To set Thornby free, both men must face life-changing truths—and John must accept that the brave, witty man who’s winning his heart may also be about to break it. Can they escape a web of magic that’s as perilous as love?
Comment: I got interested in this book after it was chosen to be part of the "best of" lists of 2018 of some readers whose opinion I tend to share. Most opinions are so positive that I felt like it would be something I'd like to read as well.
In this story we meet Soren, lord Thornby, a young man who has had a very unburdened life despite the death of his other at a young age and the seemingly indifference of his father. Things change one day when his father forces him to go to their estate so he can think about marriage but when Thorny decides to leave, he physically can't and it does look like something out of the ordinary is happening.
After more than a year a prisoner of his father's estate, Soren finally has hope because his stepmother has invited a magician to help her and maybe he can help Soren too.
The problem is that the more this magician, John Blake, tries to find magical evidence of why things are so weird in the isolated estate, the less he understands. Then, he also has to consider his attraction to Soren and how that will affect them as a couple after the secret of Soren's family is finally out...
It's true this was a very good story and I must say closer to the end it got to be quite emotional. I wouldn't say the end was as wonderful as it could but I respect the fact the author didn't create a conclusion to this as magical as the story's content, which might be unbalanced.
However, the story itself is very rich in details and amazing scenes, some of them also a little creepy at times, which means this was well thought from the start.
I was quite amazed by this story and the sort of details the author has included. Many have raved about the fact this is the author's first published work and the truth is that this did sound well accomplished. It's also known that the edition was done by people who have the ability an the talent to but the story itself has all merits as well.
The use of magic as the paranormal element was well done and was the fact the characters had more to them than what would be obvious.
The fact Soren can't leave the estate was quite intriguing. I was quite curious to see why and the explanation is obvious after a certain detail is hinted at. The magical elements related tho this felt too much at times but when the plot gets close to the end and surprises are finally revealed, many of the other little things make all sense at last.
I think the atmosphere and the secrecy involved made the story have a creepy sense here and there. Some passages were very suggestive and not in a "magic is great" kind of way. I must say the writing and descriptions were well accomplished.
Soren is a good character and I was always interested in him and his despair to leave, to gain freedom - what a broad meaning this ended up having! - but the fact he and John started to have feelings for one another also made things complicated. The end was more emotional for this, he conflict of what it is to have the chance to be free and to know someone cares about him but can't follow.
I suppose that one element that could have been better done was the romance. They shared good scenes together but I think the romantic connection could have been done more obviously. Things felt a bit too quick between them, the emotions I mean. It was a given they were physically attracted but the depth of feelings was done in a fast manner that despite the final part where it was more than clear they were in love didn't stop me from thinking that this element through the story wasn't as good.
John Blake is a fascinating character too, I loved the fact he was a simple man, not flashy nor over confident but he wanted to help and be kind to those he felt needed his help even without asking.
I really felt for him at the end, when he had so many doubts n what to do and what to feel when he believed a certain situation to be final. I think this is where the author did her best, the final pages were quite a punch in what they represented and I was certainly rooting for the characters to find common ground and an HEA.
Thinking about this book as a whole, the story was very good and the execution too. There were some not so good details and speculating a little bit, perhaps the magical content/world could have broken some rules we usually expect to be met in the genre. I don't have the talent to re-write the story but I'd have chosen other elements to explore and maybe that could have allowed some little situations to gain more importance in the bigger scheme of things, like John's type of magic and how he and Soren found a way to be together.
This was a good story, I liked the small details on how magic was such an important part of the plot and the motivation for the main couple to act and react.
The secondary characters were also done in a good enough way that they didn't feel superfluous nor did they "steal" the attention from the protagonists and their tasks.
I think I'll be interested in reading more by this author, for certain.
Grade: 8/10
No comments:
Post a Comment