The Gilded Wolves by Roshani Chokshi

Ever since I heard about The Gilded Wolves, I was so curious about it: Roshani Chokshi's writing and I hadn't gotten to a great start, but so many readers kept praising her works and I wanted to know what the hype was all about. Besides, this book is set in 19th century, which is right up my alley. Of course, when I saw the book up on Netgalley, I didn't hesitate and I'm so glad I got approved for it! I didn't love this book as much as everyone else, but I flew through it and it was really entertaining. So, without further ado, happy publication day to The Gilded Wolves and here's my review of it!

The Gilded Wolves by Roshani Chokshi 

Published: January 15th 2019 by Wednesday Books

Genres: young adult, historical fiction, fantasy

Number of pages: 464

Goodreads summary: Set in a darkly glamorous world, The Gilded Wolves is full of mystery, decadence, and dangerous but thrilling adventure.

Paris, 1889: The world is on the cusp of industry and power, and the Exposition Universelle has breathed new life into the streets and dredged up ancient secrets. In this city, no one keeps tabs on secrets better than treasure-hunter and wealthy hotelier, Séverin Montagnet-Alarie. But when the all-powerful society, the Order of Babel, seeks him out for help, Séverin is offered a treasure that he never imagined: his true inheritance.

To find the ancient artifact the Order seeks, Séverin will need help from a band of experts: An engineer with a debt to pay. A historian who can't yet go home. A dancer with a sinister past. And a brother in all but blood, who might care too much.

Together, they'll have to use their wits and knowledge to hunt the artifact through the dark and glittering heart of Paris. What they find might change the world, but only if they can stay alive.

MY THOUGHTS

Disclaimer : I received this book through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. The quotes I used might have changed in the final copy.

My favourite element of The Gilded Wolves was its characters. This novel had such a diverse cast of six main characters, whom I adored. They were so complex and had rich backstories, which made me get to know them pretty well and I'm a bit sad to leave them behind now that I've finished the novel. I have to admit that I'm a bit disappointed that we didn't get every main character's point of view: I feel like I didn't care as much for one of them, I *almost even* forgot about them at times and so I didn't really care about this character's storyline or ending? That's too bad because I cared about everyone else; at this character, I am really sorry. Moreover, they all had amazing group dynamics and I loved every little interaction they had together. My favourite character was for sure Zofia, because I related to her in so many ways, but I also have a soft spot for Hypnos!

I had high expectations when it comes to the world-building of this novel, especially the parts about late 19th century Paris, as I'm French and a history major, but I can tell you that Roshani Chokshi did her job splendidly! You could tell how much research she put into her book and I loved that she didn't only show an idealistic Paris: she also showed France's ugly colonialist past, how unaccepting and racist society could be. As she said in her author's note:

"History is a myth shaped by the tongues of conquerors."

Shameful events can often be glossed over and this shouldn't be. This past needs to be acknowledged, discussed and I'm glad that voices that have been ignored for so long can finally be heard. So many important topics were talked about in this novel and Chokshi did a good job at that. The Gilded Wolves was also full of historical, philosophical and scientific references, which I adored!

While I was impressed by the way Chokshi portrayed Paris, I wasn't as convinced when she presented the novel's magic system. It was complex and a bit confusing at times, especially when paragraphs upon paragraphs were explaining the world: it felt a bit like info-dumping to me. Still, it was a bit more interesting once I understood everything.

To talk about the elephant in the room, that many reviewers have discussed: in many things, The Gilded Wolves is quite similar to Six of Crows for some aspects of it. I am not saying that this is a bad thing: The Gilded Wolves has amazing characters no matter what and a different world building, but because of those similarities, the plot didn't take me by surprise, because it wasn't anything I hadn't read before. It could be thrilling at times, but overall I was left being unimpressed by it. Besides, I wasn't too convinced by the villain: I would have liked to know their motivations more; it has to be more than "I want to take over the world" to me, I need more explanations and very morally gray characters. Despite that, I adored the fact that it was all about a secret society!

I had tried reading Chokshi's debut in the past without success, but I really liked her writing style in this one, it flowed nicely and I got through this book really quickly. While I don't really want to pick The Star-Touched Queen again at this point, I'd be interested in reading more of her works.

To conclude, I thought that while being a bit too similar to Six of Crows for my taste, The Gilded Wolves is a novel with amazing characters and a compelling setting that many readers will adore. Some aspects of the novel, such as a confusing magic system at first and a plot that didn't take me by surprise didn't convince me as much, but maybe that's just me? I'm always super picky, haha.

