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Arravan #1
From This Moment On
When faced with the loss of everything you hold dear, you run.
After a drunk driver took the lives of her lover and unborn child, that's exactly what Devon Conway did. Three years later when offered a business opportunity she can't pass by, she decides it's finally time to return home—even though she’s far from sure of her welcome.
Katherine Hunter took a different path in the face of loss, throwing herself into her work to fill the emptiness in her heart. She doesn't have the time to date, even if she wanted to. But then fate drops Devon on her doorstep—literally—and Kat begins to question if the life she has painstakingly rebuilt is really enough.
Despite Devon and Kat’s powerful attraction, the past stands between them—preventing them from taking a chance on the future. Will what is growing between them be enough to convince them that from this moment on, anything is possible, even love?
After a drunk driver took the lives of her lover and unborn child, that's exactly what Devon Conway did. Three years later when offered a business opportunity she can't pass by, she decides it's finally time to return home—even though she’s far from sure of her welcome.
Katherine Hunter took a different path in the face of loss, throwing herself into her work to fill the emptiness in her heart. She doesn't have the time to date, even if she wanted to. But then fate drops Devon on her doorstep—literally—and Kat begins to question if the life she has painstakingly rebuilt is really enough.
Despite Devon and Kat’s powerful attraction, the past stands between them—preventing them from taking a chance on the future. Will what is growing between them be enough to convince them that from this moment on, anything is possible, even love?
254 pages, Paperback
First published June 1, 2010
30 people are currently reading
2186 people want to read
About the author
P.J. Trebelhorn
13 books75 followersPJ Trebelhorn was born and raised in the greater metropolitan area of Portland, Oregon. Her love of sports — mainly baseball and ice hockey — was fueled in part by her father’s interests. She likes to brag about the fact that her uncle managed the Milwaukee Brewers for five years, and the Chicago Cubs for one year.
PJ now resides in western New York with Cheryl, her partner of many years, and their menagerie of pets. When not writing or reading, PJ spends her time rooting for the Flyers, Phillies, and Eagles, or watching movies. (from the publisher's website)
PJ now resides in western New York with Cheryl, her partner of many years, and their menagerie of pets. When not writing or reading, PJ spends her time rooting for the Flyers, Phillies, and Eagles, or watching movies. (from the publisher's website)
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February 26, 2014We need to talk a lot more about intersectionality in the queer romance genre(s), and we also need to critically examine the assumptions underlying our worldbuilding when we take our stories into spec fic territory. These are, I think, two facets of the same need: to critically examine what we're saying along the way to "they lived happily ever after."
The things this book was saying about race—unintentionally, I'm almost certain—were not comfortable to read. Jessa's culture seems to be a hash of stereotypes of brown people, making her the exotic, modest (but oh so sensual) damsel who's been ill-treated by her viciously misogynist father & brothers; she wears both saris and burkas and smells at all times of jasmine, and the sway of her hips in her silk garments is so stunning everyone notices it. Her father is a tyrant who murdered her mother for failing to bear him a son (though he had a dozen of those already from prior wives). Her brothers universally enjoy scheming, bloodsports, and rape. How fortunate that she's being bartered away in marriage to the lush green country where the white people live!
Where men still have all the power and nobody questions it, but because they're not feeding people to dogs it's no longer a problem! Except if you're the lesbian ("backwards") youngest child of the king, in which case you appear to be a carefree rake who charms everyone and has a full complement of "manly" talents, until such time as the plot requires you to be oppressed. At which time it turns out there has been simmering discrimination and entirely unexamined, sourceless homophobia lurking conveniently in the wings the whole time.
It just makes me tired. Can't we tell love stories without doing all this narrative collateral damage? Can't we build worlds without importing the ugly attitudes of our own as if they're universal truth that would flourish anywhere people did?
I liked the girls who were falling for each other in this book. I thought they were sweet and had good chemistry. But I couldn't get comfortable with the milieu surrounding them.
The things this book was saying about race—unintentionally, I'm almost certain—were not comfortable to read. Jessa's culture seems to be a hash of stereotypes of brown people, making her the exotic, modest (but oh so sensual) damsel who's been ill-treated by her viciously misogynist father & brothers; she wears both saris and burkas and smells at all times of jasmine, and the sway of her hips in her silk garments is so stunning everyone notices it. Her father is a tyrant who murdered her mother for failing to bear him a son (though he had a dozen of those already from prior wives). Her brothers universally enjoy scheming, bloodsports, and rape. How fortunate that she's being bartered away in marriage to the lush green country where the white people live!
Where men still have all the power and nobody questions it, but because they're not feeding people to dogs it's no longer a problem! Except if you're the lesbian ("backwards") youngest child of the king, in which case you appear to be a carefree rake who charms everyone and has a full complement of "manly" talents, until such time as the plot requires you to be oppressed. At which time it turns out there has been simmering discrimination and entirely unexamined, sourceless homophobia lurking conveniently in the wings the whole time.
It just makes me tired. Can't we tell love stories without doing all this narrative collateral damage? Can't we build worlds without importing the ugly attitudes of our own as if they're universal truth that would flourish anywhere people did?
I liked the girls who were falling for each other in this book. I thought they were sweet and had good chemistry. But I couldn't get comfortable with the milieu surrounding them.
December 17, 2013
Was I the only reader utterly horrified by the racist overtones and abundance of abusive language in this book? The world building is lazy and badly researched, and I found the mishmash of various cultures extremely offensive. Why would Jessa wear a sari and a burka at the same time? Why does Jessa's household--apparently set in a South Asian inspired culture--contain Arabic names not commonly used in that region? Aside from finding the characters unlikeable, I'm dismayed at the textual racism in the narrative. What an orientalist nightmare.
June 30, 2022
2019 re read because book 3 came out recently. This is a brilliant book. Absolutely loved it. Can't think of a single negative thing. Enthralling. Well paced. Multilayered MC's and well defined secondaries. Great world building on top of it all. Just fantastic. Set my tags since a few years ago I wasn't doing that yet. Original review below makes me chuckle... while still true.
