Love is Love Reviews

Review: The Emerald Prince by Kayci Morgan

DNF 68%. Not worth it.

1.5 out of 5 stars

DNF 68%

E-book. 192 pages. Published April 19th 2014 by Forbidden Lust

Blurb:

In a kingdom faced with civil war, an idealistic prince must abandon the foreign princess he desires for an arranged marriage to an influential knight. Together, the prince and knight travel north to deal with an army marching on the kingdom’s borders, only to discover the biggest threat to the crown is the princess they left behind.

Prince Elliot had everything—wealth, power, the love of a beautiful woman. It wasn’t enough. More than anything he wanted to prove himself worthy of his crown. When negotiations for his sister’s arranged marriage to Sir Blaine fell apart, he was asked to take her place and marry the knight.

Sir Blaine was adored throughout the kingdom for his strategic mind and feats of bravery. He was rewarded with the greatest gift a king could offer a knight—the princess’s hand in marriage.

But Blaine found the brazen Prince Elliot far more enticing.

Likes:

Female villain.
Victoria is the smartest of the bunch.

Dislikes:

The blurb is misleading.
Overused tropes everywhere.
Zariya’s evilness is heavy-handed and unrealistic.
The lack of magical protection is ridiculous.
Plot holes are “covered” with bullshit excuses.
Can’t tell if Elliot even likes men or he’s just being manipulated.
Never got invested in the romance.
Elliot was an idiot.
Rape scene.
Heterosexual romance subplot, complete with sex scene.
No idea why Blaine loves Elliot, or if it’s just him being manipulated by magic.
Lots of little writing mistakes.

DNF 68%

This book was to fantasy romance what light beer is to alcohol.

I was a few chapters in when I realized that the writing reminded me of being back in college creative writing classes. So many people thought they were being different, when really their stories were full of overused tropes. That’s what this book is. The only reason I read so far into it was because I wanted to see Zariya get her due. But eventually, I got so disgusted I had to stop.

The actual writing itself isn’t too bad, if you ignore little mistakes like ‘fficers’ instead of ‘officers’. And I did actually like Blaine. He was completely gay but was being forced to marry a woman, knowing it would make them both miserable. He didn’t fight back against his father’s lust for power, only getting mad when it came to how stubborn Elliot was. When Blaine’s mother pointed out that only Elliot could get under Blaine’s skin, I thought that was a great bit of character building.

Unfortunately, Elliot didn’t interest me at all. My first note about the book is literally that Elliot seems like an idiot. Of course, he’s being controlled by Zariya’s magic, but still. He’s an idiot. He “wanted to be more than a toy prince in a paper crown.” Yet he’d never been in battle and even had to be told why the Ghas were trying to attack the fort.

It honestly felt as though the author wanted to write two different stories – one about Blaine and Elliot and one about Victoria. Victoria is Elliot’s sister, and she gets her own chapters and her own story. She even gets sex scenes, which was a huge surprise to me. Victoria isn’t even mentioned in the blurb, and here is a heterosexual romance in the middle of a gay romance. It’s 1.) weird. 2.) not why I picked up the book. And 3.) filled with exactly the sort of traditional misogyny that made me turn away from heterosexual romance in the first place. As much as I liked Victoria as a character, her story wasn’t the one I wanted to read.

I wanted to read a romance. I honestly don’t feel like I even got that. Elliot gave no indication that he was attracted to men at all. It made me wonder if his attraction to Blaine was purely because of Zariya’s magic. The fact that I couldn’t tell even after reading more than half the book is telling. Because if he was being controlled, then there’s no romance, just manipulation.

I’m not even sure why Blaine even liked the prince. They barely knew each other, and yet Blaine is head over heels. He also got whammied by Zariya’s magic, and again I have to wonder about what his real feelings were.

I did like that there was a female villain. I didn’t like that she was basically just a seductress with vague powers of suggestion. The fact that her powers only worked on those who didn’t see her as a threat was cool. But it did raise a lot of questions. Like, why no one was protecting the king and prince from magical attacks?

That ties in with the feeling of being back in a creative writing class. The lack of magical protection is a huge plot hole. And trying to cover it up with a throwaway line about how all the people with magic serve in the temples and they should be protecting the castle from there doesn’t cut it. If anything, it’s like slapping a Band-Aid over a crack in the sidewalk. We can all still see that there’s a problem.

