I was drawn in by the cover, which isn’t unusual for me. Those swirly cool colors and mesmerizing tiger eyes really got my attention. But also, Sourcebooks Casablanca published a recent favorite series from Amanda Bouchet and I was ready to dive into their newest fantasy romance. And I’m so glad that I did!
Comparing this to Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them and Assassin’s Creed is pretty accurate. Other spot-on comparisons would be Pokemon or even Throne of Glass. Assassins and magical animals are some of my favorite tropes and together they work surprisingly well.
The beginning of this debut is a bit slow and muddled. I don’t think the author was able to define the world’s rules early on to establish whether this was a pure fantasy setting, urban fantasy, or historical fantasy. I did occasionally find myself questioning what was going on based on my assumptions about what kind of setting it was. Luckily, that didn’t deter me from becoming engrossed in the characters and the beasts as they stole the show. There was enough mystery and promise of information that I finished this book in just a few days. I think if you can get past the bumpy world building, you’ll find a fun, fast-paced read that will leave you begging for the next book.
Comparing this to Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them and Assassin’s Creed is pretty accurate. Other spot-on comparisons would be Pokemon or even Throne of Glass. Assassins and magical animals are some of my favorite tropes and together they work surprisingly well.
The beginning of this debut is a bit slow and muddled. I don’t think the author was able to define the world’s rules early on to establish whether this was a pure fantasy setting, urban fantasy, or historical fantasy. I did occasionally find myself questioning what was going on based on my assumptions about what kind of setting it was. Luckily, that didn’t deter me from becoming engrossed in the characters and the beasts as they stole the show. There was enough mystery and promise of information that I finished this book in just a few days. I think if you can get past the bumpy world building, you’ll find a fun, fast-paced read that will leave you begging for the next book.