Rating: 3.5 Stars
Publication: July 9th, 2019
Genre: Young Adult Fantasy
Format: Egalley
Summary:
In the tropical kingdom of Rhodaire, magical, elemental Crows are part of every aspect of life...until the Illucian empire invades, destroying everything. That terrible night has thrown Princess Anthia into a deep depression. Her sister Caliza is busy running the kingdom after their mother's death, but all Thia can do is think of all she has lost. But when Caliza is forced to agree to a marriage between Thia and the crown prince of Illucia, Thia is finally spurred into action. And after stumbling upon a hidden Crow egg in the rubble of a rookery, she and her sister devise a dangerous plan to hatch the egg in secret and get back whats taken from them.
My Thoughts:
I enjoyed the main character Princess Anthias determination not to let Illucia break her. Her motivation to protect her kingdom was admirable. With all her rider training it was difficult to believe she froze up that badly when her city was attacked, but I thought her resulting PTSD and depression was well done. Seeing her lose her mother and all the crow eggs was devastating. I was worried it would be too difficult to read and make Thia into a passive character, but thankfully that wasnt the case. We get to see her more cunning side when she pretends to be passive in front of the Illucian Queen all the while planning to rescue her kingdom from the Queens clutches. I was hoping for a strong sibling bond so I was super happy to see Thia and her sister get closer before she left to marry the enemy Prince. I also enjoyed the romance, but I know some people wont be a fan of the love triangle. I liked how it played out and found both boys charming in their own way.
Prince Ericen was a lot more complexe then I was expecting. I enjoyed the banter between him and Thia, but despite feeling bad for him at times I dont think he was any good for Thia. We get to understand why he is the way he is when we meet his cruel mother. I thought the queen made a compelling antagonist. Her motivations were believable to some extent. We also meet a sweet inventor who tries to help Thia hatch the egg. I have a weakness for soft boys like Caylus so I couldn't help but root for him and Thia to end up together. Thias friendship with her best friend Kiva was amazing. The way Kiva supported Thia through her depression was wonderful. She would encourage Thia to take it one step at a time and just listened with no judgement when Thia needed to talk. I loved how so many of the side characters were queer. Kivas crush on the mysterious maid and their interactions were adorable.
The world was one of my favorite parts with its magical crows and riders. The crows are so integral to Rhodaires way of life that its ingrained in every thing they do. Its no wonder their lost was a huge blow to their economy and independence. I love how each type of crow like the sun crows, the shadow crows, the battle crows, the storm crows and the four elemental crows had different magical abilities. The Rhodaires kind and open culture was the opposite of Illucia where they value status and strength above all else. Even part of their religion has to do with offering their blood to their god for strength. Theres also this contrast in setting between Rhodaire and Illucian with the first being described as open buildings and warm sunny weather while the latter features pristine buildings and cold cloudy weather. Now that Thias looking to ally herself with the other kingdoms Im excited to visit more of the world in the sequel.
The plot focuses on Thia having to marry the Prince of Illucia to prevent them from attacking again all while trying to find a way to secretly hatch the last remaining crow egg she found in the rubble of the rookery. Besides the attack right at the beginning the pace of the first half wasnt very gripping. That time was mostly about Thias staying in bed and struggling with her grief and depression. I understand its importance, but I wish we had some exciting stuff thrown in because the waiting to leave for Illucia and the traveling wasnt very engaging. I thought the suspense in the last third of the book was great. It had some twists I really enjoyed and with the way things ended Im looking forward to reading the next book in the series. I cant wait to see Thia riding her crow and them using magic. I also really appreciate it when fantasy and scifi books incorporate mental health representation since we dont have nearly enough.
Diversity: Mental Illness & PoC MC; Sapphic SC
Trigger Warnings: Depression & PTSD - Graphic Violence, Murder, & War Scenes - Parent, Characters & Animal Deaths - Self Harm - Burning & Scars
*This book was received for an honest review
No comments:
Post a Comment