3.75
Ah, how this brought me back to my love of cozy fantasies!
This story is so whimsical and cozy while still having a strong plot! I would say it's medium-paced, and I thought it moved along great. The world building in the story is utterly enchanting and entrancing, just like the actual 'magic' going on in the story. Opulence Mansion is both wonderous and dark, enchanting and distracting, intrusive and secretive. I was gripped to learn about the world and magic - it is a 'magic-normative' sort of world, a light fantasy that works really well. Different characters have different 'enchantments,' so to say, and the way it played into the 'magical' rooms of the mansion were super interesting to learn about. I would have loved to learn about more of the other rooms and performers, and in general the abilities/enchantments of more characters!
I cared so much for the characters and thought they were developed well! The two main characters have rich backgrounds, and learning about Alora's past throughout the story in little snippets was compelling and truly made me feel for her. Her ability to turn her imagination into literal reality is both a blessing and a personal 'curse' for her, which made me sympathize. Her arc is strong - I loved seeing her become more confident and change her perspective, quickly seeing the power of good with her magic. I loved the little town of Enver and the side characters we meet along the way, along with the characters at the mansion. Bash's character is charming and lovably broody. The slight grumpy x sunshine and hate to love tropes present were so much fun! That said, the romance didn't entirely hit the mark for me, as even though there was a slow build, there didn't seem to be a ton of foundation as to *why* they had feelings for each other; at the end, there are plentiful reasons, but early on I didn't 'buy' it. That aside, I loved their connection!
The conflict is gripping, too! Alora is a determined FMC who can sense wrongness around her, and she's compassionate to an extent that she takes risks to keep others safe. Opulence mansion is revealed early on to be more sinister than it appears, and its employees are truly *going through it*, to say the least. Following Alora uncover the secrets is SUCH a fun ride and made for a great story. Bash's character arc is also heart-wrenching, but I loved getting to know him and how his actions are almost silent in a way. He shows his true feelings through little things; he isn't advertising them, he isn't out to be admired for his good heart, he just does it. And oh, how it makes me love him.
I love how the story speaks to 'evil' - what seems good is not always built on the best of intentions. Things and people are sneaky, hiding behind a disguise. The feeling of being trapped by what seems like something wonderful is explored, and I thought it had great messaging about these ideas! The tie in of the Master and his 'henchmen' Urchins in harming people who know 'too much' is a scary but also relevant notion that hits home with current social issues a bit. I do wish there were a bit more clarity on why townspeople's memories were taken - it seemed that anyone who just said anything bad about the mansion had their memories taken, which didn't seem like enough of a reason. I wanted to know what they knew about the mansion that made them a threat.
I was able to guess some 'reveals' pretty early on, but that might be because I'm a stickler for details and really try to make connections.
I was on the edge of my seat at the end of the story. While it is absolutely a cozy and whimsical read, there are still stakes and danger. I couldn't stop reading to find out what would become of the characters, of Alora, of the mansion. Again, I just loved all of the magic in the story - I would have loved even more or more development of other characters' abilities and the magic inside the mansion and town as a whole.
I would absolutely recommend this to cozy fantasy fans!