What do you think?
Rate this book
Knights of The Compass #1
The Knight and The Prince
Forced into an involuntary engagement, Prince Corinth of the North disguises himself and flees to the forbidden city of Evermort to enjoy the last of his freedom. Though a dangerous venture--as Northerners are usually welcomed with the end of a sharp sword--it’s worth the risk for a night of true liberation ... and to vex his father.
After losing half his men in a violent battle at the border of the North and South kingdoms, Sir Axle of the South seeks to drown his sorrows at the bottom of a Tankard of beer. He hates Northerners for their cruel and obnoxious ways, hates them for taking his people as slaves to work the mines, hates them for the murderers they are.
His motto: Meet a Northerner, and unsheathe your sword.
And when a cloaked Northerner enters his tavern, unsheathe his sword Axle does ...
After losing half his men in a violent battle at the border of the North and South kingdoms, Sir Axle of the South seeks to drown his sorrows at the bottom of a Tankard of beer. He hates Northerners for their cruel and obnoxious ways, hates them for taking his people as slaves to work the mines, hates them for the murderers they are.
His motto: Meet a Northerner, and unsheathe your sword.
And when a cloaked Northerner enters his tavern, unsheathe his sword Axle does ...
81 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 20, 2013
24 people are currently reading
372 people want to read
About the author
Dru Wellington
5 books25 followersContact: http://www.druwellington.com/?page_id=47.
I love fairy tales, both original and retellings, and that is where my idea for The Compass stemmed. A world where all these amazing fairy tales could live and breathe with some of my own little twists . . .
I'm really enjoying writing these novellas and discovering more of The Compass as I go. Perhaps someday a bigger novel will come out of this setting, and I hope these stories help to cultivate the world-building.
Of course, these novellas can be read as standalones, too. Each one features new heroes and the journey they go on to reach their happy ending.
The first volume in the world of "The Compass" will involve four "Knight" stories, but others are planned: Lords of the Compass, Pirates of the Compass, ... stay tuned! They are in some way interrelated (with a couple that aren't) with a bigger story-conflict.
Feel free to contact me at: druwellington (at) gmail.com or check my website, www.druwellington.com.
I love fairy tales, both original and retellings, and that is where my idea for The Compass stemmed. A world where all these amazing fairy tales could live and breathe with some of my own little twists . . .
I'm really enjoying writing these novellas and discovering more of The Compass as I go. Perhaps someday a bigger novel will come out of this setting, and I hope these stories help to cultivate the world-building.
Of course, these novellas can be read as standalones, too. Each one features new heroes and the journey they go on to reach their happy ending.
The first volume in the world of "The Compass" will involve four "Knight" stories, but others are planned: Lords of the Compass, Pirates of the Compass, ... stay tuned! They are in some way interrelated (with a couple that aren't) with a bigger story-conflict.
Feel free to contact me at: druwellington (at) gmail.com or check my website, www.druwellington.com.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 58 reviews
December 11, 2014
I love fairy-tale stories ... so when I read how this story was ‘marketed’ as an original gay fairy tale, how can I resist?
Dru Wellington did well to set the world-build of medieval era, with four Kingdoms in by way of the Compass: North, South, East, and West. I found myself highly entertained reading this enemies-to-lovers tale, as Knight Axle, the Southern Knight who vowed to kill any Northerners, found himself fallen for the an enemy -- Prince Corinth of the North.
The romance was pretty straight forward – Corinth was on the run, well, he was trying to embrace his last days of freedom before being forced to marry a Princess – and he was captured by Axle. But rather than killed Corinth, Axle found the prince to be kind and genuinely hurt when realized that his own father had slaved Southerners. Oh, and Corinth also tried to gain his freedom by flirting with the Knight, and it was very amusing to read! The chemistry between the knight and the prince was strong and it was easy to believe how perfect the couple were – and for those of you who enjoyed smut, don't worry, the sex scenes were on page.
Some of the word choice might be weird for medieval time (like using the word “f*ck”, but it didn’t bother me much).
Recommended to anyone who is looking for light and sweet MM fairy tale romance. I imagine Megan Derr’s fans might enjoy this as well. It only costs you $0.99 (when I bought this, I actually got a promotion discount – don’t ask me how -- and ended up getting it for FREE).
Thanks for bringing it up my timeline, Emma!
Dru Wellington did well to set the world-build of medieval era, with four Kingdoms in by way of the Compass: North, South, East, and West. I found myself highly entertained reading this enemies-to-lovers tale, as Knight Axle, the Southern Knight who vowed to kill any Northerners, found himself fallen for the an enemy -- Prince Corinth of the North.
