Instead of preparing her prize hawks for the winter hunt, Princess Lyudmyla finds herself thrust into a perilous game of power and deception in the court of Sultan Mahmud II.
War looms on the horizon, betrayal threatens from within, and now Lyudmyla must navigate the deadly politics of the harem to survive and return home to the Kievan Rus.

This is a genre I rarely dip into however, the premise sounded interesting. I am glad to say it is fully worth the effort, the writing is flowing and the story zips along well. Some of the books of this genre are filled with strange names and confusing characters but Rotten Sweet Things is very easy to read and I enjoyed it thoroughly. I look forward to other stories from this author. Thank you Netgalley and the publishers for an ARC of this book.

Thank you Netgalley and author JD McKelvin for the e-copy of this book in exchange for a review.

"Instead of preparing her prize hawks for the winter hunt, Princess Lyudmyla finds herself thrust into a perilous game of power and deception in the court of Sultan Mahmud II.

War looms on the horizon, betrayal threatens from within, and now Lyudmyla must navigate the deadly politics of the harem to survive and return home to the Kievan Rus.

With enemies closing in from all sides, and walls that whisper deadly secrets, Lyudmyla's only hope may lie in an unlikely ally—a mysterious outlaw whose dark past and enigmatic powers may hold the key to her survival. But as their bond deepens, Lyudmyla realizes that trusting him could be her undoing, for darkness follows him like a shadow and his true motives remain secret.

As the dark force rises, entwining the fate of two worlds, Lyudmyla must confront her deepest fears and embrace her destiny as Queen of the Hidden Ones.

Against olden magic, fierce creatures, and ruthless, scheming adversaries, she must rely on hard-earned lessons to emerge victorious in a battle where the stakes will echo into the centuries.

Treachery lurks in the shadows and lies hold sway when everyone is a spy and gossip is power. Tell no one of what you’ve seen behind the veil."

I enjoy reading it.

(Rotten Sweet Things) These Cruel Watchers - Queen of the Hidden Ones: Book One by JD McKelvin is an absolutely sumptuous, blinding epic that combines historical fiction and high fantasy seamlessly

Princess Lyudmyla is a famous harrier seemingly without a care in the world outside of her royal pasttimes, but this is all thrust into turmoil when a battle to rule commences, within the court and from enemies outside, all parties under the gaze of the watcher, the mysterious eye that appeared in the sun 3 centuries past.

There is so much to this book that I took my time with it and I am glad that I did, it is utterly thrilling! It flows like a torrent and it's so full that it challenges the reader to keep pace and for that reason, it is utterly gripping and highly compelling. Full of characters a reader can engage with and a storyline that keeps weaving and darting, this is a an epic read and I am looking forward to more!

Thank you to Netgalley, The Write Path Publishing LLC and the author JD McKelvin for this phenomenal ARC. My review is left voluntarily and all opinions are my own

I liked the historical element and its clear the author put a lot of effort into building this story. It was vivid and unique, it really drew me in.

DNFed at Chapter 8. The historical premise of this book was of interest to me, but unfortunately I found it difficult to get into the story. This is partially due to formatting issues - the top and bottom sentence of every page was cut off, and I was unable to adjust it. Completely understand that this is an ARC but it did make following the story more challenging.

I wasn't able to get into the story at all. I pushed my way through, which isn't a good sign while reading should be something you enjoy, and hoped for the moment the book turned for the better but it didn't for me.

So, when I first saw this book available on Netgalley, I was initially intrigued. I'm always down for a retelling, set in Europe during the late Middle Ages/early Rennaissance, that includes folklore woven throughout. But, as I tried to read the story, I was finding that I just wasn't into the story. Like, as I progressed, I just couldn't get into it. So, unfortunately, this will have to be another book that I'll have to set aside unfinished. There may come a time where I might pick it up again to finished, but it might be a while before I do.

I liked this book. I think the concept was good and the writing is well crafted. The descriptions of characters and the world around them is vivid and helped me get into the world of the story.