Aurora Ascher

If I could describe this book in one word, it would be amateur. The writing was bare, and the dialogue rote. The main characters, whilst supposedly being long-lived, felt childish and underdeveloped. The lead male character particularly was almost childlike because of his amnesia and the fact that he talks only in grunts and one-word sentences.

The romance was insta-love and unconvincing. The interminable sex scenes were simply icky. It felt like a young teen interpretation of salacious behaviour a' la Mills and Boon wrapped in a fantasy cover.

I was looking forward to being at a circus, but that was just in the beginning and more background than a lush, imaginative setting. Also, the elemental magic wasn't that creative, and the seer and other special abilities functioned more as plot-moving devices than anything else.

I think that there may be a good trope buried somewhere in here, but it missed the mark for me. I won't be backing up for more.… (meer)

DNF 31% but please give this book a go if you think you might like it. The premise was very interesting and I didn't dislike the characters, but this just isn't what I am looking for right now. To the reviewer who said this book is 'fantasy first, romance second' are you sure we are reading the same book? It focuses very, very heavily on the relationship between Harrow and Raith (which i thought was a bit rushed, but that's sorta beside the point). If you are looking for a romantasy with a morally gray monster love interest, you might really like this one.… (meer)