ARC Review: Prince and Assassin by Tavia Lark (Perilous Courts #1)
Tavia
Lark has a way of writing high fantasy in an approachable and clear way
that keeps the reader engaged with the story without being confused or
having to think too hard. Because I tell you what I really don't like
having to think too hard when I'm reading a romance. This book in
particular is a good example of how approachable Tavia's work is with a
quick and easy read. I loved the characters and the magic systems and
most importantly the giant cats.
What I think worked
really well with this book was how intertwined the romance was with the
action storyline. They complimented each other instead of becoming
distractions. As the action built up so did the romance. Right when the
tension of the assassination plot picked up is also when (spoilers for
plot) (view spoiler)
The
romance was so well done too with tiny touches and hand holding and the
main characters revealing more of themselves as they grow closer. I
would consider this a slowburn even though it's only 250 pages long!
Tavia Lark packed in a ton of stuff into a very short book and it's all
excellent.
Oh, and as for the giant cats they are fully
developed secondary characters and they really add to the story. When I
grow up I want to be a Master of Cats too and have giant magical cats of
my own. A demon can dream.
Tavia Lark has an unrivaled talent for writing high fantasy romance. Her worlds are always richly developed, the characters engaging, and the intrigue carefully designed.
Julien was a well developed character. He starts with a playboy prince type, but he’s never feckless or irresponsible despite using that as a facade. It’s more that people, and him, don’t appreciate (except whisper of course omg) the way his people skills are just as valuable as the more military straightforwardness Audric brings. They complement each other so well, I’m so glad they’re secretly brotherly with each other outside of the public eye.
Whisper too was a fun shift of the assassin archetype. Cold, controlled, and withdrawn on the surface, yet so precious and adorable and caring.
The romance had so many cute hand holding and tiny touches! I love the subtle build. It felt so caring and really built their chemistry and emotional bond for me. It made their love feel real and believable, in overcoming the challenges they face.
I enjoyed the main secondary characters as well - magic kitties! Nadine!! Fully fledged characters that bring depth to the story and the MCs relationship without ever taking away from the spotlight characters. Wonderfully done.
The magic system here is fascinating - hereditary magic, but it can also be transferred manually? Plant and air magic?? So much fun. I look forward to what else this series brings as the world opens up more in the next books!
The only part where I struggled was the large number of secondary (maybe tertiary) court characters - they started blurring together for me at times. (I would die for a map too, but that’s just because I love fantasy world maps, this read fine without one)
Overall, another stunning fantasy read by Tavia Lark, exactly as I expected. I can’t wait to get the rest of the series for the other two princes!
Horse rating: 🐴🐴 of 5 horses
Ellie's review: 5 stars
It's
always harder to write reviews about books you loved! So here's just me
gushing about this one, in the hope I'll convince some people to try
it. I think most people who like fantasy romance would appreciate this
one. It has a lot of fun tropes: a secret identity with a betrayal
premise, a small but deadly assassin and the playboy prince he's playing
bodyguard to, a size difference, even some slight D/s dynamics... Some
reviewers said they expected something darker, but it's really in line
with Tavia Lark's precious fantasy books. There are a lot of
high-tension situations and emotions and a healthy dose of angst, but
the romance is not dark at all: it has a hurt/comfort vibe, lots of
caretaking, tender touches and hand kisses, even some emotional bathing!
And awesome magical big cats!
I loved the characters, and how
they were more than you would expect from their respective archetypes.
Julien is described as a playboy prince, and it's true he has no
ambition of taking over the throne. But he's still politically savvy and
takes his responsibilities seriously, and he uses his promiscuity as a
way to navigate the complex political alliances at court. He might seem a
little one-track-minded over Whisper sometimes, but he's still
observant around him. And Whisper might be a seasoned assassin, but he
never really had a choice, and he's not the cold-blooded, arrogant
character you would expect.
Their dynamic was so well-done. I
loved how smitten Julien was about Whisper, how he always trying to look
cool and composed, but was secretly delighted over the small things,
like Whisper remembering his birthday. There are so many great moments
where Whisper just can't believe someone wants to take care of him. And
the fact that this someone is the one he will have to betray makes it
even more tragic. I really felt Whisper's inner angst and turmoil, and I
thought the whole betrayal plot was well-done and kept me intrigued
until the end.
Tavia Lark writes excellent fantasy: it's simple
but in a good way, clear and approachable. I thought the writing was
even stronger than it was in her Radiance series. The political
alliances and magical elements are revealed as needed thorough the
story, there's not a lot of info-dumping, and the worldbuilding is
impressive despite the short length of the book. More importantly in my
eyes, the romance is kept at the forefront of the story, things move
along at a good pace, and I was never bored. I'm so excited about the
two next books, and they can't come soon enough!
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