The romance was pretty straight forward – Corinth was on the run, well, he was trying to embrace his last days of freedom before being forced to marry a Princess – and he was captured by Axle. But rather than killed Corinth, Axle found the prince to be kind and genuinely hurt when realized that his own father had slaved Southerners. Oh, and Corinth also tried to gain his freedom by flirting with the Knight, and it was very amusing to read! The chemistry between the knight and the prince was strong and it was easy to believe how perfect the couple were – and for those of you who enjoyed smut, don't worry, the sex scenes were on page.
Some of the word choice might be weird for medieval time (like using the word “f*ck”, but it didn’t bother me much).
Recommended to anyone who is looking for light and sweet MM fairy tale romance. I imagine Megan Derr’s fans might enjoy this as well. It only costs you $0.99 (when I bought this, I actually got a promotion discount – don’t ask me how -- and ended up getting it for FREE).
Thanks for bringing it up my timeline, Emma!
December 31, 2013
**currently FREE!**
It's hard to review this book as a standalone, because it's the setup volume for a series, so we have all the scene-setting to immerse us into the storyworld, which is probably why I liked volume 2, The Knight and The Red Cloak, more. This is always a tough call, but here its intertwined with a really sweet romance. The rhythm of the story is very clearly grounded in fairy tales, with a simple plot structure, and that lovely sort of lulling repetition of circumstances. This doesn't mean the writing is simple: it's quite assured.
Recommended for m/m fans looking for sweet and light. And it costs a buck!
It's hard to review this book as a standalone, because it's the setup volume for a series, so we have all the scene-setting to immerse us into the storyworld, which is probably why I liked volume 2, The Knight and The Red Cloak, more. This is always a tough call, but here its intertwined with a really sweet romance. The rhythm of the story is very clearly grounded in fairy tales, with a simple plot structure, and that lovely sort of lulling repetition of circumstances. This doesn't mean the writing is simple: it's quite assured.
Recommended for m/m fans looking for sweet and light. And it costs a buck!
January 18, 2014
3.5-*
I grabbed this one when it was free on amazon, and I'm glad I did.
It was a set in a medieval/Au setting.
Corinth is a prince, the only son of the ruling King ( and a hardass mean bastard King at that) and is to marry a princess from the west.
Well Corinth knows he doesn't have much choice, but he doesn't really like princess' as much as he does princes.
Alas, nobody cares, so he (foolhardily) decides to escape for a little while and enjoy a little taste of freedom (= hookup with a cute guy).
Things don't go as planned and he ends up on the pointy end of Axle's sword.
Well, you know, now it's an enemy to lovers thing, but it can't have a happy ending, can it?
This is a standalone, but the overreaching arc of the other knights and revenge on the bad King seems to be continued in the next story.
I grabbed this one when it was free on amazon, and I'm glad I did.
It was a set in a medieval/Au setting.
Corinth is a prince, the only son of the ruling King ( and a hardass mean bastard King at that) and is to marry a princess from the west.
Well Corinth knows he doesn't have much choice, but he doesn't really like princess' as much as he does princes.
Alas, nobody cares, so he (foolhardily) decides to escape for a little while and enjoy a little taste of freedom (= hookup with a cute guy).
Things don't go as planned and he ends up on the pointy end of Axle's sword.
Well, you know, now it's an enemy to lovers thing, but it can't have a happy ending, can it?
This is a standalone, but the overreaching arc of the other knights and revenge on the bad King seems to be continued in the next story.
Want to read
February 11, 2018Kindle freebie 2/11/18
February 8, 2017
3.5 Stars
An enemies-to-lovers story set in an imaginatively unique fantasy world.
Corinth is the Prince of the North; Axle is a Knight from the South. As such, they are born enemies. Corinth is of jovial spirits, seemingly naïve to the horrific treatment of Southerners by his father, King Maas. It is only when Corinth ‘runs away’, after learning of his expected marriage to the Princess from the West, that he begins to see the far-reaching destruction and tyrannical rule his father holds over the other Kingdoms.
When Axle and Corinth first meet, Axle immediately realises that Corinth is a Northerner, and therefore, views him as an enemy. He takes him into custody and the two begin an entertaining, albeit somewhat treacherous journey, to Axle’s King in the Southern Kingdom.
The story was quite fun, with Corinth providing several chuckles with his witty personality. The danger came and went, but seeing as this series promises HEAs for all its couples, I wasn’t too worried when the pair met with dangerous circumstances.
I'm looking forward to reading more in this series -- I’m already well and truly obsessed in its sister series, beginning with Captain Bjorn.
An enemies-to-lovers story set in an imaginatively unique fantasy world.
Corinth is the Prince of the North; Axle is a Knight from the South. As such, they are born enemies. Corinth is of jovial spirits, seemingly naïve to the horrific treatment of Southerners by his father, King Maas. It is only when Corinth ‘runs away’, after learning of his expected marriage to the Princess from the West, that he begins to see the far-reaching destruction and tyrannical rule his father holds over the other Kingdoms.