A combination of things finally made me give up on this book. First, the rape scene. It didn’t involve either of the character, not that that made it better. Once Elliot and Blaine got to the fort where the battle was happening, the book got preachy about how bad war is. Death, destruction, and rape. Elliot, who if you remember, has never been to a battle and had to be told why the Ghas were attacking, immediately came up with a brilliant idea to fix everything. And that moment was what made me drop the book. The toy prince who knows nothing and has no experience is going to save the day? Yeah right.

To say I’m disappointed in this book is a massive understatement. I’ve given up on plenty of books in the past, but this one just annoys me for some reason.

Review: North Pole City Tales by Charlie Cochet

This series was enjoyable and I’m glad I gave it a chance.

Series rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Books in order:

Mending Noel – 3 stars
The Heart of Frost – 4.5 stars
Vixen’s Valor – 3.5 stars
Loving Blitz – 4 stars
Disarming Donner – 4 stars
The King’s Courage – 5 stars

Likes:

Good characters.
Novella length.
Unique story idea.
Cute, sweet, and fluffy.
Totally binge worthy.
Classic romance set-ups.
Solid plots.
Well written.

Dislikes:

Wanted more world building.
Built-in homophobia and sexism.
Story structure meant that very little was surprising.

I’ll admit that I was hesitant to give this series a try even though I’ve read and liked a number of things by Charlie Cochet before. I was worried that the Christmas themes and the Rein Dears would be too cheesy for me. And it is cheesy, but in a good way, without becoming too much.

The first book in the series didn’t capture my attention, so I’m glad I already had the entire series waiting to be read. The first book is only 64 pages and it tries to cram a lot into that space. Too much, really. There’s not enough time for world building, creating a believable relationship, and setting up the next book in the series.

Luckily, The Heart of Frost redeemed the series and made me want to continue . Jack and Rudy are at the heart of the series. They’re in every single book, and it’s their romance that finally opens the door to the other men being able to claim their happiness. The cultural homophobia finally gets destroyed because Jack is the prince, and the lead up to his and Rudy’s wedding brings more than one couple together.

The stories range in quality a bit, for various reasons, but none were terrible. Similarly, not all of the couples were memorable, but they were all sweet and had a happy ending. The one downside of binge reading the books was that the story structure used in each meant that there were few surprises when it came to bad things popping up. There weren’t many surprises with the plots either, but everything was well written and a breeze to read.

This series was enjoyable and I’m glad I gave it a chance. While not my favorite things from Charlie Cochet, it was well worth the read, and the perfect choice for 2020’s Christmas in July.

Review: The King’s Courage (North Pole City Tales #6) by Charlie Cochet

Probably my favorite couple of them all, this was a great ending to the series.,

5 out of 5 stars

Ebook. 77 pages. Published December 20th 2017 by Dreamspinner Press

Blurb:

With the wedding of Jack Frost and Rudy Rein Dear only three weeks away, everyone travels to Jack’s palace in Svalbard, Norway, where the happy couple will exchange vows beneath the northern lights. Festivities have been planned leading up to the wedding, and Dasher eagerly anticipates not just the fun, but staying under the same roof as the blustering winter spirit who’s caught his eye—the King of Frost, Jack’s father.

A long-ago tragedy has left Eirik fearing to ever love again. As the King of Frost, Eirik maintains his distance from everyone, especially the young Christmas elf who insists on intruding on Eirik’s solitude. But Dasher is determined to find a way to show the lonely king that his heart still beats and he shouldn’t fear allowing it to beat for another.

Likes:

Dasher and Eirik were so cute together.
Steamy scenes.
Great ending to the series.
Watching Eirik open up to the idea of another love.
Dasher’s past and how it was resolved.
Not as cheesy as the others.

Dislikes:

Wanted a more solid ending for the two men.
Wanted to see how people reacted to the relationship.

This was the last book in the series and I was definitely looking forward to it. Having seen Dasher’s interest in the Frost King, and Eirik’s lack of interest in Dasher, I was curious how everything would turn out. In a word; sweet. This couple might just be my favorite of them all.

