A Bright Heart by Kate Chenil | Blog tour | Book Review

Genre: Young Adult Fantasy

Publisher: Union Square & Co.

Publishing Date: October 17, 2023

Synopsis:

What if you could avenge your own murder? A brilliant young woman gets a second chance at life in this debut YA tale of vengeance, court intrigue, and romance, inspired by classic Chinese tropes.

Mingshin outsmarted three princes to help the man she loved become king. But she doesn’t see Ren’s betrayal coming, not until she’s lying in a pool of her own blood on the palace steps.

As she’s dying, Mingshin makes a desperate plea to the gods to turn back time and give her a chance to make things right.

Mingshin wakes up two years earlier, her prayer granted, and swears two things: Ren will never become king, and she will never fall in love again.

But the timeline in this life has changed: a dignitary gifted with dark magic is threatening her kingdom’s peace, and Ren’s thirst for power runs deeper than Mingshin could have imagined.

She finds herself allying with Jieh, another contender for the throne. Mingshin knows better than anyone not to give her heart to a prince. But in the viper’s nest of the royal court, she and Jieh prove a phenomenal team. Can Mingshin avert the catastrophe of her past by once again learning to trust…and maybe even love?

Content warnings: Death, attempted murder, mentions of blood, drowning, violence, loss of limbs

My Review:

‘A Bright Heart’ by Kate Chenil captured my attention immediately. I have never encountered a plot where the protagonist has been given a second chance in life and traveled back in time to seek revenge. This book is not only about revenge; it’s about fighting for what you believe to be right.

Mingshin’s character growth has been so astonishing. I loved how she molded herself mentally and physically stronger throughout the book. I admire how the author expressed her struggle to trust someone, especially after being betrayed by her loved ones.

Her relationships with other characters were so heartfelt. Yunle has been a great friend to Mingshin, one she never thought she needed. Mingshin and Jieh’s gradual development in their relationship is what I love most in the book. I always love a good slow-burn romance. This book executed it very well.

The writing style was so good, and it doesn’t feel like a debut novel at all. That’s one of the reasons I was hooked to the pages, aside from the thriller plot, of course. There were so many twists and unexpected events that surprised me more than a few times. This book earns a perfect five-star rating due to its captivating mix of mystery, revenge, magic, and love. I really hope there will be a sequel to this book.

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

About the author:

Kate Chenli writes adult and young adult fantasy. As a Chinese immigrant, Kate is a proud US citizen who also cherishes her Chinese heritage. She has a Master’s degree in Computer Engineering, but has always enjoyed creating elaborate worlds and characters more than designing complex software. Besides reading and writing, her passion is world travel (five continents down and counting.)