A library apprentice, a sorcerer prince, and an unbreakable magic bond…
The Solaris Empire is one conquest away from uniting the continent, and the rare elemental magic sleeping in seventeen-year-old library apprentice Vhalla Yarl could shift the tides of war.
Vhalla has always been taught to fear the Tower of Sorcerers, a mysterious magic society, and has been happy in her quiet world of books. But after she unknowingly saves the life of one of the most powerful sorcerers of them all—the Crown Prince Aldrik—she finds herself enticed into his world. Now she must decide her future: Embrace her sorcery and leave the life she’s known, or eradicate her magic and remain as she’s always been. And with powerful forces lurking in the shadows, Vhalla’s indecision could cost her more than she ever imagined. – Goodreads
Well, I really had high hopes for this one—primarily based on all of the awesome reviews I read. A library apprentice? A dashing prince? Magic? Super cheap on Amazon? Sign me up.
Ehhhh.
I think I would have liked it a lot more if it weren’t for the MC, Vhalla. So—let me talk about the things I did like first before being a Debbie Downer.
The worldbuilding was fantastic. I could see the scenery, picture the characters, smell everything, envision the magic. The elemental magic presented reminded me a little bit of Avatar: The Last Airbender, but I liked it. Vhalla is the first sorcerer of her kind in over a hundred years—she can manipulate wind. Other #peasants just deal with normal stuff, like water and fire.
Despite Vhalla’s character, I enjoyed the romance in this book. Talk about a developing friendship and slooooow burn romance.
The writing was also good. I would definitely pick up another novel from Kova.
Anyway, points for the worldbuilding, writing, and romance. Oh, and the cover art.
Vhalla was so annoying. So, so annoying. Yeah, she loves books. That’s cool. I love books, too. It wasn’t enough to connect me to her, though.
Vhalla is immature, selfish and couldn’t make a decision to save her life. I also found her inconsistent—she would sometimes be rational, smart and caring. She was constantly mumbling or whispering or crying or staring at the ground—this never improved (I can handle it when the heroine gets stronger—but not when they stay the same).
Overall, Vhalla made the entire experience significantly less enjoyable for me. I rated this a 3/5. If you liked Throne of Glass, fantasy, magic, and slow romance—definitely give this one a shot!
lifebetweenreads.com 