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Prince of the Doomed City #4
Enslaved
She’s willing to give up everything.
He’s willing to give up everything . . . Except her.
Clara has been patient, waiting for her opportunity.
Now, the time has come. She will command the Prince of the Doomed City himself to aid her in her quest. Together, they must travel to the various courts of Eledria, facing foes and monsters, each more deadly than the last, as Clara strives save her childhood sweetheart from enslavement.
But each new bargain tangles her in a web of intrigue far more dangerous than she ever imagined. For there are other players in this game, other bargains being made. Worse still, she finds herself becoming irresistibly drawn to the enigmatic Prince, who has come to mean more to her than she dares admit.
When a final, most deadly bargain pushes the Prince to take drastic action, will Clara learn too late where her heart truly lies?
Return to wander through the dangerous realms of the fae with Clara and her Prince. Fair warning: this book will break your heart! (But I promise to mend it again in the next one.)
He’s willing to give up everything . . . Except her.
Clara has been patient, waiting for her opportunity.
Now, the time has come. She will command the Prince of the Doomed City himself to aid her in her quest. Together, they must travel to the various courts of Eledria, facing foes and monsters, each more deadly than the last, as Clara strives save her childhood sweetheart from enslavement.
But each new bargain tangles her in a web of intrigue far more dangerous than she ever imagined. For there are other players in this game, other bargains being made. Worse still, she finds herself becoming irresistibly drawn to the enigmatic Prince, who has come to mean more to her than she dares admit.
When a final, most deadly bargain pushes the Prince to take drastic action, will Clara learn too late where her heart truly lies?
Return to wander through the dangerous realms of the fae with Clara and her Prince. Fair warning: this book will break your heart! (But I promise to mend it again in the next one.)
556 pages, Kindle Edition
Published April 1, 2023
300 people are currently reading
1048 people want to read
About the author
Sylvia Mercedes
37 books2,257 followersHi, there. I'm Sylvia: cat-lover, tea-drinker, book-addict, and avid fan of the Kickbutt Heroine Fantasy Genre! If you like reading about tough heroines with extraordinary powers facing their demons and saving their loved ones . . . then we ought to be friends!
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 157 reviews
July 28, 2024
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH
May 6, 2023
Honestly I like the intrigue but its a bit repetative and like watching a toddler constantly make rash decisions. I just can’t like clara, she acts like a child without actually thinking. Just grates my nerves. Yes she has trauma but she can also be so bright when she wants to. The most annoying thing is my brain has to finish the book despite how frustrating I find it.
March 20, 2023
Where in the worlds do I even begin?
I’ll start by saying how pleasant of a surprise it was to receive an ARC of Enslaved in my email last Friday. By the next morning, I’d devoured the entire book and spent the whole weekend in despair over the ending, rereading it once more, which then sent me into a frenzied reread of the entire series… but I digress.
I must also note that I cannot wait to have a physical copy of Enslaved in my hands so I can chuck it straight at a wall. (Rest assured, this is high praise. I only ever want to bully my absolute favorite books.)
Enslaved had me in a chokehold from the very first page. We get to see a very different side of our Prince, and each tension-filled moment is an absolute delight. Sylvia knows just how to keep us on our toes, stringing us along to the very last.
The events in Sylvia’s books typically take place within a very short timespan, which is hard to remember when so very MUCH happens within each one.
Enslaved is no different; we see Clara and the Prince journey far and wide across Eledria, embarking on an epic quest to save Danny from his Obligation and by the time we get to the end, no more than three days have passed since they leave.
We delve further into Clara’s codependency, which is painful. As the Prince escorts her on her quest, we learn more about his past and watch as their relationship evolves and ignites before our very eyes. But will it be enough?
There are many nods to previous series and we even reunite with an old, feathery friend. (PLEASE read The Scarred Mage of Roseward if you’ve not already. It is not necessary but I promise you, it will make reading this series all the more delightful.)
It’s hard to believe things could go so very right, and then so very wrong, within such a short amount of time. But it’s realistic. And heartbreakingly beautiful.
The end tore me to pieces. Hence the desire to throw this book at a wall. Am I heartbroken? Yes. Do I like how it ended? Absolutely not.
Am I disappointed? In Clara, yes. But I also understand her motivations and that, well… She’s not seeing rightly, you know…
In Sylvia, no. I commend her bravery and commitment to telling this story as it’s meant to be told. Many people will be quite upset at how things turn out at the end of this book, but I can honestly say I would be more disappointed if things hadn’t ended up as they have. I knew going in that things would get much worse before they get better. It wouldn’t be realistic or true to the characters we’ve come to love so much if everything turned out right the first go around. Especially with Clara’s open and festering wounds on her heart and soul.
There are still so many loose ends to tie up, so many things to explore, so many mysteries to uncover. And Sylvia promised to mend our broken hearts in Book 5. (I’m holding you to that, Sylvia!)
I can’t wait to see what happens next.
I’ll start by saying how pleasant of a surprise it was to receive an ARC of Enslaved in my email last Friday. By the next morning, I’d devoured the entire book and spent the whole weekend in despair over the ending, rereading it once more, which then sent me into a frenzied reread of the entire series… but I digress.
I must also note that I cannot wait to have a physical copy of Enslaved in my hands so I can chuck it straight at a wall. (Rest assured, this is high praise. I only ever want to bully my absolute favorite books.)
Enslaved had me in a chokehold from the very first page. We get to see a very different side of our Prince, and each tension-filled moment is an absolute delight. Sylvia knows just how to keep us on our toes, stringing us along to the very last.
The events in Sylvia’s books typically take place within a very short timespan, which is hard to remember when so very MUCH happens within each one.
Enslaved is no different; we see Clara and the Prince journey far and wide across Eledria, embarking on an epic quest to save Danny from his Obligation and by the time we get to the end, no more than three days have passed since they leave.
We delve further into Clara’s codependency, which is painful. As the Prince escorts her on her quest, we learn more about his past and watch as their relationship evolves and ignites before our very eyes. But will it be enough?
There are many nods to previous series and we even reunite with an old, feathery friend. (PLEASE read The Scarred Mage of Roseward if you’ve not already. It is not necessary but I promise you, it will make reading this series all the more delightful.)
It’s hard to believe things could go so very right, and then so very wrong, within such a short amount of time. But it’s realistic. And heartbreakingly beautiful.
The end tore me to pieces. Hence the desire to throw this book at a wall. Am I heartbroken? Yes. Do I like how it ended? Absolutely not.
Am I disappointed? In Clara, yes. But I also understand her motivations and that, well… She’s not seeing rightly, you know…
In Sylvia, no. I commend her bravery and commitment to telling this story as it’s meant to be told. Many people will be quite upset at how things turn out at the end of this book, but I can honestly say I would be more disappointed if things hadn’t ended up as they have. I knew going in that things would get much worse before they get better. It wouldn’t be realistic or true to the characters we’ve come to love so much if everything turned out right the first go around. Especially with Clara’s open and festering wounds on her heart and soul.
There are still so many loose ends to tie up, so many things to explore, so many mysteries to uncover. And Sylvia promised to mend our broken hearts in Book 5. (I’m holding you to that, Sylvia!)
I can’t wait to see what happens next.
June 23, 2023
omg this series will not let me REST
June 9, 2023
This book was overall very good and engaging, but the finale was in my opinion extremely disappointing, and the fault lies completely with Clara’s characterisation: chapter 40 built on those things from the previous books that hadn’t fully convinced me and exasperated them, leading to my final 2 star ranking. the FMC, who is supposed to be not only a smart and ingenious mage (think about her strategy to bind the noswraiths in gubdagogs), but also someone who is able to get attached to other people even beyond cultural and language barriers (see the four troll children) behaves all of a sudden in a very immature way at the very end of the book.
Clara gets mad at the Prince for acting in a manner that is in truth nothing but appropriate and honourable for a man involved in politics:
During their confrontation the Prince outlines his motives and his reasons, but Clara is deaf to everything, or worse: some things he acknowledges, but rather than having a positive confrontation about the problem she flees. Clara is a flawed character, as I’ll explain in a moment, but this is actually the author’s fault: she wanted to break apart two characters just after making sure they were entwined (figuratively and literally), so she bent the story based on her plans for the characters rather than the other way around. This makes the whole scene feel forced and unrealistic and is in my opinion one of the greatest mistakes a writer can make.
I mentioned there were some things from the previous books that hadn’t fully convinced me, and the Prince falling in love with Clara despite her immaturity of character is one of them.
