A review by thelongroadtosanity
Castle of Dusk and Shadows by Rachel L. Schade
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
Elle and her family are subject to a deal with the Fae Queen after her father dies. A long time ago, her parents had agreed to allow their eldest daughter, Grace, to marry the Fae crown Prince, Fitz. Over the years, Elle and her father studied magic in secret, trying to uncover a way for them to help Grace escape her fate, to no avail. After the sudden death of her Father, a messenger from the Fae Queen arrives, informing the family that they must attend the Ashwood castle, home of the Fae, for the remainder of their human lives.
The day of Grace's wedding, Ellie makes a split-second decision to save her older sister from marrying the dark and broody crown prince, Fitz and hides herself under the magical veil, marrying him instead. Chaos soon ensues, and Elle struggles to find her own gifted magic while uncovering the secrets of the ghosts surrounding the castle, including her recently-deceased Father. Desperate to bring him back to life, she stumbles upon a plot involving the murder of a Fae Princess and the mystery of how her 'family heirloom' locket from her own father plays a part in grand scheme of things.
This was a nice, easy read. I enjoyed the Victorian/fae aspect and I thought that had been really well done, however I wasn't the greatest fan of Elle, the main character. She wasn't the worst FMC I've read about, but she definitely wasn't the greatest. I thought her dedication to her family and uncovering the truth was very well done, and were good characteristics for her. I also enjoyed her quirkiness about the contrast of the Victorian-styled human realm and the "impropriety" of the Fae realm. The comment about her not even showing anyone her ankle before had me giggling. Otherwise, she was just.... meh to me. I also wasn't a fan of how Fitz was portrayed as instantly falling in love with her.... I am more of the slow-burn type girl so when Fitz was the first to declare his feelings for Elle it had thrown me for a bit. (10/2023)
3.5 stars out of 5 (rounded up)
The day of Grace's wedding, Ellie makes a split-second decision to save her older sister from marrying the dark and broody crown prince, Fitz and hides herself under the magical veil, marrying him instead. Chaos soon ensues, and Elle struggles to find her own gifted magic while uncovering the secrets of the ghosts surrounding the castle, including her recently-deceased Father. Desperate to bring him back to life, she stumbles upon a plot involving the murder of a Fae Princess and the mystery of how her 'family heirloom' locket from her own father plays a part in grand scheme of things.
This was a nice, easy read. I enjoyed the Victorian/fae aspect and I thought that had been really well done, however I wasn't the greatest fan of Elle, the main character. She wasn't the worst FMC I've read about, but she definitely wasn't the greatest. I thought her dedication to her family and uncovering the truth was very well done, and were good characteristics for her. I also enjoyed her quirkiness about the contrast of the Victorian-styled human realm and the "impropriety" of the Fae realm. The comment about her not even showing anyone her ankle before had me giggling. Otherwise, she was just.... meh to me. I also wasn't a fan of how Fitz was portrayed as instantly falling in love with her.... I am more of the slow-burn type girl so when Fitz was the first to declare his feelings for Elle it had thrown me for a bit. (10/2023)
3.5 stars out of 5 (rounded up)