Ariadnis

When I bought this book for £3 from a second hand book shop, I'll be honest, I bought it for the cover. I thought, ‘hey if I don't like it at least it was only £3'.

When I bought this book, I was not expecting to have an absolutely incredible story in my hands. But, wow! This book is amazing.

The world building of Erthe, Athenas, Metis, and Ariadnis is truly compelling. The societies created in this story are so interesting and I love how they are intertwined, along with the main characters, Aula and Joomia, who are also impeccable characters.
I will say, it took me a little while to warm to Aula, but by the end I loved both of their characters, as well as the other two major characters, Taurus and Etain. I also really appreciate how Taurus cries, as its really important to have strong male characters who are able to show emotions in this way.

An unexpected touch I loved were the illustrations at the back of the book of the four characters of Aula, Joomia, Etain, and Taurus. They really help me to visualise them in the story, which is very important and often quite difficult to do in a deeply fantastical story like this.

I would recommend this rare gem to EVERYONE and I am very excited to read the sequel!