Have you read The Gilded Wolves or are you interested in it?

Paris was accurate so I'm alive! | The Magician

The Magician (The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel #2) by Michael Scott

Published: June 24th 2008 by Delacorte Press

Genre: young adult, fantasy

Goodreads summary: Ashes to ashes…

California: In the hands of Dr. John Dee and the Dark Elders, the book of Abraham the Mage could mean the destruction of the world as we know it. The most powerful book of all time, it holds the secret of eternal life—a secret more dangerous than any one man should ever possess. And Dee is two pages away from the knowledge that would bring the Dark Elders into ultimate power.

His only obstacle? Josh and Sophie Newman—who are eight thousand miles away.

Paris: After fleeing Ojai, Nicholas, Sophie, Josh, and Scatty emerge in Paris. The City of Lights. Home to Nicholas Flamel. Only, this homecoming is anything but sweet.

Niccolò Machiavelli, immortal author and celebrated art collector, is working for Dee. He's in hot pursuit, and time is running out for Nicholas and Perenelle. Every day they spend without the book, they age one year: their magic becomes weaker and their bodies more frail. For Flamel, the Prophecy is growing clearer and clearer. It's time for Sophie to learn the second elemental magic.

Fire Magic. 

And there's only one man who can teach it to her: Flamel's old student the Comte de Saint-Germain—alchemist, magician, and rock star. 

Josh and Sophie Newman are the world's only hope. If they don't turn on each other first.

REVIEW

Reading a book series everyone read and loved during their childhood involves so much pressure when you do read it, but years after. I was expecting an amazing first book, but sadly it didn't deliver, so I was a little reluctant to continue with the series, at first. But well, there are reasons everyone loves the Alchemyst series, right? So I gave the second book a go and I will definitely pick up the sequel in the future, because this series is starting to reach its potential.

WHAT I LIKED

The setting - As you know, I live in Paris when I'm at uni and because of that, I'm always anxious when American authors set their books in the City of Lights, because they're trying to make their characters speak French and the language is all wrong, or they only speak of le Louvre and the Eiffel Tower. It's cliché, but sadly, I've read so many books that fit that category that I can cry with frustration. However, Michael Scott definitely did his research, it was so realistic and I loved it. When the characters were taking the subway, he was even mentioning the name of the situation, which totally pleased me. He also named the streets the characters were passing and because of that, I felt like I was there. The author definitely captured the feeling of the city and took the reader to so many places!

Addictive writing - I have to admit that while I wasn't always entertained by the plot, the writing kept me reading. Indeed, Michael Scott has a way with words that makes me craving for more, which is definitely a gift. Moreover, he's very good at writing action scenes, because he had me turning the pages so fast.

A plot filled with tension - I wasn't very invested in the first novel, but this one was so much better. Indeed, I felt like the stakes were higher and I enjoyed the new "villain" that was introduced, because he seems so shady and I think he might become one of my favourites, okay? He's an opportunist and it's one of the best types of characters, haha. But anyway, because the characters were chased down, the plot was filled with tension and the action scenes were so well-written, like I said! Also we went to the catacombs, so it's a win-win situation for me.

The world-building - While I still noticed case of info-dumps (ugh), I was so much more invested in the world, maybe because it was set in France and I knew more about the characters based off the historical figures. But anyway, I thought it was more interesting, because it was easier to digest the information - even if it was still hard during the first chapters.

The temptation - I loved that this theme was so important in this book. Indeed, while Sophie's powers had been Awakened during the first book, Josh's, her twin, hadn't. Because of that, he was jealous of her and craving power, which lead him to be weaker in front of the temptation.

WHAT COULD HAVE BEEN BETTER

The pacing- I have to admit that I skim-read sometimes… Oops. I felt like it dragged a little in the middle, because there was so much action in the beginning and at the end of the story. Moreover, this book felt a little like a filler, as it was still about learning a new element, and it will also be the case in The Sorceress. It makes me frustrated because the plot line was similar to the first one and I wanted the main plot line to move forward. It's the problem when the series is six-book long, I guess…

I didn't like/relate to the characters - They could die and I wouldn't cry… Oops. I think it's a problem, but I have no feeling whatsoever about ANY of the characters. Please, someone tell me I'll like them when I read the next book, because I can't read a book without feelings for the characters! Moreover, I'm frustrated that even when they hadn't powers, they were SO special because they lived everywhere. How is that relatable? Most of us live in the same city until graduation, or sometimes more. It was enough to make them travel everywhere during the series, right?

