A Cruel Kindness is the first in a series following an overarching plot over the course of standalone love stories, and is a Soul Mates, reluctant allies, forced proximity romance full of fantasy and science fiction elements.
The Bridge. The fabled connection between two sister planets, able to send people through time and space to reach the other. A story of harmony between worlds ruled by the same gods.
The reality was a war, twenty years and counting, with one planet fighting to keep the other from invading their world. Their strongest weapon—the paranimas. The Soul Mates.
Able to hop between worlds at a whim, the few blessed with a perfect match for their soul were trusted to protect their planet from the threat of the other.
The next pair blessed would test the old adage that Soul Mates fell in love with one another at first sight. Shoved together despite years of hatred and betrayal between their families, Bellamy and Soren must cross the Bridge and put a stop to the war, no matter who is really at fault.
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intro
HUGE thank you to Love Notes PR and Rory L. Scott for giving me the chance to read and review this book 💖
quick synopsis
In a world where anyone who has a soul bond that’s 60% compatible or higher is required to fight in an interplanetary war, Bellamy, the beloved daughter of the Emperor, despite being a royal, has volunteered to fight. Not only does she have a soul bond, but she’s discovered that the match is 100% compatible–something so rare, there’s only been one other 100% compatible match currently known.
There’s just one problem: Bellamy’s soul mate is Soren, the man her father forced into the war, literally kicking and screaming.
Bellamy and Soren are forced into a tentative partnership, neither wanting to rely on a bond that makes them feel trapped. But the more time they spend together, the closer they get, and the harder it is to resist the bond’s lure.
main thoughts
This book sucked me in immediately. Fated mates + enemies-to-lovers is like catnip for me and ho-lee shit, did this book deliver.
I first want to talk about the writing style because wow. This is my first read by Rory L. Scott, but it definitely won’t be my last. I’m thinking I’m going to have to read her back catalogue now, lol. She’s a fantastic writer and that made me enjoy the book that much more.
The world building was fascinating; detailed without being overly so, but gave enough explanation that I felt like I could picture everything perfectly. It was extremely aesthetic and probably the most interested I’ve been in a sci-fi atmosphere that I’ve ever read.
The narration switches between Bellamy and Soren, which I loved. I always enjoy reading the MMC’s POV and it enriched this story so much. Soren has quickly become one of my favorite book boyfriends of all-time; he very much embodies the “burn the world down for her” trope and I loved it.
Also the equine partners…oh my gosh. Basically alien/fantasy horses. I LOVED this detail! Also, it’s so cool that they bond with their riders in a similar way the soulmates bond. It was just a beautiful thing to read and I’m super excited to read even more about them in the next book!
I also really loved the found family aspect of this story. Bell always felt like she didn’t belong and she finally found someplace she felt appreciated and loved for who she is, not for her name or status. My heart really went out to both Bellamy and Soren for the lives they lead, but they both end up making the most of their situation as soldiers.
The side characters are also incredibly lovable and memorable and each one so unique. I’m interested to learn more about them. I’m not sure how many books the author plans for this series, but I’ll be reading them, regardless. This book has landed a spot on my favorite reads of 2024 and I’ll be following her for the next book in the series!
bullet points
- the bonded mates storyline is awesome, albeit totally brutal.
- I have a feeling no one truly knows what started this war except the ones in charge of the planets. I have a feeling we’ll be learning a lot more in the next book.
- Elijah is a major d*ck and boy, did he piss me off. But did I sense something between him and Freya? Hmmm…
- I am d y i n g for Ford and Esme’s story. That first chapter at the end was NOT enough and I can’t wait to read more!
quotes
final thoughts
Read this book. Seriously. It’s incredible. I loved everything about this story and I can’t wait to read the next book and learn more about Esme and Ford 💖
As always, if you end up reading this book, please come back and let me know what you thought of it in the comments below!
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