Book: Love of the Bladed Dove by Alexia Gray
Reviewed by Anonymous
Rating: 4/5
Thankyou to the author @Alexia Gray 📚🕊️⚔️ for my #ARC copy of #LoveofthebladedDove, and the 2nd book, in anticipation of the 3rd book.
4⭐️
I have really enjoyed this book, the world building is more than decent, it is excellent.
Layla isn't like other princesses, she has guts and can stand up for herself, making her more alike the enemy Queen Okteria than maybe she first appreciated. Born to a kingdom that does not value daughters, and being dragged through the rough culture orientation of the kingdom holding her captive, she learns that daughters can indeed rule, and better than the men in many regards, and the same in other ways. Not to glorify xenophobia in anyway, though this kingdoms xenophobia to her kingdom is warrented, there is still a benefit to a ruler that ensures their people actually eat, and live in relative safety.
The enemies to lovers trope is far more complicated that the usual story, it's also a love triangle! I do have a criticism for Theron, but its more of a commentary on a broader misogyny in the real world. If he hadn't of been attracted to her, would he of become more chivalrous for another princess he wasn't attracted to? This is NOT a critism of the author, as everyone on earth that isnt a cis man is impacted by that kind of subconscious bias, and for a man like that to be written by a woman, it speaks more to how those who aren't cis men process such a thing, and how the pain of it can leak into the art created by the artist, subconsciously, and not as a seal of approval, or acceptance of said behaviour, it speaks more to how that is how cis men actually do think, feel and act, as they are conditioned to do so. I think its an important aspect to Therons psyche, and for the world to read, and realise.
The love triangle, in my opinion, is like watching a FMC that is a mix of Damsel, Daenerys, Princess Cirilla, and Joan of ARC . The MMCs being Theron, a mix of Thor, Thomas from Maze runner, Jon snow, and Khal Drogo, and Kain, a mix of Loki, a softer Joffrey Baratheon, Spike from buffy, and Warner Anderson. It is delicious!!
I found the writing on par with traditional authors, and also in many places there was absolute artistry
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