This is the third book by Charlie N. Holmberg that I’ve read. She is slowly becoming my favorite author, and not just from her books, but from her podcast Your Mom Writes Books and her instagram.
That being said, I struggled to get into this book for the first few chapters. There was something in the writing that felt stilted to me, felt like it was trying too hard to be written in an older dialect of English. But thankfully, as the novel went on, the language relaxed and I could enjoy it more.
There were so many small things in this novel that I absolutely loved. But one aspect that really stood out that I had to really think about how awesome it was was the different point of views. For Enna, the main character with a soul, the POV was in close first, whereas for Maekallus, his few chapters, are in distant third that gets increasingly closer as he gains more of a soul.
The relationship that grows between the two characters is perfect in so many ways. There’s an old bit of writing advice that says “If your characters have to kiss to show us they’re in love, you’re doing it wrong.” This book takes that idea and turns it on its head. The characters kiss, but the romance takes a while to develop and it gives it a fresh perspective. There’s a bigger aspect than just a hinted at romance.
I really enjoyed the character of Enna and her struggles to do the right thing all while dealing with Maekallus and his shenanigans. Their relationship was so beautiful, so moving, that it was impossible not to root for them in the end. The ending was decent as far as the action went, but as a reader of romance, I was there for the romance.
The beauty of their struggles was so well written, and so well explored from both sides.
Without many spoilers, I have to say during one of their meetings, I literally said out loud: “Get you a man that flings snakes!” And then died of laughter.
I really enjoyed the book, but there are a few things that didn’t sit quite right with me. I’m going to try and write a review where I don’t give a ton of spoilers away, but I have to talk about the missteps and the beauty of the ending.
Holmberg sets up this big problem for our two protagonists, or what seems to be this big problem and mainly the reasons why these mistings (evil beings) are called to the human realm, and then it’s solved in a way that simultaneously feels right, and yet doesn’t feel right. I know the story is supposed to be a romance, but a little more than a subtle fix with the big bad would have been nice. More of a struggle for Enna and what she had to do would have been nice too. On the other hand, I love the ending for our two protagonists, so I can’t be too mad about it.
Rating: 4.5/5 stars.
I would have liked a little more explanation of the lore of the worlds. For a good part of the book, we hear about Enna’s grandmother’s notes. I thought they would be more essential to the plot, or Enna’s father’s role in the previous war, but that wasn’t that essential either. It was a great story, but I wanted more lore, more to anchor me in the world.
I would even take a sequel that explores those things more. The world was so rich it’s practically begging for it.
What should I read next?