The pacing of this novel is excellent, and the plot twists were brilliant. Although it’s a clear retelling of The Twelve Dancing Princesses, this tale takes very unexpected twists and turns while still evoking all the key points of the fairytale.
The characters are also well rounded with flaws that bring out their humanity and showcase their struggles. Sophie battles grief after her mother’s death, while Jonas struggles with sever symptoms of PTS, a result of his experiences in battle. I appreciate how well the author evoked the negative spirals that many people get sucked into when not coping whit psychological stressors, and the desire to ignore the problems and forget about them while trying to embrace life—but only getting a half-life out of it, rings so true. It’s a brilliant message and comes across beautifully.
The curse, in this instance, is epic. At first, it is presented as one thing, but as the story unfolds, the truth becomes clear, and the specifics of the curse become darker and darker. And it’s done so well! I was absolutely terrified by the end of it.
The unfolding romance between Sophie and Jonas is also wonderful. It’s clean, which is unusual for such a dark, NA romance, and I actually really enjoyed connecting with the characters at an emotional level without any spice getting in the way. It’s refreshing and adds a lot to the story.
Another really unusual element is the setting. This story is set in modern Germany, which I didn’t notice at first because it could have been any modern city. In a way, the setting isn’t important, it could be anywhere. But I personally felt the author could have done more with the German setting from the start. Embracing it would have added that extra layer to make this story even more unforgettable and unique. As it is, I found the few overt references to German culture/names a little jarring, but not enough so to detract from the awesome experience of this fantastic read.
I couldn’t put it down and highly recommend it to anyone who’s looking for clean, adult romance, dark fairytale retellings, or contemporary fantasy reads with exciting, unpredictable twists and turns, not to mention deep characters who actually have arcs. Love it! And I’m looking forward to see what more this author has written.
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