Reviews

a solid cozy fantasy read. it was reminiscent of YA fantasy which made it a comforting read for me. I really enjoyed Elspeth and the Nightmare’s dynamic. the Nightmare’s dialogue and interactions with Elspeth were definitely one of my favourite aspects of the book. the build up of the romance was delicious! though I didn’t feel much connection to the couple, I definitely relished in their interactions (yearning🙏). the reveals throughout weren’t very surprising but the story was still very intriguing nonetheless. I also do hope to see more of the side characters in the second book!

kiciabookisz's review against another edition

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mysterious tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.0

rainyreadswitherani's review against another edition

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adventurous dark mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

katiegosselin's review against another edition

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dark mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? N/A
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

blackangel18's review against another edition

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challenging mysterious medium-paced

3.0

The magic system was great, the plot could have used a little more work but the romance had no business of being there. I feel like the connection was not there.

dr_bookdragon's review against another edition

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slow-paced

3.0

artemisiaaa__'s review against another edition

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adventurous dark mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0

I don’t know what I enjoyed less. The cringe-worthy, cliche one-liners found across a plethora of Wattpad-esque novellas, or the lack of dimension across the board for all of the characters, including Elspeth herself. This book was a mix of lack-lustre plot lines, failed political tensions and an inability to form genuine connections between the reader and the world. The only redeeming factors I could give this book are the use of Cards as a symbol of magic. Using them as “double-edged swords” was a great way of providing punishment for reward, however, I feel some of its merit was lost to a confusing and plot-hole filled storyline revolving around Elspeth’s motives. Not only was her character extremely boring, but it seemingly remained consistent throughout the entirety of the book. This story was predictable, bland, and somehow exceeded my already terrible expectations.

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