In this series of books the Prince is an adult who behaves with extreme clarity and wisdom since the beginning of the story, while Clara is at times a child, at times a genius. This is why in my opinion she is not very well written and pales in comparison to Nelle from “The Scarred Mage of Roseward” (Thief), which to date is my favourite series by Sylvia Mercedes. In terms of characterisation, Nelle wasn’t perfect either, but she was almost always coherent and despite her dubious moral compass I loved her and got attached to her other virtues.
With Clara, instead, I never liked her too much: she didn’t inspire in me that awe she seemed to inspire in the Prince (on the contrary, Nelle inspired in me the same awe she inspired in Soran). I didn’t perceive Clara as lovely, rather I perceived her as dangerously stubborn (“dangerously” because she works the riskiest job in all Eledria) and often full of herself.
The Prince seems, in the last scenes, to have recognised Clara’s immaturity since the beginning. If we want a story with an immature female protagonist we can write it, but we need to give her suitable challenges that make her grow before giving her weighty responsibilities such as the ones Clara receives. Clara is just another Vervain in the making, and the library certainly does not need another loose cannon like that: quality over quantity should be key in conditions of such danger. Adding Clara to the library is like putting Homer Simpson at work in a nuclear power plant: accidents are eventually bound to happen because Homer is unprepared. Given how zealous the Prince is in the management of the library, I think it was a terrible writing choice to have him bring Clara in before she was ready.
So, what did I like about this book? Many things: I read it (and might keep reading it) for its rich world-building. Furthermore, all the characters (except the protagonist, as I’ve already made abundantly clear) are interesting and easy to grow attached to. Also the trials that Clara goes through to save Danny held my eyes glued to the pages, as did Ivor’s appearances throughout the books (I especially liked him in Enslaved), and I even perceived Estrilde in a new light that made her more vibrant and “true”. This just goes to confirm that Sylvia Mercedes is able to create good characters and this time she simply bet on the wrong horse. The narrative is recounted in engaging prose: again, the author definitely knows how to write a scene so a reader will enjoy it. The only pity is that this story is greatly advertised for its romance component, because that is the weakest point of this book.
Oh, another point: I miss the horror/thriller vibes that (still in “The Scarred Mage of Roseward”) the Thorn Maiden was able to evoke in me before Nelle fully understood what Noswraiths were and the reader learnt about them alongside her, and the danger of the unicorn. Noswraiths are definitely background material here, which is a pity because they rocked and would rock again if they were employed in this series in the same manner that they were in its prequel series.
Does the book really deserve only two stars? Well... a review is written at the end, and at the end i was extremely disappointed by one single thing despite liking others. But it was the last chapter that made the strongest impression on me. By nature i pay more attention to the flaws of books and movies than to their strong points, but in the best of scenario i don't think i could give this book more than three stars because everything is built around the love story: it's a Romance Fantasy book, not a Fantasy Romance book. To its prequel books i have in fact given higher ratings than to this one.
Clara gets mad at the Prince for acting in a manner that is in truth nothing but appropriate and honourable for a man involved in politics:
During their confrontation the Prince outlines his motives and his reasons, but Clara is deaf to everything, or worse: some things he acknowledges, but rather than having a positive confrontation about the problem she flees. Clara is a flawed character, as I’ll explain in a moment, but this is actually the author’s fault: she wanted to break apart two characters just after making sure they were entwined (figuratively and literally), so she bent the story based on her plans for the characters rather than the other way around. This makes the whole scene feel forced and unrealistic and is in my opinion one of the greatest mistakes a writer can make.
I mentioned there were some things from the previous books that hadn’t fully convinced me, and the Prince falling in love with Clara despite her immaturity of character is one of them.
In this series of books the Prince is an adult who behaves with extreme clarity and wisdom since the beginning of the story, while Clara is at times a child, at times a genius. This is why in my opinion she is not very well written and pales in comparison to Nelle from “The Scarred Mage of Roseward” (Thief), which to date is my favourite series by Sylvia Mercedes. In terms of characterisation, Nelle wasn’t perfect either, but she was almost always coherent and despite her dubious moral compass I loved her and got attached to her other virtues.
With Clara, instead, I never liked her too much: she didn’t inspire in me that awe she seemed to inspire in the Prince (on the contrary, Nelle inspired in me the same awe she inspired in Soran). I didn’t perceive Clara as lovely, rather I perceived her as dangerously stubborn (“dangerously” because she works the riskiest job in all Eledria) and often full of herself.
The Prince seems, in the last scenes, to have recognised Clara’s immaturity since the beginning. If we want a story with an immature female protagonist we can write it, but we need to give her suitable challenges that make her grow before giving her weighty responsibilities such as the ones Clara receives. Clara is just another Vervain in the making, and the library certainly does not need another loose cannon like that: quality over quantity should be key in conditions of such danger. Adding Clara to the library is like putting Homer Simpson at work in a nuclear power plant: accidents are eventually bound to happen because Homer is unprepared. Given how zealous the Prince is in the management of the library, I think it was a terrible writing choice to have him bring Clara in before she was ready.
So, what did I like about this book? Many things: I read it (and might keep reading it) for its rich world-building. Furthermore, all the characters (except the protagonist, as I’ve already made abundantly clear) are interesting and easy to grow attached to. Also the trials that Clara goes through to save Danny held my eyes glued to the pages, as did Ivor’s appearances throughout the books (I especially liked him in Enslaved), and I even perceived Estrilde in a new light that made her more vibrant and “true”. This just goes to confirm that Sylvia Mercedes is able to create good characters and this time she simply bet on the wrong horse. The narrative is recounted in engaging prose: again, the author definitely knows how to write a scene so a reader will enjoy it. The only pity is that this story is greatly advertised for its romance component, because that is the weakest point of this book.
Oh, another point: I miss the horror/thriller vibes that (still in “The Scarred Mage of Roseward”) the Thorn Maiden was able to evoke in me before Nelle fully understood what Noswraiths were and the reader learnt about them alongside her, and the danger of the unicorn. Noswraiths are definitely background material here, which is a pity because they rocked and would rock again if they were employed in this series in the same manner that they were in its prequel series.
Does the book really deserve only two stars? Well... a review is written at the end, and at the end i was extremely disappointed by one single thing despite liking others. But it was the last chapter that made the strongest impression on me. By nature i pay more attention to the flaws of books and movies than to their strong points, but in the best of scenario i don't think i could give this book more than three stars because everything is built around the love story: it's a Romance Fantasy book, not a Fantasy Romance book. To its prequel books i have in fact given higher ratings than to this one.
April 1, 2023
This book.
It shattered my heart, but not in the way it broke everyone else's. I'm going to have two controversial paragraphs lower in this review that I'll begin with "Unpopular Opinion" that will be spoiler free, but might hint at things if you want to skip those paragraphs for now.
This book was my most anticipated release of the year, and it delivered what I was looking for: forced proximity between the Prince and Darling. As antagonistic as these two are, and as much as Clara insists that they are enemies, they make great allies, and there is a connection between them that they cannot shake. I have a job, so I couldn't stay up all night, but I stayed up half-nights joining them on their adventures that took them deeper and deeper into danger. Seeing more of the fae realm was so fun, and revisiting the Haunted Isles was great.
These two.
The Prince opened up some of his backstory, and Clara began to face her trauma. And the push-pull between them as their chemistry drew them closer, and their pride tore them apart: absolute perfection. These two; just wow. I wish I could give the names of two names that are stuck in my psyche forever (in a good way), but the spoilers would be so great (but one of them is the scene depicted on the new painted cover). Sadly, though the near-the-end stole a whole night of sleep after all . . .
Unpopular Opinion #1: The author added "spice" to this book. I knew that going in, but I was not aware to what degree. It was to a greater degree, I think, than Vow of the Shadow King. I had to skip it- except for one spot where there a lot of quotation marks together- and I honestly felt kind of sick for it. I lost some sleep previously reading it from the sheer draw of the story, but that was nothing compared to the night after skipping this part; I tossed and turned all night until I just gave up trying to sleep. I am not opposed to closed-door things happening between characters if certain conditions are met, but I very much do not like open-door. In this case, conditions were met, and I skipped, but I still felt so humiliated for the characters involved (which is dumb, I know) because I feel, in my very prudish soul, that such things are private to the couple. It also changed the whole tone of the book and the series because it just seemed like the point could have gotten across with less information, and the romance would still be there along with the charm. As for the quotation marks, I knew in my soul that a theory of mine would be either confirmed or denied in the course of that scene, and final answer concerning my theory was indeed there. Which upset my silly sensibilities more to think I almost missed what I'd been waiting four books for. But I digress.
