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Savage Lands #1
Savage Lands
Almost twenty years after the barrier between Earth and the Otherworld fell in the Fae Wars, Budapest is balancing on the precipice. A battle for dominance is brewing between the elite fae and the privileged humans in Eastern Europe. The prejudice between the sides is bubbling with hate and violence.
Nineteen-year-old human, Brexley, has grown up in privilege, but not without heartbreak. After being orphaned, she is taken in by General Markos, living in a walled city rife with power grabs and ruthless political games. Then one night the course of her life changes, and Brexley is thrown into the most feared prison in the east. Halalhaz, the House of Death—where you go in but don’t come out.
She must learn to live with the worst of fae and human criminals. The rule of hierarchy puts humans on the bottom, where the only way to survive each day is to make alliances with the fae.
Here she meets the sexy, vicious legend, Warwick Farkas. A myth among man and fae. He is as brutal, cruel, arrogant, and as lethal as the lore says he is, ruling the prison with unchallenged authority. Brexley can’t deny an intense draw to him, one that might cost her life.
If The Games don’t take her out first—A fight to the death where only one survives.
Nineteen-year-old human, Brexley, has grown up in privilege, but not without heartbreak. After being orphaned, she is taken in by General Markos, living in a walled city rife with power grabs and ruthless political games. Then one night the course of her life changes, and Brexley is thrown into the most feared prison in the east. Halalhaz, the House of Death—where you go in but don’t come out.
She must learn to live with the worst of fae and human criminals. The rule of hierarchy puts humans on the bottom, where the only way to survive each day is to make alliances with the fae.
Here she meets the sexy, vicious legend, Warwick Farkas. A myth among man and fae. He is as brutal, cruel, arrogant, and as lethal as the lore says he is, ruling the prison with unchallenged authority. Brexley can’t deny an intense draw to him, one that might cost her life.
If The Games don’t take her out first—A fight to the death where only one survives.
423 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 20, 2020
About the author
Stacey Marie Brown
50 books5,844 followersStacey Marie Brown is a lover of hot fictional bad boys and sarcastic heroines who kick butt. She also enjoys books, travel, TV shows, hiking, writing, design, and archery. Stacey swears she is part gypsy, being lucky enough to live and travel all over the world.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 2,870 reviews
September 1, 2022
oh, look at that. i just found my latest obsession. lol.
i ate this up. from the prison setting and dynamics, strong main characters and awesome side ones, the strange bond that has yet to be explained, all the way to the fact that this is set in budapest (more books need to be set in central and eastern europe!), everything about this called my name. a literal page turner for me.
my only complaint is that the romance is the slowest slow burn of all slow burns. like theres something there, yet nothing there, all at the same time. i dont know how to describe it. and the synopsis of the next book has me thinking another love interest is going to happen, so im not sure how i feel about that.
regardless, this is exactly how a series should start. engaging, fast-paced, and addictive.
↠ 4.5 stars
i ate this up. from the prison setting and dynamics, strong main characters and awesome side ones, the strange bond that has yet to be explained, all the way to the fact that this is set in budapest (more books need to be set in central and eastern europe!), everything about this called my name. a literal page turner for me.
my only complaint is that the romance is the slowest slow burn of all slow burns. like theres something there, yet nothing there, all at the same time. i dont know how to describe it. and the synopsis of the next book has me thinking another love interest is going to happen, so im not sure how i feel about that.
regardless, this is exactly how a series should start. engaging, fast-paced, and addictive.
↠ 4.5 stars
February 10, 2021
I don’t know if I liked this or not. A lot of things bugged me so much:
The girl is so amazing it makes every other girl feel like they are doing it wrong. Doing what wrong? Everything. (Spoiler alert: she’s not that great actually and I have no idea why everybody wants to get in her pants so badly). I don’t feel any connection with The Queen of Everything so I’m kind of hoping she’ll wander off somewhere and we’ll never hear about her again. A few of the side characters are so much more interesting.
Everybody is walking around with full time erections or slick folds and get horny at the most ridiculous times (We’re being chased, but here, lemme press my boner into your ass for no reason at all!). All. The. Friggin’. Time. If there’s one way to kill the mood it’s to having it turned up to 11 for an entire book. It’s exhausting and terribly unsexy.
I don’t get what’s so special about Warwick aside from being sex on a stick. He doesn’t have (or shows) a lot of personality and only has his massive (everything about him is MASSIVE) presence everybody is graced with going for him. He’s big, he’s sculpted, he’s hot and did I mention massive?
I also didn’t enjoy the fact that absolutely nothing gets explained in this book, not even a tiny little bit of intriguing info, so I don’t know if I want to know more or if this is like that series Lost, where we all stopped caring because nothing ever got explained or resolved?
The girl is so amazing it makes every other girl feel like they are doing it wrong. Doing what wrong? Everything. (Spoiler alert: she’s not that great actually and I have no idea why everybody wants to get in her pants so badly). I don’t feel any connection with The Queen of Everything so I’m kind of hoping she’ll wander off somewhere and we’ll never hear about her again. A few of the side characters are so much more interesting.
Everybody is walking around with full time erections or slick folds and get horny at the most ridiculous times (We’re being chased, but here, lemme press my boner into your ass for no reason at all!). All. The. Friggin’. Time. If there’s one way to kill the mood it’s to having it turned up to 11 for an entire book. It’s exhausting and terribly unsexy.
I don’t get what’s so special about Warwick aside from being sex on a stick. He doesn’t have (or shows) a lot of personality and only has his massive (everything about him is MASSIVE) presence everybody is graced with going for him. He’s big, he’s sculpted, he’s hot and did I mention massive?
I also didn’t enjoy the fact that absolutely nothing gets explained in this book, not even a tiny little bit of intriguing info, so I don’t know if I want to know more or if this is like that series Lost, where we all stopped caring because nothing ever got explained or resolved?
January 31, 2021
Holy shit, this was bad.
I get that this was independently published, and that is noticeable. I now understand how much work goes in from the publishers side to polish the book before being released into the public.
Because this writing needs more work. It lacks the flow you should find in a book, it’s more like boxes with text stacked on top of each other. Much of the information is just crammed in there, but could’ve been placed literally anywhere in the book and it wouldn’t have made a difference.
And the characters are introduced like you’re reading a shopping list. Height, eye color, hair color, body type and personality traits, all in just one paragraph. I want it woven into the story.
When the author wants to emphasize something, she just adds more letters. Stuff like Boooom, Noooooo, Yessssss, Ahhhhhh. This doesn’t work for me at all.
I was also confused when I was reading a memory, a thought or something the main character was imagining. All was just cursive, it was hard to actually keep track.
And that was just my criticism of the writing, the plot and storyline was not without its problems. Let’s start with the fact that the main character, Brexley, was written without a brain.
She is a privileged little girl that steals from trains for the thrill. Apparently she is good at it. (Snort)
Without Caden’s help she wouldn’t last a day. We see her rob two trains and fuck up both times because she can’t seem to grasp that they have a very limited time.
The usual thing they steal are drugs infused with fae magic. Highly addicting to humans. So when Brexley find some new drugs, she first contemplates what they can be for a shit long time (and wasting all the time they have). And then she tastes it???????
It’s completely her own fault for getting caught, just take the drugs and get out.
Brexley will also constantly brag about how she is so good at fighting and is in the top of her class. My biggest problem with a book is when a character is described as badass, but does nothing to show it. For when it matters, everyone can beat Brexley up. Everyone. Even untrained middle aged women. Because her brain just shuts down. She can never see when the next strikes come. Being prepared for battle is like the one thing she is trained for.
And when she manage to take down one person, she will get all high and mighty and begins to taunt everyone. And then she gets beaten up. Again.
But she will still proclaim that she can take care of herself and doesn’t need anyone’s help. Sure darling.
One other thing that gets brought up every other page is the fact that she is bony, flat chested and has no curves. She is not like other girls. But she is still to be envied, because she is unique and stunning. You know, she is not like other girls. We get it.
The reader will also get constant reminders that Brexley is totally unprepared for the real world, she has zero clue how to handle a single thing. Because she has been pampered and shielded. And every thing she sees completely changes the way she sees the world. It’s funny, she is trained to be a soldier, but have never been outside the door? She was literally unaware of how things looked a mile from her home.
Because she is a spoiled and privileged little girl that has grown up with the “elite”, she looks down on everyone. She will say that she doesn’t, but she wrinkled her nose towards prostitutes. She thinks they have chosen it for themselves???? Darling, you are a thief and was in prison.
And when she fights Warwick in the games, she can’t focus. Because she is horny. You know, the only logical bodily response when someone tries to murder you is horny. Maybe it’s just me, but I feel like there other more important things to focus on in that moment.
There’s more things throughout the book that bugged me, it’s just things upon things.
But help me with the continuation here;
”I was stabbed, shot, gutted and burned alive before someone snapped my neck.”
How can you be burned alive after being gutted? How do you survive that?
And more to add to Brexley brainlessness.
”Go slow, your stomach is not used to a lot of food, and it will retaliate if you try to stuff it too fast. Believe me.”
I heard him, but the taste of the delicious noodles spurred me to eat more.
When your stomach have been starved and you stuff it with to much food, you don’t get a tummy ache. You can make it burst and you die. So here, she’s literally killing herself. Good going.
This book is also supposed to be about fae, but the mythology it’s so underdeveloped. We learn nothing about them. We also switch between fairies, fae and fay. All we know is that they have powers, but what powers? No idea.
This book is competing for the spot of the worst reads of my life. If she’d cry a little bit more, she would have been there. Don’t worry, she still cries a shit ton. But the current holder did it every page. So I’m going to leave this book with words from itself.
It snapped my last fuck. (It literally said that).
I get that this was independently published, and that is noticeable. I now understand how much work goes in from the publishers side to polish the book before being released into the public.
Because this writing needs more work. It lacks the flow you should find in a book, it’s more like boxes with text stacked on top of each other. Much of the information is just crammed in there, but could’ve been placed literally anywhere in the book and it wouldn’t have made a difference.