Watching as Eirik gave in to Dasher’s persistent but gentle courting was adorable. Dasher was always a gentleman, and was more than willing to give up if Eirik ever wanted that. But despite Eirik’s doubts – both about loving again and about loving a man – Eirik never pushed Dasher away. I do wish that more time was given to how people reacted to the king courting a Christmas elf. There was very little of that shown. Maybe because by this point people were used to the Rein Dears dating men.

I wasn’t expecting Dasher to have the complex past he did. It really added a lot to the story in terms of making him a better fit for the king, showing that he was a more complex person, and adding to the story’s tension. It was resolved well and made the men cement their relationship. I had hoped that, given that Eirik was the king, their relationship had become something more official, but I wasn’t disappointed with the ending.

This story was a great end to the series. It was as fun, quick, and cute as the others. It was great to see Jack and Rudy finally getting married, as well as having the last of the gay Rein Dears coupled off.

Review: Disarming Donner (North Pole City Tales #5) by Charlie Cochet

A cute opposites attract story with a surprising twist.

4 out of 5 stars

Ebook. 68 pages. Published December 21st 2016 by Dreamspinner Press

Blurb:

As a beloved Rein Dear and Christmas elf for Mayor Kringle, Donner prides himself on his flawless reputation, good sense, and wise decisions. Donner never does anything until he’s thought it through properly. He’s certainly not one to get flustered, infuriated, or fall prey to romantic nonsense. At least not until the most unlikely of elves begins chipping away at Donner’s defenses.

Calder is a Dockalfar—a dark elf. He’s wicked, untrustworthy, and armed with lethal magic. At least that’s what everyone thinks. It’s easy for them to believe the worst and mistrust him before they’ve even spoken to him, but Calder is out to prove that he’s more than his Dockalfar blood, especially to a certain Rein Dear who has caught his eye. But it will take more than sweet words for Donner to admit what’s in his heart.

Likes:

A good Dockalfar.
Watching Donner loosen up a bit.
Calder and Donner were sweet together.
Surprising twist.

Dislikes:

Calder was almost too nice.
The heavy discrimination against the Dockalfar.

Even though Calder and Donner only had one quick exchange in the previous book, I wasn’t surprised that they were the main characters this time around. Another couple where opposites attract, Calder and Donner had very different personalities. That made it easy for Calder to tease Donner, but also gave them room to try new things with each other.

Their relationship was very sweet, once Donner got over his initial distrust. Of all the people in the book, aside from Cupid, Donner was the first to begin treating Calder like a person, instead of assuming he was bad news just because he was a Dockalfar. That treatment made Donner really likable.

The discrimination against Calder came from almost everyone. It was obvious to the reader that Calder wasn’t bad or evil, but I was surprised how quick to assume the rest of the characters were. Even those who’d faced discrimination themselves, like Jack, didn’t hesitate to threaten Calder. It was so prevalent that Calder’s persistent optimism and good cheer was almost unbelievable. He was a little too nice. Having him get annoyed would have made his character feel a little more realistic.

These novellas follow a predictable story ark, and I was pleasantly surprised by the ‘twist.’ It wasn’t something that I’d seen coming. While not my favorite couple, Calder and Donner were fun to read about and I’m glad that Calder was accepted in the end.

Review: Loving Blitz (North Pole City Tales #4) by Charlie Cochet

A cute couple, but nothing too surprising happens.

4 out of 5 stars

Ebook. 94 pages. Published December 16th 2015 by Dreamspinner Press

Blurb:

From North Pole City to Winter Wonderland, preparations are underway after a royal announcement sweeps everyone into a frenzy of festivity. At the heart of the celebration are the city’s most beloved elf pilots, the Rein Dears. Once the Big Flight is behind them, the pilots prepare for the royal event. Assigned a special task of finding an Elska rose, Cupid and Blitzen are unaware of how their friendship is about to change forever.

Yet not all that glitters is gold. The sweet, angelic Cupid hides a dark secret, one that threatens to destroy his Rein Dear status, his friends, and the elf who’s captured his heart. It’s up to Blitzen to help Cupid see the light in the darkness and show him that together they can mend broken hearts.

Likes:

A non-traditional Rein Dear.
Cupid and Blitz were cute in an ‘opposites attract’ kind of way.
Dockalfar.
More about Jack and Rudy.
Hint about Dasher and the King.

Dislikes:

Nothing too surprising.

