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natashaleighton_'s review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
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
A brilliantly crafted, rollercoaster of a read that seamlessly blends Jewish folklore and the shady political scheming of Peaky Blinders into a page turning tale of forbidden magic, enchanted races and revenge that I didn’t want to end.
We follow the POVs of two characters: Mikira, (the daughter of a famed horse breeder) who strikes a deal to enter the Illinir —a deadly, high stakes horse race that, if she wins, could save her family from ruin. And Arielle, an unregistered enchanter who will do anything for the chance to obtain an enchanter’s licence … including help Lord Damien in getting Mikira to first place.
With blood feuds, secrets and political intrigue aplenty, Arielle and Mikira will have to decide who to trust in this deadly, cut-throat world where corruption and the power hungry elite reign supreme.
I adored Kalyn’s writing style which was quite lyrical at times with an emotionally evocative edge that brought this vividly descriptive world and its characters to life.
I really enjoyed Mikira as a character, but I admit it was her flaws that intrigued me the most. She’s frustratingly impulsive and reckless, with a cynicism that borders on confrontational, and which gets her into trouble on more than one occasion. However, her deep compassion for her family was endearingly relatable and I enjoyed watching just how far she was willing to go to protect them.
Though it was Arielle, I was emotionally invested in the most. As a refugee in a country that despises her people (and their unique, golem based magic) we witness the inner strength and determination of a young woman just trying to survive— enduring ridicule and discrimination that was utterly heartbreaking to witness (especially as it mirrored soo much of the antisemitic rhetoric that exists in our own world.)
But getting to see her explore and reconnect with her magical heritage, was soo inspiring! And though some of her decisions seemed to lead towards a less scrupulous path (influenced by Damien perhaps), I’m intrigued to see how things develop for her in the next instalment.
The rest of the cast were also really well developed (even antagonists Rezek and Loic) with just as much complexity, and depth to keep me invested. I was especially impressed with the character development of both Damien and Reid’s development (thanks to their briefly explored yet deeply emotional backstories) but, I have to say it’s Reid (with his grumpy demeanour, use of tea to solve every problem and unconditional love for his cat) that stole my heart.
The romance was amazingly swoon-worthy and the LGBTQ+ rep wonderful (particularly the AroAce/Demiromantic rep.) And slow-burn lovers will be pleased to know there is not one, but TWO fabulously tension-filled, slow-burn romances to fall head over heels for.
This is the first Kalyn Josephson book I’ve ever read, but the detailed world-building and loveably complex, multilayered characters have assured that it definitely won’t be the last.
Also, a huge thank you to BookBreak for the proof and including me on the readalong—I had an absolute blast.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Violence, and Death
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Injury/Injury detail, and Torture
Minor: Murder, Death of parent, Bullying, and Suicidal thoughts
ezwolf's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
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? It's complicated
4.25
This Dark Descent follow Mikira, a girl trying to save her family and their horse ranch from a greedy and antagonistic noble and Arielle, an enchanter unregistered with the crown and forbidden, powerful magic. The girls are brought together by a young man, Damien, who makes a deal with both that will give them all something they desperately want.
Arielle and Mikira were both great characters and I'm torn on which one was my favorite. I loved Ari for her connection (and disconnection) to the Jewish religion of this book. I loved Mikira for the love of her horses and her sisters and her desire to protect her family.
There was also a lot of casual queerness (and no homophobia) amongst the background characters and the implication of demisexuality and bisexuality/pansexuality with Ari and Mikira.
The thing I found most interesting about this book was its approach to Judaism. There are so many books that take Christianity and create a fantasy religion based on it, but I've never seen that done with Judaism. And even though this was fantasy Judaism, it was still implicitly Jewish, the way Ari and Damien talked about the foundations of it in their world and the different traditions, was so Jewish. The way golems were used was my favorite. I feel like often in media, golems are used to be scary, but golems are meant to protect and that's a big part of the golems that Ari makes.
Thank you to NetGalley for making this available in exchange for an honest review!
Arielle and Mikira were both great characters and I'm torn on which one was my favorite. I loved Ari for her connection (and disconnection) to the Jewish religion of this book. I loved Mikira for the love of her horses and her sisters and her desire to protect her family.
There was also a lot of casual queerness (and no homophobia) amongst the background characters and the implication of demisexuality and bisexuality/pansexuality with Ari and Mikira.
The thing I found most interesting about this book was its approach to Judaism. There are so many books that take Christianity and create a fantasy religion based on it, but I've never seen that done with Judaism. And even though this was fantasy Judaism, it was still implicitly Jewish, the way Ari and Damien talked about the foundations of it in their world and the different traditions, was so Jewish. The way golems were used was my favorite. I feel like often in media, golems are used to be scary, but golems are meant to protect and that's a big part of the golems that Ari makes.
Thank you to NetGalley for making this available in exchange for an honest review!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Classism, Gun violence, Blood, Death, Grief, Violence, Animal death, Religious bigotry, Injury/Injury detail, Antisemitism, and Murder
Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders, Torture, and Animal cruelty
Minor: Death of parent, Suicidal thoughts, Xenophobia, Colonisation, Alcohol, and Bullying
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