“The strongest magic requires the greatest sacrifice.Instagram || Twitter || Facebook || Amazon || Pinterest I did like the main character, Aurelia, and the love interest, but I felt like I could have liked them so much more!! There was one particular side character I did really enjoy, but they were killed off so…. And a couple of times, they were killed before I even got the chance. Maybe it was because of how fast the pace of the book is, but I felt like I never had time to actually get to know and understand each character’s personality. That said, I just couldn’t connect with them. In theory, there are a lot of interesting characters in this book. Speaking of characters! Yeah I had trouble with some of them. I think this is partially due to how often and frequent the deaths were, with no break, plus a lack of attachment to the characters themselves. This is something I usually appreciate in books, however, because there is a lot of violence and death, some of the specific deaths felt cheap or didn’t deal the emotional damage they could have. Crystal Smith is not afraid to kill her darlings. There is one unique aspect of this book– it’s really, really violent. Most of the factors that made this book sound interesting to me– witch trials, princess dressing as a commoner and falling in love with someone who doesn’t know her true identity, blood magic, seeing the dead– all were done better in other books. Most of my time reading this book was spent thinking: “Oh, did this trope/plotline a little better!”. There was always something interesting happening, but it lacked the originality it desperately needed.
The plot is probably where I had the most issues with the book.
The world building is vague and relies heavily on our preconceived notions of what a fantasy kingdom is like. However, beyond those aspects, there isn’t much else we know about the setting itself. Meanwhile, Achleva (the kingdom of her betrothed) is much more colorful and free. Aurelia’s kingdom, Renalt, is puritanical, with religion, modesty, and humility all playing key roles in their society. The writing is simple– nothing about it stands out one way or another.
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