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Holy crap that's a great book. Like. For reals.
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Holy crap that's a great book. Like. For reals.
August 9, 2014
This was chock full of racist tropes and stereotypes. I was excited about a non-white lgbtq protagonist, but Jessa is the product of an offensive mish-mash of cultures (she wears a sari and a burqa at the same time??). Her father and brothers are cartoonishly cruel and misogynistic. They mostly just sit around making rape-y comments, plotting to take over the throne, and laughing while their attack dogs rip people to shreds. ALL 12 OF THEM. (Brothers, not dogs.) They treat Jessa like livestock, trying to marry her off to another royal family as part of some political chess game. Luckily this royal family is white, and therefore more enlightened and accepting, and they save Jessa from her oppressive family by showing her kindness for the first time in her life!
The only non-white person in this book who isn't violent and sexist and evil is Jessa's nurse, who is a wise elderly witch who says a lot of cryptic things like "I can feel your majik along my bones, child."
The love story was sweet in parts, but even that was tainted by the 'brazen, comfortable-with-her-sexuality white feminist teaches oppressed girl what freedom means' trope.
Also, the writing was super cheesy and overwrought to the point of making zero sense. It might not have been so bad if the same phrases weren't recycled over and over, which I guess is hard not to do when your protagonists are flooded with desire every time they lay eyes on one another, which must be utterly exhausting. I felt exhausted just reading about it. Please Jessa, don't look at her! Or laugh or even breathe, because then I'll have to read two paragraphs about how Darry's face flushes and her breath quickens and she feels moistness in her lady parts. Which, by the way, "pleasure bled downward, lighting within her thighs" is not very sexy?? Especially when it's used multiple times. Just a thought.
The only non-white person in this book who isn't violent and sexist and evil is Jessa's nurse, who is a wise elderly witch who says a lot of cryptic things like "I can feel your majik along my bones, child."
The love story was sweet in parts, but even that was tainted by the 'brazen, comfortable-with-her-sexuality white feminist teaches oppressed girl what freedom means' trope.
Also, the writing was super cheesy and overwrought to the point of making zero sense. It might not have been so bad if the same phrases weren't recycled over and over, which I guess is hard not to do when your protagonists are flooded with desire every time they lay eyes on one another, which must be utterly exhausting. I felt exhausted just reading about it. Please Jessa, don't look at her! Or laugh or even breathe, because then I'll have to read two paragraphs about how Darry's face flushes and her breath quickens and she feels moistness in her lady parts. Which, by the way, "pleasure bled downward, lighting within her thighs" is not very sexy?? Especially when it's used multiple times. Just a thought.
November 22, 2017
This is the sort of lesbian high fantasy I've been yearning for! So many lesbian fantasy books are either too-fluffy fairy tale re-tellings or super-dark paranormal stories with bleak endings. I'd been wondering where the sword-and-sorcery epics with tangled family trees and dark magical secrets were being kept, and this book delivered on so many levels.
We're thrown right into a plot of political intrigue when Princess Jessa's bloodthirsty, ruthless father, the King of Lyoness, releases her from behind her always-closed palace walls and sends her to the lush neighboring kingdom of Arravan to marry Malcolm Durand, the eldest prince. Jessa, terrified from years of seclusion and abuse from her father and 12 brothers, is welcomed warmly to Arravan by Queen Cecealia, Princess Emmalyn, and the youngest daughter, Princess Darrius. As Jessa grows closer to the royal family, she finds herself falling in love with the "backwards" princess, coming into her own majik powers that simmer in her blood, and realizing that Malcolm doesn't plan to marry her at all.
This book has one of the best romantic build-ups of all time. Jessa may she shy and unsure, but she's also warm and kind and quick, never backing down from a joke or retort. She makes a perfect match for the glowing, beloved Darrius, who, despite her shameful tendencies towards women, is adored by her family and her group of close-knit male friends. Darrius has the characterization that is normally quite hard to master in female characters--she's the spoiled golden child of an indulgent family, but in the end, she is inherently different in ways both obvious (her sexuality, her male dress) and hidden (which we slowly discover). She's funny and self-deprecating while still being strong and confident in her skills. She's a powerful warrior, a loyal friend, an excellent dancer, and a surprisingly adept needlepoint. Hell, I dare anyone to not fall in love with her. I certainly did. The slow, steamy courtship between the two women is the heart of the novel, and when they work to set one another free of the constraints placed on them both by society and themselves, it really does feel like magic.
But a good fantasy isn't complete without a great big cast of characters, and this book has a ton of them. I loved the king and queen of Arravan, even when they realize their painful mistakes in raising their spirited daughter. They are not two-dimensional evil monarchs, they're a mother and father, and they love their children. I loved Darrius' relationships with her siblings, especially her sister Emmalyn, because so many other authors would choose to have the sisters be at each other's necks rather then be close allies, and I love the warmth and affection between them. I really adored Darrius' relationship with her band of lost souls and misfits, her Boys, especially her best friend Bentley, a bastard son of a noble. Even Jessa, whose loneliness is a hallmark of her character, has her gentle old nursemaid Radha to care for her and guide her spirituality.
The villainous characters are less interesting, but sometimes it's alright that the heroes get all the limelight. Jessa's brother Joaquin is a conniving, cutthroat rapist whose last words in the book , and Darrius' uptight older brother Malcolm is scheming and shrewd and, in a surprising twist, . All of these men are huge threats to Darrius and Jessa due to their lineage and gender alone, but in the end, they're not super memorable. I have a feeling the political plot is really going to come to a boil in the next book, which I'm excited for.
There are a lot of twists in this book, a lot of things you don't necessarily see coming, but it's also a tender romance, something to get lost in as you race across fields on valiant steeds or watch a beautiful woman perform a sensual dance at a fancy ball. It feels familiar, but not dull. The complex relationships between family members, lovers, and friends elevates this book to a great high fantasy statues.
