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A review by retrogirlreads
Of Dreams and Shadows by Jesikah Sundin
5.0
Princess Aroreh Rosen is beautiful and graceful, delicate and kind, docile and gentle. She was made this way at birth by the faeries who blessed her, and for her entire existence, she’s been living in a perfect, dreamlike state of bliss. Aroreh has never known anything else, but the harsh reality is that her kingdom is not as perfect as her mother makes it seem. Rothlín is afflicted with hunger, sickness, and poverty, and Aroreh has no idea. Aroreh has been rogrammed to view the world through rose colored glasses, a tool forged for the cruel queen’s malevolent plans.
But when a spell is cast on Aroreh that allows her to see the world as it is, everything changes. Now on the run from her mother and her forces, Aroreh must learn to cope with all of the things she had never been aware of. In the process, she runs into Félip Batten MacKinley, the shadow walker who also happens to be the last surviving heir to the throne of faerie, a throne her mother is actively trying to destroy. Félip has always hated Aroreh for what she represents, but once he actually gets to know her, he finds himself drawn to her gentle spirit and inherent goodness. Together, they might be able to stop the queen, if she doesn’t stop them first…
Oh. My. God. This is my first Jesikah Sundin book, and I absolutely loved it. I love how unique the world of Rothlín is, and all the different politics that are happening. The world building was absolutely exquisite, and I loved how I got sucked into this world and this story from the very first page. I also loved all the side characters, but especially Gellynor. This world is amazing, and I’m so pleased to have discovered it, and Jesikah Sundin as an author. I will definitely be continuing the series and looking into her other work!
Let’s talk about Aroreh and Félip for a second. First of all, I love how pure their relationship is. At first, Félip hated Aroreh because she came from a kingdom that annihilated his, but as soon as he realized that she was not like her mother, the queen, his opinion of her changed. I loved how he went from being disgruntled at her presence to slowly craving the time he spent with her. As for Aroreh, I think she is one of the strongest heroines I’ve ever read about. At the age of sixteen, she finds out her entire life has been a lie, and she handles it with so much grace. Yes, she’s confused at times, and yes, she has moments where she’s upset or anxious, but that just makes her all the more relatable. Aroreh chooses to continue to be good and try to help her people and Félip’s, even if it meant losing her mother’s favor and being branded as a traitor. I think that’s very powerful, and I loved that aspect of this novel. I completely recommend!
But when a spell is cast on Aroreh that allows her to see the world as it is, everything changes. Now on the run from her mother and her forces, Aroreh must learn to cope with all of the things she had never been aware of. In the process, she runs into Félip Batten MacKinley, the shadow walker who also happens to be the last surviving heir to the throne of faerie, a throne her mother is actively trying to destroy. Félip has always hated Aroreh for what she represents, but once he actually gets to know her, he finds himself drawn to her gentle spirit and inherent goodness. Together, they might be able to stop the queen, if she doesn’t stop them first…
Oh. My. God. This is my first Jesikah Sundin book, and I absolutely loved it. I love how unique the world of Rothlín is, and all the different politics that are happening. The world building was absolutely exquisite, and I loved how I got sucked into this world and this story from the very first page. I also loved all the side characters, but especially Gellynor. This world is amazing, and I’m so pleased to have discovered it, and Jesikah Sundin as an author. I will definitely be continuing the series and looking into her other work!
Let’s talk about Aroreh and Félip for a second. First of all, I love how pure their relationship is. At first, Félip hated Aroreh because she came from a kingdom that annihilated his, but as soon as he realized that she was not like her mother, the queen, his opinion of her changed. I loved how he went from being disgruntled at her presence to slowly craving the time he spent with her. As for Aroreh, I think she is one of the strongest heroines I’ve ever read about. At the age of sixteen, she finds out her entire life has been a lie, and she handles it with so much grace. Yes, she’s confused at times, and yes, she has moments where she’s upset or anxious, but that just makes her all the more relatable. Aroreh chooses to continue to be good and try to help her people and Félip’s, even if it meant losing her mother’s favor and being branded as a traitor. I think that’s very powerful, and I loved that aspect of this novel. I completely recommend!