And the characters are introduced like you’re reading a shopping list. Height, eye color, hair color, body type and personality traits, all in just one paragraph. I want it woven into the story.
When the author wants to emphasize something, she just adds more letters. Stuff like Boooom, Noooooo, Yessssss, Ahhhhhh. This doesn’t work for me at all.
I was also confused when I was reading a memory, a thought or something the main character was imagining. All was just cursive, it was hard to actually keep track.
And that was just my criticism of the writing, the plot and storyline was not without its problems. Let’s start with the fact that the main character, Brexley, was written without a brain.
She is a privileged little girl that steals from trains for the thrill. Apparently she is good at it. (Snort)
Without Caden’s help she wouldn’t last a day. We see her rob two trains and fuck up both times because she can’t seem to grasp that they have a very limited time.
The usual thing they steal are drugs infused with fae magic. Highly addicting to humans. So when Brexley find some new drugs, she first contemplates what they can be for a shit long time (and wasting all the time they have). And then she tastes it???????
It’s completely her own fault for getting caught, just take the drugs and get out.
Brexley will also constantly brag about how she is so good at fighting and is in the top of her class. My biggest problem with a book is when a character is described as badass, but does nothing to show it. For when it matters, everyone can beat Brexley up. Everyone. Even untrained middle aged women. Because her brain just shuts down. She can never see when the next strikes come. Being prepared for battle is like the one thing she is trained for.
And when she manage to take down one person, she will get all high and mighty and begins to taunt everyone. And then she gets beaten up. Again.
But she will still proclaim that she can take care of herself and doesn’t need anyone’s help. Sure darling.
One other thing that gets brought up every other page is the fact that she is bony, flat chested and has no curves. She is not like other girls. But she is still to be envied, because she is unique and stunning. You know, she is not like other girls. We get it.
The reader will also get constant reminders that Brexley is totally unprepared for the real world, she has zero clue how to handle a single thing. Because she has been pampered and shielded. And every thing she sees completely changes the way she sees the world. It’s funny, she is trained to be a soldier, but have never been outside the door? She was literally unaware of how things looked a mile from her home.
Because she is a spoiled and privileged little girl that has grown up with the “elite”, she looks down on everyone. She will say that she doesn’t, but she wrinkled her nose towards prostitutes. She thinks they have chosen it for themselves???? Darling, you are a thief and was in prison.
And when she fights Warwick in the games, she can’t focus. Because she is horny. You know, the only logical bodily response when someone tries to murder you is horny. Maybe it’s just me, but I feel like there other more important things to focus on in that moment.
There’s more things throughout the book that bugged me, it’s just things upon things.
But help me with the continuation here;
”I was stabbed, shot, gutted and burned alive before someone snapped my neck.”
How can you be burned alive after being gutted? How do you survive that?
And more to add to Brexley brainlessness.
”Go slow, your stomach is not used to a lot of food, and it will retaliate if you try to stuff it too fast. Believe me.”
I heard him, but the taste of the delicious noodles spurred me to eat more.
When your stomach have been starved and you stuff it with to much food, you don’t get a tummy ache. You can make it burst and you die. So here, she’s literally killing herself. Good going.
This book is also supposed to be about fae, but the mythology it’s so underdeveloped. We learn nothing about them. We also switch between fairies, fae and fay. All we know is that they have powers, but what powers? No idea.
This book is competing for the spot of the worst reads of my life. If she’d cry a little bit more, she would have been there. Don’t worry, she still cries a shit ton. But the current holder did it every page. So I’m going to leave this book with words from itself.
It snapped my last fuck. (It literally said that).
May 18, 2022
Absolutely LOVED it!! I could not put this book down.
It's perfect. The plot is great, keeps the reader interested. The pace of the story is consistent - not too fast and not too slow. The world building is elite. I liked the dystopian vibes of it, been long since I read that in a book. No info dumping was done, so definitely appreciated that.
The characters are so amazing. Brexley and Warwick have such great chemistry between them. The sexual tension is off the charts. Warwick is sexy, the man radiates energy. And I loved Brex, she's a total badass. Caden, Zander, Kek and Tad are such good additions and have so much potential.
The cliffhanger had my jaw on the floor. I can't wait to start with the next one.
Thanks to @Leonie for this recommendation. You can take over my TBR now😂💗 Do check out her account for amazing recs and reviews!
It's perfect. The plot is great, keeps the reader interested. The pace of the story is consistent - not too fast and not too slow. The world building is elite. I liked the dystopian vibes of it, been long since I read that in a book. No info dumping was done, so definitely appreciated that.
The characters are so amazing. Brexley and Warwick have such great chemistry between them. The sexual tension is off the charts. Warwick is sexy, the man radiates energy. And I loved Brex, she's a total badass. Caden, Zander, Kek and Tad are such good additions and have so much potential.
The cliffhanger had my jaw on the floor. I can't wait to start with the next one.
Thanks to @Leonie for this recommendation. You can take over my TBR now😂💗 Do check out her account for amazing recs and reviews!
Read
May 4, 2021DNF 65%
Brexley :
I'm not like the other girls.
Me :
This heroine is simply OBNOXIOUS.
A really bad case of Special Snowflake Syndrome .
Brexley is portrait like the most beautiful, intelligent, skilled and charming person in the room and everyone, men/women/all species, is drawn to/want to bang her. The problem is there's really nothing likable about her and all the bragging about her perfection simply made me hate her and lose interest in the story.
Pity..writing/world building/plot were really promising but I refuse to be in the heroines head for even another second.
Other things I disliked:
➳ Total lack of romance.
Hero wasn't introduced until 40% and at 65% mark there's still no romantic development.
➳ A lot of tell and not enough show
➳ I started this Series because I asked rec for Darkling type anti-Hero who get the girl.
Having all the people in the book saying you're HOT and being described as the Fae version of Jason Momoa (the author even dedicated the book to him) isn't enough.
As I said I needed more show and less tell.
Brexley :
I'm not like the other girls.
Me :
This heroine is simply OBNOXIOUS.
A really bad case of Special Snowflake Syndrome .
Brexley is portrait like the most beautiful, intelligent, skilled and charming person in the room and everyone, men/women/all species, is drawn to/want to bang her. The problem is there's really nothing likable about her and all the bragging about her perfection simply made me hate her and lose interest in the story.
Pity..writing/world building/plot were really promising but I refuse to be in the heroines head for even another second.
Other things I disliked:
➳ Total lack of romance.
Hero wasn't introduced until 40% and at 65% mark there's still no romantic development.
➳ A lot of tell and not enough show
➳ I started this Series because I asked rec for Darkling type anti-Hero who get the girl.
Having all the people in the book saying you're HOT and being described as the Fae version of Jason Momoa (the author even dedicated the book to him) isn't enough.
As I said I needed more show and less tell.
November 30, 2023
This book is free on Amazon (Canada) today (11/30/2023). 🙂
✅ Characters
✅ Dark and ruthless prison setting
✅ Dystopia
✅ Pace
✅ Plot (not that elaborate, but still very engaging)
✅ Action scenes
✅(🆗) Faes and demons (they are part of the story, but we don’t really see their magic)
✅(🆗) Brex and Warwick
🆗 “I’m not like the other girls”
❗️❗️ Cliffhanger
❗️❗️ Trigger warnings: imprisonment, death, murder, gore, beating up other inmates, hunger/malnourishment
This was an addictive book. The pace is quick and the characters are easy to love. Once I started it, I just couldn’t stop reading it.
On the day Brexley was born, 19 years ago, the magical barrier between the Otherworld and Earth fell and since then, humans have been at war with faes. Some countries have it better, but for Brex and her peers, life is all about training and learning to fight so they can defend humans against faes. Being the ward of General Markos, Brex was lucky enough to grow up with the elite of Hungary, never knowing hunger or poverty, but she still likes to play Robin Hood and steal from the trains that travel across Budapest. When she is caught stealing and sent to Halàlhàz, Brex needs to learn to deal with the worst of humankind and faekind if she wants to survive.
Sadly, because of the prison setting, we did not see much of the magic and special abilities of the faes and demons. Hopefully, that will be rectified in the second book, now that Brex is no longer in a place where magic is stifled.
On the plus side, I liked the division of Budapest between the humans and the faes, and the description of the Savage Lands for those that didn’t fit in either group or, as we realized later, those that were too poor to be considered “worthy of protection and privileges” by the human leaders. The world-building and history were well presented with enough details to be interesting, but there was a tiny info dump at the beginning, and the overall writing could have been a little better. That being said, the action scenes were very well written and very vivid.
Brex is a great main character. She has extensive combat training and she is strong, but she still gets her ass kicked. I liked that, it made her more human than if she was this invincible badass who never got hurt or beaten. She is determined to do anything she needs to survive, she is gritty and resilient, and I admire her mental strength even more than her physical one.
She went from being the ward of the most powerful human in Budapest (and probably in Hungary) to being thrown in a hellish prison where she had none of the luxury she was used to. I loved seeing her go from the new girl everyone was targeting, to showing them that she was more than a pampered princess (and it was said many times how she didn’t enjoy this elitist life) and that she could kick their asses if she wanted to.
Amen to that.
Warwick is basically Jason Momoa on steroids. I have to say though, that while I am very intrigued by his character and I liked him well enough, I am not in love with him yet. I know it will probably happen in the future books because I’ve heard SO MUCH about Warwick Farkas, there is no way I am not going to fall for him, but I am not quite there yet.
There is an intense sexual tension between Brex and Warwick, it’s off the charts and I can’t wait to see what will happen when they finally decide to give in. They also have this weird connection thing where they can sometimes hear the other in their head, and even feel their hands on their body, and that’s the part that I am not sure yet how I feel about… Also, weirdly, despite the sexual tension and weird connection, I can’t say that there is that much chemistry between them (yet). They are attracted to each other, even though Warwick says that he is not, but they are still mostly strangers to each other and even enemies.