Though this is a five-star read for me, I can understand a lot of reviewers' issues with the race aspects of the book. I don't necessarily agree that the white Darry was the one to "liberate" the poor brown princess (I think they liberated each other), I was rolling my eyes a little at the mish-mash of Arabic/Indian/Muslim stereotypes regarding Jessa's dress and mannerisms. But on the other hand, the white characters as well as the race-coded characters were also deeply flawed in their homophobia and patriarchal culture, and their misdeeds did not go unpunished.
So some of the writing was a little lazy, and I expect more from an author who obviously cares about her characters. Proceed with this in mind and let's hope that Godfrey shed some of those lazy character choices in her future books, because despite these flaws, this was a really excellent high fantasy book and one of my favorite lesfic books of the year.
We're thrown right into a plot of political intrigue when Princess Jessa's bloodthirsty, ruthless father, the King of Lyoness, releases her from behind her always-closed palace walls and sends her to the lush neighboring kingdom of Arravan to marry Malcolm Durand, the eldest prince. Jessa, terrified from years of seclusion and abuse from her father and 12 brothers, is welcomed warmly to Arravan by Queen Cecealia, Princess Emmalyn, and the youngest daughter, Princess Darrius. As Jessa grows closer to the royal family, she finds herself falling in love with the "backwards" princess, coming into her own majik powers that simmer in her blood, and realizing that Malcolm doesn't plan to marry her at all.
This book has one of the best romantic build-ups of all time. Jessa may she shy and unsure, but she's also warm and kind and quick, never backing down from a joke or retort. She makes a perfect match for the glowing, beloved Darrius, who, despite her shameful tendencies towards women, is adored by her family and her group of close-knit male friends. Darrius has the characterization that is normally quite hard to master in female characters--she's the spoiled golden child of an indulgent family, but in the end, she is inherently different in ways both obvious (her sexuality, her male dress) and hidden (which we slowly discover). She's funny and self-deprecating while still being strong and confident in her skills. She's a powerful warrior, a loyal friend, an excellent dancer, and a surprisingly adept needlepoint. Hell, I dare anyone to not fall in love with her. I certainly did. The slow, steamy courtship between the two women is the heart of the novel, and when they work to set one another free of the constraints placed on them both by society and themselves, it really does feel like magic.
But a good fantasy isn't complete without a great big cast of characters, and this book has a ton of them. I loved the king and queen of Arravan, even when they realize their painful mistakes in raising their spirited daughter. They are not two-dimensional evil monarchs, they're a mother and father, and they love their children. I loved Darrius' relationships with her siblings, especially her sister Emmalyn, because so many other authors would choose to have the sisters be at each other's necks rather then be close allies, and I love the warmth and affection between them. I really adored Darrius' relationship with her band of lost souls and misfits, her Boys, especially her best friend Bentley, a bastard son of a noble. Even Jessa, whose loneliness is a hallmark of her character, has her gentle old nursemaid Radha to care for her and guide her spirituality.
The villainous characters are less interesting, but sometimes it's alright that the heroes get all the limelight. Jessa's brother Joaquin is a conniving, cutthroat rapist whose last words in the book , and Darrius' uptight older brother Malcolm is scheming and shrewd and, in a surprising twist, . All of these men are huge threats to Darrius and Jessa due to their lineage and gender alone, but in the end, they're not super memorable. I have a feeling the political plot is really going to come to a boil in the next book, which I'm excited for.
There are a lot of twists in this book, a lot of things you don't necessarily see coming, but it's also a tender romance, something to get lost in as you race across fields on valiant steeds or watch a beautiful woman perform a sensual dance at a fancy ball. It feels familiar, but not dull. The complex relationships between family members, lovers, and friends elevates this book to a great high fantasy statues.
Though this is a five-star read for me, I can understand a lot of reviewers' issues with the race aspects of the book. I don't necessarily agree that the white Darry was the one to "liberate" the poor brown princess (I think they liberated each other), I was rolling my eyes a little at the mish-mash of Arabic/Indian/Muslim stereotypes regarding Jessa's dress and mannerisms. But on the other hand, the white characters as well as the race-coded characters were also deeply flawed in their homophobia and patriarchal culture, and their misdeeds did not go unpunished.
So some of the writing was a little lazy, and I expect more from an author who obviously cares about her characters. Proceed with this in mind and let's hope that Godfrey shed some of those lazy character choices in her future books, because despite these flaws, this was a really excellent high fantasy book and one of my favorite lesfic books of the year.
December 2, 2017
4.8 stars. Loved it to bits. The world building is good, the characters complex and multifaceted, there is some magic but it's toned down and is quite unique in the way it's interwoven into the story, well written for sure.
The book is slow at first and a little bit hard to get into with how the language is used but when it gets going it rarely stops, I was on the edge of my seat at multiple points in the book. And I grew to like the quirky language, too in the end.
Nightshade is more of a love story than a fantasy epic. The family relations and love between the characters are at the forefront. While political subterfuge and machinations are still a big part of the story, most of it is about the characters and their love be it familial or romantic. Unfortunately love and hate often go hand in hand so there's a lot of well developed family drama.
Usually I don't like for both main characters to be otherworldly beautiful, it makes them unrelatable and cheapens the attraction. Of course they wan't each other, they're basically living goddesses. But it didn't bother me too much this time around because their relationship is handled properly. It started of as friendship and went from there and I found the execution of it to be handled well. I thank the old gods and the new it wasn't another case of insta love.
I also appreciated that every paragraph was needed in this book, there is no grind, no pointless side stories that have no relation to the main story line. Everything is connected and interwoven like a good book should be. Lately that has not been the case with my reading so I'm glad I finally started this book that does it how it's supposed to be done. It's written masterfully and I always appreciate that.
I'd write more about how much I enjoyed this book but I need to buy the sequel and read it NOW. Meanwhile you should give this at least a try. It's damn good book for sure.
The book is slow at first and a little bit hard to get into with how the language is used but when it gets going it rarely stops, I was on the edge of my seat at multiple points in the book. And I grew to like the quirky language, too in the end.
