❝ I cannot fathom it. You destroy me and then you kiss me. You give me reason to hate you then give me reason t★★★★☆ - 4.5 stars
ᐟᐟ｡⋆｡ ﾟ☾ ﾟ｡⋆ ₊˚✧ ﾟ.
❝ I cannot fathom it. You destroy me and then you kiss me. You give me reason to hate you then give me reason to love you. ❞
ᐟᐟ｡⋆｡ ﾟ☾ ﾟ｡⋆ ₊˚✧ ﾟ.
i am so obsessed with this series. chloe gong’s debut is a stunner! (and still hard to believe it’s her first book. this was insanely good.)
the plot started off a little slow and the politics were slightly confusing, but i got really into it at the end! i came to appreciate the build up. the plot twists were great.
i fell in love with juliette in the first few pages. she is beautiful, cunning, and so smart. she knew what she was doing, and i was just there for the ride!
roma montagov. that name in itself is mesmerizing. i adore how morally grey he is, but it’s so obvious he’s in love with juliette, like come onnn
benedikt and marshall are my favorites though. i need them to confess their undying love to each other right now!
alisa needs her own book as well!
the writing is phenomenal. it’s honestly one of my favorites! i can see how some people get confused, but trust me. it’s worth it! chloe gong has a way with words and still knows how to craft an engaging story.
overall, a book that leaves its mark on you with morally gray characters that leave you no choice but to love them. read this!
“How are you this bad? I thought you were Russian.” “I am Russian, not an alcoholic”
“Roma Montagov,” she said fiercely. “What?” “I’m going to kiss you now.”
“You don’t joke about that, Marshall! I will not lose you!”
“I have one request.” “Go on.” Marshall Seo’s gaze flicked away. “Benedikt.”
i had some issues but overall, i enjoyed!! this was so addictive. but just know you’ll be seeing me hate on this AND obsess over it…★★★☆☆ - 3.75 stars
i had some issues but overall, i enjoyed!! this was so addictive. but just know you’ll be seeing me hate on this AND obsess over it…because i’m indecisive, okay??
what i didn’t like: - the writing. i know i couldn’t write a book if i tried, but the writing felt like my google document stories—lacking in description and painfully choppy. thank god for my vivid imagination because without it, i would not be able to picture a single thing from this book (except paedyn’s silver hair. WE GET IT. she’s different!!)
- the unoriginality. we were promised red queen/hunger games VIBES, but not literal plot points from those books just inserted into this one. i made this whole notes app thing and listed all the similarities. which i’m sure there are more i wasn’t able to find.
- the repetition. this happened with tropes, words, scenes, and certain phrases. for example, Kai’s “calloused hands”. yeah, i love when men have rough hands, but not THAT much. jeez, just put lotion on or something…
- some parts were a bit cringe. several of those romantic lines….no. i thought they were hot and i tried to read them aloud—noooo. it made me cringe SO hard. it’s like wattpad but…worse.
- paedyn. i don’t know what it is about her but she makes everything so dramatic, like it’s not that deep. she got better towards the end though. i hope there’s some development later on in the series.
what i liked: - the romance. the tension was so good and the fact that they didn’t kiss was honestly a smart move. i seem like a hater, but i’m now desperate for the second book. (I WANT A KISS SCENE!!)
- the ballroom scenes. sooo that does also fall under the category of romance but i feel like it deserves its own separate mention. pulling up to the ball with a tight, shiny dress and a dagger strapped to your thigh—YES PLEASE. and then seeing the MMC speechless from seeing the dress. i eat it up every time. and we may have had a lot of these, but i don’t care. they were fun!!
- i was addicted to this book!! i had to attend this event while in the middle of this, and the way i rushed back home to read this some more?? is that a problem? i don’t know what exactly it is about this book that had me so hooked, but i wouldn’t talk to anyone while reading this.
- (some) side characters. Lenny and Jax were such cuties. they were such relief from the cringiness.
- the plot twist!! a bit predictable but i was still shocked. i NEED book 2 so bad.
will be (impatiently) waiting for the rest of the series!!!
quotes you can have them i guess
“You should see the damage I did to your pretty face.” “Oh darling, as long as you think I’m pretty, I don’t give a damn what I look like.”
“She is the embodiment of a bad decision. The twin of danger and desire. The fine line between deadly and divine. And I can feel myself drowning.”
“Kai, I’m not leaving.” “Then don’t think I won’t throw you over my damn shoulder and carry you out of here myself. Is that what you want?”
“Remind me to make you smile like that again, when you aren’t dying, and I have all the time in the world to memorize it.”
“I forever want her name on my lips, and rolling off my tongue until I’m drunk on the taste and sound of it.”
“She’s so stunning, yet so stubbornly oblivious to how the sunset behind dulls in comparison to the vibrance that is her.”
“I didnt realize you watched me so closely.” “Watched? Darling, I’ve never stopped.”