Blitz and Cupid were a cute couple. They’re a study in opposites in terms of their looks, with Cupid being small and Blitz being big. If anything, their size difference made it easier for them to snuggle together, even when they were just friends. Watching the men go from friends to lovers was fun. It’s a trope I enjoy, and the only one of its kind in the series so far.

Cupid is the only member of the Rein Dears who isn’t traditional to the Christmas songs, which is nice. But that’s not the only thing that sets him apart from the others. He has secrets, secrets that shake things up when they finally come out.

Of course, it was a given that Cupid’s secret would come out. Sadly, it was so predictable that the novella had very little tension for me. I did enjoy the addition of a new kind of elf – the Dockalfar. Like many things in this series, I wish more information about them had been provided, but I have hope that some of my questions will be answered in the next book.

I am enjoying seeing more about Jack and Rudy with each book. And I liked that this book set up the romance between both Dasher and the King and Donner and Calder. I’m very interested to see where that goes.

Review: Vixen’s Valor (North Pole City Tales #3) by Charlie Cochet

Another fun novella set in the North Pole.

3.5 out of 5 stars

Ebook. 81 pages. Published December 3rd 2014 by Dreamspinner Press

Blurb:

Rein Dear is a prestigious title, accompanied by admiration, devotion, and celebrity status, all of which one saucy Vixen thrives on. Alas, Vixen’s only concerned with having fun, unlike his stuffy and sensible best friend, Rudy Rein Dear, who Vixen has always been jealous of. Aside from being chosen by Mayor Kringle to be Captain the Rein Dear Squadron, Rudy’s managed to snag himself a prince, even if that prince is the dangerous and imposing Jack Frost.

All’s not lost for Vixen though. He discovers Jack’s cousin Vale has a soft spot for him. Vale Frost might not be a dashing prince, but he’s the next best thing: a decorated Lieutenant for the Toy Soldier Army, and a member of the Frost monarchy.

Determined to get what Vixen feels he deserves, he sets off on a mission to ensnare the kind-hearted lieutenant. But Vixen’s selfish ways are sure to lead to disaster, and it’ll take more than a little courage to set things right.

Likes:

Vale’s Dad.
Vale and his romantic side.
The story behind the staff.

Dislikes:

The cliché way Vixen was tricked into revealing the secret.
Vixen’s attitude towards Vale at the stars.
Vale’s point of view wasn’t too prevalent.
Two romantic main characters with names starting with V.

I didn’t hesitate after reading the previous book and rushed on to this one, excited about what was about to happen between Vale and Vixen. And because I’m reading these books in a row, without having to wait a year between them, I didn’t expect that a year would have passed between the previous story and this one. It was a little disappointing to realize that, despite the good vibes Vale and Vixen had going in the last book, they cooled down in the year between stories.

Still, that meant that the relationship got to basically start all over again, which was nice. It was sweet to see how much Vale liked Vixen, despite Vixen’s reputation for bed hopping. I have to admit, I wasn’t sure how the two men would suit each other. Vixen is flirty where Vale is shy and serious. But they ended up being surprisingly cute together.

Vale was definitely my favorite character. He’s sweet, charming, and not scary like his cousin Jack. I wish there had been more from Vale’s point of view, but Vixen was the one with the issues. Vixen became more likeable and understandable once his past was explained. Vixen definitely grew on me, although the cliché way he ended up accidentally revealing the secret vale had entrusted him with made me roll my eyes.

One picky thing I didn’t like was that both men’s names started with V. It made it a little harder for me to remember who was who since I tend to skim a bit when I really get into the story and want to read faster.

Luckily, in a world filled with sexist and homophobic people, Vale’s dad was a breath of fresh air. I wish there were more characters like him.

I am excited to get to the next book. The stories are still a little cheesy, but they’re fun and Cochet has created an interesting story universe.

Review: The Heart of Frost (North Pole City Tales #2) by Charlie Cochet

Better than the last novella, this one tells the full story of Jack and Rudy.

4.5 out of 5 stars

Ebook. 120 pages. Published December 18th 2013 by Dreamspinner Press

Blurb:

At the North Pole, no one is more powerful and feared than the Prince of Frost. As general of the toy soldier army, Jack Frost has been working extra hard to put away the villainous Mouse King once and for all. If that isn’t taxing enough, Jack has to deal with the scandal and gossip brought on by news of his relationship with Rudy Rein Dear, captain of the Rein Dear Squadron, which hit headlines last holiday season. Lucky for Jack, his reputation has managed to deter any foolish attempts to stir up trouble. At least until now.