Nightshade is more of a love story than a fantasy epic. The family relations and love between the characters are at the forefront. While political subterfuge and machinations are still a big part of the story, most of it is about the characters and their love be it familial or romantic. Unfortunately love and hate often go hand in hand so there's a lot of well developed family drama.
Usually I don't like for both main characters to be otherworldly beautiful, it makes them unrelatable and cheapens the attraction. Of course they wan't each other, they're basically living goddesses. But it didn't bother me too much this time around because their relationship is handled properly. It started of as friendship and went from there and I found the execution of it to be handled well. I thank the old gods and the new it wasn't another case of insta love.
I also appreciated that every paragraph was needed in this book, there is no grind, no pointless side stories that have no relation to the main story line. Everything is connected and interwoven like a good book should be. Lately that has not been the case with my reading so I'm glad I finally started this book that does it how it's supposed to be done. It's written masterfully and I always appreciate that.
I'd write more about how much I enjoyed this book but I need to buy the sequel and read it NOW. Meanwhile you should give this at least a try. It's damn good book for sure.
May 3, 2017
This my first review on goodreads, and I'm writing it because anything less than 4 stars I feel deserves an explanation. Let me start by saying that I liked this book and was torn between 3 and 4 stars, but because of the critiques I have, I couldn't give it the same 4-star rating as others on my shelf. So, the negatives:
The biggest negative is the racist themes. The opening chapters were, frankly, uncomfortable to read. Jessa is from a brutal, unforgiving kingdom with cultural elements inspired by South Asian countries, and every POC except for Jessa and her 'caretaker' is a vile and/or violent person. It's less cringe-worthy after those opening chapters, but only because Jessa travels to the more pleasant 'white' kingdom.
Another negative is that at times the writing was confusing. While incredibly descriptive and full of imagery, sometimes the set up for scenes or steps between actions were missing. One of the smaller examples being two characters eyeing each other as one enters from across the room, and then speaking words face-to-face without any narration of them actually walking to each other. It's not book-ruining, but I did find my brain a few times telling me to just roll with it.
My last complaint (which is maybe a little bit spoilery)
So what's there to like? First of all, I fell in love with Darry at her introduction, and her bromance with her best friend Bentley is the kind of teasing but ride-or-die friendship I love to read about. Also, Darry and Jessa were perfect together. Their conversations had me laughing/smiling and the sexual tension between them was just the kind of slow burn I needed. It's been a while since I've had actual physical reactions to the tension between characters, and it felt so, so good.
Overall, this book isn't perfect, but it was a well-paced read and the romance was sweet.
The biggest negative is the racist themes. The opening chapters were, frankly, uncomfortable to read. Jessa is from a brutal, unforgiving kingdom with cultural elements inspired by South Asian countries, and every POC except for Jessa and her 'caretaker' is a vile and/or violent person. It's less cringe-worthy after those opening chapters, but only because Jessa travels to the more pleasant 'white' kingdom.
Another negative is that at times the writing was confusing. While incredibly descriptive and full of imagery, sometimes the set up for scenes or steps between actions were missing. One of the smaller examples being two characters eyeing each other as one enters from across the room, and then speaking words face-to-face without any narration of them actually walking to each other. It's not book-ruining, but I did find my brain a few times telling me to just roll with it.
My last complaint (which is maybe a little bit spoilery)
So what's there to like? First of all, I fell in love with Darry at her introduction, and her bromance with her best friend Bentley is the kind of teasing but ride-or-die friendship I love to read about. Also, Darry and Jessa were perfect together. Their conversations had me laughing/smiling and the sexual tension between them was just the kind of slow burn I needed. It's been a while since I've had actual physical reactions to the tension between characters, and it felt so, so good.
Overall, this book isn't perfect, but it was a well-paced read and the romance was sweet.
November 30, 2017
Loved this!!! About to start the second one!
November 14, 2014
Gosh, what a great book!
As a first book this is an incredibly assured work. Fantasy is surprisingly hard to write well, as far to often authors fall into standard tropes and ignore the basic need for interesting character, background and story arc.
I loved the main characters and all the machinations going on in the background. The world building is interesting and I hope that in the next book that the wider world beyond the respective palaces will be fleshed out.
Be warned that this was a surprisingly hot read, pleasantly surprising, but I have to admit it was not what I had expected.
As a first book this is an incredibly assured work. Fantasy is surprisingly hard to write well, as far to often authors fall into standard tropes and ignore the basic need for interesting character, background and story arc.
I loved the main characters and all the machinations going on in the background. The world building is interesting and I hope that in the next book that the wider world beyond the respective palaces will be fleshed out.
Be warned that this was a surprisingly hot read, pleasantly surprising, but I have to admit it was not what I had expected.
October 4, 2012
This book gets somewhere between a three and a four from me. I would have been with four without a doubt if it hadn't been for the very abrupt ending. Is the author planning a sequel? Because that's how it feels at least.
The writing style gets a bit confusing at times. I enjoyed it for the most part, but there are scenes where I just don't understand what the hell is going on. And then there is the rather jarring modern cursewords suddenly popping up while most of the speech is rather old fashioned.
Aside from that, though, this book is very enjoyable. The world is intriguing and the characters are enjoyable. (The only one I didn't like was Nina as she has a very Mary Sue vibe to her.) Perhaps the attention is a bit too much on the romance side of it all, but I didn't really mind. I liked how the relationship took its time to unfold, but I'm feeling very dissatisfied with how much of the plot is left dangling. It seems like things are just starting to get interesting and did not expect to suddenly find myself on the last page of the book. I really wish I could give this a four, but then I also really wish I knew how this really ends.
The writing style gets a bit confusing at times. I enjoyed it for the most part, but there are scenes where I just don't understand what the hell is going on. And then there is the rather jarring modern cursewords suddenly popping up while most of the speech is rather old fashioned.
Aside from that, though, this book is very enjoyable. The world is intriguing and the characters are enjoyable. (The only one I didn't like was Nina as she has a very Mary Sue vibe to her.) Perhaps the attention is a bit too much on the romance side of it all, but I didn't really mind. I liked how the relationship took its time to unfold, but I'm feeling very dissatisfied with how much of the plot is left dangling. It seems like things are just starting to get interesting and did not expect to suddenly find myself on the last page of the book. I really wish I could give this a four, but then I also really wish I knew how this really ends.
