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thindbooks's review against another edition
4.0
*This arc was sent to me by the publisher to give an honest review in return*
I liked reading this book! This book is about two girls from different worlds who have the same plan to save their kingdoms with their powers. I am a huge fan of Tracy as her Grace and Fury duology was so good and this one didn't disappoint! This is different from that duology but was still a great read. I enjoyed the world-building in this book with a well-structured storyline. The story was fast-paced which I enjoyed and had many twists and turns that didn't keep the story boring. Everything about the writing part was well done and I was shocked with how the author managed to finish a fantasy story in a standalone novel. Most fantasies I read are series so I enjoyed this quick fantasy read.
This book is written in two povs, Annalise and Evra. I enjoyed Annalise's character as she is a morally grey character and has powerful magic whereas Evra is complex but has powers that she needs to learn more about. I enjoyed both character's character development as I thought it was well done. I also enjoyed the side characters in this book with their character development but I wish there were more characters. I felt that Analise and Evra took up most of the story which makes sense as they are the main characters but I would also like to see the side characters more involved. There is also romance in this book but it kind of lacked in the story and I wish there was more of it.
I have to say that the ending was very well done and ended right where it should have. Overall I just enjoyed the theme of how women are powerful and can take the throne without needing a man. There were some minor problems with this book like with the characters and the romance but overall this was a wonderfully written book. I will for sure be reading Tracy's next books along the way as she is such an amazing author who writes wonderful fantasy stories with royalty. I recommend this book to fans of Furyborn and A Sweet and Bitter Magic.
I liked reading this book! This book is about two girls from different worlds who have the same plan to save their kingdoms with their powers. I am a huge fan of Tracy as her Grace and Fury duology was so good and this one didn't disappoint! This is different from that duology but was still a great read. I enjoyed the world-building in this book with a well-structured storyline. The story was fast-paced which I enjoyed and had many twists and turns that didn't keep the story boring. Everything about the writing part was well done and I was shocked with how the author managed to finish a fantasy story in a standalone novel. Most fantasies I read are series so I enjoyed this quick fantasy read.
This book is written in two povs, Annalise and Evra. I enjoyed Annalise's character as she is a morally grey character and has powerful magic whereas Evra is complex but has powers that she needs to learn more about. I enjoyed both character's character development as I thought it was well done. I also enjoyed the side characters in this book with their character development but I wish there were more characters. I felt that Analise and Evra took up most of the story which makes sense as they are the main characters but I would also like to see the side characters more involved. There is also romance in this book but it kind of lacked in the story and I wish there was more of it.
I have to say that the ending was very well done and ended right where it should have. Overall I just enjoyed the theme of how women are powerful and can take the throne without needing a man. There were some minor problems with this book like with the characters and the romance but overall this was a wonderfully written book. I will for sure be reading Tracy's next books along the way as she is such an amazing author who writes wonderful fantasy stories with royalty. I recommend this book to fans of Furyborn and A Sweet and Bitter Magic.
leaht's review against another edition
2.0
How dare you comp this to Furyborn, show the glimpses of an excellent villain POV, and then drive it all into the ground first chance you get.
Maybe I just no longer wish to read of stories with princesses and kings. This had all the makings of being something very cool, but ended up coming across as a little tropey and overdone. I struggle to see this as a smash the patriarchy story. I was really looking forward to a good girl power story, especially with that aforementioned villainous viewpoint, but it never found roots. Honestly, I'm really unhappy with how it panned out. Like no offence, but one character deciding to is so unbelievably weak.
A large part of my problem is this started off on the wrong foot for me and set the tone for the rest of the book. Annalise's first few chapters were quite messy. I had no idea what was going on with her, her cousin, and the magic she unleashed. I also struggled with Annalise's character because she wasn't set up well. For one, her magic was poorly explained in the context of this world and didn't serve the purpose it could have. Two, she is described as a character determined to gain whatever power she can while at court. She coaxes information from people and manipulates people to her side ... but apparently she has absolutely no idea she's second in line to the throne? I'm sorry, but no. If that naivety was not included, the opportunity to make Annalise into a fabulous, villainous character was right there. Instead her ambitions were highly flawed and made her out to be incompetent.
Evra was a far more interesting character, but even her chapters were a little confusing with her visions. This could be because I listened to the audiobook, but there was no break in the narrative. The visions bled into the scene and were often hard to follow. And while Evra was my favourite of the two, she, too, lost me at the end. The problem with the dual POV consisting of two characters on very separate tracks is that the reader is so far ahead of Evra. We know everything, can see all the obvious signs, and yet she's completely blind to it all. It's so frustrating to experience because it made her seem unfairly oblivious. I also didn't like the odd noble route she adopted towards the end.
