| Series: | Earthsinger Chronicles #1 |
| Pub. Date: | May 1, 2018 |
| Publisher: | St. Martin's Press |
| Length: | 384 pgs |
| Source: | NetGalley |
I really wanted to like this story, and I tried really hard, giving it much longer than I normally would when I do not enjoy a story. I gave this one to about 72% before I had to DNF.
The premise was very interesting. The focus is on two kingdoms separated by a magical barrier (the mantle), one side bearing magic users (Lagrimari) and the other side as non-magical (Elsira). The Lagrimari are persons of color and the Elsirans are pale and flame-haired. The races have been at war for a very long time, with an evil ruler in Lagrimari who steals his people's power and seeks to shatter the mantle and invade Elsira.
Our heroine, Jasminda, is of mixed heritage, born to an Elsiran mother and Lagrimarian refugee father. Living in Elsira, Jasminda has experienced a lifetime of prejudice and distrust. I admired her fortitude and resilience to continue on by herself after the death of her family. Unfortunately that is about all I can say about her. The character building in this story was sorely lacking. When the heroine (instead of a romantic pairing) is the main focus of a story, particularly a fantasy, I expect her to be a stronger character, someone who can carry the story on her back. Jasminda fell flat for me.
Inasmuch as he can be considered a hero, Jack was somewhat easier to get behind. His personality seemed stronger and he often acted on his morals and beliefs without caring what others thought. We got to know more of his inner mind than Jasminda's, which was odd given that she is our main character. The relationship between these two was very one-dimensional. I didn't feel any of the emotional pull or passion that you expect in a romance. So this was another instance where the plot wasn't developed as fully as it needed to be.
The real reason that I just couldn't finish this book is that I was just utterly bored. The entire time I was reading I couldn't help but think how bland the story was. There was almost no world building, which really irked me. One society is full of magical users, and our heroine has magical abilities. The other side are "silent" (non-magical) but have the use of technology. Though that was never explained. I have to admit that it threw me to have automobiles and guns present (without explanation) in a fantasy world. I almost felt like some of the items were included in the story so that it would be more relatable to current political hot buttons. (I'm not going to get into a political discussion here, as that wasn't my major problem with the story.) There was so much opportunity for world building and development between our two societies, that I feel like the author missed a huge opportunity. It's a shame because I'm always searching for new fantasy romance authors, but this one failed in the execution.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book that I received from the publisher, St Martin's Press.
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