February 28, 2017
This is by far one of the best books that I have read...and re-read. The relationship between Bentley and Darrius is absolutely hilarious but at the same time it is so deep and then there is Jessa and Darry whose love is a whirlwind of majik and emotion.
This author has such talent, her writing creates such vivid imagery and at times it is like reading a poem or sonnet with how beautifully she weaves her words.
I most definitely do not regret my initial rating of five stars because I think this series really deserves this and more.
This author has such talent, her writing creates such vivid imagery and at times it is like reading a poem or sonnet with how beautifully she weaves her words.
I most definitely do not regret my initial rating of five stars because I think this series really deserves this and more.
March 25, 2018
This is pretty good story but contains with much hatred and misogynistic pigs. So much violence conducted by those pigs toward women. Sad.
February 12, 2015
I found the lovestory in the book very sweet, but there were a lot of things in this book that was very distracting and kept me from enjoying it. There's a lot of repetitive descriptions of the main characters and their outfits in every chapter. I also didn't like one of the main character's habit of using a made up fantasylanguage without any translation or indication to what she's saying. It might work in a movie, but in a book it just gets terribly confusing. The point that made me give this book such a low rating is that it seemed that the author totally forgot about the plot the longer the story went on. Instead there were a lot of lesbian wooing and cuddling, and although I don't mind the wooing/cuddling at all I would have liked to see some kind of resolution to the story.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 31, 2019
Enjoyed this immensely and going right on to book 2 in the series... (glad I'm only getting to these now, so I have a trio available).
Darry is awesome. Jessa is amazing. There's majik, courtly intrigue.
Only thing is you will almost have to read the next book too - you'll want to, but just be prepared.
Darry is awesome. Jessa is amazing. There's majik, courtly intrigue.
Only thing is you will almost have to read the next book too - you'll want to, but just be prepared.
December 9, 2014
I went back and forth about whether to give this book 3 stars, or 4, but towards the end I found myself near to tears, and that was the deal breaker.
FYI, I can't help but look at romance in a practical, realist sense. I prefer the nitty gritty, the hard truths, and the tales that skim the Earth's soil, not Heaven's clouds. That's just something to keep in mind whilst reading this review. That shouldn't alarm you. This is the second lesbian fiction novel that I've read, and I greatly enjoyed it. Still, I'd like to be honest with this review...
So for the "bad" points first:
There were a few things about the book that had me rolling my eyes. For instance, the physical perfection of the protagonists. Even when they're disheveled, they're beautiful. EVERYbody either recognizes their beauty, or desires them. This book's cast consists of royalty and those who serve them, so maybe this was to be expected. The rich are commonly made to appear handsome and stunning in fiction. Steamy romance novels especially do all this, I know, but there's a reason I don't read those all that much anymore. Second, the constant high energy of desire between Darry and Jessa got to be a bit much here and there. Later they try to explain a reason for this, but even so, I half expected them to orgasm just from hearing the other sneeze. To see them resist their desires for so long had me thinking that the art of resisting temptation ought to be a damn Olympic sport! The song "Jizz In My Pants" comes to mind... I also got a little tired of hearing about Jessa's curves or Darry's dimple.
Moving away from the depiction of Jessa and Darry's growing love, I wanted the concepts of "majik" explored in more detail, and was disappointed when it wasn't given a bigger role, save to further their relationship. I wanted the antagonists to have a stronger presence throughout the story. Despite the political games going on, the real conflict seemed to rest between just Jessa and Darry finally coming together. That moment was certainly the climax, and the last 30% of the book (which I can say with some precision as I'd read a Kindle version) was all just falling action. There was no real dénouement, in my opinion, given all that was still left unresolved at the end.
And now for the good:
All of the above points were small irritations that pricked at first before being entirely ignored in the face of all else. I was just enjoying the story too much, and things like puffed up idealism became a humorous thing versus an unbearable trait of the story. The dialogue in Nightshade was great, even when Jessa and Darry started to get sappy with one another. Shea Godfrey has clear wit and insight, and more than once her beautiful depictions of the characters had me floored. They were people you couldn't help but love, couldn't help but pity, and some, could do nothing else but hate. She also knows how to set up a scene, lighting the characters environment in your mind so vividly as to make you think you were watching it at the theaters. Initially I wasn't impressed with her setting, because the world of Nightshade (while solid) was clearly taken from our world and just given a twist and new names. But further reading showed me greater depth as to the natures of Lyoness and Arravan culture, and it was very interesting (and perhaps why I was so disappointed that things like majik, or the world beyond the palaces, or the complex social games were playing second to the constant longing of the protagonists.)
Given the ending of Nightshade, I'm guessing that Shea Godfrey intends to continue the story. For all that I have said above, I cannot wait to read its sequel.
FYI, I can't help but look at romance in a practical, realist sense. I prefer the nitty gritty, the hard truths, and the tales that skim the Earth's soil, not Heaven's clouds. That's just something to keep in mind whilst reading this review. That shouldn't alarm you. This is the second lesbian fiction novel that I've read, and I greatly enjoyed it. Still, I'd like to be honest with this review...
So for the "bad" points first:
There were a few things about the book that had me rolling my eyes. For instance, the physical perfection of the protagonists. Even when they're disheveled, they're beautiful. EVERYbody either recognizes their beauty, or desires them. This book's cast consists of royalty and those who serve them, so maybe this was to be expected. The rich are commonly made to appear handsome and stunning in fiction. Steamy romance novels especially do all this, I know, but there's a reason I don't read those all that much anymore. Second, the constant high energy of desire between Darry and Jessa got to be a bit much here and there. Later they try to explain a reason for this, but even so, I half expected them to orgasm just from hearing the other sneeze. To see them resist their desires for so long had me thinking that the art of resisting temptation ought to be a damn Olympic sport! The song "Jizz In My Pants" comes to mind... I also got a little tired of hearing about Jessa's curves or Darry's dimple.
