[A quick note: You know that book youโve had sitting on your shelves for 2+ years, and you swore youโd get to it, and never did? This is THAT book. I had a friend rec me his top 6 reads before the end of 2022 and this was one of them. So I finally picked it up. He always has the most amazing recs and I knew this would be a great one!]
โ๐ ๐ฐ๐ข๐ฅ๐ฅ ๐๐จ๐ฅ๐ฅ๐จ๐ฐ ๐ฎ๐ง๐ญ๐ข๐ฅ ๐ ๐ฆ๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ญ ๐ฅ๐๐๐. ๐ ๐ฐ๐ข๐ฅ๐ฅ ๐ฌ๐ก๐ข๐๐ฅ๐ ๐ฎ๐ง๐ญ๐ข๐ฅ ๐ ๐ฆ๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ญ ๐ฌ๐ญ๐ซ๐ข๐ค๐. ๐ ๐ฐ๐ข๐ฅ๐ฅ ๐๐ข๐ ๐ก๐ญ ๐ฎ๐ง๐ญ๐ข๐ฅ ๐ ๐ฆ๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ญ ๐ก๐๐๐ฅ.โ โMargaret Owen
This is a story of oppression and strength. Itโs a story of a girl named Fie, who wants a better life for her people. A story that makes you take a hard look at the way others are treated. We see the lengths Fie will go to, to forge a better world for those who are stepped on and forgotten, those who are hated simply for the caste theyโre born into. And in so doing, Fie will be tied to people she once hated. She will learn to love them. It will force her to step out of her comfort zone and protect someone who wouldnโt have protected her.
I loved this book! Looooved it. Adventure settings make fun reads, especially when bad guys are chasing you across a kingdom. Through the pages, there is an ever-present countdown that makes for great suspense. Not to mention, the wonderful character interactions happening. And let me tell you, these characters are DEEP. I loved how flawed and realistic they felt.
There were many unique aspects, from the caste system modeled by birds, to the Crowโs โBone Witchโ magic that uses teeth, to the sinners plague constantly threatening the kingdom of Sabor. The setting is diverse, with a society that accepts same-gender romantic preferences as equally as opposite-gender preferences. However, this society is also very unaccepting of the lowest caste, the Crows, and thatโs what creates the backbone for our story.
Fie is an amazing, strong female character. She is unapologetic. She is a quick thinker, good at getting out of sticky situations. She puts a lot of other things before her own comfort, including her people, who are her family. โLook after your own,โ is a motto sheโs frequently quoting. Sheโd do anything for them, and that makes her someone to respect. I adored her character.
I also liked the Prince Jasimirโs character, even though he got on my nerves a lot. Butโฆthatโs because of how he was raised, and who he was at heart. It gave him a lot of room for change. Who doesnโt like a solid character arc? And then thereโs Tavinโs character. I knew Iโd like him, straight from the get-go. Heโs got his own secrets, begging to be freed. I loved getting to learn more about him.
The only warning Iโd give is this: The story throws you straight into a foreign world, with a lot of detail unique to its world. That could be a bit confusing or off-putting for some readers, initially. It didnโt bother me much. I got hooked pretty early in, as soon as Fie punched Tavin in the nose. Hah!
I got a little teary-eyed when I shut this book. I enjoyed it so much. It was the perfect read to lose yourself in. I immediately went and bought the second book, and canโt wait to dive in. Definitely great for fantasy lovers who like rich, detailed world building, unique magic, and strong characters.
๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐: ๐/๐โญ๏ธ
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