat in some moments. I cannot wait for a book too! That ending though. Couldn’t have ended on a bigger cliffhanger.
“Supposedly, they’re going to be the one person in the world who can wield both Shadow and Golden blood.”
“All I ask is that you live out that dream for her. Be a part of the revolution of female warriors. Live to see the day that a woman joins the guard, and fight with everything you have to make it happen. Please, for her. Let that dream become a reality.”
No!!! I loved Stella!! Why just why?
“It was impossible. No one had ever held two crafts. I didn’t understand how this was happening, but I knew in my soul the truth. Shadow blood now mixed with my Golden blood”
Omg she has two different bloods. She is the Regina Victoria.
“He turned to look at me, those navy eyes filling in all the cracks in my heart. “Someone who I couldn’t help but fall in love with.”
Aww I love Riha and Bennetts relationship!
“The Red Bones—” he said through panted breaths. “The Red Bones have infiltrated Vesper.”
Noooo! I have read some pretty crazy cliffhangers but seriously I can not wait for book two.
“Supposedly, they’re going to be the one person in the world who can wield both Shadow and Golden blood.”
“All I ask is that you live out that dream for her. Be a part of the revolution of female warriors. Live to see the day that a woman joins the guard, and fight with everything you have to make it happen. Please, for her. Let that dream become a reality.”
No!!! I loved Stella!! Why just why?
“It was impossible. No one had ever held two crafts. I didn’t understand how this was happening, but I knew in my soul the truth. Shadow blood now mixed with my Golden blood”
Omg she has two different bloods. She is the Regina Victoria.
“He turned to look at me, those navy eyes filling in all the cracks in my heart. “Someone who I couldn’t help but fall in love with.”
Aww I love Riha and Bennetts relationship!
“The Red Bones—” he said through panted breaths. “The Red Bones have infiltrated Vesper.”
Noooo! I have read some pretty crazy cliffhangers but seriously I can not wait for book two.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 18, 2023
3,75-4⭐️ Yeah this was okay! It felt like all good fantasybook plots stuffed together. It was a LOT of acotar (I mean Veladis?) and sometimes felt a little too fanfic but I enjoyed it and BENNET. He has rizzzdizz and everyone needs a man that worships and protects you like that. And Rhia is a badass, reminds me kinda of Aelin!
There were some inconsistencies and I needed a deeper connection sometimes but let's be real this was the first book of a series (?). The pacing was sometimes off (slow and steady and suddenly everything was revealed and already happened but easy to read and get into. I don't want to hear one mention of 'stars' anymore it felt weird but I still liked the idea and plot. I need a map though. And the dagger emoji XD loved that.
The characters were great and easy to love or hate and the spelling guide to names ?? YES.
So yeah minor details that bugged me off but overall an enjoyable experience and likeable book! <3
There were some inconsistencies and I needed a deeper connection sometimes but let's be real this was the first book of a series (?). The pacing was sometimes off (slow and steady and suddenly everything was revealed and already happened but easy to read and get into. I don't want to hear one mention of 'stars' anymore it felt weird but I still liked the idea and plot. I need a map though. And the dagger emoji XD loved that.
The characters were great and easy to love or hate and the spelling guide to names ?? YES.
So yeah minor details that bugged me off but overall an enjoyable experience and likeable book! <3
June 27, 2022
OH, MY, GOSH!!!!
HONESTLY! I MEAN!! I CAN'T EVEN!!! OH MY GOSH!!!!
this book now holds my whole heart. I finished this in a weekend, and did not even want to sleep!!!! this book is literally now my top read of 2022, and i doubt anything is ever going to top it!! might even be my top 3 favourite books!!!! (i'm using !!!!!!! a lot, lol)
the characters were beautifully constructed, and the character development was clear and just- sigh
i am emotionally drained, this book literally pulled out every single feeling within me and whacked me in the face (WHICH IS A GOOD THING, because when i read, i WANT to feel and connect with the book, not just sit there feeling like an outsider)
can i also just say, the author, Victoria Vredevoogd, you are now my idol. i mean, i aspire to be like you. You are literally the most amazing person ever for thinking of this book, for writing it and for allowing me the chance to read it. thank you so much (literally in tears, this book was amazing)
i am 100% i will eventually end up with a shrine dedicated to Bennett- HE IS LITERALLY THE DREAM!!!
This book had me in tears more than once, had me laughing along with the characters and falling off my seat in the badass action scenes!! i cannot say it enough:
I L O V E T H I S B O O K !!!!!!!!!!
please, if you doubt this book just because it is a recently new book with not a lot of reviews or ratings, DO NOT!! i didn't and now i've been rewarded with this beautiful and heart wrenching story that i am sure to never forget. i cannot wait for the rest of the series to be released !!!!!!
HONESTLY! I MEAN!! I CAN'T EVEN!!! OH MY GOSH!!!!
this book now holds my whole heart. I finished this in a weekend, and did not even want to sleep!!!! this book is literally now my top read of 2022, and i doubt anything is ever going to top it!! might even be my top 3 favourite books!!!! (i'm using !!!!!!! a lot, lol)
the characters were beautifully constructed, and the character development was clear and just- sigh
i am emotionally drained, this book literally pulled out every single feeling within me and whacked me in the face (WHICH IS A GOOD THING, because when i read, i WANT to feel and connect with the book, not just sit there feeling like an outsider)
can i also just say, the author, Victoria Vredevoogd, you are now my idol. i mean, i aspire to be like you. You are literally the most amazing person ever for thinking of this book, for writing it and for allowing me the chance to read it. thank you so much (literally in tears, this book was amazing)
i am 100% i will eventually end up with a shrine dedicated to Bennett- HE IS LITERALLY THE DREAM!!!
