Eryca Liskovec

I read about 50% and skimmed until the end. I would have classified this as a DNF but I put in too much time not to count this, and I figure my other DNFs this year add up to a whole book.

I love Sue Lynn Tan’s writing style and vibe, and the book itself is gorgeous. I almost still want to display it on my shelf despite how much I actually disliked it. The FMC is good at everything except being a good person, and you’re constantly made to feel bad for disliking her bc she had a truly hard life from living in poverty and being abused by her step aunt. Despite her origins of poverty, thievery, and fake fortune telling, she manages to steal her way into a ball, have two powerful men instantly obsessed with her, including the Prince, talk her way into being a favored guest in the palace, and win an unwinnable tournament against the best general in the kingdom. She is angry all the time, which again, I can’t judge her for based on her life circumstances, except it’s not a righteous anger, for when the prince threatens to wipe out an entire family line bc they plotted against him for his cruel taxes and policies (things that also affected her in the beginning of the book), she doesn’t seem to care or empathize about that. I wanted to like this so badly, but I truly just don’t want to read about any of these characters anymore.

This book certainly wasn't perfect, but I found it enjoyable and will definitely be continuing the quartet. I think there could have been more time put into delving into the MMC's character and history rather than constantly telling us how beautiful he is and how perfect his face is - but, I also think this was an effort to show how Ravenna, the FMC, sees the world as a sculptress. Of course she's going to be drawn to angles and contours and symmetry, and so we're going to read about it. I would have liked to see a bit more of the slow burn, but to me, the romance didn't feel totally unearned either. He was your typical red flag of a dude who showed just enough, and chose her just enough, to convince you there was a green flag in there somewhere. And she was a quiet, but strong individual who was the only one who ever honestly challenged him. I didn't see the main twist coming, but I did catch the last twist right before it happened.

This was super cute, had some twists, political commentary, and was all around a fun adventure. I think it could probably have been a little shorter, but I very much enjoyed it!

I feel like this book caught a lot of strays with because it followed two timelines, but honestly, I thought it was well done. I think the writing was strong, the themes well explored, the pacing was slow but deliberate, and it had the grittiness of reality. If anything, I think what was missing for me was heart. Adrienne Young is one of my favorite authors, and Fable is one of my favorite all-time characters. But Luca and Maris never reached off the page and gripped my heart the way Fable, or even Eelyn (Sky in the Deep), did. I could put them down, and come back to them without feeling a tug to continue.

While I find myself rooting for them to end up together, I also find Luca infuriating because looking back on the book, I feel like 90% of his current timeline is filled with his regrets without him doing anything to change his circumstances. He is in a constant state of stress for Maris' well-being, to the point where he and those closest to him admit that he can't be completely loyal to the rebellion because he will always choose her. And yet, whenever he is given the opportunity to actually choose her, he refuses to AND makes his refusal in such a way that it removes her choice in the matter as well. And then he has the gall to say that he's sending her away with the only parts of his soul that are worthwhile. Honestly, typing that out made me even a little more mad about it. I get that this may read as self-sacrificial and angsty, but really, it's just a dude who refuses to make a stand for what he actually wants, and in the process is actively hurting both parties involved because he refuses to fully commit to either side.

I'm not sure I'll read the second book, but I'll certainly stalk reviews and spoilers when it comes out and make my final decision then.

I loved the setting and the characters were strong. My issue with this is the inconsistency of writing: Sometimes the main character (who narrates as first person) speaks and narrates in perfect English. Sometimes she speaks with a Scottish accent, and narrates without one. Sometimes she has a Scottish accent when she narrates. In this book, the FMC is originally from Scotland, coming back after being in London for a time, so I can see it maybe being her original accent popping up sometimes, but it just doesn't feel that intentional. With some other grammatical issues, it just comes across a bit chaotic.

If you've loved Simpson's Brodie and Forsythe series, I'm sure you'll love this one too. It's a direct spinoff of the series. I actually had stopped reading Brodie and Forsythe for the same reasons I listed here - so maybe it's just a me thing.