Unpopular Opinion #2: If you've read the blurb, you know the ending is going to be heartbreaking. At the point I read it, my heart was already broke from Unpopular Opinion #1. But I do want to say this in Clara's defense: it's not her fault. And I'm not saying that just because her trauma made her do it. I believe she would have had the same reaction even if she was in a perfectly healthy relationship with the person involved, and that she would have been vindicated (maybe she would have reacted a little less, but still). And if she had not reacted, then it would be clear she was in an unhealthy relationship with the other person involved to just be okay with that kind of stunt. The ending falls almost squarely at the feet of the individual who did not communicate important things before other things escalated.
To conclude, I loved this book dearly until it destroyed me, and it will make you love it as well before it destroys you too. It remains up to you what will be the cause of your destruction. However, I do not think any of us have a choice to not read the final installment.
Note to more sensitive readers: This book has some bad language, more than the previous books, but maybe just because it's longer. There is also horror elements, a bad guy trying to do very bad things, and some nudity. The main thing you should be aware of, though, is an on-screen "love" scene. It's in only one section, so it can be skipped, but be aware that it's there.
I received a copy of this novel from the author. I was not required to post a positive review and all views and opinions are my own.
It shattered my heart, but not in the way it broke everyone else's. I'm going to have two controversial paragraphs lower in this review that I'll begin with "Unpopular Opinion" that will be spoiler free, but might hint at things if you want to skip those paragraphs for now.
This book was my most anticipated release of the year, and it delivered what I was looking for: forced proximity between the Prince and Darling. As antagonistic as these two are, and as much as Clara insists that they are enemies, they make great allies, and there is a connection between them that they cannot shake. I have a job, so I couldn't stay up all night, but I stayed up half-nights joining them on their adventures that took them deeper and deeper into danger. Seeing more of the fae realm was so fun, and revisiting the Haunted Isles was great.
These two.
The Prince opened up some of his backstory, and Clara began to face her trauma. And the push-pull between them as their chemistry drew them closer, and their pride tore them apart: absolute perfection. These two; just wow. I wish I could give the names of two names that are stuck in my psyche forever (in a good way), but the spoilers would be so great (but one of them is the scene depicted on the new painted cover). Sadly, though the near-the-end stole a whole night of sleep after all . . .
Unpopular Opinion #1: The author added "spice" to this book. I knew that going in, but I was not aware to what degree. It was to a greater degree, I think, than Vow of the Shadow King. I had to skip it- except for one spot where there a lot of quotation marks together- and I honestly felt kind of sick for it. I lost some sleep previously reading it from the sheer draw of the story, but that was nothing compared to the night after skipping this part; I tossed and turned all night until I just gave up trying to sleep. I am not opposed to closed-door things happening between characters if certain conditions are met, but I very much do not like open-door. In this case, conditions were met, and I skipped, but I still felt so humiliated for the characters involved (which is dumb, I know) because I feel, in my very prudish soul, that such things are private to the couple. It also changed the whole tone of the book and the series because it just seemed like the point could have gotten across with less information, and the romance would still be there along with the charm. As for the quotation marks, I knew in my soul that a theory of mine would be either confirmed or denied in the course of that scene, and final answer concerning my theory was indeed there. Which upset my silly sensibilities more to think I almost missed what I'd been waiting four books for. But I digress.
Unpopular Opinion #2: If you've read the blurb, you know the ending is going to be heartbreaking. At the point I read it, my heart was already broke from Unpopular Opinion #1. But I do want to say this in Clara's defense: it's not her fault. And I'm not saying that just because her trauma made her do it. I believe she would have had the same reaction even if she was in a perfectly healthy relationship with the person involved, and that she would have been vindicated (maybe she would have reacted a little less, but still). And if she had not reacted, then it would be clear she was in an unhealthy relationship with the other person involved to just be okay with that kind of stunt. The ending falls almost squarely at the feet of the individual who did not communicate important things before other things escalated.
To conclude, I loved this book dearly until it destroyed me, and it will make you love it as well before it destroys you too. It remains up to you what will be the cause of your destruction. However, I do not think any of us have a choice to not read the final installment.
Note to more sensitive readers: This book has some bad language, more than the previous books, but maybe just because it's longer. There is also horror elements, a bad guy trying to do very bad things, and some nudity. The main thing you should be aware of, though, is an on-screen "love" scene. It's in only one section, so it can be skipped, but be aware that it's there.
I received a copy of this novel from the author. I was not required to post a positive review and all views and opinions are my own.
March 24, 2023
This book... Is perfect. I've enjoyed this series so much, and i was excited to get an advanced copy of this book. And I'm so glad i did because it was the best kind of emotional roller coaster adventure, and it blew me away! Favorite book in the series so far, and I'm already feeling the book hangover effects. I need the last booooook!!!
April 30, 2023
I don’t know
I honestly don’t know what to think of this one. Most of the book was rather monotonous and boring. I still despise Clara, she’s a selfish, blind, fool who’s too arrogant to listen to anyone but herself. The prince, him I feel sorry for. I ended up skimming most of the book as all the questing was full and somewhat repetitive. The end though.. OMG the end. That I didn’t skip and I really don’t know what I think or feel about. Well other than that Clara is still a fool. Be warned this one is very different from the other books, very explicit. And truthfully I don’t think adding those scenes in that detail actually helped the book. Along with all the running around questing some of the graphicness could have been cut out. Or faded. But I still want to read the next because now I HAVE to know what happens. And I hat cliffhangers.
I honestly don’t know what to think of this one. Most of the book was rather monotonous and boring. I still despise Clara, she’s a selfish, blind, fool who’s too arrogant to listen to anyone but herself. The prince, him I feel sorry for. I ended up skimming most of the book as all the questing was full and somewhat repetitive. The end though.. OMG the end. That I didn’t skip and I really don’t know what I think or feel about. Well other than that Clara is still a fool. Be warned this one is very different from the other books, very explicit. And truthfully I don’t think adding those scenes in that detail actually helped the book. Along with all the running around questing some of the graphicness could have been cut out. Or faded. But I still want to read the next because now I HAVE to know what happens. And I hat cliffhangers.
September 21, 2024
Don’t get me wrong; i love a good slow burn. But my god this was downright glacial. Diamonds have been formed quicker than this romance developed, I swear.
I can only take so many ‘almost kisses’ and confessions before I want to drown my kindle in the bath tub. This must be what blue balls feel like.
Grievances aside, boy do I still love this series! I’m impatiently waiting for the 5th (and final?) book. Especially with that illegal cliffhanger.
March 26, 2023
I received an ARC of this book…and it was amazing. I finished the book in about a day and a half. I have been a huge fan of this series since the first book and with each addition to the series I love it more, but this one was hands down my favorite. Sylvia said that this book was gonna break our hearts and she was so right…I just hope she keeps her promise to mend them in the last book. Okay so buckle up and get ready for me to rant about how much I loved this book…spoilers ahead
The Characters
Clara: Oh sweet stupid foolish Clara the amount of times I yelled at her for being stupid is rather high. Clara in Enslaved was like watching a train wreck, you knew disaster was ahead but you just have to know what’s going to happen. Everyone and I mean literally, everyone was telling her to let it go but noooooo she just had to complete her mission and save her worthless little brother. Ngl if Oscar died I would literally not care at all. The one thing she did right in this book was finally finally finally admit her feelings to the Prince and it was amazing…for about two chapters
The Prince: I am so unbelievably in love with him it’s not even funny like this man has my heart he is just so perfect and understanding and loves Clara so much that he does anything and everything she wants--well, almost-- and in the end when he was all like I have to let you go I can’t love you enough aahhhh I just about died. Seeing into his head was such an amazing experience and it really made this book stand out from the other three.. *sigh* I just love him so much
Danny: Has there ever been a side character that I cared less about…yeah Oscar… but Danny comes in a close second. He is just super dense and honestly, Clara really needs to let him know that she doesn’t love him cause at this point its just sad
Oscar: Oscar is not actually in this book very much, but he does play a big factor in driving Clara to do a number of stupid things. I have a feeling he is going to play a much larger part in the last book.
