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summerfalkenrath's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
This book was everything I wanted it to be! I was so in love with all of the characters and they were all very well rounded and had realistic flaws, habits, desires, and doubts. It made me laugh very often and I was always intrigued by where things were going in every single chapter. There was not a moment of slowness and I was so eager to keep listening ASAP whenever I had to pause for life. Both narrators were very talented and great at portraying the emotions of the whole cast. I felt like the actions of each character felt very realistic and was very happy that a lot of common tropes were evaded during this book. I'm very excited to read more from this author in the future!
Content Warnings
Graphic: War
Moderate: Alcoholism, Bullying, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexism, and Violence
Minor: Child abuse, Cursing, Blood, Death of parent, and Murder
aukel's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Alcoholism, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Violence, and Death of parent
lovosii's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Body horror, Bullying, Cursing, Death, Gore, Homophobia, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Medical content, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Lesbophobia, Outing, Gaslighting, Alcohol, War, and Injury/Injury detail
readingizbiz's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
The book. felt disjointed at times. It was a good easy read for after long days of work. But nothing ever felt fully flushed out. Ending felt rushed. The humor and relationships were fun (although Arthur/Gabriel could’ve used some more time forming and following that plot). The big reasoning for the build up wasn’t even a secondary plot but felt like the 6th plot that had a major part at the end but nothing really building it throughout in a way that was meaningful. It was an alright book all in all. Fun to read with medieval ambiance playing. Good ole gay love! Gwen/Bridget story line was good but also could’ve used some more time. Gwen/Arthur relationship felt like the only full and complete story line that was fully fleshed out.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gore, Homophobia, Physical abuse, Death of parent, Alcohol, War, and Injury/Injury detail
mirakelsey's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Physical abuse, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Homophobia and Sexism
singsandreads's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent and War
Moderate: Child abuse and Physical abuse
erikagibson126's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
inspiring
medium-paced
4.25
lgbtq
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Cursing, Death, Gore, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexism, Violence, Blood, Grief, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Murder, Alcohol, and War
bree_h_reads's review
adventurous
emotional
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
I was really looking forward to this book, so I’m glad I overall found it enjoyable.
The characters are where my thoughts are the most varied. I found all the dynamics and relationships to be varied and unique. Each once seemed to interact in an understandable and in-character way. It really helped me to understand WHY they played off of each other the way they did. The family backgrounds being varied also lent really well to characterisation. Gwen and Gabriel had the most obvious family dynamic, but Arthur’s family was major in his character and even Bridget’s came up and gave more insight into who she is and why. It was a great way to build on characters and why they are the way they are. However, that’s not to say there were no flaws. I personally found the character arcs to be a bit weak. It felt like I was missing the deeper insight into WHY the characters were changing or having revelations. Then, there’s my problem with Arthur. Personally, I found him deeply obnoxious and self-absorbed for most of the book. When the time came for him to show his growth it caught me off guard as well. I don’t think this is entirely the fault of the writing. Personally I think the narrator chosen for Arthur’s POV just wasn’t the best choice. The voice he gave Arthur was never serious and always had a more chipper, carefree sense regardless of scene tone. He also made the women in the book sound whiny and obnoxious which left a bad taste in my mouth for the character.
I also think the balance between the romance and political plot could have been done better. The romances, understandably, had a lot of focus. Gwen and Bridget’s specifically was especially well-written. However, there was a lot lacking in the political plot. There would be crumbs hinting at a larger struggle that would shake the foundations of the characters’ world. It would grab my interest and get me properly interested, only for it to remain untouched for 75% of the book. It was disappointing and made the book feel lacking.
Finally, I think the discussions and theme the book aimed to explore were interesting. I think the exploration of struggling to understand being queer and come to terms in a society where that’s not a thing were well-done and very relatable. I also liked the additional discussion of historical queerness and its erasure to push a certain idea. What felt a little lacking was the books more feminist angle. It touched upon the struggles of gender roles and how women are put down for stepping outside of that, but never went deeper. When it’s such an influence on the sapphic romance, and even a minor one on the achillean romance, I feel like it should be given more attention.
Overall it was a good read and I think if the book struck a better balance with the plot it could be an easy 4 stars.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Cursing, Misogyny, Sexism, Violence, Blood, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Moderate: Death, Homophobia, Racism, Kidnapping, and Grief
Minor: Child abuse, Emotional abuse, and Physical abuse
enbae's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.25
A really good, fun read. A medieval courting story about Camelot's heirs turned queer.
I found the pacing a bit slow, until the end - it seemed a little too fast by then.
I found the pacing a bit slow, until the end - it seemed a little too fast by then.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Biphobia, Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Homophobia, Sexism, Terminal illness, Violence, Medical content, Medical trauma, War, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexual content, and Vomit
Minor: Death of parent
boowa22's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
I immediately fell in love with the titular characters and their inner circles. Everyone is complex yet lovable, and the reader is empathetic to their individual struggles. My only critiques would be that the world building lacks some necessary details and the B-plot (especially towards the final act) is a bit predictable. Though it is set in the medieval period, there’s some modern social elements added to make the book more digestible to YA romance readers. I do not mind these changes, but I wished they had been outlined more clearly as it sets the stakes for the characters’ relationships and ambitions. Overall, though, this is a fairly lighthearted, fun read.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Alcoholism, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, War, and Injury/Injury detail