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A review by shelves_by_sim
The Courting of Bristol Keats by Mary E. Pearson
adventurous
challenging
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
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? It's complicated
4.0
I absolutely loved this story so much!! The world building gives Starling House Meets The Cruel Prince but with a unique storyline and I absolutely soaked it up. And the world itself is even called Elphame!! I loved the small town beginning it had and oh my soul, the whimsical feel of the folk in Faerie was just perfection - I love when we get the whole experience of unseelie and seelie fae, I love how different they can look, from normal to hooves and horns and skin like bark!
I also loved that we got multiple POVs in this one. Especially that of Bristol's and Tyghan's. The pull they have towards each other is so exciting and Britol's family history makes this even more nail-biting (even though when the truth finally came out it didn't actually blow up the way I thought it would - which I actually liked). The relationship development is perfection and I was absolutely here for it.
The history of Elphame and the pending war were all good aspects in the story and I actually really enjoyed the magic system. I do wish that there was a little more action in book one, I think it would have mage a huge difference in this story if there were a few battle scenes. But the ending of this book did lead up to what comes next and I think we will definitely get this in book 2 which I cannot wait for!
Thank you, @panmacmillansa, for this gorgeous copy - especially seeing as this book was one of my most anticipateds for 2025!🌸
I also loved that we got multiple POVs in this one. Especially that of Bristol's and Tyghan's. The pull they have towards each other is so exciting and Britol's family history makes this even more nail-biting (even though when the truth finally came out it didn't actually blow up the way I thought it would - which I actually liked). The relationship development is perfection and I was absolutely here for it.
The history of Elphame and the pending war were all good aspects in the story and I actually really enjoyed the magic system. I do wish that there was a little more action in book one, I think it would have mage a huge difference in this story if there were a few battle scenes. But the ending of this book did lead up to what comes next and I think we will definitely get this in book 2 which I cannot wait for!
Thank you, @panmacmillansa, for this gorgeous copy - especially seeing as this book was one of my most anticipateds for 2025!🌸