The time-span - This book is set on three days… Which is ridiculous, considering it was 464 pages long! Moreover, the characters slept fourteen hours in the middle so how. Is. It. Possible? I understand that the characters were chased down and the author managed to create tension, but it's so unrealistic that so much happened in a few hours/days.

The ending - It felt anticlimactic, in my opinion. The plot was pretty good in the last third of the novel, because it was filled with tension and crazy scenes but the ending? It felt so flat. The characters are doing extraordinary things for the whole novel and then… They take the train to go somewhere else and learn another element. THE FALL WAS HARD, GUYS. At least if the author hadn't said what was going to happen next it would have been fine, but I was disappointed.

Overall, I think the Magician was a step-up from the first book and I will definitely read the sequels, because I'm intrigued to see what will happen next. While some elements irritated me, like an unrealistic time-span or a flat ending, I really enjoyed reading this book, because it was full of tension, which kept me glued to the story, thanks to the writing. This series is starting to live up to its potential and I can understand why so many readers loved it when they were younger!

Other:

• Review of The Alchemyst

Have you read this series? Do you love it? Which book is your favourite? Do you keep reading book series even when you don't really like the characters?

Strange and Ever After | Book review

Title: Strange and Ever After (Something Strange and Deadly #3)

Author: Susan Dennard

Published: July 22nd 2014 by HarperTeen

Goodreads summary: In the conclusion to the trilogy that Publishers Weekly called “a roaring—and addictive—gothic world,” Eleanor Fitt must control her growing power, face her feelings for Daniel, and confront the evil necromancer Marcus...all before it’s too late.

He took her brother, he took her mother, and now, Marcus has taken her good friend Jie. With more determination than ever to bring this sinister man to justice, Eleanor heads to the hot desert streets of nineteenth-century Egypt in hopes of ending this nightmare. But in addition to her increasingly tense relationships with Daniel, Joseph, and her demon, Oliver, Eleanor must also deal with her former friend, Allison, who has curiously entangled herself in Eleanor’s mission.

With the rising dead chomping at her every move and Jie’s life hanging in the balance, Eleanor is convinced that her black magic will see her through to the bitter end. But there will be a price. Though she and the Spirit Hunters have weathered every battle thus far, there will be consequences to suffer this time—the effects of which will be irreversible. And when it’s over, only some will be able to live a strange and ever after.

Susan Dennard will leave readers breathless and forever changed in the concluding pages of this riveting ride.

REVIEW

One of my favourite aspects of these books was the traveling parts. With Something Strange and Deadly, we started the story in Philadelphia, then went to Le Havre and Paris in A Darkness Strange and Lovely, finally went to Marseille and Egypt in this book. There was no way I could have been bored because there was this perpetual change of scenery, we went to so many places.

I felt like we didn’t see the Dead that much because this book focused more on necromancy and Eleanor trying to control it. We also got a really interesting take on Egyptian mythology, which was linked to necromancy, a change from the demi-gods trope. The artefacts were a little creepy tbh. Moreover, choosing to kink everything with Egypt was a great idea because at that time, people were so fascinated with Egypt, which you can see with the party in Cairo.

I really enjoyed the characters; they grew a lot since the first book, especially El, of course. Her relationship with Oliver improved a lot in this book; he became a lot more like a brother to her than just a tool. The romance we all waited since the first book finally happened and the characters looked so right together!

This book was action-packed; the situation started at the end of Something Strange and Deadly was resolved, with some betrayals. The ending made me feel so emotional, I was like: WHY SUSAN WHY? WHY WOULD YOU DO THAT TO US THE CHARACTERS? Sadly, I expected it; I hoped I was wrong but nooooo. It still hurts so much…

The last chapter was full of hope for the characters so I’m making my peace with event. The characters will be able to complete part of their dream, hopefully.

Have you read this book? What did you think of it?

A Darkness Strange and Lovely | Book review

Title: A Darkness Strange and Lovely (Something Strange and Deadly #2)

Author: Susan Dennard

Published: July 23rd 2013 by HarperTeen

Goodreads summary: With her brother dead and her mother on the verge of insanity, Eleanor Fitt is utterly alone. Even the Spirit-Hunters - Joseph, Jie and the handsome, enigmatic Daniel - have fled to Paris. So when Eleanor begins to hear the vicious barking of hounds and see images of haunting yellow eyes, she fears the worst - that the Dead, and the necromancer Marcus, are coming for her.

