The High Mountain Court

Five Crowns of Okrith #1

by A.K. Mulford

Gripping and action-packed, The High Mountain Court is an adrenaline-filled, high fantasy with fae courts, powerful witches, and a diverse cast of characters.

A red witch in hiding…

Thirteen years fleeing witch hunters and the looming threat of death. Nineteen-year-old Remy knows she is possibly the last red witch alive, and she is determined to stay that way. The Northern Court King has slaughtered her home court and placed a bounty on red witch heads.

When four fae warriors enter her tavern refuge, Remy tries to flee, but her magic isn’t strong enough to stop a fae prince on a mission. The handsome Prince Hale of the Eastern Kingdom wants to stop a war with the Northern Court before his kingdom befalls the same fate as Remy’s. He needs a red witch and Remy may be the only person alive who can help him. Can she really trust Prince Hale? Can her fallen court be resurrected from the evil clutches of the Northern Court King? For the chance to save herself, her people, and help defeat the Northern King, Remy must put her faith in Hale and his companions on a dangerous quest to find lost relics.

The High Mountain Court is the first book in the thrilling fantasy saga, The Five Crowns of Okrith. Expect danger, intrigue, and thrilling passion as Remy journeys to save the kingdom she holds most dear.

Genres: Fantasy, Romance, Fae, Romantasy, Fantasy Romance, Witches, Magic

360 pages, ebook

First published August 10, 2021

About the author

A. K. Mulford is a bestselling fantasy author and former wildlife biologist who swapped rehabilitating monkeys for writing novels. They/she is inspired to create diverse stories that transport readers to new realms, making them fall in love with fantasy for the first time or all over again. They now live in Australia with their husband and two young human primates, creating lovable fantasy characters and making ridiculous TikToks (@akmulfordauthor).


Get the Okrith Novellas FREE at www.akmulford.com

Reviews

[Ginevra Mancinelli · Rating 2 out of 5]

(Review contains spoilers.)

I would like to thank A.K. Mulford for sharing an ARC with me. Below, the breakdown of the rating I gave The High Mountain Court.

Rating breakdown:
• World-building: 1★
• Characters (cast & development): 0★
• Plot (pacing, stakes, and execution): 0.5★
• Themes: 0.5★
• Prose: 0★

Final rating: 2/5

The World-Building

Let's start this book review of The High Mountain Court with what I enjoyed. The world-building was probably the strongest aspect of this book. Although it's nowhere near new, from the map to the descriptions, the author took the time to explain every part of her world. The covens were interesting, and I enjoyed the fact that each coven specializes in a certain type of magic that isn't always meant for offensive moves. Another thing I appreciated was that the world-building happened mostly through traveling.

A pet peeve of mine would be that every explanation happened through Remy, and I couldn't help but think: how can a girl who's been hiding all her life, received little to no education, know everything? Other than that, Okrith is shaping up nicely. I can see it as a satisfying universe for a high fantasy story, with its own rituals, social hierarchy, religion, and military.

The Characters

Remy

My first issue with this book is the POV. We see everything through Remy's eyes. I'm not a big fan of this type of storytelling, especially for books marketed towards a more mature audience. It truly narrows the interpretation a reader can come up with for key elements of the story. Anyway, Remy, as a character, was promising at the beginning. She seems far from naïve and works at a tavern while hiding her witch powers. She recognizes faes and potential threats, takes a lot of initiative when she must save herself and those around her. I thought I would like her.

However, as the story progresses, you can tell Remy is a pretty overpowered character, with a good layer of plot armor, and she's a bit of a drama queen. It made no sense to me why she would use her magic to send a pine tree in someone's face using telekinesis. In fact, she could have used that power to send that someone miles away from her. It also amazed me she could summon such power when she's clearly been hiding for years. She doesn't even seem to practice her "Red magic" very often. Remy didn't even have a mentor in that regard. Her guardian, Heather, is a Brown witch who doesn't possess the same type of magic as Remy.

The main character often finds herself in situations where survival is unlikely, but she makes it out alive every time... Even when she says that her power is really low at that moment and that she feels weak. Upon meeting the male protagonist and his posse, Remy ends up going through the mandatory physical training of every YA fantasy. Daggers, swords, bows, whatever-you-can-name, and that was disappointing to me. I thought the book was about witches and magic, not sword-fighting faes.

Hale

I don't have a lot to say about Hale, considering he is the conveniently good-looking and good-natured fae male who gets described as stunning when he's just breathing. He suffers from overly written gray eyes; it's the only feature I could remember throughout the book. Whenever he appears, it's to save Remy from someone who has a blade ready to cut off her head or something. People call him the "Bastard Prince" for being born out of wedlock, and he has a poor reputation for chasing females, but he's just a love-struck puppy with a one-dimensional personality. He didn't annoy me, per se, but I couldn't find him particularly appealing.

In the end, the main characters were extremely hard to relate to. I could not imagine them as real people, even in their universe.

The Plot

The first ten chapters of this book had too much "showing." We literally follow Remy through every part of her traveling, and I felt like the author could have chopped parts so that more interesting aspects of the plot would receive proper development. There is not a lot of bonding going on either. Remy sticks with the two Brown witches who raised her, and the few times the male protagonist asks her legit questions, she storms off as if someone insulted her mother. It didn't appear as romantic banter to me, and it just seemed like a convenient moment to force the two protagonists to talk in private.

The mid-part of the story is about a small heist the characters organize in order to retrieve a potent artefact that the High Lords and Ladies placed as card game prize. It's a little odd to me, but thankfully, the others discover the heist fairly easily and it forces the characters to run to their next destination. There's a lot of traveling in this book, and it's heavy as the novel isn't even that long. The protagonists must cross this impossible mountain to retrieve the second magical item they need to overthrow the big evil, and they take days to get there, and only a couple of paragraphs to get out when Remy gets hurt.

The last third of the book is action-packed, with a lot of conflict that needs resolution, but it feels crammed. Dead characters that are actually alive and then truly die, characters who were on their own way end up coming back, underdeveloped characters being those who die bringing zero pathos to the table... Again, this felt very YA-ish and frankly, for a main character, I found Remy to have done little to nothing in the end. For me, it was anticlimactic, and I couldn't root for the side characters who did the job because prior to that ending, they hadn't been present in a lot of core scenes.

The Themes

The "romance"

The High Mountain Court is not the first fantasy romance I've read. But the romance in this book was truly hard to digest. Remy was slobbering all over Hale since the first chapter. She quickly felt jealous of whoever approached him, although she wasn't making any effort to get close to him at first. It was immature, and had it been just immaturity, I wouldn't even mention it, but it turns out they're FATED MATES. Like, strip me of my free will and just let me get the insta-love for someone I just met. That ruined the romance part for me. They want to slap monkeys so badly over nothing that I couldn't. "My fated." I think I died inside every time I read that line. If you're not into corny stuff, this book's going to hurt you.

