What a great read!
The world building and magic system was entertaining and the characters were likable. From loyal Swift, to hard to read Adrius, Marlow is surrounded by people that you can’t help but want to root for, want to get to know better and mostly importantly, uncover their secrets!
Marlow is thrust into a magic conspiracy when her own mother goes missing a year ago. Having grown up in between worlds, not really from the Marshes but not part of the Evergardens either, she’s learned to see the difference between the two but also the truth behind their elaborate facades. Because although one glitters and the other rusts, they both have their good and bad. And thats the honest truth. There is no good and bad, it’s all in how it’s interpreted.
When a boy from her past gives Marlow another chance to dig into her mother’s disappearance, Marlow doesn’t waste it. Even knowing how taxing it’s going to be for her to be around Adrius again.
And that is why this book was so entertaining. I loved that Marlow is a smart heroine so the mystery of her mother is a large part of what motivates her, but she’s also a young woman (18) who has unresolved feelings for this boy she thought was her friend and her mixed feelings of wanting to help him and wanting to push him away was a complex situation to kept me reading to see how it all would pan out.
The reveal did come as shock to me, I thought I’d guessed it a few times but the twist and turns that lead to the real person behind Adrius’ curse was still a surprise to me!
I honestly can say that I’m excited to read the sequel. There is so much that is about to happen and I’m here for it. Especially because I want to see Marlow and Adrius finally able to be honest and real with each other, without having to hide behind a fake relationship or misunderstandings. Everything is out in the open now and Marlow will have some really difficult decisions to make. The wait will be nuts but I’lll be ready and willing to jump right back into this story!
Highly recommend. Its a good fun read without overly dramatized angst, a complex but likable romance between the M/F leads and no one dies! As a reader who reads for fun and enjoyment, can I just say it’s refreshing to read a fantasy YA with romance and mystery and not have to worry about getting your heart ripped out for investing in a certain character. Those type of reads that have death and angst for drama’s sake feel more like punishments then a fun past time, which reading it for me. I’m grateful Marlow’s story didn’t resort to that almost cliche plot device. I’ll keep my fingers crossed that the next installment stays true to the first book and stays a purely fun driven read.
The world building and magic system was entertaining and the characters were likable. From loyal Swift, to hard to read Adrius, Marlow is surrounded by people that you can’t help but want to root for, want to get to know better and mostly importantly, uncover their secrets!
Marlow is thrust into a magic conspiracy when her own mother goes missing a year ago. Having grown up in between worlds, not really from the Marshes but not part of the Evergardens either, she’s learned to see the difference between the two but also the truth behind their elaborate facades. Because although one glitters and the other rusts, they both have their good and bad. And thats the honest truth. There is no good and bad, it’s all in how it’s interpreted.
When a boy from her past gives Marlow another chance to dig into her mother’s disappearance, Marlow doesn’t waste it. Even knowing how taxing it’s going to be for her to be around Adrius again.
And that is why this book was so entertaining. I loved that Marlow is a smart heroine so the mystery of her mother is a large part of what motivates her, but she’s also a young woman (18) who has unresolved feelings for this boy she thought was her friend and her mixed feelings of wanting to help him and wanting to push him away was a complex situation to kept me reading to see how it all would pan out.
The reveal did come as shock to me, I thought I’d guessed it a few times but the twist and turns that lead to the real person behind Adrius’ curse was still a surprise to me!
I honestly can say that I’m excited to read the sequel. There is so much that is about to happen and I’m here for it. Especially because I want to see Marlow and Adrius finally able to be honest and real with each other, without having to hide behind a fake relationship or misunderstandings. Everything is out in the open now and Marlow will have some really difficult decisions to make. The wait will be nuts but I’lll be ready and willing to jump right back into this story!
Highly recommend. Its a good fun read without overly dramatized angst, a complex but likable romance between the M/F leads and no one dies! As a reader who reads for fun and enjoyment, can I just say it’s refreshing to read a fantasy YA with romance and mystery and not have to worry about getting your heart ripped out for investing in a certain character. Those type of reads that have death and angst for drama’s sake feel more like punishments then a fun past time, which reading it for me. I’m grateful Marlow’s story didn’t resort to that almost cliche plot device. I’ll keep my fingers crossed that the next installment stays true to the first book and stays a purely fun driven read.