T. S. WinterwayBesprekingen

The best I can say about this book is that it was ok. It was interesting enough (and short enough) that I read it all in one sitting, but it just seemed like it lacked depth. There were a lot of pieces of worldbuilding, but they didn’t quite fit together to make a cohesive whole. The most obvious example is that the book started off with a detailed description of magically-powered machines - and then they had no impact on the story and were never mentioned again. That happened several times; something new would pop up, either sound important or almost impact the characters, and then never be mentioned again.

The description says the book is a “character-based romance” and I will say that the characters were the reason that I continued reading, since I found the worldbuilding lacking and the plot kind of weak.½

I found this book a bit difficult to read. Both main characters have an alternating chapter each in the first person and their voices were not different enough so confusing who was speaking. Reading flow was disturbed frequently by very long descriptors, I often had to go back and reread. Sometimes there parts of the book that had normal amount descriptors and this was much more relaxed reading.

I was excited about the description: a fantasy LGBT romance adventure - several of my favorite things. However, reading it did not bear out my hopes. Overall, this was a good but not great read. There were certainly elements that were well done. The author did the cover art and map themself, and it was lovely. The story was decent, though the characters weren't particularly engaging or memorable for me. When interrupted, I found that I wasn't in a hurry to continue. The writing was very nice in places with some beautiful turns of phrase. The world-building was notably good, and the discovery of more about the universe was skillfully paced through the book. It feels like a first book for the author, though it's not specifically mentioned anywhere. They could really benefit by a good editor and proofreader for their next project. There's definite potential with a few kinks to work out. Advanced copy received through LibraryThing Early Reviewers.

This is a nice inter-species love story. There is the perfect amount of conflict in the world and between the protagonists. For the genre, this is spot on.½

A fantasy romance between a regular human and a night fay. I enjoyed the world building and especially Kita the little companion dog. However, I found the story to be structured a bit weird. The actual ending is abrupt and doesn't feel like a satisfying ending. It doesn't hint to more but it also doesn't feel like full "closure". Even the relationship between the two main characters doesn't seem exactly healthy or functional. You are just supposed to believe it will all work out because of love. But that's not realistic, even in a fantasy setting. I'm not sure that I'm satisfied with the level of romance or lust in this story either. I kept thinking there would be more romance instead of repulsion to the animal-like fay.

Advance copy received courtesy of LibraryThing Early Reviewers | A MM fantasy romance, set in a post-apocalyptic world that might be Earth. The story focuses mainly on the gradual growth of a romantic entanglement between a tailor (Jaq) and a grimling (Briar, a night-dwelling, goblinesque fae). Positives: the language is rich and lush, the world building is interesting, and Kita is adorable. Negatives: the main characters are by turns manipulative and semi-unlikable, and I kept waiting for a plot-twist involving the magically driven creations that never materialized. The ending was a bit abrupt and left numerous unanswered questions without really offering up the prospect of a sequel. Overall, it was an enjoyable read but not compelling enough that I'd automatically purchase the second installment.