rating: 3.5/5
This book had so much potential for me, and there were many things I liked about it, but also some things that were difficult to overlook. The story itself is relatively easy to follow and read. It's simple, and the world-building is simple. It's a great fantasy palate cleanser. It's still in the fantasy round, but it's more convoluted and multi-layered than the typical fantasy read, which makes it a fast read. I also really enjoyed specific themes in the story. The author does an excellent job of highlighting the journey of self-acceptance and finding a group or a family that will accept you for you. Also, Carson is the sweetest! Cutest demon around!
Now for the things that I didn't particularly like:
The pacing of the story could have been more consistent. While I liked the story and felt like there was a good foundation for it, I definitely think a lot needed to be flushed out better. I almost feel like the story would have benefited from being longer so that there could be more time spent on certain scenes. There were a few moments where I thought to myself, "Oh, that happened so fast," to the point that it felt too easy. There wasn't a huge payoff.
The characters themselves were also inconsistent. The story would have benefitted from a dual POV to see more of Eae's perspective. Having everything told from Carson's perspective didn't help me connect with Eae, which would have made a massive difference for me.
Lastly, I got a physical copy of this Arc, which I am so honored about. However, I noticed so many grammatical errors. Now, I fully recognize I make a lot myself, but the errors I found really made it difficult to ignore, which took me out of the story. It is possible I just got an older rendition that wasn't edited well, so I plan to view the eBook once it is released to see if that's improved. If it does, I fully intend to revisit my rating.
The story is a quick, fun read and a great starter fantasy book for those just getting into the genre. There is spice, but I rate it a 1.5/2 out of 5.