A Court This Cruel and Lovely

“one day soon, you will have to make a choice. be a torch for just one soul in the dark…or burn like the sun for all of them.”a court this cruel and lovely shocked me.not because the twists were shocking (you could sense them from a mile away), but the overall feeling of reading this made me so damn delighted! is this series new and different in an oversaturated market of fae based fantasy romances? absolutely not. did this series hold my attention regardless? one hundred percent yes.it was a nice blend of action and adventure with ample fantasy elements—fae vs human conflicts (with the fae coming across as ethereal, elusive beings), rebellions, court intrigues and magic—a dose of heat and my absolute favourite, enemies to lovers.“don’t survive for anyone else. survive for yourself. survive because the thought of not surviving, the thought of letting those who would hurt you win, is so repulsive, you can’t stand it. survive because you deserve to survive.”priscaif there’s something that makes me happy in fantasy romance, it’s a take-charge heroine. it’s far too common to encounter a main character who’s either too much sass she deserves to be unalived; or is someone who’s overcome with a convenient amount of newfound power that she’s so flawless at utilising from day one, no one’s able to best her.despite the strength and uniqueness behind prisca’s magic, she can’t wield it with finesse and doesn’t have an immediate aptitude at holding her time magic for long stretches. she’s spent a lifetime fearing the outcome of what happens to the corrupt—magic-wielders who are considered to have been rejected by the gods, or who refuse to allow the gods to have their power—but she doesn’t back down when facing her enemies, or runs away from challenges she encounters.her growth journey and character development is entertaining to witness. once a hopeless and ignorant woman in her small village, prisca transforms into someone cunning, selfless and resilient. she’s a driven woman willing to risk herself for others and who’s wholly charismatic, she's able to influence the strangers surrounding her. she’s a balance of intelligence and understanding of how to survive without having an overwhelming sense of power.his smile was dark - almost feral. “wicked women are my weakness.”lorianthe end reveal wasn’t shocking whatsoever, but this doesn’t detract from lorian’s intense and mysterious nature. we don’t know much beyond his ruthless, morally grey persona; or that he’s the kind of male character who doesn’t coddle prisca. he’s honest and confronting and doesn’t waste words on false reassurances—in his own way, lorian’s encouraging and supportive of prisca and strives to protect, but also uplift her during her journey. knowing that this series continues, i’m content with what we know enough of lorian’s dark broodiness for the meantime.“in another life,” he said, his eyes dark. it sounded like a promise. i sucked in a shaky breath. i felt it too. that maybe in another life, we were meant to be different people. and we would have been those people together.i’m an absolute heathen for enemies-to-lovers romance. the tension between prisca and lorian created by the forced encounters left me frothing and skimming sentences to find those smart-mouthed interactions and quick-witted banters. it had me kicking my feet in excitement! the slow burn? it burned, nice and slow. the heat? the spiciness? the wait was tortuous but fulfilling. the hatred? prisca loathed lorian, i loved it.i already have a long, never ending list of favourite tropes, but there’s a new one to add—the one horse trope. who knew that one horse could elicit this amount of delicious tension and delectable slow burn?! i’ve been revolutionised, awakened to something near life changing. give me more one horse scenarios.his hand slid to my chin. “i missed the rest of you too. the way you scowl at me when i say something you disagree with. and that face you make when you’re wondering what i’d look like naked.”my heart thundered, an entirely unwelcome awareness flooding my body. “i don’t wonder what you’d look like naked!”“ah, you wouldn’t need to wonder, would you? because you watched me bathing at the inn, you wicked thing.”we’re introduced to numerous side characters, but the amount doesn’t feel overwhelming. each character felt like they were there with a purpose, to the scene or to the overarching narrative. i adore a really well-rounded found family and what we’re introduced to is sweetened by the fact that there’s essentially two lil families—the mercenaries and prisca’s fellow villagers.while stacia stark introduced us to an expansive kingdom filled with rich histories, the extensive details and world-building wasn’t oppressive that it affected my reading or enjoyment levels. i did feel the beginning was rushed and the pacing was jarring. towards the end the narrative lagged and repeated itself, and the palace scenes were becoming tiresome to read. realistically, how much time does prisca really need to save the hybrids underneath the castle? move on, i’m done!on an end note, writing “a mercenary’s gotta mercenary, right?” in your fantasy book should be banned.

I loved this first book so much I read it within 2 days. I was staying up till about 2am and reading on my lunch break at work!! I highly recommend it. I already ordered book 2 & 3!!

I read this book in three days because I could not put it down. Book 2 is in the mail right now to be delivered tonight. This is such a cute sassy damsel distress/enemies to lovers.

The audio book: Fantastic. Both narrators kept me on the edge of my seat and completely enthralled.The book: Arrived on time and exactly as pictured.The content: Well thought out magic system, great world building, characters that have well constructed back stories and development, enemies to lovers, banter that made me laugh, and a dash of spice but not so much spice that it takes over the entire plot. I had such a great time listening to the audio book that I bought physical copies too.The cons: the 4th book isn't out yet. The 3rd in the series ended on a massive cliffhanger and I have a might need to know what happens next!The extra surprise: look under the dust cover. Hardcovers are rarely lovely under their dust covers. This series looks lovely on a shelf together without their dust covers.My thoughts: Honestly, I found myself enjoying this series WAY more than ACOTAR. Better writing and editing, and more balance between between the story and the spice. 10/10 freaking loved this series and I can't wait for the next one.

This book/series is wonderful. The books keep you completely immersed in the story and you almost feel like you are there.