You need to sign in or sign up before continuing.
Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.82 AVERAGE
3.82 AVERAGE
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
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
3/5
The magic system was unique and the plot kept me reading, but both could have been improved so much with stronger world building and dynamic characters.
Let’s start with what I liked about the start of this series. The magic system surrounding Mortem as this “death shroud” that only people who have died or come close to death can channel is quite compelling. I love how in order to keep it from destroying everything around it, they would channel Mortem living things like plants that then turns them into these stone artworks.
I also found the plotline interesting. It was the main reason I kept reading because I needed to know what role these characters were playing and how everything was being manipulated.
However, like I said, these things could’ve gone from good to great if the world building and characters had been fleshed out more.
The world-building seriously needed some more meat to it. It took me forever to understand how this government and kingdom work (I’m still not totally sure) and I needed more of a backstory in how the world got to its current formation. Since I didn’t have more besides “this god Apollius is the Big God and his wife Nyxara is Bad and Dead and Mortem leaks from her body” I had a hard time understanding what kind of world exactly these characters were roaming around in. We also are given quite a mix of eras; she is drinking coffee in an apartment and then is whisked aways to Court to wear gowns and engage in balls and these two things could make for an interesting marriage, but they aren’t woven together well and I’m left puzzling.
The same issue stands for the characters. I felt like Whitten didn’t totally know who it was she was writing. I don’t know the motivations of any of the characters and they all seemed very one dimensional. I don’t know anything about Lore except where she comes from; does she have any interests at all? She is also painted to be this no nonsense confident woman who is somehow stuck in a love triangle that she doesn’t know what to do about and it feels out of character to me. I also didn’t get any sense of who Bastian is. For the entire book he is this sneaky spy prince who is cheeky and flirtatious and then at the end he is suddenly a ruthless possible tyrant? I don’t see where point A reached point B.
All that to say, I think Whitten has a great start to what could be a great fantasy series. But that’s what it feels like: a start. It definitely needed more thought and depth in order to make it a great book.
Thank you to Net Galley and Orbit Books for the eARC in exchange for an honest review!
The magic system was unique and the plot kept me reading, but both could have been improved so much with stronger world building and dynamic characters.
Let’s start with what I liked about the start of this series. The magic system surrounding Mortem as this “death shroud” that only people who have died or come close to death can channel is quite compelling. I love how in order to keep it from destroying everything around it, they would channel Mortem living things like plants that then turns them into these stone artworks.
I also found the plotline interesting. It was the main reason I kept reading because I needed to know what role these characters were playing and how everything was being manipulated.
However, like I said, these things could’ve gone from good to great if the world building and characters had been fleshed out more.
The world-building seriously needed some more meat to it. It took me forever to understand how this government and kingdom work (I’m still not totally sure) and I needed more of a backstory in how the world got to its current formation. Since I didn’t have more besides “this god Apollius is the Big God and his wife Nyxara is Bad and Dead and Mortem leaks from her body” I had a hard time understanding what kind of world exactly these characters were roaming around in. We also are given quite a mix of eras; she is drinking coffee in an apartment and then is whisked aways to Court to wear gowns and engage in balls and these two things could make for an interesting marriage, but they aren’t woven together well and I’m left puzzling.
The same issue stands for the characters. I felt like Whitten didn’t totally know who it was she was writing. I don’t know the motivations of any of the characters and they all seemed very one dimensional. I don’t know anything about Lore except where she comes from; does she have any interests at all? She is also painted to be this no nonsense confident woman who is somehow stuck in a love triangle that she doesn’t know what to do about and it feels out of character to me. I also didn’t get any sense of who Bastian is. For the entire book he is this sneaky spy prince who is cheeky and flirtatious and then at the end he is suddenly a ruthless possible tyrant? I don’t see where point A reached point B.
All that to say, I think Whitten has a great start to what could be a great fantasy series. But that’s what it feels like: a start. It definitely needed more thought and depth in order to make it a great book.
Thank you to Net Galley and Orbit Books for the eARC in exchange for an honest review!
3.5 - I enjoyed this but felt like I needed more??
adventurous
funny
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I really enjoyed the banter and mystery of this story. I love the magic dynamics. The writing is so beautiful it was like a vivid movie in my head.
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This was a re-read as I prepared for The Nightshade God. I couldn’t remember enough of the first two books to jump straight back into the third, but I am so glad I decided to go back to the beginning. As I was reading this, I was reminded of reveals that wouldn’t occur until The Hemlock Queen, a testament to the plotting and planning Hannah Whitten put into the series as a whole.
This magic system is wholly unique to anything else I have ever read. Poison, death magic, and life magic weave together and the reader gets to discover how it works right along with Lore, Bastian, and Gabe. These characters feel so real and their actions (however frustrating at times) are motivated by real feeling and manipulations anyone could relate with. A must read for all the romantasy girlies.
This magic system is wholly unique to anything else I have ever read. Poison, death magic, and life magic weave together and the reader gets to discover how it works right along with Lore, Bastian, and Gabe. These characters feel so real and their actions (however frustrating at times) are motivated by real feeling and manipulations anyone could relate with. A must read for all the romantasy girlies.
This book plays of very standard or traditional tropes and plots we see in the fantasy genre. I think many of the themes were predictable and this could have done with a little bit more editing. The first 50 pages are very confusing and it takes a while for you to get a picture of this world and its magical system.
With all that said I still enjoy this book. Some things I expected to happen but it didn’t make me want to stop reading. I was still invested in this story and the characters. I liked the set up and loved the tension between the main three characters. I am always here for a potential love triangle. Honestly, I’m interested to see where this series goes so I plan on continuing.
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
2.75 ⭐️ I feel conflicted on this low rating because the writing is skilled and the plot was interesting on paper, but I couldn’t find any investment. I liked the FMC but her connection to the “love interests” wasn’t developed enough to make me care about the outcome. Something just didn’t quite work but could be a case of “it’s not you, it’s me.”
adventurous
dark
funny
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes