This did not live up to my expectations but I can see potential with this writer. My opinion is similar to many others in that the world building truly needs to be fleshed out. So many questions left unanswered or unclear history. I did like the banter and the book read at a great pace (I don’t think adding in more details about the world and character backgrounds would negatively affect this). I’d definitely be interested in obtaining a final copy to see if the author implemented any positive changes and if so, would read more of her books.

This book was an interesting twist on the romantasy genre. In “Keeper of the Scarlet Petals”, Jasmine is tasked with not only protecting but providing for the every need of her friend/competitor Asher. When Asher’s family is killed Jasmine is assigned to protect him from any attacks against him. I enjoyed this book but the more I thought about it the more I realized I don’t really understand it. The story line is straightforward but there is essentially no world building. What is a keeper and what are they protecting others from? Is there a war? Jasmine is considered a “gutter rat” but what that means is never really explained. What is the Sanctuary? There really isn’t even a description of what the buildings or characters look like. I would be willing to try the next in the series but I really hope there is more world building included. Thank you to NetGalley,the author and the publisher for the ARC I received of this book.

Thank you NetGalley and A.N Skye for early access in exchange for my honest review.

A keepers job is to keep their charge alive, and Jasmine as a first year student wasn’t prepared to be given the responsibility of young nobleman whose family had just been assassinated. Her new charge being the one person who makes her blood boil, she must keep him alive from assassins while simultaneously continuing her training. Asher while impossible, is now her responsibility, and they must navigate the roles they’ve been thrown into. They soon come to realize the forces at work are much larger, and much more dangerous than they realized. Trusting each other is the only way they’re going to make it out of this alive.

This was a cute read! The banter between Asher and Jasmine was genuinely adorable. The growth they experience from enemies, friends, to lovers was refreshing. It wasn’t rushed and naturally fell into place comfortably. As any young romance should! If you loved enemies to lovers, forced proximity, strong heroine, and cursed magic this book is for you!

We got a lot of information of the school, the differences between mages and Keepers, but I wanted to know more about the world outside of the school. The book takes place almost completely within the walls of the school and it would have been cool to have more explanation if we couldn’t physically have characters leave the school often. I would have loved to have more information about the relationship between older Keepers and Mages as well to really get insight into what the “kids” were preparing for once they graduated. I hope that is built up more in the next book. This is going to be a series so I’m assuming more is going to be revealed as we continue into the world!

The author paid great attention to building the magic aspect that I really appreciated. They thought of really clever ways of explaining how the magic in this world works and why it works. I didn’t feel confused as to how they were gathering magic and how they were able to harness it. Especially when it came to how Ashers magic abilities. It was a great start to a series and I’m excited to read the next book!

⭐️⭐️.5 stars (rounded up to 3 for GR)
🌶️ spice

This is a new adult fantasy romance set in an academy, where would-be graduates train to become magic wielders or Keepers (essentially one on one bodyguards to the wielders). The FMC and MMC are rival Keepers training to out-rank each other, when they are both suddenly thrown into real life assignments off the back of the assassination of the MMC's entire family.

This book had so much potential! I'm keeping in mind that this is an arc, so likely some final editing to be done before the publish date to fix up some grammatical errors and repeated phrases etc.

Things I loved about it were the unique magic system, the world itself as a concept, the academic setting, high stakes, action scenes and moments of romantic tension. Loved that there was no "chosen one" trope, but focused on characters with a seemingly lower power ranking in their universe. I also did not see the twist coming at the end, and for that alone I would still want to continue the series to see where it went. I'm invested.

At first it was hard to get into, with the internal monologue of the FMC distracting from the scene setting. She often repeated information that was given in previous pages, those asides seemed like overkill for the plot.

More character and world building would have made this a four star read for me - I really wanted more of the backstories of the main characters. I want to understand why Asher was distant from his family, how Jasmine ended up on the streets and what went down with the king. I don't even think the main characters had detailed descriptions. I couldn't tell you what they look like, which made it hard to visualise them.

I was desperately craving a slow burn! The tension really could have been built up for maximum impact, but their relationship went from 0 to 100, and suddenly Jasmine is jumping on him two seconds after catching the feels. The spice itself felt like it wanted to get more down and dirty, but was cautious of taking that leap into more descriptive territory. Speaking of which, where on earth was the foreplay?! Poor Jasmine. The spice was over so quickly once it finally arrived! Killed me.

Tropes:
✨Rivals to Lovers
✨Forced Proximity
✨One Bed
✨Bodyguard
✨Academia

My review is also published on Goodreads!

