Member Reviews

I really enjoyed this book and could talk about it for hours, but I won't. :)

To start, I’ll go over the things I liked. I really liked Jasmine. I thought she was an interesting and strong character. She could probably use a little more development, but I think there is time for that in the future books. Which I fully intend on reading! I feel like we could have used some more information about her story than just her being from the slums, it felt sort of like a placeholder while the author tried to figure out what exactly she wanted for Jasmine’s background, but not horrible. I think one of the big things I wanted to hear about was her parents, but alas.

The love interest was a solid character, and I think that he and Jasmine are pretty well suited for each other. I also really liked Jasmine’s best friend, Lydia, she was a super fun energy to the book and her sort of love interest was a fun view of some minor character development.

I think the plot was interesting and kept me intrigued and entertained, and I think the plot twists were pretty cool. I also feel like the attacks were random enough that I wasn’t constantly analyzing when I thought the next one would be. It was an easy and fun read, and something I could read again without feeling bored. Even though I know everything that happens I think there’s enough mystery to keep me reading into everything to find something new each time- or at least a couple times. This was truly a solid book for what appears to be a debut novel from the author.

There wasn't a lot that I didn't like about this book, but I think the main thing is character motivations felt a little odd. It felt like a very easygoing plot and situation because I couldn't understand character motivations.

I would definitely recommend reading this book, it was well worth it!

Was this review helpful?

3.5 ⭐

This series has a lot of potential. It does have Divergent vibes and I do like school settings, but some parts felt overly repetitive while other parts felt underdeveloped and confusing.

I do like Asher and Jasmine's story, as well their friends, and I will continue to follow this series.

Thank you to the author, publisher and Netgalley for the eARC in exchange for my honest review.

Was this review helpful?

Thank you to netgalley, Atheon Books, and A.N. Skye for this ARC!

The premise of this book had me excited and intrigued, but unfortunately it just did not hit the mark for me personally. It most certainly did not read at being in the New Adult category, and the romance felt incredibly rushed on the MC Jasmine's side. I wish the magic system and world building had been expanded upon instead of the monotone feeling thoughts of Jasmine. The other MC, Asher, felt like he had more depth in quite a bit of the book. I fully understand that this A.N. Skye's first published work and that it is supposed to be the beginning of a series by them, but overall it just lacks in so many different areas. The potential is there for this to turn into something amazing, so hopefully their writing and story telling continues to improve because I think if there was more clarification and development it would have been an absolute hit!

Was this review helpful?

This was an Interesting read and a new sort of take on magic. It was a bit confusing and could use some clarity. The characters were enjoyable and I liked their banter.

Was this review helpful?

I easily binged this in one sitting- it was easy to read and pretty fast paced. I loved the school like setting and the characters. I enjoyed the plot and the use of magic and the training. I did love Asher and Jasmine individually and together but I felt like their enemies to lovers was over too fast and their love felt almost instant; I like the banter between enemies to lovers and I felt we didn’t quite get to see enough. The twist was 50/50 I didn’t see one person who was involved but I did see the second I felt the author basically told you about the involvement of said character but didn’t know their true purpose which will make book two interesting. Even though I wasn’t obsessed I’d love to continue this series and see what the author has planned!

Was this review helpful?

The book was enjoyable and the dynamic between Jasmine and Asher was sweet! The banter between the two was entertaining and the characters made some growth together towards the end. Jasmine is a Keeper whose sole purpose is to protect a charge - who so happens to be Asher. I would say that it could be described as bodyguard romance/enemies to lovers, but they are not true enemies.. The book didn't set up world building as much as I had hoped, but the pace of the book was good. There were for sure moments that lasted a bit too long that seemed unnecessary to the continuing story. I did, however, really enjoy how the book ended, especially the epilogue and how it alluded that there was more to the story. There is romance, a little action, and some twists/turns that still entertained me!
Thank you Netgalley and A.N. Skye for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Was this review helpful?

A really gripping read, I thought the characters were intriguing and I'm going to look out for more by this author.

Was this review helpful?

I realise that writing a book is an emotional journey for a writer. It takes courage to put your hardwork out there for the world to read. I acknowledge the hardwork put in by this author for this book although it wasn't for me.

The Keeper of Scarlet petals begins with a promising start but then just stays linear. There are not much character developments and the dialogues were quite mouthy with no charm to it.

I wish the author fleshed out the leads more and encompassed a lot more into the plotline. Sometimes it felt that the author went back on the development. For ex: Asher was the best keeper but suddenly he doesn't even have the basic instinct of a warrior. Also they were too trusting with information.

The epilogue of the book was quite promising. I feel that if this book is marketed as YA, it will generate a wider audience.

I give this book 2 stars. I thank NetGalley for the E-Arc and I am leaving my review voluntarily.

Was this review helpful?

To begin with, thank you NetGalley, publisher, and author for this ARC!