When someone sabotages Rudy’s plane during a test run a few weeks before Christmas, Jack is determined to find the culprit by any means necessary. The closer he gets to finding answers, the more difficulty he has not falling back to his icy ways. Has the Mouse King stepped up his game in order to throw Jack off his, or is someone a little closer to home behind the attempt on Rudy’s life? Either way, Jack has every intention of delivering a Christmas they won’t soon forget, even if it means losing the newfound warmth in his heart.

Likes:

Better world building.
Told the full story of Jack and Rudy.
Drama and intrigue.
Got to see Tim and Noel.

Dislikes:

The built-in homophobia and sexism.
The lame excuse for a villain.
More unexplained things about the world.

Overall, I enjoyed this story. I liked the quick view we saw of Jack and Rudy in the last book and was excited to see both them and Tim and Noel again. Jack and Rudy really deserved a book of their own.

This book really did fill in a lot of missing gaps left by the last book. There was a lot more world building, though I do think it could use some more. I’m glad, because the last book left me with a lot of questions and I enjoy good world building. The Christmas theme was surprisingly fleshed out and I can tell a lot of thought was put into everything.

One of the things I’m not such a fan of is the build-in sexism and homophobia. Why create a fantasy world and add those in? I guess it makes things more relatable, as well as giving the characters another hurdle to get over. But honestly, Jack and Rudy had enough going on as it was.

The drama and plot of this story was better than the last book. The books definitely build on each other, and we got more of both with Jack and Rudy’s relationship going public and the Rat King’s criminality. The drama, danger, and intrigue of this story kept me interested the whole way through, with a happy ending that made me smile. Looking forward to the next book.

Review: Mending Noel (North Pole City Tales #1) by Charlie Cochet

This novella had a unique premise but I wanted more world building.

3 out of 5 stars

Ebook. 64 pages. Published December 1st 2012 by Dreamspinner Press

Blurb:

A story from the Dreamspinner Press 2012 Advent Calendar collection Evergreen.

All is not sparkly snowflakes and sweet candy canes in North Pole City. Office workers Tim and Noel do nothing all day but antagonize each other—petty fighting that might be based on hatred… or a heated mutual attraction. It’s up to Jack Frost and his elf-friend Rudy to broach the hostilities and introduce some Christmas kisses, but is the Frost Prince up to the challenge of launching a new romance when someone’s trying to break his holiday spirit?

Likes:

The Christmas references are just the right amount of cheesy.
I want to know more about the world.
The characters were interesting.
Low angst.

Dislikes:

The conflict between Tim and Noel was over too fast.
It the world could have been explained better.
There was too much going on for the page space.
Some things could have been explained better for more impact.

I was avoiding this series despite liking Charlie Cochet’s books and novellas. I was worried that the Christmas/North Pole theme would be too cheesy. And, yeah, it was cheesy, with all the clichéd parts you’d expect. But they were different than I expected. Not childish, but almost cool.

I felt bad for Tim, what with the way Noel picked on him. I was expecting Noel to go through lot of change in order for him to admit that he liked Tim. Unfortunately, that didn’t happen. Tim forgave Noel for all the times he was an asshole, and it happened super fast. Almost unbelievably fast. Sure, this is a novella, but it took almost no time for Tim and Noel to go from clashing coworkers to lovers.

It’s not because there wasn’t enough page time, but rather there was a lot going on. Between Jack and Rudy’s coming out and the plot with the Rat King, there simply wasn’t enough space for Tim and Noel to grow and change.

There also wasn’t enough page space dedicated to the world of the North Pole. So many interesting things seemed to be going on, and were hinted at. But I felt like I didn’t fully understand their importance. It just wasn’t well explained. I’m hoping to learn more from the other novellas.

But I have to say this, the idea of setting a gay romance series in the North Pole sure is unique. I’ve never read anything like it before and I’m looking forward to the next books.

Review: A Wish Upon the Stars (Tales From Verania #4) by T.J. Klune

A good ending to the series.