“What’s your favorite color?” “I’d never thought about what my favorite color was before. It never seemed important. Not until I looked into a pair of ocean blue eyes and realized that perhaps drowning was a beautiful thing. Not until I looked into a pair of fiery blue eyes and realized that perhaps burning was a painless thing. Not until I looked into a pair of sky blue eyes and realized that perhaps falling was a peaceful thing. “Blue,” I said, my voice low.
“I would have died today if it weren’t for you saving me.” “He leans closer, his eyes brimming with barely bottled up emotions. “And I’ll save your life again and again, aimlessly hoping you will allow me to stay in it.”
“As much as I like that dress on you, I figure you would look just as good in it with the laces undone.”
“I could get used to you being a gentleman, Azer.” “And I could get used to being one for you, Gray.”
“Oh? And what else are you when you’re around me, hm?” “I’m a fool.” “Only when you’re around me?” “Only for you.”
“What do you want to call me?” “I want to call you mine.”
“Pae, when I look at you…I’m devastated. I’m drowning. I’m dying to catch my breath.”
“You promised I could touch you when I was sober…but I’m never not sober around you, Pae. Never not drunk on every detail that is you.” ...more
”I vow to honor you, Kazi, and do all I can to be worthy of your love. You have not stolen my heart, but I give it freely.”
such a stunn★★★★☆ - 4 stars
”I vow to honor you, Kazi, and do all I can to be worthy of your love. You have not stolen my heart, but I give it freely.”
such a stunning conclusion to the dance of thieves duology!
the politics became even more developed in this one, creating more plot twists and tension. it was easier to follow this time and i was thoroughly interested.
i applaud mary e. pearson for creating such a richly imagined world. the kingdom of the remnant is an undoubtedly incredible setting. i was lost in it and absolutely enthralled with its deep history. reading about how the Ballengers came to be was an excellent addition to this novel.
kazi is an amazing main character for this duology. not only is she calculating and smart, but she also loves people so deeply. deeply enough that she would kill for them. her cunning moves are what drove this story forward. she is gifted at what she does and i’m so exceedingly proud of her. she will only continue to evoke change in her world.
at first, i was a bit skeptical about jase. but his love for kazi is like no other. he stopped at nothing to get her back. i just wanted to give him a hug. he grieves so much and holds on to his memories so tight. i’m so glad he got his happy ending!
kazi and jase’s love for each other became so strong in this book. they both put their lives on the line for each other. just reading about their memories of each other had me swooning! they were, however, separated for quite some time throughout the novel and it was a bit hard to get through. but once they reunited, everything was well in the world and the book got really good. i honestly will never stop thinking about them.
the side characters were a great addition to the novel and made it much more interesting to read about. some of the plot twists were crazy!
the plot was very boring in the first half, but things picked up around the 300 page mark and made up for the slow start. i loved how all the characters banded together for the final battle. it was so much better than the remnant chronicles. it was epic! and by the end, i felt so much love for everyone, and not just these characters, but also some familiar faces from the remnant chronicles.
i really enjoyed my time reading this series. i will recommend it to all fantasy lovers!! the politics and characters are unmatched....more
this was good!! i can’t wait to see what happens next.
the setting is very well-imagined. i read the remnant chronicles before this and★★★★☆ - 4 stars
this was good!! i can’t wait to see what happens next.
the setting is very well-imagined. i read the remnant chronicles before this and the worldbuilding is so much easier to understand, making this a quicker read for me. i can definitely see how others get confused with tons of new terms being introduced. the setting is amazing and one of my favorite parts about the book.
the politics were also great. i loved the high stakes. there’s a lot to take in at first, but it slowly gets easier to understand. i’ve read tons of fantasies, but this one was executed well in terms of worldbuilding. unique and very interesting!
the characters in this were SO much better than those of the remnant chronicles. kazi was sarcastic, clever, and fierce. my favorite qualities in a female main character. i fell in love with her in the first pages! the things she had to go through only make her tougher.
as of now, i’m a bit conflicted with jase. i’m excited to see how this finishes out!
the plot honestly could’ve been better. it was NOT 5 star material. politically intriguing, yes. but quite boring throughout the first half. hoping the next one is better. the ending was done nicely though!
mary e. pearson’s writing is great. it’s super lyrical and flows very well. it can be a bit easy to get lost, and i am speaking from firsthand experience. there were a few times i had to reread a passage over again. but i really enjoyed her prose!
overall, i wasn’t disappointed by this. love a good romantasy novel!
quotes I want you, every part of you, even the parts that infuriate me beyond telling, because you’ve infected me with a poison that I don’t want to flush out, because you’re a mad viper twisting around my middle, cutting off my breath, yet I want you more than I want to breathe.
I don’t want to lose you, Kazi I’m not asking for promises. I love you, and I will never stop saying it, not through a thousand tomorrows....more
Loading...
