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booksandmoe 's review for:
Anathema
by Keri Lake
Anathema has all the trappings of my favourite type of autumn read, from the cursed “Eating Woods” to the magical realm of Eidolon, every setting pulses with haunting tension and I could feel the foreboding in every scene.
Maeve’s (FMC) resilience and isolation make her so easy to root for. We get her backstory which shows just how tragic and desolate her life has been up to this point and you cannot help but want better for her and her sister. Zevander’s (MMC) brooding curse and introspective hate is hard to read at times, and you can see why he is as guarded as he is with Maeve to begin with, but watching him slowly open up to her, and seeing their relationship progress is so satisfying. Their chemistry throughout is beautifully restrained, each moment charged with mutual longing that will have you begging for crumbs of their interactions.
While the story does have some pretty heavy themes, secondary characters like Zevander’s sister, Rykaia add warmth and subtle humour to the bleakness. I would have liked to have her POV within this as well, as she was such a well-rounded character, and I just wanted to know more.
The narrative themes tackle power, exclusion, and magic as both blessing and bondage, and they create a layered story where the darkness is as thematic as it is literal. The worldbuilding was done quite masterfully, and while it felt quite heavy in the first 30%, I do feel it was all necessary to full immerse the reader in the world that Keri lake has built.
This one dives into some very triggering content so I would fully advise anyone reading to check out the full list of triggers before diving in.
Overall I highly recommend this one, if you’re drawn to gothic, atmospheric, emotional stories with a slow-burning romance and morally grey characters. There were a few pacing issues and a few tropes I didn’t feel quite matched the story, but that didn’t take away from my enjoyment too much, and I’m excited to see where the story goes in book two!