4 out of 5 stars

Ebook. 450 pages. Published March 27th 2018 by Dreamspinner Press

Blurb:

Nearly a year ago, blinded by grief and betrayal, Sam of Wilds made a desperate decision to follow the Great White into the Dark Woods. Now, he emerges to a world changed.

The City of Lockes is a prison. The King has been locked away in the dungeons. The Kingdom of Verania has fallen, and the Dark wizard Myrin sits on the throne.

But soon after his return, Sam learns of a resistance fighting in his name led by a courageous knight, a defiant prince, a pissed-off unicorn, and a half-giant who wants to smash everything in sight. If he has any hope of defeating the villains who have taken their home, Sam must face the consequences of his choices—and the friends he left behind.

Likes:

It’s over!
Happy ending.
Sam’s wish at the end.
Justin will eventually get his own story.
Liked this book better than the last.
Gary got his horn back.

Dislikes:

So much recapping.
Disappointment that everyone was the same as they were at the start.
Underwhelmed.
Sam’s whining that it wasn’t fair.
Long.
Still not as good as the first book.
So many catchphrases.

I’ve come to the realization that binge reading this series was a bad choice. As much as I love Sam of Dragons, a little goes a long way. And these books are long. While I’m glad I finally got around to finishing the series, it felt like a slog.

This book, like the two before it, suffers from not being as good as The Lightning-Struck Heart. Sam, Garry, Tiggy, and the rest of the cast were fresh and funny in the first book. After three more books where they all stay exactly the same, saying the same catchphrases over and over again, it got old. Worse, it lacked impact.

That’s not to say this book is bad. It wasn’t. It gave me the happy ending I wanted, especially with Sam’s final wish. But I can’t deny that I’m glad it’s over. Because, while the romance of The Lightning-Struck Heart was fantastic, as a high fantasy series, Tales from Verania was just okay. (For more about my thoughts about the series as a whole, check out the spoiler free series review.)

I did like this book better than the last, but that’s not surprising. The big showdown with Myrin. The dragons. The return to Lockes City after a year of being gone. Gary finally getting his horn back. A lot happened. This book definitely held my attention better than the last. And while it was long, it didn’t drag as much. Except for all those recaps. A whopping 3% of recap at the beginning. It covered all three previous books.

I was happy to see that Justin will eventually be getting his own story. I will definitely check it out, but there was no mention of how long it will take before that happens, as Klune stated his desire to write other things first.

I’m actually glad that he didn’t go straight to Justin’s story. One of my biggest disappointments about this book is how little everyone changed. There’s been a spoonful of maturity here and there. I wanted more. I wanted growth. I wanted Sam and Ryan to become better versions of themselves. Sure, Ryan centers Sam’s magic and his morality, but Sam still acts like he’s fifteen. He whined about things not being fair, was mad that Ryan had experiences while he was in the woods with the dragons, and the only reason he didn’t let the world burn was because he was trying to protect his friends.

In the end, I was underwhelmed. Not just by this book, but by the whole destiny of dragons trilogy. The Lightning-Struck Heart was amazing. But Sam as the chosen hero never fully connected with me. It was an okay series, and this book did a good job of wrapping it up. I just…expected more.

Be sure to check out the reviews for The Lightning-Struck Heart (Tales From Verania #1), The Tragic Life of Lady Tina DeSilva (Tales From Verania #1.5), A Destiny of Dragons (Tales From Verania #2), The Consumption of Magic (Tales From Verania #3), and the series review.

Series Review: Tales of Verania by T.J. Klune

The first book was great. Everything else was just okay.

3.5 out of 5 stars

Books Include:

The Lightening-Struck Heart – 5 stars
A Destiny of Dragons – 4 stars
The Consumption of Magic – 3 stars
A Wish Upon the Stars – 4 stars

Short Story:

The Tragic Life of Lady Tina DeSilva – 4.5 stars

Likes:

Everything about The Lightening-Struck Heart
The characters (most of the time)
High fantasy.
Sam and Ryan’s romance.
The smut.
The dragon’s names.

Dislikes:

So much recap.
Lacked character development.
Sam got super annoying.
I didn’t connect with Sam as the hero.
I didn’t get what I expected from the books.
Long.
Repetitive.

I turn to high fantasy for specific things. It’s not just dragons and unicorns, it’s the feelings I’m left with. When I finish a really good high fantasy series, I let out a deep breath and just sit for a while, soaking it all in. That didn’t happen at the end of this book, partly because I was just so glad to be done.