This book had me in tears more than once, had me laughing along with the characters and falling off my seat in the badass action scenes!! i cannot say it enough:
I L O V E T H I S B O O K !!!!!!!!!!
please, if you doubt this book just because it is a recently new book with not a lot of reviews or ratings, DO NOT!! i didn't and now i've been rewarded with this beautiful and heart wrenching story that i am sure to never forget. i cannot wait for the rest of the series to be released !!!!!!
July 29, 2022
I just finished this book that I started less 2 days ago and I swear I could’ve finished in a day if I had the time.
This book reminded me a little of one of my favorite book series, Throne of Glass. I first discovered this book off of TikTok when your vid came on my fyp saying that you have implemented all your fave tropes into a book. I immediately downloaded the book and ended up really enjoying it. I will definitely recommend this book to anyone I know! I could say that I was not expecting this book to be to enticing and worthy to read but I was definitely wrong. Definitely a 4.7 out of 5 as I just wish the book had more world building but honestly, that’s just my preference!!
And man oh man the main guy in this book, Bennett is really something else. I have not read another book in a while that has a character and personality like Bennett.
Thank you for sharing this book with us!! Can’t wait for the sequel.
This book reminded me a little of one of my favorite book series, Throne of Glass. I first discovered this book off of TikTok when your vid came on my fyp saying that you have implemented all your fave tropes into a book. I immediately downloaded the book and ended up really enjoying it. I will definitely recommend this book to anyone I know! I could say that I was not expecting this book to be to enticing and worthy to read but I was definitely wrong. Definitely a 4.7 out of 5 as I just wish the book had more world building but honestly, that’s just my preference!!
And man oh man the main guy in this book, Bennett is really something else. I have not read another book in a while that has a character and personality like Bennett.
Thank you for sharing this book with us!! Can’t wait for the sequel.
July 20, 2022
Wow.
So I’ve been trying to find a book I could easily read and get hooked on for so long and this book has done it.
This is one of my favorite fantasy romances I’ve read.
I love Rhia so much. Her character was realistic in the sense that even though she is this badass assassin, she still struggles with her past traumas and has to learn how to deal with it all. She is such a strong character who wants to see the best in everyone, even when they’ve done her wrong. She is definitely one of my favorite protagonists.
Oh Bennet. I absolutely loved him. From the beginning of the book you could just sense his love for Rhia, even when he tried to push her away. The chemistry between both characters had me giggling and cheesing. I am so excited to read more about them and their journey.
Overall this book is definitely a 1000/5 ⭐️ for me but of course I could only rate it a 5 on this app. The pacing was great and I never got bored at any moment. Great job to the author because this book was amazing:)
So I’ve been trying to find a book I could easily read and get hooked on for so long and this book has done it.
This is one of my favorite fantasy romances I’ve read.
I love Rhia so much. Her character was realistic in the sense that even though she is this badass assassin, she still struggles with her past traumas and has to learn how to deal with it all. She is such a strong character who wants to see the best in everyone, even when they’ve done her wrong. She is definitely one of my favorite protagonists.
Oh Bennet. I absolutely loved him. From the beginning of the book you could just sense his love for Rhia, even when he tried to push her away. The chemistry between both characters had me giggling and cheesing. I am so excited to read more about them and their journey.
Overall this book is definitely a 1000/5 ⭐️ for me but of course I could only rate it a 5 on this app. The pacing was great and I never got bored at any moment. Great job to the author because this book was amazing:)
November 13, 2022
¿Spoilers?
I was beyond disappointed with this book. Everything down to the last syllable of it is screaming 'don't publish this'. In essence, it's your basic Wattpad book with an MC that's not like other girls, is good at combat, sexy and the basic plot line where she falls in love with the bad boy, but he's good in the end because he cares about her. I read this in one day and by the time I finished it I knew that this is the worst book I've ever read. Don't get me started on the writing. Saying it's bad is an understatement. Anyway, if you want a book with similar tropes, you can read any SJM book.
I was beyond disappointed with this book. Everything down to the last syllable of it is screaming 'don't publish this'. In essence, it's your basic Wattpad book with an MC that's not like other girls, is good at combat, sexy and the basic plot line where she falls in love with the bad boy, but he's good in the end because he cares about her. I read this in one day and by the time I finished it I knew that this is the worst book I've ever read. Don't get me started on the writing. Saying it's bad is an understatement. Anyway, if you want a book with similar tropes, you can read any SJM book.
June 21, 2022
READ THIS BOOK RIGHT NOW! I absolutely loved this book. I couldn’t put it down, read it in one sitting. It is one of the best fantasy books I have read. I wanted to read it again as soon as I finished it! The story and the characters are amazing, the magic system is so interesting. It has all the tropes you could possibly want. And the ending has you begging the second book was out.
June 28, 2022
Adding to one of my favorite reads of 2022! From the moment I started reading I was sucked into the world! Defiantly will need to reread once the second book comes out. It does end on a cliff hanger, but I wouldn’t say it’s a huge one so waiting for the second book won’t be miserable lol
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