Eyes of Devious Burgundy by Lacey LehotzkyMy rating: 3 of 5 stars
⭐️⭐️⭐️ 3 Stars
🌶️🌶️🌶️–🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️ 3 to 4 Spice
This book took me sooo long to read and I can’t fully blame the book. December was hectic, and once Christmas was over, I sat myself down with the flu, a hot water bottle, self-pity, and this book. Here’s my honest take:
The beginning was really hard to get through. A few times I nearly DNF’d not because the book was terrible, but because there were so many military titles, ranks, and names thrown at me that I struggled to follow. I felt confused more often than not, which is frustrating as a reader.
But underneath all that chaos was a super interesting opening with Assyria. Once I settled into her daily life, saw her pain and everything she endured, it finally clicked. I loved watching her grow stronger and bloom into her power. That kept me turning pages.
There were moments where I felt bad that she had to use her abilities just to survive but those situations led her to new friendships, and suddenly I was eating up chapters fast. And Izgath? He had me melting and kicking my legs like a lovesick teenager. I was so happy to see her catch even a little happiness.
Then HALFWAY THROUGH
💥💔 My heart was ripped out and drop-kicked across the room. No warning. No hint. NO MERCY.
I was sobbing. Yelling. Cursing. Fully destroyed.
When Rokath’s POV started, I wasn’t a fan at first. His behavior rubbed me the wrong way — and honestly, I was still emotionally wounded by what had just happened. Once he and Assyria finally interacted, I loved their bitey banter, but I was still hesitant.
Some things in the story were just… hard to swallow.
The treatment of women in this world made me grind my teeth. The rules female demons live under were awful, and it left a bitter taste. Assyria clearly starts wanting change for women more rights, more freedom but we only get a tiny window into that before it gets overshadowed again.
And the mate bond?
It did not work for me. At times it felt like two people being forced into intimacy because “the bond says so,” and that made me feel icky about the whole thing. Maybe I’m just not a huge mate trope lover, but some parts were uncomfortable.
That said this book is deeply layered, detailed, and emotionally intense. There are characters I loved so much, and every glimpse of them had me grinning.
And THE DOGS.
OMG the puppies were the best thing ever. I was gushing every time they appeared.
The storyline itself is super cool lots of threads to follow, and I loved how everything slowly comes together. It definitely made my brain work.
By the end, my emotions were tied into knots.
Did I enjoy the book? Yes.
Do I love it? I honestly don’t know yet.
But it made me feel things including rage and sometimes the best books are the ones that challenge us and make us question choices, power, and morality.
💛 What I Liked:
Assyria’s strength and growth
Izgath and Rapp 😍
THE PUPPIES — I loved them sooo much
Strong and layered worldbuilding
The action
The emotional damage it caused 😂
❌ What Didn’t Work for Me:
Some character behavior and attitudes
The treatment of women in this world
Assyria using her powers less after the halfway mark
Would I Recommend This Book?
Yes, I would.
Would I Reread?
Maybe — depends how I feel going into book two.
How I’d Sum It Up:
A deeply involved fantasy full of death, pain, spice, action, and pockets of light and hope — a world built from the ground up that will make you question everything… and hurt you along the way.
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