The level of spice is very low, something you'd expect from books like ACOTAR or Blood and Ash, so don't read this expecting to find anything saucy.

But the romance isn't what irritated me the most.

The diversity & LGBT+ representation

I don't normally look for diversity elements in books that don't get marketed as diverse, but this book has it in its description, so I read it carefully. The High Mountain Court made me uncomfortable several times. First, Remy is a black woman, that much is clear. At some point she says something about her complexion making her bruises less obvious, but it's not like she hit her arm. They assaulted her, pressed a boot to her face and whatnot. It was really weird to read.

Then, I must point out that every LGBT+ character is a side or insignificant character. I never got the impression that Remy or Hale were bisexual or pansexual or anything. The fae warriors escorting Hale have made comments about their sexual preferences. I guess some of them are at the very least bisexual, but that's about it. There was also a highborn character described as androgynous, and they clearly were non-binary. However, they appeared once, and that was it. It all felt politically correct, and I don't think it's that appropriate to market a book as LGBT+ when none of the main characters is part of that community.

On a side note, Remy's brother, who was "fated" to a man, popped up and died in an evening. What was the point of his character and his same-sex fated mate subplot? I don't want to say "bury your gays" because I doubt this was intentional. But since the next books aren't focusing on the same characters, I don't get it.

Speaking of diversity, we also have a character, Bria's sister, who is half-fae/half-human, and I thought that was interesting... But she as well got a mention in a chapter, and then vanished from the rest of the story. It felt like another wasted opportunity.

Ultimately, this book has too many sprinkles of everything, and sometimes it's best to just focus properly on a few aspects instead of stuffing the same book with everything.

The Prose

Writing suitable for younger audiences

For reasons mentioned in the previous sections of this book review of The High Mountain Court, I don't think this book is NA in terms of writing or themes.

I don't think a little gore and a low level of "spice" are what makes a book a New Adult novel instead of YA. New Adult books should begin blurring the lines between good and evil in terms of morals. In the text, you never get the impression that the characters walk that line. They're all standard main characters trying to save their world from an "enormous" threat, and no side plot implies that there could be more to it. This is also probably why it took me well over a month to finish this book, although I started reading it way before its release date.

Too many references to other books

Lines like, "He was the most stunning male Remy had ever seen." Moments such as when Remy almost dies but remains alive through her connection to Hale. The big terrible king being a one-dimensional villain who dies at the hands of Remy's sour-faced sister. The brother who had one scene dying to save his family. Heather sacrificing her life to save Remy... It really felt like an ACOTAR rip-off. Remember the Feysand dynamic? Hybern's death at the hands of Elain? Feyre's meaningless father dying for drama points? Nesta giving up her magic to save Feyre?

But this book also features things found in the Blood and Ash series since Hale refers to Remy as "Princess" like Casteel does with Poppy. He gives her a hand job in the middle of camping. He turns out to be the one ready to betray her and then not. The whole "from Red witch to Fae Princess of the High Mountain Court" trope that was exactly like Poppy's ties to the Atlantian Crown/God heritage. Every crucial moment was so similar to those other popular books that saying, "The High Mountain Court is perfect for fans of Armentrout and ACOTAR," gets a whole new meaning.

Even the part where Remy and Hale retrieve the second artefact reminded me a lot of Harry Potter. I will not judge someone for drawing inspiration from popular books, but when the scenes are too similar, the hype dies for me.

There was also a scene at the end that some people compared to GRRM's Red Wedding. I want to shake my head. The Red Wedding was a scene meant to highlight how foolishness can lead main characters to a premature end. Here, the main characters came out unscathed. The enemy's forces didn't get massacred to the point of ending their power. In fact, the Northern King's son must stay around to make sure there is no further uprising, which is a big contrast to what happened to House Stark after the Red Wedding (they basically ceased to exist as a military and political force).

To conclude this book review of The High Mountain Court, I would say this novel fits the write-to-market philosophy. It comes with a check-list of things people enjoy or look for in other popular books. But I can see hints of the author's voice, and I'm sure when she polishes it, she will write terrific books. I hope she focuses more on her witch covens in the future, as that was the strongest aspect of the book.

[alexis · Rating 5 out of 5]

18+
I have no idea where to start with this review. This has officially become one of my favorite books. I can’t think of anything I didn’t like.
It has fae and witches and spice.
Also we had found family and adventure.

In this book there are fae, witches, and humans. Years ago The High Mountain Court, where the red witches called home, was destroyed by the Northern Court. Red witches that were killed went into hiding and were hunted down by witch hunters.

Remy is a red which who is recruited by the Eastern court’s prince to find weapons that will help defeat the Northern king. She joins the Prince’s group of warriors on their journey to find the weapons. And find her way back to the red witches she though we’re all gone.

This book really has it all. It’s got adventure, romance, friendships, magic, and great world building. And there’s twists that keep you guessing. I love this book so much Remy and Hale have officially wormed their way into my heart.

TWs: Violence, death

Thank you so much to A.K. Mulford for a copy of this book I return for an honest review! I loved this book so much.

[Lila · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am torn as to what my rating should be. I have to admit, in the first half of the book it would have been closer to 3 stars.

The biggest reason for that is that it feels rushed. You know how when you're summarizing a book you might gloss over the less important parts? It kind of feels like the entire book was glossed over, especially the beginning. Their journey was waaaay too fast. We could have had more scenes where they all just get to know each other, maybe Heather teaches Remy about some plants, someone tells a story, maybe they have to go the long way around cause they spot some Northern soldiers in their path.

Another thing I was absolutely annoyed at is that when Remy and Hale first meet, we're introduced to enemies to lovers trope. But immediately after, we can see Remy starts to fall for him. I would have liked to see more of her still 'hating' him in her thoughts and denying even to herself that she has feelings for him and even though we can't see it from her POV, from her actions we know they're falling in love.

Also, the big secret she has been hiding for most of the book? I got it from the beginning. I don't know if it's because at this point I've read so many fantasy books it was obvious or if it was actually that obvious. I am leaning towards the latter. I wish it wouldn't have been that obvious. I am not joking when I say I knew it and just waited for the confirmation since chapter 2.

All in all, I LOVE the plot and the fact there's witches and fae together. You don't really see that in books (or you do, but witches tend to be in the background and not very visible). I have high hopes for the sequel. I hope we get to see more of Rua.

