thank you to netgalley for the advanced reading copy of Tolerant. This was an interesting fantasy novel and I hope it gets the recognition it deserves

This book gave me Witcher vibes right off the bat, and I loved it! The author does such a good job of portraying a realistic, not-perfect female lead that's both relatable and heroic.

It's difficult to built new worlds, but it seems to have come easy in this one - the plot, intertwined in this beautiful world, a prophecy, and a young love story, all help bolster the experience of Tolerant.

Easy to follow while still being detailed, and portrayals of emotions that other authors have trouble expressing well.

I'm already yearning for book 2 in this fun, fantastical series.

*Thank you to the author and NetGalley for giving me this book in exchange for my honest review.*

I want to start by sharing that I DNFed this book at 50%. I really wanted to like this book - the premise and the new cover pulled me in and the shallow dialogue and world building spit me back out. I think this book was supposed to be enemy to lovers (?), but it felt as if there was almost no friction between the characters and then a super simple jumó to trust, which didn’t at all pique my interest. I loath not finishing books and giving arcs a more negative review. I truly thank NetGalley for providing me with the opportunity to read this book - the writing just wasn’t for me

Thank you to Netgalley and the Publisher for granting me access to the ARC of this book.

Overall, this book was completely fine. I liked the world created here- it's pretty dire, but I like reading about how the characters feel about such circumstances. I liked the dive into how you can get 'programmed' by others to feel a certain way about you being given specific opportunities in life, and how hard it can be to go out of such thinking, and what the possible change might mean for the whole society.

At the same time, I feel like the characters and plot were too often going in circles, and the pacing was inconsistent for me and there were some plot holes- like the character never having seen a pastry but having an idea what a caloric intake is.

Ultimately it was overall just fine for me, not a bad book, but not a very memorable one. I'm kind of sad it wasn't whole on a level the ending was at, because it was great, and unfortunately it made the rest of the book pale in comparison to it and kind of made me question its quality more.

This book was so good thanks so much for the copy I really enjoyed this so much along with the writing definitely will recommend

I got a bit more than 50% into this before I decided to DNF. I can't exactly put my finger on what exactly I think is wrong with it. mostly I just think it's very clumsily written. The characters don't really feel like characters and their actions aren't really internally motivated but just happen because the plot or the tropes used demand it.
Also I am not a fan of how the whole concept of servants and "serving" is handled within the story.
I am also pretty sure I already know what the big twist about the prophecy is gonna be at the end, but I'm just not interested enough to find out.

I received this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This has a great start and premise but is a bit repetitive. Not a big deal but it drew me away from the storytelling.

I thought that this book was quite enjoyable in the beginning and I was interested in the story. However, as the story got on it got less enjoyable for me. The main character was getting irritated and her actions were getting reckless. I did like how the magic was introduced though. In all, this book is good for those that enjoy a unique take on fantasy.

Review in progress and to come.

I received a free copy of this book via NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving a review

I hate writing a slightly negative review on an ARC but, there was only so many times I could read “the hairs on the back of her neck stood” or “her hair stood on end” as descriptors. The writing style felt repetitive and the speed was off. It felt uneven, we would have a lot happen, then nothing for chapters, then another burst, then nothing. It was too up and down & the action chapters felt rushed for no reason.

The plot was meh, the characters are boring and one dimensional. Though, I did enjoy Tovey’s powers and the prophecy!!
The back and forth of events at the end felt unneeded and rushed.
The ending did leave the door wide open for book 2 & hopefully some clarity on what the main plot is.

Also, any book dropping “I Love you” at 66% is just not for me. These two had negative chemistry and I’m just supposed to get on board with them being in love after only knowing each other for two weeks? Or supposedly on love?
Did we end the book with no idea how these two really felt about each other? Yes, we did.

This was a great read! I was on the edge of my seat wanting to know what would happen next. I can’t believe I have to wait for more answers. I didn’t know who to trust throughout. There were a few times where I felt the author was over-explaining or repeating certain things where in my head I was thinking “yes, we know…we got that!” and also a few times I was annoyed with the main character’s decisions! Overall, I loved the plot though and just really wish I could keep reading the series RIGHT NOW! :)

ARC from NetGalley

This book kept me on my toes the entire time! I honestly could never tell what Tovey was going to do next! 😂
The fantasy world described in this book is not all sunshine and roses, and is particularly dark at times!
Tovey’s journey did however give me the level of escapism I needed, I’m also a massive fan of any enemies to lovers and an MCs journey into uncovering the secrets in the world around her!

The end of the story was all twists and turns, the majority of which I did not see coming and I can’t wait for the next book.

C.J. Sparrow's latest novel, Tolerant, is a captivating exploration of the power of acceptance and understanding. Through the story of two characters, Sparrow paints a vivid picture of the struggles and triumphs of learning to accept and embrace differences.

The novel follows the journey of two characters, each with their own unique perspectives and backgrounds. Through their interactions, readers are taken on a journey of self-discovery and growth. As the characters learn to accept and understand each other, they also learn to accept and understand themselves.

Sparrow's writing is both engaging and thought-provoking. The characters are well-developed and their stories are compelling. The novel is a powerful reminder of the importance of tolerance and understanding in our lives.

Thank you to the publisher for allowing me to read this eARC.

While this was definitely interesting and entertaining and I enjoyed the world and story...this was just okay. There wasn't anything unique about it and it felt like another fantasy story. It was good though.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ - 3.5 stars!

This is my first book by this author and it didn't disappoint. I went into it without knowing what to expect and I quickly started to become entranced with this world.

