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dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I loved everything about this book. The main character having a nightmare trapped in her mind, is relatable and terrifying in so many ways. The magic aspect of this book, was satisfying and kept me intrigued. Also, I enjoyed how bits and pieces of the story unraveled and new elements to the story were unveiled. Well written and I can’t wait to pick up the next book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Chronic illness, Death, Violence, Blood, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, Pandemic/Epidemic
Moderate: Child death
challenging
dark
emotional
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I am not one to write thourough reviews, especially because most books, though enjoyable, don't really stay in my memory for much long after. I tend to literary and classics, even nonfiction from time to time, even more now than I did 5 years ago. I read to ease my mind, to distract myself and hardly invest much time in them after. Some are worth thinking about, some are even worth writing about. Fantasy has disappointed me more and more recently, everything I put my hands on turned out to not meet my expectations. Whether Tiktok recommendations or books I found on my own. Nothing really caught me the way I remember fantasy did when I was fifteen. I deemed myself too old for fantasy or blamed it on the books entirely.
But this one? Fantasy is SO back. (to me, at least)
I was hooked immediately. The pace was interesting. Very fast and straight-forward, I think the first 200ish pages take place on the same two to three days.
The plot was the focus, I realized that soon enough. But Elspeth was the plot. She was character as much as she was the driving force, the unwinding direction this book took. All thanks to The Nightmare.
Every second in Elspeth's head, every idea she had and every thought she shared with The Nightmare left me wondering, aching. What was she up to? What was HE up to?
Everything was a question. A rhyme. Half-questions matched with half-answers. Nobody really deemed themselves worthy enough to actually explain what the actual fuck was going on here. It stung.
The magic system was a double-edged sword. It intruiged me the second I hearr about it. Magic from cards. Nothing comes for free. Uncontrolled magic deemed a danger.
The worldbuilding was lacking. But I think we didn't need anything more than what was told. I'm just too curious. I couldn't really picture Blunder in my head, like it, too, was covered by the mist. Dark, grey. Unfeeling.
Ravyn was a lovely addition from the start. Suspicious but lovely. He was as straight forward as the plot and I liked that. He had a mission and made it very clear that all his heart was into it. His family. Jespyr, Elm. His parents. Emory.
With a mission that traitorous, magic that defining, I thought, there's got to be a traitor? Someone who betrays the family, a black sheep.I was so surprised, so relieved that there wasnt. (Stupid Tyrn doesn't count. Ass.)
This book is as much romance as it is family. Unconditional love. I figure it is a love story but not a romance that carries through these pages. It's trust, it's a bond. Love. Love. Nothing but love. A story about love.
But this one? Fantasy is SO back. (to me, at least)
I was hooked immediately. The pace was interesting. Very fast and straight-forward, I think the first 200ish pages take place on the same two to three days.
The plot was the focus, I realized that soon enough. But Elspeth was the plot. She was character as much as she was the driving force, the unwinding direction this book took. All thanks to The Nightmare.
Every second in Elspeth's head, every idea she had and every thought she shared with The Nightmare left me wondering, aching. What was she up to? What was HE up to?
Everything was a question. A rhyme. Half-questions matched with half-answers. Nobody really deemed themselves worthy enough to actually explain what the actual fuck was going on here. It stung.
The magic system was a double-edged sword. It intruiged me the second I hearr about it. Magic from cards. Nothing comes for free. Uncontrolled magic deemed a danger.
The worldbuilding was lacking. But I think we didn't need anything more than what was told. I'm just too curious. I couldn't really picture Blunder in my head, like it, too, was covered by the mist. Dark, grey. Unfeeling.
Ravyn was a lovely addition from the start. Suspicious but lovely. He was as straight forward as the plot and I liked that. He had a mission and made it very clear that all his heart was into it. His family. Jespyr, Elm. His parents. Emory.
With a mission that traitorous, magic that defining, I thought, there's got to be a traitor? Someone who betrays the family, a black sheep.