Ivor: The amount of hate I have for this guy is insane like I never liked him I always thought he was pretty slimy and was totally glamouring Clara but what happens in this book really brought out his true colors and honestly I was all for it. I don’t want to spoil anything major but lets just say that I was a fan of his ending
The Children, Lir and everyone else at Vespre: I want more of the children. Like they are so cute and Clara and the Prince interacting with them (which happens in this book, he is so cute with them) are adorable and I wish there was more of them. I enjoyed getting to see other parts of Elderia but I miss Vespre and everyone we already love there. I want to see more of Lir and Khas and their lives and possible love interests
The Romance
The romance between Clara and the Prince really heats up in this book after three agonizingly long books we finally get an end to the slow burn and get a rather hot fire…well while it lasted at least. I was really proud of both of them for finally being brave enough to tell each other how they feel and while the ending was so gut-wrenching I loved that we are moving forward with their relationship instead of the same longing and flirting thing the last books had going
The Plot
I found the plot in this book to be rather fast-paced. Adventure after adventure, bargain after bargain, near-death experience to well you get the idea. Because we went to so many different places so quickly the book --though long-- felt short when reading it simply because of how fast-paced the plot was.
Overall thoughts
I loved every heartbreaking, exciting, romantic, sad, moving moment of this book. Seeing into the Prince’s head was fantastic and seeing the romance explored and the characters grow..well some of the grew at any rate… was an amazing experience and I can not wait for the last book to come out.
Fav Quotes
“Have you had a good look? Or would you like me to turn around so that you may complete your inspection?”
The Characters
Clara: Oh sweet stupid foolish Clara the amount of times I yelled at her for being stupid is rather high. Clara in Enslaved was like watching a train wreck, you knew disaster was ahead but you just have to know what’s going to happen. Everyone and I mean literally, everyone was telling her to let it go but noooooo she just had to complete her mission and save her worthless little brother. Ngl if Oscar died I would literally not care at all. The one thing she did right in this book was finally finally finally admit her feelings to the Prince and it was amazing…for about two chapters
The Prince: I am so unbelievably in love with him it’s not even funny like this man has my heart he is just so perfect and understanding and loves Clara so much that he does anything and everything she wants--well, almost-- and in the end when he was all like I have to let you go I can’t love you enough aahhhh I just about died. Seeing into his head was such an amazing experience and it really made this book stand out from the other three.. *sigh* I just love him so much
Danny: Has there ever been a side character that I cared less about…yeah Oscar… but Danny comes in a close second. He is just super dense and honestly, Clara really needs to let him know that she doesn’t love him cause at this point its just sad
Oscar: Oscar is not actually in this book very much, but he does play a big factor in driving Clara to do a number of stupid things. I have a feeling he is going to play a much larger part in the last book.
Ivor: The amount of hate I have for this guy is insane like I never liked him I always thought he was pretty slimy and was totally glamouring Clara but what happens in this book really brought out his true colors and honestly I was all for it. I don’t want to spoil anything major but lets just say that I was a fan of his ending
The Children, Lir and everyone else at Vespre: I want more of the children. Like they are so cute and Clara and the Prince interacting with them (which happens in this book, he is so cute with them) are adorable and I wish there was more of them. I enjoyed getting to see other parts of Elderia but I miss Vespre and everyone we already love there. I want to see more of Lir and Khas and their lives and possible love interests
The Romance
The romance between Clara and the Prince really heats up in this book after three agonizingly long books we finally get an end to the slow burn and get a rather hot fire…well while it lasted at least. I was really proud of both of them for finally being brave enough to tell each other how they feel and while the ending was so gut-wrenching I loved that we are moving forward with their relationship instead of the same longing and flirting thing the last books had going
The Plot
I found the plot in this book to be rather fast-paced. Adventure after adventure, bargain after bargain, near-death experience to well you get the idea. Because we went to so many different places so quickly the book --though long-- felt short when reading it simply because of how fast-paced the plot was.
Overall thoughts
I loved every heartbreaking, exciting, romantic, sad, moving moment of this book. Seeing into the Prince’s head was fantastic and seeing the romance explored and the characters grow..well some of the grew at any rate… was an amazing experience and I can not wait for the last book to come out.
Fav Quotes
“Have you had a good look? Or would you like me to turn around so that you may complete your inspection?”
March 20, 2024
I loathe a protagonist that never grows, never gets any wiser, and just keeps making the same stupid choices over and over again. I finished it- and honestly- will probably finish the series- just out of curiosity how this is going to end (the story itself is really quite an interesting one!) , but I will probably sit and shake my head at her stupidity the entire time. I need a good protagonist to recognize and learn from her mistakes- to show growth and maturity throughout the course of a series.
March 22, 2024
Pulled my hair at so many moments in this book. I know it’s a slow burn but DEAR LORD. I was screaming at how slow. And Clara is yet again so frustrating , I thought she would have any sort of growth. Shes dangerously stubborn, to a huge fault. She can’t see anything clearly , and that’s an extremely repetitive element. Like we GET IT. Also for the people talking about how explicit and detailed the spice was in this book…are y’all okay? Did we read the same thing? 🤣
May 22, 2023
Good plot but characterisation lets it down
The FMC in this series reminds me of the quintessential British stereotype from old movies, dull and predictably imposes her ideals on everyone "for their own good" as she always knows best. The prince shows flashes of character but was a bit of a wet simp in this one, I think he could do better, honestly.
The FMC in this series reminds me of the quintessential British stereotype from old movies, dull and predictably imposes her ideals on everyone "for their own good" as she always knows best. The prince shows flashes of character but was a bit of a wet simp in this one, I think he could do better, honestly.
Read
May 3, 2023what was that ending ayo
April 5, 2023
To say I am both devastated and obsessed is an understatement. I didn’t want this book to end, please write the final story, I can’t bear this torture. There were many moments of ‘finally!’ As well as many moments of ‘geez how much further embroiled in bargains can you get!!’ I loved this book and would rate it 100/10 if I could.
February 15, 2024
🤌🏼
Sylvia delivers *every* time. The slow burn, the angst, the betrayal, the *nightmares.*
I couldn’t put this one down, and I can’t wait to start the final book of Castien and Clara’s story.
Sylvia delivers *every* time. The slow burn, the angst, the betrayal, the *nightmares.*
I couldn’t put this one down, and I can’t wait to start the final book of Castien and Clara’s story.
February 14, 2025
absolutely phenomenal. absolutely heartbreaking 😭🙏
Read
December 25, 2024DNF. Will finish at another time
March 19, 2023
Wow. This book was an emotional roller coaster from the very beginning. The plot, the characters, the romance *chef’s kiss*
Clara. Oh sweet dumb Clara. I can’t tell you how many times I yelled at her to stop being an idiot. I could see how things were going to fall apart because of her decisions but it still hurt my soul every time. Her relationship with Oscar was a big focus and how it affected all her choices. It was truly heartbreaking to see it completely control her life.
The Prince has my whole. Freaking. Heart. His love and devotion to Clara even when she was being stupid and pushed him away.. *swoon*
The addition of his POV was amazing but that last chapter utterly wrecked me. Now I have to wait months for the final book and I don’t know how I’m going to make it!
Bravo Sylvia. Bravo.
Clara. Oh sweet dumb Clara. I can’t tell you how many times I yelled at her to stop being an idiot. I could see how things were going to fall apart because of her decisions but it still hurt my soul every time. Her relationship with Oscar was a big focus and how it affected all her choices. It was truly heartbreaking to see it completely control her life.
The Prince has my whole. Freaking. Heart. His love and devotion to Clara even when she was being stupid and pushed him away.. *swoon*
The addition of his POV was amazing but that last chapter utterly wrecked me. Now I have to wait months for the final book and I don’t know how I’m going to make it!
Bravo Sylvia. Bravo.
March 28, 2023
I received this as an ARC book and my biggest and really only complaint is that I have to wait longer for the next addition to this series. This book set a different pace than the previous ones in my opinion. It really reminded me of an epic heroes journey featuring the brave and determined Clara. The slow burn between her and the Prince was so good and satisfying and the ending had me feeling such conflicting emotions. All I have to say without giving away a spoiler is that the secret the prince keeps from Clara, I did not see coming and I cannot wait to see how the next part of the story plays out.
Whatever you do DEFINITELY read this book. This series is new and fresh with such a good worldbuilding that I could live in my daydreams forever.
Whatever you do DEFINITELY read this book. This series is new and fresh with such a good worldbuilding that I could live in my daydreams forever.
