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A review by betwixt_the_pages
Bound by Scars & Secrets: Realms of Magic Book 1 by Sienna Archer
4.0
Rating: 4.25/5 Penguins (rounded down)
Quick Reasons: entertaining, magical, fascinating; the prose is richly purple; heavy world building; realistic character arcs; a story you'll want to swim through
HUGE thanks to Sienna Archer and BookSirens for the title! My review is voluntarily written and in no way altered or impacted by this gesture.
I whisper, "They taught me to not see this."
"TRUTH-carver," Lidja says, scoffing. "This is the real truth: The words they keep from us and the ones they give us--those are the greatest weapons in all of Fides."
This was an entertaining, fascinating, magical read. The prose is richly purple and filled with world-building. The world itself leaps to life from the pages, surrounding readers with finely-crafted details. It is almost like a quilt--from afar, it is pleasing to look at. Patterns are distinguishable. But UP CLOSE?! It's a whole different vibe entirely. Intricate weaves leap before the eyes. Gorgeous detailing makes up the scenery. Stepping into this world, I was first struck by the boisterous characters, the flaws and entrappings and stories being awoken. The longer I stayed, the more this world came to glorious life before my minds-eye.
Sienna Archer wove an intricate, detailed look at topics like religion, grief, coming-of-age, finding yourself/your purpose, finding a reason to fight the status quo, blood vs found families... There is SO MUCH happening in this story, it is hard to put it all into words. Some of it is obvious--a turn of phrase that puts everything into crystal clarity. Some of it is more subtle--a feeling, a mood, a mere flick of the eye inward to something MORE. In all regards, Sienna Archer knows how to keep a reader on the edge of their seats, seeking deeper, bigger, greater things. As the first book in this series, I was NOT disappointed.
"I remember what it was like, the next morning, when I woke up and my mother was truly gone."
The ship rocks, fast and shushing. "I thought you were coming to tell me it will be all right."
"I won't lie to you, Ala. Not now, not ever." Carefully, slowly, like I'm made of fine glass, he wraps an arm around my back. His warmth seeps through my clothes. "With who we've lost, we will never be all right. We can only be different."
I definitely recommend this read to lovers of fantastical worlds, magical beasts, and stories that have the same sense of "other" as those like Peter Pan, Narnia, and LOTR. If you're a fan of reads with heavy topics, characters you'll want to punch and caress in turn, and books that will leave you wanting....this is for you. Look closer at the scars, Penguins...there just may be secrets in the bindings.
Quick Reasons: entertaining, magical, fascinating; the prose is richly purple; heavy world building; realistic character arcs; a story you'll want to swim through
HUGE thanks to Sienna Archer and BookSirens for the title! My review is voluntarily written and in no way altered or impacted by this gesture.
I whisper, "They taught me to not see this."
"TRUTH-carver," Lidja says, scoffing. "This is the real truth: The words they keep from us and the ones they give us--those are the greatest weapons in all of Fides."
This was an entertaining, fascinating, magical read. The prose is richly purple and filled with world-building. The world itself leaps to life from the pages, surrounding readers with finely-crafted details. It is almost like a quilt--from afar, it is pleasing to look at. Patterns are distinguishable. But UP CLOSE?! It's a whole different vibe entirely. Intricate weaves leap before the eyes. Gorgeous detailing makes up the scenery. Stepping into this world, I was first struck by the boisterous characters, the flaws and entrappings and stories being awoken. The longer I stayed, the more this world came to glorious life before my minds-eye.
Sienna Archer wove an intricate, detailed look at topics like religion, grief, coming-of-age, finding yourself/your purpose, finding a reason to fight the status quo, blood vs found families... There is SO MUCH happening in this story, it is hard to put it all into words. Some of it is obvious--a turn of phrase that puts everything into crystal clarity. Some of it is more subtle--a feeling, a mood, a mere flick of the eye inward to something MORE. In all regards, Sienna Archer knows how to keep a reader on the edge of their seats, seeking deeper, bigger, greater things. As the first book in this series, I was NOT disappointed.
"I remember what it was like, the next morning, when I woke up and my mother was truly gone."
The ship rocks, fast and shushing. "I thought you were coming to tell me it will be all right."
"I won't lie to you, Ala. Not now, not ever." Carefully, slowly, like I'm made of fine glass, he wraps an arm around my back. His warmth seeps through my clothes. "With who we've lost, we will never be all right. We can only be different."
I definitely recommend this read to lovers of fantastical worlds, magical beasts, and stories that have the same sense of "other" as those like Peter Pan, Narnia, and LOTR. If you're a fan of reads with heavy topics, characters you'll want to punch and caress in turn, and books that will leave you wanting....this is for you. Look closer at the scars, Penguins...there just may be secrets in the bindings.