3.5/5

This was a really cute and quite unique little fantasy. And it's not too long, so it's fun and easy to binge!

This is Scottish-inspired in its fantasy world, with unique tartans (which was such a cool little detail that I really appreciated), phrases, and foods. There's really magic to this fantasy, any sort of folklore creature is seen the same way our world sees them, as made up and just fairytales, which was kind of a bummer. GIVE ME WHIMSICAL CREATURES!

This definitely wasn't a complicated fantasy world (in my opinion), I caught on to all the world-building and politics right away (which I always appreciate).

I would look up trigger warnings, just in case you struggle with something in this book. Especially with food.

But this is overall a fun and heartwarming little fantasy. Very cute and sweet and easy to just enjoy.

Thanks to NetGalley for the e-ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review! My Goodreads review is up and my TikTok (Zoe_Lipman) review will be up at the end of the month with my monthly reading wrap-up.

DNF at 24%.

I wanted to love this book. I love the cover, It has a best friends to lovers trope and the theme of starving yourself to get the perfect body is an important one, but I just couldn’t connect to this story. So, instead of giving a debut a low rating, I decided to DNF.

Check out the trigger warnings if you want to read this one!

I was hooked from the cover and description and so glad I was able to read this. It had that romantic feel that I was hoping for and the main characters felt like real people. I enjoyed getting to know the world and how the story worked with it. Everything was what I was hoping for and enjoyed the overall feel of this. Darcy Ash wrote this so well and I’m excited to read more from them.

First things first: Wow, is this book ever about an eating disorder. Heed the content warnings if that may be a problem for you. It has a happy ending, at least for the MC involved—but the content could be very hurtful for some.

I thought the premise of this book was intriguing, and the world the author has created was interesting. I cared about both MCs, and the plot was fun. I did think the author took the easy way out a bit—things wrapped up too easily. If the last 20% of the book had been fleshed out to match the quality of the first half, I'd have enjoyed it a lot more. That said, I would read more from this author!

My thanks to the publisher/NetGalley for an advance copy of this book.

"The Two Hungers of Prince Fierre" by Darcy Ash explores the tumultuous life of Prince Fierre, who finds himself ensnared in a chaotic and toxic environment. He is surrounded by a retinue that perpetuates dysfunction, with the exception of his loyal right-hand man, Aiven. As Fierre navigates this challenging world, the novel highlights serious issues such as disordered eating, unhealthy body images, toxic relationships, slut-shaming, and self-harm, presenting a sobering portrait of the darkness within its characters' lives.

While readers who appreciated "A Taste of Gold and Iron" and "A Strange and Stubborn Endurance" might apreciate some aspects in Ash's work, it ultimately fell short for me. The intense focus on toxic culture overshadowed the plot, resulting in characterizations that felt a bit underdeveloped. I struggled to form a genuine connection with the characters, and the pacing felt a little off. Although the novel features intriguing elements and considerable potential, it ultimately did not resonate with me as I had hoped. The CWs were a lot for me personally--Though it may be a great read for others.

Thank you to Rebellion and NetGalley for the ARC.

Thank you to NetGalley for allowing me to read an arc of this book

I was drawn in by the cover and the happy ever after promise along with queer joy mentioned in the description.
However when I began reading and saw the authors trigger warnings, I realised that this book was not for me as it contains multiple accounts of sexual assault.
I appreciate the author giving the warnings and am sure they’ve written a great book, however I can’t continue to read it. I really wish that NetGalley would post trigger warnings in the books descriptions so that people could be informed about possible triggers before requesting