Reviews

So, I loved this book. Reviews are really mixed on it... maybe because it feels very ballroom-magical at the beginning and becomes something darker and crazier as the book goes? I don't know. I honestly liked it better as the darkness started being revealed, but I still liked the beginning. I loved the slow darkening of the magic and truth beneath all the glamor.

I didn't like Gemma at the start but knew that her journey was going to be an epic one of empowerment and discovery of self-worth. (Also, yes, this is adult, but Gemma is still only 20, so if she feels young, that's because she is...)

The worldbuilding was incredible, and I still can't stop thinking about the magic, the Mist, the Olden... everything.

I thought all the characters were well drawn, and I appreciated the loving but complicated sister relationships. The romance was pretty insta-love, but it got so complicated after the initial mutual attraction that I didn't mind. Like is drawn to like, but that didn't make their romance any less complex and full of issues.

I could wax on and on about how beautifully Legrand wrote Gemma's journey of illness, trauma, and anxiety into confident self-worth.

I will be recommending this book to everyone I know who likes romantic fantasy, perhaps with a warning that Gemma isn't exactly likeable but feels real and goes through some real transformation throughout the book, and also that it isn't all glitz and glamor but gets very dark and gritty.

eacrunden's review against another edition

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adventurous mysterious tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

1.75

tessa_b's review against another edition

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dark emotional mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.5

shmadsie's review against another edition

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4.0

3.5.

jennas8's review against another edition

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2.0

I have heard good things about this author’s book Furyborn, so I was excited for this. The premise sounded interesting and I was happy to receive an ARC (thank you, NetGalley!)

Unfortunately, this was a slog to get through. I didn’t care for the relationship dynamic between the two sisters, and I found I was not rooting for any of the characters, not even the main girl.

The plot was slow, and I kept wanting more. Kudos for an interesting world, but there was also a bit too much for the reader to follow.

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