To escape and search out the Spirit-Hunters, Eleanor boards a steamer bound for France. There she meets Oliver, a young man who claims to have known her brother. Though friendly, Oliver entices Eleanor with necromancy and black magic, yet as long as she can resist his powerful temptation, she'll be fine. But when she arrives in Paris, she finds that the Dead have taken over the city...and there's a whole new evil lurking. With the body count rising, Eleanor is forced to make a deadly decision that will go against everything the Spirit-Hunters stand for.

In Paris, there's a price for this darkness strange and lovely...and it may have Eleanor paying with her life.

REVIEW

This book had the same tropes that usual second books in trilogy, but it was done beautifully. I wasn’t bored a single moment, because the author took us to other parts of the world, we didn’t stay in Philadelphia. At the beginning of the book, Eleanor is truly a misfit (lol), she’s all alone because her mother is an asylum, her friends turned on her, the Spirit-Hunters have left and of course, there is the matter of her hand.

Eleanor is forced to leave town when Marcus comes after her and sail on a boat to France, because the Spirit Hunters are now in Paris. There, she meets new friends like Laure and form new alliances with the mysterious Oliver, who knows a lot more about her brother than he let on. Moreover, Eleanor is hunted down by creatures of the underworld, the Hell Hounds. I loved that Eleanor was on the ship, because it’s one of my favourite tropes in books. There was a scene of dream on the boat that was such like in Anastasia.

France was an amazing setting, because for once, I actually felt that the author did her research right. I live in Paris, so I get mad easily about French settings, haha. There was only one grammatical error in Susan Dennard’s French: it’s not “Le Cupidon Belle” but “Le Beau Cupidon”. Anyways, the French was correct for the rest of the book, and there was a lot of research about Paris, because the author mentioned Haussmann. Moreover, other cities were mentioned, like Le Havre where Americans sailed, or Marseille, from where Laure came from.

This book was a moment of deceptions for Eleanor, because a lot of people she considered friends turned their back to her. The author explained a lot more of the necromancy, because of the plot. Demons were also introduced, I really enjoyed that aspect. However, I had figured out who the bad guy was really early in the book. I noticed that the author doesn’t flinch when she has to wound a beloved character.

I enjoyed this book slightly less than the first one, but it was already SO GOOD. The next one seems full of promises; I’m really looking forward to it.

Have you read this book? What did you think of it?

Stolen Songbird | Book Review

Title: Stolen Songbird (The Malediction Trilogy #1)

Author: Danielle L. Jensen

Published: April 1st 2014 by Strange Chemistry

Goodreads summary: For five centuries, a witch’s curse has bound the trolls to their city beneath the mountain. When Cécile de Troyes is kidnapped and taken beneath the mountain, she realises that the trolls are relying on her to break the curse.

Cécile has only one thing on her mind: escape. But the trolls are clever, fast, and inhumanly strong. She will have to bide her time…

But the more time she spends with the trolls, the more she understands their plight. There is a rebellion brewing. And she just might be the one the trolls were looking for...

REVIEW

This book caught me off guard, I'm pleasantly surprised with how much I enjoyed it. I first heard of this book last year, when there was a giveaway on Goodreads, but that's all. I picked it up randomly, because I loooove high fantasy, and I was curious about trolls. I didn't like the trolls in Frostfire a few months ago, but I wanted to give these creatures the benefice of the doubt, and I was right.

This book is set in a French inspired world, a city is called Trianon (like Marie-Antoinette's little castles in the château de Versailles), the main character is named Cécile de Troyes, and so on. For once, it wasn't painful to read a book set in something that looked like France, and I'm so happy about it. I also liked the trolls' world, who looked so much like Cécile's and the fact that Trollus was located under a mountain made me uncomfortable (hi, claustrophobia!), which made me want for Cécile to escape (just like she wanted). However, I found the name of the city to be simplistic, I'm sure the author could have find something better for a city of trolls, but that's details.

I could believe in this trolls, that are deadly because they are beautiful, but at the same time deformed, which made them looked like monsters. They are cruel, like show their history, and feels utterly superior toward humans and half bloods. Of course, they also have magic. I liked that Jensen explained how trolls came to the now called trolls, they didn't appear out of nowhere. 

