The Price We Pay by Auryn HadleyMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
Fantastic Introduction To A World Of Gods
This book was fantastic from the first page. I’ve been really excited about this book from the first time we got a teaser of the first chapter on the author’s Facebook Group a few months ago and the rest of the book did not disappoint, rather it exceeded my expectations.
This is a story of a small girl, Nariana, who taken to the temple on the one day of the year a child can be surrendered for service to the gods in exchange for a gold mark. It’s a day when families can save their starving children by giving one to the gods to make what they have go further and with the extra money feed the rest of the family through the winter.
Claimed by Zeal, the God of Temptation, Nariana is introduced to a world filled with his priests and priestesses. She is educated and loved by her mentor and her guardian who form a little family inside a greater one.
This book is really about Nari’s education from the time she enters the temple, and the people she meets throughout that time. The alliances and enmities she makes during her education help shape who she is and her devotion to Zeal. Her education also teaches us about the world in which the series is set. As a child, Nari is taught about the world as well as her role within it in a way that is clearly laid out for us. At the same time as we are being entertained by the plot, we are learning about Nariana’s world and her place within it.
This is a complicated fantasy world, filled with gods and magic and the science and fashion of the Victorian era. It’s a decadent dive into passion, rage and the temptation of greed.
This is a reverse harem story and there is plenty of passion as the children grow into adults. As older teens there is fooling around but no actual sex until they are around 19-20 years old. The sex scenes that are included are very well written, tender and still fan-your-face hot. The relationships are not just about passion but about friendship, love, acceptance and a shared path.
I loved all the characters, who are wonderfully well rounded and flawed in a believable and consistent way. There are some different points of view during the book, but it is mainly from Nariana’s POV. The alternate POVs are enlightening both in terms of plot and allowing us to see things in a different way.
The book doesn’t finish on a cliff hanger, but a natural break. I was still gripped with a fierce desire to know what comes next because the plot is wonderfully compelling. Once you start reading this story you won’t be able to stop. Thankfully the whole series is already written, I just have to wait for each book to be published on the due dates. It’s nice to have things to look forward to and know that your expectations will be met!
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