Churie

An absolutely devastating read, and now one of my favourite historical fantasy reads possibly ever. This is NOT a romance (I can't stress that enough), and I fear the marketing is doing a disservice by implying that it's a tragic romantasy with comparison titles like 'Song of Achilles' - this is definitely a grimdark fantasy with a focus on court politics, abuse perpetuating abuse, and the corrosive effects of power.

We cut between current day political manoeuvring and the struggle for survival, and excerpts from the past recounted by others. Narration is very unreliable, and in bits and pieces the full, horrible truth is revealed. Terren, the tyrannical second prince, is such an incredibly complex character handled so carefully by the author, where the cruelty and hurt he has inflicted is never minimised or glossed over, yet simultaneously his past being revealed made me so viscerally upset for him. All characters, including side characters, are fully fleshed out with their own motivations, and secondary plot lines continue in the absence of our main character for a richly detailed world. Every thread is followed to its gruesome end.

Without giving away any spoilers, the ending is agonising. Having finished this book a few hours ago, I'm currently alternating between being mad that the author could do that, and resignation that this was the best way forwards. It's absolutely gutting and relieving in equal parts, and will be living in my brain for the indefinite future.

> YES, I will be rereading this once I've gotten over the immense emotional pain that I'm currently suffering through.

> YES, I will be recommending this to absolutely everyone who likes fantasy and is in the mood for a serious read. Please heed the content warnings before starting!

An absolutely devastating read, and now one of my favourite historical fantasy reads possibly ever. This is NOT a romance (I can't stress that enough), and I feel the marketing is failing this book by implying it's some type of tragic romantasy with comparison titles like 'Song of Achilles' - this is definitely a grimdark fantasy with a focus on court politics, abuse perpetuating abuse, and the corrosive effects of power.

We cut between current day survival and political manoeuvring, and seeing different facets of the past through various perspectives. Narration is by definition unreliable, and in bits and pieces the full, horrible truth is revealed. Terren, the tyrannical second prince, is such an incredibly complex character handled so carefully by the author, where the cruelty and hurt he has inflicted is never minimised or glossed over, yet simultaneously his full past being revealed made me truly miserable. All characters, including side characters, are fully fleshed out with their own motivations, and secondary plot lines continue in the absence of our main character for a richly detailed world. Every thread is followed to its gruesome end.

Without giving away any spoilers, the ending is agonising. Having finished this book a few hours ago, I'm currently alternating between being mad that the author could do that, and resignation that this was the best way forwards. It's absolutely gutting and relieving in equal parts, and will be living in my brain for the indefinite future.

> YES, I will be rereading this once I've gotten over the immense emotional pain that I'm currently suffering through.

> YES, I will be recommending this to absolutely everyone who likes fantasy and is in the mood for a serious read.