As a main character, Cécile was fantastic. Of course, she seems to be a little helpless at the beginning, but she accepts her fate, even if at the same time, she fights for her freedom. She went through a lot of character development during this book, it was so well done. She doesn't hesitate to fight for what she believes in, she even cares for Trollus' habitants, when she has been kidnapped on orders of the king. It's also a good idea to name the different books in this series because of Cécile: in the first, she is the stolen songbird, in the second, she is a hidden huntress. Yes. Also, Cécile isn't a human amongst others, she proves herself resourceful and I can't wait for her to work on her gifts (I don't want to spoil but welllll).

Of course, there is also Tristan, her husband. He is totally despicable at first, but he has reasons for being so. He isn't the kind of heir that want to walk in his royal daddy's footsteps, it made him such an interesting character. I liked that the romance between Cécile and him didn't feel forced, they went from hostile strangers to friends to lovers. I totally ship them together and I'm pretty sure there won't be any love triangle, so well done, Danielle L. Jensen. 

The story was fast-paced, there is action in the first chapter and that made me want to read MORE. Unfortunately, I didn't have the time to read at the moment, but I caught up and I'm glad I did. The plot was executed well, it's about a curse to break, but also a rebellion and Cécile trying to be part of the court. 

The secondary characters weren't inconsistent, they were there quite often and had their backstory, like Marc. Anaïs really came at a surprise, I thought she would be the evil troll who would try to steal Tristan from Cécile, but she was a little more complicated than that. 

Overall, I loved this book and I can't wait to pick up the sequel. It's an amazing debut and I congratulate Danielle Jensen. I had a really good time with these characters and everything was believable: for example, the rest of the world doesn't know about trolls because of oaths made by the humans going in Trollus, they can't speak about it; humans just know about trolls because of legends. I highly suggest you to read it.

Have you read this book? Are you interested? Do you know other books about trolls?

Review : Rook by Sharon Cameron

Title: Rook

Author: Sharon Cameron

Publisher: Scholastic Press

Release date: April 28th 2015

Goodreads summary: History has a way of repeating itself. In the Sunken City that was once Paris, all who oppose the new revolution are being put to the blade. Except for those who disappear from their prison cells, a red-tipped rook feather left in their place. Is the mysterious Red Rook a savior of the innocent or a criminal?

Meanwhile, across the sea in the Commonwealth, Sophia Bellamy’s arranged marriage to the wealthy René Hasard is the last chance to save her family from ruin. But when the search for the Red Rook comes straight to her doorstep, Sophia discovers that her fiancé is not all he seems. Which is only fair, because neither is she. 

As the Red Rook grows bolder and the stakes grow higher, Sophia and René find themselves locked in a tantalizing game of cat and mouse.

REVIEW

"Have you ever though," he said after a moment, "that perhaps… all of this could have happened before? That the people of the Tome Before, no matter how weak we think them, that they were only making the mistakes of their ancestors, and that we, in turn, are only making the same mistakes as them? Technology or no? That the tome changes but people do not, and so we are never really moving forward, only around a bend? That the world only ever turns in circles. Do you think that could be so?"

I read this book as a part of the Perustopia Book Club, and I am not disappointed at all by this first choice of a book. First, I liked that it was a standalone, because there aren't so much of them out there-except in the contemporary genre, of course. In my opinion, this book was quite unique because it was a mix of a lot of good things (dystopia, history, adventure) and I'm sad I didn't hear anything about it before, more people should read it.

The Red Rook freeing prisoners made me think of a cloak and dagger novel, it led to such adventurous scenes. The plot was really interesting and well paced. I'm really happy about the world-building, the French revolution vibe felt so true to me, with the Razor being the guillotine, or even the dog being called St. Just (a friend of Robespierre!). It made me laugh that the Parisian was a language, because at some point in French history, it kinda was!

The characters were well-written, Sophia was one of this badass heroines that aren't helpless. It was really interesting that she thought of the after: what kind of life could she have, after all that adventures? It is a really important topic, because it's always hard to picture what the characters will be like when they'll be back to ordinary lives. It explains why she was so reluctant to marry René in the first place, even if it wasn't the only reason. She was also conscious of her own weaknesses, which I always like about a character-especially main characters.

For always being so assured of her own cleverness, Sophia Bellamy-she was discovering-could be extraordinarily stupid.

René was my favourite character in this novel. He wasn't at all what he seemed, everyone thought he just wanted to be the true Upper Parisian, when in fact he was just plotting as much as them. But even if he did, he always acted like a perfect gentleman, it was really entertaining.

"Do you trust me?"

"Of course not."

"Then why are you here?"

