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rachelisathomas22's review
adventurous
dark
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.75
Thank you to City Owl Press and NetGalley for giving me an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Our main character Eva, traumatized by the death of her family seven years ago, slowly begins to discover there was more to her family’s death and her destiny than she realized. With new companions she meets along the way, she journeys to find the truth and save the world from an evil curse. Twists and turns as romances and friendships are tested and truths are finally revealed.
The plot was the strongest part of the story for me. The author had clear intentions to set up the foundation for a trilogy and give readers enough world building and stakes to continue the story past here. While some of the exposition felt heavy at times in the book, there is a clear picture and direction for where we are going. The magical system and different magical elements that come into play are interesting and keep the reader interested and wanting to know more while still being simple enough for readers to understand how magic works without having to repeat it too many times.
This is a romantasy and it stays true to the genre. I felt the fantasy part was stronger than the romance part, which was a shame because the story tended to lean more into the romance than the fantasy. For me, the main issues with the romance elements were that it all felt too immediate and sudden. This does have strong elements of the fated mates trope, and the romance felt like it was built only on attraction and trauma. Other than their looks, tension, and trauma I don’t know if I could tell you much about the relationship of the main romance or much else about the characters.
I hope the book when published also includes a trigger warning for sexual assault.
Our main character Eva, traumatized by the death of her family seven years ago, slowly begins to discover there was more to her family’s death and her destiny than she realized. With new companions she meets along the way, she journeys to find the truth and save the world from an evil curse. Twists and turns as romances and friendships are tested and truths are finally revealed.
The plot was the strongest part of the story for me. The author had clear intentions to set up the foundation for a trilogy and give readers enough world building and stakes to continue the story past here. While some of the exposition felt heavy at times in the book, there is a clear picture and direction for where we are going. The magical system and different magical elements that come into play are interesting and keep the reader interested and wanting to know more while still being simple enough for readers to understand how magic works without having to repeat it too many times.
This is a romantasy and it stays true to the genre. I felt the fantasy part was stronger than the romance part, which was a shame because the story tended to lean more into the romance than the fantasy. For me, the main issues with the romance elements were that it all felt too immediate and sudden. This does have strong elements of the fated mates trope, and the romance felt like it was built only on attraction and trauma. Other than their looks, tension, and trauma I don’t know if I could tell you much about the relationship of the main romance or much else about the characters.
I hope the book when published also includes a trigger warning for sexual assault.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual assault, Sexual violence, and Stalking
Moderate: Confinement
Minor: Violence and Stalking