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A review by betwixt_the_pages
A Crown of Star & Ash by Victoria K. Taylor
5.0
Rating: 5/5 Penguins
Quick Reasons: the closest thing to ACTUAL enemies to lovers I've ever read; snark, wit, drama, intrigue, danger, magic; I NEED BOOK 2 ASAP; this read hurt my heart so many times
HUGE thanks to Victoria K Taylor and Snowshoe Press for the title! My review is voluntarily written and in no way altered or impacted by this gesture.
"Pain manifests in strange ways, Deya," he said. "We may be out of Ironbalt, but you and I are both far from being free of what imprisons us."
First and foremost and MOST IMPORTANTLY......... I. NEED. BOOK. TWO. NOW. And let's be honest, Penguins... if I could leave the review with just that, I would. But you all deserve so much more than just that, so let's carry on with this, shall we? This read broke me, multiple times and in multiple ways. The sheer number of shards my heart shattered into while reading this would be daunting for even the most hardened reader to try and sweep up. The action is non-stop; these characters scarcely stop to BREATHE, let alone find their footing, as they navigate the trials and tribulations awaiting them. This is more than just a race to the finish line; this is a fight to the absolute bitter end.
This book explores, above everything else, the ways that grief and loss shape and mold us. There is a subtle line that Victoria K Taylor walks in these words, painting a gristly portrait of the world backed up by the strongest threads of hope. This is not a pretty story....but it is SUCH a gorgeous journey to embark upon. The prose is richly purple, descriptive in all the right ways, and ripe with world-building. The characters are lively, snarky, stubborn, captivating, infuriating...all the things you could ever HOPE to have in true-to-reality character arcs. And maybe most surprisingly, this is ALMOST a true enemies-to-lovers tale; so realistic, in fact, I spent a great majority of this read wondering if there was going to be a romance at all to be found.
When Caelum looked at her, it was with intense scrutiny, his gaze spearing through her, as though he could see what was left inside. "It does not matter if that is all that is left," he said finally. "If you fight, you will become stronger. From your ashes, you will become steel."
I HIGHLY recommend this read to lovers of action-packed fantasy, enemies to lovers that actually FEEL like enemies, and richly purple prose. I cannot WAIT to see what book 2 brings--I can only imagine, given the state of my heart after this read, that I just may not be able to pick up all the pieces. The Fates have been foretold, Penguins... what side of the battle do YOU stand on?
Quick Reasons: the closest thing to ACTUAL enemies to lovers I've ever read; snark, wit, drama, intrigue, danger, magic; I NEED BOOK 2 ASAP; this read hurt my heart so many times
HUGE thanks to Victoria K Taylor and Snowshoe Press for the title! My review is voluntarily written and in no way altered or impacted by this gesture.
"Pain manifests in strange ways, Deya," he said. "We may be out of Ironbalt, but you and I are both far from being free of what imprisons us."
First and foremost and MOST IMPORTANTLY......... I. NEED. BOOK. TWO. NOW. And let's be honest, Penguins... if I could leave the review with just that, I would. But you all deserve so much more than just that, so let's carry on with this, shall we? This read broke me, multiple times and in multiple ways. The sheer number of shards my heart shattered into while reading this would be daunting for even the most hardened reader to try and sweep up. The action is non-stop; these characters scarcely stop to BREATHE, let alone find their footing, as they navigate the trials and tribulations awaiting them. This is more than just a race to the finish line; this is a fight to the absolute bitter end.
This book explores, above everything else, the ways that grief and loss shape and mold us. There is a subtle line that Victoria K Taylor walks in these words, painting a gristly portrait of the world backed up by the strongest threads of hope. This is not a pretty story....but it is SUCH a gorgeous journey to embark upon. The prose is richly purple, descriptive in all the right ways, and ripe with world-building. The characters are lively, snarky, stubborn, captivating, infuriating...all the things you could ever HOPE to have in true-to-reality character arcs. And maybe most surprisingly, this is ALMOST a true enemies-to-lovers tale; so realistic, in fact, I spent a great majority of this read wondering if there was going to be a romance at all to be found.
When Caelum looked at her, it was with intense scrutiny, his gaze spearing through her, as though he could see what was left inside. "It does not matter if that is all that is left," he said finally. "If you fight, you will become stronger. From your ashes, you will become steel."
I HIGHLY recommend this read to lovers of action-packed fantasy, enemies to lovers that actually FEEL like enemies, and richly purple prose. I cannot WAIT to see what book 2 brings--I can only imagine, given the state of my heart after this read, that I just may not be able to pick up all the pieces. The Fates have been foretold, Penguins... what side of the battle do YOU stand on?