This is the first of a new series; who knows when the next book will be released (she’s finishing another series first). I went into it not knowing just how spicy it was going to be and just how integrated that spiciness would be in the story. I don’t have an issue with spice in books, because normally I can skip it and not really miss anything. But, not so with this one. It went way into being smut-tastic scenes that you couldn’t avoid because their conversations and their information (necessary to the plot/series) are interwoven with the R-rated moments. It was extra frustrating for me. Despite really being interested in the plot and this world, I almost DNF’d it at 61% because there was yet another smutty scene – at the dinner table no less. Only the promise of things shifting gears in the last 100 pages kept me going.
That said, while reviewing this book, I’ll probably reference the spice, so if it’s going to make you struggle, stop reading now. Interesting world, so-so characters, lots of mysteries still to uncover in the next book. A 3.5 out of 5.
Our story is told from the perspective of Lis (Calista). Lis remembers little before arriving at the orphanage where she lives with her best friend, Grady. Things kick off with the hyhborn (immortals with magic who rule the land) unexpectedly arriving at the orphanage. Lis has a bad feeling about it (she’s been gifted with intuition, foresight and telepathy) and Grady hides her. The hyhborn are looking for someone. Who it is, they don’t say, but they demand to see everyone’s eyes. They compel Grady not to move so he can’t stop them from seeing Lis’s eyes. Luckily her eyes are the wrong color so they move on, but not before the hyhborn lord notes her bruises and soundly thrashes the pervy head of the orphanage for his sadism. Lis thinks of him over the years as *her* hyhborn lord – which will become important later, of course.
As teens, Lis and Grady are tossed out of the orphanage and have to survive on the streets, scrounging for food and shelter. Life is brutal. When Lis saves a rich man from being stabbed (a robber lay in wait), they eagerly accept the man’s offer and become part of his household. The rich man is Claude, the Baron of Archwood. Claude’s not a bad guy – the orgies, drunkenness, drugs, and concubines aside – and he eventually makes her his courtesan spy so she can gather intel while servicing guests. (Thoughts on this later.)
The action starts in earnest when Lis overhears some men from town talking about capturing a hyhborn to sell for parts (For parts! We get a thorough description of the various uses of body parts at one point). Lis feels compelled to save this hyhborn – a compulsion that goes beyond wanting to save the town from King Euros’s wrath if the hyhborn dies. The fools have staked him in various places – including the heart. But this isn’t enough to kill him (cue hyhborn special powers). Once she’s pulled out the stake in his heart, the hyhborn regains consciousness, wrenches himself free and almost kills her, thinking that she’s complicit in his situation. Luckily, she talks her way out of it and helps him escape.
The escape leads us to the first of many ‘spicy’ scenes. His missing eyes leave him helpless and Lis must help him shower to wash away the poison in his system. Somehow, this means she has to get naked, too. Do I remember the logic for this? No. Except there’s a heat drawing them together. (Yes, let’s gag together. I bet she’s his fated mate, even though it’s impossible because she’s lowborn and the idea is barely mentioned throughout the novel. Their ‘fun times’ help him heal – because the hyhborn feed off pleasure (Because, of course they do.) The hyhborn gives Lis the nickname “Nal’aa,” which he says means ‘annoying’ in hyhborn. (Do we believe that’s how he’s using it? No.) The hyhborn recovers, escapes and shortly thereafter, takes care of both his attackers (by incinerating them) and the hyhborn who set him up.
There are rumors of rebellion and a girl who would be queen, but at Casa Claude, everyone’s gearing up for the upcoming celebrations (kinda like Calanmai in ACOTAR). Lowborn and hyhborn will mix, with lots of spiciness to be had by all. But alas, Claude’s decadent lifestyle has caught up with him and a hyhborn lord has come to visit. Claude sends Lis in to spy and ‘service’ him. Things do not go to plan. The visiting hyhborn almost kills her (again), and of course it’s *her* hyhborn lord. We finally discover that his name is Thorne and he’s a lethal Prince. Political maneuvering ensues between Claude and Thorne with a generous sprinkling of sexy times.
While some reviews called the story a refreshing twist, I didn’t find any real surprises in the plot. Armentrout did a good job of sprinkling hints throughout so that when the events and revelations of the last 100 pages hit, they’re not predictable but at the same time not too surprising. (I didn’t call the last 100 pages shocking because I was shocked by how gruesome some parts were.) I leave this book planning to read the sequel, although I’m not really that invested in the couple as of yet. (I might have been if there hadn’t have been so much spiciness to detract from my experience.) Presently, neither MC is very memorable, beyond their simmering attraction for each other and the MMC adonis with his perfect, porcelain skin, massive size and miraculous healing. I got hints of Rhysand and his inner circle when we were treated to Thorne interacting with his knights (yes, that’s another ACOTAR reference) so my feelings toward the couple might change in the next book, especially now that we’ve left Casa Claude and will undoubtedly be spending time with Hyhborn society.