September 3, 2023
My review will be the same for each book but it is because I cannot put into words the journey I've been taken through.
When we meet Claire Darling in the first book, there are so many different threads to pull to understand why she is under mandatory servitude with no memory of wrong doing, why powerful fae toy with her, and why she works so desperately to save those she loves.
Love.
What is love? This story, albeit at times slow, carefully unwraps the question. At times, we are drawn to the notion that love conquers all. It's romantic and triumphant. It says to all who see, "Look, I am willing to give everything I am. It will most certainly be enough"
But when the sacrifice for love is placed on that alter ...
When is it selfish?
When is that love self-serving?
When is "Love" manipulation exerting control over another free will?
In books 2 and 3, I originally felt thr pacing was slow, and even lost interest.
However, as I continued with book 4, I realized the author was weaving a tapestry of relationships with different types of love at its core.
Friendships of desperation
Friendships of necessity
Friendships of obligation
Friendships of desire
Friendships of obsession
Friendships of selfishness
Friendships of mercy
Friendships of unrequited love. The most cruel of all is the friendship given with no expectations, and it is rejected and abused.
Have you ever given to someone, and they just take?
Ponder on the friendship because of familial obligation, the one trumpeted as "Love for you, for your well-being"
and yet....
it all feels like being controlled;
So that you once more fit in their comfortable box.
I have yet to read a book where the heroine is the broken evil who can't be trusted with love. Who has no understanding of it, not like this.
She is the most manipulative, selfish character I've met; betraying all trust and treasuring nothing else. So willfully choosing a broken path against all other friendships and love offered to her. She is so blind and broken.
In a moment of reflection, I found myself asking what expectations I thrust upon those I proclaim to love. Whose love do I ignore? What friendships do I keep but only for my own comfort?
In the 4th book, a lot happens quickly. A crusade beings and ends as just as fast. I wondered at its rapid pacing; But with each bargain she made, I discovered how deeply entrenched she was in her own self righteous obsession. Calling it love.
There were pieces of my heart fracturing for the one who acutally loved her and kept giving... And she just kept taking. She was not even blind to what she was doing to them. She made bargain after bargain, and it was so painful to come to the same conclusion at the end of this book. ---
You cannot save people who do not want to be saved. Love cannot conquer all because it is a choice! For love to be complete, it must be reciprocated or else it is only a sacrifice.
My heart is in pieces. The agony promised in the next book is aching in my heart even now.
I would give anything to read an arc of the 5th book. This series has brought me on an unexpected journey of self reflection examining the quality of Love.
When we meet Claire Darling in the first book, there are so many different threads to pull to understand why she is under mandatory servitude with no memory of wrong doing, why powerful fae toy with her, and why she works so desperately to save those she loves.
Love.
What is love? This story, albeit at times slow, carefully unwraps the question. At times, we are drawn to the notion that love conquers all. It's romantic and triumphant. It says to all who see, "Look, I am willing to give everything I am. It will most certainly be enough"
But when the sacrifice for love is placed on that alter ...
When is it selfish?
When is that love self-serving?
When is "Love" manipulation exerting control over another free will?
In books 2 and 3, I originally felt thr pacing was slow, and even lost interest.
However, as I continued with book 4, I realized the author was weaving a tapestry of relationships with different types of love at its core.
Friendships of desperation
Friendships of necessity
Friendships of obligation
Friendships of desire
Friendships of obsession
Friendships of selfishness
Friendships of mercy
Friendships of unrequited love. The most cruel of all is the friendship given with no expectations, and it is rejected and abused.
Have you ever given to someone, and they just take?
Ponder on the friendship because of familial obligation, the one trumpeted as "Love for you, for your well-being"
and yet....
it all feels like being controlled;
So that you once more fit in their comfortable box.
I have yet to read a book where the heroine is the broken evil who can't be trusted with love. Who has no understanding of it, not like this.
She is the most manipulative, selfish character I've met; betraying all trust and treasuring nothing else. So willfully choosing a broken path against all other friendships and love offered to her. She is so blind and broken.
In a moment of reflection, I found myself asking what expectations I thrust upon those I proclaim to love. Whose love do I ignore? What friendships do I keep but only for my own comfort?
In the 4th book, a lot happens quickly. A crusade beings and ends as just as fast. I wondered at its rapid pacing; But with each bargain she made, I discovered how deeply entrenched she was in her own self righteous obsession. Calling it love.
There were pieces of my heart fracturing for the one who acutally loved her and kept giving... And she just kept taking. She was not even blind to what she was doing to them. She made bargain after bargain, and it was so painful to come to the same conclusion at the end of this book. ---
You cannot save people who do not want to be saved. Love cannot conquer all because it is a choice! For love to be complete, it must be reciprocated or else it is only a sacrifice.
My heart is in pieces. The agony promised in the next book is aching in my heart even now.
I would give anything to read an arc of the 5th book. This series has brought me on an unexpected journey of self reflection examining the quality of Love.
August 5, 2023
I’m all for a slow burn but this was torture. I think I would enjoy the series more if I hadn’t gone in expecting a romance. After 3 books we finally get some romance in this one and I have to say at this point I don’t get why. I do love the authors writing style and world building. The other characters, specially Casian were so well written. BUT Clara!!! Girl 🤦♀️
Clara was my biggest disappointment in the series. Throughout the books she gets progressively worse. Which could be because of the curse and perhaps she will completely redeem herself in the last book (which is why I hate raring a single book in a series). However the last book isn’t out so I’m gonna lay into this one.
I really liked Clara in the first book, and there are even aspects of her character that are great. She’s very smart, sacrifices for others, does the right thing. But her intelligence contradicts some of her choices. She makes irrational choice after irrational choice in the book and it makes it kind of hard to like her. Not to mention that in the first three books I really wasn’t sure who she was interested in. She strings along 3 guys, all who her “heart drops into her stomach for”. Giiiirl!
It’s safe to say that Clara doesn’t know what love is. This could all be because of the curse but she has almost become irredeemable. The ending would have had greater impact if they would have been in love longer but at that point you’re think Casian why do you stick around?! Which brings us to the best and most interesting part of the series, dreamy Casian. He is the antithesis to Clara, he truly knows what love is. He loves her despite her flaws, he is long suffering, forgiving, merciful, kind, and ultimately sets her free. He loves her despite Clara constantly choosing her own self deprecating mission to save her brother. And when he releases her, it hurts, but I’m also kind of like good riddance. Maybe the author will perform a miracle and this girl can grovel her way back into his good graces but more than likely she will see she’s wrong and be like oops sorry and because he’s so annoyingly wonderful he’ll forgive her.
Clara was my biggest disappointment in the series. Throughout the books she gets progressively worse. Which could be because of the curse and perhaps she will completely redeem herself in the last book (which is why I hate raring a single book in a series). However the last book isn’t out so I’m gonna lay into this one.
I really liked Clara in the first book, and there are even aspects of her character that are great. She’s very smart, sacrifices for others, does the right thing. But her intelligence contradicts some of her choices. She makes irrational choice after irrational choice in the book and it makes it kind of hard to like her. Not to mention that in the first three books I really wasn’t sure who she was interested in. She strings along 3 guys, all who her “heart drops into her stomach for”. Giiiirl!
It’s safe to say that Clara doesn’t know what love is. This could all be because of the curse but she has almost become irredeemable. The ending would have had greater impact if they would have been in love longer but at that point you’re think Casian why do you stick around?! Which brings us to the best and most interesting part of the series, dreamy Casian. He is the antithesis to Clara, he truly knows what love is. He loves her despite her flaws, he is long suffering, forgiving, merciful, kind, and ultimately sets her free. He loves her despite Clara constantly choosing her own self deprecating mission to save her brother. And when he releases her, it hurts, but I’m also kind of like good riddance. Maybe the author will perform a miracle and this girl can grovel her way back into his good graces but more than likely she will see she’s wrong and be like oops sorry and because he’s so annoyingly wonderful he’ll forgive her.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 20, 2025
Did it really took me a year to finish reading this book? Welp. It sure did.
The only reason I’m giving it 3 stars is because of some quirky and snarky remarks Castien made or else this was a solid 2 or maybe even a 1 star read.