It pains me to admit, but I think this lost a star with every plot twist. In order for them to work, the groundwork needed to be there. Hints and glimpses that you don't connect until that moment. They flopped for me here. What's worse is this book was solid. It's rating was salvageable for me until the last 100 pages or so. Suddenly nothing made sense and characters were doing complete 180s in motives and personalities without any clue as to why. And talk about a disappointing ending. Oh, I hated how it worked out so much because again, it felt there was zero groundwork laid for it to be deemed right. Really, it was too noble and horribly safe.
As I said, I received a copy of the audiobook from the publisher for this review. Gotta say, it was a poor choice not to have two narrators, one for each girl. While the single narrator did alright with the material, each POV blended together and I didn't really find either girl distinct.
Sigh. I have permanent wrinkles between my eyebrows now from the expressions I made in the last 100 pages. If I have to ask "what, whyyyyy" that many times about a character's actions or thoughts, you missed something. I have a copy of the author's previous book series, but now I'm quite hesitant to give it a go.
Maybe I just no longer wish to read of stories with princesses and kings. This had all the makings of being something very cool, but ended up coming across as a little tropey and overdone. I struggle to see this as a smash the patriarchy story. I was really looking forward to a good girl power story, especially with that aforementioned villainous viewpoint, but it never found roots. Honestly, I'm really unhappy with how it panned out. Like no offence, but one character deciding to
Spoiler
take down the woman on the throne and replace her with the wimpy man who has made it quite clear he couldn't care less about rulingA large part of my problem is this started off on the wrong foot for me and set the tone for the rest of the book. Annalise's first few chapters were quite messy. I had no idea what was going on with her, her cousin, and the magic she unleashed. I also struggled with Annalise's character because she wasn't set up well. For one, her magic was poorly explained in the context of this world and didn't serve the purpose it could have. Two, she is described as a character determined to gain whatever power she can while at court. She coaxes information from people and manipulates people to her side ... but apparently she has absolutely no idea she's second in line to the throne? I'm sorry, but no. If that naivety was not included, the opportunity to make Annalise into a fabulous, villainous character was right there. Instead her ambitions were highly flawed and made her out to be incompetent.
Evra was a far more interesting character, but even her chapters were a little confusing with her visions. This could be because I listened to the audiobook, but there was no break in the narrative. The visions bled into the scene and were often hard to follow. And while Evra was my favourite of the two, she, too, lost me at the end. The problem with the dual POV consisting of two characters on very separate tracks is that the reader is so far ahead of Evra. We know everything, can see all the obvious signs, and yet she's completely blind to it all. It's so frustrating to experience because it made her seem unfairly oblivious. I also didn't like the odd noble route she adopted towards the end.
It pains me to admit, but I think this lost a star with every plot twist. In order for them to work, the groundwork needed to be there. Hints and glimpses that you don't connect until that moment. They flopped for me here. What's worse is this book was solid. It's rating was salvageable for me until the last 100 pages or so. Suddenly nothing made sense and characters were doing complete 180s in motives and personalities without any clue as to why. And talk about a disappointing ending. Oh, I hated how it worked out so much because again, it felt there was zero groundwork laid for it to be deemed right. Really, it was too noble and horribly safe.
As I said, I received a copy of the audiobook from the publisher for this review. Gotta say, it was a poor choice not to have two narrators, one for each girl. While the single narrator did alright with the material, each POV blended together and I didn't really find either girl distinct.
Sigh. I have permanent wrinkles between my eyebrows now from the expressions I made in the last 100 pages. If I have to ask "what, whyyyyy" that many times about a character's actions or thoughts, you missed something. I have a copy of the author's previous book series, but now I'm quite hesitant to give it a go.
soracine's review against another edition
5.0
A magic thriller/adventure novel with a touch of mystery with a wolf (!) and strong female protagonists? Yes please!
Ending was a little disappointing, I feel like they were too lenient on Annalise, but I guess it was only for Kendrick’s benefit. Extremely well written, worldbuilding was done well but not overdone to the point where I got bored of the description. Such good writing, great detail and word use without being taxing to read. I loved the parallels between the upbringings of Annalise and Evra and how they went different directions in life despite it. Love how their trauma served as their motivation but didn’t dissipate once their desire for revenge/vengeance ran out. Just the right amount of romance, it’s set up clearly to happen and is sweet and welcome, not superfluous. Only thing I don’t like is something about the cover: the wolf’s eyes being golden is very important to the plot but in the cover, the rest of the wolf is golden and the eyes are red, which convery danger or alarm.
