“Beauty and the Beast with a Viking Twist.”

If you’re looking for a book with fluffy romance and a damsel in distress, move along.. I have nothing for you today.

That being said, if you are looking for a beautifuy written epic fantasy with great world building, political intrigue, romance, and violence.. here it is.

Honesty moment… I’m torn on this book.

The not so good: I found bits of the story too predictable. I could guess certain things, which made the plot twists not so.. twisty. When you can guess major points, it kind of turns you off a bit, and I found myself not as enthusiastically reading this piece of art.

I wish there were more viking aspects in the story. Most Legends, while beautifully written, didn’t seem to really mention them and what they once were. The violence and ale horns don’t necessarily make a viking.

I’m not a fan of Legions name…. And Elise, while different was also much like other “different royals.” See below.

The good or even great: Elise is different from her royal, or the typical royal, family. She’s kind, empathetic, and “has friends in low places,” meaning she befriends others deemed below her in status. But what is really different about her, is the fact that she is so much more. Elise is smart, stubborn, and open to real change, but is still willing to do what must be done in order to protect those she loves, even at the cost of her own happiness.

Enter Legion. I have a love-hate thing with him. Mostly the hate is, without spoilers, his name. Other than that.. the chemistry between him and Elise is on the higher end of decent. It’s a nice slow build with bouts of heat here and there. Where he really scored the most points with me though, is by letting Elise simple be herself. There was never any pressure for her to act a certain way. If she wanted to spend all day in the library reading, that was fine with him. She wanted to learn to defend herself, he loved that. She wanted to befriend those lower than she, he didn’t mind and in fact seemed to encourage it for the most part.

The best part: there’s a map!! I love books with a map. They allow the reader to really get a feel and be immersed more into the setting of the story. If I can visualize they trek the characters face, all the more amazing. Having a map included is basically an automatic star.

I was left with a huge cliff hanger, where Elise is to team up with an ancient enemy. I look forward to reading book two, seeing what the future holds for this motley crew of what was and what will be.

Trigger Warnings:

  • Violence
  • Implied Rape

“The world would be darker should you be silent.”

Advertisement