[Koisty · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 Comfortable Couch Stars ⭐
🌶️🌶️/5

I picked this up as part of a buddy read with some girls from Instagram and it sounded SOOO GOOD! This had so much potential to be fantastic and I absolutely loved it in the beginning. However, somewhere along the line in reading this, I fell off the hype bandwagon and by the end, I was thankful it was over. This just didn't hit the mark for what I look for in a book, leaving me a little underwhelmed and disappointed.

I must give credit that the worldbuilding in this was done really well, and I think that was one of the elements that were really topnotch and why I was so hooked in the beginning. It's not really info-dumpy. It's a slow pace in which you can learn to understand how the realms fit together. There's politics, there's classism, and I did enjoy the magic system.

The book follows Remy, who has been living in hiding in dark and dingy taverns for 13 years, as she is one of the last remaining Red Witches. Her Court, the High Mountain Court, was originally overtaken by the Northern Court and all the Red Witches were slaughtered for their power. Since Remy is a Red Witch, she needs to stay undercover. Soon she is found by four Fae, one of which happens to be the MOST GORGEOUS MAN she has ever seen, who enlists her help in a quest for two magical items that they believe will help retake back the fallen High Mountain Court.

CUE A MINI INTERNAL RANT: I hate when things are referred to as "Most Gorgeous or Most Beautiful", It's a pet peeve - I dunno why, just is....so seeing it not once, BUT NUMEROUS TIMES how GORGEOUS HE WAS....made me a little nauseous. 🤢

I'm almost MAD, as this has elements of everything that you kind of want in a fantasy romance.

I mean LOOOOK at these tropes:
▶ Enemies to Lovers
▶ One Horse
▶ Forced Proximity
▶ Found Family
▶ He falls first
▶ Fae/Witch Romance

There is no one bed though...BECAUSE THE FUCKING COUCH IS MORE COMFORTABLE!!!!! It was right there, A.K Mulford dangled that carrot and then took it away!

The thing that bothered me the most about this book, is the structure of the plot. Let me prefix this to say I had a lot of fun in terms of the speculation with the fellow ladies doing the buddy read as to the direction of the plot. But in the end, there were so many clues thrown in your face that by the time the "big twist" comes around, IT WASN'T SHOCKING! It just felt anti-climactic.

The other aspect that frustrated me to death was as the reader, you are in Remy's mind, but you don't find out her secrets or what's driving her for about 70% of the book. You are left in that dark for the shock factor twist. I would have preferred it and think it would have had more emphasis to the story had the reader known these from the start. This way we could understand how she tried to divert other people from finding out about her secrets.

The romance was sweet; however, there were one too many aspects that made it feel like insta love. The sexual tension is there from the beginning and right of the bat there is INSTALUST and Remy acting like a jealous teenager if any girl might look at Hale. The problem with the romance was we're not really shown how the relationship evolves between Remy and Hale. You're just told that "she gets on his nerves" and that "he's different with her than with other girls." But they have had about 4 conversations at this point??? There is more interaction with the side characters than with Remy and Hale. Hale is also in the instalove camp as he also is very quickly mesmerized and besotted with her. Once their feelings are out in the open, they're nauseatingly infatuated with each other. And that was the point I lost interest OH GOSH! They are Fated Mates??? Who Knew?????

One thing I dont understand - and had to reread a few times to try was... How did her sister get the sword? I thought the King was fighting with it, but no...she just all of a sudden poof has it. This is always why again this book is very tell, not show.

I can see why this has blown up on booktok/bookstagram, given how popular ACOMAF is and people saying that this is like an almost carbon copy. I know that it is sometimes difficult to avoid this in fantasy romance because it is very much a niche genre, but there were way too many overlaps for it not to seem related or inspired by characters/scenes in ACOMAF...

Ultimately, I don't think I will be continuing the series. I was not invested in the end. There was a teaser chapter of the next book, but I skimmed it and I don't really want to continue. This might be something to pick up on a weekend if you just want a quick little fae romance with a little spice in it. It was ok, but not good enough for me to continue with how much is on my TBR.

[Nicole · Rating 2 out of 5]

My friend gifted me this book albeit she knows I am very picky in choosing my novels (especially fantasy). And she decided to get this one because it was unknown (slim chance I’d read it already) and had a good rating (although we all know a good rating starts from 4.2) but I was still grateful for the gesture, I mean books are very close to my heart & all that. I tried to read the High Mountain Court with an open mind. Yeah sure I am up to a fantasy + smut book! (And I truly don’t mind those if well written every once in a while.)

But seriously, this book sucked. Adding the extra star because it is not the book’s fault that it landed in my lap.

In short? ACOTAR + TOG + FBAA mush that went wrong (style i repeat what i read without understanding the assignment, I am being harsh but it’s been a while since I read an almost rip off book).

Here's why this book is not the best:
- before we given begin, look at the title. HOW UNREATIVE is that? I mean we've had our fair share of ACOTAR copy cats but guys we are in 2022 and we should find better titles.
- the book started ok enough until we had INSTA LOVE. Come one. As if that's not enough, we had to suffer MATES. *shakes head violently.*
- the romance was cringe. I couldn't feel the attraction. Also Hale. What kind name is that. So meh...
- the plotline is predictable and slow paced. the big reveal can be seen from early on if you've read the books I mentioned before. Again. Not creative.
- the side characters were ok, not much to say about those.
- Remy isn't anything special for an MC. She's not bad but nothing stands out about her.


This book would've been fun if it was 2015. However, today, the stakes are higher because there are so many books out there and so many ideas that have been executed already. There is nothing wrong with inspiration but one has to stay unique. This book sadly was anything but.



At the very least, I realised I am in a reading place slump and not a book slump. I finished 250 pages in a day while I am back in my hometown. I also didn’t spend the whole day at home. But I can’t read for the life of me over 100 pages a day in the place where i moved to around a year ago. So weird.

[Julezreads · Rating 4 out of 5]

Als ich "High Mountain Court" anfing, hatte ich keinerlei Erwartungen, wodurch ich insbesondere positiv überrascht werden konnte. Das Worldbuilding mitsamt der (Fae) Courts und Hexen-Zirkel hat für mich gut funktioniert. Die Liebesgeschichte empfand ich als nachvollziehbar & packend. Vor allem aber überzeugte die Handlung durch ihren Abwechslungsreichtum. Eine faszinierende Szene folgte auf die nächste, sodass die Spannung stets aufrechterhalten wurde. Die Kreativität der Autorin schätze ich diesbezüglich sehr. Hier liegt jedoch ebenfalls ein Kritikpunkt von mir: Das Buch beinhaltete so tolle Momente, dass ich oftmals gerne länger in ihnen verweilt wäre. Das Erzähltempo war schnell, Szenen in wenig Seiten auserzählt - für mich hat es sich an einigen Stellen gerusht angefühlt. In Folge fiel es mir vereinzelt schwer, emotional involviert zu bleiben bzw. alles immer mitzufühlen. Nichtsdestotrotz hatte ich beim Lesen viel Spaß und verbleibe mit einem positiven Lesegefühl!