Clara— the bane of my existence, the atrocity she is. I just hate her so much now. Throughout the entirety of the book she’s making stupid deals and making a mess out of every single situation. I just don’t understand how she’s still the same annoying bish she was from the last book or should I say the very first book?? She gets no character development. She’s self centred, obnoxious, her ego is too big and her brain is so high up her… skirts that nothing anyone says will sway her. She is too stubborn to see things clearly and apparently only she knows how everything works. She’ll make stupid assumptions about Castien and act like a know it all when in reality she doesn’t know shit. She’s so bitchy— can’t stop mentioning how she’s her own hero, she’ll save the day and everyone, she don’t need support because she’s always dealt with things alone… like… hello?? Madame? I could have cut her some slack for tolerating a piece of shit father but no. She lost this the moment she got everyone around her in danger in the very first book. Castien rescues the day. Now take that and multiply it for a 100 time because from book 1 to this point he’s been running around, cleaning up the mess she’s made, protecting her, guiding her and SUPPORTING her. *gasp* yes he supported her in every single way he could and yet this bitch has the audacity to say she’s been doing everything alone?? Oh please.
Clara just.. she’s got not a single redeeming factor. At first Castien’s love for her was very touching and I enjoyed it thoroughly. But now, it’s just pure cringe. He’s so head over heels for a woman who’s selfish and self centred. He’s so impressed by her wits and whatnot. Like Sir?? What?? Excuse me but please for once stop thinking with your… ehem. Nvm
Castien— need I say more? He’s my favourite character. I think my first ever fictional crush lol but he just had to fall for a stupid woman and make this series hard for me to read. Also can I mention the fact how he doesn’t even sound the same Castien after their… whatever they did in his room. He’s not the same guy anymore. He’s acting so… I don’t even have words to describe his actions. Not very smart and definitely not something a Prince should be doing. I just hope he’s better in the last book because I’m gonna be really pissed it he’s not.
Danny— oh f— I mean.. I don’t really care about him. Skip.
Oscar— this guy is still alive and that’s enough of a reason for me to take away 2 stars from this book. (Hence 3 star rating).
Ivor— oh my god who would have thought he’s gonna be the villain of their love story? ha ha… 🙄
Also the bargaining bits were so annoying. Almost felt like a joke.
In the end I’d like to say that even if Castien murders everyone around him, and Clara (+her annoying brother) I’d still love him. Actually I’ll love him even more if he did that :)
The only reason I’m giving it 3 stars is because of some quirky and snarky remarks Castien made or else this was a solid 2 or maybe even a 1 star read.
Clara— the bane of my existence, the atrocity she is. I just hate her so much now. Throughout the entirety of the book she’s making stupid deals and making a mess out of every single situation. I just don’t understand how she’s still the same annoying bish she was from the last book or should I say the very first book?? She gets no character development. She’s self centred, obnoxious, her ego is too big and her brain is so high up her… skirts that nothing anyone says will sway her. She is too stubborn to see things clearly and apparently only she knows how everything works. She’ll make stupid assumptions about Castien and act like a know it all when in reality she doesn’t know shit. She’s so bitchy— can’t stop mentioning how she’s her own hero, she’ll save the day and everyone, she don’t need support because she’s always dealt with things alone… like… hello?? Madame? I could have cut her some slack for tolerating a piece of shit father but no. She lost this the moment she got everyone around her in danger in the very first book. Castien rescues the day. Now take that and multiply it for a 100 time because from book 1 to this point he’s been running around, cleaning up the mess she’s made, protecting her, guiding her and SUPPORTING her. *gasp* yes he supported her in every single way he could and yet this bitch has the audacity to say she’s been doing everything alone?? Oh please.
Clara just.. she’s got not a single redeeming factor. At first Castien’s love for her was very touching and I enjoyed it thoroughly. But now, it’s just pure cringe. He’s so head over heels for a woman who’s selfish and self centred. He’s so impressed by her wits and whatnot. Like Sir?? What?? Excuse me but please for once stop thinking with your… ehem. Nvm
Castien— need I say more? He’s my favourite character. I think my first ever fictional crush lol but he just had to fall for a stupid woman and make this series hard for me to read. Also can I mention the fact how he doesn’t even sound the same Castien after their… whatever they did in his room. He’s not the same guy anymore. He’s acting so… I don’t even have words to describe his actions. Not very smart and definitely not something a Prince should be doing. I just hope he’s better in the last book because I’m gonna be really pissed it he’s not.
Danny— oh f— I mean.. I don’t really care about him. Skip.
Oscar— this guy is still alive and that’s enough of a reason for me to take away 2 stars from this book. (Hence 3 star rating).
Ivor— oh my god who would have thought he’s gonna be the villain of their love story? ha ha… 🙄
Also the bargaining bits were so annoying. Almost felt like a joke.
In the end I’d like to say that even if Castien murders everyone around him, and Clara (+her annoying brother) I’d still love him. Actually I’ll love him even more if he did that :)
July 20, 2024
3.75 - liked it a lot
This book continues the story of Clara Darlington. At the end of the last book, we saw her doing impossible things to release her foolish friend, Danny, from servitude, and also so Danny could take care of her brother Oscar.
This book is basically The Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly. You know how it goes: She swallowed the frog to catch the spider, she swallowed the spider to catch the fly...I don't know why she swallowed the fly, I guess she'll die.
In this book, Clara is in pursuit of the blood gem in the Noswraith Idreloth's grasp to free Danny, but she has to approach Vokarum, the lord of night, to get it. And for it, he wants something in return, and so on and so forth.
In this book, Clara is continually digging herself into a deeper whole, making bargains she can't possibly complete, and all for the love of her brother. A brother that she's tried to take care of her whole life, who is mired in depression and all sorts of other mental health issues, and is completely unwilling to help himself.
All the while, Clara is leaning heavily on the Prince of Vespre to help her, and starting to see him in a new light.
A big theme in this book is about obligation to family and loved ones. How far will you go to save and help your loved ones? How far will you go to help people who are determined not to help themselves?
Some good quotes on the theme:
"Some people cannot be saved because they do not want to be saved."
and
"To really love someone is to be willing to give them up. To know they are free to make their own choices, for better or for worse. To allow them that freedom. To let go...even if it means watching them fall."
Clara basically bends over backwards for the ones she loves, and it just escalates. I as the reader, was thinking, "Dude, how far is she going to go? Surely at this point, this is ridiculous. Surely this is unhealthy, like obsession levels at this point."
But I also think that's pretty intentional on the part of the author. Clara is losing herself in her attempts to save the ones she loves. She's single-minded, losing all her priorities in her obsession. Her Noswraith is contained...but its influence is still pervasive, and that's probably because it is a product of her own mind. In some dark, twisted way, it is a version of her, of her beliefs certainly.
It was an entertaining read, and pretty well-written. I don't think I liked it as much as some of the others in the series, just because of Clara's foolishness. But I like this series a lot overall, and I look forward to reading the final one in the series.
This book continues the story of Clara Darlington. At the end of the last book, we saw her doing impossible things to release her foolish friend, Danny, from servitude, and also so Danny could take care of her brother Oscar.
This book is basically The Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly. You know how it goes: She swallowed the frog to catch the spider, she swallowed the spider to catch the fly...I don't know why she swallowed the fly, I guess she'll die.
In this book, Clara is in pursuit of the blood gem in the Noswraith Idreloth's grasp to free Danny, but she has to approach Vokarum, the lord of night, to get it. And for it, he wants something in return, and so on and so forth.
In this book, Clara is continually digging herself into a deeper whole, making bargains she can't possibly complete, and all for the love of her brother. A brother that she's tried to take care of her whole life, who is mired in depression and all sorts of other mental health issues, and is completely unwilling to help himself.
All the while, Clara is leaning heavily on the Prince of Vespre to help her, and starting to see him in a new light.
A big theme in this book is about obligation to family and loved ones. How far will you go to save and help your loved ones? How far will you go to help people who are determined not to help themselves?
Some good quotes on the theme:
"Some people cannot be saved because they do not want to be saved."
and
"To really love someone is to be willing to give them up. To know they are free to make their own choices, for better or for worse. To allow them that freedom. To let go...even if it means watching them fall."
Clara basically bends over backwards for the ones she loves, and it just escalates. I as the reader, was thinking, "Dude, how far is she going to go? Surely at this point, this is ridiculous. Surely this is unhealthy, like obsession levels at this point."
But I also think that's pretty intentional on the part of the author. Clara is losing herself in her attempts to save the ones she loves. She's single-minded, losing all her priorities in her obsession. Her Noswraith is contained...but its influence is still pervasive, and that's probably because it is a product of her own mind. In some dark, twisted way, it is a version of her, of her beliefs certainly.
