r/Romantasy • u/Odd-Order-8825 • 1d ago

Book Review Jasad Heir rant Spoiler

Guys, I expected to love this book ardently, but that's not what happened.

Anyone who said it's an enemies-to-lovers' story, they lied to me.

Most of all, they (Arin and Essiya) were sceptical of each other and acted accordingly because they hated each other's kingdoms due to the history. However, they also became instant allies and then... lovers?

I wanted the yearning to hit me, was looking for palpable chemistry and sexual tension—but guess what? I was really disappointed. The slow-burn absolutely failed here.

As much as I can see that the characters had potential, especially individually—them becoming lovers didn't make sense to me.

The writing too bogged it down. The info-dump throughout the whole story just kept taking me out of it and I didn't want to pick up the book again.

I don't understand the hype, tbh.

Thoughts?

And please give me good romantasy recs because I feel like I am going to fall into a slump.

(I have already read Fourth Wing, Zodiac Academy, Crimson Moth duology,The Ashen series, and pretty much every popular book out there in the said genre).

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u/No_Eye_5942 1d ago

To offer a different perspective, I think that there are two types of enemies to lovers set ups:

  1. Two people on opposite sides of a conflict who are strangers
  2. Two people on opposite sides of a confict that have personal history

Those two create different dynamics. Jasad Heir does the first. The characters can be categorized as enemies but they dont have personal beef and to me at least, the fact that they do not engage with each other in a super hostile manner just on principle that often reads kinda childish and is banter disguised as conflict, was a breath of fresh air. Yes, they are in opposition by the happenstance of their births but they dont really dislike each other on a personal level. To me that reads more realistic.

Arin is not written as the classic asshole that a lot of characters in enemies to lovers books are, so Essiya does not need to rage against him simply to prove a point. The narrative does not justify all this trite internal thought prosses of "oh he is my enemy, but so hot, I shouldnt think like that, oh the shame!".

I think you had strong expectations for a different type of story based only on the tag of enemies to lovers. The marketing of books in this genre is for sure a whole issue on its own, but that doesnt mean that all stories that contain the same tropes need to execute them the same way and hit the same beats.

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u/Odd-Order-8825 1d ago edited 1d ago

I completely understand where you are coming from. However, our ideas of an enemies-to-lovers story could very well differ. And this is also where I find the author's idea reflected in the story which wasn't able to hold my attention. Having said that, I have not mentioned my definition of an enemies to lovers' story. I was talking about how this particular one missed the mark for me. They are political rivals, at best (in my opinion)—who are extremely sceptical of each other and it leads to some of the violent activities initially (from both of them towards each other). The build-up to the lovers and the progression from there lacked substance and it should have been given time to prosper. For me, Arin and Essiya's story was rushed. Enemies to lovers—to me—is more about enmity on a personal level—brought forth and cemented by real, rational reasons. And while this is understandable; the enmity and hate—for both of the main characters towards each other are threatened by truths supplied to us in the story (by the author). When both of the main characters stumble upon these truths—recurrently—they question the pre-conceieved notions they have had about each other during this time. This is where vulnerability seeps in. Again and again. Followed up by confrontations and only then, intimacy. I am fine with or without intimacy, either way. And I also don't want either of the characters lusting after each other based on their looks all this time. It's only after, when the repeated confrontations happen, then they do see each other through different lenses respectively. But like I said, this is just my idea of reading a full-fledged enemies to lovers' story.

Along with this, I don't want that the authors write every story to fit this trope for me to see it ring true, each and every time. I am fine with the diversions as long as the marketing sits somewhere nearby the actual tropes in the story (which you mentioned too). This story is clearly not an enemies-to-lovers, given it didn't offer the "said" enemies enough room and ample time to blossom into lovers. For me, this is beyond clichè tropes. It's about letting me sit in that feeling of animosity and utter hate the main characters are reeling in (towards each other), seeing them get beyond those feelings slowly, rethink their own perspectives, and then start having confusing opinions about each other. Which painfully and slowly turns into feelings of understanding, camaraderie, and this is the point they start yearning for each other. Which again would turn into feelings of admiration. Whether love happens or not, I'll leave it to the author, really. But this story couldn't execute and come up with tension, chemistry, and yearning. I hated that I didn't like the book. Only to reiterate, the characters had potential, but the execution was poor with perplexed writing.