When Axle and Corinth first meet, Axle immediately realises that Corinth is a Northerner, and therefore, views him as an enemy. He takes him into custody and the two begin an entertaining, albeit somewhat treacherous journey, to Axle’s King in the Southern Kingdom.
The story was quite fun, with Corinth providing several chuckles with his witty personality. The danger came and went, but seeing as this series promises HEAs for all its couples, I wasn’t too worried when the pair met with dangerous circumstances.
I'm looking forward to reading more in this series -- I’m already well and truly obsessed in its sister series, beginning with Captain Bjorn.
February 6, 2024
Apparently, Dru Wellington is a penname for Anyta Sunday. I've only read one book by them and it wasn't very impressive and I've steered clear of their contemporaries since they seem very generic but I decided to give this fairytale re-telling series a try. Sidenote - I have no idea what fairytale this book is re-telling and it doesn't matter. Having read additional books in the series before writing this review, I feel you don't have to know anything about the relevant fairytales to enjoy them. Okay, time to talk about this mess.
The reviews indicated this would be bad but each story is really short and I was seduced by the cool looking cover, so I decided to give it a try. I ended up regretting that because this was pretty awful. There are small bits that were enjoyable but overall, it wasn't good.
My annoyance started with the writing, which was overly formal and everything was over written to the point where it was distracting. The author was trying way, WAY too hard to make this book sound like Epic Fantasy and it made the book difficult to read. There were also ridiculous scenarios like the time Corinth's horse GALLOPS through a dense forest. Then there's Axel's serious case of instalust or Chronic Arousal Syndrome. Just brushing past Corinth was enough to turn Axel on and distract him for hours. Connected to this - there was zero chemistry between the MCs and their romance was rushed to the point where I couldn't care less about them as a couple.
Unfortunately, the romance wasn't the only thing rushed because the entire plot was. Things would happen and get resolved way too quickly, which wasn't just absurd but it meant I didn't care. For example, . Then there's the ridiculous scene where
But the worst part of the story was Corinth, who was unbearable. Everybody in the story says the guy is charming, funny and he's supposed to be a typical sunshine-flirty character. The problem was he's actually an immature, spoiled, self-centered manchild who spends the entire story throwing himself a pity party and always focusing on himself and his personal problems.
When he's told about his upcoming arranged marriage, he decides to run off to a nearby tavern and get drunk and laid because an arranged marriage is the absolute worst problem to ever exist. You might be feeling sorry for Corinth and thinking I'm being harsh. But the problem is that the author makes it clear that Corinth's problem pales in comparison to the horrific suffering experienced by others around him. Corinth's dad (the Northern King) is committing atrocities against the other kingdoms (particularly the South), including kidnapping people and forcing them to become slaves in Northern gold mines, allowing his people to execute any Southerner they find in the Northern lands and using manipulation and violence to steal land from other kingdoms. Corinth apparently has no idea about any of this, despite regularly attending council meetings and not being a young child. I can only assume that his self-centered nature made him unintentionally ignorant to what went on around him. Either that or it's a plot hole. I wouldn't be surprised by either answer.
This trend of Corinth acting immature and ridiculous continued, like how he rushed out of the room after learning the truth about and he goes to throw up in a vase. His constant whining about his personal problems and his OTT overly emotional reactions to things that didn't go his way also led to a jarring tone imbalance. You'd have a graphic execution scene where people are having their throats slit in front of their comrades, followed by a scene of Corinth dancing and singing drunkenly at the tavern, feeling sorry for himself. It didn't work for me at all.
Anyway, you'd think the point of the story would be for Corinth go through a maturing character arc. He'd calm down, take his role as future heir to the kingdom seriously and try to stop his father from continuing his reign of terror. Well, you'd be wrong. Because Corinth does end up hating his dad, but he's too busy focusing on his relationship with Axel and being funny and adored by all that he makes no attempt to make things better. At every point in the story, Corinth thinks about himself first. When he meets Axel at the start, Corinth is upset that Axel hates him. Never mind that Axel hates all Northerners for valid reasons (the man has spent his life losing friends and loved ones to the Northerner's cruelty). No, Corinth is only upset about the situation because he wants to be adored by everyone and he wants to sleep with Axel so having Axel hate him is inconvenient. Later, .
What especially annoyed me was that the situation isn't resolved by the end. The author clearly had no intention of giving Corinth an actual character development arc. The story ends .
That being said, the story had some minor positives. The last two chapters were kind of enjoyable because they finally pulled together the meandering threads that the story had consisted of until that point. The masquerade ball was done well and what I originally thought was a massive plot hole ended up being part of the author's plan, which was good. The reveal near the end that . I also enjoyed that the author included MCs from future books or found ways to incorporate reference to them, all without making the situation feel forced.
