Rating: 9/10
Back again with another high-quality review. Even though it's been a minute since I wrote my last review, I did finish this book like last Wednesday (I think), I've just gotten behind on my reviews again. But I'm here now, being pleased with another Margaret Rogerson book. This book and Sorcery of Thorns are just both *chef kiss* so good. I've written a review for Sorcery of Thorns (click to visit that review) so I went into this book with high hopes. As far as I'm concerned, this book gave me everything I wanted and I couldn't be more pleased. Let me tell you all about it.
Summary from Amazon:
"Isobel is an artistic prodigy with a dangerous set of clients: the sinister fair folk, immortal creatures who cannot bake bread or put a pen to paper without crumbling to dust. They crave human Craft with a terrible thirst, and Isobel’s paintings are highly prized. But when she receives her first royal patron—Rook, the autumn prince—she makes a terrible mistake. She paints mortal sorrow in his eyes—a weakness that could cost him his life.
Furious, Rook spirits her away to his kingdom to stand trial for her crime. But something is seriously wrong in his world, and they are attacked from every side. With Isobel and Rook depending on each other for survival, their alliance blossoms into trust, then love—and that love violates the fair folks’ ruthless laws. Now both of their lives are forfeit, unless Isobel can use her skill as an artist to fight the fairy courts. Because secretly, her Craft represents a threat the fair folk have never faced in all the millennia of their unchanging lives: for the first time, her portraits have the power to make them feel."
As someone who has just read the ACOTAR series, let me just say that I had no idea how much faerie lore had been stripped away by Sarah J Maas. Well, I didn't realize completely until I read this book. This book was so full of faerie lore, coupled with the banality of their existence that I felt cheated by ACOTAR. That series is basically just about magic people in love. They could have been anything, it was totally irrelevant that they were Fae. Anyway, this is certainly a darker view of the Fae. The way that Rogerson encapsulated them makes them all seem very vain, cruel, and really just heartless. There's nothing wrong with that, if you have a problem with that portrayal then maybe skip this one. There are exceptions of course, but for the most part that is the portrait painted of the Fae (pun intended). Rogerson is a great storyteller, in the descriptive way that she describes everything from the setting, to the building of the plot. But that isn't my favorite thing about Rogerson's writing. My absolute favorite thing in Rogerson's books, is the way that she writes characters.
I do have to say, I am an absolute sucker for magical characters who have this essence of "innocence." When I say innocent, I guess I really mean a type of child-like ignorance. When I see characters that don't understand humans at all, I'm automatically hooked. When Rook walked into Isobel's kitchen and the first thing he did was parse out what was and wasn't a weapon. I was just sent, I loved him immediately. Or when he tried to give her a raw rabbit to eat. I just adore Rook, he deserves the world. He and Isobel had such good banter. I was just so happy when they would interact even when part of that interaction was her chastising him like a child (in the best way). There were so many funny moments, I can't even get into it. Rogerson is just so good at writing good characters whom you just don't ever want to let go of (hi, Silas anyone?). But she also doesn't write characters who appear to be "perfect." Of course, I love Rook, but he wasn't perfect. He was vain and selfish like all of the Fae. But, he was willing to try to understand Isobel and he would try to change when she would correct him. He also didn't look perfect. The Fae in the story all use glamours to hide the way that they really look. More than once, his glamour was stripped away and she could see his real appearance, which was far from perfect. And she loved him anyway, glamoured or not.
Rogerson just really knows how to make you feel for the characters. It was very easy to feel for Isobel, who had lost so much in such a short amount of time. She was strong and clever without being annoying or cocky. She would give up her life for the people that she cares about. She would also give up her life, rather than drink from the Green Well. Which, on that note, I also felt for the Fae. To the humans, it appeared as if the Fae were these perfect creatures who didn't have a care in the world. In reality, they were trapped by their very nature. They didn't have a care in the world, because why should they? It isn't their fault that they don't know how to display human emotion. All they really have is themselves and their powers. They're revered by humans for these powers too, so it is no wonder they all think so highly of themselves. But it is a sad, unfulfilling life. They can't even do anything that could be considered "craft," can you imagine how absolutely boring that has to be? We really take our ability to do anything we want for granted.
I didn't have any big qualms with the book. I thought that the Fae could have had more backstory or even more explanation for the way that their ruling systems work. Maybe some more information or lore regarding the Alder King. My biggest problem was regarding the premise for the love story. The whole build-up for the love story was really underwhelming. It was so underwhelming that it bordered on unbelievable. Don't get me wrong, it becomes more believable over time. But, considering the love story was the key factor for the plot, it just felt rushed. It seemed like they met and then suddenly they were in love. There was no build-up. There was no real development in the beginning for the relationship. All of it comes later, but it seemed to me, like it should have started much earlier on in the book. This book could have benefitted from like 150 more pages.
In all, this book was great and I would recommend it to any fan of YA fantasy with a romance-heavy plot line. Isobel is an amazingly strong female protagonist and I support her. And, I would do anything for Rook, what a mad lad. The ending of this book was great, really very satisfying, all of the loose ends were tied and I was pleased. Seriously, this book is not one to miss. It deserves all of the hype that it got on Instagram. It's ultimately a sweet love story complete with likable characters, funny interactions between the love-interests, some twists, and enough action to keep you reading. I read this book in like two sittings because once it gets going, it really keeps your attention. Man, this is in my top ten books for 2020 for sure. Although at this rate, I'm just going to have to give Margaret Rogerson and Madeline Miller their own places on the list because I've just been so impressed with them both. Seriously though, if any of this catches your eye, read this book.
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