The story follows Jasmine, a young girl who has just begun her training as a Keeper at Sanctuary, a college for Keepers and mages. Keepers are dedicated to protecting others, and Jasmine wasn't quite ready for the responsibility that came with it. After a brutal life of thievery in the slums, all she wanted was to focus on mastering the sword arts and avoid her other duties.
However, her plans are quickly derailed when she is assigned to protect a young nobleman whose family was murdered. Her new charge, Marcus, is cocky and smug, and Jasmine can't stand him. But she must put her personal feelings aside and protect him with her life. As they navigate through dangerous situations and unravel a malevolent plot, Jasmine and Marcus start to develop a deeper connection.
One of the things I loved most about this book was the character development. Jasmine is a strong and independent protagonist who has had a tough life, but she learns to open up and trust others as she grows into her role as a Keeper. Marcus, on the other hand, starts off as a spoiled and entitled nobleman, but as he and Jasmine spend more time together, he becomes a more likable and relatable character.
The world-building in this book is also fantastic. A.N. Skye has created a vivid and immersive fantasy world filled with magic, danger, and political intrigue. I found myself fully invested in the story and eager to learn more about this fascinating world. The pacing of the story is perfect, with just the right amount of action, romance, and plot twists to keep the reader engaged. I also appreciated the themes of loyalty, sacrifice, and the power of friendship that were woven throughout the book.
I highly recommend this book!

I can really see where the potential is in the story line but it just falls flat. It could be a great book if written differently.
There is little to no story building so it hard to get deep into the storyline when we don’t understand much about where it’s taking place, the history, etc. Inner-monologue mixed with 3rd person writing feels weird. Not well written, not well executed.

It was so rushed! I also don't like third pov and the writing style wasn't for me. Of the author slowed down the pace and did more world building it wouldn't be bad.

This was not for me.

There’s a few areas where I felt things were lacking but overall the book just felt rushed.

Characters felt one dimensional and I didn’t engage with any of them. I don’t feel like I really got to know any of them either, they just all fell a bit flat for me. This probably wasn’t helped by the dialogue feeling quite stilted and awkward at times. There was very minimal world building going on here. What glimpses we got of the world were interesting but there needed to be so much more of it. I also felt like the prose was a bit juvenile at times - I was expecting YA from the writing but then suddenly romance scenes are ramping up which surprised me honestly. You know what didn’t surprise me though? The plot. Very predictable. I called every ‘twist’ a mile away which was disappointing.

There’s definitely potential here but I think it all just felt a bit ‘rough and ready’ and needs polishing up.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an E-ARC

So I really tried to like this book, however it wasn't engaging enough. The book primarily circled around the heroin and hero, which did not necessarily feel like a 'complete' story. I skimmed through most of it. There wasn't much in terms of romance, character development and exceptional writing that immediately captivates you as a reader. The storyline itself felt generic to other books in this category and some bits made me cringe due to the lack of it being a masterpiece.

Wow the plot was everything.
This was such a fun and enjoyable read! I loved the characters, their wit and desire to do the most, this book gives forced proximity, thrilling romance, tension build up and friendships! I’d definitely say the book is more YA nonetheless still such an easy book to read.

I’m afraid I had to dnf this book at 40% I really tried to love and I think the premise is fantastic it just needs a little extra work to be really good .

I loved this book! The twists, turns, and suspense made for an exciting reading experience. The way the relationship developed between the two main characters had me rooting for their romance from the beginning. I loved that they were both strong fighters and worked so well together. The unique bond between them enhanced their relationship even more after they’d already chosen each other. Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book and I’m excited to see what the author has in store for potential future installments!

Thank you so much to Aethon Books for providing this ARC book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

DNF at 13%

Sadly this book is written in third pov. I really wanted to still continue reading but sadly I can’t☹️☹️

🕮 ARC review 🕮


✰⋆☾ ⋆ Keeper of Scarlet Petals ⭑☽ ✧˖°. A.N. Skye ✰


🕮 Romantasy
🕮 Debut novel
🕮 Love the cover
🕮 Magic
🕮 ?/🌶🌶🌶🌶🌶

DNF'd this book at 40%, It felt too rushed and not engaging what so ever. Almost zero to no world building and the relationship felt really rushed while the book is listed as a slow burn.

Wasn't a fan of the writing style either but that's my personal preference. 😊

Synopsis: Jasmine was granted reprieve from the slums by the King to devote her life to being a Keeper. Who knew that would mean acting as a Keeper on year one of training! Her life gets suddenly uprooted one day as she’s forced to protect her rival, Asher, from Keeper training. Asher had been hiding that he is Starvein, the noble class that can safely practice magic. Jasmine cannot fail. She has no choice but to trust Asher and find a way to keep them both safe from constant threats.

All in all, I do think the series has potential and good start to a debut novel. There is plenty of room for character growth as the story unfolds.

The pacing of the book was ok. The story spans over a few weeks. We have little to no information about the world or the Sanctuary other than it being a kingdom and the dangers of who can and cannot possess magic. I do think this was in part intentional by the author to keep people curious and to make surprising moments more of a shock. My copy had some spelling and grammatical errors.