I also liked the little worldbuilding that the author did. My main interest in fantasy romances is the romance so I don't care if the author doesn't spend a lot of time on worldbuilding. We get enough details about this world for the story to make sense and I did like some of the cool ideas the author came up with.
Particularly, I loved that the locations of the kingdoms meant they all had different views of 'the lights' (it's not clear what these are, maybe stars, maybe something similar to the northern lights) and they'd come up with different expressions based on the location. So in the North Kingdom, they say 'Lights Above' when expressing surprise or swearing. But in the South Kingdom, they say 'Lights Below'. It was a nice detail and I especially liked that this is how Axel figured out that Corinth is a Northerner, despite Corinth using a fake Eastern accent. The color coded kingdom tattoos on everybody's forearms were also neat but only in terms of being a cool visual. In reality, the idea was full of plot holes and stupidity that the author doesn't bother addressing. What happens if somebody moves from one kingdom to another? Is this an actual tattoo and if yes, what age do you have to be to get it? What happens if somebody refuses to get the tattoo? None of it was explained so I just enjoyed it as a visual treat.
Reviews indicate that Book 2 is better than this mess was so I'm going to give it a try but mostly just because it's very short.
The reviews indicated this would be bad but each story is really short and I was seduced by the cool looking cover, so I decided to give it a try. I ended up regretting that because this was pretty awful. There are small bits that were enjoyable but overall, it wasn't good.
My annoyance started with the writing, which was overly formal and everything was over written to the point where it was distracting. The author was trying way, WAY too hard to make this book sound like Epic Fantasy and it made the book difficult to read. There were also ridiculous scenarios like the time Corinth's horse GALLOPS through a dense forest. Then there's Axel's serious case of instalust or Chronic Arousal Syndrome. Just brushing past Corinth was enough to turn Axel on and distract him for hours. Connected to this - there was zero chemistry between the MCs and their romance was rushed to the point where I couldn't care less about them as a couple.
Unfortunately, the romance wasn't the only thing rushed because the entire plot was. Things would happen and get resolved way too quickly, which wasn't just absurd but it meant I didn't care. For example, . Then there's the ridiculous scene where
But the worst part of the story was Corinth, who was unbearable. Everybody in the story says the guy is charming, funny and he's supposed to be a typical sunshine-flirty character. The problem was he's actually an immature, spoiled, self-centered manchild who spends the entire story throwing himself a pity party and always focusing on himself and his personal problems.
When he's told about his upcoming arranged marriage, he decides to run off to a nearby tavern and get drunk and laid because an arranged marriage is the absolute worst problem to ever exist. You might be feeling sorry for Corinth and thinking I'm being harsh. But the problem is that the author makes it clear that Corinth's problem pales in comparison to the horrific suffering experienced by others around him. Corinth's dad (the Northern King) is committing atrocities against the other kingdoms (particularly the South), including kidnapping people and forcing them to become slaves in Northern gold mines, allowing his people to execute any Southerner they find in the Northern lands and using manipulation and violence to steal land from other kingdoms. Corinth apparently has no idea about any of this, despite regularly attending council meetings and not being a young child. I can only assume that his self-centered nature made him unintentionally ignorant to what went on around him. Either that or it's a plot hole. I wouldn't be surprised by either answer.
This trend of Corinth acting immature and ridiculous continued, like how he rushed out of the room after learning the truth about and he goes to throw up in a vase. His constant whining about his personal problems and his OTT overly emotional reactions to things that didn't go his way also led to a jarring tone imbalance. You'd have a graphic execution scene where people are having their throats slit in front of their comrades, followed by a scene of Corinth dancing and singing drunkenly at the tavern, feeling sorry for himself. It didn't work for me at all.
Anyway, you'd think the point of the story would be for Corinth go through a maturing character arc. He'd calm down, take his role as future heir to the kingdom seriously and try to stop his father from continuing his reign of terror. Well, you'd be wrong. Because Corinth does end up hating his dad, but he's too busy focusing on his relationship with Axel and being funny and adored by all that he makes no attempt to make things better. At every point in the story, Corinth thinks about himself first. When he meets Axel at the start, Corinth is upset that Axel hates him. Never mind that Axel hates all Northerners for valid reasons (the man has spent his life losing friends and loved ones to the Northerner's cruelty). No, Corinth is only upset about the situation because he wants to be adored by everyone and he wants to sleep with Axel so having Axel hate him is inconvenient. Later, .
What especially annoyed me was that the situation isn't resolved by the end. The author clearly had no intention of giving Corinth an actual character development arc. The story ends .