[tappkalina · Rating 4 out of 5]

RTC

[Emma · Rating 1 out of 5]

What a disappointment. I'm convinced that paid actors have written all the 4-5 star reviews for this.

This whole book is a terrible imitation of Sarah J Maas' ACOTAR and TOG. The few things that could've made it stand out were poorly executed. None of the character relationships are believable, the attempt at 'found family' is laughable and the insta-lust between MC and love interest is cringy at best and wholly unbelievable at worst. The plot to get the MC and love interest to spend some time alone is contrived and the attempts to prolong the inevitable smut made me roll my eyes ("omg something roared in the forest we better not check it out but also not continue what we were doing").
The world-building is also pretty lack-lustre with an unimaginative map (circular island with five kingdoms; south, east, north, west, and a landlocked one in the middle (could that be where our MC is from??? No way, who would've thought!)).

Below are spoilers for ACOTAR & TOG (which inevitably also are spoilers for this book):
Spoilery bit just to draw some similarities to SJM (there's no order to these I'm literally just typing them out as I think of them):
- A somehow-super-powerful girl who turns out to not only be fae glamoured as human but is also the lost heir to a whole kingdom
- A "gorgeous blonde warrior fae" who looks just as good in fighting leathers as she does in a ball gown
- Twin side-kicks who are so superduper dangerous
- Love interest is described as "the most beautiful male" the MC had ever seen and just happens to also be her "fated mate"
- MC and love interest going on a perilous journey first to play the role of nonchalant prince and his 'plaything' where she has to *gasp* sit in his lap and pretend they're acting and then go climb a mountain to find a magical item which just happens to be in the middle of a lake with some scary monsters


One thing that does set it apart from SJM books is the smut. This wasn't just vanilla - it was imitation vanilla, the stuff they create at a lab or extract from beaver butts in an attempt to mimic natural vanilla bean. It's fun to laugh at how sex scenes in SJM books are all "mountains will shake, cities will crumble, grass will be touched" but honestly the steam in this was so anti-climactic I can't believe I had to read like 250 pages to get to it.

Okay something good tho. There's a non-binary character (even if they only get like 3-5 pages worth of storyline).

[✩ Yaz ✩ · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 - ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

“Never let anyone else tell you who you are, Remy, not even me. No one decides how bright you shine but you.”

The High Mountain Court thrusts us into a fantastical world of witches, magic, Fae, and warring Courts.

I recommend this for Sarah J Maas and JLA fans.

Despite its flaws, it's a good debut novel. The author establishes a unique world with witches at the bottom of the hierarchy. The Fae ruled the five courts of Okrith, but with the fall of the High Mountain Court to the Northern Court King, they are four as of now.

The are different types of witches. The blue witches have the gift of sight. The green witches made delicious food and help gardens grow. The brown witches are healers and expert foragers. The red witches can animate objects.

Our heroine Remy is a Red Witch who lives under the guise of a brown witch, for her kind are widely hunted by the North Court King after he killed her coven years ago.

It wasn't until she crosses paths with Hale, the crown prince of the East Court that she is entangled in a web of political schemes and blood-stained secrets that could pull her back to the day her coven were slaughtered and face the truth of that day.

The world would keep coming for her, keep taking from her, either way. So she would take from the world, she would fight for her right to this happiness.

This book was a bumpy ride, there were things I liked and things that I did not.

It had a diverse cast of characters with colorful personalities. The side characters did not feel like background characters, they had their own spotlight.

The world and the magic is interesting, I only wished it was fleshed out more.

There were maybe like three scenes that felt were way too similar to some iconic scenes from ACOMAF. If it weren't for the other elements in the book this would've prompted me to give it no more than a 3-star.

I enjoyed the action scenes and the tension towards the end of the book played with my nerves. The author did not hold back from showing some brutality.

The romance was sweet but insta-love is one of my pet peeves so it takes me a while to be invested in a couple that took them a couple of chapters to fall in love rather than seeing how that love grows. But they had good chemistry and I felt the genuine love and care they have for one another. I like that they're both emotionally vulnerable around each other.

And if you're wondering, yes there is some spice!!

I was immediately immersed into the book and it started out with a good pacing but I felt like the pacing felt off later on. I felt that the structure of the writing was a bit unbalanced and that's what I struggled with while reading.

I am definitely looking forward to the sequel. I'm curious to see where the story will go because that insane ending hooked me.

[astarion's bhaal babe (wingspan matters)]

after giving it some thought, I decided to DNF this because, at this point, it was catching metaphorical dust on my currently reading shelf. I'm not interested enough to know how it ends but it's not the book's fault because it wasn't bad. It simply doesn't resonate with me and I'm okay with letting it go.

[Bri · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book was so bad that I had to write a review. And although I love reading, I suck at writing. So, the fact that I'm taking time to type this should already be a red flag.

I saw this promoted on TikTok as a book to read if you liked ACOTAR. That sales pitch (combined with seeing a high rating on Goodreads) led me to have high expectations for this book going in.

I've never read a book where I have physically CRINGED multiple times. Every few pages I had to put the book down and rant to my boyfriend about how bad it was. But, I always finish the books I buy soooooooo.....UGHHHHHH!

Sentence structure: a third grader would have no problem reading this book

Repetitive words: an example would be the word "he" starting 4 sentences in the same paragraph

Repetitive statements: it almost seemed like Mulford didn't realize that she already stated something so she repeated said thing (this happened SO often and was completely unnecessary)

Jumpy thoughts: there was a lot of instances
where Remy's thoughts just didn't flow or were completely random and had nothing to do with what was going on

General errors: I had a reread scenes multiple times because there were obvious inconsistencies related to what was going on

Spice: I'm surprised people said this was super spicy. There was a couple kissing scenes but the first second base scene happened at 65%. While the first home run scene happened at 75%. In all, there were 3 home run scenes the entire book and they all happened within a few pages of each other.

Overall: I think that this book had a lot of potential, but the writing was just so poor that it ruined the entire thing for me.

And I get it! Sometimes I like to read high fantasy and other times I just want an easy read. This was not in "easy read" per se this was just bad writing.

