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A review by jillsbooknook
Glass and Bone by Celaena Cuico
3.0
3 -⭐⭐⭐
I won't be a secret there; I will be their queen.
Glass and Bone is the first novel in a New Adult Dark Fantasy Romance series, The Diadem. In this story we follow Eleanor, the only child and princess to the king of Chatis, a cruel man that is rumoured to have led to his wife, the queen's death. Eleanor has been betrothed to the heir of a neighbouring kingdom, Noterra, since she was a baby and as her eighteenth birthday looms so close it soon becomes clear there a many out there who do not was Noterra to gain further control of the realm. Secrets around her past, her mother, and the war at large are at the centre of this and Eleanor is thrust in a brutal game she knows nothing about...except that she has a choice. To remain stuck in the fate left to her by her family to a royal who she fears or to fight for a future where hope sits in the horizon.
I have mixed feelings about this book so let me break it down.
On one hand this is a smooth reading experience for a book. I found Eleanor to be an easy character to fall into and I admired her tenacity and ability to keep going despite all that was thrown at her. She is resigned to aspects of her fate but the little moments where she questions things made her feel realistic. Tobias is a character of duality that continued to surprise be throughout. Theo, the second son, has this sweetness to him that aided a forbidden romance so well. I was incredibly curious (and still am) about the mysterious dream man. All of this is set in a world that is well established with a brewing war and political intrigue.
I also want to make in clear this is a dark romance. There is multiple scenes of SA and assault, with and without the aid of drugs. The main character is brutalized and emotionally tormented and she at times questions her life. The author approaches these situations carefully.
Yet the other hand for me had me more confused about what is on the horizon. I honestly have no idea what the overarching goal of this book is meant to be and I felt kind of at a loss. I kept reading hoping for a purpose to come to place - a light to from a lighthouse to follow through all the darkness we must wade through and as things got darker and darker I still saw not light. Is the romance the goal? Is the rumours of rebellion? Why is Eleanor at the center? What is she meant to do?
The ending is a cliffhanger and not a happy one which left me feeling a bit hollow as it nixed a lot of possibilities. I want to keep reading to see when things will take a turn but I'm also worried.
Do I plan to read the next book? Yes.
Do I recommend this? If you love truly dark romances where the future is dim and unsure as I currently can't promise much more then yes.
Thank you to the author for the arc!
I won't be a secret there; I will be their queen.
Glass and Bone is the first novel in a New Adult Dark Fantasy Romance series, The Diadem. In this story we follow Eleanor, the only child and princess to the king of Chatis, a cruel man that is rumoured to have led to his wife, the queen's death. Eleanor has been betrothed to the heir of a neighbouring kingdom, Noterra, since she was a baby and as her eighteenth birthday looms so close it soon becomes clear there a many out there who do not was Noterra to gain further control of the realm. Secrets around her past, her mother, and the war at large are at the centre of this and Eleanor is thrust in a brutal game she knows nothing about...except that she has a choice. To remain stuck in the fate left to her by her family to a royal who she fears or to fight for a future where hope sits in the horizon.
I have mixed feelings about this book so let me break it down.
On one hand this is a smooth reading experience for a book. I found Eleanor to be an easy character to fall into and I admired her tenacity and ability to keep going despite all that was thrown at her. She is resigned to aspects of her fate but the little moments where she questions things made her feel realistic. Tobias is a character of duality that continued to surprise be throughout. Theo, the second son, has this sweetness to him that aided a forbidden romance so well. I was incredibly curious (and still am) about the mysterious dream man. All of this is set in a world that is well established with a brewing war and political intrigue.
I also want to make in clear this is a dark romance. There is multiple scenes of SA and assault, with and without the aid of drugs. The main character is brutalized and emotionally tormented and she at times questions her life. The author approaches these situations carefully.
Yet the other hand for me had me more confused about what is on the horizon. I honestly have no idea what the overarching goal of this book is meant to be and I felt kind of at a loss. I kept reading hoping for a purpose to come to place - a light to from a lighthouse to follow through all the darkness we must wade through and as things got darker and darker I still saw not light. Is the romance the goal? Is the rumours of rebellion? Why is Eleanor at the center? What is she meant to do?
The ending is a cliffhanger and not a happy one which left me feeling a bit hollow as it nixed a lot of possibilities. I want to keep reading to see when things will take a turn but I'm also worried.
Do I plan to read the next book? Yes.
Do I recommend this? If you love truly dark romances where the future is dim and unsure as I currently can't promise much more then yes.
Thank you to the author for the arc!