Overall Take:
If you’d like to transport to a world of fascinating magic, then buy a copy of this one.
Star Rating:
5 Stars
Genre:
YA Fantasy, LGBT/Queer
Synopsis:
Ash is caught practicing magic without a license by brilliant apprentice Ramsay. Instead of turning Ash in, Ramsay surprises him by making him an offer. If he helps them find the Book of Source, then they’ll teach him magic.
As they work together their feelings grow but Ash learns the mission is riskier than he thought. When they’re pitted against influential and powerful alchemists, he is forced to discover his own definition of power and how far he’ll go to seize it.
Thoughts:
This was such an amazing read! I loved it. It was such a unique experience that I am glad I got to experience. I enjoyed being engrossed in this world of magic and intrigue for a little while with these characters. I love a book with magic, especially when it is explained well, and that is exactly what happened here.
One part of this book that I particularly enjoyed reading about was gender fluidity. The author seamlessly wove the characters gender into the story, and I wasn’t confused at all despite the gender switching often. Ash, the main character, was also diverse in that they were a trans character. Again, the author did a fantastic job writing this into the story, so it was flawlessly carried out and implemented. In the characters’ world, all of the characters were accepted no matter their orientation, and it was honestly quite refreshing to read, if only that was the world we lived in. It was really interesting for me to read how this part of the story worked because it is an area that I am working on learning more about, so I can be more cognizant and aware.
Even though this was fantasy, this wasn’t high fantasy, so the world wasn’t too abruptly different from our own, which made it easy for me to grasp. I often struggle with fantasy due to complex world building, and that was not the case here, I rather enjoyed it. I loved how the magic had a system and the system was laid out and explained nicely so I could understand it. It wasn’t all thrown at me right at the start either, so I had time to warm up to what was happening.
I was sucked into this book from the start, and I didn’t come up for air, I loved it so much. The pacing was quick, and the ending was just as quick. While this was a five star read for me, I do wish a little more care would have been taken on the ending to explain things. However, it was a satisfying ending, and I loved this book so much.
Thanks for my copy to:
Thank you so much to Tor Teen @torteen and Netgally @netgalley for this e-arc in exchange for an honest review.
Publication Date:
February 6, 2024
Page Length:
400 pages
Publisher
Tor Teen
Link to buy
Affiliate link