I am very curious to see how their relationship will develop in the next books, especially after the ending of this one, and I am so happy that it didn’t turn out to be an insta-love romance. I am hoping for some angst and groveling, but realistically, Brex is too strong to let herself be sad about Warwick, and he is too proud to grovel, so it probably won’t happen… Oh well, we’ll see I guess. For now, it promises to be a very slow burn…
Kek and Tad were nice secondary characters, and I hope we will see more of them, especially Kek, in the rest of the series. It would be a little sad if the author took the time to introduce these characters only to forget all about them for the rest of the series because everything is focused on Brex and Warwick. I think what Brex and Kek had was the beginning of a nice friendship, and I would love to see that friendship become stronger.
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✅ Characters
✅ Dark and ruthless prison setting
✅ Dystopia
✅ Pace
✅ Plot (not that elaborate, but still very engaging)
✅ Action scenes
✅(🆗) Faes and demons (they are part of the story, but we don’t really see their magic)
✅(🆗) Brex and Warwick
🆗 “I’m not like the other girls”
❗️❗️ Cliffhanger
❗️❗️ Trigger warnings: imprisonment, death, murder, gore, beating up other inmates, hunger/malnourishment
This was an addictive book. The pace is quick and the characters are easy to love. Once I started it, I just couldn’t stop reading it.
On the day Brexley was born, 19 years ago, the magical barrier between the Otherworld and Earth fell and since then, humans have been at war with faes. Some countries have it better, but for Brex and her peers, life is all about training and learning to fight so they can defend humans against faes. Being the ward of General Markos, Brex was lucky enough to grow up with the elite of Hungary, never knowing hunger or poverty, but she still likes to play Robin Hood and steal from the trains that travel across Budapest. When she is caught stealing and sent to Halàlhàz, Brex needs to learn to deal with the worst of humankind and faekind if she wants to survive.
Prisons thrived on breaking people down and rebuilding them. Maybe it worked for others—bad people. But when you broke down good people, we didn’t rise again as even nicer people. No. That’s not how it worked. We rose like a dragon, one that would spew fire and burn everything to ash. We became the depraved.
Sadly, because of the prison setting, we did not see much of the magic and special abilities of the faes and demons. Hopefully, that will be rectified in the second book, now that Brex is no longer in a place where magic is stifled.
On the plus side, I liked the division of Budapest between the humans and the faes, and the description of the Savage Lands for those that didn’t fit in either group or, as we realized later, those that were too poor to be considered “worthy of protection and privileges” by the human leaders. The world-building and history were well presented with enough details to be interesting, but there was a tiny info dump at the beginning, and the overall writing could have been a little better. That being said, the action scenes were very well written and very vivid.
A low rumble came from Warwick, his hand sliding through his damp hair and scouring at his face.
“You are a conniving little bitch.”
“Thank you.”
Brex is a great main character. She has extensive combat training and she is strong, but she still gets her ass kicked. I liked that, it made her more human than if she was this invincible badass who never got hurt or beaten. She is determined to do anything she needs to survive, she is gritty and resilient, and I admire her mental strength even more than her physical one.
She went from being the ward of the most powerful human in Budapest (and probably in Hungary) to being thrown in a hellish prison where she had none of the luxury she was used to. I loved seeing her go from the new girl everyone was targeting, to showing them that she was more than a pampered princess (and it was said many times how she didn’t enjoy this elitist life) and that she could kick their asses if she wanted to.
To Jason Momoa: If I can’t have you in real life, at least I can have you as my book boyfriend.
Amen to that.
Warwick is basically Jason Momoa on steroids. I have to say though, that while I am very intrigued by his character and I liked him well enough, I am not in love with him yet. I know it will probably happen in the future books because I’ve heard SO MUCH about Warwick Farkas, there is no way I am not going to fall for him, but I am not quite there yet.
There are very few people who find someone who challenges them, makes them feel alive, fights and loves with the same passion.”
“How do you know I don’t have that with Caden?” I folded my arms.
“Because I’ve seen you with Warwick.”
There is an intense sexual tension between Brex and Warwick, it’s off the charts and I can’t wait to see what will happen when they finally decide to give in. They also have this weird connection thing where they can sometimes hear the other in their head, and even feel their hands on their body, and that’s the part that I am not sure yet how I feel about… Also, weirdly, despite the sexual tension and weird connection, I can’t say that there is that much chemistry between them (yet). They are attracted to each other, even though Warwick says that he is not, but they are still mostly strangers to each other and even enemies.
I am very curious to see how their relationship will develop in the next books, especially after the ending of this one, and I am so happy that it didn’t turn out to be an insta-love romance. I am hoping for some angst and groveling, but realistically, Brex is too strong to let herself be sad about Warwick, and he is too proud to grovel, so it probably won’t happen… Oh well, we’ll see I guess. For now, it promises to be a very slow burn…
Kek and Tad were nice secondary characters, and I hope we will see more of them, especially Kek, in the rest of the series. It would be a little sad if the author took the time to introduce these characters only to forget all about them for the rest of the series because everything is focused on Brex and Warwick. I think what Brex and Kek had was the beginning of a nice friendship, and I would love to see that friendship become stronger.
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June 27, 2022
Okay, here is the thing... I read over 300 pages of nothing. Nothing happened in this book.
You guys always tell me: "keep going, the second one is better", "keep going, it gets better", but if we have to keep telling everyone it only gets better after we invest over 500 pages and 10+ reading hours, does it really? 
It's counter productive to sit down to write a fantasy trilogy if only 1/3 of it is worth reading. I am currently doing a fantasy month and I am more disappointed by the second with all the popular reads. Anyways, here are things that pissed me off in this book:
> The fae keep repeating "This little human is going to kick your ass" out loud, because they are not only her enemies but they also need to reinforce the I am not like other girls stereotype otherwise this wouldn't be a fantasy book.
> The constant ass kissing from people who supposedly hate you doesn't add up
> This reads like YA fanfiction
> The guy looked at her from a distance for the first time and she felt her p#ssy was being licked (yeap, that is legit the sentence we got) home boy is a magician
> There was no connection or reasoning behind her attraction for him. Oh he is the big bad wolf, everyone is scared of him... All he did was stare at her from a distance and apparently mind lick her p#ssy. This felt a lot like insta love.
> Terrible world building, mediocre writing that felt confusing, out of synch and choppy. She talked and talked and talked but didn't say a thing.
> The female main character had zero personality, as usual.
> The male main character is laughable, at the end of this book they end up at the savage lands. Bit of a cliffhanger, maybe I will pick up the second one, maybe I won't. We will see.
January 8, 2023
A low rumble came from Warwick, his hand sliding through his damp hair and scouring at his face.
“You are a conniving little bitch.”
“Thank you.”
holy frick gimme book 2 now.
this is even more addictive than the freaking zodiac academy and trust me that, coming from me, this means a lot.
(RTC when I finally pick up my
🚩𝙿𝙾𝚂𝚂𝙸𝙱𝙻𝙴 𝙿𝚁𝙾𝙱𝙻𝙴𝙼𝙰𝚃𝙸𝙲 𝙲𝙾𝙽𝚃𝙴𝙽𝚃 𝙰𝙻𝙴𝚁𝚃!*🚩
*𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚜 𝚋𝚘𝚘𝚔 𝚌𝚘𝚗𝚝𝚊𝚒𝚗𝚜 𝚎𝚕𝚎𝚖𝚎𝚗𝚝𝚜, 𝚜𝚒𝚝𝚞𝚊𝚝𝚒𝚘𝚗𝚜, 𝚌𝚑𝚊𝚛𝚊𝚌𝚝𝚎𝚛𝚜 𝚊𝚗𝚍/𝚘𝚛 𝚛𝚎𝚕𝚊𝚝𝚒𝚘𝚗𝚜𝚑𝚒𝚙𝚜 𝚜𝚘𝚖𝚎 𝚖𝚒𝚐𝚑𝚝 𝚌𝚘𝚗𝚜𝚒𝚍𝚎𝚛 𝚙𝚛𝚘𝚋𝚕𝚎𝚖𝚊𝚝𝚒𝚌/𝚝𝚘𝚡𝚒𝚌/𝚍𝚊𝚛𝚔 𝚘𝚛 𝚘𝚟𝚎𝚛𝚊𝚕𝚕 𝚖𝚘𝚛𝚊𝚕𝚕𝚢 𝚚𝚞𝚎𝚜𝚝𝚒𝚘𝚗𝚊𝚋𝚕𝚎.