That being said, the story had some minor positives. The last two chapters were kind of enjoyable because they finally pulled together the meandering threads that the story had consisted of until that point. The masquerade ball was done well and what I originally thought was a massive plot hole ended up being part of the author's plan, which was good. The reveal near the end that . I also enjoyed that the author included MCs from future books or found ways to incorporate reference to them, all without making the situation feel forced.
I also liked the little worldbuilding that the author did. My main interest in fantasy romances is the romance so I don't care if the author doesn't spend a lot of time on worldbuilding. We get enough details about this world for the story to make sense and I did like some of the cool ideas the author came up with.
Particularly, I loved that the locations of the kingdoms meant they all had different views of 'the lights' (it's not clear what these are, maybe stars, maybe something similar to the northern lights) and they'd come up with different expressions based on the location. So in the North Kingdom, they say 'Lights Above' when expressing surprise or swearing. But in the South Kingdom, they say 'Lights Below'. It was a nice detail and I especially liked that this is how Axel figured out that Corinth is a Northerner, despite Corinth using a fake Eastern accent. The color coded kingdom tattoos on everybody's forearms were also neat but only in terms of being a cool visual. In reality, the idea was full of plot holes and stupidity that the author doesn't bother addressing. What happens if somebody moves from one kingdom to another? Is this an actual tattoo and if yes, what age do you have to be to get it? What happens if somebody refuses to get the tattoo? None of it was explained so I just enjoyed it as a visual treat.
Reviews indicate that Book 2 is better than this mess was so I'm going to give it a try but mostly just because it's very short.
January 4, 2014
I didn't think I was going to like this as much as I did but Axle and Corinth got to me! :)
There were so many revelations in the end that it kept me wanting for more! Great start to a series!
There were so many revelations in the end that it kept me wanting for more! Great start to a series!
July 10, 2018
This was pleasant and pretty light. I picked this up for free a while back, not knowing the author was Anyta Sunday in disguise. Her books have never really worked for me for whatever reason, but I think I liked this better because it was fantasy. I didn't like it enough to want to buy the next book, but it was easy to read and pleasant. I don't have particularly strong feelings, which is my usual reaction to Anyta Sunday's books.
December 29, 2013
At first I thought this story was silly, but as I read along, I started to see the fairytale in it. In a Country were Kingdoms are either North, South, East and West, a Southern Knight captures a Prince from the hated North and plans his revenge. But it's not as easy as the Knight believes it to be when the Prince in question has an easy going way about him and is always trying to find ways to bed the Knight, LOL!! HEA and kind of sweet.
January 7, 2014
This was amazing and I'd love to see how this series continues.
December 14, 2015
Lovely fairy-tale!
On to the next one ...
October 8, 2018
3.5 stars.
Cute fantasy novella about a charming, good-natured prince and a grumpy knight who both want freedom: one for himself before its taken away by his obligations, and one for his enslaved people.
Very enjoyable to read and it made me laugh and smile a lot (mostly because of Corinth, the prince, who is a delight), thought the writing is a bit awkward or overly simplistic to the point that things are left out and the reader has to deduce what's going on between the lines from context. Not complicated, but a lil annoying and it took me a bit to get used to.
This series is apparently inspired by fairy-tales/each book is a retelling, but I couldn't tell which one The Knight and the Prince was.
Content warnings: violence, execution, sex on-page, slavery.
Cute fantasy novella about a charming, good-natured prince and a grumpy knight who both want freedom: one for himself before its taken away by his obligations, and one for his enslaved people.
Very enjoyable to read and it made me laugh and smile a lot (mostly because of Corinth, the prince, who is a delight), thought the writing is a bit awkward or overly simplistic to the point that things are left out and the reader has to deduce what's going on between the lines from context. Not complicated, but a lil annoying and it took me a bit to get used to.
This series is apparently inspired by fairy-tales/each book is a retelling, but I couldn't tell which one The Knight and the Prince was.
Content warnings: violence, execution, sex on-page, slavery.
July 19, 2018
This was just okay. The bones were decent enough, and the writing wasn't terrible, but the author tried to fit too much into a novella-length work, and the end result was something that felt rushed and disconnected. I can see this having worked much better as a full novel where the author had time to really build the world and characters, but unfortunately, I just couldn't really connect with the story here. I don't think I care enough to even keep reading the series, even though they're short and I can get them for free on Kindle Unlimited...
November 5, 2018
Cute fairytale/fantasy novella written by Anyta Sunday under the name Dru Wellington. 3.5 stars for the storytelling. 4.5 stars for my level of enjoyment. This would have been closer to a 5 star read for me except that the conclusion felt somewhat shallow and rushed. Or it may be more accurate to say I felt the ending lacked the depth and substance of the rest of the book. In any case, I really enjoyed this one and eagerly continue with the next in the series.
It’s KU and Anyta Sunday, that’s a win-win in my book!
