4 stars fully deserved by Victoria J. Price's new series A Legacy of Storms and Starlight.
I received a free copy of this book as part of a book tour i4 stars fully deserved by Victoria J. Price's new series A Legacy of Storms and Starlight.
I received a free copy of this book as part of a book tour in exchange for an honest review.
The story revolves around Zyhla, a palace maid accused to have murdered the kingdom's prince and sentenced to death for it. In the moment of need, she discovers a hidden ability that allows her to escape her predicament. Wounded, exhausted, and terrified she finally finds help in a mysterious Fae who helps her settle in a new life. But rebellion is brewing and the fae, for so long persecuted into almost extinction, are preparing. A dead king is the only way Zyhla can secure herself a future not on the run, but what will it cost her?
Victoria's characters are vibrant and relatable. They struggle and doubt and mourn. Zyhla was a great main character: she knew enough of the world to navigate it skillfully, avoiding falling into the "maiden in distress" stereotype, but at the same time she is thrust into a situation not familiar to her, allowing her to function properly as "exposition vector". My favourite character is for sure Holt, whom I have insane hopes for in the sequels. I was super suspicious of Raif, which I count as a win for the writer, as the enitire book is from the Zyhla's POV and she was very doubtful of Raif's intentions.
The writing style is witty, if a bit on the nose. I usually do not mind character's inner jokes and monologues, but if you are ticked by anachronistic self-musings there are more than a couple in here. I thought they gave Zyhla more personality, and they flowed nicely in the narrative, so I didn't find them jarring.
The world building is competent. I do not think it is the best out there, and there was a bit of info-dumping at the start, but once you get to "the escape" the world is finally given breath. I found the setting charming and the world lore wide enough for the scope of the story. The Fae are not exactly the Fae of folklore, but more of a race of magical creatures that can or cannot look human-like and a variety of powers and characterisitics.
Curiously, the one thing I enjoyed the most was the story's pacing. It was not a rushed run to the end, nor a slow-going character-based book. It was very equilibrated and it made me want to keep reading.
Spiciness-wise, this book is on the low-medium side of the spectrum. I would place it in the typical new-adult level (the next time I get told that ACOTAR and series is the steamiest thing ever I will wilt and die). The romance was alright, I personally did not 100% vibe with it, which is why I'm decking a star, but I think that was more of a personal preference. Also (view spoiler)[is this a love triangle? I guess even if it was, not anymore? Man, this is going to get messy. (hide spoiler)]
The ending is a great cliff-hanger. I would reccommend this book if only for its third act climax. Man that was great. Some of the twist was a bit out of nowhere, but I expect it to be flushed out in the sequel (which I am for sure getting my grubby hands on).
Overall, this is a very nice book that follows the current trend of Fae fantasy romance, with an interesting main character and a vibrant cast of side characters that will give you exactly what you are looking for in the genre.
This book was very alright. It scratched the itch it promised to scratch. It delivered on the promise but nothing more. Did I particularly like it? NoThis book was very alright. It scratched the itch it promised to scratch. It delivered on the promise but nothing more. Did I particularly like it? Not really. Did I have a bad time or dislike it? Neither! It felt neither here nor there. A positive note is that it did set up nicely for the sequel.
The story focuses on Jude. She is a mortal stolen from the human world by her mother fae past lover, who while claiming back his daughter (Jude’s half-sister) murdered all the adults in the room. She, her twin, and her oldest sister have grown up in the fae world with all the luxuries that their “adoptive” father could give them, but they never had a true place in the fae court. Jude wants to grant herself one as a warrior under one of the princes of the realm. Only that way would she truly belong, only that way she would be able to escape the cruel games of the last prince, Cardan. But everything goes left and she is forced to come up with her own plans.
First thing first, this is NOT a romance and it should not be hyped up as such. This book focuses on courtly intrigue. Cardan is NOT a male lead, he is for the most part a cruel and relentless bully and tormentor. At some point the book attempts to make me feel sorry for him, but I have little pity for bullies. It is the one trope I really loathe. His character is definitely interesting, and I think it could really shine in the next books, but for the moment he is just kind of pleasantly there.
Jude is interesting. I did like her and I admired her resolve and spirit. She was a nice lead and her devotion to her family is truly commendable. I don’t really have anything else to say. She’s fine and I appreciated her. Her sisters, now I do look forward to see how they will be developed in the next books, especially her twin sister TWIN. I think she has great potential, although it does not have the time to shine in this book.
The world building is barely present. It gives us just enough not to be completely lost, but otherwise leaves most things to the imagination. I think this can be a very successful technique when dealing with popular “realms” and creatures like the fae. Everyone is very attache to their reality and this is a great book to read and imprint on your own interpretation of the faerie courts. It is however a downside for readers like me, who really enjoy and treasure world building.
The writing style was competent and easy to get into. The plot is engaging enough to keep me going on and I am sincerely interested in what is going to happen in the next instalment of the series. This is without a doubt a big win for the book and it helped immensely to make it as successful as it is.
Overall, I enjoyed this book. I would not necessarily recommend it, and I do not plan to re-read it anytime soon. But I’m very likely to pick up the rest of the series for curiosity. I recommend this book to people that want an easy introduction to fae stories and faerie court intrigue and don’t mind literarily thin and stereotypical characters....more
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