“We so often take our mind for granted...”

It wasn’t just Falon who had changed. Sarilla had too. And she was covered in the evidence of her crimes to prove it. Nobody could ever love a monster.

Thought-provoking. Intense. Repetitive. 

I was sent this book as a reviewer copy by the author (still buzzing about that!) in exchange for an honest review. I enjoyed this story and I loved the “Game of Thrones” feel that was created in this world. The story follows a young girl called Sarilla (Witcher vibes anyone?) who has the fantastical ability to give and take memories from others. However this gift comes with a price. Each memory she takes leaves a physical black mark on her hands and arms (it is later explained that these memories are almost alive and can be seen moving under her skin). It had me questioning, as a reader, how much our memories are worth and how we often take them for granted.

I found the first half of the book a little difficult to keep up with. Lots of details are dropped during the action through Sarilla’s memories which made it a little confusing at times to keep up with the backstory and the present. I think the idea was to link to how the MC feels but as a reader, it felt a bit too choppy. 

The whole setting feels very “Kings Landing” meets King Arthur and I absolutely loved it. The manipulative king, seedy taverns and bolshy guards all fit in well with the genre and were consistently described throughout the story. The characters all blended in well too, nobody felt too modern or out of place with the way they were described or the way they spoke which added to the authenticity of this world Shaw has created.

I liked all of the characters and thought Sarilla was particularly easy to relate to. Her inward struggle with being different and being accepted by society gave her a vulnerability that made her likeable and real. The book switches POV half way through and is then told through the eyes of Falon. Again, I liked his character and the twist with him was well done and well timed but for me, the writing got a little repetitive. Every third or fourth sentence in his chapter was about how she stole his memories and how evil he thought she was to the point I started skipping those monologues to get back to the story. I think it was trying to emphasise the point but it was overdone.

Overall I enjoyed this book and the fantasy genre was absolutely my cup of tea. I think the idea behind this story is very clever and I am looking forward to seeing how this duology ends.

Rating: 💭💭💭

Thanks for reading!

Rochelle 🌸 xxx

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