It’s KU and Anyta Sunday, that’s a win-win in my book!
April 25, 2018
2.5
A story that got stuck in the no man's land between fantasy and fairytale. Maybe that's the reason why I didn't feel anything and the attraction between the MCs seemed fabricated - something that never happens in Anyta Sunday's contemporaries.
A story that got stuck in the no man's land between fantasy and fairytale. Maybe that's the reason why I didn't feel anything and the attraction between the MCs seemed fabricated - something that never happens in Anyta Sunday's contemporaries.
July 10, 2019
https://celebrityreaders.com/2019/07/...
I may have read this a while ago but I usually never forget an Anyta Sunday book. She is one of my all time favorite authors. There has never been a book I didn’t like by her and I one click all her books when they come out. She is also the author of one of my all time favorite paranormal romance series.
Anyway, back to the story. This is a short M/M fantasy romance that was sweet yet saucy! Prince Corinth is a bit arrogant but is it really arrogance when you have the skills to back yourself up? I found it endearing how he made little quips about his capture to lighten the mood. He was a bit spoiled and self centered in the beginning.
Sir Axle was broody and had the largest chip on his shoulder. You could tell how irritated he was that Corinth didn’t seem to know or care what was going on between their kingdoms. As the story progresses, we see how they affect each other in different ways. Axle becomes a bit softer and lets down his guard a bit. And Corinth stops making everything about himself and wants to help others more.
All in all the romance was the cherry topping on a great story. I’ve already read more in this series but these books have been removed from Amazon for some reason so I’ll have to wait to get more.
I may have read this a while ago but I usually never forget an Anyta Sunday book. She is one of my all time favorite authors. There has never been a book I didn’t like by her and I one click all her books when they come out. She is also the author of one of my all time favorite paranormal romance series.
Anyway, back to the story. This is a short M/M fantasy romance that was sweet yet saucy! Prince Corinth is a bit arrogant but is it really arrogance when you have the skills to back yourself up? I found it endearing how he made little quips about his capture to lighten the mood. He was a bit spoiled and self centered in the beginning.
Sir Axle was broody and had the largest chip on his shoulder. You could tell how irritated he was that Corinth didn’t seem to know or care what was going on between their kingdoms. As the story progresses, we see how they affect each other in different ways. Axle becomes a bit softer and lets down his guard a bit. And Corinth stops making everything about himself and wants to help others more.
All in all the romance was the cherry topping on a great story. I’ve already read more in this series but these books have been removed from Amazon for some reason so I’ll have to wait to get more.
April 21, 2016
3.5 stars
This was a sweet and entertaining little fantasy story - kind of YA/NA fairytale in feel.
Interesting idea for a world with the compass and arrow tattoos - although I wanted to understand FAR more than we get given and there are all sorts of things unanswered at the end.
I really liked the main characters and the plot but I just can't really rate this higher, as there wasn't enough of it - it lacked any depth to the world-building and the characters, or their relationships and motivations.
It felt like it would have been a good story if it had been fleshed out into a longer book - and I would be keen to read it if it was developed further. I read like an interesting outline for a story.
Book #1 also ends with a kind of HFN and some threads that will clearly continue into the next in the series, although I think Book #2 focuses on a different couple in this world.
I will probably read more in the series, as the next one has good ratings.
This was a sweet and entertaining little fantasy story - kind of YA/NA fairytale in feel.
Interesting idea for a world with the compass and arrow tattoos - although I wanted to understand FAR more than we get given and there are all sorts of things unanswered at the end.
I really liked the main characters and the plot but I just can't really rate this higher, as there wasn't enough of it - it lacked any depth to the world-building and the characters, or their relationships and motivations.
It felt like it would have been a good story if it had been fleshed out into a longer book - and I would be keen to read it if it was developed further. I read like an interesting outline for a story.
Book #1 also ends with a kind of HFN and some threads that will clearly continue into the next in the series, although I think Book #2 focuses on a different couple in this world.
I will probably read more in the series, as the next one has good ratings.
July 5, 2018
What the ever loving f did I just read? It was ...just so bad. There were two characters, and two authors, and at first I thought maybe this would be one of those books where each author does a character, and since I actually like Anyta Sunday, I figured I'd be able to enjoy half the book, at least. But after maybe three chapters where one character was maybe better written than the other, they both just deteriorated into insanity. Like, occasionally the characters would break into "Medieval Speak" for a dialogue exchange, with ancient syntax and odd word choice, and then without warning, we'd go back to a more modern dialect. And I could never really get a feel for the world's setting, or the characters, or really WTF was going on with the plot... basically this was a hot mess, and I can't recommend highly enough that YOU STAY THE FUCK AWAY FROM THIS.
