Absolutely captivating.

This was a very entertaining and absorbing read, and the beginning of a story I have no doubt I will be continuing.

Human heroine Cecile is kidnapped and brought to the city of Trollus because she's thought to be part of a prophecy and the answer to a centuries-long curse that has kept the trolls entombed beneath the earth. She's thrown headlong into a marriage with the prince of trolls, a character whose layers are infinite and hard to determine. Political intrigue and treasonous plots abound, and motivations are often unclear. Cecile must use her wits to determine her place among such machinations, all the while trying to keep hold of her heart and not surrender it to her new husband.

The worlbuilding here was excellent. It's been a while since I've been so entranced by a setting. Characters were compelling yet subtly underplayed. The magical hierarchy was interesting and awful and the same time, and it was often impossible not to feel outraged on behalf of the half-humans who were mistreated so badly. It was also impossible not to feel for Cecile. She's put in many difficult situations and I thought she handled herself really well. Her transition throughout the book is quite remarkable, and as the final scenes came to a close, I was absolutely positive I would be pickling up the next instalment to see what she'll do next.


5 Stars ★★★★★
A copy of this book was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.