Tovey has trained all her life to become a servant of Abolend. The collective is the only family she knows and she feels proud of what the future could hold for her. But when things take a twist for the worse, Tovey finds herself trusting the most unexpected person. Soon, she realizes everything she thought she knew about herself and the kingdom isn't exactly true.

There's a lot of world building throughout that may get a bit confusing, especially with such level of description, but there's fantasy, prophecies, romance and action. How can you not like it?

4/5 Stars
I enjoyed reading Tolerant. Anyone who is a fan of the Throne of Glass series will probably get along great with this book. They have a very similar vibe of magic being taboo and the brutality of class wars.

The world in which the story takes place is truly brutal in a horrific way. I would advise the reader to look into the trigger warnings and to be wary if you have a weak stomach. The poor are shuttled into different "collectives" where they are beaten and terrorized into believe they are weaker than the high borns and they were born into the world to do nothing but serve their betters. The trainers in collectives are encouraged to give them "impairments". Which is a lovely way of saying please cut off body parts, take out eyes, slash their faces to teach them a lesson.

The main character Tovey was given to a collective with her older sister when she was a baby because there were people hunting after her (unbeknownst to Tovey).. She grew up wearing a blindfold as an impairment .Although in her case, it was protection so the magic hating community can't see her strange purple eyes. After escaping the collective and pretending to be a different sister, Tovey begins serving at the royal palace. While serving the Crown Prince, she finds out that her purple eyes mark her as a girl who is prophesized to be a demon who brings about the final war of the realm. She teams up with the Crown Prince and journey's to a far off land of magic wielders to stop the war before it starts.

I thought this book was great. The world building was truly immersive. I often times could close my eyes and feel the collective when Tovey was describing it. I appreciated that I was kept guessing the whole time. I did not at any point know what was going to happen between Tovey and the Prince until it was over. It certainly was a page turner. I felt it ended well enough that I wasn't completely pissed that I have to wait, but I will absolutely follow this series through to completion. There are questions I have, that I WANT ANSWERED lol.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this novel. Excellent story.

Tovey is a complicated character. She suffered from, what I believe, a bit of Stockholm syndrome. She cares deeply for people that have treated her with nothing but hate and distaste throughout her life. She’s incredibly naïve, but you start to see her finally open her eyes towards in the last few chapters. Her character growth was done wonderfully, however I wish I’d have seen it sooner in the novel. Towards the end of the story, however, I still had questions about the prophecy and where she came from and why.

CJ Sparrow left so much unanswered that makes you need to read the next book in the series. The prophecy, the characters who seemed to be on her side, yet their dialogue sang a different tune, Cullus’ continued support of his kingdom. There’s is still so much to learn and I am so excited to see Tovey’s story evolve!


My only complaints of this story were the dialogue and the last few chapters seemed rushed. I found that some of the dialogue did not equate to dialogue you would see if this time period. It was very modern dialogue, sayings you find in every day life. Which made some of the conversations hard to believe.


All in all, this was such a fun and exciting story and I would suggest it to anyone who love’s YA fantasy!

This story starts out with a really unique and interesting premise - a corrupt and brutal kingdom, a rigid and dark caste system, and a prophecy telling of the birth of a demon with purple eyes that promises war.

The beginning of the story really caught my attention as it focuses on the Collectives, or the places where they indoctrinate servants basically from birth. It did definitely give Handmaid's Tale vibes, with the impairments and the treatment of the girls (but with no non consensual activities, they were just regular servants). So, that was a hit for me. The prophesy itself - and Tovey's role in it that you are constantly questioning were very engaging.

As for the writing, I feel like when it came to the characters, there was no characterization consistency. I'm definitely a fan of a hot and cold love interest or an indecisive character finding themselves, but if it's pretty much every major character and you can't pin down their personality the entire book? I felt like I just didn't know who they were, and the dramatic shifts didn't flow for me at all. Speaking of love interests - Cullus. At zero point in time was he remotely likable. I mean he was definitely brainwashed by an extremely corrupt system, but there's also no growth so I stand by my opinion that he sucks. Like he starts to see Tovey as an actual human being, and is like "oh wow, I was raised to think you were nothing and I guess that was wrong" and then STILL has barely an ounce of empathy for anyone else they cross paths with. The relationship itself was insanely fast, and I think it would have flowed better for me is Cullus was more fleshed out.

And finally, I felt like a lot of things were twisted beyond believability in order to assist the plot. It is a fantasy - I don't expect it to be believable, but also I do. Ya know? A lot of "oh.. that's highly unlikely but convenient" moments. Like the fact that Tovey's eyes are purple and GLOW and the blindfold she has worn her entire life that has protected her identity is sheer enough for her to see through, but not sheer enough to hide glowing purple light. Or when Tovey *coughed* to cover the sound of her punching a glass window with a guard stationed outside her door. If the sound of your cough can drown out the sound of shattering glass - you should see a doctor, fantasy realm or not lol.

The story line itself was interesting and I was invested enough to keep reading to find out what happens next but this was 50/50 for me.

*Thanks to NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.*

Tolerant is a fantasy book interwoven with great subliminal messages and a likeable MC.

I think my favorite part about this book was the main character Tovey. I liked how she challenged the world around her and continually defied the expectations set for her.

While this book did have me interested in the story and what the main character Tovey would do next, I also found a lack of depth and intensity. I didn’t love the writing style and I consistently found myself having to reread passages because I wasn’t intrigued enough to keep paying attention.

Tolerant holds good ideals and spreads a great message, but for me, the story left something to be desired.