melindalindaloo 's review for:

Of Blood and Aether by Harper Hawthorne
4.0
dark emotional mysterious medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: Complicated
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

Arken and Kieran fight to keep their secrets and avoid the fates prophesied to them as children, but their proximity to each other adds a devastating level of complexity to that goal. Our main characters are Arken, a uniquely gifted girl from the forest, and Kieran, a secret prince from the shadow plane masquerading as a captain of the guard in the academic city of Sophrosyne. The two immediately experience an indescribable draw to each other upon meeting and develop a relationship that is deeper than they realize. 

Hawthorne’s new romantasy takes readers on a slow burn adventure. The story is unique and represents a stunning amount of neurodiverse perspectives. While the dialogue is often unnatural, readers will still be swept into this well-timed tale of reluctantly fated *friends*.