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A review by changenotcoins
The Girl with the Fierce Eyes by Sophia Vahdati
4.0
I really enjoyed The Girl with the Fierce Eyes! This debut YA romantasy delivers a compelling blend of dystopian tension, sweet romance, and magicvfilled rebellion. The world gave me major Divergent vibesvin the best way. In the Empire of Shariza, eye color determines everything: your power, your worth, your future. But Jantsia, our fierce and secretive main character, doesn’t quite fit in. She’s a “dualvoc,” born with two different colored eyes, something that is illegal and punishable by death. Her whole life mantra has been “stay invisible, stay alive”, but as rebellion brews, so does the pressure to stand up and fight for more.
The romance was sweet and understated, but I’m especially curious (and a little giddy) about the potential love triangle developing in future books. Daezen was definitely my favorite because he gave off serious broody, ride or die energy. The way he [spoiler redacted 😉] at the end? Loved it.
This story is told from three POVs: Jantsia, Daezen, and the mysterious Soba, and I really appreciated how each character’s voice felt unique. The pacing was solid and the writing style was easy to follow, making it great for those just getting into fantasy or dystopian fiction. There were a few clunky spots with world building and some info dump moments, but overall, it didn’t take away from my enjoyment.
The magic system and societal structure were super intriguing (eye color based caste? Yes, please!), and while dark themes like grooming and abuse are touched on, the story balances those heavier moments with hope, rebellion, and the strength of its characters.
This one was a fun ride and left me excited for what’s to come in book two. The ending definitely had me shouting “You can’t leave it like THAT!”
Thank you to NetGalley, Sophia Vahdati, and HarperCollins One More Chapter for the eARC of this book.
The romance was sweet and understated, but I’m especially curious (and a little giddy) about the potential love triangle developing in future books. Daezen was definitely my favorite because he gave off serious broody, ride or die energy. The way he [spoiler redacted 😉] at the end? Loved it.
This story is told from three POVs: Jantsia, Daezen, and the mysterious Soba, and I really appreciated how each character’s voice felt unique. The pacing was solid and the writing style was easy to follow, making it great for those just getting into fantasy or dystopian fiction. There were a few clunky spots with world building and some info dump moments, but overall, it didn’t take away from my enjoyment.
The magic system and societal structure were super intriguing (eye color based caste? Yes, please!), and while dark themes like grooming and abuse are touched on, the story balances those heavier moments with hope, rebellion, and the strength of its characters.
This one was a fun ride and left me excited for what’s to come in book two. The ending definitely had me shouting “You can’t leave it like THAT!”
Thank you to NetGalley, Sophia Vahdati, and HarperCollins One More Chapter for the eARC of this book.