The past never forgets . . .
– GoodReads
My Review
Do you ever put off reading or even finishing a book because you know you’re just going to love it, so like, what’s the hurry?
I totally did that with starting this one. I went in with the intention of reading it as part of the FL readalong and then just was like ‘but I know I’ll love it, so let me get other stuff read first’ and missed out on the rest of the readalong.
It’s another favorite for me! I’m having some super amazing reads this year which means me dread doing any top 2022 posts lol.
The Black Plague seemed somewhat fitting given the world’s current status, but that can be somewhat off-putting if you’re not ready to read about plagues or pandemics, so I give fair warning in that regard.
I, myself always had a morbid curiosity about the Black/Bubonic Plague, so again another indicator I was most likely going to enjoy this.
This world though also has the unexplainable, so you throw in fantasy, and… *Chef’s kiss*
The magic isn’t really the forefront but it is integral in aspects for Cas and the mystery at hand.
The plot was just so solid, like there was no point where it felt weak and she wrapped it up in this amazingly satisfying ending as a standalone when it could have been so easy to turn it into a duology or even more.
I adored Cas, he was just the right kind of broody for me and enjoyed the glimpses of the world and its history that we got. Lena fit perfectly for introducing us into the world’s history and interacting with Cas. I will say though that I felt Sorne was a bit of a loose end and I do wish we’d had a bit more to that whole situation (though, like, if Lucier wants to do another standalone about Sorne, I ain’t mad.)
The villain was great, it might be a bit easy to guess who it is but I still thoroughly enjoyed reading as the MCs figured out who they were dealing with and it was bittersweet as well. Seriously, the amount of compassion and sorrow I felt was, well it broke my heart a little for the antagonist, I will say that much.
Pacing was just effortless because the plot was so well laid out. It maybe takes a couple of chapters to hit its stride but it’s such an easy and quick read once you do. (Or Slow, reading speed is not important lol)
Anyway!
5/5 Cups of coffee for this nugget of joy in my 2022 reading year, thus far.
The Caffeinated Reader 