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courtofsmutandstuff's review
3.0
This felt solidly like a dystopian YA that I would have read in the Hunger Games/Lunar Chronicles/Uglies era. I liked the premise (a fairy tale-esc world collides with ours and the magic dominates the areas in their control) and the book moves at a solid pace. Jade is very typical in terms of YA dystopian FMCs (the best at fighting and emotionally cold for survival/because of magic) and the insta-love between her and Asher also was very typical of that type of book, so it's very familiar, but also doesn't stand out. Because of the curse, Jade doesn't have emotions (except fear) and as she is removed from the Queen's thrall, she then starts to experience feelings for the first time in a decade. It's nice, but (and this could be because I blew through the audiobook quickly) it doesn't have the same depth as some of the other books in its genre; Jade's interactions with others is limited to essentially the Queen and the Commander, and with the rebels it's essentially just Asher and one rebel friend she had maybe 3 interactions with. Nothing is bad - it's just not as developed as other series. It's very bingeable and readable, and I am intrigued to keep reading in the series and see where it goes.
The audiobook narrator was great though!
Thank you to NetGalley for an audiobook.
The audiobook narrator was great though!
Thank you to NetGalley for an audiobook.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder
Moderate: Abandonment and Suicide attempt
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