User Reviews
Rating: really liked it
Sympathetic back painsThese authors really need a different way to describe the physical sensations and responses their characters experience around magic. Take some time, sit down together, think about it, and make a list. You shouldn't stop until you have at least a dozen options on it you're happy with. Ideally more. But NONE of them should involve backs arching, okay? You've already incinerated that bridge. Seriously, you've used it way too much, and it barely made sense to start with. There are two of you, so watch each other try to act these scenes out. Or try it out in a coffee shop or something. In the middle of a conversation, arch your back, breathe heavy, then go on about your business. See that? Everyone is giving you side eye. Now do it another dozen times. The coffee shop is empty, the cashier is on the phone asking their manager for help, and if you haven't pulled a muscle in your back, it's sheer luck. Please, please stop using that phrase.
Rating: really liked it
This book in emojis : 🤦🙅🤷
I got only ten pages in and it was SO CRINGEY that I didn't even feel bad about quitting ! 🤦
The main character was so cliche that I couldn't even stand it .
Then my biggest pet peeve in any vampire book is the vampire saying something like ;
" Darling , we are dignified creatures , thousand year old vampires don't fall in love with teenage girls , and we don't sparkle like a unicorns bum .". 🙅🤦 I don't have the book anymore so it's not a direct quote but this is LITERALLY what he said . I've had enough of Twilght bashing especially when said bashing happens in books so terrible that they don't even have 'a fang left to bite with '. * Sorry about the pun they just come to me * 😂😂
Content : I'd say this is definitely going to be a PG-13 book with what language was used in the first few pages . Listen the word f@#$ doesn't need to be used like gravy on mashed potatoes . We get that you know BAD WORDS, we all do , it doesn't make you look more mature it makes you sound like a three year old that picked it up and doesn't have any idea why thier even using it . 🤦🙅
Rating: really liked it
4.5
I don't even know what to say! This is a very solid urban fantasy with a heroine who is so lovable that she melts your heart right out of your chest.
Arianna is a former prized gladiator trying to recover from her captivity while keeping her head down. She has been forced to become a ruthless fighter and while she never forgets all the necessary tools for survival she has learned, she never loses her sense of honor or her vulnerability.
I already knew that this author has skill in writing urban fantasy, but Arianna really pushed it over the top for me.
The premise of the story was interesting, although I wish it was explored in more detail. The romance was great. Arianna's interactions with the other female characters were also a bright spot. And the story was suprisingly funny while still delivering that emotional depth that I crave.
Rating: really liked it
WOW! I believe Court of Shadows just took the podium as my favorite C.N Crawford novel. After loving the Demon Queen trials series so much I dove in eagerly into this fae series by the same author. What can you expect from this series? That spectacular slow-burn HATE-TO-LOVE with sizzling chemistry that C.N delivers so well, also seen in City of Thorns. I can NEVER get enough of this trope. I listened to the audiobook and I SUPER recommend it, the narrator does an amazing job; love the accents!
Tropes included:
-HATE TO LOVE!!
-Hot, hot, hot fae and demons
-A badass female-lead that can kick (almost everyone’s) ass
-London setting
-A deadly competition
-Adorable and loyal friendships
-I came to kill/steal from you but fell in love
After being a war-slave for so long for a wicked fae, Ariana lives in hiding from the supernatural world. That is, until that same fae finds her and blackmails her into obtaining one of the most wanted artifacts: a world key. Problem is, that key is inside the Fae Institute and guarded by one of the most ruthless and powerful fae warriors (and to top that obscenely gorgeous): the wraith. She has no choice but to joins the institute’s deadly competition in order to get close to the wraith. But after spending so much time alongside this silent warrior who burns her insides, she starts to doubt her intentions. Is she growing soft? Can she go through with her plan? I love the “I came to kill you but fell in love” trope and my heart leaped in glee as the story unfolded.
Thank you to the author for gifting me a copy for review!
Rating: really liked it
Not my cup of tea.
The plot: like a 3 out of 5 until you get towards the end and realize.. what now? Then it dropped to a 1 out of 5. Lacked finesse.
The characters:
Ciara: we had barely any time to get to know her yet she was DIRE to the MC.
