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A review by bibi_reads_writes
Daughter of No Worlds by Carissa Broadbent
5.0
“I wanted him in so many ways. As a friend, as a kindred soul, as a fierce teammate. As skin and lips and teeth. As a hitched breathless moan in the darkness or a lazy embrace in the sunrise. I wanted that. I wanted it all.”
Okay. This is a perfect example of “don’t judge a book by its cover.” Behind this outdated YA-fantasy-style cover is one of the best high fantasy books I’ve read in a long time. I enjoyed every bit, from pace and writing to lore and worldbuilding to characters. I ugly cried in the parking lot of a grocery store because I couldn’t drive anymore due to unstoppable tears. My heart is broken and full at the same time, not unlike it was after reading [b:Kingdom of Ash|76715522|Kingdom of Ash (Throne of Glass, #7)|Sarah J. Maas|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1673567331l/76715522._SY75_.jpg|25272014]. I can’t wait to read (or listen to) the rest of the series.
Plot:
Within an inch of her life, Tisaanah runs away from years of slavery to join the Orders, an organization of powerful magic wielders. She desperately wants to learn to wield so she can go back and save the friends she had to leave behind—but also to free all slaves. But first, she must complete an apprenticeship with Maxantarius, a handsome and reclusive fire wielder. Under the threat of looming war, Tisaanah will soon realize that she needs to gamble in the Orders’ deadly games and risk everything if she wants to have enough power to achieve her goals.
The plot starts off quite simple and tropey (The Tragic Backstory, For Great Justice, Heroic Resolve, We Help the Helpless, Sunshine vs. Grumpy, Mentor/Apprentice Romance, etc.), but oh boy does it go in another direction halfway through. I was taken aback by some of the plot twists and surprised with how Broadbent CHOSE PAIN when she wrote this. Seriously, some parts were downright heart-wrenching and I’m still not okay.
The only, only thing that annoyed me was that 90% of the book was leading up to one event, and then said event felt rushed. I felt like most of the drama should have been avoided, given the number of smart, experienced people involved. But nope, the trap is there and they fall riiiiight into it. I felt it was out of character and hard to believe. Meh.
Characters:
I’m going to keep this short and sweet: OMG I LOVED TISAANAH AND MAX. I loved Sammerin and Moth! I even loved to hate Rashaye!
But Max, Max, Max. I haven’t had such a crush on a fictional character since Dorian Havilliard and Fenrys Moonbeam. Maxantarius Farlione is sweet and grumpy, gruff and passionate, smart and powerful. He loves flowers and gardening. (He can come and tend my garden anytime, if you know what I mean.) He swears like there’s no tomorrow and he’s a banter pro.
And as for the romance. THAT’S how you do a slow burn. Not a redundant and frustrating series of near-misses, but rather a gradual, smooth, and rewarding romance that’s both sweet and sizzling hot.
“So, mysterious snake man–”
“Ascended above, give me a minute, demanding rot goddess.”
I love them so much.
Writing:
What was it that I loved so much about the writing? I can’t seem to put my finger on it. It was poetic and melodic without feeling over-the-top. It was easy to read, yet complex. The way Tisaanah’s language barrier was approached also added a funny and relatable twist to her character.
And the banter, the ban-ter!
Even during the slower parts, reading this book was never dull. When there wasn’t much action, there was still something magical and captivating about the setting, interactions, character development, etc. There are some very heavy and dark themes, but they were skillfully woven and never felt forced or thrown in just for the sake of shocking the readers. Make sure to read the trigger warnings before diving in if you are a trauma survivor.
Audiobook:
I was not a fan of the narrators. The man’s pitch variations were always the same, and the woman’s imitations of male voices were kind of ridiculous, although she had a lovely voice for Tisaanah.
Okay. This is a perfect example of “don’t judge a book by its cover.” Behind this outdated YA-fantasy-style cover is one of the best high fantasy books I’ve read in a long time. I enjoyed every bit, from pace and writing to lore and worldbuilding to characters. I ugly cried in the parking lot of a grocery store because I couldn’t drive anymore due to unstoppable tears. My heart is broken and full at the same time, not unlike it was after reading [b:Kingdom of Ash|76715522|Kingdom of Ash (Throne of Glass, #7)|Sarah J. Maas|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1673567331l/76715522._SY75_.jpg|25272014]. I can’t wait to read (or listen to) the rest of the series.
Plot:
Within an inch of her life, Tisaanah runs away from years of slavery to join the Orders, an organization of powerful magic wielders. She desperately wants to learn to wield so she can go back and save the friends she had to leave behind—but also to free all slaves. But first, she must complete an apprenticeship with Maxantarius, a handsome and reclusive fire wielder. Under the threat of looming war, Tisaanah will soon realize that she needs to gamble in the Orders’ deadly games and risk everything if she wants to have enough power to achieve her goals.
The plot starts off quite simple and tropey (The Tragic Backstory, For Great Justice, Heroic Resolve, We Help the Helpless, Sunshine vs. Grumpy, Mentor/Apprentice Romance, etc.), but oh boy does it go in another direction halfway through. I was taken aback by some of the plot twists and surprised with how Broadbent CHOSE PAIN when she wrote this. Seriously, some parts were downright heart-wrenching and I’m still not okay.
The only, only thing that annoyed me was that 90% of the book was leading up to one event, and then said event felt rushed. I felt like most of the drama should have been avoided, given the number of smart, experienced people involved. But nope, the trap is there and they fall riiiiight into it. I felt it was out of character and hard to believe. Meh.
Characters:
I’m going to keep this short and sweet: OMG I LOVED TISAANAH AND MAX. I loved Sammerin and Moth! I even loved to hate Rashaye!
But Max, Max, Max. I haven’t had such a crush on a fictional character since Dorian Havilliard and Fenrys Moonbeam. Maxantarius Farlione is sweet and grumpy, gruff and passionate, smart and powerful. He loves flowers and gardening. (He can come and tend my garden anytime, if you know what I mean.) He swears like there’s no tomorrow and he’s a banter pro.
And as for the romance. THAT’S how you do a slow burn. Not a redundant and frustrating series of near-misses, but rather a gradual, smooth, and rewarding romance that’s both sweet and sizzling hot.
“So, mysterious snake man–”
“Ascended above, give me a minute, demanding rot goddess.”
I love them so much.
Writing:
What was it that I loved so much about the writing? I can’t seem to put my finger on it. It was poetic and melodic without feeling over-the-top. It was easy to read, yet complex. The way Tisaanah’s language barrier was approached also added a funny and relatable twist to her character.
And the banter, the ban-ter!
Even during the slower parts, reading this book was never dull. When there wasn’t much action, there was still something magical and captivating about the setting, interactions, character development, etc. There are some very heavy and dark themes, but they were skillfully woven and never felt forced or thrown in just for the sake of shocking the readers. Make sure to read the trigger warnings before diving in if you are a trauma survivor.
Audiobook:
I was not a fan of the narrators. The man’s pitch variations were always the same, and the woman’s imitations of male voices were kind of ridiculous, although she had a lovely voice for Tisaanah.