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lacrimaeignis's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
As soon as I heard about the premise of this book, I knew I would be interested in this story. And then when I heard Owlcrate was including it as one of their selections, I was ecstatic (and I absolutely adored the bonus content not to mention just how beautiful that edition is in real life). However, I was not prepared for the ride I would be taken on nor for how much I would end up loving this unique story. I laughed and cried and raged (and all of those in the first 30 pages maybe even less) throughout the entire story and just generally had a grand time with this novel.
I was absolutely hooked from the very first chapter. And immediately fell in love with the cast of characters and the intricacies of this world. The first day I picked up this novel, I only read the first two or three chapters and the very next day, I was already passionately discussing the story with one of my best friends and desperately needing to know what was going to happen next. I must admit, I did not expect the first chapter to be so graphic and emotional but I am so glad the author did not skim over the horrors and the trauma of what happens.
The author wasted no time in throwing us into the political strife of this world inspired by Spanish and French courts with magic and faeries. The folklore, the politics, and the motives were all very believable and the characters all felt very real to me. And the foreshadows were all very well placed. This entire story was so well thought out!
I was nervous in the beginning that the story would come across as being repetitive due to the whole time loop concept but while parts of it were, for obvious reasons, each night Anais repeats is vastly different and adds another layer of intrigue to the story. It was so interesting to see how the characters developed and acted in each time loop and how their behavior would surprise Anais, especially Leo and Jacinthe. It was also interesting to see how one choice, or a multitude of choices could vary the outcome of events.
I know this is a stand-alone and while I don't think a direct sequel would work well, I would love to read another stand-alone set in this same world. It would be so interesting to read more about the magic systems and folklore and to see how the events and outcome of this novel affect the future of this world. With this novel, Zeba Shanaz has become an insta-buy author for me and I can't wait to see what she comes out with next!
I was absolutely hooked from the very first chapter. And immediately fell in love with the cast of characters and the intricacies of this world. The first day I picked up this novel, I only read the first two or three chapters and the very next day, I was already passionately discussing the story with one of my best friends and desperately needing to know what was going to happen next. I must admit, I did not expect the first chapter to be so graphic and emotional but I am so glad the author did not skim over the horrors and the trauma of what happens.
The author wasted no time in throwing us into the political strife of this world inspired by Spanish and French courts with magic and faeries. The folklore, the politics, and the motives were all very believable and the characters all felt very real to me. And the foreshadows were all very well placed. This entire story was so well thought out!
I was nervous in the beginning that the story would come across as being repetitive due to the whole time loop concept but while parts of it were, for obvious reasons, each night Anais repeats is vastly different and adds another layer of intrigue to the story. It was so interesting to see how the characters developed and acted in each time loop and how their behavior would surprise Anais, especially Leo and Jacinthe. It was also interesting to see how one choice, or a multitude of choices could vary the outcome of events.
I know this is a stand-alone and while I don't think a direct sequel would work well, I would love to read another stand-alone set in this same world. It would be so interesting to read more about the magic systems and folklore and to see how the events and outcome of this novel affect the future of this world. With this novel, Zeba Shanaz has become an insta-buy author for me and I can't wait to see what she comes out with next!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicide, Death, Blood, Fire/Fire injury, Gore, Murder, Self harm, Injury/Injury detail, and Violence
Moderate: Grief, Cursing, Alcohol, Child death, Death of parent, Suicide attempt, Vomit, Colonisation, Gaslighting, Racism, Suicidal thoughts, and Panic attacks/disorders
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