𝙸, 𝚊𝚜 𝚊 𝚛𝚎𝚊𝚍𝚎𝚛 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚌𝚛𝚎𝚊𝚝𝚘𝚛 𝚘𝚏 𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚜 𝚛𝚎𝚟𝚒𝚎𝚠, 𝚊𝚌𝚔𝚗𝚘𝚠𝚕𝚎𝚍𝚐𝚎 𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚜 𝚔𝚒𝚗𝚍 𝚘𝚏 𝚌𝚘𝚗𝚝𝚎𝚗𝚝 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚒𝚝𝚜 𝚗𝚎𝚐𝚊𝚝𝚒𝚟𝚎 𝚌𝚘𝚗𝚗𝚘𝚝𝚊𝚝𝚒𝚘𝚗𝚜, 𝚊𝚗𝚍, 𝚠𝚒𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚗 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚕𝚒𝚖𝚒𝚝𝚜 𝚘𝚏 𝚖𝚢 𝚌𝚘𝚖𝚏𝚘𝚛𝚝 𝚣𝚘𝚗𝚎, 𝚌𝚑𝚘𝚘𝚜𝚎 𝚗𝚘𝚝 𝚝𝚘 𝚕𝚎𝚝 𝚒𝚝 𝚊𝚏𝚏𝚎𝚌𝚝 𝚖𝚢 𝚎𝚗𝚓𝚘𝚢𝚎𝚖𝚎𝚗𝚝 𝚘𝚛 𝚘𝚙𝚒𝚗𝚒𝚘𝚗, 𝚋𝚎𝚌𝚊𝚞𝚜𝚎:
-𝙸 𝚔𝚗𝚘𝚠 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚍𝚒𝚏𝚏𝚎𝚛𝚎𝚗𝚌𝚎 𝚋𝚎𝚝𝚠𝚎𝚎𝚗 𝚏𝚒𝚌𝚝𝚒𝚘𝚗 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚛𝚎𝚊𝚕𝚒𝚝𝚢;
-𝙸 𝚍𝚘𝚗'𝚝 𝚌𝚘𝚗𝚍𝚘𝚗𝚎 𝚌𝚎𝚛𝚝𝚊𝚒𝚗 𝚋𝚎𝚑𝚊𝚟𝚒𝚘𝚛𝚜 𝚒𝚗 𝚛𝚎𝚊𝚕 𝚕𝚒𝚏𝚎;
-𝚊𝚗𝚢 𝚎𝚟𝚎𝚗𝚝𝚞𝚊𝚕 𝚕𝚒𝚔𝚎 𝚘𝚛 𝚍𝚒𝚜𝚕𝚒𝚔𝚎 𝚝𝚘𝚠𝚊𝚛𝚍𝚜 𝚌𝚎𝚛𝚝𝚊𝚒𝚗 "𝚙𝚛𝚘𝚋𝚕𝚎𝚖𝚊𝚝𝚒𝚌" 𝚋𝚘𝚘𝚔𝚜/𝚛𝚎𝚕𝚊𝚝𝚒𝚘𝚗𝚜𝚑𝚒𝚙𝚜/𝚌𝚑𝚊𝚛𝚊𝚌𝚝𝚎𝚛𝚜, 𝚍𝚘𝚗'𝚝 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚜𝚑𝚘𝚞𝚕𝚍𝚗'𝚝 𝚍𝚎𝚏𝚒𝚗𝚎 𝚖𝚎 𝚊𝚜 𝚊 𝚙𝚎𝚛𝚜𝚘𝚗;
-𝚜𝚘𝚖𝚎𝚝𝚒𝚖𝚎𝚜 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚓𝚞𝚜𝚝 𝚐𝚘𝚝𝚝𝚊 𝚛𝚎𝚊𝚍 𝙾𝙽𝙴 𝙾𝙵 𝚃𝙷𝙾𝚂𝙴 𝙱𝙾𝙾𝙺𝚂, 𝚢'𝚔𝚗𝚘𝚠?
December 26, 2022
Okay, so I had mega-low expectations for this book and I actually ended up liking it a lot. It’s one of those books where you can’t think too deeply about the why… you just need to sit back and enjoy the ride 😆
✅ I ENJOYED THE setting and world this took place it. It’s sometime in the future, when magical creatures came out of hiding and humanity kind of deteriorated to what felt like half dictatorship and half anarchy? Either way, I thought it was interesting enough.
✅ THE PLOT OF THIS story kept me very interested the entire time. With Brexley thrown into prison, she wasn’t a pampered socialite anymore so she had to get used to living it rough and tough with the other prisoners. I liked seeing her go from a newbie into someone to be feared and reckoned with at the prison. I especially liked some of the fighting scenes because I always love it when a character is underestimated and shows everyone up.
🆗 WARWICK WAS JUST okay to me… he seemed very much like a bunch of other love interests I’ve read before. Maybe he will grow on me a bit more in the later books, but so far he’s not doing wonders for me. The romance definitely reads new adult - not YA - and I am enjoying that it’s a little more slow burn.
✅ I PERSONALLY LIKED BREXLEY’S character. I feel like this is a very divisive topic because a lot of people complained about how repetitive the writing was around how she was so pretty and how she hated her pampered lifestyle and bla bla bla. Yes, it was definitely a little repetitive, but overall, it didn’t bother me - I actually felt like it gave her character a bit more of a colorful backstory.
Overall, this book surprised me and I finished it entirely during a 5 hour road trip! I would recommend this if you’re looking for a dystopian urban fantasy, enemies-to-lovers vibes, an alpha hero, and slow burn romance 🥰
✅ I ENJOYED THE setting and world this took place it. It’s sometime in the future, when magical creatures came out of hiding and humanity kind of deteriorated to what felt like half dictatorship and half anarchy? Either way, I thought it was interesting enough.
✅ THE PLOT OF THIS story kept me very interested the entire time. With Brexley thrown into prison, she wasn’t a pampered socialite anymore so she had to get used to living it rough and tough with the other prisoners. I liked seeing her go from a newbie into someone to be feared and reckoned with at the prison. I especially liked some of the fighting scenes because I always love it when a character is underestimated and shows everyone up.
🆗 WARWICK WAS JUST okay to me… he seemed very much like a bunch of other love interests I’ve read before. Maybe he will grow on me a bit more in the later books, but so far he’s not doing wonders for me. The romance definitely reads new adult - not YA - and I am enjoying that it’s a little more slow burn.
✅ I PERSONALLY LIKED BREXLEY’S character. I feel like this is a very divisive topic because a lot of people complained about how repetitive the writing was around how she was so pretty and how she hated her pampered lifestyle and bla bla bla. Yes, it was definitely a little repetitive, but overall, it didn’t bother me - I actually felt like it gave her character a bit more of a colorful backstory.
Overall, this book surprised me and I finished it entirely during a 5 hour road trip! I would recommend this if you’re looking for a dystopian urban fantasy, enemies-to-lovers vibes, an alpha hero, and slow burn romance 🥰
December 20, 2022
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DNF @ 15%
One thing I keep in mind while reading books like these is that most of them are meant to appeal to teenagers and people in their twenties, and I am neither of those things. This almost vibes like one of those old school fantasy anime shows, like, the ideas are a little half-baked but the heroine is so whoopass and the premise is so interesting that people can be baited into looking the other way.
For what it's worth, I don't think this is a bad book. The not-like-other-girls stuff grated, yes, and I'm like 99% sure that "Brexley" is not an Eastern-European name, but the world-building was a little interesting and I thought the author created a believably gloomy world. I just wanted more from it, and from the heroine, who felt a little too one-dimensional for my liking.
1.5 stars
February 11, 2021
God, I'm so happy I waited until the second book comes out... Because that was one hell of a cliffhanger.
Again... I'm sensing a pattern here with this type of cliffhanger in fantasy/UF books. They just can't help themselves, can they?
Anyhow, I love it! I love the world building, and the fact that it sets in Budapest. It got fae, demons and siren etc. AND a hot sexy grouchy hero that may or may not look like Jason Momoa. Granted, the story didn't actually begun until the 25%, so it was slow. But once you get there, you can't stop reading it because things just keep on happening!
Gosh, it was so good. Now onto the next one!
Again... I'm sensing a pattern here with this type of cliffhanger in fantasy/UF books. They just can't help themselves, can they?
Anyhow, I love it! I love the world building, and the fact that it sets in Budapest. It got fae, demons and siren etc. AND a hot sexy grouchy hero that may or may not look like Jason Momoa. Granted, the story didn't actually begun until the 25%, so it was slow. But once you get there, you can't stop reading it because things just keep on happening!
Gosh, it was so good. Now onto the next one!
July 20, 2023
Omg wowwww this was such an amazing start to the series I’m shocked!
I started out thinking it would be three stars bc I wasn’t really vibing with the single pov and it took reading like a quarter of the book to fully grab my attention but once it did?? I was flipping those pages like I’d stop breathing if I didn’t ✋
The pacing was really good, I love that it sped up/cut time in the right places and fleshed out some of the others. The action scenes were chefs kiss. Very vivid and played like a movie in my head. My goodness it was glorious. This author really knows how to write those scenes.
Brexley was an interesting character but there’s still quite a lot of character development yet to make me really enjoy reading her pov. But I appreciate how the author didn’t make her all pristine and in perfect shape when she went in to the prison. She came in with wounds and had to survive with what she had. I abs love when they underestimate her and she punches them it’s so yummy 😋
Warwick had me fanning myself sfm OMFDS he was so HOTT like hello? I was just swooning every time. He spoke like five lines but that’s okay you don’t need to speak to be great in bed 🤭 jkjkjk 👀
The guy was all mysterious and dark and lonely but the vibes were LITT esp when they did the THING in the arena Omf I screamed so loud pls it was like a dream come true.
Their first encounter was SKBSJDHDJDB Screaming crying giggling doing cartwheels I love first encounters more than I love air- 🤭💞🦋💘💕✨🫶
The tension and heat was downright cruel. Man they had me pantin and sweatin whenever they were close uff I never wanted to stop reading.
TRSUT ME everyone needs to read this book just to read all ur fav tropes.
I love how brex didn’t fall in love with him ‘just because’ but kept her head and was wary, always questioning his loyalty.
The main reason it’s not a five stars is bc the info dump was a little heavy in the book and it would be of the most pointless shit. Like I acc don’t care what colour the pebbles are???
The author wrote about every building and its dad kmn- and It took 42% of the book to find out what colour her eyes are 🤧 but Warwick on the other hand… his eyes were mentioned every three sentences 😭 every time he would enter the scene- BAM 🧿🫦🧿 likeeeee call 999 rtfn I’m scared.
all jokes aside tho, this book offers you a great time 😋
There’s action, plot, great characters PACKING tension and chemistry. The whole concept of the book was refreshing I loved it!
The cliffhanger was so predictable but I’m still eager to read the next one!
𝗦𝗶𝗱𝗲 ��𝗼𝘁𝗲:
- Tadg reminded me of the old grandpa from squid games
- Bitzy (The bat/opie’s pet thing) reminded me of the lizard from tangled lmao
𝗦𝗼𝗻𝗴𝘀: 🎧
My Savage Lands playlist
𝗙𝗮𝘃 𝗤𝘂𝗼𝘁𝗲𝘀:
“I don’t need to earn.” My gaze met hers. “I. Take.”
He cocked his head to the side.
I copied his movement.
~love how she’s taunting him 🤭
‘Arrogant bastard.
He huffed out of his nose, a slight humored expression twitching his cheek. “How adorable,” he rumbled.’