Arianna: ehhh, she didn’t draw me in at all. It was hard to sympathize for her.
Ruadan: O M G
HOW do you say his name??
Is it like Roo-Ah-Dahn?
Or Roo-a-Dan?
I kept saying Roo-Dan in my head and had to correct myself every time.
ANYWAY.
Literally the mute factor was one of the most interesting parts of the book and then at the end when he spoke..
Well by then the plot had gone to shit so it didn’t even matter.
This book was a whole lot of
LACKING.And I totally agree with the review I read about the overly used back-arching...
AwkwarddddI too would be calling the manager for help.
Please go read that review it’s hilarious. GO FIND IT.
Anyway. Not diving into book 2. Consider my time wasted.
Rating: really liked it
What a great way to start a series!
The thing I enjoy the most about Team Crawford’s writing is how imaginative they are.
They have the greatest ideas and they make them real, functional and magical.
They just make it work so effortlessly.
Arianna has sass, and epic fighting stills, and most important. She has loyalty.
Ruadan was just how a brooding, non-talking Fae male should be. Tough, no bull-shit and a protector. Even if he doesn’t come off as one😂
Read: 29/10/2020
1st rating: 4 stars
Genre/tropes: Paranormal/Fae/vampires/romance/magic
Cover: 3 stars
POV’s: Single -1st person (Arianna)
Will I recommend: Yes, and I will be continuing the series because all the chemistry😍
Rating: really liked it
I just loved this book. I really like these authors and all the books I’ve read by them, but this book was just wonderful. Great characters, intriguing plot, hot chemistry, and action so exciting your heart might stop lead to a book that was extremely hard to put down. I enjoyed every minute I spent reading this book. I love the hints that there are some things about Arianna’s past she needs to find out about, and I loved Ruadan, even when he didn’t talk for most of the book. His eyes were so expressive. I can’t wait to find out more about this couple, the Institute, and the secrets that are being kept. I can’t recommend this book enough! I was provided a complimentary copy of the e-book which I reviewed voluntarily.
Rating: really liked it
I love C.N. Crawford since her fantastic FBI Fae series, so I quite enjoyed this read too. Don't want to say too much as the audiobook version was absolutely horrible so I will re-read it in the normal way and update my review once that's done. It does have a similar feeling to the Shadows & Flame series but the story is interesting enough to continue exploring more.
Rating: really liked it
This was a pretty fun urban fantasy where humans co-mingle with magic, fae, vampires, and demons- all in the backdrop of London after a apocalyptic war twenty years ago.
Also this book had all the elements I love! Interesting characters, good world building, and a little schemxy time going on.
For the characters we have
Arianna- a "gutter fae" bartender -who not suppose to be in this realm after the war, but is just trying to get by with her human best friend Ciara until two unruly vampires trying to start a bar brawl in her pub- and bring the Shadow Fae to her doorstep. (Kinda like the big bad supernatural police that are down with giving their prey the axe)
Then we have
Ruadan- a shadow fae nicknamed 'the Wraith', who doesn't speak, and has a nasty attitude-but has some serious power to back it up. He and another fae show up to recruit Arianna into their ancient order of assassins upon pain of death.
However, in order to become a full fledged member of the Shadow Fae she has to compete with other novices- and if she doesn't make it to the end she only has that dreaded iron axe waiting for her- but that's not the only reason she agreed to join when an enemy from the past shows up to make even more dangerous demands of Arianna than her new "mentors".
Again loved the premise and look forward to the secrets uncovered in the next book...oh and the romance
Rating: really liked it
*3.5 stars*This was good... but could have been a whole lot better, I felt. I found it entertaining enough, but the story needed "fleshing out", IMO. It felt like there was a good structure in place, and the idea was good (give me the apocalypse, the Fae, and fighter-heroines any day and I'm there like a bear), but it needed a bit more thought into pretty much all aspects of the story.
I would've appreciated a bit more world-building (although to be fair I believe this series falls under the Demons of Fire and Night Universe, and I have not read any of those, which would explain why I felt like I was plonked into the middle of a story with the start of this series) the characters felt a little flat to me, and the underlying plot was not hugely convincing. There were also one or two spelling errors that detracted from the book.
