Tabitha Angel
Dreams of a Butterfly: A Reverse Harem Fantasy Romance: Butterfly Requiem: Book 1
Series
Praise
This book is a great start to a series by a debut author that does not read like a debut. You won't have to worry about badly edited text or disjointed choppy writing. It has a great flow switching POVs between the main characters.
The world building is really well thought out and complex but because it's revealed over the course of the book, it avoids the overly heavy and usually convoluted info dump that many fantasy books suffer from. Overall, I liked the world and the magic system is interesting to learn. While there are some cool powers and some characters that can wield powerful tools, there is a cost to using it, so none of it seems easy. The plot seems simple at first but as the chapters go on more complexity and nuance comes in. The characters as well are not 2 dimensional cardboard cutouts. You get to know them and their slowly. They were not the conventional and overused RH leads. Each has their own issues both personal and species centered. There is something about how Mina is written that makes you want to know her. I love that the author made her very very morally charcoal grey. I wonder how that will come to the front again in the following books (I just don't buy her new found conscience). The guys are all likable and definitely have their own personalities. There are a lot of questions left hanging on this first cliffie, I will be reading the next book for sure. This author is one to watch, can't wait to see what she's going to put these peeps through.
As someone who consumes fantasy novels like her life depends on it Dreams of a butterfly is a very refreshing contribution to the genre, and a series I fully plan on continuing to read.
The world Tabitha has created is unique with well described scenes for the landscapes and towns/cities the protagonists visit, I was just as interested in the world the characters lived in as I was about the characters themselves.
I also appreciated the intriguing twists Tabitha has added to the typical fantasy races and the way their societies worked.
The pacing is excellent, each time I felt like putting the book down something else was revealed at the perfect time to keep me hooked and on the edge of my seat.
One of my frequent (and biggest) critiques of novels done by debut authors is they struggle to keep the personality of their characters consistent but Tabitha has done an excellent job of that.
Mina is a lovable pain in the ass whose scars run deep.
William is an absolute sweetheart who does his best to live his life with kindness and honour.
Renault is a bitter loner who does his best to keep everyone at arms length.
Boris is a cinnamon roll who will do whatever he needs to do in order to expand his knowledge and sate his never ending curiosity.
Each one has individual beliefs, quirks, traumas and secrets that you learn about over time as they all get to know each other over the course of their journey.
If you enjoy books with slow burn, lots of intrigue, mystery, and tension, then this book is definitely one to check out.
PoVs? Varied. Their voices? Unique. Everyone has a distinct identity, and their relationship with Mina? Just as unique. Different wavelengths, but their chemistry scratches in all the good places. Every chapter reveals something new about each character that leaves you wondering, and the plot only compliments this as an unknown forces lead them on a perilous journey that none of them are ready to tackle.
Boris is best boy. Fight me if you think otherwise.