[Vaishali • [V.L. Book Reviews] · Rating 3 out of 5]

RATING: 3 stars to The High Mountain Court ★ ★ ★

“Never let anyone else tell you who you are, Remy, not even me. No one decides how bright you shine but you.”

'Why did he have to speak to her like a friend and treat her like an enemy? One day she would see the ocean. One day she’d feel as mighty as those giant waves.'

Forecasted as a must-read for fans of fantasy romance, the first Instalment to The Five Crowns of Okrith saga was a book I could not pass up. Circling some popular online spaces, I was successfully commandeered by the buoyancy of reader excitement. A.K. Mulford's The High Mountain Court takes place post-siege, thirteen years after one of Okrith's most prosperous courts fell to a tyrant, overthrown by a terrible despot known as the Northern King. One who has grand ambitions for further conquer-ship. This high fantasy follows a nineteen-year-old witch, Remy, who's understood to be the last of her siblings to have survived the seizure and subjugation of her home and kingdom. Along with Remy, the entire population of the high mountain court were left to scatter to the outreaches of the surrounding courts for safety. In order to dismantle the true strength of the high mountain court, the Northern King not only slaughtered their nobility, but also murdered the Court's revered coven of Red Witches. The Red witches are now a dwindled race, a hunted race, a scarce people, and as far as Remy knows, she may very well be the last living of her kind. As such her identity as a Red Witch is a well-hidden secret, and it has been impressed upon her that it be nothing short of imperative to remain unseen and not worth the attention of eyes of interest. In the many years since, protected by her guardian Heather and friend Fenrin, Remy has toiled along the necessary path of domestic drudgery by serving in every backcountry tavern that has temporarily housed her and her friends. Much to her chagrin and greatest fear, her life on the run is about to be disturbed by a royal Fae prince and a potentially misinformed quest that's she's expected to be a part of.

We have a debut novel in The High Mountain Court, and A.K Mulford has written a relatively well-conceptualised setting, if not a well-developed opening volume for her debut series. Mulford's world building encourages an on-the-go integration. Readers learn of her world setting at a suitably intermittent pace. Her prose further employs a YA finish. As this story's group of Fae and witches globe-trot, we're regaled with the various - though secretive - parts and pieces of Remy's history, along with the social and cultural states and fates of each court. The author establishes her conceptual setting with enough definition, not at all an excessive display of world building, and I enjoyed the noticeable differences between the communities and Courts Remy encounters firsthand. The initial third division of the story was admittedly very interesting. It was during this time that I experienced a readable interest in our heroine, one who seemed equipped with a fierce determination, no matter the previous sequence of misdemeanours that forced her and her coven to flee for safety. I was caught up in the perspective of a scrappy young witch in a state of personal conflict, one who clearly felt the struggle of a life of great limit. I was excited to follow on for some surely exciting developments and character growth, but bar the inceptive portion of the story, the narrative developments that followed failed to follow through with continued interest. The investment i felt in Remy to begin with did eventually dissolve. All the early anticipation gathered was not equal to the actualised impact of what I discovered to be a story I felt rather challenged by. A story even, that perhaps felt challenged by itself to some form of unavailing.

Of the understanding that the author aimed to integrate a number of familiar tropes and themes, Including that of fated love, found family, an enemies to lovers interpretation, identity and accepted fates, the narrative effort to develop character chemistry/growth, relationship building and integral plot moments was unexpectedly minimal. And as a result, I developed little more than a mild interest in the fates of pivotal characters. As such, the story follows the sequence of a fast-paced, moving plot with adequate integration of action, but does not engage the needed impact of well evolved-components. To elaborate, what were some interesting story elements were unsupported, and character feats felt rather challenged by a lack of developmental impact. The prose does make for ease of reading, but It doesn't quite take the time to flesh out character relationships and the deeper intimacies of Remy's understanding and place within a conflicted setting, which is arguably necessary when Introducing a group of characters we are told to have developed respective bonds. I enjoyed the attempt at integrating found family; Fenrin, Heather, Talhan, Briata and Carys were somewhat likeable but they weren't established with particularly interesting connections, and the effort of forming connections was plausible if not entirely well developed. For that reason, the interrelationships were noticeably underdeveloped; an assembly of characters herded together won't spontaneously fall into fast friendships. Like Remy's relationship with Hale, the friendship group could have used some work to cultivate core bonds. That being said, the connections to supporting cast members could have been overlooked if not for the fact that The High Mountain Court's core romance also fell short of effect.

Consequently, the characterisation of both major and minor cast members wasn't as compelling, more so even because Remy's love interest models the pattern as a hero who did not sport a particularly interesting personality. The author does engage him with some basic characteristics; he's a comely (and naturally very handsome) prince, an unwanted heir, a reject to his court and people. He's said to have some history dallying with women in his earlier years, but he's also somewhat misunderstood, his hard-won efforts to prove himself dismissed at every turn. What Hale's role as a hero lacked was dimension, an arc that fell short of performance, and his role in the story felt rather prosaic. As we segue into the lay of the romance, I have to further commiserate a union that disenchanted more than it brewed a consistent appeal. Perhaps other shortcomings may have been overlooked to some degree if we were graced with a romantic relationship that equaled a prospective impact. The element of attraction between Hale and Remy does indeed move too quickly. The transition didn't sport adequate developmental phases for the enemies to lovers relationship between Hale and Remy. An instant attraction is at play, as is an instant resistance to that felt pull, but the element in caring in some fashion for each other transpired too quickly to take on a convincing quality. Instead of a slow-burning, slow-build familiarity that may have spoken much more to the forming of a connection, the transition was too swift for my liking, and as a result, underdeveloped. I couldn't put myself in a position that depicted a dislike and distanced dynamic to a heroine who then rather arbitrarily felt rejected, deeply hurt and affected by Hale in ways the development didn't support. The dynamic shift was rather sudden and immediate, in a way that did not grant our couple a convincing 'togethering'. To add on, the fated mates trope reads as more of a construction; the pull is felt on many occasions by both Hale and Remy; they're drawn to each other, develop instinctive feelings rather quickly and all the 'right moves' and 'right feelings' were made. But the dynamic ultimately reads without depth, and I felt myself desiring much more depth within their relationship. Much more depth overall.

