I went in expecting a cute little romantasy, I got that and a WHOLE LOT more…

This book is a must read if you like: Greek fantasy retellings, found family, healing generational trauma, exploration of power.

My Thoughts

This book presents as romantasy, and the vibe is very much in that genre. What I was not expecting was the deep exploration of complex family dynamics, healing from years of emotional abuse, and a moral that hits harder than a 2×4.

This book took me longer to read than I expected for a very specific reason. Like with all my favorite books this year I had to keep pausing to digest. Specially at the quote below I couldn’t read the rest of the day.

While the romantasy side of this book was a little more present than I prefer (which is bare minimum for most people who like romance in their fantasy) the complex relationships between characters, the deep well of the FMC and her struggles, and the beautiful descriptions are exactly what I love to sink my teeth into.

I always try to write a bit about what makes a book different from others. I have spent over a week contemplating this part of the review and I think the answer is, I can’t think of a book I’d really compare it to. This book is in a category of its own in the best possible way.

I have read this quote to at least 5 people since I read it. I literally had to pause the book when I heard it. It is extremely profound.

“I always trusted you.” She said with tears in her eyes. “And it hurts that I was wrong. I wish that I could hate you. I wish I could scream and curse you and never want to see you again. But that is not what I want. I still love you. Despite how you have made me hurt.” She turned to Than, who sheltered the triplets. “When someone raises you, even when you discover how many mistakes they made once you have grown up, you are still grateful for the safety they gave you when you were small. For better or worse, they make you who you are. To despise them is to despise part of yourself. You have to forgive in order to move on.” She looked back at Yaya. “I forgive you for your lies. But my relationship with you will look different from now on.”

Sometimes the pacing felt a bit disjointed, but that also could be my mental state at time of reading.

I really enjoyed Kristyna Zaharek’s performance and I felt the great performance really gave wings to a great story.

I read this book because I met the author before it was released. She is an awesome person. And this book blew my expectations out of the water.

Profanity: Intimacy: . Violence: Themes:

I do get a small commission if you use the link above and it doesn’t cost you any extra, but you can use the link below if you don’t want to. Thank you!