One of the things I love most about high fantasy is when characters overcome incredible odds. To that end, I love underdogs. Sam was a perfect underdog – for the first book. The book that was mostly about his romance and can really be seen as a separate entity from the destiny of dragons trilogy. In The Lightening-Struck Heart, Sam was a boy formerly from the slums lusting after the prince’s boyfriend. Perfect underdog.

Sam as the hero of Verania didn’t work for me, because while he was still the boy who’d spent the first decade of his life living in the slums, he’d spent more than half his life living a charmed life in the castle. He and his parents didn’t want for anything. Sam had a wonderful mentor, a friend in the King, loving parents, two amazing best friends, and all the freedom in the world to go on quests and live his life exactly the way he wanted it. And most importantly, he had the most magical ability of anyone!

In other words, Sam wasn’t an underdog anymore. He had privilege. He was spoiled. And he had Ryan, his love and cornerstone.

That change in status didn’t make Sam unlikeable. But by the time I was done with the series, I was incredibly aware of his privilege. Not just because of his constant complaints or his resistance to spending a year away from his friends. (One year! Just one! To train so he could save every single person on the planet, and that was too much of a sacrifice for him! That will never not piss me off.) It was more about what he hadn’t done.

For a boy who came from the slums, he didn’t try to better the lives of those who still lived there, other than a throwaway line about asking the King to spend more money on schools. Sure, Sam goes back to the slums once a year, but only to remind himself of where he came from. Not to help people. In fact, there is no mention of him actively trying to better the people of Verania with his magic. No healing or protection from the Darks. And as one of the few good wizards, you’d think that would be a priority.

Another thing that seems like it should have been a priority but was never mentioned, was of helping those who’d turned Dark. Or even of preventing people from turning Dark. Because while there were only a few good wizards, it seemed like Verania had Dark wizards coming out of its ears. And the only difference is training. Follow the rules and find a cornerstone to be a good wizard. Be a selfish asshole and be a Dark.

I have expectations of a hero. One of the things I look for, one of the reasons why I read books with heroes in them at all, is to be inspired. I want the hero to triumph over incredible odds. To lead and to give hope. Yes, they should be human. They should fail and suffer, but ultimately grow stronger.

Sam didn’t inspire me. Didn’t give me hope. He bitched and whined about his destiny, about the choices other had made, about his magic and long lifespan. He didn’t grow up. Didn’t mature. I wanted to see him become someone amazing. He could have done that without changing the core of who he was. But that didn’t happen. He remained a cocky brat who didn’t plan for the future or care about anyone but himself. Even in the third book, Sam is described as “… he understood the implications of what Myrin could bring, but he was still young. Naïve. He was doing this for those closest to him, and nothing more.”

Not a ringing endorsement. Neither is his conversation with Kevin.

“Yeah. You had no plan, did you.”

“Not even remotely. But I’m sure something would have come to me. But since you interrupted my narrative, we’re screwed, and neither of us is getting laid.” I paused, considering. “Or rescue our loved ones and save the kingdom from the clutches of villains. Because I should have said that one first.”

And these are quotes from the last book.

This isn’t to Say that Sam is a bad hero. He might not mature, but he does save the day in the end. And I do love how he solved the conundrum of not Ryan aging while he didn’t. That doesn’t stop me from being disappointed in him.

Luckily, Sam wasn’t the only stand-out character. All of the cast was fantastic. Sure, they got a little stale by the end of the last book, because they didn’t change either. Same jokes and catchphrases. And the number of recaps was truly staggering. At least it was a fun new twist on dragons, unicorns, and half-trolls. And the dragon names were great.

Sam’s romance with Ryan was good. Hot smut. I am looking forward to Justin’s eventual romance, whenever that comes out.

I do think a lot of my issues with this series came from the fact that I read all four books and the side story in about two weeks. It was a binge read, and it really did take that long because of how long the books are. 1770 pages in total! It was a lot, and it was easy for me to get annoyed with Sam.

Overall, my love for The Lightening-Struck Heart has not changed. It’s still my favorite. But the rest of the series? It was just okay. I would definitely not suggest binging this series. There are better high fantasy trilogies out there. Hell, there are better gay romance high fantasy trilogies out there – looking at you, The Knight and the Necromancer.