“And if I hear one more of you touches her, or so much as breathes in her direction?” He paused, circling to all the inmates. “You will be next. And I will not be so generous in how I kill you.” He glanced down at me, his eyes rolling coolly over me. “She’s mine.” He paused for a moment, our gazes locking at his words before a cruel grin twisted his mouth. “My kill…”
~FUCK MEEEE THAT WAS HOT
“What I would give to wipe that smug grin off your face,” I snarled, my ankles crossing as I sidestepped him.
“You think you have the ability to do it?” He slid in closer. “Please…be my guest. No one has before, but give it a go, tiny human.”
“Fuck you.”
“I’m open to that as well.”
~SCREAMINGGGG
“Locking my knees tighter against him, I felt one of his hands reach back, clamping down on my thigh to keep me steady as I held the gun with both hands and aimed it at the bird. “
~the sluttiest thing a man can do 🫦
‘I would become the very monster the House of Death created.’
~smh
I started out thinking it would be three stars bc I wasn’t really vibing with the single pov and it took reading like a quarter of the book to fully grab my attention but once it did?? I was flipping those pages like I’d stop breathing if I didn’t ✋
The pacing was really good, I love that it sped up/cut time in the right places and fleshed out some of the others. The action scenes were chefs kiss. Very vivid and played like a movie in my head. My goodness it was glorious. This author really knows how to write those scenes.
Brexley was an interesting character but there’s still quite a lot of character development yet to make me really enjoy reading her pov. But I appreciate how the author didn’t make her all pristine and in perfect shape when she went in to the prison. She came in with wounds and had to survive with what she had. I abs love when they underestimate her and she punches them it’s so yummy 😋
Warwick had me fanning myself sfm OMFDS he was so HOTT like hello? I was just swooning every time. He spoke like five lines but that’s okay you don’t need to speak to be great in bed 🤭 jkjkjk 👀
The guy was all mysterious and dark and lonely but the vibes were LITT esp when they did the THING in the arena Omf I screamed so loud pls it was like a dream come true.
Their first encounter was SKBSJDHDJDB Screaming crying giggling doing cartwheels I love first encounters more than I love air- 🤭💞🦋💘💕✨🫶
The tension and heat was downright cruel. Man they had me pantin and sweatin whenever they were close uff I never wanted to stop reading.
TRSUT ME everyone needs to read this book just to read all ur fav tropes.
I love how brex didn’t fall in love with him ‘just because’ but kept her head and was wary, always questioning his loyalty.
The main reason it’s not a five stars is bc the info dump was a little heavy in the book and it would be of the most pointless shit. Like I acc don’t care what colour the pebbles are???
The author wrote about every building and its dad kmn- and It took 42% of the book to find out what colour her eyes are 🤧 but Warwick on the other hand… his eyes were mentioned every three sentences 😭 every time he would enter the scene- BAM 🧿🫦🧿 likeeeee call 999 rtfn I’m scared.
all jokes aside tho, this book offers you a great time 😋
There’s action, plot, great characters PACKING tension and chemistry. The whole concept of the book was refreshing I loved it!
The cliffhanger was so predictable but I’m still eager to read the next one!
𝗦𝗶𝗱𝗲 ��𝗼𝘁𝗲:
- Tadg reminded me of the old grandpa from squid games
- Bitzy (The bat/opie’s pet thing) reminded me of the lizard from tangled lmao
𝗦𝗼𝗻𝗴𝘀: 🎧
My Savage Lands playlist
𝗙𝗮𝘃 𝗤𝘂𝗼𝘁𝗲𝘀:
“I don’t need to earn.” My gaze met hers. “I. Take.”
He cocked his head to the side.
I copied his movement.
~love how she’s taunting him 🤭
‘Arrogant bastard.
He huffed out of his nose, a slight humored expression twitching his cheek. “How adorable,” he rumbled.’
“And if I hear one more of you touches her, or so much as breathes in her direction?” He paused, circling to all the inmates. “You will be next. And I will not be so generous in how I kill you.” He glanced down at me, his eyes rolling coolly over me. “She’s mine.” He paused for a moment, our gazes locking at his words before a cruel grin twisted his mouth. “My kill…”
~FUCK MEEEE THAT WAS HOT
“What I would give to wipe that smug grin off your face,” I snarled, my ankles crossing as I sidestepped him.
“You think you have the ability to do it?” He slid in closer. “Please…be my guest. No one has before, but give it a go, tiny human.”
“Fuck you.”
“I’m open to that as well.”
~SCREAMINGGGG
“Locking my knees tighter against him, I felt one of his hands reach back, clamping down on my thigh to keep me steady as I held the gun with both hands and aimed it at the bird. “
~the sluttiest thing a man can do 🫦
‘I would become the very monster the House of Death created.’
~smh
November 21, 2021
no. tiktok u did me wrong.
February 19, 2023
2023 is going to be the year of unashamed DNF’ing!
Also, this was bad.
Also, this was bad.
October 5, 2022
3.5 This book reads more like fanfiction. Better then avg fanfic but still in need of an editor with some helpful notes. The actual premise of the book is super interesting and the characters and plot have me curious enough about them to continue.
The biggest problem is probably the awkward sexual content at the most ridiculous times. When a woman is fighting to the death I find it hard to believe that that’s the moment she decides to get super horny for the guy trying to kill her. Weird. And also, we get it already he’s hot. There is a-lot of good there so if you can move past that awkwardness is a solid opening to an interesting series.
The biggest problem is probably the awkward sexual content at the most ridiculous times. When a woman is fighting to the death I find it hard to believe that that’s the moment she decides to get super horny for the guy trying to kill her. Weird. And also, we get it already he’s hot. There is a-lot of good there so if you can move past that awkwardness is a solid opening to an interesting series.
October 21, 2020
WHAAAAT!?
NO. What the crap was that!?!?! I neeeeeed more. Holy frack. My heart is beating out of my chest. This book was utterly amazing. I love Brex and Warwick. That ending was straight up savage. SAVAGE. Ugh...I’m gonna have a book hangover for dayssssss
NO. What the crap was that!?!?! I neeeeeed more. Holy frack. My heart is beating out of my chest. This book was utterly amazing. I love Brex and Warwick. That ending was straight up savage. SAVAGE. Ugh...I’m gonna have a book hangover for dayssssss
September 23, 2021
BRUTAL. DELICIOUS. ADDICTIVE.
What a crazy ride Brown took me on! I could barely catch my breath. Brex is one hell of a heroine with a backbone made of pure steel and Warwick… oh, Warwick. That was one delicious man.
Off to read book 2.
What a crazy ride Brown took me on! I could barely catch my breath. Brex is one hell of a heroine with a backbone made of pure steel and Warwick… oh, Warwick. That was one delicious man.
Off to read book 2.
January 11, 2023
Audio - 4 Stars
Story - 3.5 stars
Story - 3.5 stars
August 3, 2021
Savage Lands
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Trigger warnings:
Violence
Capture
Malnourishment
Spicy scale:
Zero, but the sexual tension? Lawd have Murphy👴🏼-
Review:
Let’s get right to the point; There was a slight info dump at the beginning, which wasn’t encouraging as I was trying to get back into these kinds of books again.
It was predictable, one of the reasons I don’t really read these types of book anymore.
It took a while before the story actually started, and the main characters didn’t meet till 30% in…
Someone recommended it saying “If you like from blood and ash you’ll like this”. I agree and disagree, but yeah I guess you could say that.
To define this book; it’s dirty and dark.
I loved the world-building!
The main character Brexkley Kovacs gives me Aelin Galathynius vibes.
Tropes: slow-burn, enemies-to-lovers, phantom hands.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Trigger warnings:
Violence
Capture
Malnourishment
Spicy scale:
Zero, but the sexual tension? Lawd have Murphy👴🏼-
Review:
Let’s get right to the point; There was a slight info dump at the beginning, which wasn’t encouraging as I was trying to get back into these kinds of books again.
It was predictable, one of the reasons I don’t really read these types of book anymore.
It took a while before the story actually started, and the main characters didn’t meet till 30% in…
Someone recommended it saying “If you like from blood and ash you’ll like this”. I agree and disagree, but yeah I guess you could say that.
To define this book; it’s dirty and dark.
I loved the world-building!
The main character Brexkley Kovacs gives me Aelin Galathynius vibes.
Tropes: slow-burn, enemies-to-lovers, phantom hands.
November 3, 2022
I think the idea of this story is pretty unique and intriguing. Your living in this world where the fae and humans are fighting for dominance and the hierarchy of everyone is all fucked up. Then the majority of this book takes place in a prison that’s filled with all sorts of creatures and that made for a very original setting in my opinion - so therefore I liked the idea of it a lot… but I don’t think it was executed very well in the sense of the writing and world building.
I feel like there is so much potential to build up the magic and species elements in this story and we only got a surface level amount of info (which was very underwhelming). Then we have a main character who screams every chance she gets about how she isn’t like other girls and I just wanted to roll my eyes and pop them out of their sockets because I couldn’t take another moment of her saying how beautiful she is and how every single person lusts after her but she is too skinny and she doesn’t know what they see in her (oh-my-godddd)
Then on top of that, there were so many contradictions when it comes to her personality. She’s supposedly the best in her class but she’s idiotic enough to taste a drug she knows nothing about and not run when her partner says it’s time to go. - then she says she’s tough but cries and cowers left and right (I wanted her to be like Celeana Sardothian in Endovier but she just wasn’t. at all.) — There were just so many instances where she’s says she’s something but then acts the complete opposite. It was unnerving and made me not like her very much.
Also the entire book as a whole had a very odd writing style. The way everything was extremely sexualized in a very blatant way… it was very weird, and all at the oddest moments possible… like being turned on by your murderer while he’s in middle of trying to kill you (😳🥴) and then the way it was written made it all stand out like sore thumb. — and on top of that, the way things were described like you were reading information off a list rather than seamlessly building up a picture in your head… it kind of felt like it was all a jumble of a bunch of copy and paste thoughts and it never got that extra layer of editing to make it all flow smoothly.