September 2, 2018
2.5 stars. This series is clearly taking inspiration from fairy tales, classic literature and myths. We've got a little bit of King Arthur, Cinderella, Beauty & the Beast and Romeo & Juliet - very little. We're given a basic premise - the North Kingdom is the most powerful and its king ruthless and evil - and two protags, one from the North, one from their enemy, the South. We're not given much insight into either of the guys, we're given a little background on conflicts with the North, but the story never goes beyond that. It's a short story, so a quick read thankfully. Any longer, it would have gotten boring.
March 28, 2016
2.5 stars
I warmed up to this the more I read along. The historical setting and refined speech were marred by clunky (dialogue) anachronisms that yanked me out of the story. But this has some sweet moments and I really liked the romantic, dewy-eyed and flirtatious Prince Corinth (as he warmed up to the dashing Axle).
Come to think of it, Axle's reticence at falling under Corinth's spell was pretty sweet too. You know he wanna.
December 19, 2017
“Knight? What are you doing here?”
“Don’t look so surprised. I said I’d always find you.”
I really enjoyed this short, fantasy story!!
I always love these kind of settings; the fantasy, kinda historical/medieval, kingdoms/Knights/Princes etc.
And that's what we get here and it's less polished royalty and definitely more rougher and edgy which I liked!
In the beginning it's definitely more enemies and hatred which is understandable with the tension between North and South. I have to say I wasn't sure how romance or a HEA was going to happen.
But it did and that's when I really start loving this book!
Axle couldn't see past his hatred and grief to see Corinth which is understandable but it was hard to see how these guys would get together...
But then we have Corinth with his mischief, hard-to-resist charm and the freaking death wish on his shoulders. *shakes head* He didn't know when to stop pushing his luck but that's part of what makes him so lovable.
Also that little snippet of info at the end regarding another character, like, whaaat?! But then that's it.
Sneakyyyy. I should be mad but I'm not. I hope we find out more on that front in following books.
I think these books are retellings of fairytales. Or maybe just retellings in general. It's probably obvious af but I cant figure out this one if it is a retelling.
3.5 Stars.
“Don’t look so surprised. I said I’d always find you.”
I really enjoyed this short, fantasy story!!
I always love these kind of settings; the fantasy, kinda historical/medieval, kingdoms/Knights/Princes etc.
And that's what we get here and it's less polished royalty and definitely more rougher and edgy which I liked!
In the beginning it's definitely more enemies and hatred which is understandable with the tension between North and South. I have to say I wasn't sure how romance or a HEA was going to happen.
But it did and that's when I really start loving this book!
Axle couldn't see past his hatred and grief to see Corinth which is understandable but it was hard to see how these guys would get together...
But then we have Corinth with his mischief, hard-to-resist charm and the freaking death wish on his shoulders. *shakes head* He didn't know when to stop pushing his luck but that's part of what makes him so lovable.
Also that little snippet of info at the end regarding another character, like, whaaat?! But then that's it.
Sneakyyyy. I should be mad but I'm not. I hope we find out more on that front in following books.
I think these books are retellings of fairytales. Or maybe just retellings in general. It's probably obvious af but I cant figure out this one if it is a retelling.
3.5 Stars.
May 31, 2018
This has a mouthy, flirty prisoner who doesn't care and I love it. I NEED MORE OF THOSE
I'm so happy I liked this more than The Knight and The Red Cloak. That one was okay, but this one had more important stuff going on.
Like, Corinth is my favorite??? He's friggin' adorable and he's bratty and honest and tied up and I love him. His backstory is a classic tho and I kind of felt like his switch was too fast bc the author didn't describe the 'brutality' very well. Call me cold but the more you read the more jaded you become and these guys are getting whipped and that's it. Like, put emotion into it my man!
Axle served his purpose. I like them strong, dutiful tsunderes but he didn't really break ground or anything. I feel like he could've been more baiting with Corinth's flirts. Play with the man a bit.
The story was a classic but I like that Corinth understands the whys and hows of his father's betrayals, he's still super wary of the Southerners. Like, yes! That's how a switch happens guys!!! TAKE NOTES. And he tried to escape and befriend Axle and it was cute. Poor Corinth.
Oh and they like to fight before sex. DO YOU GET IT
I'm so happy I liked this more than The Knight and The Red Cloak. That one was okay, but this one had more important stuff going on.
Like, Corinth is my favorite??? He's friggin' adorable and he's bratty and honest and tied up and I love him. His backstory is a classic tho and I kind of felt like his switch was too fast bc the author didn't describe the 'brutality' very well. Call me cold but the more you read the more jaded you become and these guys are getting whipped and that's it. Like, put emotion into it my man!
Axle served his purpose. I like them strong, dutiful tsunderes but he didn't really break ground or anything. I feel like he could've been more baiting with Corinth's flirts. Play with the man a bit.
