Where did I get it? I'm pretty sure I bought it for myself, I think it was nominated for an award and I bought the whole shortlist?
What's it about? It's a fantasy novel set in a land called Lormere. Twylla lives at court, sequestered away in a tower guarded by two men. She is Daunen Embodied, the living embodiment of the union between Daeg and Naeght, and she is used at court as executioner. She can kill with just one touch and executes those who have committed treason against the queen. She is betrothed to Merek, the prince, who has just returned from trips to neighbouring lands.
One of Twylla's guards falls ill and she gets a new one, Lief, who is from a neighbouring country and who begins to tell her things about the court and what exactly is happening in Lormere.
The setting is largely recognisable as being like medieval England.
What age range is it for? Hmm, I'm going to say from 14 onwards, due to some mature themes
Are any main characters LGBTQ+? No
Are any main characters people of colour? No, and I feel that this could have quite easily been put in to the book, people from other lands like Lief could easily have been people of colour and this would have added to the differences between the people.
Are any main characters disabled either mentally or physically? No
Is there any sex stuff? Yes, it's not graphic though.
Are drugs mentioned or used? There is a lot of talk about poisons
Is there any talk of death? Yes, quite a lot
Are there swear words? No
What criticisms do I have? I felt like Twylla's outlook and decisions changed a lot, often literally within the page, and there wasn't always enough reason for me as to why. She was quite frustrating at times. I didn't like Merek very much. I did like Lief, but I felt like Twylla fell for him to easily, it was a bit insta-love for me. I didn't hate it, but I'm not going to seek out the next in the trilogy either.
Would I recommend the book? Yeah if fantasy is your thing
Why did I choose to read it at this point in life? I was just browsing the shelves really and the very pretty cover swayed me
What other books is it like? I don't read enough fantasy to say!
How many stars? Three out of five, I liked it enough.
Where is the book going now? I'll keep it because I like the cover a lot!
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