So with that rant over with, I don’t think I’m going to continue on with the series even though I’m pretty intrigued by the storyline… I just think the writing is gonna keep bothering me, so I rather cut myself off early before I end up wasting any more time —— but as for my rating, I think the writing deserves one star, the idea for the story itself deserves a four, but the execution of it is currently around a two… so overall three stars.
I feel like there is so much potential to build up the magic and species elements in this story and we only got a surface level amount of info (which was very underwhelming). Then we have a main character who screams every chance she gets about how she isn’t like other girls and I just wanted to roll my eyes and pop them out of their sockets because I couldn’t take another moment of her saying how beautiful she is and how every single person lusts after her but she is too skinny and she doesn’t know what they see in her (oh-my-godddd)
Then on top of that, there were so many contradictions when it comes to her personality. She’s supposedly the best in her class but she’s idiotic enough to taste a drug she knows nothing about and not run when her partner says it’s time to go. - then she says she’s tough but cries and cowers left and right (I wanted her to be like Celeana Sardothian in Endovier but she just wasn’t. at all.) — There were just so many instances where she’s says she’s something but then acts the complete opposite. It was unnerving and made me not like her very much.
Also the entire book as a whole had a very odd writing style. The way everything was extremely sexualized in a very blatant way… it was very weird, and all at the oddest moments possible… like being turned on by your murderer while he’s in middle of trying to kill you (😳🥴) and then the way it was written made it all stand out like sore thumb. — and on top of that, the way things were described like you were reading information off a list rather than seamlessly building up a picture in your head… it kind of felt like it was all a jumble of a bunch of copy and paste thoughts and it never got that extra layer of editing to make it all flow smoothly.
So with that rant over with, I don’t think I’m going to continue on with the series even though I’m pretty intrigued by the storyline… I just think the writing is gonna keep bothering me, so I rather cut myself off early before I end up wasting any more time —— but as for my rating, I think the writing deserves one star, the idea for the story itself deserves a four, but the execution of it is currently around a two… so overall three stars.
June 21, 2021
What a ride! This book was amazing! I loved the rush, slow burn and everything!
It’s worth the reading!
It’s worth the reading!
May 12, 2023
*slow claps* Bravo. This is one intense read. I really enjoyed this. Surprised me quite a bit and I did not hesitate to buy her other books in this series.
World building. The plot. The characters. *Chefs kiss* Basic and utter spicy trash. Love it.
BLOG ⟫ INSTAGRAM ⟫ PODCAST ⟫
This makes Hunger Games look like a walk in the park and they are stabbing themselves with plastic spoons. *whispers* it is still good and you need to still read Hunger Games in my opinion.
A lot of times in this book, you don’t expect a lot of things that happen. The things that the fae prison puts you through kind of makes your toes curl. This is not a happy place to be in.
I love the main character Brexley, even though she was trained to be a fighter. She was human and she had a choice to succumb to her fears and die or choose to fight to survive. You gotta see her mental process as she chooses to fight to stay alive.
Now, I will warn you, this is an incredibly slow burn romance, and the author knows how to get you to come back for the second book. It is super utterly painful. Darn you Warwick. Darn you.
I got more to say on this review on my blog:
Booktrovert Reader: Savage Lands
World building. The plot. The characters. *Chefs kiss* Basic and utter spicy trash. Love it.
BLOG ⟫ INSTAGRAM ⟫ PODCAST ⟫
This makes Hunger Games look like a walk in the park and they are stabbing themselves with plastic spoons. *whispers* it is still good and you need to still read Hunger Games in my opinion.
A lot of times in this book, you don’t expect a lot of things that happen. The things that the fae prison puts you through kind of makes your toes curl. This is not a happy place to be in.
I love the main character Brexley, even though she was trained to be a fighter. She was human and she had a choice to succumb to her fears and die or choose to fight to survive. You gotta see her mental process as she chooses to fight to stay alive.
Now, I will warn you, this is an incredibly slow burn romance, and the author knows how to get you to come back for the second book. It is super utterly painful. Darn you Warwick. Darn you.
I got more to say on this review on my blog:
Booktrovert Reader: Savage Lands
May 5, 2022
⚜𝐔𝐏𝐃𝐀𝐓𝐄⚜ May is gonna be a busy month work wise for me so I'm starting my Re-reads of The Savage Lands series now, and will continue with the rest throughout the month until Shadow Lands gets released. i can do it.
Now after all this time and books I've read since this one you'd think i would feel less obsessed and in love with these characters, but 𝐘𝐎𝐔 𝐖𝐎𝐔𝐋𝐃 𝐁𝐄 𝐖𝐑𝐎𝐍𝐆 like so, so wrong it's painful. It's actually worse and that does 𝐍𝐎𝐓 bode well for me since this is the least chaotic, sexy, full of angst book of the series. It's gonna be a looooooong month.
]|I{•---------⋘⋙---------------•⪼⦕࿅⦖⪻•---------------⋘⋙---------•}I|[
I usually stay out of booktok and the hype surrounding books because it always ends up being a disastrous waste of time for me. Since my brain is a 𝐂𝐀𝐍𝐓𝐀𝐍𝐊𝐄𝐑𝐎𝐔𝐒 𝐁*𝐓𝐂𝐇 and can be illogical at times, as in, you can take two book in the same level of greatness and i will love one and hate the other even if doesn't make sense.
But then again it is impossible to completely avoid them and recently all I've been seeing are updates of people discovering this series or Re-reading it. Eventually peer pressure got to me. So here I am taking a Leap of faith with this series since my last hype book was a ball of regret and frustration.
But 𝐆𝐎𝐃𝐃𝐀𝐌𝐍 if i wasn't rewarded. I ate this up so fast i shocked myself. When i turned the last page my brain zipped around, trying to compute everything that i just read.
𝐈𝐓 𝐖𝐀𝐒 𝐃𝐈𝐑𝐓𝐘. 𝐅𝐈𝐋𝐓𝐇𝐘. 𝐇𝐘𝐏𝐍𝐎𝐓𝐈𝐂. 𝐈𝐍𝐓𝐄𝐍𝐒𝐄.
]|I{•---------⋘⋙---------------•⪼⦕࿅⦖⪻•---------------⋘⋙---------•}I|[
Brex transition was very well written and i experienced all of it with her. She did suffered loss but she still 𝐋𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐝 𝐀 𝐒𝐡𝐞𝐥𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐀𝐧𝐝 𝐒𝐩𝐨𝐢𝐥𝐞𝐝 𝐋𝐢𝐟𝐞. Even as a fighter she never actually met other Fae kind and that left her in an even bigger disadvantage. Now nothing would have actually prepared her for The House Of Death but even flawed her training did helped and saved her life, since the moment she arrived within those walls. And i loved how 𝐒𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐚𝐰 𝐀𝐧𝐝 𝐀𝐜𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰𝐥𝐞𝐝𝐠𝐞𝐝 her own flawed belief system and the weaknesses in her skills and strength.
I was really impressed and very proud of how well she adapted herself to her new environment. What she lacked for in knowledge she made up with her fast learning and adaptation skills. She didn't go there with a chip on her shoulder thinking she was better than everyone, no she was 𝐂𝐚𝐥𝐜𝐮𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠. 𝐎𝐛𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐠. 𝐂𝐚𝐭𝐚𝐥𝐨𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐄𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 so she could have a chance to Survive. Even when those actions scareed her soul, she Still got up no matter how many times she went down. 𝐒𝐡𝐞. 𝐍𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫. 𝐒𝐭𝐨𝐩𝐩𝐞𝐝. 𝐅𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠. And her friendships with Tad, Kek, Opie, Bitzy, Lynx and Rosie was so precious, they must be protected at all cost.
But you know at some point i did asked myself if this woman wasn't walking around with a neon sign saying “𝐅𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓 𝐌𝐄.”
“This place had fostered hate within me; it was the primary emotion driving me now. Prisons thrived on breaking people down and rebuilding them. Maybe it worked for others, bad people. But when you broke down good people, we didn’t rise again as even nicer people. No. That’s not how it worked. We rose like a dragon, one that would spew fire and burn everything to ash.
We became the depraved. [...] Now I felt nothing. I was past hunger, past exhaustion, past sanity. They wanted to rip the humanity out of me? I hoped they were ready for what they asked for.
[...] The part of me that didn’t want to kill anyone was smothered in pure adrenaline and survival instinct; it was kill or be killed. I did not want to die, not tonight.”
]|I{•---------⋘⋙---------------•⪼⦕࿅⦖⪻•---------------⋘⋙---------•}I|[
Now Warwick Farkas the way they kept feeding off each others energy and aura was gold. Their relationship was primal, sexual, powerful, sensual and the tension. . .My my my. And you add the mystery of his existence and their bond in the mix and we have a 𝐑𝐚𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐠. 𝐁𝐮𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠. 𝐈𝐧𝐟𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐨 in our hands.
“His nose dragged up the side of my neck, causing goosebumps to bloom over my skin. He tipped up his head, smirking arrogantly. “You are getting off on this too, princess. Makes you feel alive, doesn’t it?” He clutched my thigh, tugging it up, rocking into me, kindling sparks through me. A moan formed in my throat, my body greedy to feel more. The energy in the arena pulsed and bled over us, heightening my emotions to the extreme. Death. Sex.
[...] Feral and crude. I lost all civility, craving him to take me right here, feeling the high of his hands wrapping around my throat, stealing the last drops of my life as he thrust into me. I even liked the idea of everyone watching. The energy pulsed through me like a drug.
I curved into him with the impulse. He sucked in, swearing under his breath, his grip on my leg digging into my skin, his eyes blazing. He felt as if he were everywhere over me, inside and out. Taking over. And I pushed the same sensation out, wanting to consume and be consumed.” [...] Everything about him felt like yin and yang. Conflicting. Challenging. Life. Death.”
]|I{•---------⋘⋙---------------•⪼⦕࿅⦖⪻•---------------⋘⋙---------•}I|[
The 𝐒𝐞𝐥𝐟-𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐞𝐨𝐮𝐬𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬 of the fae and human was unfruating because they were the same, just bullies with an overinflated sense of self worth. In the end they were all just numbers, couldn't they see that. The fae are like you're just a pest to me, i can kill you easily. Yeah well so could a monkey, you're not that special.