Hopefully the next book will divulge a bit more and will get me fully invested into the story.
Rating: really liked it
This was definitely a quick read! I think it’s the first time I read something with fae/gladiators, I enjoyed the slow burn romance and the sassiness of the main character. The competition element is always enticing and definitely keeps you on the edge of your seat.
The interaction between Ariana and Ruadan is tense but sexy, they’re always at each others throats 🤣. But it was great to see they’re sexual tension evolve. The mysterious Ariana and all her secrets kept me hooked. I am looking forward to reading more of this series! And can we talk about the gorgeous covers 😍
Huge thanks to the author for sending me a copy of the book. All opinions are my own.
Rating: really liked it
As we fought, a dark smile curled my lips. My blood sang with the ancient beauty of warfare. It had been a long time since I’d been able to fight anyone who could keep up with me, and my heart thundered in my chest. Rain poured down hard, slicking my hair to my face. Was there anything more perfect than a beautiful fight? The supernatural are outlawed but Arianna was a slave in the gladiator ring when the supernatural were carted off to their home realms. When she escaped, she found she was illegal and hides her half fae nature.
The only fae still allowed are spell singers - fae that eliminate outlawed supernaturals. When she is caught killing vampires, they decide to recruit her for her fighting skills. Her old gladiator master kidnaps her best friend and threatens her to go undercover to steal a World Key from a knight.
Of course the knight she is to steal from is the deadliest fighter there. He’s also hot and also her mentor.
I liked the main character. She’s pretty tough. For a character that took a vow of silence, Ruadan is pretty cool.
It’s an interesting urban fantasy that free on kindle unlimited.
Rating: really liked it
Here’s another awesome backlist series I MUST catch up on!
Court of Shadows was such an awesome read, with a protagonist that screams C.N. Crawford. Arianna is a former gladiator and powerful demi-fae, which I found very interesting, as it’s something I don’t believe I’ve read before. She’s fierce and powerful, with a sassy vein the author excels at. Ruadan, was also a very interesting character. His vow of silence sets him apart from other brooding warrior fae characters, and it made his interactions with Arianna that much more interesting. I also enjoyed the Institute as a setting, not because it was a particularly happy place—in fact, the majority of the people there were not people I would befriend—but the magical academy vibe we got from the trials was great, and it’s perfect for people like me who like this sort of setting.
As far as the romance goes, there’s a lot of potential for a gleat slow-burn romance. The premises are definitely interesting, though I would have liked to see a little more of Ruadan and Arianna together before the lust kicks in. I didn’t quite grasp The Moment that makes it so that the two go from loathing each other—or being very distrustful of each other—to being attracted to one another. However, I loved the moment Ruadan sees her scars. It was so intense! The same could be said about the ending. I was expecting the resolution to be dragged out a little longer through the series.
In conclusion, this is a great start to the series, and I’m really curious to continue it. I’m also cover-lusting over the gorgeous new symbol covers!
Thank you to the author for gifting me a copy. Opinions are my own.
Rating: really liked it
I really like the storyline of this series buttt…it is a very slow burn. I just wish it had more spice!
Rating: really liked it
I received the ARC of this book from Christine and Nick but this review is all mine!
I loved this book! Completely! Arianna lives in a world in which supernaturals are banned and hunted down by the Shadow Fae. Supernaturals just like Arianna who is a demi-fae, half fae, half something else that she really doesn't want to remember! All she wants to do is keep her head down and buy that bottle of whisky she so loves!
Unfortunately some others start some trouble and that trouble leads to even more trouble for Arianna. She now has some choices to make - do what the Shadow Fae want, do what her old mentor wants or die! None of those choices are particularly enticing! Having a troubled background and secrets she doesn't want found out, Arianna takes the choice which may or may not give her some sort of freedom and might just get her what she really wants! But she has to be strong, ruthless and powerful to gain it, but can she gain the trust of the Shadow Fae who envelops her in fear just by being near her?
I loved these characters and Arianna was a great heroine. She made some choices that she knew were maybe not the right ones, but ones she had to make in order to keep fighting. Ruadan just seemed to ooze sexiness and I would love to see if any romance, rather than just lust, will blossom between these two in the next book.
A great start to this series and one I can't wait to read more of!
