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A review by spiringempress
Beyond the Ruby Veil by Mara Fitzgerald
2.0
For the lack of a better term, this book was a little bit of a hot mess. Not only did the character development leave a lot to be desired, but the world-building was completely nonexistent. It all begins with Emanuela Ragno's wedding day. Engaged to Alessandro Morandi, heir to the richest house in Occhia, Emanuela is eager to finally be married and wield even more power. However, Emanuela is also hiding a secret that threatens her carefully plotted plans.
In the city of Occhia, there exists only one source of water: a mysterious being known as the watercrea, who possesses the ability to turn blood into water. Randomly, individuals develop a bruise or omen on their body, which means they need to surrender themselves to the watercrea. She drains the life force from these individuals and turns their blood into water for the city. Emanuela developed an omen as a child, but she's kept it hidden for years. However, this secret is revealed and in stubborn defiance, Emanuela succeeds in killing the watercrea, but endangers her city. Along with Ale, Emanuela must find a way to replace the water supply before it's too late.
There is little to no explanation for the obsession with water and ensuring that the supply line remains stable within Occhia. Sure, water as an important resource is a plausible plotline, but it's boring. It seems to be the plotline of a high fantasy novel, where the author has spent hours researching how the economy and production line would work in a small city, but not in a measly 288 paged young adult book. The role of the watercrea (which is just an odd name) beyond supplying the water is also vaguely explored in a way that feels slapped together.
The main reason the book feels rushed lies in the fact that the main protagonist is a chaos queen wielding a knife. I'm all for chaotic characters with questionable motivations, but Emanuela feels slightly unhinged. One moment, she's hellbent on doing one thing, and then quick as a flash, she's charing in another direction. It also contributes to the feeling that the author was writing one plotline, thought of a better direction, and abandoned ship without changing any of the preceding information to match. Overall, the book feels like whiplash and it's all done in the name of water...
In the city of Occhia, there exists only one source of water: a mysterious being known as the watercrea, who possesses the ability to turn blood into water. Randomly, individuals develop a bruise or omen on their body, which means they need to surrender themselves to the watercrea. She drains the life force from these individuals and turns their blood into water for the city. Emanuela developed an omen as a child, but she's kept it hidden for years. However, this secret is revealed and in stubborn defiance, Emanuela succeeds in killing the watercrea, but endangers her city. Along with Ale, Emanuela must find a way to replace the water supply before it's too late.
There is little to no explanation for the obsession with water and ensuring that the supply line remains stable within Occhia. Sure, water as an important resource is a plausible plotline, but it's boring. It seems to be the plotline of a high fantasy novel, where the author has spent hours researching how the economy and production line would work in a small city, but not in a measly 288 paged young adult book. The role of the watercrea (which is just an odd name) beyond supplying the water is also vaguely explored in a way that feels slapped together.
The main reason the book feels rushed lies in the fact that the main protagonist is a chaos queen wielding a knife. I'm all for chaotic characters with questionable motivations, but Emanuela feels slightly unhinged. One moment, she's hellbent on doing one thing, and then quick as a flash, she's charing in another direction. It also contributes to the feeling that the author was writing one plotline, thought of a better direction, and abandoned ship without changing any of the preceding information to match. Overall, the book feels like whiplash and it's all done in the name of water...