It was an entertaining read, and pretty well-written. I don't think I liked it as much as some of the others in the series, just because of Clara's foolishness. But I like this series a lot overall, and I look forward to reading the final one in the series.
April 8, 2023
Gods blight and damn you!
**Mild Spoilers**
Once again I am totally enslaved with this story. My favorite of Sylvia’s work, which is saying something considering how much I admire it all. This one leaves you aching and broken and dying for the next, so be prepared! This sweet and tense and genuine love story grips you hard and won’t let go. You want to see what it’s like to grapple with your own trauma, what it means to go on your own healing journey? To sit in your own presence and face down your darkness staring back at you? Well, look no further than Clara Darlington.
The Prince has to be my favorite MMC in all of Sylvia’s series. I love to see a man portrayed who respects women, a genuine love built on respect, no weird boundary crossing poorly disguised as “romance”. Which Sylvia always writes her MMC this way, something I enjoy and appreciate immensely. Castien has his flaws and isn’t perfect, but he is such a tremendous character and loves so wonderfully.
THANK THE GODS FOR THE SPICE 🔥. That tension was KILLING us all. Tasteful and delicious and plot driven and 🌶️.
One moment just hit me hard in the feels. The portrayal of human nature in love and the raw realness of fiercely holding on to your past and current pain that feels like righteous anger for the one you care for most. When you can’t seem to find the will, the courage, the vulnerability to listen to your quiet heart and let the hurt go, to give up the stubbornness and let your love shine through with forgiveness and understanding and compassion 😭. When you lie so thoroughly to yourself! Ugh it’s beautiful and heartbreaking and real and lovely and terrible. True love is a daily choice, and so wonderfully depicted.
“But I am not fae. I am human—so I can lie. And lie so thoroughly, even I begin to believe it. So the Prince does not turn. And I do not speak. And we stand there in that terrible atmosphere of hatred and hurt, unable to escape. Unable to find one another.”
Can’t wait to read the repair after this. To see these beloved characters overcome and find each other, choose each other once again. To see Clara continue her healing journey, and finally free herself from her traumatic past and live free in love! Bravo, Sylvia!!!
**Mild Spoilers**
Once again I am totally enslaved with this story. My favorite of Sylvia’s work, which is saying something considering how much I admire it all. This one leaves you aching and broken and dying for the next, so be prepared! This sweet and tense and genuine love story grips you hard and won’t let go. You want to see what it’s like to grapple with your own trauma, what it means to go on your own healing journey? To sit in your own presence and face down your darkness staring back at you? Well, look no further than Clara Darlington.
The Prince has to be my favorite MMC in all of Sylvia’s series. I love to see a man portrayed who respects women, a genuine love built on respect, no weird boundary crossing poorly disguised as “romance”. Which Sylvia always writes her MMC this way, something I enjoy and appreciate immensely. Castien has his flaws and isn’t perfect, but he is such a tremendous character and loves so wonderfully.
THANK THE GODS FOR THE SPICE 🔥. That tension was KILLING us all. Tasteful and delicious and plot driven and 🌶️.
One moment just hit me hard in the feels. The portrayal of human nature in love and the raw realness of fiercely holding on to your past and current pain that feels like righteous anger for the one you care for most. When you can’t seem to find the will, the courage, the vulnerability to listen to your quiet heart and let the hurt go, to give up the stubbornness and let your love shine through with forgiveness and understanding and compassion 😭. When you lie so thoroughly to yourself! Ugh it’s beautiful and heartbreaking and real and lovely and terrible. True love is a daily choice, and so wonderfully depicted.
“But I am not fae. I am human—so I can lie. And lie so thoroughly, even I begin to believe it. So the Prince does not turn. And I do not speak. And we stand there in that terrible atmosphere of hatred and hurt, unable to escape. Unable to find one another.”
Can’t wait to read the repair after this. To see these beloved characters overcome and find each other, choose each other once again. To see Clara continue her healing journey, and finally free herself from her traumatic past and live free in love! Bravo, Sylvia!!!
September 14, 2025
How can someone mess a perfectly good series up this much??? I’m so mad.
First of all, the first half of the book was the most boring part of a story I’ve ever read. And I’ve read some pretty bad books already. They run around places making worse and worse decisions for nothing, I might add. It did not give any tension because I had a feeling it will be solved in like two sentences. Spoiler alert: It was!
And then, I had a tiny bit of hope left because this is a delicious slow burn romance in its heart. This was the fourth book and up until 70?% of the book they did not even kiss once. It was so great. But the author messed up big time. Not even with all the my wife and fated mates and such things. But there was such a great build up with how the main girlie has her noswraith in her mind kind of, making her see things and hear things. That could have been our fucking conflict. But no, instead we got a ridiculous conflict I will never understand. Was it “inspired” by Jude and Cardan? Was this supposed to be that heartbreak? Cause honestly it just pissed me off so much. There was absolutely no need to break them apart like this. Break them apart? Sure! I love it when they are yearning for each other. But Oscar can die for all I care and honestly? Our main girlie does not care about him at all. She just feels guilty for whatever reason. But she only cares about herself. Like the moment she knew what Castien did to her brother, she thought about what would be more beneficial to her: Castien alive or dead. She never helped him with anything. She just takes and takes and takes again. Castien never once obliged her. (Well, only when she kinda made him do it) But she obliges him every two seconds.
The only character it’s worth reading for is Castien. I think the author loved him the best so he’s well written, well thought out. You can understand him, love him. But even he is too much sometimes. Cringe even. The big love declarations aren’t this author’s forte I guess. I hope she will never read this review by the way. I love reading her stories, she just makes some questionable decisions sometimes. I’m really sad this book was not as good as the previous books. I hope the last book will redeem this series.
First of all, the first half of the book was the most boring part of a story I’ve ever read. And I’ve read some pretty bad books already. They run around places making worse and worse decisions for nothing, I might add. It did not give any tension because I had a feeling it will be solved in like two sentences. Spoiler alert: It was!
And then, I had a tiny bit of hope left because this is a delicious slow burn romance in its heart. This was the fourth book and up until 70?% of the book they did not even kiss once. It was so great. But the author messed up big time. Not even with all the my wife and fated mates and such things. But there was such a great build up with how the main girlie has her noswraith in her mind kind of, making her see things and hear things. That could have been our fucking conflict. But no, instead we got a ridiculous conflict I will never understand. Was it “inspired” by Jude and Cardan? Was this supposed to be that heartbreak? Cause honestly it just pissed me off so much. There was absolutely no need to break them apart like this. Break them apart? Sure! I love it when they are yearning for each other. But Oscar can die for all I care and honestly? Our main girlie does not care about him at all. She just feels guilty for whatever reason. But she only cares about herself. Like the moment she knew what Castien did to her brother, she thought about what would be more beneficial to her: Castien alive or dead. She never helped him with anything. She just takes and takes and takes again. Castien never once obliged her. (Well, only when she kinda made him do it) But she obliges him every two seconds.
The only character it’s worth reading for is Castien. I think the author loved him the best so he’s well written, well thought out. You can understand him, love him. But even he is too much sometimes. Cringe even. The big love declarations aren’t this author’s forte I guess. I hope she will never read this review by the way. I love reading her stories, she just makes some questionable decisions sometimes. I’m really sad this book was not as good as the previous books. I hope the last book will redeem this series.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 3, 2024
My favorite book of the series. That being said, I'd be remiss to not mention that the plot did get a little redundant in this particular book. It is the longest in the series and needed some editing, but I'm not going to dock stars because let's be real, JKRowling author extraordinaire admits that HP5 might have been a tiny bit too long, doesn't take away from the fact that it is a masterpiece, so I won't dock a less well known author for the same mistake. HOWEVER, I say all that at the front just so all the literary snobs know I'm not deluded. I too am a literary snob and can spot and warn about faults, but by golly, I loved this book and ever delicious minute of the heart throbbing romance. Seriously, I could not put it down and loved that in this book we basically get Castien and Clara time, which Mercedes doesn't always offer in her better written romances as she focuses on character development. But I absolutely loved watching as the two central characters were forced to break down walls and begin to move towards a romance. Seriously, the first kiss in this series took so long that I'm glad Mercedes gave us these little vignettes to enjoy along the way. I will say that personally this book is more in the 16+ range. Up until now, the series was rather tame and even something I had considered recommending to 8th graders, but this book gave me pause on that. There was definitely an on page sex scene, however as someone who tends to be pretty reserved in admitting she reads romances, I feel comfortable stating I read this one. On the romance scale it sits between a 2 and a 3. Three being the highest I like to go these days, so if you're looking for more than that, this is probably not your series. However. If you love a well-written book and strongly developed characters then I say regardless of your romance level desire just read this book for the sheer pleasure it is. Honestly I read SEVERAL passages over and over just enjoying how well-crafted some of the scenes were, and normally I'm just rushing to the end of a book to know what happens, so to slow down and enjoy immediately is rare.
March 25, 2025
What an end for book 4! Not that we didn’t see hints of the writing on the wall here, I still wasn’t expecting where we left off. What Clara has ticking down in her future- likely within hours knowing now all we do is even worse.
And could Ivor have been more of an egomaniacal ass than he finally reveals himself to be? Not likely. It’s been awhile since I’ve loathed a character as much as I do him, and I think there are still secrets not revealed with him. Like was he really at Vespre the night of the celebration? It’s doubtful that Clara imagined him. What started the hatred he felt for Castien? Was it because his family line had literally died out after losing against the dragons? Did he somehow know Clara was tied to Castien- is that why he pursued her so hard?
And why go after Oscar- did he really think he needed an extra bargaining chip to try and somehow seal the deal with her? You’d think someone would have seen through the pretty boy heavy glamour and rumors would be going around at the jerk who had to literally overwhelm women with magic to get them to go to bed with him.
Ugh. He makes my skin crawl.
I feel bad that the needs for this part of the story mean that we didn’t spend much time in the Doomed City, as there’s now only Andreas and Mixael to keep the library under control while Clara and Castien spend a couple days on her quest, nor do we know how the children handled her departure and possibility of never returning.
Still, this is the biggest growth yet and we FINALLY get to see Clara and Castien finally admit their feelings for one another and come together… it’s been forever and the tension there was a bit of a mess as they were often interrupted (and being deliberately obtuse), but it was done fairly well, even if Clara was still somewhat clueless.
Off to the final book to find out how this couple manages to mend their fences and get back on the same page again.
And could Ivor have been more of an egomaniacal ass than he finally reveals himself to be? Not likely. It’s been awhile since I’ve loathed a character as much as I do him, and I think there are still secrets not revealed with him. Like was he really at Vespre the night of the celebration? It’s doubtful that Clara imagined him. What started the hatred he felt for Castien? Was it because his family line had literally died out after losing against the dragons? Did he somehow know Clara was tied to Castien- is that why he pursued her so hard?
And why go after Oscar- did he really think he needed an extra bargaining chip to try and somehow seal the deal with her? You’d think someone would have seen through the pretty boy heavy glamour and rumors would be going around at the jerk who had to literally overwhelm women with magic to get them to go to bed with him.
Ugh. He makes my skin crawl.
I feel bad that the needs for this part of the story mean that we didn’t spend much time in the Doomed City, as there’s now only Andreas and Mixael to keep the library under control while Clara and Castien spend a couple days on her quest, nor do we know how the children handled her departure and possibility of never returning.
Still, this is the biggest growth yet and we FINALLY get to see Clara and Castien finally admit their feelings for one another and come together… it’s been forever and the tension there was a bit of a mess as they were often interrupted (and being deliberately obtuse), but it was done fairly well, even if Clara was still somewhat clueless.
Off to the final book to find out how this couple manages to mend their fences and get back on the same page again.
April 7, 2024
This book doesn't feel like it fits in this series. For starters, the entire series has been one POV. Claras. All of a sudden we have 2 POVs, but Castien's chapters are so short and have zero substance to them, so I don't even understand why they were added in the first place.
We leave the library entirely, and pretty much that entire magic system behind, which was a huge let down for me as it's my favorite thing about this series and one of the main reasons I've continued on to this point.
I really liked that this one was more adventure based, and we had to go through all of the different trials in order to obtain an object. I've felt like this series has had very little development and no destination in mind, for the most part this book changed that, so in that sense, I did appreciate the change.
The other reason I've made it this far is the prince. Here's where we get into the biggest issue that I have. Clara is still so stubborn and blind to everything around her. She's unwilling to listen to anyone, or to even consider another approach to her problems and I hate it. She goes completely deaf to everything that isn't exactly the way she feels or thinks. It's absolutely frustrating and takes a lot away from the book for me as I just stew on it for the entire thing.
We finally get some movement on the romance front, after 3.5 books of the two making goo goo eyes at each other and being unnecessarily cruel, if only to pretend they don't have feelings for one another. Then, in the next heartbeat, it's all ripped away and we're back to square one. Because, of course it is.
I flew through this book. As I said at the beginning, I really liked the adventure that we went on, which almost made it a 4 star book. But then Clara kept up her crap, and Castien got trampled on. And Ivor was Ivor. And I ended up feeling quite defeated by the end. So here we are.
We leave the library entirely, and pretty much that entire magic system behind, which was a huge let down for me as it's my favorite thing about this series and one of the main reasons I've continued on to this point.
I really liked that this one was more adventure based, and we had to go through all of the different trials in order to obtain an object. I've felt like this series has had very little development and no destination in mind, for the most part this book changed that, so in that sense, I did appreciate the change.
The other reason I've made it this far is the prince. Here's where we get into the biggest issue that I have. Clara is still so stubborn and blind to everything around her. She's unwilling to listen to anyone, or to even consider another approach to her problems and I hate it. She goes completely deaf to everything that isn't exactly the way she feels or thinks. It's absolutely frustrating and takes a lot away from the book for me as I just stew on it for the entire thing.
We finally get some movement on the romance front, after 3.5 books of the two making goo goo eyes at each other and being unnecessarily cruel, if only to pretend they don't have feelings for one another. Then, in the next heartbeat, it's all ripped away and we're back to square one. Because, of course it is.
I flew through this book. As I said at the beginning, I really liked the adventure that we went on, which almost made it a 4 star book. But then Clara kept up her crap, and Castien got trampled on. And Ivor was Ivor. And I ended up feeling quite defeated by the end. So here we are.
February 3, 2025
This book finally has the tension I've been looking for. We get a grand tour of the faerie realms through bargains upon bargains upon bargains. Essentially, Clara goes on a bargain odyssey, and it finally gets her and the prince alone to have some tension build up. The second half is what the last three books have been building towards, and it was nice to finally see it all play out. Clara and Castien have time to get to know each other finaly.
Ima say it though- Clara does not deserve Castien. She really doesn't. But at least the book is very aware of it and calls her out on it multiple times on her views of what love is. I'm interested to see Clara's growth in the next book, because she literally has not had any character growth at all in the first four books. She is choking in trauma and is blind to it, and I still don't know why she adopted those troll children. She literally has abandoned them. She has used the obligation multiple times on someone who loves her. She is making herself her own villain at this point.
Castien is also really not the smartest because now the fae know who he has feelings for, and no doubt people will use her against him. I'm curious to see how the next book plays out. Danny needs to move on or die for Clara, Oscar must come to his senses, The Doomed City must go back to a troll-controlled island, and the noswraiths must be stopped. Clara will have to face her noswraith once and for all. I wish she saw that she is turning into her mother. Because seeing the one person you despise in yourself is the real horror.
They're just all dumb except the dragon. And dragons are evil, and I'm siding with it, so this is just a whole bunch of messiness, y'all. The dragon and Thaddeus are the only ones with common since. And maybe Khas and the head librarian.
Ima say it though- Clara does not deserve Castien. She really doesn't. But at least the book is very aware of it and calls her out on it multiple times on her views of what love is. I'm interested to see Clara's growth in the next book, because she literally has not had any character growth at all in the first four books. She is choking in trauma and is blind to it, and I still don't know why she adopted those troll children. She literally has abandoned them. She has used the obligation multiple times on someone who loves her. She is making herself her own villain at this point.
Castien is also really not the smartest because now the fae know who he has feelings for, and no doubt people will use her against him. I'm curious to see how the next book plays out. Danny needs to move on or die for Clara, Oscar must come to his senses, The Doomed City must go back to a troll-controlled island, and the noswraiths must be stopped. Clara will have to face her noswraith once and for all. I wish she saw that she is turning into her mother. Because seeing the one person you despise in yourself is the real horror.
They're just all dumb except the dragon. And dragons are evil, and I'm siding with it, so this is just a whole bunch of messiness, y'all. The dragon and Thaddeus are the only ones with common since. And maybe Khas and the head librarian.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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