Boyd needs to Die. Hexxus will have a double death, i will shove that whip so far up his ass it will be lost forever. I have my own kill list for this series and i'm sure it will grow like a wildfire the more books I'll read.
⋘⋙--------•⪼⪻•--------⋘⋙
What pissed me off even more was Aron, he was like I'm in love with you while getting ready to kill her. Like 𝐖𝐓𝐅 and then he had the audacity to look hurt when she didn't took his declaration to heart. Like in what world does you telling her *for everyone to hear* that the only way she looks good was beneath you screaming your name, proves your love and respect for her. 𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐃𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐞𝐝 𝐓𝐨 𝐃𝐢𝐞, 𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐒𝐩𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐂𝐨𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐝.
⋘⋙--------•⪼⪻•--------⋘⋙
Also Caden having sex with everything that moves but has the 𝐅#𝐂𝐊𝐈𝐍𝐆 gall to judge and shame Brex for having slept with Aron. Excuse you. 𝐁*𝐓𝐂𝐇 where do you get off thinking you had any right to do so. The dude was too much of a coward who didn't have the balls to admit he had feelings for her but made sure to c*ckblock her so she didn't get any while he had plenty. The 𝐅#𝐂𝐊𝐈𝐍𝐆 hypocrisy is killing me. These men are like *I love you you're everything i want* but are useless when it matters. One didn't fight for her when his father was going to sell her to an abusive a**hole and the other was ready to kill her without hesitation. Yeah they can both rot in hell together for all I care.
Please do not make this a love triangle or I will die. Brex didn't suffer all of this to lower herself for him. She has to know 𝐇𝐄𝐑 𝐖𝐎𝐑𝐓𝐇 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐈𝐓. 𝐈𝐒. 𝐍𝐎𝐓. 𝐇𝐈𝐌. Not even close.
]|I{•---------⋘⋙---------------•⪼⦕࿅⦖⪻•---------------⋘⋙---------•}I|[
One thing that I didn't like was the opening chapter. She kept saying how good a thief she was and how this was her 5th heist and she's never been caught and the guards never knew she was there until she's back in her bed. 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐍, 𝐒𝐇𝐄 𝐈𝐌𝐌𝐄𝐃𝐈𝐀𝐓𝐄𝐋𝐘 𝐆𝐄𝐓𝐒 𝐂𝐀𝐔𝐆𝐇𝐓 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐐𝐔𝐈𝐓𝐄 𝐄𝐀𝐒𝐈𝐋𝐘 𝐌𝐀𝐘 𝐈 𝐀𝐃𝐃. I know it's such a small scene and that in the Scale of Importance it doesn't really register as a blip in the story but it kinda bugged the hell out of me. Even tho I know why the author did it, but still since she will get caught (well technically she'll get shot) and then thrown in jail, the author could've forgo the failed attempt. And again I know it's such a minor detail that didn't hurt the story but it got stuck with me. Like a leech. Not really my fault, as i said my brain can be a capricious b*tch at times. But to end this with 𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐒 cliffhanger!? 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐃𝐀𝐌𝐍 𝐀𝐔𝐃𝐀𝐂𝐈𝐓𝐘...
Now after all this time and books I've read since this one you'd think i would feel less obsessed and in love with these characters, but 𝐘𝐎𝐔 𝐖𝐎𝐔𝐋𝐃 𝐁𝐄 𝐖𝐑𝐎𝐍𝐆 like so, so wrong it's painful. It's actually worse and that does 𝐍𝐎𝐓 bode well for me since this is the least chaotic, sexy, full of angst book of the series. It's gonna be a looooooong month.
]|I{•---------⋘⋙---------------•⪼⦕࿅⦖⪻•---------------⋘⋙---------•}I|[
I usually stay out of booktok and the hype surrounding books because it always ends up being a disastrous waste of time for me. Since my brain is a 𝐂𝐀𝐍𝐓𝐀𝐍𝐊𝐄𝐑𝐎𝐔𝐒 𝐁*𝐓𝐂𝐇 and can be illogical at times, as in, you can take two book in the same level of greatness and i will love one and hate the other even if doesn't make sense.
But then again it is impossible to completely avoid them and recently all I've been seeing are updates of people discovering this series or Re-reading it. Eventually peer pressure got to me. So here I am taking a Leap of faith with this series since my last hype book was a ball of regret and frustration.
But 𝐆𝐎𝐃𝐃𝐀𝐌𝐍 if i wasn't rewarded. I ate this up so fast i shocked myself. When i turned the last page my brain zipped around, trying to compute everything that i just read.
𝐈𝐓 𝐖𝐀𝐒 𝐃𝐈𝐑𝐓𝐘. 𝐅𝐈𝐋𝐓𝐇𝐘. 𝐇𝐘𝐏𝐍𝐎𝐓𝐈𝐂. 𝐈𝐍𝐓𝐄𝐍𝐒𝐄.
]|I{•---------⋘⋙---------------•⪼⦕࿅⦖⪻•---------------⋘⋙---------•}I|[
Brex transition was very well written and i experienced all of it with her. She did suffered loss but she still 𝐋𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐝 𝐀 𝐒𝐡𝐞𝐥𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐀𝐧𝐝 𝐒𝐩𝐨𝐢𝐥𝐞𝐝 𝐋𝐢𝐟𝐞. Even as a fighter she never actually met other Fae kind and that left her in an even bigger disadvantage. Now nothing would have actually prepared her for The House Of Death but even flawed her training did helped and saved her life, since the moment she arrived within those walls. And i loved how 𝐒𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐚𝐰 𝐀𝐧𝐝 𝐀𝐜𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰𝐥𝐞𝐝𝐠𝐞𝐝 her own flawed belief system and the weaknesses in her skills and strength.
I was really impressed and very proud of how well she adapted herself to her new environment. What she lacked for in knowledge she made up with her fast learning and adaptation skills. She didn't go there with a chip on her shoulder thinking she was better than everyone, no she was 𝐂𝐚𝐥𝐜𝐮𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠. 𝐎𝐛𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐠. 𝐂𝐚𝐭𝐚𝐥𝐨𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐄𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 so she could have a chance to Survive. Even when those actions scareed her soul, she Still got up no matter how many times she went down. 𝐒𝐡𝐞. 𝐍𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫. 𝐒𝐭𝐨𝐩𝐩𝐞𝐝. 𝐅𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠. And her friendships with Tad, Kek, Opie, Bitzy, Lynx and Rosie was so precious, they must be protected at all cost.
But you know at some point i did asked myself if this woman wasn't walking around with a neon sign saying “𝐅𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓 𝐌𝐄.”
“This place had fostered hate within me; it was the primary emotion driving me now. Prisons thrived on breaking people down and rebuilding them. Maybe it worked for others, bad people. But when you broke down good people, we didn’t rise again as even nicer people. No. That’s not how it worked. We rose like a dragon, one that would spew fire and burn everything to ash.
We became the depraved. [...] Now I felt nothing. I was past hunger, past exhaustion, past sanity. They wanted to rip the humanity out of me? I hoped they were ready for what they asked for.
[...] The part of me that didn’t want to kill anyone was smothered in pure adrenaline and survival instinct; it was kill or be killed. I did not want to die, not tonight.”
]|I{•---------⋘⋙---------------•⪼⦕࿅⦖⪻•---------------⋘⋙---------•}I|[
Now Warwick Farkas the way they kept feeding off each others energy and aura was gold. Their relationship was primal, sexual, powerful, sensual and the tension. . .My my my. And you add the mystery of his existence and their bond in the mix and we have a 𝐑𝐚𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐠. 𝐁𝐮𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠. 𝐈𝐧𝐟𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐨 in our hands.
“His nose dragged up the side of my neck, causing goosebumps to bloom over my skin. He tipped up his head, smirking arrogantly. “You are getting off on this too, princess. Makes you feel alive, doesn’t it?” He clutched my thigh, tugging it up, rocking into me, kindling sparks through me. A moan formed in my throat, my body greedy to feel more. The energy in the arena pulsed and bled over us, heightening my emotions to the extreme. Death. Sex.
[...] Feral and crude. I lost all civility, craving him to take me right here, feeling the high of his hands wrapping around my throat, stealing the last drops of my life as he thrust into me. I even liked the idea of everyone watching. The energy pulsed through me like a drug.
I curved into him with the impulse. He sucked in, swearing under his breath, his grip on my leg digging into my skin, his eyes blazing. He felt as if he were everywhere over me, inside and out. Taking over. And I pushed the same sensation out, wanting to consume and be consumed.” [...] Everything about him felt like yin and yang. Conflicting. Challenging. Life. Death.”
]|I{•---------⋘⋙---------------•⪼⦕࿅⦖⪻•---------------⋘⋙---------•}I|[
The 𝐒𝐞𝐥𝐟-𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐞𝐨𝐮𝐬𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬 of the fae and human was unfruating because they were the same, just bullies with an overinflated sense of self worth. In the end they were all just numbers, couldn't they see that. The fae are like you're just a pest to me, i can kill you easily. Yeah well so could a monkey, you're not that special.
Boyd needs to Die. Hexxus will have a double death, i will shove that whip so far up his ass it will be lost forever. I have my own kill list for this series and i'm sure it will grow like a wildfire the more books I'll read.
⋘⋙--------•⪼⪻•--------⋘⋙
What pissed me off even more was Aron, he was like I'm in love with you while getting ready to kill her. Like 𝐖𝐓𝐅 and then he had the audacity to look hurt when she didn't took his declaration to heart. Like in what world does you telling her *for everyone to hear* that the only way she looks good was beneath you screaming your name, proves your love and respect for her. 𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐃𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐞𝐝 𝐓𝐨 𝐃𝐢𝐞, 𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐒𝐩𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐂𝐨𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐝.