The story was a classic but I like that Corinth understands the whys and hows of his father's betrayals, he's still super wary of the Southerners. Like, yes! That's how a switch happens guys!!! TAKE NOTES. And he tried to escape and befriend Axle and it was cute. Poor Corinth.
Oh and they like to fight before sex. DO YOU GET IT
February 5, 2018
When I read this, I felt as if it was too much for such a short story, and after reading The Knight and The Red Cloak I feel the same.
These stories have so much potential but they seem too rushed.
Then, while I was finishing with TKATRC I noticed that Dru was Anyta under another pen name and it didn't make sense but it also did, kinda.
These two stories (I'm reading the rest of the series tomorrow) are everything the stories under Anyta's main name aren't: they are rushed where the main's are slow burn at its finest; they go to the point; the feelings, the burn are there suddenly with little to no build up.
I like the concept, I am ok with the stories, but they lack details and need a little more of plot. Say, a few thousand words more could have done the trick.
Still, as I said, Dru is what Anyta is not and if the series and the kind of writing and the straightforwardness are what she needs as Dru, it's alright.
These stories have so much potential but they seem too rushed.
Then, while I was finishing with TKATRC I noticed that Dru was Anyta under another pen name and it didn't make sense but it also did, kinda.
These two stories (I'm reading the rest of the series tomorrow) are everything the stories under Anyta's main name aren't: they are rushed where the main's are slow burn at its finest; they go to the point; the feelings, the burn are there suddenly with little to no build up.
I like the concept, I am ok with the stories, but they lack details and need a little more of plot. Say, a few thousand words more could have done the trick.
Still, as I said, Dru is what Anyta is not and if the series and the kind of writing and the straightforwardness are what she needs as Dru, it's alright.
September 18, 2022
Kindle-Sort-ReRead
I got as far as 40% but this is painfully bad. The characters are paper thin, the situation ridiculous. A medieval world where people discuss personal growth.
Your father is enslaving and murdering a nation, but you're moaning about a loveless marriage and letting your dick control you.
Given the circumstances the Southern Knight would be justified killing the bratty Northen Prince immediately and putting us all out of this misery.
I don't care if he uses the finest sword in all the lands or a rusty kitchen knife, have at it!
I got as far as 40% but this is painfully bad. The characters are paper thin, the situation ridiculous. A medieval world where people discuss personal growth.
Your father is enslaving and murdering a nation, but you're moaning about a loveless marriage and letting your dick control you.
Given the circumstances the Southern Knight would be justified killing the bratty Northen Prince immediately and putting us all out of this misery.
I don't care if he uses the finest sword in all the lands or a rusty kitchen knife, have at it!
January 21, 2018
This was a really sweet story. The authors writing could do with a little maturing (plot points happen rather too simplisticly and quickly and could do with more fleshing out to be believable) but the characters and feelings between them were beautifully written. I finished this with a large happy smile on my face :)
February 12, 2018
3.5
Above average, well written cute story set in a kind of Medieval alternate universe. The angst is low , and even the mention of violence doesn't spoil the general fairytalish flavour of the romance. The plot is quite predictable though.
Above average, well written cute story set in a kind of Medieval alternate universe. The angst is low , and even the mention of violence doesn't spoil the general fairytalish flavour of the romance. The plot is quite predictable though.
April 28, 2022
3.5 stars
This was interesting. It had an enemies to lovers trope which actually worked well. The declaration of I love you was a little fast as the story is short. I wish the four books were about these two growing their relationship and taking back the kingdom rather than squishing each knight’s story into one book.
This was interesting. It had an enemies to lovers trope which actually worked well. The declaration of I love you was a little fast as the story is short. I wish the four books were about these two growing their relationship and taking back the kingdom rather than squishing each knight’s story into one book.
May 1, 2018
3.75
This story took me a little while to get into, as I'm usually not a big fan of AU. But, I AM a big fan of Anyta Sunday, who wrote this as Dru Wellington, so I powered through. And I'm very happy I did, because I ended up really enjoying it!
This story took me a little while to get into, as I'm usually not a big fan of AU. But, I AM a big fan of Anyta Sunday, who wrote this as Dru Wellington, so I powered through. And I'm very happy I did, because I ended up really enjoying it!
October 7, 2017
I liked the characters and the plot. It felt like there was something missing, but I think that was a lack of emotional references. Other than that, it was a solid read.
November 5, 2017
1 and 1/2 Stars
When I started to take this story a bit seriously, the MCs have sex in the prison when they are to be hanged the next morning.
Well, I do want to see how the next story goes.
When I started to take this story a bit seriously, the MCs have sex in the prison when they are to be hanged the next morning.
Well, I do want to see how the next story goes.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 58 reviews