This book is as much romance as it is family. Unconditional love. I figure it is a love story but not a romance that carries through these pages. It's trust, it's a bond. Love. Love. Nothing but love. A story about love.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Chronic illness, Death, Gore, Blood, Death of parent, Abandonment, Pandemic/Epidemic
Moderate: Sexual content, Medical content, Stalking, Toxic friendship, Sexual harassment
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
The magic system in this book is so unique and creative as is the style of writing. I literally didn’t know some of the types of trees referenced and had to look them up. 😅 Some of the “revelations” were a little predictable (like Nightmare being the Shepherd King, Ravyn & Emory being infected, and Ravyn eventually figuring out her secret by using the nightmare card) , but it’s a really cool read and I’m looking forward to the conclusion in book two!
Also “fake relationship” is an annoying trope in contemporary romance because it’s always some petty reason like “let’s make our exes jealous,” but apparently I’m here for a “let’s be in a fake relationship so we have an excuse to be near each other to conspire to save everyone” trope. 😂
“Be wary. Be clever. Be good.”
Also “fake relationship” is an annoying trope in contemporary romance because it’s always some petty reason like “let’s make our exes jealous,” but apparently I’m here for a “let’s be in a fake relationship so we have an excuse to be near each other to conspire to save everyone” trope. 😂
“Be wary. Be clever. Be good.”
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Blood, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Sexual content
Minor: Child death, Death, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury
adventurous
challenging
dark
funny
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
fast-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:
Complicated
Ik vond dit boek goed. De rijmpjes in het verhaal zijn erg poeïtisch, maar dit haalde mij soms uit het verhaal. Ze zijn wel belangrijk voor het verhaal!
Ik vond Elspeth erg interessant en leuk. Ze heeft een sterke persoonlijkheid,maar ik vond dat ze de nachtmerrie wel snel om hulp vroeg, terwijl ze wist wat de consequenties waren . Ravyn is ook zo leuk, hij heeft persoonlijkheid en beschermd Elspeth op een goede manier. Ik vond Ravyn een goede keuze als love interest al had ik Elm ook niet zo erg gevonden🤭.
Het verhaal loopt goed. De spanning zit er goed in en er gebeurd precies genoeg. De vertaling is ook goed gedaan. De zinnen lopen vloeiend en het is allemaal een logisch samenhangend verhaal. Het magie systeem is simpel en wordt ook simpel uitgelegt. Je krijgt niet ineens on 1x alle informatie, maar dit wordt goed verdeeld over het boek. Ik vond het ook erg goed dat de nachtmerrie niet in 1x zijn geheimen prijs gaf. Dit gaf nog een extra laag mysterie.
Ik had alleen iets meer verwacht. Dit boek wordt enorm opgehypt en ik ging ook met die verwachtingen het verhaal in. Het verhaal is goed, maar niet spectaculair. De gebeurtenissen voelde soms wat afgeflakt aan. Ik ben wel geïntegreerd en ik ga dan ook zeker deel 2 lezen! Dit is namelijk een perfect voorbeeld van een goed neergezette "gotische" fantasy
Ik vond Elspeth erg interessant en leuk. Ze heeft een sterke persoonlijkheid,
Het verhaal loopt goed. De spanning zit er goed in en er gebeurd precies genoeg. De vertaling is ook goed gedaan. De zinnen lopen vloeiend en het is allemaal een logisch samenhangend verhaal. Het magie systeem is simpel en wordt ook simpel uitgelegt. Je krijgt niet ineens on 1x alle informatie, maar dit wordt goed verdeeld over het boek. Ik vond het ook erg goed dat de nachtmerrie niet in 1x zijn geheimen prijs gaf. Dit gaf nog een extra laag mysterie.
