Maya Motayne

"I know the difference between 'could' and 'will'. Those words spell the difference between a good man and a bad one. The light and the dark."

What a ride! I truly enjoyed this one, the writing was really easy to get through and the atmosphere was so compelling i couldn't put it down.
Latinx worlds are so rarely seen in ya fantasy so my interest was at its peak! And it didn't disappoint.
Finn and Alfie were really the best part of the book for me! The way they get used to each other was so show more heartwarming!
The difference between good and evil, between monster and hero is a fine line and this book gave me exactly what i crave for. Grey areas, complex imperfect characters, tangled relationships. HELL TO THE YES.

"First, we get Luka to bed. Then I need a book."
Finn rolled her eyes as the late morning sun stretched its glowing fingers across the room's tiled floor. "Of course you do."
Finn and Alfie's banter was hilarious! They have very different personalities but at the same time they complete each other perfectly. The whole "listen, i don't like you but i will protect you at any costs so maybe in the end i actually like you" game vibe was strong.

I loved Luka with my all heart, and i truly hope we'll see more of him in book 2.

A really entertaining first book and a really good debut for the author! show less

Solid 4 stars. Thanks to Eidleweiss and the publisher/author for an ARC. It's taken me forever to get this review up. When everything is falling apart, a review is the least of your concerns...
This book was so freaking good! As I said, I was going through a rough patch, but this book was something I could really use as an escape. I was swept up in the magic of Castellan and the banter of our main characters.
Finn is smart, funny, and broken with a dark past and little hope of redemption (at show more least as far as she's concerned).
Alfie is meant to be king but is apprehensive, certain he's not capable of the job.
Together they make up for the other's shortcomings. Both are relatable, likable, and believable.

When Alfie makes a terrible mistake in an effort to save a friend, Finn and Alfie must work together to do the impossible and stop an unspeakable evil.

There is no insta-love (or any real romance type stuff at all), thankfully. I do wish I could have "seen" more of Castellan, but what is described is done very well. I really enjoyed my time with this book. show less

This review is posted on both my personal goodreads account as well as the Crossroads Public Library account.

Actual Rating: 3.75 Stars

I actually really did enjoy this book *but* I also really enjoyed A Darker Shade of Magic and since the first half of the book was pretty similar, it makes sense that I would enjoy it. I'm sure that it wasn't intentional on the author's part, because I don't think that anyone would intentionally do it, but the fact of the matter is that this book started out show more very similar to A Darker Shade of Magic and I think that needs to be said.

Aside from that, the world building and magic system was interesting. I enjoyed the latinx inspiration of everything. The characters were likable - I loved the prince. Such a little cinnamon roll to me, even with the dark magic use. I'm looking forward to the sequel - let's hope there's no magic competition games in it.

-Kelli show less

DNF @35%
I hate to say it but this is just not holding my interest right now and I have to put it down.

I thought the worldbuilding was good - there was a clear established history and conflict between Englass and Castallan that was messy, complex, and a perfect setting for a fantasty story. Unfortunately, I didn't really like the characters all that much so I couldn't get into the plot. And I got to the shift in the story, and I just wasn't feeling it and I didn't want to put myself in a show more slump, so I decided to quite while I was a head.

I do think a lot of peopel will enjoy this story, If you are more plot or world -driven when you read, I think you would probably still enjoy this. But as a character reader - whi didn't like the characters - this one unfortunantely wasn't for me.
I received a copy of the book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.? show less