Thank you to NetGalley, Sourcebooks Fire and FairyLoot for providing me with a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
Goodreads Synopsis
Tala Warnock has little use for magic – as a descendant of Maria Makiling, the legendary Filipina heroine, she negates spells, often by accident. But her family’s old ties to the country of Avalon (frozen, bespelled, and unreachable for almost 12 years) soon finds them guarding its last prince from those who would use his kingdom’s magic for insidious ends.
And with the rise of dangerous spelltech in the Royal States of America; the appearance of the firebird, Avalon’s deadliest weapon, at her doorstep; and the re-emergence of the Snow Queen, powerful but long thought dead, who wants nothing more than to take the firebird's magic for her own – Tala’s life is about to get even more complicated….
Review
While I already own a book by Rin Chupeco, this is the first book I’ve read by her and it will honestly not be the last.
This story combines real life with the fairy-tales that we all know and love. This story did take me a little while to get in to and at the beginning the whole magic system really confused me but I’m glad I stuck with the book and kept an open mind. I ended up unable to put the book down once I hit the second half of the book.
I found myself really like the group of characters who embark on this journey, especially Tala who has completely been thrown out of her element but still remains strong. Her whole life has been toppled over and she’s struggling to come to terms with the new information she’s been given but she fights on to protect Alex.
I had my issues with Alex. I understand that he is going through a lot in this book, but I ended up getting incredibly frustrated with him and his attitude towards the group when their main mission is to keep him safe. He’s incredibly reckless and I just wanted to scream at him every time he showed up in a scene.
Overall this was an enjoyable read once I got passed the confusing world building and the magic system. Rin Chupeco has created a captivating, vivid and imaginative world that I cannot wait to delve back into.
Rating: 3.5/5 stars.
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