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5.0 AVERAGE
5.0 AVERAGE
adventurous
emotional
informative
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
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:
Complicated
Thank you to Mary Shaffer, Inscape Books, Victory Editing, and Net Galley for this ARC!
⭐️- Personal Preference
I’m thankful I found and requested this book, as it was easily the most beautiful thing I’ve read this entire year. No other book has made me feel so vividly, or cry because of how beautiful it was. This book was exactly the classic fairytale type that I needed and thoroughly enjoy, and I’m quite worried I won’t experience anything as precious for the rest of the year. I’m ever thankful I got to read it.
⭐️- Worldbuilding
I adored the mix of real world places and mythology, as well as a very unique brand of creativity that I haven’t seen in another story before. I felt as if I was both grounded in the story telling and up in the stars at the same time. The magic was so thoroughly thought through and heartwarming, that I loved every detail we learned about it. There was such a good variety of magical creatures as well, that left you guessing for more, but left you with just enough information that the curiosity for more was a good thing. Shaffer also has such a deep respect of the folklore she does use, which was ever inspiring to see. The magic that Wick has and the magic that Arrow has are some of the most creative and profoundly childish (in curiosity in wonder), that I’ve seen in a long time. I’m absolutely fascinated by the magic inside them, how they use it and how they feel about it.
⭐️- Plot
The story was absolutely heartbreaking despite a happy ending. There were so many moments that I teared up because the moments were so tangible and human. The humanness that Wick and Arrow both have during their adventure is so palpable, and the journeys that they go on get you attached to them and their well being almost immediately. There were moments when the plot shifted in a way that was completely unexpected, but inevitably made perfect sense to the whimsy of the story. Every character served such an impactful purpose, and at the end, you’re left wanting a sequel just to see what happens to the new found family that forms.
⭐️- Writing
The writing is absolutely beautiful. I love real quotes and references in books if they’re used correctly, and the way Shaffer uses them not only serves a purpose well, but is used in such a beautiful way. Shaffer’s relationship to language and the way her characters have a relationship to language and communication, struck something within me. The songs that were interspersed or stories between the characters were honestly some of my favorite bits because we got to see into Wick and Arrow’s souls so intimately. The use of parts to split up the chapters was also very helpful in giving brief reprieves of taking the story in before continuing. I think overall these uses served the story well and made it more compelling.
⭐️- Character Development
It’s really difficult for me as a reader to find a love story that I can connect to. This story wormed into my heartstrings and made me realize that a yearning love you’d travel worlds for is exactly what I wanted. This unbreakable love the two have for each other has made me realize that this is my ideal love story, as strange as that may sound. I think this is a story romance writers should look to, in order to understand the fundamentals of what it means to really love someone. Both characters- it’s difficult to talk about them separately when they 1) are noted to be ‘one’, and 2) I fear sharing spoilers. Nonetheless, readers will care so deeply about these characters. I loved the emphasis on what it means to be changed from your life experiences from childhood to adulthood, and how you might stay the same. I loved the exploration of watching someone grapple with the love of someone and how that can go from loving them to loving the idea of them, especially in their absence. I also really loved the development of learning how to love more than one thing, and learning how to love everything.
Readers will enjoy the childlike wonder of this fairytale, I know I certainly did. Thank you again for this ARC, it is currently the best book I’ve read all year!