This was one of my most anticipated releases of 2021. Based on my rating, I guess I was disappointed. But I have no regrets reading this and would be happy to read another book by Adrienne Tooley. I’m also a big fan of stand alone fantasy so I’m always supportive of publishers releasing more.
This was very slow. Or it just wasn’t full of intense and constant action scenes. Personally, that doesn’t bother me, especially if I really care about the characters. But that doesn’t seem to be very popular in YA fantasy right now. I definitely expect a lot of complaints about it.
Overall, I liked the characters, but they were a little weak. I never fully connected to them. Full disclosure, this has been happening a lot lately so maybe it’s me. I like the idea behind the characters. Wren has sacrificed a lot for her family and is stepping away for the first time. Tamsin is cursed and dealing with the ramification of her actions years earlier. It’s a little bit of a grump/sunshine thing. I think I liked and connected to Tamsin a little bit more than Wren.
I thought this would have more of a romance than I did. I would probably like it more if my expectation was different. This is more about Wren and Tamsin fighting a magical plague than them falling in love. There’s nothing wrong with that-but it’s important to know what you’re getting.
The cover for this is so soft and beautiful. I think it’s a great representation of what’s inside.
Thanks for reading!
Holly