Moving away from the depiction of Jessa and Darry's growing love, I wanted the concepts of "majik" explored in more detail, and was disappointed when it wasn't given a bigger role, save to further their relationship. I wanted the antagonists to have a stronger presence throughout the story. Despite the political games going on, the real conflict seemed to rest between just Jessa and Darry finally coming together. That moment was certainly the climax, and the last 30% of the book (which I can say with some precision as I'd read a Kindle version) was all just falling action. There was no real dénouement, in my opinion, given all that was still left unresolved at the end.
And now for the good:
All of the above points were small irritations that pricked at first before being entirely ignored in the face of all else. I was just enjoying the story too much, and things like puffed up idealism became a humorous thing versus an unbearable trait of the story. The dialogue in Nightshade was great, even when Jessa and Darry started to get sappy with one another. Shea Godfrey has clear wit and insight, and more than once her beautiful depictions of the characters had me floored. They were people you couldn't help but love, couldn't help but pity, and some, could do nothing else but hate. She also knows how to set up a scene, lighting the characters environment in your mind so vividly as to make you think you were watching it at the theaters. Initially I wasn't impressed with her setting, because the world of Nightshade (while solid) was clearly taken from our world and just given a twist and new names. But further reading showed me greater depth as to the natures of Lyoness and Arravan culture, and it was very interesting (and perhaps why I was so disappointed that things like majik, or the world beyond the palaces, or the complex social games were playing second to the constant longing of the protagonists.)
Given the ending of Nightshade, I'm guessing that Shea Godfrey intends to continue the story. For all that I have said above, I cannot wait to read its sequel.
March 2, 2024
So many feels...
I love the tale of Darry and Jessa! I feel so much for them, the Durand Family, and Darry’s Boys. There is so much misunderstanding and hurt between Darry and her father the King. It kills me that the only way Darry could keep her and Jessa together was to sever ties to her blood line, but I am so happy for her, Jessa, and Darry’s boys. They all have been tossed aside and overlooked by those who are suppose to love them. Jessa has had a hard life, hidden away in her fathers home, hated and used by her brothers. I enjoyed watching her become more confident and strong as her love for Darry grows. I love the Majik within the pages and I cannot wait to read the next part of their story.
I love the tale of Darry and Jessa! I feel so much for them, the Durand Family, and Darry’s Boys. There is so much misunderstanding and hurt between Darry and her father the King. It kills me that the only way Darry could keep her and Jessa together was to sever ties to her blood line, but I am so happy for her, Jessa, and Darry’s boys. They all have been tossed aside and overlooked by those who are suppose to love them. Jessa has had a hard life, hidden away in her fathers home, hated and used by her brothers. I enjoyed watching her become more confident and strong as her love for Darry grows. I love the Majik within the pages and I cannot wait to read the next part of their story.
October 30, 2014
I was just browsing my shelves when I came to this one, having it read more than a year ago. I was honestly confused with some of the reviews here and decided to read it again.
For those that gave it 1 star because it had racism, bigotry, mysoginy and a country that treats its women like dirt, have you ever given Game of Thrones a read? I mean, that highly applauded saga that even made it to TV?
This book doesn't come even near that.
The only thing against it is the sudden ending and the long wait for the sequel.
But as I see it, a certain writer gets away with that quite easily.
For those that gave it 1 star because it had racism, bigotry, mysoginy and a country that treats its women like dirt, have you ever given Game of Thrones a read? I mean, that highly applauded saga that even made it to TV?
This book doesn't come even near that.
The only thing against it is the sudden ending and the long wait for the sequel.
But as I see it, a certain writer gets away with that quite easily.
April 22, 2018
When I read the synopsis on this, I really wasn’t sure I wanted to read it. I’m not a fan of dealing with the death of loved ones in books I read for escapism. But I’ve wanted to start reading books by this author, and I’m a “start at the very beginning, it’s a very good place to start” kind of reader, so I dove in. I was pleased that this didn’t push too hard on the angst levels. It did have a rather hard to believe amount of drama, though. And then it ended kind of abruptly. It was, however, decent enough to have me looking forward to reading others by this author.
January 22, 2021
Wasn't bad, but the author has definitely written better....
(Spoiler)
And the amount of coincidences at the end was so over the top, I was kinda surprised Chris wasn't the one to hit Devon with her car. It was just too much. It reminded me more of FanFiction tropes than a book.
(Spoiler end)
(Spoiler)
And the amount of coincidences at the end was so over the top, I was kinda surprised Chris wasn't the one to hit Devon with her car. It was just too much. It reminded me more of FanFiction tropes than a book.
(Spoiler end)
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 8, 2012
I think this is the author's first novel, and it shows. I considered a drinking game once I hit the second half -- I got as far as doing a shot whenever:
• Someone raves about how hot Darry isThen I got distracted, but that's really all you need to get drunk. With that said, if you want to read a fantasy novel with a lesbian romance and you're not really looking for it to go far beyond cookie cutter, go for it.
• Someone mentions how Jessa's curves look in her sari
Read
December 31, 2021On one hand it was super great to have a protagonist of colour! On the other hand, the culture that she comes from is so horribly dealt.
December 31, 2014
3.75 stars - ended too quickly
November 5, 2017
I am utterly speechless at the rush this books has given me. I love fantasy books and more than that I love wlw fantasy lit, as I am disco ering little by little how rich this genres is in quality books. Even though the fantasy part of this is small, this novel is truly amazing. I am thrilled that I still able to find books like this one.
I am captured by the raw emotions flowing from Jessa's and Darry's interactions and that leaves me without breath sometimes. It is great to still be able to feel this even if real life is not so charming as this book.
Looking forward to see what the next book reveals about these 2 beautiful lovers.
I am captured by the raw emotions flowing from Jessa's and Darry's interactions and that leaves me without breath sometimes. It is great to still be able to feel this even if real life is not so charming as this book.
Looking forward to see what the next book reveals about these 2 beautiful lovers.