Ending was a little disappointing, I feel like they were too lenient on Annalise, but I guess it was only for Kendrick’s benefit. Extremely well written, worldbuilding was done well but not overdone to the point where I got bored of the description. Such good writing, great detail and word use without being taxing to read. I loved the parallels between the upbringings of Annalise and Evra and how they went different directions in life despite it. Love how their trauma served as their motivation but didn’t dissipate once their desire for revenge/vengeance ran out. Just the right amount of romance, it’s set up clearly to happen and is sweet and welcome, not superfluous. Only thing I don’t like is something about the cover: the wolf’s eyes being golden is very important to the plot but in the cover, the rest of the wolf is golden and the eyes are red, which convery danger or alarm.
mythian's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent and Death
spookynerd13's review against another edition
3.0
I was given this ARC by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
Evra discovers she has the power of sight, past, future, and present, and it is her duty to protect the kingdom with her gift. Annalise, who is the king's niece, has power no one expects, but after making a horrible mistake, she is terrified someone will find out about what she can do. These two girls come together in court, and even though they both have the goal of protecting the kingdom, they don't trust each other. Mistakes are made, and vengeance is the name of the game.
This book was just okay for me. I really didn't love either of the main characters, and I just felt the overall pace of the book was pretty slow. There were some cool parts, and their powers were really good concepts, but the pace, the plot, the characters, the climax, the plot twists... they were all just kind of bland. I can see other people liking this book, it just wasn't as exciting as I was wanting it to be.
Evra discovers she has the power of sight, past, future, and present, and it is her duty to protect the kingdom with her gift. Annalise, who is the king's niece, has power no one expects, but after making a horrible mistake, she is terrified someone will find out about what she can do. These two girls come together in court, and even though they both have the goal of protecting the kingdom, they don't trust each other. Mistakes are made, and vengeance is the name of the game.
This book was just okay for me. I really didn't love either of the main characters, and I just felt the overall pace of the book was pretty slow. There were some cool parts, and their powers were really good concepts, but the pace, the plot, the characters, the climax, the plot twists... they were all just kind of bland. I can see other people liking this book, it just wasn't as exciting as I was wanting it to be.
danieneverwhere's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
missprint_'s review against another edition
3.0
Still grieving the death of his son and heir during the Sickness years earlier, the elderly king of Tyne forces all magic workers to the capital where they can prolong his life and protect the castle while the rest of the kingdom suffers.
Annalise has spent years in the castle secretly using her unwieldy magic to weave a web of influence around the king, his grandson (and her cousin) Prince Kendrik, and the king's advisors. Annalise hopes to exact revenge against the king for her mother's death--a plan that is close to fruition when Annalise accidentally uses her magic on Kendrik leaving him hidden and monstrously transformed while Annalise becomes the new heir.
Meanwhile, Evra's quiet country life is ruined when her magic manifests years later than expected making her the first girl ever to become a Clearsee. As magical prophets Clearsees (usually men) use their magic to interpret visions meant to guide and protect the kingdom. While Annalise prepares for her coronation, Evra reluctantly arrives at the capital where she sees cryptic visions hinting at danger. But is the danger a threat to Tyne's rulers or is it the rulers themselves? in A Season of Sinister Dreams (2021) by Tracy Banghart.
Find it on Bookshop.
This plot-driven standalone fantasy alternates chapters between Annalise and Evra's first person narrations. All characters are presumed white.
With Annalise used to hiding the scope of her powers and Evra newly invested with magic, both narrations are claustrophobic leaving readers and characters floundering. Themes of agency as both heroines try to defy expectations are undermined by extremely limited world building and backstories that never fully explain character motivations or actions--particularly Annalise's.
Fans of Banghart's Grace and Fury will appreciate this book's strong female leads, fast-paced action, and the focus on Evra and Tam's friendship despite other shortcomings.