"Because you have a dagger in the inside pocket of your jacket."

I really shipped these two characters together. The romance was a part of the book, which was logical, but it wasn't overdone, because Sophia wasn't the kind of girl to dream of her prince charming.

She supposed she'd always thought of things like marriage and love as a trap, like René had said, something clever girls didn't let happen to them.

There was another love interest, who was pretty obvious but to Sophia, but he never really stood a chance, so it wasn't a love triangle. I really disliked him and I'm pretty sure the author wrote him this way on purpose, he was so possessive, overconfident on Sophia's feelings for him and wrong-like that we were supposed to like René. That was really manipulative but well done. Though, I found the way he finished pretty convenient, but I didn't care for him at all, so…

Overall, I really liked it and I'm a bit sad I didn't hear much about it when it first came out, but I think it might change a little. I was really happy to see this French revolution vibe to this book, I'm really cautious about French history usually, but here I have to congratulate the author for her job on this book. The characters were enjoyable, I developed a particular fondness for René. I will definitely read more books by this author in the future.

Rating: 4.5/5

What did you think about this book? If you haven't read it, are you interested?

Review : Crimson Bound by Rosamund Hodge

Title: Crimson Bound

Author: Rosamund Hodge

Publisher: Balzer + Bray

Release Date: May 5th 2015

Goodreads summary: When Rachelle was fifteen she was good—apprenticed to her aunt and in training to protect her village from dark magic. But she was also reckless— straying from the forest path in search of a way to free her world from the threat of eternal darkness. After an illicit meeting goes dreadfully wrong, Rachelle is forced to make a terrible choice that binds her to the very evil she had hoped to defeat.

Three years later, Rachelle has given her life to serving the realm, fighting deadly creatures in an effort to atone. When the king orders her to guard his son Armand—the man she hates most—Rachelle forces Armand to help her find the legendary sword that might save their world. As the two become unexpected allies, they uncover far-reaching conspiracies, hidden magic, and a love that may be their undoing. In a palace built on unbelievable wealth and dangerous secrets, can Rachelle discover the truth and stop the fall of endless night? Inspired by the classic fairy tale Little Red Riding Hood, Crimson Bound is an exhilarating tale of darkness, love, and redemption.

REVIEW

I was more excited about Crimson Bound than for Cruel Beauty, but I enjoyed the latest more, unfortunately. 

For me, Crimson Bound was a retelling of Little Red Riding Hood. I was disappointed because it was only inspired, so I didn't really see the point to relate this book to this fairy tale. This book is more about how she tries to fight back. Of course, the Devourer can be seen as the wolf, which would make more sense, but still… However, I liked the world at first. It was well done to focus this story about the Great Forest, because it reminded us of the original fairy tale. The idea of the bloodbound then the forestborn was also really interesting.

But, here comes the main problem of this book: it was alternate history, but so confusing I wanted to scream. I know I'm a little harsh on American/English authors that set their books in France, but I want to be honest. In my opinion, a lot of people see my country through clichés (still, I liked that it took place in Rocamadour and not Paris). Here, I didn't know when the book was happening. Then, we learn that the actual king is Auguste-Philippe (btw, if you want to be true to French history, say Philippe Auguste, you were already right about last names, doing d'Anjou instead of of Anjou, go on Rosamund Hodge please!), who reigned from 1180 to 1223. I know, of course, that every reader can't know that, but the author should. So, if you think about it, this book takes place in the Middle Ages. But, in the acknowledgments, Hodge explains that she read books about Versailles for the castles, and when was Versailles built? In the 17th century, under the rule of Louis XIV. So, Rosamund Hodge is illogical herself, and my grade for this book dropped because of that. Another thing that disturbs me: Rachel and Eric are french first names, not Rachelle and Erec. For main characters, it showed lack of research. I'm not saying the author didn't do her job, but it seems pretty shallow. 

As a main character, I enjoyed Rachelle, but Erec and Armand were so annoying. They lacked of charisma and made me want to roll my eyes all the time.

"Well, then I should probably be leaving as well," said Erec. "Because I'm Erec d'Anjou, captain of the King's bloodbound, and you would not believe the blood on my hands."

This character had been introduced a few pages before, but I couldn't stand him anymore, do you see the problem? I just wanted him to shut up and die. Anyway, this leads to the awful love triangle Rosamund Hodge puts us through. I didn't care or stand for any of this guys, it was a little insta-love with Armand, so no thanks…

Rating: 2/5