August 25, 2014
What an exquisite intrigue set in a medieval-like time on another world that is so enthralling on so many levels. There are many degrees of human conspiracy, but there are even more fascinating intensities of majik (as it is spelled within the book), power, and destiny. The characters and the atmosphere simply sparkle with dynamic fervor as political power struggles unfold and the fate of many hang in the balance. Two realms that have been enemies for almost three hundred years—now one realm seeks an alliance by having the only princess from their kingdom marry the eldest monarchal son from the other. Spectacular!
Princess Jessa-Sirah from Lyoness, who is also called the Nightshade Lark because of her enchanting singing voice, really takes the award for the most evolving, downright far-reaching, and noticeably expansive character on the scene. She blossoms along with her prodigious mystical talents. Additionally, she finds her true sensuous nature and falls profoundly in love. Progressing by leaps and bounds, she uncovers the truth to her persistent prescience. I adored Jessa and prayed to my gods and hers that she would maintain her strength and persistence of vision while all hell breaks loose. Incredible!
Captain Darrius Lauranna Durand, preferably Darry, is the youngest child in the Arravan royal family. She is also not like any of her siblings. She now knows she is a backwards woman and is openly so. In this world, backwards means being homosexual. It is not condemned in Arravan like it is in Lyoness where backwards people are put to death. However, it is still problematic for the royal family to have a child with such tendencies. We learn most of the story involving Darry's first love and it was somewhat of a pivotal turning point for the youngest princess. Darry is an astounding woman with several unique attributes but her majical proclivities are incandescent above all else. Well, perhaps her dancing prowess or her mastery with the sword might contend for first place. Fantabulous!
The leading characters from both realms set the tones, tensions, and obfuscations placing the powers that be constantly on edge and consistently preparing for the ax to fall. Within this uneasiness, Darry and Jessa are flooded with feelings, urges, and connections that have never happened to either of them with such intensity. It is as if they are constantly performing a dance that links them closer and closer with each encounter. Their story within this book is utterly mesmerizing. Darry and Jessa are each extraordinary in their own way, but together they are nearly unbelievable. Magnificent!
NOTE: This book was provided by Bold Strokes Books for the purpose of a review on Rainbow Book Reviews.
Princess Jessa-Sirah from Lyoness, who is also called the Nightshade Lark because of her enchanting singing voice, really takes the award for the most evolving, downright far-reaching, and noticeably expansive character on the scene. She blossoms along with her prodigious mystical talents. Additionally, she finds her true sensuous nature and falls profoundly in love. Progressing by leaps and bounds, she uncovers the truth to her persistent prescience. I adored Jessa and prayed to my gods and hers that she would maintain her strength and persistence of vision while all hell breaks loose. Incredible!
Captain Darrius Lauranna Durand, preferably Darry, is the youngest child in the Arravan royal family. She is also not like any of her siblings. She now knows she is a backwards woman and is openly so. In this world, backwards means being homosexual. It is not condemned in Arravan like it is in Lyoness where backwards people are put to death. However, it is still problematic for the royal family to have a child with such tendencies. We learn most of the story involving Darry's first love and it was somewhat of a pivotal turning point for the youngest princess. Darry is an astounding woman with several unique attributes but her majical proclivities are incandescent above all else. Well, perhaps her dancing prowess or her mastery with the sword might contend for first place. Fantabulous!
The leading characters from both realms set the tones, tensions, and obfuscations placing the powers that be constantly on edge and consistently preparing for the ax to fall. Within this uneasiness, Darry and Jessa are flooded with feelings, urges, and connections that have never happened to either of them with such intensity. It is as if they are constantly performing a dance that links them closer and closer with each encounter. Their story within this book is utterly mesmerizing. Darry and Jessa are each extraordinary in their own way, but together they are nearly unbelievable. Magnificent!
NOTE: This book was provided by Bold Strokes Books for the purpose of a review on Rainbow Book Reviews.
August 6, 2016
Oh dear, I had really high hopes for this but unfortunately it wasn't anywhere near as nice as I wanted it to be. It wasn't all bad, but for every positive thing I can say about this book there unfortunately is a "but" lurking round the corner, making the positive aspects of the story rather hard to appreciate ://
(I'd give it one and a half stars, if I could. Only because I was able to finish the book rather easily, which I guess stems from the fact that the 'language' made it easy to read.)
THE GOOD:
- I liked the language most of the time, though at times I found it a bit too flowery bordering on the too descriptive as well.
- The characters were something I really liked, but they were a bit too special. The two main characters just seemed to collect superlatives and became more and more unreal to me as the story progressed.
- I found the magic/majik in the story extremely compelling, except that it seemed extremely illusive. Nothing was ever explained! Only the surface of the majik was scratched and unfortunately in a way that the more was said about it, the less I understood.
THE BAD/THE UGLY:
- Joaquin had a rapey-vibe, not only towards his sister but also towards Darry, who openly identifies as a lesbian. And that the latter only seemed to heighten this vibe made me extremely uncomfortable.
- Sudden changes in character POV, still third person narrator, but suddenly we're with someone we hardly ever had much interaction with before. And sometimes just once? Not even a recurring thing? It felt really badly plotted to me. As if there was something important that the reader should know and it could not have brought to us any other way. Or just to give us an outside view of the main characters. And then the character and especially their point of view just vanished. Not cool.
- The (made-up?) foreign language bits, that were thrown in without any translation whatsoever, were distracting and annoying. It seemed to serve no purpose but to make Jessa feel "exotic". To me that felt rather racist. I also found the Muslim-inspiried nation's traditions, history and customs patched-up and inconsistent. The world building was not well done and it threw me off quite often.
- At a certain point it felt as if the plot was cast aside in order to make way for the romance and when it was picked up again it seemed to have become convoluted. Some things seemed to have been added just to enhance the drama and set the main characters even more apart, making them even more daring and exceptional. And that made the ending rather abrupt and even for a first part in a series (or at least a duology) the story felt cut off at the end.