Possible Pairings: Girls Made of Snow and Glass by Melissa Bashardoust, Truthwitch by Susan Dennard, Forest of Souls by Lori M. Lee, The Orphan Queen by Jodi Meadows, There Will Come a Darkness by Katy Rose Pool, The Queen's Rising by Rebecca Ross
*A more condensed version of this review appeared as a review in an issue of School Library Journal*
Annalise has spent years in the castle secretly using her unwieldy magic to weave a web of influence around the king, his grandson (and her cousin) Prince Kendrik, and the king's advisors. Annalise hopes to exact revenge against the king for her mother's death--a plan that is close to fruition when Annalise accidentally uses her magic on Kendrik leaving him hidden and monstrously transformed while Annalise becomes the new heir.
Meanwhile, Evra's quiet country life is ruined when her magic manifests years later than expected making her the first girl ever to become a Clearsee. As magical prophets Clearsees (usually men) use their magic to interpret visions meant to guide and protect the kingdom. While Annalise prepares for her coronation, Evra reluctantly arrives at the capital where she sees cryptic visions hinting at danger. But is the danger a threat to Tyne's rulers or is it the rulers themselves? in A Season of Sinister Dreams (2021) by Tracy Banghart.
Find it on Bookshop.
This plot-driven standalone fantasy alternates chapters between Annalise and Evra's first person narrations. All characters are presumed white.
With Annalise used to hiding the scope of her powers and Evra newly invested with magic, both narrations are claustrophobic leaving readers and characters floundering. Themes of agency as both heroines try to defy expectations are undermined by extremely limited world building and backstories that never fully explain character motivations or actions--particularly Annalise's.
Fans of Banghart's Grace and Fury will appreciate this book's strong female leads, fast-paced action, and the focus on Evra and Tam's friendship despite other shortcomings.
Possible Pairings: Girls Made of Snow and Glass by Melissa Bashardoust, Truthwitch by Susan Dennard, Forest of Souls by Lori M. Lee, The Orphan Queen by Jodi Meadows, There Will Come a Darkness by Katy Rose Pool, The Queen's Rising by Rebecca Ross
*A more condensed version of this review appeared as a review in an issue of School Library Journal*
lazygal's review against another edition
3.0
What if you have great intentions, but go about things really wrong? That's Annalise. She's got great ideas as to how the kingdom should run, but her plotting and planning isn't going to go well. And then there's Evra, who has these terrible visions that show a threat but of course don't show who and when and what. They would make a terrific team, except did you get the part about Annalise doing things horribly? I love the fact that they're strong women but in very different ways. Things are wrapped up at the end but are they really? We'll see...
eARC provided by publisher.
eARC provided by publisher.
kylielovesbooks's review against another edition
4.0
Thank you to Netgalley for an audiobook copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
It took me a while into this book and I really don't know why because I ended up enjoying it quite a bit. It might have been because the physical book I was reading was similar so it was just hard to keep track of what was happening in which.
The characters were interesting. We had 2 main characters, Annalise and Evra. Annalise lived in the castle and was next in line for throne. Evra has just discovered her clearsee (spelling?) magic, one of the most rare magical gifts. While these 2 girls had great personalities, it was told from each of their POV's in the first person, so there were so many times I couldn't remember which POV I was on unless someone else said one of their names. A lot of the side characters were really great too.
The plot once I really got into it was captivating. We learn about some things Annalise that she isn't proud of and doesn't want Evra to find out being a clearsee (able to see past/present/future visions). It really seems like these 2 girls have the same overall goal and will be fast friends to conquer that goal, but it really ends up the opposite which was different and refreshing. All the twists and turns at the end really had me excited to listen to every single minute.
While I think this is a standalone, there is a lot of potential for a future sequel and I would be very interested to learn more about these characters.
It took me a while into this book and I really don't know why because I ended up enjoying it quite a bit. It might have been because the physical book I was reading was similar so it was just hard to keep track of what was happening in which.
The characters were interesting. We had 2 main characters, Annalise and Evra. Annalise lived in the castle and was next in line for throne. Evra has just discovered her clearsee (spelling?) magic, one of the most rare magical gifts. While these 2 girls had great personalities, it was told from each of their POV's in the first person, so there were so many times I couldn't remember which POV I was on unless someone else said one of their names. A lot of the side characters were really great too.
The plot once I really got into it was captivating. We learn about some things Annalise that she isn't proud of and doesn't want Evra to find out being a clearsee (able to see past/present/future visions). It really seems like these 2 girls have the same overall goal and will be fast friends to conquer that goal, but it really ends up the opposite which was different and refreshing. All the twists and turns at the end really had me excited to listen to every single minute.
While I think this is a standalone, there is a lot of potential for a future sequel and I would be very interested to learn more about these characters.