SPOILERS about love interest ahead:
Asher and Jasmine were a nice duo to read regarding their partnership, but the relationship between Asher and Jasmine was not a slow burn. It happened almost immediately. We do get Asher’s point of view at times although it’s mainly told in third person POV with Jasmine’s thoughts interjected. One of Asher’s early POVs was letting us know he wanted to court Jasmine before he was forced to transfer from the Keeper program to Starvein program. The chapters prior to that did not make Asher and Jasmine close, but they were more of academic rivals. It didn’t seem like much of the first year of training went on. In a relatively short time, he wants to court her, they become roommates, and then start dating.

Thank you for the opportunity to read and review! There’s a near identical Goodreads book listed as Keeper of Crimson Petals by
Winter Lie. I’m assuming this is the same book under another name.

This was a very good book. I enjoyed reading it so much! The writing was very well done. It was ya but it did not feel too young. I would highly recommend this book!

I really enjoyed getting into this world and not having to focus on reality for a while.

It was a YA fantasy and I did actually enjoy reading it more than I expected to.
While certain aspects definitely seemed ‘immature’, we’re looking at young adults who are still learning and growing up which I felt was shown a lot on page.

The premise was thoroughly addicting and I cannot wait to see what comes in book 2!

This book was not bad at all! I actually quite enjoyed the storyline and plot. Asher and Jasmine were sweet as characters and easy to follow.

Synopsis:

Jasmine was training to be a Keeper, while her comrade Asher was seemingly as well. After he disappears and Jasmine is assigned to fulfill her duty early by the King to protect a Starvein after his family was murdered, she soon realizes that not everything is as it seems.

While reading this book it was easy to get sucked into the characters, Asher and Jasmine made it easy. I liked the banter between the two and the mundane teachings between them. Unfortunately I lost a little bit of interest in the middle of story and put the book away for awhile before picking it back up again to finish it.

I’m glad I did because I was interested in learning who was after Asher. The plot twist definitely got me, so I was glad for a surprise!

I’m excited for this book to drop, happy reading!!

This was a very enjoyable, quick read. However, the beginning seemed very rushed and found the world building to be a bit lacking. I wish there had been a bit more suspense about why Asher had left the Keepers and a little insight into what his new role as the sole heir entailed. Ultimately, I loved the interactions between Asher and Jasmine. The dialogue was great and the plot kept me engaged the whole time so it was overall a great debut novel.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC!

This title has promise but I fear needs a bunch of work to really feel engaging. I'd say it's around a 2.5/2.75, and would typically have been one I didn't finish.

Firstly, there's almost no world-building whatsoever outside of the immediate surroundings in the story. We barely have any information on the world at large, and honestly very little about the sanctuary (does the place only have two teachers? Why are there dwindling numbers of keepers? What is the kingdom like? Why is it struggling? What's the deal with the King who supposedly helped Jasmine? etc etc). There's some history about a group of people called the Xolani, as well as designations of Keeper and Starvein, but I can’t say their descriptions are really in-depth, nor do I fully understand their purpose and standing in the world.

Second, the central relationship: With the two main characters, things felt flat. It's listed as a slow-burn romance but it's definitely NOT. Their relationship felt really really rushed, I think because until about 50% of the way in Jasmine feels like a pretty one-dimensional character, perhaps? Then around that 50% mark she suddenly realizes she's super into the MMC. So basically it goes from one scene of semi-combative talk between them to friendly interactions in the next scene to “you’re mine” super quickly. Their commitment to each other seemingly comes out of thin air. Their ages are never given, but they’re written as if they’re in their teens.

The book is written in third-person POV but has internal monologue from Jasmine (only 1-2 instances of a scene more from the MMC's perspective). To be honest, I don't think the internal monologue added anything. It actually felt like it dumbed things down for the reader. I felt the same about the dialogue in general - it was overly simplistic, over-explained any innuendo and plot points, and generally didn't do much to distinguish the two main characters from each other.

There are some grammatical and spelling errors in my copy but hopefully that will be fixed. In general, I think the book has promise but it needs a more meat overall - much more fleshing out and a less heavy-expository hand when it comes to dialogue.

SPOILERS BELOW:

One thing that super bothered me: I hate when books set up “reveals” that aren’t earned just for it to be a reveal - for example, there’s no reason for Esther to not tell Jasmine that Asher is the Starvein she’ll be protecting when Jasmine is given her assignment. The only reason it’s done is for the reader to get that “surprise” moment when Asher is revealed, it’s totally contrived. Give me actual setup that explains why she wouldn’t be told who her charge is! There were a few instances throughout this book where things were just clearly set up with no explanation just so they could be a bit surprising.