Reviews with content warning for Slavery - Veins of Magic

Reviews tagging 'Slavery'

Veins of Magic by Emma Hamm

4 reviews

km_reads_and_edits's review against another edition

hopeful lighthearted relaxing 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? No

2.5

"What is a queen without a king?"
"A dark, powerful creature with no man to temper her steel. You shall wield a sword as your crown, a whip as your jewels, and armor as your gown."

Ooft. I feel a bit bad giving Veins of Magic a 2.5 star rating, because I really like Emma Hamm's writing style and I cared about the two main characters, Sorcha and Eamonn. However, I found this second instalment a bit of a chore to get through for a few reasons:

1. Too much reliance on Deus ex Machina to solve plot problems. Literally. Gods or goddesses constantly appear out of nowhere and give Sorcha exactly what she needs in order to succeed.

For example, Sorcha has no battle knowledge so to solve that, a goddess just shows up out of nowhere, touches her forehead, and give Sorcha battle knowledge.

I can definitely overlook these kinds of "quick fix" plot techniques in a fantasy romance where the "fantasy" is really just a backdrop for a smutty, fluffy plotline. But Veins of Magic is not in that category and quite a bit of page time is dedicated to the "fantasy world" side of things, so I expected better.

2. It is a pet peeve of mine when protagonists acquire a new skill with no effort- especially when that skill is going to be pivotal in achieving their goals. Unfortunately, this happens in Veins of Magic.

Once Sorcha's druid magic is awakened, she becomes virtually all-powerful with very little effort and no training.

When things are simply "handed" to the MC because he/she is "special" or "chosen" or "not like the others", it undermines their victory because it feels unearned.

3. Act II was quite a bit of a mission to get through. Almost the entire middle of this novel was relatively uneventful and lacked tension. I also think it was a missed opportunity in terms of worldbuilding. Some of the lengthy conversations and angst might have been better spent delving into the various Fae races and cultures.

For example, I really enjoyed it when the Peat Fae arrived at the castle and I would have liked to see more of that kind of stuff over, say, chats with Oona in the kitchen. Sorry, Oona. ILY tho.

Despite having a few harsh criticisms, there were things about the book that I liked. I really did vibe with the final 30% of the book (Act III) and the fact that

Sorcha had to fight the final battle as a fierce, independent woman who don't need no man. I dug that part.

If you liked Heart of the Fae then I would still recommend giving this second instalment a go. Especially if you aren't too nitpicky about quick fixes for plot problems (unfortunately as an editor, I can't help but nitpick them!).

In terms of whether or not I will read book 3 with the different POV characters and new love story? I probably will. I'll just need a little break first. Even though I didn't vibe with book 2, I liked book 1, so I am willing to give this series another chance with its next instalment. Also, I am really intrigued by the Unseelie court and I want to know more about it!

Content Warnings