Ingrid Seymour

Review of A Court So Dark by Ingrid Seymour

/ authoramysbrown / Leave a comment

Synopsis:
In a void suspended in time, I find myself trapped in an abyss of darkness and despair.

With every ounce of strength, I fight to free myself from this suffocating sleep, while Kalyll, consumed by a fierce determination, searches tirelessly through the realm. His sole mission: to exact revenge upon those responsible for bringing me to the edge of death. No one shall escape his wrath, for everyone in his path will suffer the consequences.

Yet, the fate of his kingdom teeters precariously as his treacherous brother, Cardian, schemes to plunge the realm into all-out war. Cardian’s alliance with the heartless and ambitious Unseelie King threatens to shatter the fragile peace that remains.

In a cruel twist of fate, Kalyll falls into the clutches of his enemies, leaving the specter of war looming ever closer.

As time runs out, can I wake from my dark slumber and restore the light before the darkness consumes us all? The final battle looms, and our love hangs in the balance.

—-
This is a retelling of Beauty and the Beast featuring a troubled prince, a strong heroine, and an amazing supporting cast. Enemies-to-lovers series suitable for 18+.For fans of Sarah J. Maas and Jennifer L. Armentrout.

Review:
This book was an interesting read, and while overall I liked the conclusion, where were some heartbreaking moments. Some of the deaths elicited a shrug and nothing more as the characters hadn’t been developed/integrated into the story enough for there to be any true connection to them. The absolute last bit in the book was a bit off putting and seemed as if it was setting up for another book series/spin off. We were given a glimpse of what happens but left wondering whether or not the dreams that Kalyll and Daniella had worked for would come to fruition.

The spice in this book was frustrating; there was so much going on, intense war, and yet there seemed to be time for intimacy every few pages. The sex didn’t add to the story at all, and in many ways detracted and I found myself skimming to get back to the actual plot. Some of the metaphors and language were again off putting, and there were plenty more cases of “people are like abc because xyz”. That being said, the overall story was decent, and if you have Kindle Unlimited, like a bit of spice, faeries, and fairy tale retellings, here’s one you can read. I’d give the series overall a 4 out of 5 stars, but this book gets a 3.

Star rating: ✯✯✯

Review of A Cage So Gilded by Ingrid Seymour

/ authoramysbrown / Leave a comment

Synopsis:
The prince would choose to save his realm.
But the beast would follow his heart…

To me.

After I saved his life and kingdom, Kalyll let me go, choosing duty over the passion that burned between us.

Though his death was written in the stars, I found a dark, impossible way to pull him back, to anchor his soul to the world of the living. Still, that wasn’t enough to win his heart.

Now, the force that lives within him gives way to his darker nature, and for a second time, I’m kidnapped and made prisoner—this time in a high tower in the Seelie capital of Elyndell.

With good and evil fighting within him, both his kingdom and heart stand at risk. He can’t have it all, and his attempts to do so may be the end of all he and I hold dear.
—-
This is a retelling of Beauty and the Beast featuring a troubled prince, a strong heroine, and an amazing supporting cast. This is an enemies-to-lovers series suitable for 18+ that grows spicier with every book. For fans of Fantasy Romance.

Review:
Firstly, the Stockholm Syndrome in this book is absolutely terrible. That being said, despite the title, there isn’t as much imprisonment as one might think. The title did very much remind me of the Plated Prisoner series by Raven Kennedy, however that is where any comparison really would end. The constant reminders of how Dani wasn’t raised to be in court and didn’t know how to do anything and yet had the acting skills to make everyone believe she was were a bit outlandish. As said in the previous book’s review, the language (especially intimately) was a bit off/left something to be desired. This book very much felt as if the writer intentionally using older, uncommon words to elevate the story but in many ways it detracted; it did work when the old fae used an odd word in speech, but even then Daniella allegedly already knew what it meant when he tried to explain it. This book seemed quite a bit more “Jekyll and Hyde” retelling than Beauty and the Beast. There was, of course, another cliffhanger so I had to read on…

Star rating: ✯✯✯✯

Review of A Prince so Cruel by Ingrid Seymour

/ authoramysbrown / Leave a comment

Synopsis:
He needs my help, but he’ll be my downfall.

A prince by morning.
A cretin by noon.
A beast by nightfall.

There is a curse on his blood, an ailment that, if revealed, could destroy his kingdom.

The only one who can help him is me, a human with average healing abilities. It’s what the Envoy told him, and her word is law.

I’m his only hope.

He sends his blue-blooded friends to kidnap me so I can join their quest to Mount Ruin, the only place where I can heal him.

The path is terrifying, and the prince is lying, hiding things from me. To make matters worse, he isn’t always nice. A Fae prince isn’t supposed to lust for a human, especially when she’s his prisoner. And a human girl isn’t supposed to burn for someone so out of her league.

The quest might kill me, but it’s my heart I’m worried about.

Review:
A cute little Beauty and the Beast retelling where the heroine is very self aware that she might have Stockholm Syndrome and yet continuously does what she can to help. There is a huge issue of what’s in one’s nature here, and overall the story was decent. The naming was interesting, and while I didn’t mind it, it seemed pretty odd in parts. There were many parts that seemed to be a stream of thoughts about the general behaviour of people, which, while fitting, seemed like they were more a commentary on life by the author. There were a few cases where things were said and should probably have been shown. Language wise there were a few phrases that just seemed odd and were likely a very specific dialect thing. There didn’t seem to be any real relationship DEVELOPMENT between the two MCs, and it felt a bit insta-love but overall it was a fairly cute story. I will warn, however, that this story does have a massive cliffhanger, and I immediately started the second book after finishing.

*I’d also like to note that I had already grabbed this on Kindle Unlimited BEFORE the tiktok drama comparing it to A Cruel Prince by Holly Black.

Star rating: ✯✯✯✯