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_bethsbookcollection_ 's review for:
Never the Roses
by Jennifer K. Lambert
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
The romance in this book is a slow burn and in all honesty so is the book itself, what initially took me time to get into slowly turned itself into a heartbreaking story of pain and hope that had me in tears. I have realised over my bookish journey that I crave thay emotional connection to characters in order to truly fall in love with a book, and while I was questioning this as Jennifer set the scene and had us getting to know the characters I did fall in love with them and found myself obsessed by the end. This book is entirely unique, from its magical system to the world we find on the brink of war and the two main characters that captivated me, it was truly refreshing. Filled with pain, hope, healing and love this book will have your emotions in the palm of its hand and more than likely leave you wondering what the hell happened.
This book features retired sorceress Oneira, formerly known as the Dream Thief, who having settled her debts to her queen now lives in solitude far from the world of men. However, in a moment of action fueled by the loneliness of her isolation Oneira Steals a book from her rival, a sorcerer called Stearanos, also known as Stormbreaker. This starts a cat and mouse game that could either save them both or destroy them. With their respective kingdoms on the brink of war and these two being the only ones powerful enough to stop it, will they be able to do what needs to be done in time. With their forbidden correspondence only growing day by day, knowing that the other is the only one that can truly understand them will they fall into eachother as they so desperately desire or will their duties keep them apart.
Oneira is such a complex character, and I feel that we truly get to know her during this book. Her actions that she feels she can never atone for drive her to isolation, with thoughts of living a simple life that she uses her own hands to create and one day fading away peacefully. However, Oneira is never truly alone for long, with her animal companions that either chose her or are sent by a higher power keeping her company as she navigates the pain brought on by her actions as her broken heart as consequence. Underneath the sorceress you see Oneira as a woman in a world full of men, she is strong and independent but still craves that connection which makes her so very relatable. Stearanos is a force of nature, and I love the cat and mouse game these two have almost instantly upon colliding with one another. The banter and back and forth through letters was such an amazing addition to the story and reading as Stearanos painstakingly worked out who kept stealing from his library was highly comical and enjoyable. Stearanos, although plagued by similar demons as Oneira sees things in a different light and sees her differently providing a balance to the pain working to heal her broken heart. Their love story is slow to grow but one that broke my heart and I wouldn't have had it any other way.
We get to learn a lot about Oneira's magic in this book, and how it all relates to the Dream and how she navigates this and uses it to her benefit whether this is to create objects in the real world or the dream one. This truly was such a unique take on a magical system, one based around what is dreamed by others and the idea that one can become lost in a dream never to wake up. For the serious tone of the book Jennifer has added comical pockets, moments that lift the book and provide the inclination that their might be light at the end of the tunnel. This contrast between dark and light further elevated the book in my opinion and made for an engaging and wonderful read. Having said that I don't know what to think of that ending that hit me like a freight train, I can only hope that we get treated to a second book so that I can heal my broken heart.
This book features retired sorceress Oneira, formerly known as the Dream Thief, who having settled her debts to her queen now lives in solitude far from the world of men. However, in a moment of action fueled by the loneliness of her isolation Oneira Steals a book from her rival, a sorcerer called Stearanos, also known as Stormbreaker. This starts a cat and mouse game that could either save them both or destroy them. With their respective kingdoms on the brink of war and these two being the only ones powerful enough to stop it, will they be able to do what needs to be done in time. With their forbidden correspondence only growing day by day, knowing that the other is the only one that can truly understand them will they fall into eachother as they so desperately desire or will their duties keep them apart.
Oneira is such a complex character, and I feel that we truly get to know her during this book. Her actions that she feels she can never atone for drive her to isolation, with thoughts of living a simple life that she uses her own hands to create and one day fading away peacefully. However, Oneira is never truly alone for long, with her animal companions that either chose her or are sent by a higher power keeping her company as she navigates the pain brought on by her actions as her broken heart as consequence. Underneath the sorceress you see Oneira as a woman in a world full of men, she is strong and independent but still craves that connection which makes her so very relatable. Stearanos is a force of nature, and I love the cat and mouse game these two have almost instantly upon colliding with one another. The banter and back and forth through letters was such an amazing addition to the story and reading as Stearanos painstakingly worked out who kept stealing from his library was highly comical and enjoyable. Stearanos, although plagued by similar demons as Oneira sees things in a different light and sees her differently providing a balance to the pain working to heal her broken heart. Their love story is slow to grow but one that broke my heart and I wouldn't have had it any other way.
We get to learn a lot about Oneira's magic in this book, and how it all relates to the Dream and how she navigates this and uses it to her benefit whether this is to create objects in the real world or the dream one. This truly was such a unique take on a magical system, one based around what is dreamed by others and the idea that one can become lost in a dream never to wake up. For the serious tone of the book Jennifer has added comical pockets, moments that lift the book and provide the inclination that their might be light at the end of the tunnel. This contrast between dark and light further elevated the book in my opinion and made for an engaging and wonderful read. Having said that I don't know what to think of that ending that hit me like a freight train, I can only hope that we get treated to a second book so that I can heal my broken heart.