(I'd give it one and a half stars, if I could. Only because I was able to finish the book rather easily, which I guess stems from the fact that the 'language' made it easy to read.)
THE GOOD:
- I liked the language most of the time, though at times I found it a bit too flowery bordering on the too descriptive as well.
- The characters were something I really liked, but they were a bit too special. The two main characters just seemed to collect superlatives and became more and more unreal to me as the story progressed.
- I found the magic/majik in the story extremely compelling, except that it seemed extremely illusive. Nothing was ever explained! Only the surface of the majik was scratched and unfortunately in a way that the more was said about it, the less I understood.
THE BAD/THE UGLY:
- Joaquin had a rapey-vibe, not only towards his sister but also towards Darry, who openly identifies as a lesbian. And that the latter only seemed to heighten this vibe made me extremely uncomfortable.
- Sudden changes in character POV, still third person narrator, but suddenly we're with someone we hardly ever had much interaction with before. And sometimes just once? Not even a recurring thing? It felt really badly plotted to me. As if there was something important that the reader should know and it could not have brought to us any other way. Or just to give us an outside view of the main characters. And then the character and especially their point of view just vanished. Not cool.
- The (made-up?) foreign language bits, that were thrown in without any translation whatsoever, were distracting and annoying. It seemed to serve no purpose but to make Jessa feel "exotic". To me that felt rather racist. I also found the Muslim-inspiried nation's traditions, history and customs patched-up and inconsistent. The world building was not well done and it threw me off quite often.
- At a certain point it felt as if the plot was cast aside in order to make way for the romance and when it was picked up again it seemed to have become convoluted. Some things seemed to have been added just to enhance the drama and set the main characters even more apart, making them even more daring and exceptional. And that made the ending rather abrupt and even for a first part in a series (or at least a duology) the story felt cut off at the end.
September 25, 2014
This is a drama/romance love story with well-written scenes. Although, I think some of the angst moments weren't truly necessary but it seems the author needed/wanted to create an atmosphere than would spice up the story a bit more.
I was captivated at the beginning but then I felt that it began to lose its appealing, especially when some little details seem quite hard to believe. However, there are some nice and intense scenes between the main characters that create a sensual vibe, which to me are the best parts of the book.
The development of the relationship between the main characters is slow-paced but I think well-done. However, there isn't enough description of them as I’d wished and also some of the main characters' behaviors are simply unnerving in my opinion.
Even thought the secondary characters were not deeply developed or properly described, still contributed relevant moments that affect directly the development of the romance causing more drama most of the time.
Something to point out is the attempt to approach different stories besides of the main romance is something I don't enjoy much in a book since I want a complete focus on the main characters and their relationship, but considering these stories were about characters very close to the main ones and the content was quite interesting, I guess it was okay.
The love/sex scenes between the main characters were well-done and the author took her time to focus on details than made the scenes hot and sweet.
Despite the plot seemed weak sometimes and some parts are unnerving, I think it was a ok overall. So, if you enjoy reading about second chances at love after tragedy and some drama, this might be a good book for you.
I was captivated at the beginning but then I felt that it began to lose its appealing, especially when some little details seem quite hard to believe. However, there are some nice and intense scenes between the main characters that create a sensual vibe, which to me are the best parts of the book.
The development of the relationship between the main characters is slow-paced but I think well-done. However, there isn't enough description of them as I’d wished and also some of the main characters' behaviors are simply unnerving in my opinion.
Even thought the secondary characters were not deeply developed or properly described, still contributed relevant moments that affect directly the development of the romance causing more drama most of the time.
Something to point out is the attempt to approach different stories besides of the main romance is something I don't enjoy much in a book since I want a complete focus on the main characters and their relationship, but considering these stories were about characters very close to the main ones and the content was quite interesting, I guess it was okay.
The love/sex scenes between the main characters were well-done and the author took her time to focus on details than made the scenes hot and sweet.
Despite the plot seemed weak sometimes and some parts are unnerving, I think it was a ok overall. So, if you enjoy reading about second chances at love after tragedy and some drama, this might be a good book for you.
April 26, 2016
The writing is delightful. The worlds, cultures and backgrounds are very refreshing and if you read closely, they are references to what we have in our current world right now with a very obvious inclination/bias towards the other. Of course, this is but a work of non-fiction so my observation might be wrong too.
In any cases, i love the writing enough to keep going. The author takes her sweet time in developing the characters, and each of them is a delight of its own. They are very lively and believable. The only thing I find is that the plot is very anti climatic. We are only given a hint of the conspiracies and nothing more. It's interesting enough for me to finish the book, but not enticing enough for me to pick up the second book immediately after the first read. I might continue with the second book some other time, after I I finish other books.
In any cases, i love the writing enough to keep going. The author takes her sweet time in developing the characters, and each of them is a delight of its own. They are very lively and believable. The only thing I find is that the plot is very anti climatic. We are only given a hint of the conspiracies and nothing more. It's interesting enough for me to finish the book, but not enticing enough for me to pick up the second book immediately after the first read. I might continue with the second book some other time, after I I finish other books.
March 17, 2013
It's a very interesting and romantic book, and I really liked it, but the ending was very abrupt. I thought it would continue at least one chapter. There are a few loose ends, which is why I give it 4 stars.
I liked the perspective on the characters, and the way they were actually very different from each other. This book is written in a way I could very easily visualize the story, and the way everything looked. I would recommend it for everyone who likes a different kind of love story.
I liked the perspective on the characters, and the way they were actually very different from each other. This book is written in a way I could very easily visualize the story, and the way everything looked. I would recommend it for everyone who likes a different kind of love story.
May 21, 2015
This book had some wonderful writing in its characters and political machinations that's severely underlined by the ugly racism of painting the brown, Middle Eastern-themed kingdom of Lyoness as being ruled by a bunch of raping, incestuous, murderous, sadists and its people as being cowed and unable to rise up against them.
Save your money and don't buy this. There's no need to demonize an entire group of people just to raise up another.
Save your money and don't buy this. There's no need to demonize an entire group of people just to raise up another.
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