Reader’s Notes:
– this is the first of a duology and must be read in order
– this is told from Marlow’s point of view
– magic comes in the form of spells, hexes, and curses which are made using ingredients from people (physical & things like memories/breaths)
– there is some innuendo
– there are about 37 curse words
– it is mentioned that two side characters were in a same gender relationship at one point
Review:
I removed a star because of the curse words & the way people have/obtain/create magic in this world (though we just get some details on ingredients during the story, not the actual process). It made me uncomfortable and I’m not sure if I will or won’t read the second book when it comes out or not. I’m highly interested in finding out the conclusion to the mystery, but the magic of this particular world may have me not continuing.
Beyond the magic though, as I said the mystery was very entertaining and wasn’t completed in this book but left off with a big ‘wait, what!’ kind of moment. I’m very curious what this ending will bring Marlow to do and how it may affect her friendships and relationships. I really liked Marlow’s friendship with Swift and how close the two of them were. I loved the heart-tugging moments of going back into Marlow’s memories when it came to Adrius and how their friendship changed over time. And I loved that the investigation (and spur of the moment ideas) led to the two of them having to pretend to date in order to keep Adrius’s curse under wraps.
Summary:
Marlow was once in the epicenter of the life of nobility due to her mother’s employment, but when her mother goes missing, Marlow leaves the gilded life she’s known for the safety her mother promised her to seek elsewhere. Now, Marlow is the best cursebreaker in Caraza. With all her skills to seek information and learn the truth behind the curses she’s meant to break, Marlow is feeling defeated despite her achievements. Because despite all her skills, Marlow still hasn’t found answers to her mother’s disappearance.
Until one day an old friend drops in and requests help from Marlow in breaking a curse placed on him. Adrius used to be Marlow’s best friend, but she hasn’t heard from him since their falling out until now. While Marlow wants to deny Adrius’s request for her help, she knows she won’t be able to because of the access he’d be able to grant her. With access to highly coveted areas the nobility live with, Adrius may be her only hope at catching a break in the search for what happened to her mother. But without a good excuse, Marlow will always stick out like a sore thumb. Her only chance to solve both mysteries at once would be to do something detrimental to her heart: fake a romance with Adrius…
– this is the first of a duology and must be read in order
– this is told from Marlow’s point of view
– magic comes in the form of spells, hexes, and curses which are made using ingredients from people (physical & things like memories/breaths)
– there is some innuendo
– there are about 37 curse words
– it is mentioned that two side characters were in a same gender relationship at one point
Review:
I removed a star because of the curse words & the way people have/obtain/create magic in this world (though we just get some details on ingredients during the story, not the actual process). It made me uncomfortable and I’m not sure if I will or won’t read the second book when it comes out or not. I’m highly interested in finding out the conclusion to the mystery, but the magic of this particular world may have me not continuing.
Beyond the magic though, as I said the mystery was very entertaining and wasn’t completed in this book but left off with a big ‘wait, what!’ kind of moment. I’m very curious what this ending will bring Marlow to do and how it may affect her friendships and relationships. I really liked Marlow’s friendship with Swift and how close the two of them were. I loved the heart-tugging moments of going back into Marlow’s memories when it came to Adrius and how their friendship changed over time. And I loved that the investigation (and spur of the moment ideas) led to the two of them having to pretend to date in order to keep Adrius’s curse under wraps.
Summary:
Marlow was once in the epicenter of the life of nobility due to her mother’s employment, but when her mother goes missing, Marlow leaves the gilded life she’s known for the safety her mother promised her to seek elsewhere. Now, Marlow is the best cursebreaker in Caraza. With all her skills to seek information and learn the truth behind the curses she’s meant to break, Marlow is feeling defeated despite her achievements. Because despite all her skills, Marlow still hasn’t found answers to her mother’s disappearance.
Until one day an old friend drops in and requests help from Marlow in breaking a curse placed on him. Adrius used to be Marlow’s best friend, but she hasn’t heard from him since their falling out until now. While Marlow wants to deny Adrius’s request for her help, she knows she won’t be able to because of the access he’d be able to grant her. With access to highly coveted areas the nobility live with, Adrius may be her only hope at catching a break in the search for what happened to her mother. But without a good excuse, Marlow will always stick out like a sore thumb. Her only chance to solve both mysteries at once would be to do something detrimental to her heart: fake a romance with Adrius…