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tobereadbookshelf 's review for:
White Horse Black Nights
by Evie Marceau
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Reading this triggered me to google “Lady Godiva” and I am surprised I have lived this long without ever hearing that story. If I’m honest, I think the naked ride was the least necessary aspect of the story and I personally would have preferred it to be left out. The author does explain the reasoning behind it near the end of the book, but it wasn’t enough to convince me that it was more than an attention grabber.
I can see the parallels to Snow White, but it only borrowed a few key aspects and not the main thread of the story. The author very obviously labeled Wolf as “The Huntsman,” but I felt the title did not really fit his character. I can see how this could be developed further since it looks like they will need to track down these magical beasts that are reawakening. With the addition of Sabine’s powers to speak to and connect with animals, I can see a lot of potential for the rest of the series. I’m personally not really an animal lover, but I can see how this could be developed into a very strong ability that most people would likely underestimate. If she can connect with the beasts and get them on her side, she would be unstoppable.
The only thing I am unclear about is what she would need to accomplish with so much power. At this point in the story I can only see what her personal motivations might be, and if I’m honest, none of those motivations seem overly pressing. I don’t deny that she (and everyone) deserves to be free, but she does not seem to be in any real danger and her life is arguably much better than it was in the convent. Perhaps I am jumping too far ahead, but my assumption is that she will soon have the ability to command mythical beasts. Generally speaking, I don’t want any one character to have that much power unless they will use it for the greater good.
The romance unfortunately fell pretty flat. It felt very rushed and insta lusty rather than anything that looked like love. I am hoping that maybe they are both Fae and that they are mates because without some cosmic reasoning, I don’t think I will be convinced of their connection. Frankly, even that might not be enough. At this point I could even see Sabine falling for her fiancé. Now that I’ve written it down, I feel certain the author will go there. Authors just can’t seem to help themselves when presented with the prospect of a love triangle. 🙄
Overall this was an enjoyable read and I feel like the rest of the series has a lot of potential. I wish I could give half stars but I think I’ll have to round down on this one.
3.5 - ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
I can see the parallels to Snow White, but it only borrowed a few key aspects and not the main thread of the story. The author very obviously labeled Wolf as “The Huntsman,” but I felt the title did not really fit his character. I can see how this could be developed further since it looks like they will need to track down these magical beasts that are reawakening. With the addition of Sabine’s powers to speak to and connect with animals, I can see a lot of potential for the rest of the series. I’m personally not really an animal lover, but I can see how this could be developed into a very strong ability that most people would likely underestimate. If she can connect with the beasts and get them on her side, she would be unstoppable.
The only thing I am unclear about is what she would need to accomplish with so much power. At this point in the story I can only see what her personal motivations might be, and if I’m honest, none of those motivations seem overly pressing. I don’t deny that she (and everyone) deserves to be free, but she does not seem to be in any real danger and her life is arguably much better than it was in the convent. Perhaps I am jumping too far ahead, but my assumption is that she will soon have the ability to command mythical beasts. Generally speaking, I don’t want any one character to have that much power unless they will use it for the greater good.
The romance unfortunately fell pretty flat. It felt very rushed and insta lusty rather than anything that looked like love. I am hoping that maybe they are both Fae and that they are mates because without some cosmic reasoning, I don’t think I will be convinced of their connection. Frankly, even that might not be enough. At this point I could even see Sabine falling for her fiancé. Now that I’ve written it down, I feel certain the author will go there. Authors just can’t seem to help themselves when presented with the prospect of a love triangle. 🙄
Overall this was an enjoyable read and I feel like the rest of the series has a lot of potential. I wish I could give half stars but I think I’ll have to round down on this one.
3.5 - ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