Most reviews I read gushed over the book. I’m not gushing. The predominance of spice really pulled me out of the story. I was able to find at least one person (Deedi Reads) who also had issues with the copious, gratuitous amounts of sex (as opposed to calling it romance) that overshadowed the worldbuilding and the dubious nature of Lis’s consent. Roelia Reads also remarked on “the lack of balance between the romance and the plot. The book spends too much time on the sexual tension and the smut, and not enough time on the action and the intrigue.” The predominance of smut and what those scenes says about the book’s attitude toward consent and power in sexual situations is what really ruined my enjoyment of what could have been a most enthralling read.
FanFiAddict wrote a review that praised Armentrout for not making Lis’s situation/job into an ‘evil,’ which they see as a good thing:
I actually really enjoyed how unapologetic and unproblematic a spin Armentrout gave to the whole dynamic of court paramours and courtesans. There’s a tendency, even among authors who think or pretend they’re not doing it, to either passively judge the profession/system or at the very least have their characters somehow be ashamed of it. Armentrout did nothing of the sort, in fact dashing any possible negative or judgmental opinion on the matter through her character frankly explaining why she does what she does and showcasing an inclusive and diverse picture of the whole system most naturally and without toxicity.
I beg to differ on several fronts. The cavalier treatment of debauched situations is very toxic. The issue of consent and ignoring power dynamics that gives Lis no choice but to be a sex worker (because that’s what a courtesan is, a sex worker) leaves me somewhat disturbed. None of this is notable, noteworthy or admirable and it’s definitely not romantic.
Frankly, the sexual mores of this world are not something that most societies in the world would be okay with. In one scene, Lis is stuck in a hall where an orgy’s in progress. (Only the fringes of most societies are okay with sexual orgies.) Lis is there not because she wants to be but because it’s required. Someone casually fondles her breast without her consent and she can’t refuse it because it would make Claude look bad. In another scene, they’re at dinner and Claude fingers around her nether regions because he can. Then he passes her off to another guy who brings her to orgasm in front of everyone. How is that not toxic?
So many reviews I read talked about how the story is all about consent but very few discuss the dubious nature of that consent. Lis has been *forced by life* to choose her profession rather than it being something that she volunteered for. (Does any little girl dream of being a sex worker when she grows up?) Lis thinks about abandoning her ‘job’ but stays because of how much worse things would be without Claude’s protections. She has misgivings which she rationalizes away so she can feel okay about what her job entails. She’s offended when she’s treated like a piece of property (when Thorne demands that she belong to him for the duration of his stay). She’s not eager to be openly fondled at dinner by either Claude or Thorne, as part of the powerplay between them. These are not something Lis would choose if she had any other choice.
Beyond this dubious consent, I’m surprised that no one mentions the grooming that Claude did as part of her backstory. Is it just me cringing at the ickiness of this situation? He took in a child/teenager and molded her into something used for his sexual pleasure. The conditioning is so well done that Lis protects and defends Claude and excuses away her own discomfort by noting things like that she gets ‘pleasure’ from the experience and that he never forces her… Even though there’s always the threat of him kicking her and/or Grady out if she doesn’t cooperate… But it’s consensual. Sure it is. There’s consent, right? After all, she let him do it. (That excuse works really well when talking about sexual assault, doesn’t it?)
I’m hoping that now that we’re away from Casa Claude, the next book will move away from this abusive power dynamic. (And that it will make the sexy times less interwoven with essential dialogue.) If it doesn’t, I may not continue with the third. But for now, I’m hopeful that we’ll get answers to several questions in the next book: What’s it mean for Thorne and Lis that she’s an unmated ny’chora? (That sounded like a very big deal when the evil Prince was gleefully talking about delivering her to the king.) How Thorne’s going to react to her glamor being lifted? (Please don’t tell me it’s even more intense/frequent sex times, because there were way too many in this book.) Is she the ny’chora that he mentioned was gone? How’s he going to react when she finally reveals that they met back in the orphanage when she was young? Just what do they need to do for them to become bonded and how will it change Thorne? (Because you know it will.) How are they going to rescue Grady out of the evil Prince’s clutches? What happened to Claude and Naomi (and Naomi’s sister)? Are they still alive? How’s Thorne going to react to the destruction that just happened (and to the King not trusting his judgment)? Are we going to see the rebels? Is Claude wrapped up in them, since it’s his cousin that’s helping them? Will Thorne join up with them since it looks like there’s a civil war a’comin’ between the hyhborn?
Unfortunately, it’s going to be a while before we get any answers. Sigh.
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