I've been privy to many stories that engage the trope of fated mates, most of which suffer from the fatal mistake of bypassing the construction of an actualised romantic development by neglecting to cultivate the work needed to establish a connection between two respective romantic interests. I don't necessarily agree that a destined bond alone qualifies the legitimacy; a romance takes time, effort and trust. The representation here was a little more amenable but Remy and Hale's romance still felt rather unexplored. Let's talk a bit about this story's heroine though. We're faced with Remy's deepest inner conflict through that which she struggles quite greatly to face. She's hidden away for many years, from her duty, her power and herself, and I do feel that this was represented coherently through Remy's headspace. If not to its fullness, then it offers us some form of the character growth we were hoping to witness. Her coming to self almost becomes her coming of age. But stepping into her strength, her power and her place will require touching some deeper inner truths that Remy has not confronted with the full force of her will since she was a little girl. Facing those barriers, and the grief and despair she has long since carried, requires her to face her identity. She's confronted with the long-felt understanding of her own inaction, even by necessity it is a hard truth to acknowledge. The loss of her family has roots even Remy hasn't touched. Victimised by her losses, by the pain of all that had been taken from her, and she forgot how to take for herself; all that she could have been, all she could have done, and her inertia and passivity have haunted her in tandem. The grief of living a humble life on the run in full knowing of what her people had sacrificed in blood and lives lost weighs heavily on young Remy's shoulders. The entrance of four Fae pulls her into a quest that challenges that capacity for action and bravery. Admittedly, Remy's arc does leave much to be desired, and I would have preferred the felt impact of that growth as opposed to following along with the milder impression of a growth arc.

I carry no qualm with writers who may find inspiration in alternative - and similar - volumes of fantasy fiction, but The High Mountain Court bore too many similarities to various existing fantasy romance novels. Whether it may indeed have been unscripted and coincidental, comparability becomes a natural outcome, and I believe the author could have channeled her process with more originality. I liked the idea of displaced royals but I wanted to experience a story that felt more unto itself as opposed to a piece of fiction that felt imitative in places. Although my interest did regrettably fall to suspension, the story and the author make a wonderful effort with this debut. I do credit some of the more unexpected events and twists of the story as we shift into the latter stages of the book. A.K. Mulford's potential as a writer is certainly perceptible and she has produced a novel of decent form. Readers looking for a less elaborate fantasy romance, and are amenable to milder executions of character arcs will enjoy this addition to the genre. A debut starter of easy reading, if not one of consistent thrill and thrall. I did fall to the experience of building little else but mild curiosity for the escalating events, and this did unexpectedly take me a long time to make my way through as a story, but Mulford does promise skill as a new talent and I'm sure readers will perceive the same potential in The High Mountain Court. While the story makes good use of the present and purposeful as this band of characters traverse the lay of Okrith's courts, the same, as aforementioned, cannot be said for this story's central romance. My experience felt disconnected from a sense of depth, and emulsified into combination of pros and cons, but the final fifteen percent of the book did effectively bring me back into the story to some degree, and essentially performed something of a restorative act to my well-waned attention. I did enjoy the narrative tone and the writing style, however. A venture-some gambit of witches, Fae, magical relics, destined love, a fallen kingdom, divided courts, conquest and a fight against dominion as our central crew navigate the courts of Okrith.

'Help lead this world into a better future, Remy. Be brave and kind and strong and clever, as you’ve always been.” Heather’s lips quirked up. “Be all the things I tried to teach you to be, but most of all, my Remy, be loved.”


Content Warning: general warnings for blood, violence and gore. Dead bodies A past massacre which resulted in many past deaths. Current deaths. Ownership of witches. Adult content Including sexual intimacy scenes.

EXTRA THOUGHTS (WILL CONTAIN SPOILERS!)

1) The final 15 percent did bring me back into the story. A certain death, however, did take me out of it again once I was again faced with the story's flaws. Raffiel's entrance was a form of revival for the story and my interest, but that he dies did feel like a wasted opportunity. Since the story didn't sport the most fleshed out characterisation I think it was such a lost opportunity to end his life. It was at this point that the story both picked up speed and Inspired a second bout of investment that couldn't be summoned throughout. I could understand why the author went this route for the sake of Remy's arc, but when it hadn't been my experience to feel attached to any one character, I believe he could have brought something to the plot in a surprising way.

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V.L. Book Reviews

[Kiki]

DNF at 11% because I will actually DIE if I try to read any more of this. What in the absolute ARSING BLACK FIRES OF HELL was that. It’s bad all the way down to the basic sentence structure and the use of dialogue tags. You’re saying someone “hissed” something when there are no sibilant sounds in the sentence? Girl wash your face and go to bed, the fuck?


FIN

[Julie - One Book More · Rating 5 out of 5]

The High Mountain Court is the first book in The Five Crowns of Okrith series, and it is fantastic! The story has so many elements that I enjoy in a high fantasy – fae, witches, fated mates, magic, epic quests, found families, monstrous villains, strong messages, and a fast-paced plot. The story follows Remy, a red witch in hiding who goes on an epic quest with a fae prince to help defeat the evil King of the Northern Court.

The world-building is vivid and immersive, and it quickly pulled me into an immense fantastical world. Since the characters travel throughout the story, there are a variety of settings, each one as vividly and carefully created as the one before. The world is intricately created and easy to visualize., and the author has a knack of pulling you into the story without overwhelming you with too much information at once. I was so intrigued by this world of witches and fae and all of the struggles and obstacles that they face. This is a world in turmoil, where red witches are persecuted, and Fae hold all of the power. Witches and humans are not considered equal to fae, and the author explores the prejudices and inequities that they face because of it. Remy, for example, lives much of her life on the run because she is a red witch.

Remy is a great protagonist, and I love her growth throughout the story. She changes so much and learns a lot about herself, her past, and what she wants for her future. Her strength, patience, determination, and more are challenged over and over again, and Remy never gives up. Hale is equally compelling, and I’m pretty sure he is my new book boyfriend! He made me swoon so many times in this story! He and Remy both put up walls and pretend to be something they’re not as a form of protection. His public persona sharply contrasts who he really is, as Remy learns throughout their journey together. Remy and Hale realize that they complement each other in many ways, and I love how their relationship grows over the course of the story.

The love story, of course, is one of my favorite aspects of the novel. I love a good romance, and this one is beyond fabulous. Remy and Hale have amazing chemistry from their very first meeting, and I enjoyed their growth as individuals and as a couple. They are so strong apart, but even stronger together, and their banter is fantastic. Their every encounter is filled with chemistry, equally sweet and steamy, and I so rooted for them to admit their feelings for each other. Of course, with so many obstacles standing in their way, their road to happiness is complex.

I also love the found family aspect in the story, and this continues to be one of my favorite tropes. Several characters in the story have toxic, dysfunctional, or no family, yet they find a bond with each other. Remy and Hale both find that family isn’t always a blood relation. There are some wonderful messages about love, family, the bonds of friendship, and more.

The quest is intense, and there is a lot of suspense, intrigue, and action-packed moments. With political unrest, war looming, and power plays in abundance, the stakes are high for Remy, Hale, and their friends. On top of that, Remy and Hale’s quest is difficult and dangerous, and their lives are at constant risk. This makes for a super exciting read with quite a few twists and turns that I didn’t expect.

A wonderful fantasy-romance with dynamic characters, tons of action, an epic quest, and a swoon-tastic love story, The High Mountain Court is a fantastic read! I devoured it in one day and enjoyed every minute of it. I’m so thankful to AK Mulford for providing me with a copy of the book in exchange for my honest review, and I can’t wait to read the next book in this great series!

[Zoë · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think there is a difference between effective foreshadowing and aggressively wink-wink nudge-nudging the reader with little “throwaway statements” that clearly are meant to be clues to the very obvious secret

[~ Tara Bezeau ~ · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an adventure and spicy novel! I absolutely loved this book it started off quickly and kept me wanting more the whole book! So well written! I loved all the spice, it had a perfect amount of it!

[Devin The Book Dragon · Rating 2 out of 5]

Take every cliche YA fantasy book you've ever read, blend it together, and that is what this book is. The writing style was good, but the storyline was so predictable and the characters as bland as Great Depression bologna sandwich.

[Books_and_Crafts · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book.. EXCEEDED my expectations!

NA fantasy world with witches, fae, magic and tons of adventure!

I loved the different kinds of witches throughout and the details of their power. (I need a green witch in my life asap!)

The character development was amazing, and the book wrapped up really nicely with tons of room for more story.

Looking forward to book 2 :)

[Elena · Rating 4 out of 5]

No sé cómo este libro no tiene más repercusión, es un romantasy con romance casi desde la primera pagina. La fantasía me ha encantado y estoy deseando continuar con la saga.

4.5⭐️ 2.5🌶️

[Danielle Pulliam · Rating 5 out of 5]

This series is definitely my new obsession I loved it sooooo much. The writing, the magic system, the pacing of the book, the twists and surprises, and most importantly the depth of each character. I would recommend this series to any fantasy lover. But in particular ACOTAR and Blood and Ash fans will LOVE this series.

This first book gives a lot of Throne of Glass and ACOTAR vibes with the fae, magic, young women in hiding, learning her strengths, and fighting for herself and her loved ones alive and dead.

Can't wait to read the next one.

[Al *the semi serial series skipper* · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not bad for a debut.

I didn't know this was a debut when I started reading it so I was surprised when I found that out. The book was good, not great. I thought the pacing was off and the end was too rushed for it to be enjoyed, I didn't have any emotion after reading it and I honestly can't remember the minutiae of the story.

[Mandy · Rating 3 out of 5]

TW: Parental death, assault, imprisonment, torture

I saw this on BookTok a few times and decided to give it a whirl, it was said to be as addicting as ACOTAR was...but as BookTok has shown me time and time again...they were wrong.

While this book had a good story, and I found the different factions of witches intriguing, it was not enough for me to say that this was a great read. The writing was very "meh" to me, the author didn't really flesh out feelings...everything felt really rushed. We spend more time on watching Heather mix potions to heal Remy's feet than we did on the familial bonds between Heather, Fen, and Remy. The chemistry of the two main characters was whiplash inducing as well. One day they are annoying each other and insulting one another and hours later they are FEELING THINGS. I just didn't like the lack of build up between them, things happened too quickly. The spicy scenes were alright but not enough to make up for the lack of chemistry between them.

The one thing I liked most about this book was the band of fae warriors. The Twin Eagles and Carys were spectacular. They were funny, endearing, and you could tell they all cared for one another deeply. That found family aspect was the best part of the book and I would probably read an entire book based just on them and their adventures. We were introduced to Carys's half fae half human sister Morgan and it would seem there is so much story there but like I said everything was rushed and we didn't really get to know her, so that was disappointing.

I feel bad that so many other people rated this book so high and I just came in with a debbie downer of a 3 star but I felt I should throw my opinion in here especially since I did not receive and ARC for doing so...if that makes a difference to anyone.

[AlenGarou · Rating 1 out of 5]

Ahahahahahaha
Nope.
*Inizia a piangere*.
Questa brutta scopiazzatura di ACOTAR e SeC è stato l’ennesimo deragliamento ferroviario di questo mese. Ora, che fosse una brutta copia non era un problema per me, ma è scritto talmente male che non mi stupisco sia spopolato su Titktok, perché questo succede quando sui social si aborrano le critiche: da un cesso intasato può uscire solo merda.
Ho provato a mantenere la mente libera e di concentrarmi sulla trama, dato che a livello stilistico sembra partorito da una dodicenne, ma è stato difficile. Il testo è così pieno zeppo di errori di sintassi, ripetizioni, fin troppo tell e nonsense che propongo una nuova riforma editoriale. Dato che agli anglofoni piace censurare autori di un certo calibro, ora pretendo che anche ste cose siano censurate e scritte come si deve. E che cazzo!
Ma stavo parlando della trama… trama che non ha nessun senso logico perché il mondo in cui è ambientata non ha alcun senso e non parliamo del sistema magico!
Voglio il numero dello spacciatore che ha aiutato nella stesura di questo libro. Forse solo così potrò capire come minkia funziona la magia descritta in questo libro. Con le streghe rosse che animano oggetti, ma hanno anche altri poteri; le streghe blu che hanno la visione, ma sbagliano previsioni; le streghe brune che guariscono, ma tanto la gente muore comunque; le streghe verdi che fanno crescere le piante, ma in tutto il libro le vediamo solo relegate in cucina perché la misoginia non guasta mai; e le streghe viola che controllavano la mente si sono estinte perché non volevano figliare per forza.
E dato che siamo in tema diritti, abbiamo pure un personaggio gender fluid che è messo lì solo per fare l’occhiolino alle masse perché sostanzialmente è inutile.
Le corti non funzionano, le motivazioni dei personaggi non funzionano, loro che sono Destinati sono una coltellata nello stomaco, le razze nel libro non funzionano.
I miei neuroni ora non funzionano, per cui mi blocco qui.
E ora passiamo a un po’ di spoiler:

- La scena della caverna dove muore lui, lei lo salva, poi muore lei, poi lei ritorna in vita per la magia del pene non ha il benché minimo senso. Sia per come è scritta, sia per come è concepita. E poi che cazzo di motivazione è che la sua anima è ancora legata ai vivi perché qualcuno la aspetta? È morta cazzo.
- Io non ho capito la popolazione del libro. Ci sono umani, ok. Ci sono streghe, ok. Ci sono fae, ok. Ma i fae hanno una magia fisica e praticamente sono umani con le orecchie a punta e i sensi sviluppati. Le streghe non sono umane, ma sono umane. E Remy è una fae ma sa usare la magia delle streghe rosse. Perché? E poi le Corti sono regnate da fae a parte quella del Nord? Boh.
- Loro che scopano tre volte nel giro di sette pagine mi hanno seccato gli occhi e le ovaie perché pure le scene zozze sono scritte con i piedi.
- Remy che viene smascherata dalle voglie che ha sui polsi mi ha fatto morire. In senso letterale. Come cazzo fai a non accorgerti di avere una costellazione sulla pelle. Costellazione che è poi messa nell’araldica della Corte del Nord? Quanto scema devi essere?
- Ma poi Remy viene uccisa in continuazione e puff, torna in vita come nuova. Ogni volta. Perché… perché continuo a farmi domande?