⋘⋙--------•⪼⪻•--------⋘⋙
Also Caden having sex with everything that moves but has the 𝐅#𝐂𝐊𝐈𝐍𝐆 gall to judge and shame Brex for having slept with Aron. Excuse you. 𝐁*𝐓𝐂𝐇 where do you get off thinking you had any right to do so. The dude was too much of a coward who didn't have the balls to admit he had feelings for her but made sure to c*ckblock her so she didn't get any while he had plenty. The 𝐅#𝐂𝐊𝐈𝐍𝐆 hypocrisy is killing me. These men are like *I love you you're everything i want* but are useless when it matters. One didn't fight for her when his father was going to sell her to an abusive a**hole and the other was ready to kill her without hesitation. Yeah they can both rot in hell together for all I care.
Please do not make this a love triangle or I will die. Brex didn't suffer all of this to lower herself for him. She has to know 𝐇𝐄𝐑 𝐖𝐎𝐑𝐓𝐇 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐈𝐓. 𝐈𝐒. 𝐍𝐎𝐓. 𝐇𝐈𝐌. Not even close.
]|I{•---------⋘⋙---------------•⪼⦕࿅⦖⪻•---------------⋘⋙---------•}I|[
One thing that I didn't like was the opening chapter. She kept saying how good a thief she was and how this was her 5th heist and she's never been caught and the guards never knew she was there until she's back in her bed. 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐍, 𝐒𝐇𝐄 𝐈𝐌𝐌𝐄𝐃𝐈𝐀𝐓𝐄𝐋𝐘 𝐆𝐄𝐓𝐒 𝐂𝐀𝐔𝐆𝐇𝐓 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐐𝐔𝐈𝐓𝐄 𝐄𝐀𝐒𝐈𝐋𝐘 𝐌𝐀𝐘 𝐈 𝐀𝐃𝐃. I know it's such a small scene and that in the Scale of Importance it doesn't really register as a blip in the story but it kinda bugged the hell out of me. Even tho I know why the author did it, but still since she will get caught (well technically she'll get shot) and then thrown in jail, the author could've forgo the failed attempt. And again I know it's such a minor detail that didn't hurt the story but it got stuck with me. Like a leech. Not really my fault, as i said my brain can be a capricious b*tch at times. But to end this with 𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐒 cliffhanger!? 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐃𝐀𝐌𝐍 𝐀𝐔𝐃𝐀𝐂𝐈𝐓𝐘...
August 14, 2021
*nervous giggle* I’m in danger…
When I tell you all that this series has taken over my life and is now top tier fantasy/pnr/dystopian/everything I need romance, I’m not kidding. This book is gritty and brutal and sexy and just perfection.
The world building is paced perfectly for me. I love when you get to slowly scale out the lens as the protagonist learns about the reality of her world. I wasn’t sure what I was getting in to at the beginning following rich kids in a solider in training scenario but man oh man, when we got tossed into the pit of despair I WAS HERE FOR IT. Brexley started off badass and just continued to become more badass. I love seeing characters get put through the ringer and come out stronger and this book never stops. Also can we talk about Warwick for a second? Hot damn. Like I’m scared but I’m into it? I love the slow reveals of learning who he is and who Brex is to him and all of the creatures that exist in their world. Okay, I love it all. The end. Read this dang book.
When I tell you all that this series has taken over my life and is now top tier fantasy/pnr/dystopian/everything I need romance, I’m not kidding. This book is gritty and brutal and sexy and just perfection.
The world building is paced perfectly for me. I love when you get to slowly scale out the lens as the protagonist learns about the reality of her world. I wasn’t sure what I was getting in to at the beginning following rich kids in a solider in training scenario but man oh man, when we got tossed into the pit of despair I WAS HERE FOR IT. Brexley started off badass and just continued to become more badass. I love seeing characters get put through the ringer and come out stronger and this book never stops. Also can we talk about Warwick for a second? Hot damn. Like I’m scared but I’m into it? I love the slow reveals of learning who he is and who Brex is to him and all of the creatures that exist in their world. Okay, I love it all. The end. Read this dang book.
July 23, 2022
"To Jason Momoa: If I can't have you in real life, at least I can have you as my book boyfriend." - ok I'm in
Addictive, love-hate, slow burn, cliffhanger, loved it!!
Addictive, love-hate, slow burn, cliffhanger, loved it!!
May 20, 2022
Insanely fast paced, post-apocalyptic action, but yet still THE hottest slow burn, ENEMIES to lovers plot I’ve ever read.
Very violent with lots of death & gore so check trigger warnings.
This honestly was somehow even better reading it the 2nd time.
Very violent with lots of death & gore so check trigger warnings.
This honestly was somehow even better reading it the 2nd time.
April 29, 2023
April '23 re-read (& br with the beautiful Jeannette✨)
I think I definitely let loose a lot more during this re-read and actually enjoyed the book - yay! It's definitely one of those ones that is just building on the world and introducing characters etc. in preparation for the rest of the series (which I am still super keen for!). The spice is minimal, but again, building up to [hopefully?] a spicier sequel, because the tension has been brewing to an almost unbearable point AND I NEED SOMETHING TO SNAP SOON OR I WILL.
New rating: 3.75 ⭐
First read (September '22)
Objectively: this was not very good & nothing really happened
Subjectively: I bought the entire series & will be bingeing
Initial rating: 3 ⭐
I think I definitely let loose a lot more during this re-read and actually enjoyed the book - yay! It's definitely one of those ones that is just building on the world and introducing characters etc. in preparation for the rest of the series (which I am still super keen for!). The spice is minimal, but again, building up to [hopefully?] a spicier sequel, because the tension has been brewing to an almost unbearable point AND I NEED SOMETHING TO SNAP SOON OR I WILL.
New rating: 3.75 ⭐
First read (September '22)
Objectively: this was not very good & nothing really happened
Subjectively: I bought the entire series & will be bingeing
Initial rating: 3 ⭐
November 3, 2021
Savage betrayal...
****4.5 stars****
I really enjoyed Savage Lands but it did take a wee while to warm up to. There were a lot of positive reviews and buzz with this series, but the beginning left me wondering why. It's kind of weird to be reading and thinking *I'm sure it will get better when things start going bad*. Here I am, a romance reader who is normally looking for love and happily ever afters, thirsting for darkness and betrayals. Boy, how the times have changed for this romance reader. 😉
It did get really good when things went really bad and I couldn't wait to get back to the story when real life intruded. There were dark, degrading and scary times, but there were times when the strength and courage of the characters conquered the darkness. I believed that these characters could survive anything if they had the will to live. Tortured, starving and injured did not mean your end, giving up did.
The characters were interesting, the storyline (after the slow beginning) was riveting, and the sexual tension jumped off the page. I admit to being devastated by the numerous cases of betrayal in this story, but deep down I know that the last one won't stick. There's something going on with Brexley and Warwick...and I will definitely be back for more Savage, Wild, Dead and Bad Lands.
****4.5 stars****
I really enjoyed Savage Lands but it did take a wee while to warm up to. There were a lot of positive reviews and buzz with this series, but the beginning left me wondering why. It's kind of weird to be reading and thinking *I'm sure it will get better when things start going bad*. Here I am, a romance reader who is normally looking for love and happily ever afters, thirsting for darkness and betrayals. Boy, how the times have changed for this romance reader. 😉
It did get really good when things went really bad and I couldn't wait to get back to the story when real life intruded. There were dark, degrading and scary times, but there were times when the strength and courage of the characters conquered the darkness. I believed that these characters could survive anything if they had the will to live. Tortured, starving and injured did not mean your end, giving up did.
The characters were interesting, the storyline (after the slow beginning) was riveting, and the sexual tension jumped off the page. I admit to being devastated by the numerous cases of betrayal in this story, but deep down I know that the last one won't stick. There's something going on with Brexley and Warwick...and I will definitely be back for more Savage, Wild, Dead and Bad Lands.
March 8, 2022
Well well well… Stacey Marie Brown sure can write.
New author to me and was not dissatisfied.
Frankly I was greatly satisfied.
We got a little “one bed” trope.
We got a little pent up sexually tension. Actually it was not a little. It was quite much and I LOVE THAT.
Not sure I am sold on Brexley yet. She seemed so sure of herself, strong fighter, badass etc, but she had a lot of doubts too, so I had a little trouble figuring her out as a character.
Warwick was intriguing & I am excited to figuring him out.
Caden is like 60/40 % - more punch him in the faces 😂
I do love a “gets thrown in prison & must survive at all cost” kinda tale and then add paranormal beings and guess who is happy?
Me.
Totally me.
Will be continuing this series because a girl cannot let such delicious angry sexual tension alone, right?
Read: 09/11/2021
1st rating: 4 stars
Genre/tropes: Paranormal/new adult/Fae/shifters
Cover: 4 stars
POV’s: Single-1st person (Brexley)
Will I recommend: Yes
New author to me and was not dissatisfied.
Frankly I was greatly satisfied.
We got a little “one bed” trope.
We got a little pent up sexually tension. Actually it was not a little. It was quite much and I LOVE THAT.
Not sure I am sold on Brexley yet. She seemed so sure of herself, strong fighter, badass etc, but she had a lot of doubts too, so I had a little trouble figuring her out as a character.
Warwick was intriguing & I am excited to figuring him out.
Caden is like 60/40 % - more punch him in the faces 😂
I do love a “gets thrown in prison & must survive at all cost” kinda tale and then add paranormal beings and guess who is happy?
Me.
Totally me.
Will be continuing this series because a girl cannot let such delicious angry sexual tension alone, right?
Read: 09/11/2021
1st rating: 4 stars
Genre/tropes: Paranormal/new adult/Fae/shifters
Cover: 4 stars
POV’s: Single-1st person (Brexley)
Will I recommend: Yes
January 25, 2023
Loved this more than i was expecting & will continue series. Rating this purely based on my enjoyment level like i always do.
Fast paced ✅
Violence ✅
Fae ✅
Sexual tension ✅
Strong willed heroine ✅
Broody love interest ✅
I followed along with audio. Recommend 🎧
Fast paced ✅
Violence ✅
Fae ✅
Sexual tension ✅
Strong willed heroine ✅
Broody love interest ✅
I followed along with audio. Recommend 🎧
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