Genre: Young Adult Fantasy
Publisher: Christy Ottaviano Books (Imprint of Little, Brown Books for Young Readers)
Publishing Date: July 18, 2023
Synopsis:
A sweeping YA fantasy about legacy, betrayal, sisterhood, and politicizing emotion in the quest for power—all balanced by a slow-burn LGBTQ romance.
For centuries, the citizens of Velle have waited for their New Maiden to return. The prophecy states she will appear as the third daughter of a third daughter. When the fabled child is finally born to Velle’s reigning queen all rejoice except for Elodie, the queen’s eldest child, who has lost her claim to the crown. The only way for Elodie to protect Velle is to retake the throne. To do so, she must debilitate the Third Daughter—her youngest sister, Brianne.
Desperate, Elodie purchases a sleeping potion from Sabine, who sells sadness. But the apothecary mistakenly sends the princess away with a vial of tears instead of a harmless sleeping brew. Sabine’s sadness is dangerously powerful, and Brianne slips into a slumber from which she will not wake. With the fates of their families and country hanging in the balance, Sabine and Elodie hurry to revive the Third Daughter while a slow-burning attraction between the two girls erupts in full force.
A must-read for fans of the BookTok sensations Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard, Dance of Thieves by Mary E. Pearson, and These Violent Delights by Chloe Gong.
My Review:
This book has tropes that I love but could have been executed better. One of which is the magical element. The protagonist, Sabine’s magic, was a central part of the story, but there was no clear view of how exactly her magic worked. No one in the book knows how her magic functions, including her, so there is no room for us to know either.
I liked how the author included real-life scenarios, like how badly the crown or high-ranked people treated the people from a lower region/place. The writing style was so good, and the story had a great flow.
However, I don’t appreciate the slow-burn romance between Sabine and Elodie because it doesn’t feel like a slow-burn. I love gradual character development in relationships, but it was lacking in this book. But I did like Sabine individually. Elodie seems selfish to me when nearing the end, and that sudden character change bothered me.
The book had numerous twists towards the end, some were surprising, while others were entirely predictable. One such instance was the revelation of Sabine’s identity at the end, which didn’t feel like a secret at all, as she was the only one with magic in a world of ordinary people.
In short, the book’s writing style impressed me, but it didn’t meet my expectations.
my rating: ⭐⭐⭐
Thank you TBR and Beyond Tours for providing me with the arc of this book.
Click here for Tour schedule to see more reviews.
Book links:
Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | IndieBound
Favourite Quote:
Sometimes, it takes a monster to keep the beasts at bay.
About the author:
Adrienne Tooley (she/her) was born and raised in the desert suburbs of Southern California. She grew up in the theater, earning her B.A. in Musical Theatre from Point Park University. She and her wife currently live in New York City with their puppy, Kit (short for Biscuit). She is the author of Sweet & Bitter Magic as well as the Indie Next List selection Sofi and the Bone Song. out now from S&S/McElderry. In 2023, she will publish The Third Daughter, the first in a duology from Christy Ottaviano Books/LBYR. In addition to writing novels she is also a singer/songwriter and has released several EPs which are available on Spotify & other streaming sites.
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