I have many thoughts about this book. I like the idea and premise of it, but to me, it felt a little flat. The characters weren’t my favorite. Jasmine’s character was a little all over the place. I wasn’t a fan of her inner dialogue in between the narration of the story. There was little world building and was unsure of what time period the book was set in. I had an idea from the description of the technology, but the way the characters spoke felt too modern. Jasmine’s character also felt a little juvenile at times. I did admire her perseverance and dedication to her training, but I didn’t know why her training in the other facets of her education were lacking. They seemed strict about it, but I was unsure if her education and training were at her own pace. I figured they would have like a class schedule so everybody would have equal training. I wanted to know more about her background from early on, instead of very small snippets besides her being homeless and being selected by the king.

Asher’s character was a little more developed, but he still lacked much personality. It seemed as if his families death wasn’t spoken about much, and the process of figuring out his magic was tedious to read. The scenes with Jasmine and Asher were a little repetitive and I wished they had more tension between them. The scene where they get together felt random and there was little to none sexual tension even at that point. And the use of “dating” the next morning that Jasmine told Lydia felt very forced and the nature of their relationship didn’t feel natural.
The other Keeper teachers were probably the most developed characters in terms of their personality. I wished there was more interaction with Esther and Jasmine.

Even around 60% the plot was almost non-existent. There is very little mention about the enemy group, Last Light and there is mostly training and weirdly, a lot of interaction of cooking and food.
The writing and narration was okay, and also around 60% we don’t learn anything that the title of the book is based on. The pace is decent, but again, the chapters of the training and cooking lasted too long taking away from the plot.

Was this review helpful?

Thank you to Netgalley for the arc. These are my honest opinions.

I really liked this book! I went in not too sure what to expect, but I quickly understood the premise and the main characters. I enjoyed the progression of the beginning and the dynamic between Jasmine and Asher. One thing I found different in a good way was the reverse roll of the fmc having to take care of mmc. This book has some spice but not too much! Also really enjoyed the side characters Lydia is hilarious and I love her relationship with both Asher and Jasmine. Pina came in unexpectedly, but I ended up really liking her. The mystery of not knowing who is behind everything and then learning it at the end was great! Can’t wait to read the next book.

Was this review helpful?

First and foremost thank you for allowing me to read this book. This book took a minute to get into. I found the main characters inner voice to be very annoying. However, as the book went on the book got so much better. I love the premise, the shorty, and the twists and turns. Great job.

Was this review helpful?

I was really drawn to the description and cover of this book but it unfortunately wasn't for me.
Disclaimer that I did DNF so maybe it improves it really read like a YA novel. The main character repeatedly mentions how she just really likes fighting and doesn't study anything else, to the point where it is annoying.
There is little background into this academy and why she's being sent off for the big mission. I feel like more of the plot should've centered around the training before transitioning, as it is it reads like she is woefully unprepared and is unbelievable.
I really wanted to enjoy the plot, there was just too many holes jumped over to get to the juicy bits

Was this review helpful?

Thank you NetGalley and Aethon Books for this eARC in exchange for a honest review.

Where do I begin?

It is commendable and a huge accomplishment for your work to be published and distributed, so for that I admire A. N. Skye. I couldn't have written a book even if my life depended on it.

However this whole book really did my head in. The blurb sounds right up my alley and a book this size would normally take me max 3 days to read. Yet, my experience was anything but enjoyable. Maybe it just wasn't for me. But I really suffered through and pushed to finish the book.

It had me questioning: did I finish this book, or did this book finish me?

The writing was mainly dialogue and felt stilted. There was barely any world building, let alone any romance or fantasy (which is what the blurb promised). There was no chemistry or tension between the main leads. Even when they finally got together, I wasn't even smiling/giggling/kicking my feet. There was just nothing there to root for. The characterisations also fell flat and felt disjointed. For the main female lead who supposedly 'hated' the main male lead, she sure folded like a lawn chair pretty quickly. She goes on to proclaim herself as his friend but yet it took her forever to acknowledge his family tragedy - and this was AFTER her whining about not passing her classes. The main male lead was no better. He has no substance - I don't even remember what his character was like and I just finished reading this book half an hour ago.

The pacing was out of whack. The climax was anti-climatic. The antagonists and their lore was glossed over (despite this being the first book in the series that was supposed to set the scene/world). Even the secondary antagonists were obvious. There was no action until literally the last 30 pages. The rest of the book was about the main female lead learning to make eggs and the main male lead trying to use his magic.

I know this is an ARC so I do expect further revisions prior to it being published but yikesssss. This book needs a few rounds with an editor. So many filler scenes which did nothing to further the plot or would have been more appropriate if it was condensed in a few sentences. For example, there were a couple of pages dedicated to the main female lead learning how to make scrambled eggs. Another thing: "Jasine" (????? literally her name was spelt correctly only a few words before and after this). There were so many instances where I had to question whether I had a cerebral event or not. Turns out it was not me, it was the writing. Case in point: "he massaged her head gently with one hand while of his hands while the other cupped her backside".

Would not read again.

Overall rating: 1/5

Was this review helpful?

