Genre: YA Fantasy
Release Date: January 17th, 2023
Pages: 480
Publisher: Zando Young Readers
My Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Publisher’s Synopsis:
“A stunning Celtic YA fantasy adventure set in the ancient kingdom of Eire, inspired by the legend of the first true queen of Ireland, perfect for fans of Shelby Mahurin and Adrienne Young.
In the kingdom of Eire, banshees chill the air, and water-wights lurk in the rivers. But magic is outlawed by the king, and jealously hoarded by his Druid priests.
Neve is the youngest daughter of the king, and Ronan is a Druid’s apprentice-turned-thief, making a living by selling stolen spells. They should be enemies, but their shared hatred of the Druids-and a dark magic that has marked them both-makes them unlikely, if uneasy, allies.
When Eire is threatened by a power struggle, Neve must seize the chance to take her rightful place on her family’s throne, with the help of Ronan and the realm’s most dangerous outcasts. Their journey takes them to the outskirts of Eire where magic still runs free . . . and where an outlaw and a warrior princess might carve out a future with spells and swords.
Lesley Livingston vividly reimagines Irish legends and fairytales to craft a YA fantasy adventure that will captivate readers of Brigid Kemmerer and Tricia Levenseller.”
My Review:
I was hooked from the very beginning into this action-packed tale. It’s a story full of mystery and wonder, with darkness lurking in every corner.
Reading this book is a tangible experience. I was sucked into everything that was happening. Sometimes it can take me a while to get my feet firmly into a story, but that was not the case for this one.
I love how in-depth everything is. I often find that sometimes details are glanced over that could really add to a story’s strength, but this one is delightfully detailed without being fluffy. It finds a perfect balance that I think all fantasy readers will appreciate.
I immediately adored the sassy and fierce Neve. I love a good strong heroine that breaks the mold she is being forced into. If you like a girl with grit, you’re going to love Neve.
And who can resist the wily bandit, Ronan, that she finds her path inexplicably linked with. I love their chemistry and banter from the moment they meet.
The author does a great job of showing us the characters’ personalities and motivations through their actions and dialogue. And we really get a transformative adventure seeing Neve’s growth as she evolves into the woman she both needs to be and truly is in her core.
Full disclosure, I know next to nothing about Celtic mythology, so I cannot speak to any accuracies as far as things in the story that are based on fact or purely fictional.
But I think that is a good perspective to have on behalf of other readers because, even with no prior knowledge, I was able to follow along nicely with the story without any confusion.
So, if you are like me and don’t know anything about Celtic lore, don’t worry. This book gives all the explanations you need to understand the world-building.
And what a wonderfully magical world it is, at that. If you love a story that is richly steeped in dense legends and magical gods, this is the perfect book for you.
It’s an emotional story, at times, with lots of political intrigue through different factions of rebels and royalty vying for power.
The complexity and layering of the plot is exquisite and the insight into the mythology is mesmerizing.
The writing style and tone is perfectly matched with the atmosphere of the story. The author paints vivid scenery that immerses you into every page. I felt as though I could envision every part of this journey.
The ending is both compelling with its surprising twists and satisfying with its neat conclusion of events.
I highly recommend this book and it definitely deserves all five stars. I’m super excited to add this author to my list of favorites and I can’t wait to read anything she writes next.
Recommend for readers who love:
- Fierce female protagonist
- Rich lore and world-building
- Action-packed plot sequence
- Enemies-to-lovers
- Raw and gritty
- Tales of destiny
Disclaimers:
Huge thank you to Netgalley and Zando for gifting me an early copy of this amazing story! I voluntarily read and reviewed this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
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