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chronicacademia's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
5.0
This book is my new fantasy obsession. It is trope-y and fun and full of what I love about YA fantasy. I’ve seen comparisons to almost every big name book—Ninth House, Caraval, Bridgerton, etc.—and I understand why. It fits so well into the YA fantasy canon (and will surely be a booktok recommendation when it releases). To me, it felt like Legendborn meets The Selection. (Alternatively, I could also see Legendborn meets Shadow & Bone.)
I am normally super hesitant of books that are trope-y, but I really loved this one. It wasn’t necessarily trying to do anything new; instead it read as a love letter to all the things YA fantasy has done well over the past few years. This is clearly a book that was written by an author who loves the genre, and the story she is telling.
Quell was such a phenomenal main character. She was powerful and sweet and a little naive—but she wanted to believe things would work out for the best, and you really can’t help but love her. It’s easy to see why she’s the main character of the novel, and it’s easy to see why every single character loves her so completely.
I did think this was a slower read—although I never really wanted to set it down. It’s definitely a character driven novel, and it sparkles because of its lead.
The only thing I didn’t totally love was the romance. I don’t get good vibes from Jordan—although I’m not sure I was ultimately supposed to. I do wonder if J. Elle is hinting toward a new love interest in book two with a very intriguing side character, and I truly cannot wait to find out what happens next.
If this book isn’t on your radar yet, it absolutely should be.
*Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC! All views reflected are my own.
I am normally super hesitant of books that are trope-y, but I really loved this one. It wasn’t necessarily trying to do anything new; instead it read as a love letter to all the things YA fantasy has done well over the past few years. This is clearly a book that was written by an author who loves the genre, and the story she is telling.
Quell was such a phenomenal main character. She was powerful and sweet and a little naive—but she wanted to believe things would work out for the best, and you really can’t help but love her. It’s easy to see why she’s the main character of the novel, and it’s easy to see why every single character loves her so completely.
I did think this was a slower read—although I never really wanted to set it down. It’s definitely a character driven novel, and it sparkles because of its lead.
The only thing I didn’t totally love was the romance. I don’t get good vibes from Jordan—although I’m not sure I was ultimately supposed to. I do wonder if J. Elle is hinting toward a new love interest in book two with a very intriguing side character, and I truly cannot wait to find out what happens next.
If this book isn’t on your radar yet, it absolutely should be.
*Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC! All views reflected are my own.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Violence, Death, Gore, Child death, Genocide, Blood, and Murder
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