Action, adventure, and some fairly crappy romance. This was more of a young adult story than I had anticipated, but it was still fun to read. The vibe reminded me more of the Divergent series than the other comparisons I've heard. Jasmine starts out pretty unlikeable and flat but as her relationship with Asher develops, so does her character. I liked Asher from the beginning. A strong but sensitive guy with his own insecurities. Their spicy scenes are frankly terrible but fortunately short and don't get in the way of the storyline. I will keep my eye out for this series to continue.

Was this review helpful?

A great fantasy novel. I loved the characters relationship and how it evolved from hatred to something more. The action and fight scenes where fun and exciting to read.

Was this review helpful?

I thoroughly loved this. It combines a few of my favorite things: enemies to lovers, a school for magic, forced proximity, a lush new world and society and badass heroine lead. The only thing I would push for to make it perfect for me is more spice, it was pretty vanilla 🌶️🌶️ish. I did like that all the characters seemed a bit fluid and it was the norm/ expected to date both men and women. That has nothing to do with the plot/book but I am glad I am seeing more perspectives on what romance looks like.

Was this review helpful?

I will do my best to review this book with no spoilers so if it seams vague that would be why. Giving to many details would ruin some of the surprises in the book.
Jasmin was plucked off the streets and placed into a school that trains Keepers, kind of like Warder's from a wheel of time. Before her trining is complete she is given a keeper assignment she does not feel prepared to take.

The MMC and MFC have great chemistry and their relationship develops nicely during the length of the book and I look forward to seeing more of them together in the next book. The world building is light and magic system was easy to understand and not overly complex. This is a great combination for a Romantisy book.

The age of the characters and the mild spice makes this a new adult book, IMO. The book did have a lead in to the next book but fully wrapped up all major plot lines nicely.

I will defiantly read the next book when it is written and rereleased.

Was this review helpful?

I tried really hard to enjoy this book. I wasn't feeling it the first time I picked it up, so I put it down and picked it up again a few days later. But I still wasn't enjoying this book.

I had such a hard time getting into the book because it is mostly dialogue from the very beginning. It lacked really any form of worldbuilding. Also, I didn't like the main FMC she was immediately cocky and snarky in an annoying way.

Was this review helpful?

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.

This book had promise, but it just didn't work for me. I was interested in the world and the system of Keepers, Xolani and the kingdom itself, but there was not much development. I would let that slide as it is a romance novel, but the development of the main characters, Jasmine and Asher, was incredibly flat, and I felt that there was no chemistry between the whatsoever. When the reveal at the start of the book came out, there was no surprise since there was no buildup to it.

Overall, the book could be great if there was more fleshing out of characters and more building of the world.

Was this review helpful?

⁃ FMC guard (aka. Keeper)
⁃ poor girl rich guy
⁃ 3 romantic interludes 🌶️
⁃ M/F
⁃ Guard romance
⁃ A little mystery; a lot of action
⁃ Banter
⁃ Forced Proximity

Asher: suddenly heir after his family died
Jasmine: lower class volunteer for the king’s guard (keeper). Not exactly army; they protect specific magicians.
Riker: Jasmine’s Mentor
Qian--an aloof, intimidating teacher
Lydia--bff with a griddle and sass

Jasmine entered the Keeper academy after gaining approval from the King, and she had spent her first year only improving her fighting skills. As a scrappy slum rat, she didn’t care about the other aspects of being a Keeper, or guard to the rich (I mean, magic users) such as cooking, discourse, and deportment.

As such, she was at risk of failing out of the program or undergoing remedial education. Her best friend Lydia was cooking for her, but all that changed when she is suddenly assigned to guard a new noble (Magic user and noble). The Keepers were overwhelmed by guerrilla or rebellions everywhere that they were now drafting students. Jasmine suddenly had both school and work, and she could not attend her classes. I feel for her! There was almost no way to succeed (And I have been there. It’s an oncoming train wreck.)

Asher was a fellow keeper-in-training, but with the murder of his family, he found himself stuck with his secret paramour as his guard. Unlike his peers, he exhibited no magic, and fellow students like Pira demeaned him for his lack. With Jasmine now guarding him, the teasing intensified. I thought this was a perfect opportunity to create a team rather than a dependent relationship, but neither of them were pleased by the arrangement.

When Asher was actually attacked by assassins, Jasmine stopped the assassin in a phenomenally engaging fight. Frankly, the fight scenes were my favorite parts! But the attacker managed to partially shove a cursed blade into Asher’s chest before he was defeated, and Jasmine’s extraction of the blade bonded the two of them.

She healed faster and was stronger. Asher, however, still struggled to show any magic ability. Only through an accident did they find that touching created a conduit for his magic. This ability was so unique that Qian was willing to work with them.

The story gets more intense as exams approach, and there is a really fascinating scene in the woods (yes, a fight scene!). The ending opens up more questions while also completing this story segment. Technically, it is not a cliffhanger but you will still want to grab the second novel.

Was this review helpful?