2.5⭐️ i had high expectations for this, as book one was my first 5 star of this year. while the first book was full, fleshed out, and could stand alon2.5⭐️ i had high expectations for this, as book one was my first 5 star of this year. while the first book was full, fleshed out, and could stand alone, this felt like more of a transitional novel to get ready for the next book.
our previous main character’s old roommate from the city, rinka, is finally making the move to come and live with alison in wilderise. during her travels, rinka meets a man she’s immediately drawn to, who seems to be hiding who he really is. after their ship is attacked by pirates, they’re forced to stick together in order to make it to their destination. after her reunion with alison, rinka is thrown undercover into the glamour of politics and nobility as she, alison, and the townspeople plan to save the fate of wilderise.
ambitious, but ended up having too much going on at once and lacked depth overall. book one brought us into a magical, whimsical world with characters that are all going through grief in different ways. book two was just� a lot of random plot, with very little to show for it at the end. i was excited about it being a dual POV between alison and rinka, but i think it was more of a hinderance with capturing the scope of their stories. there is a HUGE reveal smack dab in the middle of the book that should have been so much more central to the storyline, but it is never expanded on or mentioned again.
i wasn’t interested in the royals. i liked how the first book was centered around the townspeople and their way of life, this went very heavy on the new characters which i just couldn’t bring myself to care about (aside from rinka, although i wasn’t expecting the direction her character took). it seemed like it attempted a bridgerton moment that was just� an odd fit in the overall story. the romance was way too lust-heavy (no spice) to be believable or taken seriously, there also just wasn’t enough time on paper of them together for the connection to really flourish. it needed at least another 50 pages in total to fully flesh out all the plot points, unfortunately it jumps around quite a bit after the 60% mark, after a fairly slow start. definitely disappointing, i’m still considering whether i’ll continue the series.
*I received an advanced review copy for free, and am leaving this review voluntarily*...more
when alison inherits a cottage after a distant relative’s passing, her and her roommate think their money troubles are solved. they’ll rent it ou4.5⭐️
when alison inherits a cottage after a distant relative’s passing, her and her roommate think their money troubles are solved. they’ll rent it out and have enough to afford their apartment in the city, even with their landlord hiking up prices. alison travels to the distant land of wilderise, where she finds the quaint village is home to all sorts of characters, and unfortunately burdened by a magical vine of unknown origin that threatens to take over the town.
i’ve been missing out on the cozy fantasy genre if this is any indicator of what it’s like!! the beginning was a bit slow to start, but once it gets going i was thoroughly invested. the world building took a bit of getting used to, but that may have just been a me problem. the characters are whimsical, flawed, and so, so lovable. alison is That Bitch, the way she gets things done! i even teared up at the end, i really felt attached to the characters and what they went through. this was so fun, and just what i needed. i’m so happy this is going to be a four book series!!
thank you to booksirens and the author for an early copy of this novel! available as of february 6th :)
*i received an advanced review copy for free, and am leaving this review voluntarily*...more
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