I really enjoyed this book, the plot is a bit similar to some other YA Fantasy novels, but the affinities were a neat twist and the ending was exciting and left me waiting impatiently for book 2.


Would fit The 52 Book Club's 2021 prompts:
5 - Published by Penguin
17 - A Character "On The Run"
25 - A Book With Multiple Character POV
26 - An Author Of Colour
31 - Shares A Similar Title To Another Book
32 - A Selfish Character
44 - Includes A Garden ( )

4.44
This book felt very real, like it wasn’t cheesy even though it could have been. I also liked the characters and how I never got bored while reading this. Not to mention that the two main characters met in the beginning of the book, making it more consistent in my opinion. I mean this as in the reader connects the characters’ storylines from the start, and we piece together their past as the story goes on. ( )

CW: Quite bloody violent scenes. ( )

I picked this book up at a second hand bookstore, solely because there was a dripping blood pattern on the pages and that looks cool on my bookshelf.

When I got it I didn’t know anything about this book and I can’t say I found a hidden gem.
I didn’t love it, but it wasn’t bad? This book was tough to get through at times, but the second half made me somewhat curious?

The writing was all over the place. Sometimes it was great, with beautiful descriptions of the forest and complex scenes with lines like “Choices were for those with privilege and power. When you had none, all you could do was survive.” I also liked how the many the flashbacks resulted in a scene where Ana prefers to drown like before, and Ransom chooses to save her from drowning like he’d been saved.

Mostly, it was cliche and annoying. The amount of times Ana hammered in the fact that she felt like a monster was far too many, and especially the negotiation scenes were painfully unsubtle.
Both characters spell out loud what is happening every step of the way. Instead of letting the dialogue do its work, every character explains what each sentence means, so there is no suspense.

I liked the dual pov, both characters had their motivations, though the lack of subtlety didn’t make either of them interesting or likeable. Ramson did nothing to justify his alleged scary reputation, and Ana was fine but not really memorable. The world and magic were fine too, but nothing spectacular. In general, this book was fine, but nothing spectacular.

This could have been amazing, if only the entire of the book was as interesting and intriguing. ( )

I JUST LOVED IT!!!

I read a bit about how this book was delayed because of having 'anti-black sentiments', and then published without changes....and I just,....I didn't see anything that was racist? This seemed to be a perfectly fine book?

It was supposed to about a black character who died, but seriously? She was such a big part of the story (in one perspective), that I felt she was given a lot of spotlight. She was the Rue of this book.

This book also gives us an insight into human trafficking, and how Ana's change in status reveals two very different views of 'legal employment'; one where it seems that there is nothing wrong- you're employing people and paying them; the other, where you see the reality of the situation, which is that the employment is not actually as dignified and salaried as it seems.

This book had an awesome plot! I didn't have Anastasia as one of movies I really watched and rewatched in my childhood since I think it wasn't a Disney movie then? But I saw it a couple of years back, and I really loved it! And I loved this retelling of it!

I have always loved the concept of having-powers-but-having-to-give-up-something-to-use-them (usually energy), and this book didn't disappoint! For Ana to use her powers, she has to focus a lot, and also gets exhausted quickly. I loved the give-and-take of it.

I loved that we had more than one perspective; we got to see the way Ramson was double-crossing her(kinda), but then came to his senses. The romance was something I felt was there, but I'm glad nothing happened in this book. The slow burn was the best!

I hated that we lost some characters I was liking May's death was so much like Rue's and I cried equally hard. Luka was just everything-is-finally-working-out-why'd-he-need-to-die!??!?! Now that I think about it, there weren't that many deaths at all. *scratches head in confusion* I could swear that we lost other characters too. Or maybe the ones we lost were so influential, that it felt like losing more than one *bewildered*

I loved Linn, and I'm so happy we got her perspective too! I hope we'll see a lot more of her in the next book, and also of the guy she was fighting.

This book was amazing, and I recommend it to anyone who likes fantasy, insights into slavery and human trafficking, characters with powers that take as well as give, slow-burn romance where nothing definite happens, and the Anastasia movie and its retellings. I can't wait for the next one! ( )