Incredibly fun and charming but also with a heavy dose of family PTSD. The main thing I knew going into this was DND and hot academic rivals vibes. Can say I was not disappointed on either of those.
The world building felt a little crazy - I think you are kind of meant to just go with it and not think too in depth about some of the elements. And there were a few things that I wish had been explained a little earlier, like the codependency bond between Seb and Orlock. Which btw, was the most supportive friendship, but then you find out why and have a bit of an "oh f*ck" moment.
The romance was believable, I can see why they were enemies and the dynamic of them going from enemies to friends-with-benefits to 'wait are we more' was a classic execution of tropes and led to some FANTASTIC tension, especially once Seb realizes that Elethior is so far gone for him.

I'm not sure I can quite put into words how much I LOVED THIS BOOK!! I am not a huge romance reader, in that I probably read a scattering each year and whilst I enjoy them, they never quite hit five stars.

But OH MY GOSH, this was perfect... I think it's the only romcom I have ever rated five stars, so if that isn't high praise I don't know what is.

What a delicious amalgamation of tender and touching, spicy, hilarious and meaningful. This story was just so wonderful and the chemistry Sebastian and Thio had was OFF THE SCALE!! I cannot wait to continue this series when future books come out.

(Video on my TikTok to follow)

Oh, I LOOOOVED this.

The perfect combination of romance, comedy, and fantastical elements wrapped into a steamy package all tied up with a ribbon of trauma. I feel like I’ve been consistently disappointed by romances recently, and this made me love the genre again.

Raasch created a modern fantasy world that was so fun, with characters that were well written and humor that actually made me laugh. The intimacy and friendship that this book served up on a platter of inner healing made it impossible to put down.

And I’m SO excited about this being a series! I could honestly read books from this world for the rest of my days.