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A review by weelasswithabook
Court of Blood and Bindings by Lisette Marshall
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
CW: violence, torture, some sexual content
🌟 Fantasy Romance
🌟 Fae Romance
🌟 Enemies to lovers
🌈 Mute MMC
Now THIS is how world building is done. 10/10. There is absolutely zero info dumping in this whatsoever. All world building and explanations of magic systems and politics is done through the storytelling and dialogue. It was a pure breath of fresh air. The magic system was super unique compared to anything I've read before, with colour theory being essentially what the magic system entails.
Character wise, I really vibed with both characters. Emelin had the potential to become tiresome with the initial lashing out, but I ended up warming to her. The standard fantasy heroine stereotype of helpless and hapless didn't really fit here. She had some wits about her, bravery, and actual problem solving skills. I can't wait to see what skills she has she's unaware of yet and to see her grow into, and learn to harness, her magic.
Then we have our morally grey Creon. I do love a protector, and his readiness to sacrifice himself for Emelin 😭😭😭 I need more backstory, all the backstory, every bit of backstory because I am eating it up.
Relationship wise this was a slow burn. And it was delightful. From them working together to be able to communicate, to showing vulnerability to one another, to ending up willing to make the ultimate sacrifice, it was perfect. No notes.
It's been a while since a story has made me feel anxious toward the end and that I didn't have an idea of how the book was going to wrap things up.
You should read this if you love fantasy romance but need something new. Like I said the magic system is unique. It's also a great happy medium for people who don't like a ton of explicit scenes in their romance. There are a couple of open door scenes, but it's mild in comparison to many.
The only genuine complaint I have is for the overuse of the word "male". I got to the point where I rolled my eyes every time I read it.
🌟 Fantasy Romance
🌟 Fae Romance
🌟 Enemies to lovers
🌈 Mute MMC
Now THIS is how world building is done. 10/10. There is absolutely zero info dumping in this whatsoever. All world building and explanations of magic systems and politics is done through the storytelling and dialogue. It was a pure breath of fresh air. The magic system was super unique compared to anything I've read before, with colour theory being essentially what the magic system entails.
Character wise, I really vibed with both characters. Emelin had the potential to become tiresome with the initial lashing out, but I ended up warming to her. The standard fantasy heroine stereotype of helpless and hapless didn't really fit here. She had some wits about her, bravery, and actual problem solving skills. I can't wait to see what skills she has she's unaware of yet and to see her grow into, and learn to harness, her magic.
Then we have our morally grey Creon. I do love a protector, and his readiness to sacrifice himself for Emelin 😭😭😭 I need more backstory, all the backstory, every bit of backstory because I am eating it up.
Relationship wise this was a slow burn. And it was delightful. From them working together to be able to communicate, to showing vulnerability to one another, to ending up willing to make the ultimate sacrifice, it was perfect. No notes.
It's been a while since a story has made me feel anxious toward the end and that I didn't have an idea of how the book was going to wrap things up.
You should read this if you love fantasy romance but need something new. Like I said the magic system is unique. It's also a great happy medium for people who don't like a ton of explicit scenes in their romance. There are a couple of open door scenes, but it's mild in comparison to many.
The only genuine complaint I have is for the overuse of the word "male". I got to the point where I rolled my eyes every time I read it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Abandonment
Moderate: Child abuse, Confinement, Cursing, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Murder, War, Injury/Injury detail