Rating: 3 Stars
Publication: May 7th, 2019
Genre: Fantasy
Format: Egalley
Diversity: POC MC & LGBT+ SC
Quick Summary:
To Finn Voy, magic is a knife to hold under the chin of anyone who crosses her and a disguise she shrugs on as easily as others pull on cloaks. However when a mobster holds her magic for ransom Finn is forced to break into the palace to steal a legendary royal treasure, or lose her magic forever. To Prince Alfehr magic is a way to get his brother home. Since his older brother disappeared into a void, Alfie has been obsessed with finding a way to bring him back, even if it means dabbling in forbidden magic. Then Finn and Alfie’s fates collide when they accidentally unlock a terrible ancient power, that if not contained, will devour the world. With the fate of this Latinx inspired world in their hands, the risk taking prince and the face changing thief must team up and race to vanquish what they have unleashed, even if it means facing the deepest darkness in their pasts.
My Thoughts:
Both Finn and Alfie are dealing with their own issues when they end up meeting at a card game. As a talented faceshifter, Finn has been using her powers to hid from the man who raised her to be a killer never settling down long enough to make any ties. Alfie can’t help but feel that he will never live up to his brother’s legacy and is willing to take some pretty big risks to bring his brother home. What he did to save his friend wasnt very smart. Plus deciding not to tell the one person that could help them deal with the dark magic wasnt his best move either. I thought it was a little arrogant to think he could do it on his own. He put a lot of people in danger by not asking for help. Finn also did some questionable things like when she took the dark magic from Alfie so it wouldnt kill him, but then uses it herself and risks killing him. I just dislike it when bad decisions are used to advance the plot.
I liked how Finn checked the Princes privilege and opened his eyes to some difficult truths. I also liked how the Prince started to break down some of Finns walls. They got close and had some emotional words while fighting for their lives. Im just sad it regressed as soon as the fighting was over, but the slow burn romance wasnt the main focus of the story. I wasnt expecting any LGBT+ representation so it was a nice surprise to spend some time following Lukas perspective. I do wish the Princes best friend had played a bigger role since he was so funny and relatable, but he still got a good amount of page time so Im happy. Another character I really liked was the prisoner who sent Alfies brother into the void. She was very brave and determined to make things right. We also get to follow the antagonists point of view and uncover his disturbing desire to have someone love him to the point of worship.
When I first picked this up I loved the writing and the magic so much I thought it might be a new favorite. Sadly the plot started losing its appeal once the Prince let the dark magic escape. I was also confused for a good part of the book as to why they didnt just throw the villain into the void. I wish it was explained better that they were afraid he would open the void back up. The story had some action throughout, but I still didnt find it all that gripping. It wasnt that different from a lot of other plots Ive read. I just wasnt super motivated to pick it up and keep reading so it took me a long time to finish it. I did love the world with its detailed history and multi layered magic system. I thought it was pretty awesome how certain people develop their own unique brand of magic based on their experiences and personality. I also loved how their shadows could move to reflect their mood. As for the ending, I expected more of a shocking twist, but I guess it might still happen in the sequel.
Has a slump ever diminished a book for you? I have a feeling I would have enjoyed this more at a different time.
*This book was received for an honest review
*My summaries are often a shortened version of the goodreads summary
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