Ik had alleen iets meer verwacht. Dit boek wordt enorm opgehypt en ik ging ook met die verwachtingen het verhaal in. Het verhaal is goed, maar niet spectaculair. De gebeurtenissen voelde soms wat afgeflakt aan. Ik ben wel geïntegreerd en ik ga dan ook zeker deel 2 lezen! Dit is namelijk een perfect voorbeeld van een goed neergezette "gotische" fantasy
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Cursing, Death, Hate crime, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Slavery, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, Injury/Injury detail
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I have been hearing about this book everywhere and was finally able to get the audiobook through my library after several weeks of having it on hold with Libby. Overall, I was not gripped by this story until the third act and then I was absolutely invested. For the first two-thirds, I was more just going with the flow learning who all the characters were and the world-building facts that Gilling was integrating into the story.
I am a bit confused by two things throughout the story. First, Ione's whole subplot confused me. How did Ione and Elspeth grow up so close and then diverge so quickly on their paths? Elspeth was a well-constructed character and throughout her motivations were clear, but I have no idea why Ione was making the choices that she was. The game that all the characters play toward the climax of the book did make things slightly clearer, but overall she did not feel fully fleshed out. I hope that she gets a bigger subplot in the next book.
The second thing that was confusing for me throughout the book and it is possible that I just did not understand this in the text is how many cards there are in total. There are rarer cards that are much harder to find, but some of the cards are quite ubiquitous. The cards seemed to be important for displays of power, but I'm not sure if two different decks are being constructed by the two factions or if one group is ahead in the number of cards that they have.
I really enjoyed the romance subplot of the book. The dynamics between the characters were fun to watch develop throughout the book.
The ending of this book was absolutely shocking and gripping! I have no idea how Gillig is going to resolve all the loose ends in the next book, but I cannot wait to find out.
Highly recommend. It starts a bit slow but the plot is worth the wait.
I am a bit confused by two things throughout the story. First, Ione's whole subplot confused me. How did Ione and Elspeth grow up so close and then diverge so quickly on their paths? Elspeth was a well-constructed character and throughout her motivations were clear, but I have no idea why Ione was making the choices that she was. The game that all the characters play toward the climax of the book did make things slightly clearer, but overall she did not feel fully fleshed out. I hope that she gets a bigger subplot in the next book.
The second thing that was confusing for me throughout the book and it is possible that I just did not understand this in the text is how many cards there are in total. There are rarer cards that are much harder to find, but some of the cards are quite ubiquitous. The cards seemed to be important for displays of power, but I'm not sure if two different decks are being constructed by the two factions or if one group is ahead in the number of cards that they have.
I really enjoyed the romance subplot of the book. The dynamics between the characters were fun to watch develop throughout the book.
The ending of this book was absolutely shocking and gripping! I have no idea how Gillig is going to resolve all the loose ends in the next book, but I cannot wait to find out.
Highly recommend. It starts a bit slow but the plot is worth the wait.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Chronic illness, Death, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, War, Injury/Injury detail, Classism
Moderate: Child death
Minor: Sexual content, Toxic relationship
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death, Blood
Moderate: Sexual content
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This book was so good. It was the perfect mix of dark, mysterious fantasy and romance. Can't wait to read the second one!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death, Sexual content, Blood, Murder
adventurous
dark
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Child death, Terminal illness, Violence, Vomit
Minor: Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
Strong character development:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Blood, Death of parent, Murder, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Mental illness, Sexual content, Police brutality, Classism
Minor: Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Gore, Infidelity, Grief, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Alcohol
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I really enjoyed this book -- the setting and lore felt very rich and fleshed out, which allowed me to become invested not only in the characters, but in the world itself!
There were a few moments that where tropyenemies to lovers, and drama that could have been entirely avoided if characters could just TALK TO EACHOTHER!!!
But even they felt justified for the most part.
I'm looking forward to reading the second!
There were a few moments that where tropy
But even they felt justified for the most part.
I'm looking forward to reading the second!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Blood
Moderate: Bullying, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Terminal illness, Abandonment, Injury/Injury detail, Classism
Minor: Child death, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Police brutality, Grief, Death of parent