Seriamente, credo sia il libro più brutto che abbia letto quest’anno (per il momento). Persino Shatter Me sembra all’acqua di rose a confronto. Il che è tragica.

[Rachael · Rating 4 out of 5]

After rereading over 6 months later… this is definitely 4.5 stars. I ADORE these characters! Although this is still probably my favorite of the series, I loved my ARC of The Rogue Crown (book 3), and thoroughly enjoyed The Witches Blade (book 2) as well! Please be kind 😆 This was one of my first reviews I have ever written, when I joined Goodreads back in October 🖤


This was a great book! I really enjoyed how vulnerable & honest the characters were. I also appreciated how inclusive the characters are written. Definitely read this if you like witches, fae, or magical quests, with some spice… It also had some of my favorite tropes: enemies to lovers, one bed, touch her & you’ll die, and found family. Overall I couldn’t get enough of these characters and can’t wait for the next book!

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

What to expect:
-enemies to lovers
-intriguing plot
-witches
-plot twists
-high-fantasy world building
-spice 1.5-2/5 🌶️


I quite enjoyed this book. It was fast-paced, especially after the first 20%, the romance was really cute, and the plot twists were unexpected.

It’s definitely different reading interconnected standalones in a fantasy world, compared to a contemporary rom-com, but in excited to try.

4.5 ⭐️

[Amanda at Bookish Brews · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sweet, exciting, adventurous, steamy, refreshing, magical, fresh

The High Mountain Court lured me in with the promise of a diverse cast of fae and witches and a Steamy Romance. Let me tell you that it did not disappoint! I’ve always loved stories with the fae in them, but I’ve long grown bored of how often the story gets bland when there is so little representation (please share diverse fae recommendations if you have any!). The High Mountain Court is such a refreshing change from all of the other fae books that I’ve read with a romance just as steamy as I could hope for!

Thirteen years ago, Remy fled her home to escape genocide, now she might be the only red witch left alive and she is determined to stay that way. When the handsome Prince Hale of the Eastern Kingdom finds Remy and discovers her secret, he commissions her help to stop a war with the Northern Court, the same people who slaughtered Remy’s home court. But can she trust Prince Hale? Is this worth coming out of hiding and risking losing her cover?

The High Mountain Court is a stunning story full of court politics, a diverse world of fae, witches, and magic, a rich history, lost & found family, and romance. A kick-butt debut romance from an incredible new author. Remy is a character that you will want to grow with throughout her journey and Hale will continually remind you that relationships are best when you grow and learn together. Their relationship is so sweet and I adored how it grew into what it did. The way that they work together and get to know each other was the perfect build-up to make the steamy scenes pay off even more!
Continue Reading...

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[Anny · Rating 4 out of 5]

3'75.

Tenía muchísimas ganas de esta historia por un simple motivo: los faes. Empecé la novela sin ningún tipo de expectativa, ya que no sabía qué encontraría y en resumen general fue una muy grata sorpresa porque además de faes también encontramos brujas.

Estamos ante una historia de fantasía con romance, una novela muy ágil, ya que desde sus primeras páginas te adentra en un nuevo mundo, con traiciones, guerras e príncipes, ideal para empezar a leer fantasía.

Uno de los puntos que más he disfrutado del libro ha sido el world-building, ya que la autora asienta muy bien las bases del mundo que ha creado y no es nada confuso, con demasiada información a procesar. Me ha encantado la ambientación, es de los puntos más fuertes de la novela.

La historia me gustó mucho, pese a tener algunas subtramas más previsibles y quizás, una trama que no es de lo más original, pero que aún así, tiene algún que otro plot-twist que no me esperaba para nada y me sorprendió muchísimo. Considero que está bien llevada, ya que tampoco hay relleno en la novela, tiene acción y sin duda, incita a seguir leyendo y descubrir hacia dónde irá la trama.

Los personajes, por el otro lado, quizás fueron lo que más me fallaron, ya que considero que les faltaba más caracterización, no tanto en la primera mitad de la novela, que me encantaron, sino más hacia su segunda mitad, ya que fue cuando más empezó a centrarse en el romance y aunque me gustó bastante, algunos puntos no me acabaron de convencer.

Lo que sí quiero destacar es que estamos ante una saga de cuatro libros (de momento) pero cada libro se centra en unos personajes distintos, que conocemos en esta primera entrega y la verdad es que tengo muchas ganas de descubrir sus historias y conocer más de este mundo.

[tayler · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF :/ characters felt very flat to me, it reminded me of sjm’s books and i was BORED. also felt very insta-love

[Loni ♈⚜ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really liked it, but I wish it was a bit longer. Some parts felt very rushed, and i had the feeling a lot of things stayed unexplained🤔 Hopefully the following books will give a bit more backstory😌
Nevertheless, if you liked the ACOTAR series, you will definitely like this one too☺️

[Eva Gavilli · Rating 3 out of 5]

Trama/Plot ⭐⭐⭐
Personaggi/Characters ⭐⭐⭐
Stile/Style ⭐⭐
Spicy 🌶️

Un libro medio, senza infamia e senza lode. La trama è piuttosto lineare e scontata, senza sorprese (no, neppure quella dei capitoli finali, si vedeva lontano mille miglia che stava arrivando). I personaggi sono buoni, ma comunque niente di eclatante. Alcune scene spicy, oltre ad essere pressoché inutili alla trama, sono anche inverosimili.
***
An average book, without infamy and without praise. The plot is rather linear and obvious, with no surprises (no, not even the one in the final chapters, you could see it was coming from a thousand miles away). The characters are good, but still nothing sensational. Some spicy scenes, in addition to being almost useless to the plot, are also unlikely.