kate dramis – GoodeyReads

Rating: ★★★☆
Audience: Fantasy Romance
Length: 640 pages
Author: Kate Dramis
Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca
Release Date: June 25th, 2024
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

STAY ANCHORED IN THE LIGHT, THEY TOLD HER. BUT WHAT HAD THE LIGHT EVER DONE FOR HER?

After discovering she’s prophesied to save the realm, Aya’s duty should be clear: return home with once-sworn enemy Will to serve their queen in the coming war against a rival kingdom…one whose pursuit of dark magic could bring the realm to its knees.

But with part of the prophecy still undiscovered, and their queen’s intentions increasingly suspect, Aya’s very purpose is quickly brought into question. With betrayal lurking around every corner, she and Will are forced to lie, manipulate, and hide what they’ve become to one another as they struggle to learn the truth before dark magic destroys them all.

And with secrets and lies trailing Aya wherever she goes, she has to wonder…do the gods truly want her to save the realm…or simply watch it burn?

TOOK TOO LONG.

I feel like everything in this book took too long to accomplish. Most of these characters were having the same thought throughout but weren’t actually getting anywhere to get it done until near the end when I was like FINALLY.

The romance continued well. I liked it overall. There’s good tension while still working together and figuring each other out. And I do like Aya and Will as complex characters. I mostly like the other point of view characters too. So while the book isn’t bad and has good bones and good moments, the length of this sucker started to wear on me. I hope the next book changes the pace a bit to move things around rather than feel stagnant.

Overall audience notes:

Fantasy Romance
Language: high
Romance: 3+ open door
Violence: high

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Rating: ★★★★
Audience: Fantasy Romance
Length: 480 pages
Author: Kate Dramis
Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca
Release Date: July 11th, 2023
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

As an elite spy and the Queen’s Third-in-Command, Aya has dedicated herself to a life of discipline and duty, using her gods-given abilities to keep dark magic from ever returning to the realm. Her oath ensures she will always act to protect those she fights alongside—including Will, the Queen’s Enforcer and Aya’s bitter rival.

Forced by circumstance to work together, Aya and Will struggle to come to an uneasy truce. But when tragedy strikes, Aya instinctively reacts, unleashing a power that hasn’t been seen in over 500 years. Shaken, she’s confronted with an impossible truth: one that threatens the precious grip she keeps on her control. One that forces her to work with Will to discover who—or what—she really is. And one that could turn her into a weapon in a war she doesn’t know how to win.

With Will at her side and untold power at her fingertips, Aya will have to decide: Has she been sent to save the realm she loves…or destroy it?

WELL, I LIKED IT.

This has a surprising (to me) low-ish rating on Goodreads and I was a bit hesitant to pick it up. But after listening to the audio, honestly I liked it! I want to read the second book.

Now I will say, this is an adult fantasy, but the writing style and character choices came off much more young adult. I noticed it, but it didn’t overall affect me that much (but I can see where that could be an issue).

There’s a love triangle, that I didn’t hate. I liked the tension and it’s pretty easy to see where things are going and that was fine and dandy for me. This had a true enemies to lovers trope and I loved the heated banter.

The plot is there, took a little bit to make sense and follow, I’m curious enough to keep going and see how things continue to progress.

Overall audience notes: